Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe - S11 Ep37 Jason Donovan

Episode Date: January 11, 2026

Joining us this episode to discuss the highs and lows of parenting (and life) is the brilliant actor and singer - Jason Donovan. You can find info and tickets for Jason's new 'Doin' Fine Encore' tour at JASONDONOVAN.COM This eagerly awaited tour promises to take fans on a vibrant journey through 35 years of hits from both stage and screen, delivered with Jason’s signature energy and unmistakable live performance style. A musical feast packed with unforgettable tunes, Doin’ Fine Encore will feature beloved songs from his celebrated career — including stage favourites from Joseph, Priscilla, and The Rocky Horror Show, as well as classic pop hits such as “Especially For You,” “Too Many Broken Hearts,” “Any Dream Will Do” and “Sealed With A Kiss”. Parenting Hell is a Spotify Podcast, available everywhere every Tuesday and Friday. Please subscribe and leave a rating and review you filthy street dogs... xx If you want to get in touch with the show with any correspondence, kids intro audio clips, small business shout outs, and more.... here's how: EMAIL: [e-mail] Follow us on 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 Whitickham. Welcome to Parent in Hell, the show in which Josh and I discuss what it's really like to be a parent, which I would say can be a little tricky. So, to make ourselves and hopefully you, feel better 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 where none of us know what we're doing. Hello, you're listening to Parent in Hell with Georgie, can you say And can you say That's what, boom? Good God, Georgie. There we go, Georgie.

Georgie. This is Georgie, our two and a half year old who's heard another child say it once on your podcast is now obsessed with saying your names, hence why we don't even need to get her to repeat it. Been listening since the start and is the absolutely weekly dose of it's not just us that we need.

keep it sexy and relatable that was there her Cheryl 439 months and Georgie 30 months and that was sent this morning which is a Monday at 749 they know what they're fucking doing that's a great send huge as a clutch clutch play what do you think about this Josh I'm thinking about getting a Android or Google type phone so I keep my Apple one

for my personal life and then I have a work phone that's going to be Google because all my calendar is on Google and that is just the one I use for work. Do you think it's a good idea or I will just end up having two phones with me all the time? Can I ask a question? Yeah. Do I have to, before each text I send you, decide whether it's work or pleasure? See, that's the problem, isn't it? We've got a WhatsApp group that's me, you and Michael, that I'd say is 70, 30 work to pleasure?

I'd say 90, 10. It's basically once a week we say, what have we got, my? Are we still on it for 10 a year or Monday? And then the rest lost again. Yeah. Yeah, that's the problem, isn't it? Would you want me to move that to a different group, the man you lost again stuff?

Or would you like me to? No, I think I'd keep you on there. But then I think what I'd say is I'd give that phone, new phone number to, like, my agent and then he work-related stuff. And then that rings and that goes off when I do stuff on it. Like the bat phone. Like the bat phone. But wait, wait, wait, Rob.

Yeah, I don't think it's going to work. Well, I think you're doing it the wrong way because you're keeping the personal one on you, which is the real time waster. Really? Do you think I should get a work phone and just use the work phone? Well, yeah, because the time you're wasting. That number needs to, do you know what I need to, now this is what I need to do. This number I've got now needs to go on the new Google phone and I need to get a new number for my Apple one. And then that new number I give to friends for pleasure.

And so what, yeah, and then what are you doing for these? So tell me what you're doing with both phones Because I don't understand What what are you I don't know what you're worrying about either I leave the house on a Tuesday morning To go to work Right

Well no I will do soon When we're filming them Right okay fine I'll need to take both phones Yeah Yeah And then I have two phones There's a problem of your own making

Because you only have one phone before So this is already a negative Yeah And I do the work Do the job Interview people come home Then I turn off the work phone and put it in a draw.

So your issue is work contacting you at night? No, I don't know what my issue is actually. I know your agent and I don't think he's the kind of person that would... No, I barely speak to him, really. We just both crack. So, no, but then the problem is Lou will go, do you want to go to see some and so on the 17th of whatever and I'll have to go one second,

I'll have to go upstairs, turn my work phone on, open the calendar. Because also that's the problem. my calendar is my whole life. Yeah, because I've got both on there actually. Yeah. So my agent, she can see when I'm going to the dentist.

Yes, yeah. Because. Yeah, and that's what I've started doing now. Yeah. Because, like, otherwise, it's impossible. Yeah, and it's easier to sketch. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because that's called having a life, right?

Yeah, what a bloody life. Yeah, too right. What's just been out to? Just living when dentists is a whole week. You're bloody right. Too bit too real, if anything. You put everything in that calendar so your agent can see it, though. Like, what if you're doing something you think that's quite embarrassing?

I don't do anything. I think it's embarrassing. I'm an open book. Golf lesson. I would put that in, but I haven't put that in. So, do you want me to tell you some things that my agent and not just my agent, but her assistant? Yeah. I reckon there's probably, can see it.

And she had touched her. Rose can see it. I reckon there's probably 10 people that can see this. Yeah. My daughter's riding lessons Is that? My daughter's art classes My Christmas delivery from Waitrose

at 1pm in December the 31st I think that's too much to put in for the There's got to be a line where that In your personal phone That's where you put it that one But why do I need? If they're in separate phones I'm going to get confused

Josh I'm on your side here I'm not embarrassed by the fact I'm having a Christmas food delivery Well no that you're embarrassed But that is a lot in the way So isn't it It's a bit too busy for them to look at

Or does it not affect them? It's easier because then they know what I'm doing with my life. Because otherwise they have to go, are you available on that day? And they can go, oh, look, you've got a diary. And I go, no, I'm hand gliding. Or whatever. Is it anything you've gone to put in there but thought, I don't want them to say that. So I'll rename it something generic.

I've put even Graham Coxon guitar auction closes. That's what I'm talking about embarrassing stuff. Yeah. Is there anything I've put in there? You thought that actually I don't want That's too nerdy or too awkward or weird So yeah but you could codify it couldn't you? Yeah so you'd put like

Give me any give me any embarrassing thing And then I'll put what you'd Okay you need to go for you need to go for a prostate exam Doctor, 215 Then 21546 Yeah, 2515 Make sure not to have a shit beforehand

So you if you're embarrassed Just code it. Just tweak it. Yeah. Just tweak it. Fair enough. Okay. I don't think I will get one. It's just like, I think I'm too ingrained.

It's not trying to leave a gang and I've already got the tattoos. The truth is, Rob, the time loser of phones is not my work. It's, it's my endless scroll. But then if on my personal one, then I don't have Instagram on there or TikTok. It's just on the other one to when I'm managing stuff that's got to be uploaded. So what's the personal one for? Contacting Lou and the kid and stuff like that. But then I need email on there because the score emails and stuff.

You've got to get this brick thing that I've got that I don't use. All right. What a glowing review. Yeah. I think just accepts our fate and grind it out till we dead. Just look at a screen and then die. Yep. Here's Jason Donovan.

I've got a little kitten here that might jump into. Oh my, don't worry. Come on. He's very cute. Very cute. Come here. I'll show it to you. Come here.

And what? No, he's too busy. You seem to have a really close connection with that kitten. Yes. Lovely fucking cat. Jason Donovan, welcome to the show. Thanks for doing this. Thanks, guys.

Lovely to be here. Nice to see your smiley faces. It's a weird stop, but you're still very good looking, Jason. Oh, I think you're handsome too. Well, that's not patronise. But we look fucked. I look all pasty and pal. You look unbelievable.

You've got a nice tan on a go. You've been on holiday? Well, no, I haven't, but I do have those little cheeky drops from space NK, you know, you mix them with a moisturiser, and it avoids giving you, because I've done a TV this morning, it avoids giving you that sort of cakey television makeup. Oh, so a bit of summer glow in the moisturiser. Correct. And a vitamin D tablet, but I work hard at staying younger.

Yeah. You're doing it while. You're working. But UK-based or Australia-based. Jason. I am UK-based. Yeah. And have been for God, how many years now? Well, put it this way, I've lived longer

in the UK than I've lived as an Australian, in Australia. So that's an interesting fact for you. So your kids are all born here and been brought up very British? My kids are, and they have, and they love London. They were born and bred in West London.

My wife's English. Yeah, I mean, you know, I love this country. I mean, I love this time of the year, the lead up to Christmas. It's a pretty special time of the year. I mean, January the first I could get the F out of here. You know what I mean? It's the sort of the perfect scenario, but I won't be doing that this year because I'm working. But the seasons, you know, and once you've been living in Australia and you've seen a beach for 30 years of your life, you've seen a beach.

you know that's in Australia were you where did you was it Melbourne? Yeah I was Melbourne Have you been to Melbourne Rob? I have been to Melbourne

yeah but Melbourne's like the most sort of European city out of the lot of them isn't it really it doesn't feel that Australian

compared to like you know Brisbane and yeah and Gold Coast and Sydney and stuff but you know I think that

you do miss the seasons if you're out there all the time but yeah like well you're doing January 1st and you're not going on holiday

you've got work on January 1st I'll be in Edinburgh well not in Edinburgh I'll be preparing to go to Edinburgh for Rocky Horror I will be playing the palace.

Is it the palace? I can't remember. Anyway, it's the big one. Yeah, it's the big one. It's the big one. So, yeah, Rocky Horror, I've got a couple of gigs. But yeah, I'm looking forward to a bit of time with the family over the Christmas period. I'm sure you guys are too.

How old are the kids, Jason? Mine are 25, 24 and 14. Big gap. Big gap, significantly probably older than yours. Now, Rob, you've got children. Josh, can you inform me of your sort of social parental status? Eight and four. Eight and four.

Eight and four. Oh, shit. Oh, gosh. Oh, gosh. Well, Jason, we were talking about this about how now, because we, well, Josh is still got a four-year-old, but like there's quite a big gap now. Like, my youngest is eight. So if we had another kid and you had that 10-year gap, just the thought of going back to a soft play where I've not been for six, seven years with a little one,

How was it having your youngest and doing all that stuff when you had older kids? Was it fun to go back again or were you like, why am I here? Let me stop you there. I mean, you know, and it's a first world problem. It's the school fees, the VAT, the terms and conditions. The actual, you know, of having another child with that sort of gap has just been pure joy and Molly's just fantastic. Does it?

Do you think Rob should go again? Fuck off. Well, Rob, can you, I mean, your listeners probably know exactly your demographic of your child-bearing years. But inform me again of the age difference? The youngest is eight and the oldest is 10. So there's a two-year gap between them. And then if we were to go again, there would be a nine-year gap. If I literally left this conversation, impregnated blue and popped back to finish.

Oh, Jesus. Which is just enough time you to make a couple of tea. Exactly. Or to finish my bagel that's in play. Yeah, yeah. My children were all born in March and ironically my birthday is in June. So do the maths on that one. Ours are both December.

So we shagged it in March. Yes. Well, like the opposite. When's your birthday? January, but lose later giving presents. Yes. Yeah, so my two 25, 24 are like literally, they call them Irish twins. And my 14 year.

So it's different ages, different groups, you know, different love. different life, you know. And did it feel different the third time? Yeah. I mean, do you know what? I'm going to be honest, guys, I've been so busy out there working and doing stuff. And, you know, our kids are just sort of, does it feel different? It just feels part of our lives.

I can't really sort of put the finger on it. I mean, you know, Molly is like an only child. Maybe that sort of contextualizes it. really in a way, and that comes with some, you know, independence. Yeah, whereas the other two feel very close in age. Yeah, they are. And, you know, they are quite different human beings, the other two. But they're always sort of parental and protective.

So that's a nice thing. I think you should do it, Rob. I think it'd be good, Rob. Yeah. Look, I'm not planning to, but for me, when my children were very young, I was working. I work a lot now, but I'm in a position where I can say no to a bit more, and I can pick my hours.

He doesn't. but he could. Yeah, yeah, exactly. But when they were young, young, I literally had to say yes to every single job that come in. So I wasn't as present as much as I would have liked to have been. So the positive spin would have been, if we had one now,

I could go, look, I'm going to take a bit more of a career bake. It sounds like you're going to. It's just not what I want to do, but the way I think I'd approach it is that then I'd be there for more of it and do more of it and be more than I were with the others. And there's an opportunity to sort of go again and be there more. But I don't know if that's what position you were in when you had them

or if you were still properly grinding out the work, you know? Well, I'm glad your tax problem is not an issue these days, Rob. You can now procreate in a way that sort of doesn't hinder on your pocket. When it comes to the tax problem that Barry Hernow always says, if you're paying a lot of tax, it means you're earning a lot of money, so you shouldn't complain. Correct. I've always sort of been part of the kids.

I mean, I can't be half a parent. Do you know what I mean? It's just not in my DNA. and it's sort of everything in a way having kids. You know, listen, I don't know about you guys, but I'm so lucky in my life to do what I love. You know what I mean? And I started young at that,

and I've only built on that. Sometimes it's gone up, the currency's gone up and down, but genuinely I look at myself in the mirror and go, lucky you, mate, you're not pushing a career that you're not happy in. So that breeds a whole other, you know, element into family as well and what you can do and what you can't do. Because when Josh looks in the mirror, he screams, I deserve more for my talent. The world is not fair on me. I am the best.

Jason, I've got a question about your, I didn't realize until I looked into this. Your daughter and your dad means that you are basically an acting dynasty. Wow. Your daughter has been in neighbours. Yeah, she has. That's fucking huge. Well, thank you for recognising, or more for doing your research is probably what I should be thinking. Stop blown smoke up his ass.

He did ask if you live here and you've been here for 25 years. Yeah, he's not doing that much research. He's definitely not got premium chat GPT. I'm telling you that. I just thought he looked like he was up at the wrong time, Rob. I just thought he looks tired. Yeah. Listen, my dad has been, you know, he's been an actor for many years.

Your dad was Doug Willis? Yeah. I didn't know that. Still, isn't he? He's not changed his name. Well, he's 90. He looks a little bit different. But he's still Doug Willis.

But he's still Doug Willis. I can't. We've only just found this out, Jason. Listen, my dad's been part of Australian television for many, many years. Your mom was in Benny Hill. My mum was in Benny Hill. This feels like he's a stalker outside of a hotel as you go. to the theatre shouting stuff at you.

I think he's suddenly upgraded his chat, GBT. He's doing his research as we move along. The information's coming forward. My sister also was in Neighbors as well. Stephanie McIntosh. Yes. Don't take this the wrong way. Is there a lack of actors in Australia?

That's what I was sort of leading to. There's a high rotation of actors. And if you look at any television series, you know, whether it's the site. whether it's prisoner, whether it's sons and daughters, whether it's home and away. You tend to see a lot of the same actors and directors and technicians, probably a little bit like this country and the soaps. In the bill. Everyone did the bill at some point in the UK.

That was the one. It was the bill. God, when did that go? Oh, that was great. Oh, that was great. I loved it. Do you know when we used to watch the bill, the feet walking away from the camera, do you remember that?

Right. I didn't watch the bill a lot, but it was definitely part of the fabric. So it was two pairs of feet, and I was allowed to stay up until the feet had disappeared from the screen. That extra 20 seconds I negotiated. Anyway. Well, why did it go? It was it just like... It just wasn't popular anymore.

It just wasn't popular. Same as Neighbors, I suppose. Well, you know, the funny thing is about your TV series, as, you know, they all sort of said, you know, I tried to understand why Neighbors was such a success. in this country. And then when I came over in about 1988 with that question in my mind and switched on BBC 1 and watched ITB, I realized why Neighb was such a success because of the darkness that sort of hung over EastEnders and Coronation Street.

Yeah. It was only, you know, recently that I managed to bring a bit of light into Emmerdale. So, right, there you got. With that little Space NK glow up. You got it right. Can I get it? What's it called? I'm going to get that today.

I'm in the shopping night. I don't know what it's called, but I can go upstairs and find the name of it before we finish up. But it's just lovely. I give you a little bit of advice. You only put a couple of drops. Do not put the whole thing. Otherwise,

you will be looking like... I'm going to look like Bob Monkhouse has come back from Barbados. That's what I want to look like. Rob's going to get cancelled. Bob Monkhouse. Do you remember Bob Monkhouse lost his comedy book? Did he? Yeah, his joke book.

Do you remember that he lost his joke book? I stole him. Yeah. I'm radically after jokes and it were stolen for other comics. Exactly. Jason, what's it like then when your daughter says, I want to be an actor? Yeah.

Did you go, oh, no, here we go. Yes. She's seen how great my life has turned out with my acting. And she wants to be like me. Well, look, I think that's very funny, by the way. He's bared himself a lot as the interviewer there. I think that exposes more about him. you, didn't it, that question? I can't wait to see you on tour in next year. That's for sure.

This is fantastic. Oh, here we go. This is good, Jason. We're doing very similar event. We'll come to this because I want to talk to you about some of these venues you've got coming up, because me and Rob have done a lot of them on our tours. Okay. Well, listen, I always encourage my kids to do what they're passionate about. You may or may not know my parents split when I was quite young, five. My dad got custody, which is quite unique in Australia. early 70s a father to have custody of their son. As I said to you, my dad was a working actor and spent a lot of time on TV series. So I spent a lot of time on sets and a lot of time around

actors. And a lot of actors spent a lot of time out of work, which is why you two are quite lucky because the comedy circuit at least enables you to make jokes and you can do your own thing. And that's what sort of led my doorway into music because I didn't want to be relied on. that skill of having to work with other people all the time. And so listen, I encourage Gemma to do what she's passionate about. You know, I said to have a plan B. I've said, as my dad said, you know, always be versatile. Again, keep your eye on the craft, but encourage her to sing.

She's in Gary Barlow's band. She worked with Gary this year. She was in his band, yeah. This research is outrageous, Josh. I don't know where you're channeling this. It's like a Matrix. chips from putting his head. He downloaded the Jason Donovan fact sheet.

Here it is. And she goes to that coffee shop there. With your only interview podcast where people take the piss because you've done your research, that comes to something, doesn't it? When it's seen as a side of weakness to know about the person you're interviewing.

You never get Graham Norton ask a question, they go, that's a bit weird. You know a bit too much about me? Research is the pussy's way out, mate. This is making it a real conversation. We'll find it as we go. You're working in real time, guys. That's the difference. You're working in real time.

This is real talk. And you got famous kind of at 20. Was that an insane thing to happen at the age of 20? Because you are, that is a young age to suddenly be. A proper famous. It's not like now where you get a bit known on TikTok. Like this was worldwide on millions of people watch you in Australia and the UK. And by worldwide, we mean two countries, but they couldn't be further away from each other.

Yeah. I'll cut to the chase in. some ways is, firstly, I never got into this business to be famous. It was a byproduct of what I did. You know, I wanted to be an actor. I did a lot of shows in my teens. You know, I still always went to school, but, you know, I always dabbled a little bit. In fact, you know, a little bit of history and a little bit of stuff that obviously your chat, GBT or whatever it is, GMB or whoever it is, or the BBC. Yeah, it's Wikipedia. It's Wikipedia. Kylie and I play brother and sister in in a thing called Skyways in 1980.

Wow. So, you know, and you can see that on YouTube. It's quite a funny watch, actually. And so how old are you then? Like 12? 12. Wow. Anyway, I sort of, you know, once I got into neighbours,

I think the thing about being an actor is, and working in a TV series and working in Australia and quite a sheltered sort of studio TV drama environment, is as an actor, you're dealing with real life. You're dealing with older, younger people, directors, cost. Do you know what I mean? It's not like, I suddenly found when I was got on the stock, I can wardeman and sort of music bandwagon, the whole distortion of fame became completely different.

Do you know what I mean? It became sort of crazy in a way. But I guess even as an actor, we were sort of pop star material. And, you know, how do you, how do you process? that how long have you got? Rick Astley was similar. He talked about like being flown to him from promo events and it was just... But that's symptomatic of being a pop star.

You know, you very much, it's all about you. It's all about flying around different territories, trying to break those territories. I think the foundations of keeping your feet on the ground for me were firmly set in the craft of acting and the people that I worked with and keeping as an actor you sort of have to be real. Otherwise, it sort of doesn't work, you know.

I mean, it can, you know, look at Hollywood and stuff, but it starts with the music industry. It starts to take you in a different direction. Well, if you always knew you as a proper actor and that was what you loved, it was almost like the music was sort of like a little extra fun bonus that was like, do that as well, and then you could always go back to your acting. Was that the sort of thought process? It was, I was watching,

what was happening with Kylie. You know, this was 1988. She had a number of records come out. Locomotion was a big hit in Australia. You know, it's no surprise or no mystery anymore that her and I were a couple. So, you know, there was a lot of sharing of stuff. Yeah, so was you launching sort of pop careers at the same time whilst in a relationship as solo artists?

Well, she was sort of ahead of the game. And I was very competitive, you know, and very ambitious. I love music. I think music is magic and I love a pop song and, you know, God, I can remember listening to Rick Astley's never going to give you up and going, what the hell is that? That is just fucking beautiful. You know, it's just such a great record and I want a little bit of that. And I was, I guess, smart enough through my dad's advice is to, you know, mate, just learn your craft, to learn to sing, to dance, to act. And if one currency is going up, you can lean on the other.

And I guess that's sort of the way it panned out for me. Yeah. What about when the kids were younger and going to concerts and you had to take them? What was your favourite gigs or do you have to sit through stuff that you thought was a part of shit? But they loved it. There must be hard when you know the inner workings of being a pop star. Well, I mean, high school musical was the big one for my kids. Yeah, that was the big one.

That's a tough saw like that in it as the dad. I mean, for them looking at me, God, I did chitty, chitty bang bang at the Palladium in 2004 or five. You know, they would have been four or five at the time. I mean, that was an incredible show to watch with the car, Palladium. You know, so I guess that was one of those magical moments where they sort of started to get it a little bit. you know, I mean, of course they're aware of their dad being a performer. And that's all they've ever known. They've just grown up with it.

Let me ask you about this tour, Jason. It's Doing Fine Encore, because you did the Doing Fine Tour, which is obviously the name of one of your big hits. And it went so well last year that you've basically added dates, the Doing Fine Oncourt. I'm going to run you through these, Rob. Tell me if you've played these places. Oh, this is a good little plug.

And do you want my opinion on them? Yes, please. Okay. Cross-collararization here. Tombridge, Wales Assembly Hall. Have played that. Can be quite tough. They're very middle class

and everyone goes there. Just being honest. Wolverhampton, Wolfram Hall. I don't think I've done Wolfram Hall, but lovely, good crowd, Wolverhampton. What for Coliseum? That is a beautiful venue. Great venue.

That's a shut it a bit to repair the ceiling, but it's all done now. Yeah, good. High Wickham Swan Theatre. Great, you'll love it. Yeah. Tough to sell tickets at, though. It doesn't shift very well there.

That's because they have too many options, because it's close to London. Everyone plays there. And all the big greener acts go there for warm-up shows. So they're a big sport for choice. That's why it's hard to sell a ticket. Don't get in your head, Donovan. It's that M-40 corridor.

Yeah, exactly. All those Buckinghamshire people that sort of just don't know which way to go. Do they go left or do they go right? It's like one of those political sort of, you know, moments really. Which way am I going to go today? Jason, you're really struggling after this budget. It's really high in your mind. Ferram, Ferram Live.

I've done Ferram. have you done Ferram? It's a new venue. I did it on this tour. I don't know why, but Ferram, which I didn't even know existed, has suddenly spent £30 million on a venue or something mad like that. It's absolutely beautiful. Well, I know exactly why that's happened. Yeah. Because I know the people that own it. I've been working for them for the last, you know, four or five years. Thank God I didn't slag it off, Jason. Lovely people, Trafalgar, the Trafalgar group. Ferram has been put there because Southampton is not their venue

and Portsmouth, I think, so you've got one that's sort of in the middle. Do you know what I mean? It's sort of... Well, I had a lovely time in Fairham and then I did Portsmouth as well, and they both sold so they're not eating into each other, Jason. Nice, nice.

Leescliffe Hall. That's good, good gig. Rob, Yoville, Westlands. Right, you might want to brace for this one. It's a refurbished working men's club at the end of a private airport in a coldy sack of residential houses. Nice people. The room might spin you out a bit.

Rob, describe how big the wings are. The wings. There is no wings. You have to kind of shimmy onto stage, Jason. Are you doing a lot of dancing on this tour? No, no dancing, but I do skateboard across the stage. I need some wing space in case I fall off, which has happened. Do you actually skateboard across?

I do, yeah. What's happening in the show? The basic line of this show is it's a sort of a celebration of 35 years of live work for me. To put it into context is, you know, coming out of neighbours, going into, you know, a recording career, suddenly I didn't just go into the recording career at the bottom. I had, you know, the highest selling elbow of 1989 and touring across Europe and, you know, doing lots of TVs. But I sort of came in the music business, you know, the back end.

I felt I hadn't really done like Jews as it was. As an actor, I'd worked since I was in my teens and then in my early 20s. with neighbours. So I felt I had that groundwork. As a singer, I hadn't really gone in there and and, you know, got dirty with it. So the idea was we did a tour and it was a world tour just to sort of start to get that traction with live work. And that really has been a love affair for many, many years. So I called it Doing Fine 2025. You're doing especially for you, too many broken hearts. Correct. Any dream will do from Joseph. Yeah. All those. songs. Plus, I have...

A skateboard. Skateboard. You know, I like to put a lot into my shows. I like to... Because I work in theatre, I sort of treat it... Is it just you, Jason, or is there... Yeah, it's just me. Oh, wow. So you've really got to hold it, like... Proper one-man show. Yeah. That is good news, because I don't think anyone else could fit in the wings at the over Westlands, Jason. So... Right. Well, I hopefully won't be spending a lot of time in the wings.

In any venue. In any venue. I like chicken wings, but I won't be spending a lot of time. I'll bring your own food to go. You're also in New Brighton, Floral Pavilion, and then you've got some beautiful rooms. Grand Theatre, Blackpool's incredible. Hull, Warrington, Stone Rose's filmed a show there. That's amazing.

There's Peter Bruneu Theatre, that's solid. Skegness, Embertsies. Skegis. What stays, it goes to Skeggy, Stays and Skeggy. Exactly. And then Nottingham Theatre Royal. Swansea Grand Theatre's beautiful. Lester De Montford Hall.

I'm doing that tonight. That's incredible. and then London Indigo at the O2. This is a great, great venues, Jason. Well, give me a plug tonight at Leicester. Well, I'll tell him you're coming. Tell them I'm coming, mate. It's a mad thing, though, for me to slip in the show

and they don't know that I've just interviewed you yet. If you like this, you'll like Jason Donovan. Yeah, exactly. If you like this, you like Jason Donovan. If you didn't like this, you'd like Jason Donovan. Get your ticket. You do a meet and greet, though. I've never done one of those before.

So what do you get for the meet and greet? Like, is that before the show, after the show? like a photo and a chat? Yeah, photo chat. I mean, I have done that for a while. It helps with the budget. I mean, I have to say and making sure everyone's looked after and particularly my pension fund.

Yeah, I sort of do 20, 20 people a night and just gives people an opportunity to get better seats normally, although this time around I don't think it's including seats. It's a separate package. Yeah, it's a separate package. So that's sort of part of what we do these days, you know. It's a big thing that people. people love it. So, oh, that's cool. Good luck on it. It's going to be made. And your kids come and watch? No, I couldn't think of anything worse. They couldn't think of anything worse.

I'd find that also, from my point of view, I couldn't think of anything worse in the sense of it's stressful people you know coming, let alone your own kids. That's why London's always tough. I find playing to a home crowd. And I still, guys, you know, I'm 57. I've been doing this a long time, you know. And I've always sort of said the adrenaline, the anxiety is sort of like a drug. It's what we live for, you know, working life. It keeps us alive. It keeps me interested. It keeps me excited. But I still get anxious, you know, because as a human, we're not guitars. You can't just tune it up and it plays the same chord. You know, you might have not slept well because the kids haven't slept or, you know, you've taken someone to school or you've been doing

promo or you're not feeling great. It's, you know, as a performer, particularly a solo artist. Yeah, when it's just you, because there's no one, you haven't got a band, have you, when you're there to rely on? No, I mean, I do have a band, but I still, you know, no disrespect to the band. I think they're not really there for that. They're there for... You can't go do a quick drum solo, mate? Yeah. So I feel that pressure sometimes. It's, and have done since I was younger. The good news is if the tour goes well, you end up making a little bit more cash than having to split it between the band members. Yeah, that is the payoff of the one-man show.

The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. Exactly. And it is a bit like a drug, but then when you get to the middle of the tour, it's not like sort of like a party drug. It's basically just stood motionless on spice in the middle of your hotel room, waiting to go on again, you know? But yeah, that comes towards the end of the show. That'll probably be just before the Skegg-Nest one.

the moment, you're flying. Yeah, I mean, I find, you know, particularly, you know, doing your own show, the traveling. I mean, we spend most of our days just waiting to go on stage. Yeah. What do you do with your days on tour? I do keep fit, you know, I do a lot of walking. I'll swim. I do steaming.

Try and eat well in the middle of the day. Deal with work stuff. Drop to space NK. Drop to space NK. So what you need to know, because when you get to like Stoke or Yoville and they're like, You're just doing like a deliver room, take away, you make your own lunch? No, no, no. I normally now take all my own stuff, you know, particularly if I'm doing dailies or nightlies

as probably we call it. It's a bit different when you're doing a show like a Rocky Horror and you're in a town for eight weeks. I, you know, do a sort of a package for the week, you know, which I... So you prep for the week? Yeah, I do. For your prep. Tell me what Donovan's eating.

I'm lucky to live in West London. There's some great food shops. and how they package stuff like soups like rice. This is how you keep looking so good at that age, Jason. Sushi is a wonderful thing as well. You know, if you can get good sushi. Yeah, again, you can Stoke or Yovil. I understand.

I understand. Lots of hummus. Lots of hummus. Yeah, that's a good one from this show. Because it's what you can get from a Marks & Spencer's garage or a Tesco sums off. I was in hole once and I said, because Wagamamas is a good option. Waggers is good. You get like a grilled chicken ramen.

But I said, have you got a Wagamomas? And she went, Wagaroo? And I was like, do you know what, I might just get a sandwich. Wagaroo. Waggiz is good because you can get your juices. You know, chicken ramen? Yeah, you can. But as I've got older, I've got a little bit of sort of, you know, IBS,

a little bit of the old irritable bowel. Don't need a belly fill of broth. And sometimes if we are touring, well not all the time, but most of the times if we're touring as a band, we normally have catering as well, which you guys don't do, do you? No, no, no, no. Come on. Yeah, you cheap bugger.

Think about the overhead. I know, I know, I know. Well, we're looking at that one for the next tourers, hoping that this podcast will bump up the seat so that we can pay for the catering. You'll be able to cater. You'll be able to cater for the next tour. After this goes out, mate, this is going to change the whole spreadsheet.

This is a huge game change. I'll be honest, you're bringing it. We've had some guests come on to promote, and I've thought, that's not shifting tickets. You're going to have to rename the tour doing fucking great tour. Yeah, you're not doing fine. I'm doing fucking great on Corteur.

Can I ask, Jason, humor me on this. Can I ask a couple of questions about neighbours? Sure. I was, A, a big fan back in the day. But B, you then came back. How old are you? I'm 42. That would make sense.

Yep. Yeah. You look at. I need to drop the space NK. What was it like coming back for those, that final episode, which turned out not to be the final episode, but the final episode with Kylie. Yeah.

When you reprise Scott and Charlene. Well, look, it was great, Jason, for the viewers. It was great for the viewers, and that's why we did it. You know, we recognised... Did you clearly have a phone call where you were like, should we do this? Jason, who is not me, is the executive producer of the show. And he'd reached out to me six months or eight months. I think Gemma, my daughter was still in the show at that point and said,

look, the show's coming to an end. It would be great, you know, if we could get a... big finale and I sort of parked that in my mind and then he started to put a little bit of pressure on the end he sort of said listen I have this great idea of you know you guys Scott and Charlene sort of coming back into the street as everyone is leaving sort of going we're home and I quite like that idea because it was a gentle nod rather than sort of it just felt quite stylish and quite cool. Yeah, Guy Pearce was heavily like, had a storyline and everything in it, didn't he? Guy went in pretty hard. He went in pretty hard. But I'll be honest with you, Josh. It was probably

his commitment in a text and a WhatsApp to Kylie and myself and said, look, I'm definitely going to go ahead with this. And that probably gave. Guy Pearce. Yeah, that probably gave everyone a bit more of a green light. You know, but going back to the lobbying, as I would have said, the social diplomacy to my cast members of that era was like, guys, this changed our lives, you know, and there's a lot of people out there that like to push the past, that it's not cool or not. And I said, this is a different generation. We need to recognize. We need to honor what this show did to us and not just to us, but to Australia as a whole.

Because up until neighbors came along in the 80s, you know, we were just known. for putting a shrimp on a Barbie and calling ourselves Crocodile Dundee. It's a stereo, this stereotype Aussie. Neighbors sort of brought middle class Australia to the world and probably changed the ballots of payments along the way. You know what I mean? With tourism and interest in that country. And my father fought really heavily,

I know this is a little bit boring for your listeners, but my father thought... Josh is about to ejaculate with all this inside by the like. There's a reason I've got the camera's turn. off before I asked this question. But I'm going to say, because I can, my dad fought pretty hard for Australian content in the 70s. And so rather than the Aussies importing American stuff or English stuff, it became law in the 70s through Parliament and legislation that you have to have 50% the networks had to

have 50% Australian and 50% imported, which is the backbone of our culture and why Aussies make great films. They make, you know, unique, quirky product. And Neighbors was part of that legacy. Yeah. So I fought hard to try and say, listen, come on, let's fucking do this. This is cool. This is a good moment. What I didn't envisage was the success and the subsequent recommissioning. Because when you guys gets in the way, it all starts to change. Hence our friend Jeff Bezos and his Amazon commissioning editors coming along, having to fill a little bit of a content gap, thought it was a good idea to bring the show back after it had sort of been deceased. And look, the bottom line is that's show biz. Are you going back?

No, I'm not going. Go to just wait for the green light from PSA. Yeah. That must be annoying, though, a little bit. They're like, you know, okay, we'll all go back. We get it. we appreciate what it did for us. And then they whipped it out again.

You're like, fuck, oh, come on. Well, I mean, look, you know, it is what it is. There's not a lot you can do about it. And it brought more work to people there. You know, it's a very small industry, Australia. It must be a nice reunion, though, as well, to see you on reflect on that. Because like you say, you know,

like it had such an impact on, you know, culture in Australia and the UK and launched so many big careers. So it's nice to sort of appreciate it. Listen, you know, Ben Mendelso and Russell, Crow, you know, the Hemsworths, you know, Margot, you know, notwithstanding the directors, the technicians, the people that learnt their craft, half my family, you know, managed to sort of... Three generations of neighbours actors.

Yeah. Your family. Yeah. So, you know, it changed my life and I'm very grateful for that. And you know what? It's a sad that it's leaving the TV screens again. But listen, you know, that's showbiz. It was mental that used to be on twice a day the same episode.

It was bigger over here than over there really, wasn't it? Yes, it was. Was it just wild to come over here in the late 80s and go, what the fuck has happened here? It was wild. And I've sort of probably forgotten just how crazy it was. Yeah, and I was just, you know, quite a young man at the time trying to figure out my life. I knew I had to ride the wave. I was sort of ready for it professionally.

You know, fame is a funny thing. It's sort of quite claustrophobic and quite exciting, but it's a currency, you know, it goes up and down. How do you measure success? What does it all mean? You know, I've seen a really a lot of very successful, unhappy people and lonely people. We're not only interview months. I'm talking to two of them now.

Tell me about it, mate. Oh, good. now. Rob's looking forward to Lester. Don't throw that in his face. It's a good room left. There's certainly ones I don't look forward to sometimes. Jason, what's your Christmas looking like now? Because obviously you've got a teenager and then some adult kids. Have they got partners, boyfriends or girlfriends? Are they splitting time between houses? Or are you all together? What's Christmas looking like? Christmas will be, you know, a sort of a country affair.

We spent a bit of time out of town, which is nice, open fire. You know, my wife is, big on traditional Christmas. Zach and his partner, Gemma, she'll be with us and Molly. You know, I'm just looking forward to switching off. I'm looking forward to that time of being able to have a few drinks and not worried about doing podcasts and making sense on them rather than just waffling. You don't need to worry about that. I had two gyms this morning. I've been right. I find the older I get, the clearer I need to be. But it's quite. nice to have a Christmas blowout and I can see that coming in a few days. So will that be on Christmas Day or will it be like the first day, you know, you finish work

for the year? When's Donovan getting on it? When are you kicking back and getting a blowout? I've been pretty good actually. When I work, I'm not a big drinker and I'm not really a big drinker, but I do like to, you know, I do enjoy my lunches. I enjoy my long lunches. I have to say, particularly on the weekends.

So this weekend's looking like it's going to be going off. going on. I've been working for the last six weeks doing European dates with Rocky O'er and doing some press in the last sort of two weeks too. So I'm quite looking forward to a good of that. I like a long lunch because I don't like getting drunk in the evening. I quite like getting drunk daytime so that I can have my hangover about two hours.

Yes, yeah. I'm with you. And I like my rosé, although Rosee should really begin with Eurovision and end with daylight savings going back. Yes. That's a good fan. The problem is it just keeps going.

You know what I mean? Alcohol is the worst, you know. Yeah. With Christmas, Jason, you must be asked, I know obviously you've been to Rocky Horror and stuff, but you would have been the golden age of people coming over doing panto and stuff. Did you enjoy panto? Would you do it again?

I abstain for many, many years. You have done it, though, haven't you? I have. I've done it twice. I did Birmingham and Southampton. That's hard not being at a whole. home, isn't it? If you're doing it near your house. Do you know, guys, I love the people. I love doing it.

Well, did I love doing it? Two shows a day. It's very financially rewarding. You're telling me people aren't doing Panto's passion project. But I just, I don't like working at Christmas. Also, I'm going to be really honest. And it's not, I think Panto serves an incredible purpose. in this country. It's great to watch.

It's just doing it every day for you, correct. Correct. And it helps bring a new generation into theaters. It's, you know, it's part of your culture. But I just find doing a show

that sort of takes the piss out of yourself is not really the creative thing that I want to do in my life. Do you know what I mean? I don't mind having a nod towards neighbors or especially for you or all those things. But you've got to create a, another story to be able to go back to those things if you need to do those things. Panto's all about

nailing in on that one thing that the collective will know. It is. And again, it serves a purpose and it's, you know, it can be fun, but I just, I've got young kids and particularly with Molly, I just want to enjoy my time. Also, if you're not your culture, if you didn't grow up with it, I'd grow up with it and feel like it's mental. So imagine just not having it at all and coming to the UK. and like, do you want to do this? You're like, what the fuck? Do what? For the whole of Christmas.

The only way I'd be tempted is if I were to do it like at the theatre that's 20 minutes from my house. That's the only way. But even then, you're still out to 10, 11 in the evening on Christmas Eve. It's funny you say that because I did Southampton, which I've done the two sort of biggest ones outside of London. Is that Mayflower the Southampton? Correct, you know, and that's a huge theatre. It's like 3,000 people. Yeah, it's a big one.

Oh, you must have earned a fortune. It was a good tax declaration that one. But I managed to get the family into a pretty cool hotel down that part of the world, you know, that cost me an absolute... We'll cut it out, but Chewton, Glenn. It wasn't shooting, it was Limewood. Oh, very nice. Very nice. And, you know, it cost me a fucking fortune, guys.

When you're doing Panto, not to get too deep into this, I was presumed in Panto that part of the deal would be that you get your accommodation? Well, yes, yeah, but I don't think Limewood. And, you know, with all due respect, I think family and, you know, three rooms or a cottage, a cottage in limewood with bed and breakfast and Angela Hartnett thrown in as a sort of half board. It's not an easy negotiation for my agent that one, notwithstanding the fee. The funny thing to this story is, You know, I spent a fortune and, you know, the kids are like, and it's an amazing hotel and blah, blah, blah. And, of course, just leading up, I started to get a cold and flu. Do you know what I mean?

Yeah, it's a lot of effort. It takes a toll on your body, that kind of schedule. I came into, like, the 23rd. I was so ill, mate. I absolutely didn't enjoy the day off that then turned into two days off. So I was losing cash by the thousands. and having for this expensive hotel. I'm thinking, what the fuck am I doing?

What am I doing? I prefer to work harder during the year and just have time out. That's what I'm doing, doing fine encore to her. And I'm coming to Leicester, Yoville, Warrington, London, O2. No, we no tickets left for Leicester after this, because every one of Rob's audience will already have bought them, Jason. They're just going to feel sorry for me. No.

They'll be there. They'll be there. Jason. Yes. You are genuinely one of the most entertaining guests we've ever had. That was an absolute joy. I loved it. I loved every moment of that.

It's like therapy for me, talking to you too. Is it? Well, in voice. Well, the bill's in the post. It's like, it's like looking back at my past and realizing what I don't want to do with my lives. By looking at our lives. Yes. Unbelievable.

Yes. Yes. Jason. Oh, Christ. We always end with the same question. If your wife was to listen to this, are you married, you are married, aren't you? Yes, I check that. You got married in Bali.

I did. Look what happened to him. Look how many marriages he's been through. If your wife was listening to this, whether she will or won't, we don't know. What one thing does she do as a parent that just makes you go that she is just an incredible parent? You know, that is an amazing thing, an honor to be bringing up children with her. And what one thing as a parent does she do that's annoyed you, but you haven't brought up, but were she to listen?

That would, you know, she could maybe correct that. My wife is, and I'll be absolutely, apart from being a Newcastle United fan, which is a pretty good thing, you know. In fact, she is currently on a train back with my daughter from going to watch Newcastle United. Oh, nice. She are, you know, such a selfless mom and an incredible mother. I don't know where to articulate the one thing. that she does, but she always puts them and us first. She's just incredible.

As opposed to you who will go and do a pantomime and track them all to the hotel they don't have been in. Josh, I'm thinking about the negative. I'm trying, well, it's one thing that annoys me. You know, I'm pretty OCD. I love cleaning. I love my house to be a certain way. Yeah.

And I'm not saying she's not, but she's not quite like I am. But that doesn't mean. I love it when I hear someone flapping around because they're scared. I love it. She's absolutely dominating you and that's the way it should be. I listened to, it was a Graham Norton show and he was interviewing Dustin Hoffman. And they'd been married, him and his wife for many years. He could have even been Parky, I don't know, I can't remember.

And one of them said to him, look, what's the key to a long marriage? And Hoffman turned around and said, I'm scared, shitless of my wife. And that's the truth. Absolutely scared fucking shitless. Perfect. That is the perfect end, Jason. You're on tour February and March next year. Go to jasondonovan.com.

That's it. Oh, good luck. I love it, mate. Brilliant. Thanks so much, Jais. When you got into the neighbours stuff, I was so happy for you. Yeah. And you know what?

He was cool about it. And he indulged you and he really got into it and actually cared and gave you a proper answer. I like the fact that Guy Pearce was sending out text going, look, I'm doing it. You know, I'm fucking Guy Pearce. How does Charles feel about having access to these people he idolized on TV for so many years in neighbours?

And he's just getting the hot goss like the two pals. Can I let you into a secret? You know, women are say stuff like, do you know what? In our job, the best thing is just making the man in the street. You spent too long with Jason Donovan. Yeah, sorry, yeah. I think he might have a tax bill. He likes a pound note, doesn't the old Jason?

Jason Dolevan. Oh, yeah, there we go. Don Dollar is a pun for his name. There's nothing wrong with it. There's nothing wrong with that pun. There's nothing wrong with wanting to earn for your family. Yeah. Yeah, you may have say the real reward is if the man in the street comes up to you and says,

I love your show. Yeah, you're making a difference to people's days by making them smile. It's tough out there. If you can bring a smile to people's faces, that's what we do this for. it's not Rob or just to meet Jason Donovan Yeah and asking questions about neighbours It's because I've met a lot of the comedians

I liked when I was in the 90s That's really what I'm here Do you know when people say to me Like what's been the highlight of your career And you want to say like Oh you know making people laugh Or doing love of the Apollo Doing tours

Do you know what the highlight of my career was What? Meeting Kelly Brook at the NTAs Yeah there you go Yeah exactly For 13 year old me Exactly That was the one

And for 39 year old you Yeah All right Go and see Jay and Donovan. Bye. Hello, parenting hell listeners. Recognise that voice? Yes, it's Josh Widdickham here. I have got a new podcast, Josh Widdickham's Museum of Pop Culture.

And I'm going to say it. I'm about 85% sure you're going to love it. Here are the reasons why. Number one, I'm confident if you're listening now, you don't hate me, and possibly think I'm funny. Number two, I'm confident if you're listening now, you like podcasts. Number three, I'm confident if you're listening to me and Rob, you prefer pop culture. to people talking about things, let's be honest, boring things, like history, economics or politics.

I know I do, and that is why I made this podcast. I wanted a show that tells the stories I love from popular culture in the way other podcasts do for drier topics. See above. Basically, I wanted a podcast that realized Millie Vanilli were more interesting than Elizabeth I first. Join me as I give the definitive,

or at least the funniest, takes on Mr. Blobby. When Ghost Watch convinced BBC viewers, ghosts were real. When a band burned a million pounds, for a laugh. The Spice Girls, a truly catastrophic Spider-Man musical with music from you too, and David Hasselhoff, Baywatch, and his part in the fall of the Berlin Wall. All of them are real, by the way. Either you know what these things are and you're about to learn far more about them

than you ever realised you wanted to, or you don't, and you're about to be introduced to some of the maddest things in modern or ancient history. Stiffnecks will learn, lose next will laugh. New episodes available every Wednesday and Saturday. Perfect to fill those gaps between your weekly doses of parenting hell. So go on. You might as well listen, subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcast now. Museum of Pop Culture with me, Josh Whitacom, available everywhere from the 1st of January.