Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball - 78: Garden Gnome Bans and the Joy of Drinking Less

Episode Date: March 25, 2026

The big story on everyone’s lips this week is of course the lifting of the gnome ban at Chelsea Flower Show. But where do Jo and Zoe sit on such a hot topic? There’s also some nostalgia for wild 90’s nights, as well as appreciation for taking things a bit easier these days. Gno thank you, hangovers…GET IN TOUCH📧 Email us: [e-mail]📱 Text or Voice Note: 07477 038795💬 Or tap here to send a voice note or message on WhatsApp:⁠ ⁠https://wa.me/447477038795SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORSThis episode is brought to you by The Woodland Trust and Airbnb.CREDITSExec Producer: Jonathan O’SullivanProducer: Samantha PsykAssistant Producer: Eve JonesTechnical Producer: Danny PapeVideo Editors: Cameron Laird and Jack Whiteside

Coming up on Digit. Joe, we need to do that thing from what were you like in the 90s because I keep seeing that. I do need to do that, yeah. Sometimes I do look at them and think, oh my God, it was fun. When you get to a certain age, drinking is really challenging and it really hurts afterwards. So I just couldn't do the appraise ski, so I'd just take myself off and I'd go for a swim. The drinking is so full on.

Now, where do you stand on? God knows, Joe. I'm picking up a slight disdain. If it's okay for the king, it's okay for the king. but I will never have, I never will have a gnome in my garden. All of that right after this. Hey Ontario, come on down to BedmGMGM casino and check out our newest exclusive. The Price is Right Fortune Pick. Don't miss out.

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BEDMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. Hello and welcome to another episode of Digger and this is where we welcome you into our little gang and we connect because Zoe and I haven't spoken to each other for ages. Yay! Hi! How are you doing? I'm okay. Do you know what? I've developed a strange habit. Ever since Harry Stiles did his dance routine on the Brits, I've started waving with both.

Both hands. I think I did it on morning live the other day. Hi. I need to stop doing that. It's so funny. I've been away for a few days. We went on holiday and we did this thing at the end of the holiday when you, you know, I mean, it's as cheesy as fuck. But we went around the table saying what we were grateful for in our favourite bits of the holiday.

Oh, I love that. We all did that. We're all like, yay. Yay. Thank you. Because it obviously comes from sign language. Exactly. It's clapping, isn't it?

It is. It's clapping. It's showing applause. Yeah, showing applause. And I know that, of course, because of when Rose did Strictly Come Dancing. Yes. And she taught us so much. What an amazing lass.

I love her. Well, there is a lot to catch up with Joe. There is, yeah. I don't even know where to begin with you. Likewise. That sounded a bit threatening there. I don't even know where to begin with you, young lady. Oh, my God, the headmistress is going to have a go to me.

I know I'm not alone in saying this, but oh my God, how hard work are holidays? I mean, how hard work, how exhausting, how tiring are holidays? Are you mad? Holidays are supposed to be relaxing. Supposed to be relaxing, but are they? Well, they kind of are for a little bit in the middle. But the getting ready for a holiday, the unpacking of a holiday, the fights and the emotions and all the stuff that goes on mid-holiday,

I always come back from holidays like literally like drained on the floor. Needing a holiday. Needing a holiday. But except I'm too tired to have a holiday. Oh, do you know what? Yeah, I dread the packing because I'm, because I just go round and round and round and round and round in circles. But I love the actual holiday. I love the holiday and then I get sad when I get back.

But you look like you've just had an amazing break with your kids. Yeah, I did. We went away on holiday. The reason, I mean, there is an awful lot of packing. We went on a ski holiday. Oh, yeah. All the gear. Which is what, you know, I would give up any summer holiday to go skiing.

I just love it. It's something we've always done. And it's so healthy and it's so fun and it's intergenerational. And you know, you get to eat a lot. You get to drink a lot. You get to play stupid games. And it's so utterly exhilarating and beautiful being up top of the mountain and looking at all the views.

Oh my God. I love it so much. I love the chair lifts. I like the conversations that you have because no one's on their phones. You just have real honest heart-to-heart conversations. Strangers get involved. We got off a couple of chairlifts this time around. And people actually want to be able to.

like, I can't believe someone said that to you. Good chat. And they were joining in with our conversations. So it was really good. But the night before we went on holiday, I'd got a DJ gig. So I had to do my gig. I got in at two in the morning. I got woken up, no, half two in the morning. I had to get up at five o'clock in the morning to get on this ski holiday. So by the time I got there, I got Wacking Great Migraine, which I always do. I always get a migraine at the beginning of the holiday. That's not good. It's awful, isn't it? Migrant. I've never had to be. It's the tension. But yeah. God, no, it's a proper family thing.

So, yeah, it's just the tension. It's just that kind of like manic trying to get ready. But things I would like to point out, Birmingham Airport, which is where we flew from, I would recommend that to anybody. They were so lovely. They've had an update. It's really beautiful. Everyone was so friendly and so helpful and smiley. It was amazing.

Sorry, I just want to do a shout out to everybody. Big up Birmingham Airport. Yeah. Brilliant. Also, we flew Jet 2. They were lovely. They were really, really nice. we had, what's her name, singing when we landed?

Jess Glynn. Oh, I thought you could say Jane MacDonald. Sorry. No, that was a cruise and I haven't been on one of those. Baby, hold my hand. Nothing beats a jet to holiday. Of course, Jane McDonald. So, yeah, she started singing.

But they were really good. We made some good discoveries on this holiday. And it was just lovely. We went to Austria. We went to St. Anton and Leck and Zurs. And I went, Disco, Steve had to drop out because he had a really heavy week. he got loads of work going on. So he just at the last minute said, I can't do this, can't take time out.

So it was me and a bunch of 20, 30-some things and a teenager. And you can imagine. Did you keep up, Joe? Did you keep up? They were hurtling down the mountains, throwing themselves down the mountains. And I had to try and keep up with them. So I was always at the back, but I pushed myself. And I skied harder and faster than I've ever skied before, I think.

And it was good. You feel like you've really achieved something. But, oh, blimey, the pain. Bless you. Yeah. Oh, things that happen on ski holidays, like you hurt all over. Getting up and trying to get out of bed in the morning. Oh my God, every limb, every joint.

I get flare-ups I've discovered now. When I go on airplanes, I think it must be to do with the air pressure. Right. And trying to hold ski poles with my hands, but I can't even make a fist properly with my fingers now. So that was quite tricky. And then I do you get this. When you go away, I get these puffy bits under my eyes. Definitely up the mountain.

I think it's altitude. Is it altitude? Yeah, big puffy face, I guess. No, I kept looking in the mirror every morning, every night, just going, she's like a freak show. I look horrendous. And there was no amount of ice or gawashering or anything I could do to take away those puffy bits. And I'm hoping they're going to go down. Just before we started to do the pod just now.

Yeah. I said to disco, I was like, can you just look in the camera, see what I look like? And he took me out of the room away from the camera. And he just whispered in my ear and said, you've got those really tired things on your face, those lines that you get. Oh, bless him. I'd wear glasses if I were used. So that's why I'm wearing glasses to the podcast today to hide my puffy eyes. But you know, isn't it wonderful to have a chap who knows he'll be like, you won't be happy, put your glass on and make all the difference.

I get puffy face if I do like any sort of extreme exercise. So I don't tend to do any because of that. Now I'm joking. But like I remember I went to one of those things, the sort of big bike rides, I get a really puffy face as well. I don't know. So maybe it is altitude. Maybe our diggers have some suggestions. for what to do. Maybe you have to hang your head upside down or put it in a face, a bucket of

ice or I don't know. Why does that happen? And also, if anyone else has arthritis, what do you do when you get flare-ups? Because I know so many people suffer and are there things that help? Do share people because I think, you know, as we're getting older as well, and I know lots of young people have arthritis. Woody's girlfriend, Rugi, she has rheumatoid arthritis. So she gets problems with her knee. And she's so young that I'm high, oh, it's my lord. On the subject of arthritis, and my mum's got an operation in six weeks time now, which I've been talking about ever since we did this podcast. So that is all down to arthritis. But I'm watching my fingers change shape week by week as we've been doing this podcast. As you get a flare up, they flare up and then

they swell and then that swelling never really goes away because the bone is just thickened. And at the end of this holiday, my index finger, I barely recognize it. And it's really horrible because you get this panicky feeling because you don't know what to do and it's not going to change. I can recognize my hands like my grandmas and my mums and my aunties. It's just awful. I hate it. So any advice would be gratefully received. But I think it's just a fact of life and you have to live with it and there are worse things. But it's not something I like about my body. Bless you. Yes. It is these things, but sometimes people say, oh, I've had that and this has really helped.

And we've had that in our lovely digging community. I love our digging community. I'd love to know. Can I just say, though, this weekend, apparently there were some reports that my dad had done an interview. My dad, who's 87, had done an interview and it sort of, apparently it made out. I haven't seen it, but my dad said it's sort of made out that he's nearing his end. And it kind of made me laugh because he's 87 and last week he went skiing. with my wonderful step-mom die.

He is 87 and he is still out on the slopes and he is brilliant. And I love that he still goes. There's always that little thing of let them be okay, let them be okay. But they absolutely love it and I'll share a picture with you of dad skiing and a little video of skiing and a little picture of dying dad's faces because they are so happy and he wore his helmet. Well done dad because he's not a fan. Everyone wears helmets these days.

Everybody does. Like you have to wear a helmet. But he did. He was a good boy. But he absolutely loved it. And he wanted me to tell everyone that rumors of his demise have been somewhat exaggerated. That's so impressive. It's so impressive.

Because as you get older, you definitely have the fear. Like I was way more scared this time of falling over. I used to think it would be fine. But when you're going down those reds, you're like, if I stack it now, I'm going to really, really hurt. And I could break something and I really don't want to at my age. Also, the drinking at pre ski. Obviously, my kids just, you know, they bomb down these mountains and they go hardcore and then they drink up there, four o'clock, I think it starts.

And people who listen to Digget or watch Digit will know that when you get to a certain age, drinking is really challenging and it really hurts afterwards. So I just couldn't do the Appro Ski. So I'd just take myself off and I'd go for a swim or I just go to lie in the chalet and just have some time out. But oh my God, the drinking is so full on. It's so full on. I don't know how they do it.

And I really wanted to do it, but I couldn't. I knew I couldn't. I just can't do it. So I do the same thing. I scaddle back and then I'll either just go and sit in the spa or I'll have a little nap or I'll read my book, wait for all of that to pass and then wait for everyone's going to dinner. Yeah. Because I just, I can have, I can have one drink I'll really enjoy a second sometimes. I can never have more than that.

It's, you know, and even that a second drink, I'm a little bit like, maybe I'm not enjoying. this. I'm really happy that I managed to get to that place in my life because I used to have a very different relationship with alcohol where I wouldn't stop at all. But yeah, it's, it just doesn't work. You know, I think that, you know, it just, I don't know whether, is it men and women? Because I know a lot of my girlfriends are like this. And I actually have to say, a lot of the men I know have got to a certain age and have either had to stop drinking completely or have started to curb thinking, oh, yeah, maybe I should drink a bit less because it does affect us so badly,

doesn't it? Yeah. No, I just know that it really hurts. I'm like you. I can have the first drink tastes like nectar. I mean, it's just like the best taste in the world.

And then the second one, you just, when you get to about three quarters of the way through, you start to get the fear. You're like, oh, God. And then you start to sober up. You like, drink loads of water

after the second drink. Do your kids do that, I think, because my kids do it. I'm like, come on, mom, you used to be so much fun. Come on, you can do it. Let's do show. You know, Woody's always

having us. Martini. Do you know what, I had an espresso martini on Saturday night? I didn't sleep till 4 in the morning. It was a total disaster. I had it really late and I'm lying there wide away thinking about the world. Like yeah, if you have an espresso

martini at my age, just have it really early in the day. Have it for breakfast. I think breakfast is probably a good time. Yeah, take it then. And I do I say to my kids, look, you enjoy it if you want to have a drink and you're going to have some fun, fine. But your mother is not who she used to be. I think sometimes they feel they missed out. I'm like, yeah, you missed out on some of the fun,

but you also missed out on me being, you know, not it being a little bit ugly, you know, when I just took it a little bit too far for a little bit too long. And I think you'll, when you get to Myers, you'll be like, oh yeah, maybe it was better that she stopped drinking as much, you know. I think Coco has a much more boring version of who I used to be. I do sometimes, let's do exactly like you. I did. I used to really go out. I used to drink. I used to not get back into a really early in the morning. I'm not, you know, I'm not always, I wasn't always this virtuous. Look at me now, but I was never normally like that, whereas India can remember going to the, me going to the Brits and kind of various states that I got myself into. But I think, I think probably Coco's getting a

better version of me, I think, unless she thinks I'm lame. Maybe she thinks I'm really boring. I don't think she does. And I think that is the thing that I love about me now. I don't love loads of things about me, trying to do what Ferns taught us to like myself, but I am really happy that my kids get a healthy, you know, a version of me who is there for them whenever they need me and as much, I'm quite boring, I go to bed quite early, I sleep a lot, I like my little life as it is, da-da-da, but I am much more available to all the people who need me and to myself, I guess, and that's a good thing. Although, Joe, we need to do that thing.

Mum, what were you like in the 90s? Because I keep seeing that. We do need to do that. Yeah. Yeah. We should do one of us because sometimes I do look at them and think, oh my God, it was fun. It was so much fun. It was so much fun.

The things that we both got to do and the people we got to interview and the things that we forget. And then someone pulls a clip up, I'm like, wow, I used to wear crop tops. Yeah. I met so and so. Right, so the skiing has taken up a lot of my last week. What have you been up to? Because I've seen lots on my Instagram feed that you've been busy. Do you know what?

I've had a week of lots of really fun things that have made me really happy. One, we went to see David Byrne in concert. Oh, my goodness me. I know you work lots of evenings. And I know you'll have seen him live, Joe. I saw him a couple of years ago, yeah. Yeah, but this show, oh my goodness me. He should be available on the NHS.

David Byrne and his fantastic band. It's similar to the show that you probably saw a couple of years ago where the band are all free, you know, free wandering around doing dance routines and their energy. His band are so great. But let's talk about David Burns energy. You know, he's 72. He is dancing and singing the whole time.

He sounds so great. And you get a fabulous mix of your favorite talking head songs, your favorite David Burns songs. And there's some new songs that he's written that are joyous. and the visuals, I mean, the stage production is just the most incredible show. And I think it is definitely in my top five of all time. Of all performances. Yes.

But, you know, everywhere you look, everyone is beaming and up and smiling. The lady next to me went, I'm sorry, I'm getting up to dance. I was like, do not apologise. And I was with the lodger who doesn't dance. I was like, I'm going to just have one leg in one calf and one leg in the other. But the whole audience are on their feet. I saw Kristen Scott Thomas there. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

For a Talking Heads fan who's probably never going to see them get back together and play, to see those songs that we've grown up with and loved so much, performed in such a magnificent way. His band are phenomenal. I absolutely loved it. And I was saying to Woody, you need to go and see this. Maybe he's playing at latitude, I think. And Woody was like, is this the guy?

It's like, yes, Woody. When he came to stay, when he was working with Woody's dad, Woody did him a puppet show and I said you will always have that you did David Byrne a puppet show such a very good puppet show and I will never forget when he... You're puppets, it's obviously he runs deep

doesn't it? So sorry I'm always banging on about puppets I probably need some help let's get her into the clinic but I'll never forget walking into the kitchen and I've probably told you the story before and there was David Byrne eating cocoa pops

and it's just the most amazing memory that will never leave me And he was so wonderful. So if you can get tickets to go see him because he's from all. I know he's playing latitude and he's probably playing some other dates. So get tickets and Joe. Go see this show. Because I know you saw him a couple of years ago, but you will love it so much.

It really made me think of you. And then I got to go to a wedding this week. Hooray! Because you know him lovely Ed. Ed Simon's from the Chemical Brothers. Ed got married to his Rachel. and they are such an amazing couple and their little boy, Arthur, was in a little suit like his dad. And it was such, it was a perfect wedding.

It really was. And to see Ed and Rachel so happy, surrounded by, you know, and we were surrounded by some really fabulous old friends. Lots of people have had lots of adventures within life that you don't get to see very often anymore, because obviously everyone moved out of central London and lives their own lives wherever they are. There was so much love in the room. The speeches were hilarious and poignant. And there were a lot of happy tears.

There were loads of happy tears. And it was just wonderful to celebrate. And a couple of, you know, they'd both been married before. I think Ed said in his speech, you know, not by two divorces. But just there was so much love in a little pub, Notting Hill. And much dancing, as you can imagine, the music was excellent. And it was wonderful to see everyone. So congratulations to Ed.

Who was DJing? Tom DJed, obviously. Good. Yeah, some other top DJs. Yeah, it was pretty good line up. It's lovely with Ed because, I mean, you know him better than I do, but I've known for a long time as well. Not as a deep, close personal friend, but just when I saw that he was expecting a baby. And then I've just followed that baby's progress on Instagram just through Ed's posts.

And, you know, just seeing Ed soften and the love that comes through on those photographs and those posts that he does. It's just, I mean, they can be emotional now. It's ridiculous. But he's a different person to who he used to be. And it's just so wonderful to see him have this happiness now, him and Rachel. It was just an amazing bit where everyone was waiting in the pub. And they, you know, a few people from the ceremony had wandered over. And then suddenly they were all.

walking across the road, Rachel and Ed, with Little Arthur in between. And everyone's crying. It was so lovely to see him so happy. So, bravo to Ed. And he's just the most fun. He's such a gorgeous man. Quick reminder to please hit follow or subscribe wherever you watch or listen. That way you get brand new episodes directly to you as soon as they're out. Hang on a minute. This has been a massive headline this week that the RHS Chelsea is obviously in May. We love the whole event.

You are an ambassador, of course. So I'm not sure whether you had something to do with this happening this year. Definitely not. But I do believe it's down to His Majesty the King has very much encouraged that garden gnomes and the ban on garden gnomes should be lifted at Chelsea So this year, his garden will, and maybe many of the other gardens, will feature friendly little faces like this. I have been sent this garden gong.

What is that? He is called Clement. He is the protector of the earth. And, I'm going to have a look at him. Look, here he is. He's holding his little watering can and his little trowel. Now, where do you say? stand on garden gnomes, Joe. I'm picking up a slight disdain. I mean, if it's okay for the king,

it's okay for the king, but I will never, I never have, I never will have a gnome in my garden. I cannot see the attraction. I just thought they were unbelievably, and I'm going to say it here, I thought they were unbelievably naf, and I can't see what's changed to make them acceptable. The thing is, Joe, and I think you'll agree, it's like your garden is your garden, and whatever you want to put in it is fine. And I think. think maybe that's where His Majesty has said, you know what, if people like garden gnomes, why can't they have them at Chelsea? So, you know, let us know where you stand on garden gnomes. Do you have a collection or maybe you have other little statuettes that feature in your garden? And why do you love

them? Is it because they make you smile? Have they been handed down to you? Do you collect them? Do you re-home unwanted gnomes? Because I'm thinking Joe is a little bit like Monti-don. And camellias, I noticed Monty Don was saying on Gardner's World this week that he, I didn't say he wasn't a fan. There was a fantastic guy who is an expert in camellias. And afterwards, Monty said, yes, not something I've got in my garden. Camelias, I don't love camellias either. But Joe feels that way about gnomes. About gnomes.

I just, yeah, I've never, never, never had one. Disco and I were talking last night, and he reminded me, they used to be a program presented by Esther Ransson called That's Life on a Sunday evening. evening. It was just, it made your Sunday night. We used to have cheese toasties and watch that's life with Esther. And they had a story where a family had a gnome that was stolen from their garden. It was very beloved gnome. It was stolen. And over the course of the next year, they started getting postcards from their gnome, photographs and postcards from their gnome sent to their house from all over the world. And they had no idea who took it. They had absolutely zero idea. And then one day, after it had been away for many, many months, the gnome

reappeared in the garden and it got a suntan apparently from his travels and they never knew no one ever owned up but this moment gone taking himself off around on a world tour came back with the suntan and then was in the garden from there on and they never found out it's so funny isn't because i think we're going to come across as massive hypocrites and we don't mean to be like that and i think they are it's just it's how you decorate your house isn't it's your own personal taste it's what you like and your house is an extension of that you have in your garden whatever you like Exactly, yeah. Would Richard E. Grant have a garden gnome, do you think?

Richard E. Grant, I think he would only have a garden gnome if it had been in a film that he had starred in or a television series, because that is what he does. I'm doing this new thing. I am an ambassador for the RHS and I'm working with the RHS on a new series, which is called Roots. And we go and we film in people's gardens and they tell the story of their life through their gardens, which is what our gardens are. They're an expression of us. And Richard, more than anybody, I think that there could possibly be, has done that. There is so much going on there, but not just the plants and not just the flowers, not just the trees. There are some extraordinary things. Let's take a look.

I've got a little clip here of some of the amazing things Richard E. Grant has in his garden. That prosceny march came from a film called Saltburn that I was in. Oh, that film, that little film. That one that shocked some people. And at the end of it, there was a big outdoor party scene for Barak Yogan's character's birthday. And I said, could I possibly buy that afterwards? And they said, no, it's all going to be scrapped and dumped because storage costs too much. So I said, could I have it in the garden?

So they did. And I'd already commissioned a two-foot-tall sculpture, Barbara Streisand's head. So it's now given a Bristini arch for her. And she has seen the pictures of it. I've heard him talk about the Streisand sculpture. It is beautiful. He's such a massive fan. And I think he's met her, hasn't he?

In the end, he met her. He was so funny because I saw the sculpture and I went, oh, I interviewed Barbara last year. And he went, I know you did. And I went, I have listened to everything she has ever done, every interview she has ever done. So he will have listened to the ones that you've done as well, but he knew everything about it. So completely and utterly obsessed with Barbara. And she said, are you mad, but she approved of it as well. Oh, that's so great.

Yeah, because I forget you talk to Barbara as well. interviewing Barbara is so extraordinary. It's like an out-of-body experience. You know, for me, who watched Funny Girl at the age of eight or nine and then sang the songs forever and, you know, obsessed with every film she's ever made and I just love her as a woman. I think I've read every book. I don't know whether I'm as big a fan as Richard.

I don't have a sculpture of her face in the garden, but there's time. And she's also really massively into her gardens as well. I mean, she was taking photographs of her roses while I was doing the interview with her. Again, it was a Zoom situation, so I couldn't see her. And she was taking photographs and she was trying to send them to me. She was like, what do you think? What do you think of this rose? And I was just going, yep, it's great.

I love it. I love it. But she is obsessed with her roses. Sadly, not going to Barbara's house, not yet, but we are going to some amazing gardens. I'll be talking to other people and they'll be turn their life stories through their gardens. If you want to watch the Richard E. Grant one, it is now available. You can get it wherever you listen to your podcast. You can watch it on YouTube as well.

And there are two episodes coming every month. So episodes coming twice a month and it's called Roots. Well, it's, I can't wait to see who else you get to talk to. If you're starting with Richard E. Grant, this is a pretty high bar. I'm so excited about this. You've been doing lots of exciting stuff as well. So tell me about Just One Thing. Oh, so Just One Thing was a podcast started by Dr Michael Mosley, amazing man.

And to carry on his legacy, the amazing work that he had done, they've made a new television series of Just One Thing, inspired by Michael himself, which is where we try to encourage people who might have had some health issues to adopt just one thing, just one change into their lives that could make a real difference. And it's hosted by Clive Myrie, has done some films, and Roman Kemp, and I've done some films. So Roman has tried the joys of beetroot and dancing. And I have done gardening. Of course, we know that definitely helps with health. And also, I think I've done one on dark chocolate, sunshine, and also a digital detox. And it was great fun to make, met some brilliant contributors, some people who've had some real tough sort of health challenges in their lives. And they

all took the challenge on of changing to just adding one thing into their life, brilliantly. So, yeah, I'm really hoping that people will enjoy the series. It's all available on the IPlayer. We've got a clip that we can share with you. It's with Ed, who runs Roots Allotments, and he's giving a bit of a demo to Latoya, who's the main contributor for this episode. Let's have a look.

So, Ed, if someone's just starting out, what's a good plant to start with? If you like garlic, garlic is an easy winner. You can plant it pretty much any time of the year, and it's super, super hardy. Potatoes, they're also great. In spring, just stick them in a bit of compost and they'll grow. And you can do this if you're at home, you can just get a little tub to plant them in, can you from the garden centre.

Yeah, you can grow them in a bag. Yeah, grow in a bank. Simple flower to grow. Sunflowers. Sunflowers. Really easy. Great. Can you see them a lot in people's like gardens or front?

Yeah. Or calendula. Colendula, once you get it going, it's going to self-seed everywhere and it will just bring that brightness year after year and you won't have to sew it again. Oh, that looks so. gorgeous, fascinating. Do you know what? Latoya took part in the program. She lives with fibroids and she's had a real tough time and had lots of operations and all sorts. And for her, it was, you know, to see the benefits of gardening. And it was quite fun because she's really young, LaToya and her friends were all really young and they turned up to this lotman and they've all got

fantastic nails and were really glamorous. And it's like, right, you've got to get your hands in the deep down in the earth. And Latoya totally took on the challenge. Her friends were fabulous. And Ed, he is at an amazing community allotment garden, which is in Croydon. And it's just outside Croydon, this fantastic field. It's called Roots. They are such a great place. If you're in that area and you've thought about getting an allotment, they're so reasonable.

And this incredible community of people. And everybody sort of got involved for various different reasons. Lots of them have had mental health or health issues. And they found, you know, this community garden. And the produce that is coming from this garden is incredible. They have all these wonderful events and they have lectures. And it's so fabulous down there. I was really inspired going down there and just seeing some of the amazing work down there.

So well done to Ed. And a big shout out to the Roots gang. And you can watch just one thing. It's on BBC 1 at 2 o'clock on the weekdays this week. or you can catch all the episodes on BBC EyePlayer. Thanks for having me just one thing. I really enjoyed it. And I must say, Dr Michael Mosley, obviously a medical expert in his time.

Incredible. Me, not a medical expert, but there are lots of a brilliant scientific team who work on the show, who gives all the facts and figures. Because obviously Clive, myself and Roman are not doctors. Dr. Beatrude. Dr. Beatrude. Dr. Beatrude. Dr. Beatruit.

Dr. Beatrix. All right. I'm just back from holiday, so I am a massive, great big cultural void. I haven't had time to go to the shops. I haven't been to see any bands or anything like that. I made a really good ski playlist, which I loved. I've never skied with music before, but it made such a difference to the fear, just kind of sticking your airport in one ear, only one ear,

and listening to Rosalie, I listened to her album. I had geese on there, which was amazing, a bit of Vampire Weekend. It was all so fantastic. And geese are doing a tour around the UK at the moment, and I'm hoping to go this week to go and see them. Fingers crossed, I can go after my shows. I might catch like the last two songs possibly. Woody went to see them on Friday in Bristol.

Absolutely loved them. I think Liam from the team who works on Digit, went to see them in Leeds. And I'm going this week. So fingers crossed, I will stand at the back so I can see you when you come in. Yeah, it might see you. Brilliant. Everyone's saying how phenomenal they are live. And they've actually got a live album out at the moment.

Yeah. Yeah, I've just made myself a mixed test. of new songs because I just thought, oh, spring, I need some new music. Because there's so much amazing new music around at the moment. And you're back on the radio, of course, and you'll be playing. So I must say thanks for recommending James Blake. He is also on tour. I am loving this album.

So Joe, top recommend from you. A couple of recommends from me this week. Kim Gordon. I love Kim Gordon. She is so rock and roll. And this album, Play Me, is fantastic. She is a gravely voice. It gets a bit political.

It's quite saucy in places. That's Kim Gordon. Play me. Kim Gordon, of course, you've probably met over the years. I think I would never be able to speak to Kim Gordon if she ever came into the same room as me because she is so cool. And I also wanted to shout out great new album from Jill Scott to whom this may concern. Some fantastic vibes on this double album, which is glorious, that I would really recommend as well.

Going to see geese this week, going to see Stornaway next week. So many gigs to go to. I'm like, right, going to see loads and loads of music, which is going to really cheer us up this time of year. And can I recommend a telly show? Yeah, go. Because I've really been, I love a period drummer. I think I'm loving all the pride and prejudice sort of little clips around at the moment, all the amazing memes. Because there's going to be a new Pride and Prejudice with Emma Corrin and Jack Loudon of Slow Horses.

but they've been showing lots of the old clips. But on the telly, on BBC at the moment, has been the other Bennett sister, which obviously was originally a novel by Janice Hadlow, and the TV series has been written by a digger got in touch to me and said, My friend wrote this TV series and her name is Sarah Quintrell. And she's done such an incredible job. I am loving it. I've watched six episodes and now I'm like, what happens?

What happens? The cast are brilliant Ella Bricoleri who plays the other Bennett sister. She's basically the Bennett sister who, you know, this is the great sort of imagining of the story that she's the sister who wasn't as attractive as the other four and she was very put upon by her mother for being plain. And so she's off out in the world trying to find her own way. And it's just delightful Ruth Jones is in it. Your friend Richard E. Grant is in it. Indira Farmers in it. it's so good and they've dropped six it's on the telebox on BBC one but it's also sort of on

iplayer and then i got to six and i'm like what where's the rest of it so i've got a few more episodes to go and it's oh it's just the most beautiful escapism and the and the story is wonderful that you know why should women be married off why does it just have to be about finding a husband it's like finding out who you are and what makes you tick and trying to live up to your family's expectations of you and stuff. It's really joyous and it's quite fun and it's quite heartbreaking at times and there's some really great cameos like Ryan Sampson who I'm obsessed with is brilliant in it. So yeah, what a cast. So that's my tele recommendation this week. We got back from Holiday and the binge, last one laughing immediately. The first thing that we did

was last one laughing. Alan Carr doing concentration or constipation will never leave my mind until the day I die. That was so funny. Romish is amazing, of course. Diane Morgan. It's really enjoyable. Diane Morgan, yes. I love her.

I got a message from my friend Pat the other day. He just said, just a word to you. If you ever run into Diane Morgan and her very happy relationship that she's been in for a very long time, if it doesn't work out, I am here for her.

I think he'd just watched last one laughing. What a brilliant concept. Could you do it? How long would you? No. With that long. I mean, with Bob Mortimer in a room, Rommish in a room, I would not be able to keep a straight face. No.

David Mitchell is, I really, really love him. Yeah. Yeah. But the best thing about it is their faces, the faces they pull when they're trying not to laugh. I mean, they've all adopted their own faces. Think Bob Mortimer says, find your face and do it. Yeah. He does.

Quite a few of them seem to do that. See, the thing is, it reminds me of either being in assembly at convent school or occasionally being in church. So, you know, sometimes where you've got to be really quiet and respectful and you just get a fit of the giggles, I mean, it would always happen to me in assembly. I was always in trouble because I just, you know, was always talking in class or not adding my homework in or mucking about because I couldn't concentrate. Later, we realized, oh, she's got ADHD. That's what it is. You sort of look back to school behaviour and think, oh, yes, so many of these things are, you can explain them now. But so I'd always be at the front in assembly and I would lose it. It's just stupid things that happen. And then because you can't laugh. I would be hysterical and not hot be able to hold it together. So yeah, it sort of reminds me of that. But what a great series.

And they're going to do another one as well. It's just so good. We love it. I've got to catch up actually. Lots of great TV coming our way. Saturday Night Live. We can talk about that another week. That's something that's come to the UK as well.

But yeah, have a lovely week. Enjoy it. And maybe I'll see you at geese. Fingers crossed. I'll see you at geese. Text me. Let me know if you're on your way. I'll look out for you.

Oh, it'd be so lovely to actually see you because I only ever see you on the pods because you're up there and I'm down here. To see you, can you imagine? Actually in the flesh, the real life Joe Winyy. But you'll walk in and someone will say, hey, hi, hi, Zoe Ball. Yeah, I'm Joe Wiening.

And likewise. All right, have a lovely week. Have a great week. Hopefully see you. Love you. Bye. Digit is a Persefonica production.