Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe - S05 EP40: Adrian Chiles

Episode Date: December 9, 2022

 Joining us this episode to discuss the highs and lows of parenting (and life) is the brilliant author and presenter - Adrian Chiles. Adrian's new book 'The Good Drinker: How I Loved To Learn Drinking Less' is out now. Thanks, Rob + Josh. We're going on tour!! Fancy seeing the podcast live in some of the best venues in the UK? Of course you do, you're not made of stone! Tickets available now on the dates and at the venues below. We can't wait to see you there... ON SALE NOW  14th April 2023 - Manchester AO Arena 19th April 2023 - Nottingham 20th April 2023 - Cardiff  21st April 2023 - London (The O2) 23rd April 2023 - London (Wembley) 28th April 2023 - Birmingham Utilita Arena  If you want to get in touch with the show here's how: EMAIL: [e-mail] TWITTER: @parenting_hell INSTAGRAM: @parentinghell A 'Keep It Light Media' Production  Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, I'm Rob Beckett. And I'm Josh Winnockham. Welcome to Parenting Hell, the show in which Josh and I discuss what it's really like to be a parent, which I would about the trials and tribulations of modern-day parenting, each week we'll be chatting to a famous parent about how they're coping. Or hopefully how they're not coping. And we'll also be hearing from you the listener with your tips, advice, and of course,

tales of parenting woe. Because let's be honest, there are plenty of times when none of us know what we're doing. Looking for a collaborator for your career, a strong ally to support your next level success, you will find it at York University School of Continuing Studies, where we offer career programs purpose-built for you. Visit continue. York You.C. Miller Light. The light beer brewed for people who loved the taste of beer and the perfect pairing for your game time. When Miller Light set out to brew a light beer, they had to choose great taste or 90 calories per can. They chose both because they knew the best part of

beer is the beer. Your game time tasks like Miller Time. Learn more at MillerLight.C.A. Must be Legal Drinking Age. Hello, you're listening to Parenting Hell with... Ted. Can you say Rob Beckett? Not Mobbett. Can you say Josh Widdicum? Not Joshua, I'm too. Thisittakum? Not Joshua Eddington. This is a two-year-old son. This is my two-year-old son, not eight-year-old son.

Ted, not sure why he took offense to your names, but he enjoyed recording this so much, that when he drifted off to sleep tonight, he was still repeating. Not Wittington. That sounds like some kind of awful, repressed memory. Thanks for being great company on the nursery run, Emily. Oh thanks Emily. I'd like to be clear, I've never met Ted. Not Whittington. Yeah. Should we do some bloody correspondence? Well we should actually. We've got a great guess but let's let's we've got loads of emails coming so we should do with them. Yeah, so much email. I'm getting so many messages on I think some Spotify wrapped is start, you know when they sort of tell you what you're listening to, that's sort of gearing up

and it's loads of people that videos. Yeah, I never click on my Spotify wrapped because I'm so worried about it. Why? It's gonna be poor patrol heavy this year. People had been sending me the how many hours? Yeah, I mean fair play to them. Someone's on 36, thous. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. thous. Yeah. th. Yeah. th. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. th. Yeah. to th. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. to th. Yeah. to th. Yeah. th. th. th. th. th. th. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. th. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the to the to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their their their their their their their their their tho thoe. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. thooea thoooooeering. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I's th. Oh, that can't be right. No, it can't be. How would you do it? What, that many hours? I mean, fair play to them. I've listened to three hours of the rock-on-tours podcast, and I'm struggling. And I love it. I'm just about to start the Noddy Holder one. What is going on in my life? Hello, Robin Josh. Oh, God. My mom died, throwne. style mood change. My mom died in 2015. Two years before my son Tom was born and I always talk about her and although he never met her, he always knows about Granny Jewels.

Didn't Granny Jules have a hit with a Cover of Mad World in Donnie Darko? I don't know that reference. A bit of a stiff film for me mate. That was Gary Jules. I've watched Jules 3. Something for everyone, isn't there? When he was about two, I left him with his daddy and off I went to visit a palm reader. I didn't mention anything to anyone except my husband as to where I was going. When they were driving somewhere together, in the back of the car, Tom suddenly said, Mommy is speaking to Granny Jules right now. My husband was so shocked and asked what he meant. They're having a chat and she's with her now is what he said. I was in the palm reading appointment and my mom came up

lose. I love that my son sent something and often tells me she's in the lounge with us or something. I'm still waiting for her to grant me wishes like she promised but it's a strong start Lily from Norwich. I don't know whether I want to be haunted by someone even if I love them. Thoughts? Yes, yeah, I agree. I mean palm reading as well, palm reed as well. Maybe you can get more information in Norwich, obviously they've all got six fingers, the palm's bigger.

Oh, here we go. Good stuff. But, but, but what's probably, Ken, Ken, the, the, the, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the, the, th. th. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I'm. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to man from Kent. What's probably Ken? Kent's not in bread? No, no, I was just saying like you're, you know, being snotty about the back waters like Norwich or Devon. All right, fair enough. Norwich is actually a really good city, but he's got a bit of a bad press. Great gigs, great gigs. Always one of the best tour gigs. Unbelievably, I don't, I think I think Adam Hartridge is to blame. Yeah, yeah, I's to blame, I'm, I to blame, I'm to blame, I to blame, I to blame, to blame, to blame, to blame, the to blame, like to blame, like the back the back to the back the back, like the back to the back, like the back, like the back, the back, like the back, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like the back is the back is the back is the back is the back is the back is the back, like, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, the back, like, you think of the pedestrian organisation of Norwich? Does he say? He associate Alan Partridge of Norwich, but actually is quite a cool fun city, but you think of it as sort of like an old, old bloke. Yeah, exactly. So maybe they need to sort that out. Maybe they need to sort out.

A lot of people we know went to Union Norwich? Oh, great. Yeah, that's good today. And she went to the unne with Greg James. Oh, what? Radio 1? Yeah. Oh, okay, fair enough.

That's actually, thrown. . to, . . to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. the. to. to. to. the. to. to. the. to. the. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. too. the. the. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. to. to. to. to. to. No, no, no, no. I've got some correspondence as well to share. This is my friend Emera at Uni used to, instead of blowoffs, you know, I said blowoffs and you reckon no one else is it? Yeah, she used to fluffer pinky. You're what? She used to fluff a pinky? But I don't know if that's a thing. Fluffer pinky? Yeah, fluffer. Fluff a pinky. Yeah. Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's. that's. that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's. Yeah. Yeah, that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's what's that's what's that's that's that's that's. Yeah. Yeah. I like that. Fluffer pink, surely it's a brownie, isn't it? What, your bum... Oh, God, what?

Yeah. I don't know. Sorry, Rob. Sorry, sorry. And do you know what? Sorry to Adrian Chiles as well. He's alright. I'd say my bum hoes more pink than brown, I don't look a lot. I clean my ass, Josh. Yeah, so do I. so. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th th th th th th to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to. Sorry, to. Sorry, to. Sorry, to. Sorry, to. Sorry, to. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to to to to to to to to to to to th. th. th. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to as two white men, it would be pinker than brown, surely. Okay, yeah. I can't get round there to look. My worry is, after Tuesday's episode, people have gone, should we just skip to Adrian Charles one? This is a bit coarse. And then this has happened five minutes in.

Well, I tell you what in Australia. Okay. Right, here go. This is a good one. Children hurting adults. We're talking about the kids when they hurt their parents. Hi Rob and Josh. I think this is the most serious injury we've had. Hi Rob and Josh, listening to your episodes or you spoke about injuries received from children and brought back what I can only describe as PTSD. I'm sorry about this, Chris. He's saying this in jest, though, don't panic. When my oldest son, now almost five or three, he was playing with his toy cars on the floor and wanted me to make him a tunnel, so I put my feet up on a footrest to create the required tunnel.

This lasted about half an hour before he suddenly decided to climb on the sofa standing square on my left knee, which resulted in him breaking my leg and destroying my knee. Oh no. After multiple surgeries, my knee was finally put back together, but has now resulted me in developing osteoarthritis in the knee that is severe enough that I'll need to have my knee replaced by the time I'm 40, currently 37. Oh, Chris. Oh, Christopher. Big fan of the podcast. There's always a place for you on the last leg. Well, not if you're the the the th. Oh, th. F you're th. Oh, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thu, thu, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, thu. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, the the th. Oh, the, the the the the th. Oh, the the th. Oh, the tho, the the thu. Oh, the the tho. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Chris. Oh my God. Oh Christopher, big fan of the podcast. There's always a place for you on the last leg. Well, not if you're still there, fully able to a degree. Bed blocking.

Bed blocking with all your limbs. Um, Can I say something quickly, Josh about about Australia? Basically, they give us the palms, the winging palms, so much abuse about not being able to deal with the heat. And since I've been here, it's been terrible weather. Not terrible, but for them it's terrible weather, right? And it's been like 18-20 degrees, okay?

Yeah, I still don't know what that means, but yeah. They cannot cope with any kind of take the kids down to the beach in 20 degrees in the UK and they've got like North face jackets on in 20 degrees is it's insane they can't handle it also I can't tell this about Australia I did a gig in Sydney the day the England beat Wales yeah so that game was on at 6 a.m and then I did a gig at 8 p.m. that night. There were some people in that room. They were absolutely shit-faced. They'd been drinking since 6 a.m. And the show was great. The first half was excellent, second half was really good.

But as I was trying to get into my rhythm, they were just so pissed I kept them shouting out. But God, Rob. Yeah, no, it's all right though. You've traveled across the world to avoid those kind of people. And there you are again. That flies around shit. You can't escape your own, Josh. You can't shake your audience. You cannot shake who you are. Own it. Right, I've got a Boomer story. Hey Lush Pots. That's a nice intro. Just a little towel about my husband's Buma style parenting were laid to me by my stepchildren. On a ferry trip back from France approaching customs, he did a passport check and was horrified to tell

his middle child, age eight, he'd lost her passball. The only solution was to pretend to be a dull. Horified but obligingly, she sat rigidly. to. Yeah, so she went, you went to her, just pretend you're a dull. She sat rigidly, non-blinking. Fucking Nora, this is great. Propped up in the corner of the car being a dull whilst they rolled past the officials, passable safely in the glove box. Yes, he's a lunat. She now has a panic attack at passport control. The problem is, it is quite funny watching someone pretend to be a dull, but not a child. That you've got to look at the long-lasting consequences. This is not okay.

Exactly. Maria, I hope you're a bit. Be a dull. To come back to the last leg. It is not okay. I'm always watching it. I know that. Unbelievable. For God's sake. It's been on 12 years, mate, do you know when I went to Australia? Do you know that Adam Hills was like the Graham Norton of Australia? Yeah.

Nooble. You know who the Graham Norton? They've got Graham Norton. the the tellu. It's just the same bloke doing the same show just in Australia. Should we bring on Adrian Charles? Yes, bring on Adrian Charles. A very good interview this, good bloke. I could listen to him for ages. I love this. You know what? I had him down to sort of like, oh, TV presenter does a bit of sport. But he's amazing, like, and he just sort of seems like a bloke, and it's like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, to to to me, a to me, a to. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. time. I thought was great. He's really thoughtful and like has really interesting angles on things

you're not going to expect from anyone. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, exactly. But he's really good bloke, really interesting. I'm a big fan of Charles. We love Charles. Right here. Well here's here. Here's Adrian Charles. Here's Adrian Charles. to the th. their. their. their. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the the th. the the th. their th. th. the. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their the th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. th. He's th. th. th. He's th. th. He's th. He's th. He's the. He's the. He's the. the. the. thr. thr. thr. thr. thr. He's really. thr. He's really thr. He's really thr. He's really thr. He's really thr. He's the All well, thank you. Thank you for doing this. We're very excited to have you on. At the start, we'd like to ask, how many kids have you got? What's your set-up, KidsWise? My Set-Up Kids-Wiys is two daughters, age unbelievably, 22 and 19, you know, to all that stuff people tell you about all it goes quickly my God that's true. Is it? Yeah. When I first spotted it was when my daughter went to secondary school, my older one and she went from sort of one day not being allowed to cross the road on her own, to another day just having to get on a bus, a tube and a bus to get to school. Yeah. And at that moment she's gone, and about a month later, I was on the bus, four or five

in the afternoon, some girls gone off, oh, that's Evie's school uniform. And then, I was having to admit, that is even. And then, he was the face and run upstairs when she saw me. So for one minute, she's avoiding me on public transport. It's just. It's just. the game. the game. the game. the game. the game. the game. the game. the game. the game. the game. the game. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. tooing. tooing. tooing. tooing. too. too. tooomomomomomorrow. to me. to me. to me. to me. to me. to me. That's, to me. It's, to me. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. too. too. too. too. too. too. too. too. to me. too. toe. too. to me. to me. to me. the to mea. And, the to mea. And, to mea. So, to me. So, transport. It's just incredible. And then the game's gone from that minute. They're gone. You might as well wave goodbye. They're off.

You'll see him briefly when they drive past you, when they've passed their driving test, and that's probably the last you do. Oh God. Are you strike me as well as an emotional man who, I say that I'd include myself and Rob amongst his that would struggle with that would have loved the connection with the young children and that is something I know that I dread is that a fair assumption? Oh yeah and the worst for me actually was when they went to university, took the first one away to Bristol University, I dropped her off. I cried so much that one of my contact lenses felllowl out.

And I didn't have my glasses with me, so I was scrabbling around on the seat of my car looking for the missing contact lens. And I was just bored for about an hour. And then when the second one went which was only just over a year ago it was even worse. It's just truly a point. I've got all about when the kids do go to university actually if we can get on to that. We don't take a time made what to say to them and what not to say to them but anyway. Sorry I'm interviewing myself. No no I'd love to hear that be perfect I start with that well just that before before we get a university the one thing that that university is compulsory or everyone should

you want to go and do it but I think that the thing we always say is oh you'll have a brilliant time yeah oh you'll have a brilliant time yeah oh you're a brilliant time stupid thing to say because we you to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to th th th th th th th th th th th th th thin thin the the the the the the the the the the the the tho tho tho the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thu thu the thu thu thu thu thu thu thu thu thu the thooooooooooooooo. the going to have a billion time. To be fair, I don't know what you're saying instead. But you know, what you're about to will not be easy. And you might not necessarily have a brilliant time because you might, you know, three weeks in, you think that I'm not having a brilliant time. There must be something wrong with me. Yeah. Never again in life will be thrown in with a load of complete strangers and compulsively tolaintol told told told to have to have to have to have to have to have to have to be to be to be fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun. to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be thrown in with a load of complete strangers and compulsorily to have fun, have a brilliant time. Yeah, and everyone tells you it's the best part of your life as well. It's a lot of pressure isn't it? Yeah. Yeah, it's too much. Did you have a brilliant time at uni, Adrian? Well, uh, you didn't have a bad time. I found it difficult at first and then I did I was doing the wrong degree which, you. to. to. to. to. to. to to to to to to to to the to the to the to the to the to the the to the to be, to be, the to be, the to be, to be the to be to be the the the the to be the the the the the their, their, their, their their their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their their their their their their their their their their their their their the.. thii. thi. thi. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try did. I was doing the wrong degree which, you know, which didn't help or did English. I never quite, I never quite got to grips with what I was

supposed to be doing. You know, also self-scheduling. I just needed more focus, I think, a better off doing law or something. I was interested in it, but you know, at least would have kept me out of troub and five most days as opposed to just six hours a week. But in the light of taking my second daughter off to university, we had a, just after that, I happened to have a bit of reunion for people I went after university within 86, 87. And I was asking them about how were you, you know, what are you? What are you? their thi. told? their their. their. thi. thi. to. to remember, to. to remember, to. to. to. to. to me. to me. to me. to me. to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, their. to me, to me, their. their. their. their. their. their. their. to take. to take. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. And, the the the the t. And, the the the the the the the the the the their. their. their. And, their. And, their. And, their. And was genuinely astonished. They said, I like my best mate, oh I thought I knew really well. He said, I mean, I didn't really feel settled until the end of the second year. I just found it sort of traumatic really until then, you know, and everyone's kind of put in a brave face on it. And I think what's, you know, what makes parenting, I think probably harder now is, you know, the constant contact that you can have have th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, threat, that, that, that, thr-thea, that, that, that, that, thi, I'm, I'm, I'm, I thi, I thi, I thi, I their, I their, I their, I their, I their, I their, I their, I their, I th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I, th. thi, thi, that, that, that, thr. I thr. thr. thrown. thrown, thrown, thrown, throwne, throwne. I'm, throwne. I'm, I'm throwne. I the constant contact that you can have

with a mobile phone when we went university there was one phone call you've had you know once a week you'd probably call on Sunday on a pay phone or something yeah and that would be it and you have to thought yourself out in between now suddenly if I can't get older my daughter at 10 o'clock at night you know I'm thinking oh what's happening to her is she alright you know we're much better off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off off the the the to be to be the to be the the the to be the the the to be to be the the to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be the the the their their to be th. I th. I their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their th. I th. I th. I'm th. I'm thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi the the. I thi thi right? You know, we're much better off being a home for a baby in the head in the trim. Not being able to find out whether she's all right. I mean, this is let alone going off, you know, traveling around the world. Oh God, yeah. In my day, you'd go off somewhere. totally isolated and that was that was that was thoes tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. the tho. tho. the tho. tho. tho. the tho. tho the tho. tho tho tho the thoes thoes thoes the the the thoes thoes. thoomoomoomoes the thoes their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their tho. tho. tho. thi thi tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. thou. thou. thou the. the to to to tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Not the. Not for the kids. Now there's probably nowhere on earth where you can't get a bloody phone signal. So you ring you them and they're not there and you start panicking

and you know they'll get clinging to the side of a mountain in the Andes or something. You know it's just I'm traumatized by the whole thing. I'm not going back to university to be your friend. I'm going so I can get Uber one. the the the to. And to. And Uber and Uber and Uber and Uber.. to. the to. to. the to. to. to. the to. the to. the their. to. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. I. I. I. I. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I. I. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. I. And. I. And. I. the back to university to be your friend. I'm going so I can get Uber 1 for students. It saves you on Uber and Uber eats. I'm there for zero dollar delivery fee on cheeseburgers, up to 5% off smoothies and 5% Uber cash back on rides. Just to be clear, I'm there for savings, not whatever you think University is for. Get Uber for students.

A membership to save on Uber and Uber eats. With deals th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th thoing th th th th thoing th thoing thoing tho tho tho tho tho thoing tho tho tho tho tho tho to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to th. I I I I I I I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm thu. I'm thu. I'm thu. I'm thea. I'm thea. thuooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, a membership to save on Uber and Uber eats. With deals this good, everyone wants to be a student. Join for just $4.99 a month. Savings may vary. Eligibility and member terms apply. If you're craving a getaway this fall, we invite you to explore the colors of New Brunswick. Here you'll discover festivals that the best of the fall harvest,

winery and brewery tours, and cozy overnights that encourage you to get a little closer. Our backyard is your playground and in fall it's a breathtaking experience. Start planning your New Brunswick Getaway at Tourism and B.C.A. Are they enjoying uni at the moment? Yeah, yeah, but one's left and the other ones, yeah, having a great time now. But, you know, it just struck me when I dropped the second one off, just looking around, looking at them and just seeing fear in the poor kid's eyes. Yeah, so I just think it's the point me mindful of. I've got so much parenting advice. I'm willing just to keep talking for an hour.

That's fine, Adrian. Can I just ask one question about you, you know? Because I say this as someone who, at university in my halls, was Jack Straw's daughter, which was very exciting. How much cachet do you think, and how much do you think they're saying that their dad is Adrian Childs? I think it would be th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th tho tho thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi, I've thi, I've thi, I've the, I've the, I've the, I've the, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thu.... I thi, I th.. I thi, I thi, I've thi, I've thi, I've thi, I'm thi, I'm thi, I'm thi, I'm thi thi thi. I'm thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. I think it'd be a badge of shame. I mean with blokes they met probably more because there's a lot of football connection. Yeah.

Actually my younger one, I had the Strictly Christmas special which went out on Christmas Day last year. So that was quite a big deal. I think she was very glad she was obviously at a home for Christmas Day when it went out. And wasn't dealing it then. Did you clear it with them? I didn't the Christmas special came about very quickly. I had been asked to do it sort of properly a couple of times before and they both went absolutely not. Absolutely on no way. So that was pretty much ruled out. I mean, occasionally some lad will come up to him pests and go, oh, your dad's a legend of Bristol Frovers fan or something. And they resolve never, never to speak to that young man again.

Well, you must be heading to sort of those weird wilderness years of kids where like they go off to union. The last thing they want to do is hang around with their parents and then they sort of reappear when they've got children or they start settling down and bringing boys home and stuff because that's what I was like, I sort of disappeared from the family as I went off like a gig in and and then you sort of come back. Is that what's what's th so th so th so th so th so th th th th th the th th th th th the th they they they they they're sort of making they're sort of making they're sort of making they're sort of making they're sort of making they're sort they're sort they're sort they're sort of they're sort of making they're sort of making they're sort of they're sort of they're sort of they're sort of they're sort they're sort they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're sort they're sort they're sort they're sort they're sort of they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're to they're to th th to to thi. thi. thi. they're they're to they're to to they're they're they're they're they're they're they're that makes me jumpy because I sort of miss them. But then God's got a way of dealing with that because what he also facilitates is a constant stream of requests for money. So the phone goes now. I just go how much and what for? And even if they try and dress it up, how you doing? Yeah, I'm fine. How much and what for? Occasionally it's just for a chat more often. It's not. But you know, my mom, you know, my mom's 83.

And I mean, she says to this day, she only sleeps properly if me and my brother are in under the same roof. You know, which hardly have the door about one day a year. But to this day, people like that. What a sleep. What a sleep. What a sleep to look to look to look to look to look to look to look to look to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But, but. But, but. But, but. But, but. But, but. But, but. But, but. But, but. But, but. But, but. But, but. But, but. But, but to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thoome that. What a sleep though, what a sleep. What a sleep to look forward to. If your daughters do ring and ask for money though, do you go well, you know, I can't really afford that at the moment, but if I did strictly, then there would be more money available for that trip to Thailand. Well, I've tried that. If I say they want me to to thak their they want they want me to to their their they're to to to their to to take take take their to take to take to take to take to take to take to to to to to to to to to to be to be to be to be to be more. tooke. tooke. tooke. tooke. tooke. tooke. tooke. tooke. tooke. tooke. tooomom. tooomom. tooomom. tooomomomom. tooomomomomomomomom. tooomomere. tooomere. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. too. too. too. too. too. too. too. too. toe. too. toe. too. too. too. too. they want me to take them somewhere and say I can't on working, then I kind of have that speech. I think trouble is when they were in their early teens I was extremely successful and earning a lot of money and throughout their teens I've progressively got

less successful early learning considerably less money. So you know I suppose it's people for them to adjust to that but they're going to have to have to adjust to that, but they're going to have to adjust to it. I don't see you as a, that almost came out as authority figure, it seems unfair. I don't seem you as an iron fist. I see you as wanting your children to like you, the school of Josh Widdickham. Is that a fair summation? Yeah, I think it is. I mean, I quite thi I thi I thi I thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi tho tho tho tho thi thi tho tho tho to to to to to to to to to to to to to to tho tho tho tho tho. I don't th. I don't th. I don't th. I don't thi thi tho. I don't tho. I don't tho. I don't tho. I don't tho. I'm tho. I'm tho. tho. I'm tho. tho. I'm tho. I'm thooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I'm? Yeah, I think it is. I mean, I quite seriously often wonder how much of it is just luck, really. I mean, beyond teaching your kids the rudiments of good manners, you know, hello, goodbye, please, thank you, etc. So beyond that, I just think we kid ourselves

that we can influence much at all. I happen to have been lucky with my kids. For example, you know, they worked reasonably hard at school, you know, but if they didn't, what am I going to do? Stand over them. Lock them in the room, you know, speak like you're not going out, you know, not give them pocket money. I just, you know, attitude to parenting is find a bucket of sand, put your head in it, cross your fingers and then just hope it best. I think that's a good tip. Did you always have that freedom with it? Or did you discover that over time? I don't know. I just thought everything I've tried to get them to be interested in to do, I sort of failed

to do it. You know, he just never worked. Are they West Brom fans? Yeah, but trying to get him to come to the football. I mean, they just, the older one would never have it at all. The younger one came for a bit and then wouldn't come again. I was interesting, the younger one came for, you know, got a few matches, but theyme. And a woman I'm with when she did bump into my daughter again, said, why don't you come anymore? He said, I quite like being there. It was just the thought of being there, which was so terrible. And I realize it's the opposite with me. It's the being there at the game.

I'm usually miserable, but you know, it's the thought of being there that excites me or rather the thought of not being there that appalls me. So it goes the opposite way around for them. But I think the thing I've valued most about them again, I don't think this is down to me or their mother, is that they did, they really knew how to have a good time, but also, you know, worked hard, worked quite diligently. And this is something it's taken me years to realize is that when my older one got went for a GCSE results, I always remember, for some reason I wasn't nervous going up to get them. It wasn't because I thought she was going to do well and it wasn't because I wasn't concerned if you see what I mean that she was not going to do what them, not got the result she deserved. And then while she'd gone inside to get her her her her her her her her her her her her her her her her her to get to get to get th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi thi thi thi the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. the. the. the. the the to te too too too too too too too too too too the the the the going to do, not got the result she deserved. And then while she'd gone inside to get her results, we're sitting that side in the car.

A woman came past whose daughter was in the same class as my daughter, but her older brother had just got his A-level and this lad was a today and he'd been done for smoking or something he'd done no homework at all or anything and he'd got four A's at a level. Right. And I just thought that's it now. That lad is going to have a problem because the lesson he's learned in life is that he can win you can not do much and succeed. If you're not careful, that's a very bad lesson because sooner or later. And I don't about you, you like me will have metthat's a very bad lesson because sooner or later, and I don't about you, you like me, will have met a lot of very successful people in a lot of different

fields, footballers, entertainment, politics, whatever. What everyone's gone in common is that for long periods of time, they're work their arses off. Yeah. You know, people like, Roy Keane or Tony Blair or Frank Skinner or whoever. Comedians also have really worked hard at it, you know, all those small, oh yeah. Just, you know, it's an absolute bloody grind, whatever you do. Now, if you haven't had experience of that grind and shown an aptitude for it, you know, then you're going to struggle. So in retrospect, I think the reason that was quite relaxed about my daughters is that she'd shown me the

important thing already. Never mind the results, she'd shown me that she could work. Yeah, she could get a head down the way. Now, if you've got that, you will succeed in something. Now, baby it's not academia, maybe it's not anything I'd want to succeed but you would end up having some success. So if you can instill that into your kids somehow then that is the biggest thing. So it's all this in the teacher at school? It's not your results, it's how much effort you put in and we think, oh, bollocks. And we all probably yearn't to be the kid. Did no work. And to their their their their their their their their. their. their. We they. they. We they. they. they. We they. they. they. they. they. You. You're to be the kid the kid to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be their. If. You. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.... Yeah... Yeah. Yeah.. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. they. they. they. t. they. th. th. they. the. they. t. they. the the the t. t. t be the kid who did no work, did all the shagging, took the penalties for the school football team, ended up head boy despite being a rascal, did no work and got four A's at A level and went to Oxford. It was actually a bit overrated to be honest Adrian, I found it quite tired. Sometimes they didn't have the energy to score the penalties I'd been shagging so much. You know what I mean? Josh was like the the of Tony Blair Roy Keene and Frank Skinner.

That was like pink for you, would it, Josh? Oh, Adrian, preaching to the choir there. Absolutely my wheelhouse. Thank you very much. Obviously you're a massive graft as well and you worked really hard, you've written all all these books and stuff. Like you said when your daughters were like, you were all over the tele, it felt like he was on everything, it was on like sort of daytime TV, sports stuff, all over it. What was your schedule like then? Was it difficult to sort of see them as much because of the workload? And did you want to set an example? I think be there to do the live tele, you sort of, to some extent, you go in, you do it, you sort of cock it up and then you go home again. So it takes a good deal of time then, you know, making one documentary,

which takes weeks or months to do, depending on what it is, involves being away from home the whole time time, the whole the whole the whole the whole time, time, the whole time, time, time, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the whole, the whole, thi, thi, their, so thi, so thi, so thi, so their, so their, you's, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th.., th., thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thrown, today, today, today, today, ta. So, today, today, today, today, to thin, thi. So, the thi time and then you've just got an hour of television at the end of it. Are you telling me you didn't do eight hours prep for each episode of the one show Adrian? Are you telling me you got through that without being across all of the topics in detail? Sometimes I did, yes. I must confess sometimes I was a bit macadaisical. There's no way Rhode Keane's across all the detail is there surely at the the No, I mean you can do too much for the one show because in the end you just, yeah. Every interview was just sort of, took three minutes and you have three questions and after a while, I lost the art of conversation. I couldn't speak to somebody in a pub for longer than three minutes. So, you know, question one, question one, question two, question, question, question, question, question, question, question, question, question, question, question, question, question, question, question, question, question, Yeah, question two, right, thank you, off you go, next person. You know, it was interesting to go into doing sport until, you know, half time, you know, what do you think, right? What do you think, poor? What do you think, Lee Dixon?

And then into the ad break. So actually when I went back into doing radio, where you got 10, 15 minutes interview. I felt the blood flowing back into my veins, really because, you, you, you, you, you, the, the the the their their their their the blood flowing back into my veins really because you know you you go into this business to ask people questions and so it was just nice to feel that again although while I was doing football and after the stuff I've done since actually and my daughters have absolutely no interest in whatsoever you know when I was doing the one show you know they'd want to come in and meet one one direction or somebody or other but now I can't really sort of offer them access to anybody. What about Josh? Do they like Josh? Could you introduce him to Josh with that help? I don't know whether you're in the demographic? I'd have to ask them. I'd have to ask them. I'd have to ask them.

I won't take a friend. I won't take a friend. Be brutally honest. Do you think they've heard of me? Yes, I think they probably have. I couldn't tell you have, but I think they probably have. Yeah. Okay, what about Rob? Do you think they're fans of Rob? Do you think they're as far as fans? I think they probably would be aware of you were and be admirers of it, I would have thought. There we go.'t yet, exactly. You can never guarantee it in this business. Okay. All right. Adrian, what is it you miss most about and being a bit younger then?

Obviously, they're women and they're out learning that union stuff and there's the moments you pine for when they were younger? And is it like rose-tinted glasses or did you find it tough when they're sort of too, a bit less, when they've just started moving around. And they've stopped having that morning snooze to give you a bit of respite. But they're endangered themselves because they got no brains, but they're running around getting themselves into all sorts of trouble. Then it's hard. But, you know, I really wish, I'll say to myself on my deathbed about my whole life. I just wish I'd enjoyed. I'd th. I'd th. I'd tholed. I'd th. I'd th. I'd th. I'd th. I'd th. I'd th. I'd th. I'd th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm just th. I'm th. th. th. their. their. thoome. their. th. th. th. their. their. their. their. their. their. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It. It. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. I's thi. I's th. I's th. the thi. I's the thi. I's the thi. the the tooooo. the their to say to myself on my deathbed about my whole life, you know, I just wish I'd enjoyed it more. Yeah. A lot of life is about repetition, you know, doing the same thing over and over again and

drawing some enjoyment from it and some meaning from it. I mean even if you're doing the same kind of gigs, you know, a priest doing the same sermon, you know, big jagger doing sympathy from the devil. You know, each time he does it, it does it like it's his first time or it's last, he gives it everything. Well, I'd say the same about raising small children, yes, you know, changing nappies and, you know, you think you're out of the terrible twos, then all of a sudden you're back in them and all of a sudden you're back in their them and all... And their tham. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th th th th th th thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi. I just thi. I'd thi. I'd thi. I'd thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi th th. I th th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi to to thi thi thi to thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi praying for every day to come to an end you know to really think well this won't last forever. You know I'm getting on the garden so it's so hard though when you're tired. You are like my ghost of Christmas future Adrian you're the ghost of Christmas future I know that I'm going to be saying this to someone these words in 20 years time but I can't stop myself looking at the clock and

thinking an hour and 15 minutes until bad time. Something came to me I can't remember why I was this came to, I was on a train I was filming something in Cornwall and this tweenies song came back to me I mean did your kids watch the tweene is or was that that's before your time? No we don't have the tweenies yeah before. They're a bit more into bluey now. Right there some great songs the tweenies but there was one particular song yeah under the sea I remember because it was one Evie my older one one year one year one Christmas she was sort of ill with something or other all over Christmas when we just sit and watch the tween is a tween. the the the the the twee twee twee twee twee twee twee twee twee twee twee twee twee twee twee twee twee twee twee. I twee. I was just twee. I was just so so so twee. I was just so so twee. I was just so so the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the t t twee. twee. twee. twee. twee. I I I I I twee. I twee. I twee. I was twee. I was just just just twee. I'm twee. I'm twee. I'm just twee. twee. tweean. I'm tweean tweean twee. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. And the tweeys hour or one hour. It was that under the sea song came up all the time. I put this song on, but found it on Spotify on the tray.

And it's just tears rolling down my cheeks. Oh God, this is me. I started texting Evey. I send her a link to me. I said, I'm crying my eyes like, she said, a thing, well, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, I, I, I, I, I, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, and I was, and I was, and I was, and I was, and I was, and I was, and I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, a, a, a, a, a, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing, a thing.. th. t. t. tie. t. t. tie. t. tie. t. tie. tie. tie. tie, I was, It was just too much. And the other one I remember, because the joke was that, you know, she's the younger ones all emotional and the older ones like tough as old boots, which you know, isn't quite fair. But in the Wallace and Gromit, the wrong trousers, there's a bit where grommets get sent outside to the kennel. Yes. Because Wallace has got a new friend. And so grommets in this kennel, I remember even being

surprised then my daughter was about seven or eight or something. She was just watching it and this big tear was rolling down a cheek. And I thought even to this day it just stops me in my tracks. You know, I thought, oh, no. And the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. Yes, th. Yes, Wallace, th. Yes, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace. Well, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace, Wallace, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, was. Well, th. Well, th. And I thought even to this day it just stops me in my tracks, you know, oh God no. No. And then I've texted her that the other day and she went what does not now. But she does remember being upset by it but you know it's just those little moments. Oh God. But in a way do you love disappearing to those moments? Like as it's kind of pleasure pain thing, right? It's kind of sad but warm nostalgia. Yeah, look, it's a version of that, you know, grief is the price of love. I mean, we're not talking about grief here, but you know, if you haven't got that stuff to look back on, then something's wrong.

And you know I do genuinely regret not spending more time with them. I mean not so much to do with work but you know I spent an awful lot of time following West Brom around the country. I kind of regret that. Much of I had a great time. I wish I had spent more time with them but you know we still had plenty of great time. I wish I had spent more time with them, but you know we still had plenty of great times. I suppose being divorced didn't help. They were eight and five when I got divorced, but you know, they were always just right around the corner coming and going as they please stuff, so it was as pain free as it could have been. So was it quite a sort of easy to sort of work out when you could have the kids and stuff like that because it can be quite difficult can't it? It was never easy but it wasn't an issue, do you know what I mean?

I was always but you know it doesn't stop you being racked with guilt about it but you know we all get on very well you know me and you know it's fine. I remember there was a real moment when I think Evie must have been about 12 and she was around my flat and a bloke came round who was a mate of mine who had daughters about the same age. Very nice, very friendly guy, rather posh and he goes, oh hello Evie, he goes, how often do you come around here? And she looked to him and she went, well, whenever I want. You know, it just, what kind of question is that? And I just, you know, some great weight lifted off my shoulders at that moment.

Oh, yeah. She can come around whenever she wants. That's nice. But the other side of that coin, is that she can not come whenever she wants. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And we know, we all ended up in a good place. I mean, food and money is what they're interested in me for mainly because I can always look for them, but you know, we do have a good time. There was a talk at their school about raising teenage children, teenage daughters particularly. And this woman, I mean, talked a fair amount of shite, but the psychologist, however, she's made a couple of reasons. Forget everything've got one was, you know, forget everything else. Everything else is secondary to one thing is that make sure they get enough sleep.

I mean, I don't think that's for adults, particularly for children, young children, teenager, whatever. The other thing she said, which was, she said, don't ever be grudgeon the time that you're in the car with them. You know, a lot lot tho tho tho tho th, a lot th, a lot th, a lot th. th. th. that that that's that's that's that's that's that's that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I I, th. I, I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I's, th. th. th. th. thi. thi, I's, I's, I'm that's, I'm the the that, I'm, you, I'm, that's, you're, I'm, that's, that's, I'm that. that's, I'm that, I'm thi. th. th the car with them. You know a lot of parents like, oh I'm the taxi service, blah I take it because increasingly that's the only time you'll get them to yourself. Yeah that's a good point. And I think that is really, really important. Also in terms of talking about trivial stuff or more important stuff, the massive occurred to me to recent. I'm like going out for a walk as well.

You've got, I'm not confrontational if you're looking at each other, but it's just somehow easy to communicate like that. And to this day, you know, I'll go. So we'll go, you know, we can go to a curry house round the corner for me in West London in Gisick and she said, no no, no, let's go to Kentish Town. And I said, well, why is it you like going to the place in Kentish today? It's just a good distance. Just being in the car together. Even if just, I know, it's just a nice thing, happy associations. Oh, that's nice. You speak to people and you just get a lovely feel for how much they care about parenting. Do you know what I mean? And I get that so much from you. I want to talk to you about your book, The Good Drinker, How I Learned to Love Drinking

Less. You gave me a copy when we were in the BBC and we bumped into each other. I've started reading it, I'm loving it Adrian. I won't claim that I've read it to the end. I'll be honest with you. Everyone's got a book out of the moment, Adrian. I've only said this to one other person, I'm going to finish this, Adrian. I very rarely do. But I find it absolutely fascinating. It's a quote from Rocky in it. Do you want to give us the kind of, give us the elevator pitch of what this book is?

I mean the narrative about drinking is that you're either something called an alcoholic, which in the idea of clinicians doesn't actually exist as such. The idea of alcoholism where you have one drinking and you to to to to to to to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink to drink the the the to drink the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the idea of clinicians doesn't actually exist as such. The idea of alcoholism where you have one drink and you have to drink 200 and then you wake up in a skip or whatever. Yeah. You're either that or you're a perfectly normal moderate drinker. I just thought, you know, problematic where I was drinking every day. I couldn't bear the thought of a social occasion without drinking, yet how could, you know,

and it didn't look like what people would call an alcoholic or didn't look like a problem, excessive drinker. But the fact is, how could I not say I was dependent on alcohol in some form? And what I stumbled upon was the fact that a lot of drinkers are in that category like me, drinking far too much, but because they don't resemble the alcoholic, inverted commas of, of the alcohol, of the the the the the the thuololol, of thuol, of thuol, of thu or thu. of thu. of thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu-a, too much but because they don't resemble the alcoholic inverted commas of caricature then they think they haven't got a problem. Well in fact if you're drinking up to 100 units a week as I was regularly then. So a hundred units a week? Yeah a hundred units a week which is you know just to kind of

there is a chapter about units but just to give people who aren't aware of how the unit thing works, how would you translate that into drinks? I mean, it's not half as complicated as people claim to find it is, but, you know, basically a unit is half a pint of weakish beer or a very small glass of wine or a shot of spirits, right? That would be, you know, it's one unit. So, you know, I, I five early evenings a week, I meet my mate and the pub, local, I have a couple of pines and then get on with the rest of the evening. Sometimes we stay a bit longer and have a bit of wine, and that gets you to sort of 25 units in a week quite quickly, but on top of that, a day out of the football, a couple of proper nights, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe, and a their, and a their, and a th, and, their, and, to, to, they, to, to, their, and, they, they, they, they, they, they, and then, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, I I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, is, is, is, the, the, the, the, the, the, they, they, they.a, they.a, they.a, they.a, they.a, they.a, they.a, they, they, they,, you very quickly get towards 100 units. Now, can you drinking every day? In essence, what I worked out, that if I lined up all the drinks I've drunk in my life in like 40 years drinking since I was 15, it'd be three miles long.

And you know, that's a lot of poison to put through your system. But what I came to thinking was, if I look at how many thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaa.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a. A their, their, their, their, their, toe. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A lot, toe. A, toa, to, to, to, to, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's a. And, I's a. And, I's a. And, I'm a lot. toa. toa. toa. toa. toa. toa. toa. toa. And, toa. And, toa. And, toa. And, toa. And, toa. And, toa. And, toe. toe. toa. to put through your system. But what I came to thinking was if I look at how many of those drinks I really wanted, needed or enjoyed or got anything out of, it's about a third. Yeah. You know, two-thirds, just drinking because I was out drinking because I was out, drinking, because I had a bottle of wine to finish, drinking because I was with this mate with whom I always drank or because the pubs weren't closing for another hour or or whatever. And I just stripped away the drinks I wasn't really wanting, needing or enjoying and then just left with the ones that I did value. What I thought was really good, which I read in the book, that was such a good point, was you say there's a lot of people that have a problem with how much they drink, but but they told your only option really is to stop drinking because that's what the kind of alcoholic would

do or that's the way, the only way to control drinking. And your kind of point is there is another way which is to cut down and kind of mindfully, moderately drink. I mean, I think, you know, this idea of alcoholism has got very deep roots, you know, and in fact, we're all on a continuum from, you know, heavy drinking to the sort of wake up in a skip kind of drinking. And my point was because we got that deep idea of it as a disease theory where you've either got this disease or you haven't, then partly because of that you think the only cure for the disease is to stop completely. And a lot of people don't the the the the the the the the the they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they that, you think the only cure for the disease is to stop completely. And a lot of people don't seek help for that reason, because they think they're going to be told,

no, you've got to stop completely. Now for a lot of people, it is appropriate. You know, I wouldn't question anybody who's stopped drinking completely. Fine, go for it. But for others, there's a lot to be said just for moderating and just realizing, you know, it's a really important fact that drinkers like me, you know, the serious drinkers, one of the big lies we tell ourselves is that everybody drinks like us, right? You ask a big drinker like me, what percentage of drinkers, not the whole population, what percentage of drinkers, drink 14 units or less, which is the recommended maximum for safe drinking. Most of them will say oh 1% no percent.

The fact is it's 70%? Is it 70%? It's 70% and even allowing for a vast margin of error, it's more than 50%. Right. Most are drinking safely. So we're the outliers. Yeah. And once I realized that, I just thought it's one less excuse to drink with impunity, to sit there in the pub where

it's easy to think everyone is drinking like that because other people will be. Sit there and you say, well, everyone drinks like this. The 14 units thing is a lot of bollocks. And they're going to know what they're talking about. Yeah. So if you think the 14 units thing is bollocks, fair enough. But don't tell me that everybody drinks like us because they just don't. It can it can creep up on you a bit, especially when you've got like young kids and stuff and you finally get them a bed and you go, oh, an another glass of wine or a few beers and not think anything of it. I just, I realized that, you know, I was drinking more with every decade that passed and then I noticed some of my friends were drinking less. Now when I met them, some of my big sort of drinking friends from my teams and my 20s. When I met up with them, we'd go for a drink like we normally did. But then when it came their th. th. th. th. th. th. that that that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's th. that's th. that's th. that's th. th. that's that's th. that's thi. that's their thrown. that's. that's. that's. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was the the the the the the the th. I was th. th. I was th. I was th. I was th. I was th. I was th. I was th. I was th. I was th. I was th. I was th. I was th. I was thr. I was th thrown'd go for a drink like we normally did. But then when it came down to it, I realized that's probably the only drink they had that week. Yeah. But I was drinking every day in between.

So, you know, I remember how this was. And I had small kids, is that there is that moment you've got them off to sleep. You've read the story. They're asleep. You go for the wine. th. th. the th. th. the the th. the th. the the th. the th. the the the th. th. the th. the th. the th. th. the the th. thi. thi. thi. tho. tho. the the the thi. thoes. thoomoomorrow. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. the the the the the. the. the. the. the. the. the the thea. their. they. they. they. they. they. they. their, they. their, their, their. th wine, you go for the beer thinking like, you know, I've earned it. And you know, it's an obvious point, but it's habit forming and that consume the more you do it, the more you need. I mean, I used to when I took mine out for a walk in the stroller or in the thing where they hang off the front of you. I mean Would you? With them start you're from? I'd have a couple of early pints or a pint and then you know the locals you know bold blokes or whatever would sort of coup at my daughter and the Polish bar mate would swing it around a bit and all the rest of it you know it's just that was part of my routine

as well. Wow. Friend of mine's just had a baby and the only thing they can put off of Spotify and that would pacify the baby was gentle pub chatter. There is such a thing on spot. Rather damning of them. So gentle pub chatter is what would put the baby off to school. That might work for me. Yeah. Your daughter's a drinking age now. So would you enjoy like, I always think that's quite an interesting thing. Would you go to the pub with your daughters? Is that how you socialize with them? I'm always angling for that. I said, let's go for a drink.

But they're always kind of reluctant. I mean, they do drink and stuff, but you know, they're not going to sit in a pub with me. I mean, it's not occasionally, but it's not their deal of fun. I don't think. I'd just rather go for a drive, rat. The one way they can guarantee you're not going to drink, gets dried. Yes, right. I mean, just taking the younger one to university and then the older one started work, you know, in both cases, you know, I'm thinking, God, you know, alcohol is such a big part of it, you know. How do you get on if you don't drink going off to fresh as week and all the rest of it? How do you get on if you don't start, you know, when you start your first proper job? How do you network and stuff if you're not drinking? Yeah. And I still, but no, I think it's a real shame. I write in, when, the book, the book, the book, th. I'm, th. I'm, th. I'm, th. I'm, th. I'm, th. I'm, th. th. I'm, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, to, to, the to, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, the the the the the the their, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you. I'm, you. I'm, you. I'm, the the th. I'm, th. I'm, th. I'm, th. I'm, th. I'm, th. I'm, th. I'm, thi. thi. thi. thr. thr. thr. thr. thr. th. th. thro. th. th. thro. to. thr. tho. to. th. I think it's a real shame. I'm writing the book about, you know, when I first started working at the BBC. I mean, the reason I got on is that my old boss, the late Paul Gibbs, took a shine to me. And he took a shine to me because he got to know me in the evening. That wasn't that he was a massive drink. It wasn't even that I was,

but if I didn't drink, how would I have formed that relationship with it? Yeah. And so would you say like, because in the book you say about how much you drank, but you didn't ever like feel drunk or you kind of got that point where it wasn't. I was just too good at ticks tics tics tics tics tics tics tics, tics, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to that's, to that's, that's, to do it, I was to be to be to be to be to be tooomorrow, I was just a to be to be to be to be that was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was to, I was to, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was just, I was to do a a it, that was my problem. Didn't get hangovers really, didn't misbehave.

You know, nobody allowed me. I mean, I get sagged off by all sorts of people for all sorts of different things, but nobody said, oh, he's a drunk, he drinks too much. Yeah. But I didn't really ever get drunk, you know, and I did stupid things, but you know, I did stupid things without the benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit benefit to the the the the thi thi thi thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. that's, that's that's, too, too, too, too, too, too, too, too thi. thi. I thi. I thi. ts without the benefit of drink as well as sort of with it. There's a form of Tory MP randomly I played golf with some charity day and I told him what I was writing about and he said oh yeah I don't drink much it's I'm blessed with hangover yeah and that's exactly the right way of looking at it because hangover is you know it's one reason to put the brakes on it's it's God's way or nature's way of telling you you know slow down to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the to to to the to to to the to the to the the the the to to to to tooing tooing the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thoe. I I Icoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo''e.e.e. Ia. I toe. I toe. I to to the on, it's God's way or nature's way of telling you, you know, slow down a bit here. If you don't suffer from that, you know, crack on, on you go. Yeah, I've massively stopped drinking just because I cannot deal with the mornings with the kids. It's actually

like, you know, completely impossible to get through the day, but like, say if you're not getting hangover, is the thanigh over? Then it? their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their, their. their, their, their. their, their. their. their. their. their. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. I, to. Yeah, to. Yeah, to. Yeah, to. Yeah, to. Yeah, to. Yeah, to. Yeah, to. Yeah, to. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, they. Yeah, they. Yeah, I. Yeah, I's. Yeah, I were you you're not good hungover are you Josh? Yeah because I'm the same as you Rob I cannot get up with kids at half six having drunk the night before and not being a kind of well of self-hate did that bypass Adrian Childs? No I had a bit of that but again it was because I was naked. I suppose it wouldn't have been easily if I'd been drinking, but it was difficult anyway to get my sorry ass out of bed. And if I can avoid it, then, you know, I'd let my then wife do it. Although I think I did my fair share of getting up, although she would contest that. What I couldn't get my head round was that at some level subconsciously when I had babies, I must have thought that somehow they didn't get

up on weekends and bank holidays. They didn't wake up at six in the morning then. That's what I found difficult to deal with. During the week I could get up because I had to get up anyway. But what do you mean? You wake up screaming at six on a Saturday and a Sunday as well? Yeah, two weeks on holiday. What madness is this? And you took a job where you had you you you you you you you you you to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. their. th. their. their. their. their. their. their their their two weeks on holiday. What madness is this? And then you took a job where you had to get up at 4 a.m. Adrian. Like you've got a job where you're getting up on daybreak at what what time you're getting up then? Yeah, why not? They've grown up by then, mercifully. And daybreak was so bloody miserable. I'd be more than happy to be happy to be at home with screaming babies vomiting all over me. Yeah, you know, holidays particularly I think are so hard when you got young kids. You need a different word for holiday when you've got a young kid.

Just a new place to experience your life. Yeah. You got a bed at seven o'clock with them and just live on their time as best you can. What age do you think holidays got good? Because I'm currently a one and a five year old and I'd say it's not the peak day periods to enjoy holidays. No, it's not. I would say until, well, I mean, it's about your youngest one. So I think you've got five or six years yet, to be honest, till the youngest one's six seven years old. Oh my God, five or six years. I'd say four or five.

I'd say it's take one year off that, just try and keep morale up, Josh, but at least a solid three to four years before it'll be fun again. Oh God. Yeah, as you say, it's the mix of wishing your life away and then being sad when it's gone. Yeah, I mean that's exactly right. So we take them off to the sun somewhere and it's just, I don't know why we do that, because I don't think the kids particularly enjoy it. Okay, you can go and swim all day and night. It's been most of the time slathering factor 200 all over them and then it's hot at nights and all the rest of it.

I think I don't know what you're better off with just a you know a bracing beach holiday in the UK if it can afford it I suppose but the flights as well oh what a trauma they are. Dear God what was your worst flight? There was one coming we got a Croatian like a month Croatian I mean just she's young I once screamed all the way back. Oh, despite being basically drugged at the other end. And then literally the moment the wheels toucest down at Heathrow, we just completely out like a light and wouldn't be raised or I am exceptionally understanding if there's a screaming

baby. Oh yeah. I've obviously been there, you know, it's hard. And Adrian, are you excited about the potential of grandchildren? Maybe a bit early for you now, but in the coming years. Oh yeah, absolutely. I don't want to apply any pressure, but yes, I like baby in my life, yes. It's fresh as wea, get on with it. To your 19-year-old daughter. Yeah, who knows, I might be as reluctant and start going to see West Brom home and away with great passion again to avoid it. But I think I'll be a very useful grandparent. Yeah, I can see that.

Yeah. What was your favorite, you think your favorite age if you had to pick one? If you had to pick one, to say, of picture them? I would say sort of any, I'd say when they were sort of, yeah, nine and six, something like that. I just think little girls are a lot easier to parent than little boys. I think teenage girls are a nightmare. I just couldn't work out what was going on from one day to the next year. I gave up trying to understand it. And we boys, teenage boys, I mean, little boys are a nightmare running around blowing bogies everywhere, picking their asses and God knows what else. I think

they're tricky, but I think as teenage, they're easier if only because look them in their bedroom with a box of tissue when they're 14. they'll re-emerge when they're 18. I think they're more straightforward. How would you describe parenting a teenage girl for two men that I've got one daughter Rob Scott too who are approaching it? How would you describe what we're approaching now? I just think great, just confusion and bewilder than anything else and you've just got a role with that and say look I simply don't understand what the problem is here. I mean to be fair there's you know there's physiological things going on you know that we'll never understand so there is that going on in the background but I just think often with girls it's when the physical affection you just sort of goes all the hugging and sitting on your lap and all the rest of it. That seems to sort of stop more or less overnight.

Oh no. Oh God. Oh God. You know I mean the older one stopped being so physically affection with quite young. The younger one kept it going for a bit longer but you know neither of particularly touchy feely. And they were you know kids, and that's really hard. And then, you know, you get to the point that you, you know, you've had a ding-dong about something and there's been some rye about something. I'll tell you, I'll tell you, I'll tell I'll ring them. I said, just give you one minute.

I'll be a voice warning. I'm not going to keep you, I'm not going to bore you. Everything alright, okay, thank you. Uh, goodbye. I don't want them to be looking at mythat. I mean, they might think like that, but at least if they get the idea it's going to be brief. Yeah, there'd be more in one hundred points. Yeah, brief but regular. Every eight minutes. How does this make you feel about the future, Rob? I mean, it horrifies me to think that they won't want to give you, they don't want to give me a cuddle now a little, to, to, to, their, to, to, their, to, to, their, their, their, their, their, to, their, their, their, their, to, their, to, to, brief, brief, brief, brief, brief, brief, brief, brief, their, brief, brief, brief, brief, brief, brief, brief, brief, every. to. Brief, brief, brief, every. to every, brief, brief, every, every, every, every, every, every, to, every, every, to, to, to, to, to, to, every, every, every, to, every, every, to, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, to, every, every, every. Every, to, to, every. to, to, to, every. Brief. Brief. Brief, every. Brief, every, every feels so alien that they're just sort of plop somewhere and just getting on with their life and you're not involved at all. I think this is going to affect me and you quite badly this episode. I've loved it, Adrian, you've been brilliant, but you've really planted some worry bombs.

I remember when the oldest one was a baby, you know, I remember her waking up in the was in bed and woke up at like four in the morning. And then, oh my God, she's awake. What's the problem? Then it was quiet. And then I thought, oh my God, she's died. It's caught death. And then I thought, hang on. And then, there was a real moment when I see. with panic. I think, oh, I'm never they. I'm they. I'm they. I'm they. I'm they. I'm they. I'm they. I'm they. I'm going. I'm going. I'm going. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, the.. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, this? You know, the middle of the night is never a good time to worry because worry feeds

off itself. But then, what am I going to do when she's 19 and she's in Australia or something? I remember saying to there was a wise old hour called Peter Allen used to present the breakfast show on five lives who had three kids. I remember I said this to him the following day and he said to be honest. honest you're on to something there. Once you've had kids, you never probably have a proper night sleeping. Oh, fuck sake. Oh, God. To a certain extent, I think there's something in that. There's certainly that thing, you're only as happy as your least happy child. And my God have been, you know, mine have been genuinely happy. Yeah, but that puts a lot of pressure on the kid, I'll find that saying, it? Yeah. Oh God, it'll be all right that, wouldn't it?

Oh, fuck. Anyone want to go for a pine? Oh, Agent, it's been an absolute joy to chat to you. Have your daughters read the book? Um, I don't think so. They've read bits of it, which some friend or other told them was funny. I they they they they they they they they might they might. I. I they might they might they might they might they might they might they might th. I. I thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. tho. tho. tho. thoomorrow. tho. that. thoomorrow. thoome. that. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh, I. Oh, I. Oh, I. Oh, I've. Oh, t too. Oh, too. Oh, too. Oh, too. Oh, too. Oh, too. Oh, too. Oh, too. Oh, too. Oh, too. Oh, too. Oh, t so. Debrain bits of it, which some friend or other told him was funny. I don't know, they might have read it on the quiet. I know, we'll see.

I mean, it'd be all part of the embarrassment of being my daughter, I think, but perhaps I'll pick up something from it. It's been a joy to talk to you, Adrian. I loved it, the future. Cheers, Adrian. It's been an absolute pleasure. I saw him. Cheers, Adrian, thank you.

Thank you. Adrian Child. Adrian Charles has got so much more depth to him than you think when you just see him presenting something on TV. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, very charismatic. There's a lot going on there, isn't there? Well yeah, he's lived in life. Yeah, how are you feeling, Rob? I'm alright. It is 2 a.m. and there was a point there when Agent Charles was talking about how many units of alcohol he had, I was looking at the minibar going, you might have to start drinking

if this is going to go on for much longer longer longer for longer for longer longer for longer for longer for longer longer longer longer longer for much longer longer longer longer longer longer longer longer longer longer longer longer for much longer longer longer longer for much longer longer longer for much longer longer longer longer for much longer longer longer longer longer longer for much longer for much longer th longer I was loving it but then when he started saying about like you kids spin away and I was like I was like I got a vision to be down in a bottle of red wine then buying his book to read tomorrow. That was brilliant though. Thank you to Adrian. I've really enjoyed that. Thank you to everyone for listening. We will see you Tuesday. Tuesday. Bye? See you Tuesday? Tuesday! Bye! Enjoy. See you later. Bye bye.