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 also the grandson of the great poet, playwright and paragon of late Victorian decadence, Oscar Wilde. Merlin's story, and that of his family, is...

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 Express with the headline: "Twiggy: the face of '66". By 1967 she was globally famous, had been on the cover of Vogue in the US and Paris, and was...

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 trucks - little did she know that these childhood fantasies would find their way into her adult life, when she donned a jumpsuit and travelled by...

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 be an actor until later, and his training was unorthodox - he was taught by two eccentric old men in the midst of rural Devon, where ballet...

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 dressing up in his mother's clothes, and was the 'Mata Hari' of his prep school. This refusal to fit in carried on into adulthood, when, at 16 and...

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 Chalet School series - that inspired her to become a writer and to apply to Oxford University, despite the fact that she'd only ever been to England...

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 childhood, spent near Derry in the north of Ireland; her unhappy years at boarding school; her first job as a 12 year-old newspaper columnist; and her...

It's the fifth of the Rosebud Dames, and in this episode Gyles is talking to Dame Jilly Cooper about her life and times. They talk about her childhood, when she was horse mad and wasn't even put off by being bitten by her first pony. They talk about her early days as an office worker, when she got fired from 22 jobs. They talk about leaving the manuscript for Riders on the bus. And they talk about the best ways to write a really good sex scene. This is an intimate chat between old friends:...

Gyles's guest this week is the renowned evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins. At the end of the episode, Gyles asks Richard how he would like to be remembered: "A scientist, lover of the truth, and motivated by a desire to communicate truth to others". Because of that desire for truth, this episode is unflinching. It involves some challenging subject-matter: for example, both Gyles and Richard share their experiences of abuse at boarding school in the 40s and 50s. They also discuss...

It's Valentine's week, and we're celebrating with our first ever Rosebud couple: Clare Balding and Alice Arnold. This is a truly romantic and life-affirming episode. You may have seen Clare and Alice on Celebrity Gogglebox, you'll certainly know Clare from her many appearances anchoring major sporting events, from the Olympics to Crufts, and Alice was for a long time the voice of the news on Radio 4's Today programme. Gyles talks to Clare and Alice about their first memories, but also about...

Well, this episode has got it all: gripping stories, laughter, tears and a lot of singing. Gyles takes Lulu back to memories of her childhood in Glasgow, which was both happy and turbulent, but full of love and music. She remembers her early performances - as a very young girl at a street party for the Queen's coronation, and then as a 5 year-old, standing on a chair so she could reach the mic, in Blackpool. She tells Gyles about making it, about singing so loudly while recording "Shout"...

Dame Esther Rantzen is a tour de force: journalist, TV presenter and campaigner, her vision and dynamism brought about the nationwide helpline for children in distress, Childline. Through her massively popular consumer show That's Life, Esther was also responsible for campaigning for organ donation and introducing compulsory seatbelts for children, at the same time as showcasing viewers' faulty washing machines and laughing at misshapen vegetables. Recently, That's Life's incredible reunion...

Gyles invites the brilliant comedian, actor and writer David Mitchell to look back at his early memories. This chat starts with David's childhood, and then broadens out into a wide-ranging discussion about history, the worst professional experiences Gyles and David have ever had and school dinners, via a heated debate about whether being a hairdresser is as stressful as being a chef and a bombshell about King Arthur. We'd love to hear what you think - please email us at...

This week, Rob Brydon looks back on his childhood and adolescence in South Wales. From riding around on bikes pretending to be Starsky and Hutch, to his first electrifying stage kiss in the school play, to being rejected by Rada, bumping into Harold Pinter, and his friendship with Ronnie Corbett, this is an evocative, funny and fascinating interview peppered with impressions, famous names and great stories. It's slightly longer than our usual episodes, simply because Rob and Gyles were...

Geri Halliwell-Horner is a woman of many guises. She's been Ginger Spice, a hugely successful recording artiste and member of the world's biggest girl band. She's been a UN Goodwill Ambassador who met Nelson Mandela. She's been a heartthrob - who famously kissed Prince Charles when she first met him at The Royal Variety Performance. She is now a writer - her Rosie Frost series of novels for young adults have been bestsellers. In this frank and far-reaching conversation, Gyles finds out more...

For our first episode of 2024 we have a very special guest: Sir Michael Palin. From his childhood in 1950s Sheffield, to getting drunk at boarding school, discovering his talent for writing and performing at Oxford University, meeting his wife Helen on holiday at 16 and of course the formation of Monty Python - Michael Palin has had a long and fascinating life. This is a an entertaining, fascinating and sometimes moving conversation, we hope you enjoy it! Learn more about your ad choices....

Another medley episode for you, this time with a new year's focus. We've got new year's reminiscences from Lorraine Kelly, Anneka Rice and Joe Wicks, and Gyles tells a new year's eve story about a fateful family trip to Glasgow when he was a child. We end with a sneak preview of our next episode featuring the great Sir Michael Palin. See you next Friday, in 2024! Thanks so much for listening to Rosebud this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is a collection of Christmas stories and memories from lots of our Rosebud guests, friends and listeners. It's like a Christmas stocking: full of treats and surprises. Next week we'll do the same, but the theme will be new year. We'll be back with a full-length interview show on January 5th 2024, with Sir Michael Palin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our Rosebud Christmas Special is with Rowan Williams, who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012. Rowan begins by talking to Rowan telling Gyles about his childhood as a bright and doted upon only child who became increasingly drawn towards the church. He talks about his happy schooldays, his close friendships, and his inspirational teachers. And later in the podcast Rowan and Gyles talk about the message of healing at the heart of Christmas, and what it's like to be Archbishop of...

In this second of the special Rosebud Christmas Cracker episodes, Gyles talks to Patricia Owtram: the first Rosebud centenarian. Pat tells Gyles about her fascinating and long life: from her childhood in 1920s Lancashire where she was taught to speak German by the family's Austrian cook, to her schooldays and her war years. Pat did critical work as part of the Y Service, listening in on the goings-on of the German fleet. She also tells Gyles about meeting George VI and about her later career...

It's Rosebud Christmas Cracker Week, and we're giving you two special extra episodes before our Christmas Special this Friday. This first Christmas Cracker is with the acclaimed British actress Adjoa Andoh, who stars as Lady Danbury in Netflix's Bridgerton, alongside many appearances at the RSC, National Theatre and in shows such as Doctor Who and Casualty. Adjoa tells Gyles about the challenges she faced growing up as "the only black girl in the Cotswolds", and how this informed her recent...

Joe Wicks, the man who inspired the UK to leap off their sofas and start exercising and eating healthily, joins Gyles for this episode. Joe talks about his childhood growing up with a father who was struggling with addiction, and a mum with OCD. He talks about his early love for PE and how that developed into a career. Joe is so impressive that Gyles even asks him for advice about his own wellness regime! Joe's book, Feel Good in 15 is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

In this episode Gyles talks to Strictly Come Dancing judge and ballroom dancer extraordinaire, Anton Du Beke. Anton shares stories of his childhood as the son of immigrant parents who had to work two jobs each to make ends meet, and tells Gyles about the driving ambition that led him to become a champion on the dancefloor, despite being a late starter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gyles talks to his friend Dame Sheila Hancock, one of Britain's most distinguished living actresses. Now 90 years old, Dame Sheila looks back at her remarkable life - from a childhood spent living above pubs, to her war time experiences, and then to her career on stage, TV and in film, and more recent times - how she's coped with widowhood by being busy and curious. This is a wide-ranging, fascinating, frequently funny and sometimes moving conversation. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad...

Gyles meets the host of ITV1's Big Brother, AJ Odudu. AJ tells Gyles about her childhood growing in Blackburn, Lancashire in a "bubble of love" with her 7 brothers and sisters, about her amazing parents and their arranged marriage, about her early ambitions to become a TV presenter, about playing "pass the polo" at the Waves Leisure Centre with her friends, and ends by describing the best day of her life. Thank you AJ for sharing your infectious warmth and positivity with the Rosebud...