Best Robert Abba Podcasts (2024)

1
What sports used to be in the Olympics but aren’t now? 8:28

8h ago8:28

8:28

Download the PDF with the photo and text at https://www.robhextall.com/photos/what-sports-used-to-be-in-the-olympics-but-arent-now Listen to the audio, then answer the questions and do the activity. Hope you find this useful!By Robert Hextall

1
Kathleen Stock 1:08:02

27m ago1:08:02

1:08:02

This week's Rosebud guest is Professor Kathleen Stock, the philosopher and writer. As Gyles says in his introduction, Stock has, at times, been a controversial figure in the debate about gender identity, but in this episode, we aim to get behind the headlines and find out about her life. The conversation takes us from her early years, playing games…

1
S3 EP 125: Andreea Rus, Children's Book Author 35:31

19h ago35:31

35:31

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, Today Dianne chats with Romanian born children’s book author Andreea Rus. Andreea had a clear career path in mind when she set of for college. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and followed that up with a Masters in Advertising. Both potentially financially lucrative fields. After gr…

1
Robert Lindsay 1:06:52

6d ago1:06:52

1:06:52

Robert Lindsay is Gyles's guest this week, and the conversation they have is brilliant: evocative, revealing, and funny. Robert takes Gyles back to his working class childhood, growing up as the son of a carpenter in a two-up-two-down house in Derbyshire; he reminisces about his parents' love for each other and for dancing and laughing together, an…

1
S3 EP 124: J.R. Sanders, Author of The Nate Ross Series 35:01

7d ago35:01

35:01

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, Recently during J.R. Sanders’ interview with Dianne Burckhardt on her podcast, Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt - Book Talk Podcast, the pair learned they had many things in common, from mutual author friends, to both writing historical fiction, both are trained to work in law enforcement, a…

1
Björn Ulvaeus - ABBA legend 1:03:31

13d ago1:03:31

1:03:31

Björn Ulvaeus is pop music royalty, a founder member of one the most successful pop groups in history - ABBA. So when Gyles was given the opportunity to interview him at a special event in Bridlington, the Rosebud team hotfooted it up there to record it. What you're going to hear is a very special, wide-ranging and fascinating conversation about Bj…

1
S3 EP 123: S.B. Goncarova, Author of The Adventures with Abba Series 39:53

15d ago39:53

39:53

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, Today Dianne brings you her interview with the incredible children's book author and educational platform creator, Sarah Beth Goncarova (writing as S.B. Goncarova). Sarah has not only created a fun collection of books for young readers, she has built an entertainment business around her amazin…

1
Why do people jump over bonfires on Saint John’s Eve? 9:02

20d ago9:02

9:02

Download the PDF with the photo and text at https://www.robhextall.com/photos/why-do-people-jump-over-bonfires-on-saint-johns-eve Listen to the audio, then answer the questions and do the activity. Hope you find this useful!By Robert Hextall

1
Suzy Eddie Izzard 57:46

20d ago57:46

57:46

This week's guest is the stand-up comedian, actor, marathon-runner and political activist Suzy Eddie Izzard. Suzy tells Gyles about her new name, and why she's relaxed about what people to choose to call her. She then takes Gyles back into her childhood, spent in Aden, Northern Ireland and South Wales, until the sudden death of her mother changed e…

1
S3 EP 122: Chef Ray Sheehan, Author of Big Green Egg Basics From a Master Barbecuer 33:23

22d ago33:23

33:23

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, Dianne is thrilled to share with you her conversation with Chef Ray Sheehan. With the weather warming up and summer officially just around the corner, many people like Dianne and her husband are looking forward to the opportunity to firing up their backyard cookers. While many people stick to …

1
What happened during the Battle of Vitoria? 8:43

27d ago8:43

8:43

Download the PDF with the photo and text at https://www.robhextall.com/photos/what-happened-during-the-battle-of-vitoria-in-1813 Listen to the audio, then answer the questions and do the activity. Hope you find this useful!By Robert Hextall

1
Chris McCausland 1:08:48

28d ago1:08:48

1:08:48

Gyles gets together with comedian Chris McCausland to record a really special episode of Rosebud. Chris takes Gyles back to his childhood days, playing football and messing about in the streets of West Derby Village in Liverpool, part of a close-knit family and friendship group. Chris talks about the beginnings of the problems with his sight, which…

1
S3 EP 121: Mark L. Redmond, Author of The Box M Gang Series 47:45

29d ago47:45

47:45

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, Today Dianne shares another conversation with her friend, Mark L. Redmond. Mark is a fellow western author and was the first author Dianne ever interviewed on her podcast back when it was still Whatever Wednesdays. Mark fell in love with reading as a child. Saturday morning TV westerns were a …

1
Why do we dance? And do animals join in the fun? 7:55

1M ago7:55

7:55

Download the PDF with the photo and text at https://www.robhextall.com/photos/why-do-we-dance-and-do-animals-join-in-the-fun Listen to the audio, then answer the questions and do the activity. Hope you find this useful!By Robert Hextall

1
Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal 1:03:26

1M ago1:03:26

1:03:26

Who is the cleverest person in Britain? When Gyles asked this question to readers of his columns last year, one name was mentioned more than any other; that of Martin Rees, Lord Rees of Ludlow, the Astronomer Royal. Lord Rees is one of the most distinguished scientists in the country, a former President of the Royal Society and a Cambridge fellow. …

1
S3 EP 120: Theresa Payton, Author of Manipulated: Inside the Cyberwar to Hijack Elections and Distort the Truth 53:40

1M ago53:40

53:40

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, Today Dianne is sharing with all of you her interview with the incredible Theresa Payton. Theresa Payton, an illustrious figure in the domain of technology and cybersecurity, has carved a niche for herself as a pioneering force and the first female White House Chief Information Officer. Curren…

1
Alexander Armstrong 1:00:34

1M ago1:00:34

1:00:34

Gyles and Alexander Armstrong reminisce about Alexander's idyllic childhood in Northumberland, the son of a country GP. They talk about his school years, when he was an 'odd little boy' who sang in the school choir and was obsessed with Gilbert and Sullivan. They discuss the joy of Evensong, and the delights of PG Wodehouse, and Gyles finds out wha…

1
Can I complete a ‘No-buy Year’ successfully? 9:02

1M ago9:02

9:02

Download the PDF with the photo and text at https://www.robhextall.com/photos/can-i-complete-a-no-buy-year-successfully Listen to the audio, then answer the questions and do the activity. Hope you find this useful!By Robert Hextall

1
S3 EP 119: Ulff Lehmann, Author of The Light in the Dark Series 45:23

1M ago45:23

45:23

Join the conversation, text us now. * Possible Trigger Warnings * Discussion of mental health issues, plus dark, grim, epic fantasy themes, and use of profane language. Bleeped words include: k1ll, sh1t, a$$hole, pro$t1tüte, ma$terb@te, and Fu©_ Hello Happy People, When you speak with Ulff Lehmann you would only know he has struggled with mental he…

1
How did the shipping container change commerce? 8:30

2M ago8:30

8:30

Download the PDF with the photo and text at https://www.robhextall.com/photos/how-did-the-shipping-container-change-commerce Listen to the audio, then answer the questions and do the activity. Hope you find this useful!By Robert Hextall

1
Reverend Richard Coles 1:06:42

2M ago1:06:42

1:06:42

Gyles meets the writer, clergyman and former member of the Communards Reverend Richard Coles. Together they talk about Richard's childhood, growing up as the musically gifted youngest son in a family of shoe manufacturers in Kettering, about how he discovered his sexuality and became part of London's gay scene in the 1980s, and about how he found h…

1
S3 EP 118: Robert Hilliard, Author of In Freedom's Shadow 49:42

2M ago49:42

49:42

Join the conversation, text us now. * Possible Trigger Warning * There is a discussion of slavery and the treatment of black Americans during the American Civil War Era and how it pertains to Robert Book, In Freedom's Shadow. Hello Happy People, Today Dianne brings you her chat with author, Robert Hilliard. His latest book, In Freedom's Shadow, is …

1
Katherine Ryan 1:07:00

2M ago1:07:00

1:07:00

Gyles has fun talking to Katherine Ryan about her early memories and formative experiences, with added discussions about the rights and wrongs of plastic surgery, whether you should tell anecdotes during sex, and what, exactly, is phallic swagger. This is a frank, open, revealing and sometimes inspiring conversation that's possibly slightly more ad…

1
S3 EP 117: Kezia Kos, Author of Kintsugi 33:02

2M ago33:02

33:02

Join the conversation, text us now. *Trigger warnings* Today's episode contains an open discussion of mental illness and emotional abuse. You will hear a word bleeped at least twice in this episode. That word is sui©ide. We did this to ensure this episode does not get removed by censors. Today Dianne is joined by another expat author, Kezia Kos, a …

1
John Cleese 1:01:43

2M ago1:01:43

1:01:43

This week, Gyles has John Cleese in the Rosebud hotseat. Gyles finds out about John's childhood, growing up in the Westcountry during the war, with a father whose surname was actually 'Cheese' and a mother who was suffering from post natal depression. John also shares stories about his school days, what it was like being the tallest boy in the form…

1
S3 EP 116: N. Joseph Glass, Author of Overlap: The Lives of a Former Time Jumper 33:03

2M ago33:03

33:03

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, Today Dianne talks with the wonderful sci-fi author, N. Joseph Glass (Joseph). Like Dianne, Joseph is an American expat in Europe. He is an Italian American currently living in Milan, Italy. In recent years, he has devoted his time, along with his two grown sons, to helping the refugee communi…

1
What is pollen and how does it cause hay fever? 8:09

2M ago8:09

8:09

Download the PDF with the photo and text at https://www.robhextall.com/photos/what-is-pollen-and-how-does-it-cause-hay-fever Listen to the audio, then answer the questions and do the activity. Hope you find this useful!By Robert Hextall

1
TREAT EPISODE: Dermot O'Leary 55:34

2M ago55:34

55:34

Dermot O'Leary and Gyles know each other from the This Morning sofa, but here they get the chance to sit down for a proper in-depth conversation. Dermot tells Gyles about his childhood, growing up in a warm and loving Irish family, and about how important his heritage is to him. He talks about his first communion, his love of poetry and Gyles finds…

1
Sir Keir Starmer 41:02

2M ago41:02

41:02

In this episode Gyles talks to the Leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer. This isn't a political interview, instead it's an in-depth and fascinating conversation about Keir's background and personal history. Keir reminisces about his childhood in a village in Surrey; he remembers cramped car journeys in a Ford Cortina with four kids and four…

1
S3 EP 115: Nandita Godbole, Cookbook Author of Masaleydaar: Classic Indian Spice Blends 49:07

2M ago49:07

49:07

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, Today Dianne is thrilled to bring another amazing cookbook author to all of you. Nandita Godbole has reinvented herself many times. She has been a botanist and a landscape architect, but family influence finally won out as she followed in the footsteps of many others in her family and ventured…

1
Merlin Holland: Grandson of Oscar Wilde 55:11

3M ago55:11

55:11

21st April is the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, and in celebration of this we're giving you an interview with Merlin Holland, who has an unusual claim to fame. His mother, Thelma Besant, was the late Queen's beauty advisor - her personal makeup artiste - who was present at the Coronation in 1953, as was our guest (then a young boy). Merlin is als…

1
Can Kiss and ABBA avatars revolutionise concerts? 8:30

3M ago8:30

8:30

Download the PDF with the photo and text at https://www.robhextall.com/photos/can-kiss-and-abba-avatars-revolutionise-concerts Listen to the audio, then answer the questions and do the activity. Hope you find this useful!By Robert Hextall

1
S3 EP 114: A. J. Landau, Author(s) of Leave No Trace 55:21

3M ago55:21

55:21

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People Dianne brings you her first ever writing team interview. While she has interviewed authors with a partner, she's never interviewed both authors in the same interview. She had so much fun talking with Jeff Ayers and Jon Land, she may have to reconsider and do more multi-author interviews. Both m…

1
Twiggy 1:00:22

3M ago1:00:22

1:00:22

Gyles's guest this week is Dame Twiggy Lawson, and this episode is recorded live at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, Surrey. Twiggy shot to fame as a 16 year-old, when her headshots - showcasing her newly cropped hair, boyish looks and signature dark eye makeup - were spotted in a London hair salon. Within weeks her face was on the front page of the E…

1
S3 EP 113: Boo Trundle, Author of The Daughter Ship 38:27

3M ago38:27

38:27

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, Today Dianne shares with you the amazing interview she had with author Boo Trundle. The women had a very deep discussion about the introspective process behind writing books, fiction or nonfiction, when the author puts so much of themselves into the work and how it can affect not only the auth…

1
Anneka Rice 59:58

3M ago59:58

59:58

This week Gyles hears the reminiscences of the presenter, writer and painter Anneka Rice. Rice grew up in Surrey, the daughter of a builder and a frustrated housewife who went back to college and left 11 year-old Anneka to look after her baby sister and do the household chores. Anneka distracted herself by playing games with Action Men and dinky tr…

1
S3 EP 112: Khushi T. Saha, Interracial Romance Author - Bonus Love Fest Author 33:45

3M ago33:45

33:45

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, Today we bring you an interview with the incredible interracial romance author, Khushi T. Saha. Dianne and Khushi talked about her writing process, all of her published works, and an upcoming event where fans could actually meet her. They did the usual five quick questions that turned out surp…

1
What would past generations think of our everyday objects? 9:45

3M ago9:45

9:45

Download the PDF with the photo and text at https://www.robhextall.com/photos/what-would-past-generations-think-of-our-everyday-objects Listen to the audio, then answer the questions and do the activity. Hope you find this useful!By Robert Hextall

1
Charles Dance 1:02:22

3M ago1:02:22

1:02:22

The actor, director, and Game Of Thrones star Charles Dance tells Gyles about his childhood, adolescence and the early years of his career: which are possibly not what you'd expect. Dance was born to working class parents in the Midlands, lost his father when he was only 3, and then moved to Plymouth where he developed a stammer. He didn't train to…

1
S3 EP 111: J.R. Byers, Paranormal Romance Author 48:19

3M ago48:19

48:19

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, To say that J.R. Byers is a lifelong fan of romance novels is not much of an exaggeration. She fell in love with the genre at the tender age of twelve. Since then, her love of romance has only grown. When J.R. first felt the urge to pen her own fiction, romance was the obvious choice. With so…

1
Rupert Everett 1:03:51

3M ago1:03:51

1:03:51

Gyles takes Rupert Everett back to his childhood and teenage years, and be warned: not only is this episode hilarious, but it's also slightly more adult than our other shows. And it is genuinely one of the funniest Rosebuds yet. The son of an Army Major, Rupert didn't do any of things his parents expected. He was obsessed with Julie Andrews, loved …

1
S3 EP 110: Eve Black, Spicy Romance Author for Curvy Girls 40:06

4M ago40:06

40:06

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, Today Dianne shares her interview with spicy romance author, Eve Black. Eve has a great deal of experience writing various forms of romance from sweet and loving to her hot and spicy motorcycle club (MC) books the women talked about in today's episode. Many authors take on pen names for variou…

1
When does editing a photo become manipulation? 8:56

4M ago8:56

8:56

Download the PDF with the photo and text at https://www.robhextall.com/photos/when-does-editing-a-photo-become-manipulation Listen to the audio, then answer the questions and do the activity. Hope you find this useful!By Robert Hextall

1
Ahmad Sarmast: Saving Afghanistan's Music 41:11

4M ago41:11

41:11

In the second part of this two-segment conversation, Sayed asks Dr. Sarmast about his upbringing, the inspiration to build a music school for the most disadvantaged kids, and why the country's art scene was so prolific when he grew up during the second half of the 20th century. Guest: Ahmad Naser Sarmast Guest Host: Sayed Madadi Music copyright: Af…

1
Val McDermid 1:02:09

4M ago1:02:09

1:02:09

Val McDermid tells Gyles her remarkable story. An only child from Kirkcaldy in Fife, the daughter of a welder and a shop assistant, Val became obsessed with books after being read to by her mother as a young child and, when the family moved opposite the town's Central Library, she read every book on the shelves. It was her favourite books - The Cha…

1
S3 EP 109: Sonya Moore, Author of Some Kind of Magic 48:33

4M ago48:33

48:33

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello My Happy People, I had so much fun editing this episode recently. It took me right back to the day we recorded this interview. We had such a fantastic conversation. I have so much admiration for Sonya Moore, author of Some Kind of Magic, A True Story Of Love Life And Wanderlust for everything she has accomp…

1
Can ChatGPT be better at poetry than me? 9:49

4M ago9:49

9:49

Download the PDF with the photo and text at https://www.robhextall.com/photos/im-not-a-poet-and-i-know-it-but-can-chatgpt-really-be-better-than-me Listen to the audio, then answer the questions and do the activity. Hope you find this useful!By Robert Hextall

1
How did microplastics get everywhere? 7:06

4M ago7:06

7:06

Download the PDF with the photo and text at https://www.robhextall.com/photos/how-did-microplastics-get-everywhere Listen to the audio, then answer the questions and do the activity. Hope you find this useful!By Robert Hextall

1
Elizabeth Day 1:05:37

4M ago1:05:37

1:05:37

This week, Gyles talks to Elizabeth Day, host and creator of the hit podcasts How to Fail and Best Friend Therapy, and author of multiple best-selling fiction and non-fiction books, including Magpie, The Party and Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, which is released in paperback in March 2024. Elizabeth tells Gyles about her childhoo…

1
S3 EP 108: Nadine Abrahams, Romance Author of The Stars Fallen Series 22:50

4M ago22:50

22:50

Join the conversation, text us now. Hello Happy People, Today on Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, Dianne brings another romance author to kick off the second month of our Season Three Love Fest Opener. Joining Dianne to talk about her fantasy romance trilogy is Nadine Abrahams, author of the Stars Fallen Series. Nadine has been an avid read for …

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