Join Sandi Toksvig for a daily perusal through her room of books, as she provides some succour for the soul whilst celebrating some forgotten (and unforgotten) characters in history; some heroic, others comedic and a few who are just downright idiotic. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Fingers on Buzzers is brought to you by comedian and keen amateur quizzer Lucy Porter, alongside The Chase's very own Jenny Ryan. Whether you’re a Pointless armchair aficionado, nostalgic for the days of Going for Gold, or a bona fide Mastermind, this is the podcast for you. Jenny and Lucy speak to a host of people who work behind the scenes of our favourite TV quiz shows, including James Harkin (QI), Roger Tilling (the ‘Voice’ of University Challenge) and Jenny Hawker (Only Connect); plus w ...
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Welcome to Hacks and Flaks, the only series where you'll get the inside scoop on how journalist hacks and the flaks of government work behind the scenes to decide which stories, you'll be reading with your morning coffee and perhaps more importantly, how they keep certain headlines off the front pages. What happens if a public figure is the subject of a salacious story? When does a scandal make or break a career? And how do you really know what is or isn't fake news? All these subjects and a ...
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Join Emma Bullimore and Mark Jefferies for the podcast that's all things telly, including interviews with the biggest names, discussions of current shows and previews of what’s coming up on the box
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Daily highlights from Steve Wright's afternoon show on BBC Radio 2. Featuring chat with top showbiz guests.
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Something incredible is happening this summer involving a number of our Lucy's favourite things, which are (in no particular order) Ken Bruce PopMaster Jenny Ryan Quiz And our Jen also won't be disappointed either, as she'll be spending the weekend of 23rd - 26th August 2024 at the beautiful Warner Hotel at Studley Castle, Warwickshire, immersed in…
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Helloooo! Lucy and Jen decided to pop in to see us, as excitement is ramping up for their first ever appearance in Jenny's homeland of BOLTON! What better way to celebrate opening the Bolton Comedy Festival, than to record a special, bonus ep all about the town that has given us the likes of, Vernon Kay, Johnny Ball and Sarah Cox? The gals will be …
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See Lucy and Jen in Vixen's very own homeland - BOLTON! FOB live will be at The Bolton Comedy Festival on Friday 12th July - full info and tickets HERE - Bolton Comedy Festival | Octagon Theatre Bolton (octagonbolton.co.uk) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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It's that time again, when our hosts get all festive and invite past guests back to contribute a question in their quizmas open house! It's a yuletide trip down memory lane, where the wonderful people who were kind enough to appear on the show are also generous enough to be bothered for MORE of their time and come up with a question that will stump…
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We're back to the cutthroat world of crosswords in this episode, as we hear from The Times Crossword Champion 2023, Matthew Marcus! Matthew tells us about his journey to the top and how he managed to snatch victory from the reigning champ. Matthew also shares his quizzing life with us and it would appear that he's not too shabby at that either, als…
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As Christmas was looming large at the time of recording, Lucy and Jenny are fully focused on how to keep the family entertained on the big day itself, and so test out two of this year's big hitters -and one could argue rivals - in the festive boardgame market. How does playing Taskmaster IRL compare with an in-person version of Richard Osman's Hous…
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It's finally happened! After several attempts, diaries finally aligned with the stars and Lucy and Jenny could welcome the delightful Robin Ince to the show... Well, almost aligned, as it turned out that Jenny had to dash off for a secret TV gig during Robin's visit, but for a short time, we were able to have all three in the same room. Robin, as y…
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106 Going Blankety Blank, with Nigel Crowle
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This week, Lucy and Jenny are delighted to welcome a man to the show who has worked in more TV shows than even he can care to remember, from Blankety Blank, to Odd One Out with Paul Daniels, and Talking Telephone numbers in between. Nigel Crowle has had an incredible career in TV and radio production, working on a huge number of shows and tells us …
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As the need for filling up the Christmas stocking gathers pace (at the time of record and release, anyhow) Lucy and Jenny have decided we deserve an early Christmas treat in the form of a snippet of their book, Fingers on Buzzers: From Bullseye to Pointless, a celebratory journey through the history of the Great British Quiz! As well as being avail…
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Join Lucy and Jenny in their wild celebrations of the show's centenary episode, when you've guessed it, the quiz they night away with the theme ONE HUNDRED as a guide to the games and questions. It seems there are indeed a hundred ways to quiz your lovers, and the team show no signs of stopping now and are certainly not letting the fact that this i…
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It's FOB Friday, and then team are joined by the wonderous comedian and competitive quizzer, Hal Cruttenden so he can have a good vent about all the quiz shows he's appeared on, but more importantly, all the shows he's yet to have been asked to do! Lucy also compiles a quiz which is as tenuous as it is wonderful, to connect the worlds of rugby and …
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Most quizzers love taking their time over a crossword at the weekend and might even be partial to a puzzler book to take on holiday, but what's it like to work in the worlds of puzzles and crosswords professionally? Well, Jenny and Lucy decided to invite The Times and Sunday Times puzzles editor and crossword setter, Mick Hodgkin into the studio to…
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A week is a long time in podcasting, as if you weren't at the live show conducted by Jenny and Lucy at The Museum of Comedy, you've had to wait a whole week to see what happened in part two of the Tim Vine / Charlie Higson double bill. Well, your patience is rewarded right now, as you can hear the brilliant episode with comedian, writer and grumpy …
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Lucy and Jenny took to the stage to celebrate two incredible things, one - the launch of their fantastic book, available in the shops now - AND recording their 100th episode with the incredible Tim Vine as special guest! What a lovely night it was, huge thanks to the brilliant team at The Museum of Comedy for looking after us so well, and to everyo…
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Extra, extra, read all about it... well, from the 12th October 2023 you CAN, as Lucy and Jenny have finally given the world what it wants and put pen to paper to bring you the first Fingers on Buzzers book 'Fingers on Buzzers: From Bullseye to Pointless, a Celebratory Journey Through the History of the Great British Quiz'. Not only will you find a …
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98 Quiz Capsule, with Michael Fenton Stevens
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37:19
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Well, Lucy and Jenny have certainly managed to unearth a real treasure when it comes to this week's guest, as it just so happens to be, actor, writer and host of the hugely successful 'My Time Capsule' Podcast, the lovely Michael Fenton Stevens, who took time out to speak to us from the hardship of filming Death in Paradise in the Caribbean! Not on…
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97 Quizzing like it's 2011, with Gareth Gwynn
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Welcome to another fantastic episode of FOB, where, thanks to this week's guest, we're gonna be quizzing like it's 2011! Lucy and Jen were thrilled to welcome comedy writer and radio panel quiz producer, Gareth Gwynn to the studio to take us down memory lane of some of the best (and not so best) topical quizzes we've heard on the wireless. AND our …
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If you couldn't make it to the FOB live show at London Podcast Festival 2023, no problem, because you can now hear exactly what went down. Lucy and Jenny were delighted to be joined by the wonderful columnist, musician and now quiz show host, Tim Dowling, who shared some experiences of celebrity pub quizzes, beating Louis Theroux and discovering th…
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At long last, justice for Lucy, as scores get settled with her quizzing nemesis, Ed Byrne. As regular listeners know, Ed managed to drop a clanger on Pointless Celebrities which cost them the trophy - but has all been forgiven? Well, the team gathered in a karaoke booth during this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival to talk it all through, play some …
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Well, well, well...what time do you call this? Our Lucy and Jenny are FINALLY back with a brand-new series, which promises some amazing guests and quizzy fun, but why on earth has it taken so long to record a new series? In this episode, not only do our hosts catch-up on all the quiz news and what they've been up to, including Lucy's hugely popular…
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Lucy and Jenny are back ... well, they soon will be and there is MUCH to talk about, not least a couple of opportunities to see them LIVE! Ticket link for London Podfest below and info for Edinburgh Fringe show! FOB AT THE FRINGE - ONE SHOW ONLY 7th August at The Laughing Horse, City Cafe 19 Blair Street, EH1 1QR Donations on the door LONDON PODCAS…
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n the final episode of this series of Hacks and Flaks, host Petrie and regular panellist Giles, welcomes two guests to the show, each with very different perspectives on how photographs are used to illustrate the news. In the studio is renowned photojournalist, Stefan Rousseau, who shares some amazing stories from his career with the Press Associat…
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S2 Ep9: Hold the Back Page, with Nizaar Kinsella
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How has the world of sports journalism changed and adapted to the new realm of online news? Why are there fewer stories about the personal lives of sports personalities in the press? And what does the future hold for the world of sport and how it's reported? Sports reporter for the London Evening Standard, Nizaar Kinsella, joins Petrie, Andrew, and…
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This week's Hacks and Flaks welcomes a cast of thousands to the studio. Not only is our host Petrie, joined by regular panellists Andrew MacDougall, and Giles Kenningham, but we also have at least two ex-Prime Ministers, two wannabe PMs AND 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump....plus, comedian, and impressionist Matt Forde, who just s…
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Why does a celebrity need someone managing their public relations? Can't they manage that themselves? Well, it would appear that's getting increasingly difficult in these days of trial by social media and a single tweet can ruin a carefully crafted reputation, potentially destroying a career. What can a PR do to stop the damage seeping in further? …
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S2 Ep6: Monkey Postmen? It MUST be The Sunday Sport
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Something tells me we're not in Kansas anymore Toto, as the team are frogmarched down the yellow brick road by this week's guest, editor of The Sunday Sport (yes, THAT Sunday Sport), Nick Appleyard. Where else can you hear the plight of a wronged monkey postman, get the inside scoop on a missing plane found on the moon, and read all about the stick…
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Today's Hacks and Flaks is an education, education, education, as we find out what goes on behind the scenes to produce a political speech. Whether it's supposed to be a rallying cry, resignation, or to talk pork markets, there are a myriad of purposes for them and reasons why they might be remembered. And who better to hear from than the man with …
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In today's episode, the team pick away at some old war wounds as they recount incidents when they've had to rely on composing a 'killer statement' to avert trouble…but are there times when spin just isn't enough? And, what happens if, like regular panellist and resident 'hack', Mick Booker, you're at the receiving end of a statement in a bid to sto…
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S2 Ep3: What Happens on Tour - with Chris Hope.
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In today's episode of Hacks and Flaks, what happens on tour doesn't stay on tour, as host Petrie welcomes journalist and presenter of 'Choppers Politics Podcast', Chris Hope to the show to talk about what really happens on political press trips. Chris and regular panellists, Giles and Andrew, all share stories of times they have accompanied Prime M…
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S2 Ep2: What It Feels Like to Have Your Phone Hacked - With Lucy Benjamin.
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In today's episode of Hacks and Flaks, host Petrie and her panel discusses how public inquiries, such as Leveson, continue to shape the news agenda and changed public tastes in the stories they want to read. As well as regular panellists, Mick Booker, Giles Kenningham, and Andrew MacDougal, we are also joined by Tom Anelay, who has worked on numero…
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Hacks and Flaks is back with another series of salacious insights from the worlds of politics and journalism. We start in toe curling style as our resident flaks and special guest, Dr Alastair Masser, recount some of the most awkward conversations they've had during their careers in government. What would you do if someone demanded you delay an air…
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Series two of Hacks and Flaks lands on Thursday 6th April 2023, bringing an exciting array of guests who share their insights on how the news gets made… We'll be hearing from comedian, impressionist and former political advisor, Matt Forde about why the need for satire is stronger than ever. Journalist and presenter of Chopper's Politics Podcast, C…
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In the final offering of this series, Petrie seeks the advice of resident flaks, Giles and Andrew about how she might go about switching over to the dark side of a job in government. How does one become a political advisor, and is it impossible to turn back once you've gone from hack to flak? During the program, Andrew and Giles will take us on a j…
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During today's Hacks and Flaks, Petrie, Giles and Michael discuss something most journalists try to avoid: super injunctions. How did they come about and what are they? You may be surprised to learn that they weren't invented for the rich and famous, but celebrities have seized the opportunity to keep certain details of their personal lives out of …
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S1 Ep9: Has Online News Killed The Press?
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On Hacks and Flaks today, the team debates whether online news has killed traditional journalism and whether physical newspapers are doomed to extinction. What are the dangers associated with relying solely on online media and how is that affecting our local press? In the age of social media, how difficult is it to break a story? Is shareability a …
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In today's episode, our host Petrie and her panel of Hacks and Flaks, debate the consequences of what can happen when the news goes wrong. When the press ends-up persecuting the wrong person, who is to blame and has the Leveson Inquiry done anything to prevent the hounding of those in the public eye? How could a situation like the one involving Car…
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In this week's episode, Petrie, Giles, Andrew and Michael examine redemption and reinvention in an ever-changing world. Can someone in the public eye atone for bad behavior? Why are some people able to get away with things that would see others cancelled almost instantly? The team discusses when reinventions have succeeded and failed, and rates tho…
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In the week that Prince Harry's autobiography 'Spare' finally hit the shelves and after his explosive interview with Tom Bradby, we thought it fitting to share with you our episode on royal scandals in the news. Petrie is joined by her regular panel of hacks and flaks, Andrew and Michael, but there's an extra addition, in the form of journalist Jo …
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Recorded 28th October 2022 As Elon Musk became the owner of Twitter at the time of recording, this episode of Hacks and Flaks seemed like the perfect opportunity for the panel to discuss the phenomenon of social media journalism and its impact on traditional news gathering. What do flaks do when someone in government is embroiled in a Twitter storm…
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Recorded late October 2022 Everyone loves a scandal, and even in these technological times, a juicy front-page headline can still sell newspapers. But, has public sympathy shifted post-Leveson and what makes a scandal newsworthy? As part of today's episode, Petrie is joined by former political advisor Giles Kenningham and journalist Michael Booker,…
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Recorded14th October 2022 In the first episode of Hacks and Flaks, host Petrie Hosken explores the art of the political interview. How does a politician prepare for a potential roasting on live TV? What are the signs that an interviewer thinks they're the star? And has the public become jaded with the traditional mauling of politicians by TV journa…
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Recorded 21st October 2022 Can you spot a fake news story? When should you question an online article's source and how can you check it? On Petrie's panel today is former political advisor Andrew MacDougall and journalist Michael Booker, who discuss how and why fake news is being distributed, how to spot the tell-tale signs of a made-up story and w…
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92 The Bumper Christmas Edition with LES DENNIS
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Time to do your best Noddy Holder impression .... IT'S CHRISTMAAAAASSS'! Yes, the FOB team are here to deliver a bumper edition to see you through the festive season, and beyond! As well as taking us through the Christmas TV quizzing schedules and indulging in some retro Mastermind questions, our Lucy and Jenny have also provided a wonderous bounty…
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Lucy and Jenny are here again and this week they are in great company, as they welcome comedian, actor, author, podcaster and activist, Samantha Baines! With so many strings to her bow, you would think that Samantha would be too busy to enjoy a quiz, well you assume wrong, as not only does our guest love a quiz, but as someone who lives with hearin…
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Welcome to Hacks and Flaks, the only series where you'll get the inside scoop on how journalist hacks and the flaks of government and business work behind the scenes to decide which stories you'll be reading with your morning coffee and perhaps more importantly, how they keep certain headlines off the front pages. What happens if a public figure is…
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Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once... Jenny and Lucy have decided to help you prep for the Christmas season by having a root through the charity shop for some retro board games and, as this year might not be the year to splash out on a new board game for the family to bicker around. We also hear what our hosts think of the Frank Paul…
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Hoooray, Lucy and Jenny are here again with a rather jazzy episode of FOB. Today they are joined by a lady whose eclectic knowledge covers every manner of subject from science to netball and a whole bunch more in between, We also have another stunning listener quiz to get our teeth into, so pick your teams and get involved - skipity boop. boop, boo…
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In another fantastic episode of FOB, Jenny and Lucy get together for a fun evening of quiz and decided to share the love with a guest who as well as being part of the QI Elves ensemble, is also behind daytime TV quiz, Tournament. And not only does James give us the inside scoop on how to break into elveing, but he also sets this week's listener qui…
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WARNING: After listening to today's episode of FOB, you may never be able to watch Tipping Point in the same way again, as Jenny and Lucy welcome a real life whistleblower to the show! Owen Visser may seem like a mildmannerd writer and performer (and one half of the frankly BRILLIANT Mr Thing), but he is in fact a former contestant on the one and o…
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