Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - S6 Ep 9: Greg James and Bella Mackie

Episode Date: June 19, 2019

We’ve got another first this week... our first couple on Table Manners & a total power duo - Greg James & Bella Mackie. With Prosecco at midday, we chat wedding food, stockpiling wine, compare hours of sleep and now we understand what a 'tailender' is. And I ruin pudding. Again. Enjoy x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to Table Manners. Do you want me to speak? Yeah, sure. Am I allowed? Oh, fuck. Okay. Go on then, Christiana. Hi.

Oh, if you say that again, I'll smack you. Look, can we give a big thank you to my friend answini yeah who has come to meals on wheels meals on wheels with because i've had a bad bat has done a veggie delight for our vegetarian bella's a vegetarian oh okay cool so what what's theweeney pie? It's kind of, she does it with a phyllo pastry base rather than a pizza base. I think it's got artichoke hearts, it's got pine nuts, I think mushrooms, tomato. And it's kind of like a quiche or a pie. It's like an open pie. I haven't looked at it yet.

I've looked at it, it came in the Uber. Yeah, it's like an open pie. So I just pop it in the oven. I think I should send her some flowers yeah i'll send her some flowers so we've got that yeah what else have you done i've just done a green salad no bread i don't think you need it you're on detox well no everyone else why would you need bread i don't suppose you do well we're having it with a green salad and i can you can you're good at doing um asparagus and then I haven't griddled the peaches yet because I thought there's no point.

We'll griddle away, darling. I went and got some peaches. I've toasted some almonds and some cream. Thank you, Anne Sweeney. She's the best cook anyway, so they're very lucky to have her. Better than us, really. So today we have Bella Mackey and Greg James, who are a couple. Bella Mackey is a journalist and has written a

book about running and about how it's called jog on and it's about how running saved her life what's about running mental health it's about running and mental health yeah she writes um she's a freelance journalist and Greg is a radio one presenter now has taken over the breakfast show and has written a kid's book. Yeah. Yeah. Kid normal. And also has a podcast with your mate, Felix White. Tailenders.

Yeah. And I don't even know what a tailender is. Well, there we go. We can ask them. I'm interested to see who they think has the best table manners out of each of them. I loved her dress at her wedding. Me too. I was just going to say exactly the same thing. had about three outfit changes yeah she looked gorgeous and she

had this fantastic polka dot dress as well i want to know where it came from it's great we would love to involve the table manners community into this mad podcast by asking if you have any good recipes i don't i mean when i say what your favorite restaurant? I don't want you to say McDonald's. It's not funny. I would love you to give us some of your recipes, some of your favorite London places to eat. It's my favorite thing to do on Twitter is when I go away, I just kind of ask everybody where to eat.

And then you just kind of, it's a bit of a sifting situation, but I love it. So yeah, any tips of where to eat in Edinburgh? We'd love some food spots in edinburgh i love the timber yard and i know there's so we're going to stay yeah anywhere uh can anybody put us up um we'd love to know uh where we could eat in edinburgh that would be fantastic i definitely am going to try and go to long clume on the way up um and then yeah life hacks recipes please get in touch and we will be reading stuff out and and just want to get to know you a bit better.

The email you can write into is hello at tablemannerspodcast.com. All lowercase. It doesn't matter. Just spoil my little bit. Do you want to say anything to your fans, Mum? No, darling, I think you've said enough. Ooh, nobody puts Lenny in the corner, sorry You need to griddle some peaches

Should I do that before they come? Shit What about the asparagus? You don't have to do it stuff like that Well, how should we do the asparagus? Griddle, or boil it I've only got one griddle Well, boil it then

Okay, you're on asparagus, I'm on griddle peaches Okay Let's go We'll boil it then. OK, you're on asparagus, I'm on griddle peaches. OK. Let's go. Bella Mackey and Greg James, thanks so much for coming over, bringing gifts, feminist gifts.

You're welcome. I always carry these books with me. Thank you, Bella. Greg, big feminist reader. Loves Rebecca Solnit. Darling, will you check if that's... It's not brown yet. OK, put it on for five more minutes, darling.

Do you see how we're... This is how we work. It's really... Who knows what it will taste like? From stalking you both on Instagram, you've got a new rescue dog. Oh, yeah, we adopted one from Batsy Dogs Home, just if you want a rescue dog. Adopts don't shop, guys. No, I agree.

And also that means you can be really smug and say that online. Yeah. Hashtag. So we've got an amazing year old Labrador puppy called Barney

and he is the most amazing little thing. Does Barney like Barney? They didn't she does like him now hon have you got two dogs yeah we've got two and a half

are you mad we've got two and a half dogs yes is the answer to that because my parents have a 13 year old pug that is incontinent which sort of is part of the pack

and like sort of is in the house around but so we have two and a half dogs two and a half dogs so do you have an au pair for your dogs yeah

we just realized you pay for somebody else to look after them you know what well we really look three months in we have a dog i was doing all of it yeah sorry yeah dog walk but i was doing all of it i was doing like every day you know 12 hours a day and greg would sort of come home and like wave at the dog and then go out something glamorous again and i was getting really resentful a and b i wasn't doing any work. I was just like trudging around. I was honestly doing 20 kilometers a day with this dog and just kind of crying constantly when it did stuff. And so we just thought throwing money at the problem and to stop us getting a divorce, just get someone to walk it during the day.

And then we can have like the fun time with it. But not my I was being consumed by the dog. I was getting slightly obsessional about like, like, the dog need so it's just better right and when bella says i go to something glamorous she means go upstairs to bed yeah of course obviously my glamorous dreams what's it what's it like yeah how are you how are you i'm okay doing the show makes it all worthwhile because it's that 6 30 till 10 bit of my day is great. Getting up at 4.30. And I'm saying that in front of a new mother.

It's not fun, is it? No, it's not fun. So do you ever go out in the evening? Yeah, not as much though. But our relationship sort of was based on going out and getting pissed and having dinner late into the night. Quite early on in our relationship because I was doing an afternoon show and Bella's whole life

has been based on that anyway but no but that's what we we quite like going out but this is we've ruined our lives no but it's really it is really fun

but we just had to change our routine a little bit it's hard for you and we decided to add a very bouncy rescue dog into the situation

which I thought was a great idea at the time and it is overall a great idea but sometimes you and it is overall a great idea but sometimes you're not giving him back stupid no no no never they're a big responsibility dog so you have every friday off now though i do have friday so you have friday so you have a proper weekend but can you sleep properly yeah i'm not too bad so do you stay up late on the thursday

and think oh i've got Friday off? Yeah, Thursday feels like the last day of term every week. Yeah. Amazing. And can you get back into the swing of things or just so tired? By about Wednesday, it all crumbles down again. Sometimes by sort of about quarter past nine some mornings, I actually say on the show,

I'm done. Well, I'll come back tomorrow and do some more. Because I think it's important to be honest. You should do that uninterrupted playing of music then. Just be like, now this is the time for you. You could just do that. Ten in a row. Yeah, exactly. How great would that be?

So you knock off at ten? Yeah, but we don't finish. We pre-record some stuff for the next day. So we're kind of out of, we're done by midday in the studio. So that's quite a long. Shit. It's quite a long sort of focusing thing i mean you're making out that that's your only job you have just written a kid uh sorry do you call it a kid's book or do you call it a but what age range is it for eight to twelve okay cool so my daughter can't have it yet

but um she's very i mean sorry she's really advanced they're proper stories yeah so they they take a proper time to sit down and write. How many have you written? We've just started writing the fourth one. Wow. Yeah, fourth kid normal. And yeah, but I do that with Chris Smith, my good pal. So actually we sort of share the load quite a lot, which is good.

But then you do Tailenders as well. That is, but it's a podcast, isn't it? That's fun. With Felix, who was here. Was he at this very table? He was when it was over there. which is good but then you do Tailenders as well but it's a podcast isn't it that's fun with Felix who was here was he at this very table Felix and her

have been at school since they were six we love Felix still at school I love Felix I love him so much he's the kindest man in the world

he is he's a bit lax but he's very kind but it has started why we're all lax that's why we do a podcast together and we love it so much

he has started bringing wine to dinner now was he not no he said no he used to say he said Lenny I bought you a bottle of wine

I'm a grown up now and it was a decent bottle now we want to see what does tail enders mean so tail enders do you even know what tail enders is no no but you know

do you know the cricket is it the cricketer that comes in to bat at the end? No. Yeah, exactly. You see? Yeah, so there's 11 players in the cricket team, and then it tends to be the last two or three batsmen aren't, they're normally bowlers, so they're not very good at batting,

so they're called the tail-enders because they're in at the tail. So that's what it is. They bring them on last because they're not very good. They're not subs. No, they come in last. Third sub. So it's like the... They bring them on last because they're not very good. That's the subs. No, they come in last. Third sub. No, it's like the... In football.

In the batting order. They're not as good as the rest at batting. How shit's been known as the tail enders? But they might be a fantastic bowler. Yeah.

So they might not be a good batsman. Okay, got it. In the other way round, what would that person be called? Bowlender? No.

Not really, there just wouldn't be bowlers. That's the mean thing about cricket, is that everyone has to bat, but not everyone has to bowl. I love when I listen to cricket enthusiasts, such as you and Felix, you are so enthusiastic to try and explain and try and win people over to like cricket. And me, Bella's got her arms crossed.

I know, I know. I'm just confused. Like, no, I don't give a shit about cricket. There's a desperation. I resent how complicated it is. Is it complicated? Well, I know that it's stupid, but I can't understand why.

It says complicatedness rugby, which changes the rules all the time. Well, even the referees in rugby don't understand some of the rules. They have to keep, because they change them so often. So when you're doing your podcast, what are you talking about? Cricket, obviously. What are you talking about?

No, I'm listening to Terlander. No, obviously, a subscribe. No, but I just want to know, are there leagues at the moment? Is there a World Cup at the moment? The World Cup is currently happening in England and Wales. So this is a really exciting time. Didn't Afghanistan do really well recently? I didn't even know they had a cricket team.

That's from the Guardian app. No, it isn't. Because I listen to news all the time. So all the best players from the world are in the UK at the moment playing. So how are you managing to... Bella's zoned out. So you have sacrificed going to

a cricket match I'm just thinking about wine we need to get Gregmore wine oh we need to get Gregmore wine yes where's the

Prosecco but okay so are you going to any of the matches yeah we're doing live shows from some of the matches on Saturday

so they've made our podcast into the radio show which is quite fun to be fair I did go to the live show and I did think it was really fun was it really fun?

yeah because it wasn't actually really anything about cricket it wasn't like nerding out about cricket it was kind of just taking the mickey out of people

and making puns but I liked it what a review no I liked it it's basically is it like have I got news for you but with a bit of

cricket flair yeah great yeah that's a good way of looking at it it's a cricket show cricket flair yeah great yeah that's yeah that's amazing looking at it it's a cricket show not really about cricket i think that's basically it you've enjoying doing it so fun because it started as a so different to radio as well it is yeah because you get uh it's a real niche i mean you love podcasts so much for that reasons that you get a real niche what's your favoritesites this one no I really love

well I love all politics ones because I was a journalist for such a long time so I think really I think the American

podcast the daily I love the daily me too amazing can you do Michael Barbaro no

you can I'm Michael Barbaro here's what else you need to know in a day I know it's so wonderful it's very soothing

I think you should do this as an interview technique, when you interview someone he goes uh, uh, uh huh, uh huh, when he's listening he just goes uh, uh, uh huh. So it sounds like you're still there. Apparently that's the most complained about thing on the daily. They said it the other day, they were like people like viscerally hate it or love it but like people complain, they email in and they're like please stop doing that he's great michael barbara i want to meet him it's jog on your first book yeah yeah it's the it's the first and only so far and i'm about to write three more what are they going to be about so running yeah so my first book is running second book is a journal to accompany

the running book so it's going to be sort of how to start running when you're anxious. It's very niche. It's like anxious runners. But it's kind of a how to start and not in a kind of you need to be this fast and you need to be, you know, this long and blah, blah, blah. It's just like very idiot guide to learning how to run. I need that. Yeah, to make you happy rather than to kind of make you, you know, lose weight.

Do you run skinny? I do, yeah. Exactly. And then the books two and three, three and four are novels that I got signed to write, so I'm doing that. But that means you're at home a lot

on your own. I'm at home all the time on my own walking the dog. Or feeling guilty about not walking the dog. Yeah, got it. Or watching TV. Really? Are you a big TV watcher

I'm just such a procrastinator I just sit down at my kitchen table to write and then I write 250 words and then I go

oh my god this is the worst thing in the world and I get up and I'm like what can I do I'm online shop and I paint my nails

and I read a book speaking about online shopping you look fantastic today I know and I do I feel like we're darting about

sorry no no no please your outfits for your wedding they were good Jacquemus the best he's so fit he is really fit yeah he's really fit Greg he's so fit beautiful French man can I what's his name I'll have a look while you're um is that his full name I want to know about the polka dot the polka dot was I think she's an Argentinian designer. That was amazing.

I ordered them all online and just got them and then had them a bit altered if they needed it. They looked amazing. Yeah, I just bought everything online. Did you have three outfit changes? Yeah. The last one was a velvet, blue velvet mini dress with a ruffle on it.

So the wedding day, I mean, we don't have to talk about the wedding day. You can talk about that. Oh yeah, he is fit. He's gorgeous, right? Gorgeous. Gorgeous. But, so the wedding day. You can talk about that. Oh yeah, he is fit. He's gorgeous, right? Gorgeous. Gorgeous. But, so the wedding day, what did you eat at your wedding?

Oh, do you know what? We had such amazing food. Oh, you foodies. Sorry, we need to talk about food a bit. Oh my God. Yeah, we are definitely. That's our favourite thing is going out for dinner. Oh, we have.

Because it's just us two chatting and getting pissed. That's our favourite thing. And that's from our first date was pretty much that wasn't it just let's go out where was your first date I took

no don't cringe why no we went to go and sit no so we went to see I can't name it it's not aged well how did you

oh I can't wait we went to see a shit comedian that I got some tickets for who it turns out no no don't say it just don't say it don't say who it is

don't give them satisfaction I'm not going to give them satisfaction I'm just going Who it turns out... No, no, don't say it. Just don't say it. Don't say who it is. Don't give them satisfaction. I'm not going to give them satisfaction. I'm just going to say, it turns out they are perhaps of the alt-right these days. Oh, no! No! No!

That's amazing! Because it sounds like I took you to see an alt-right comedian. I didn't. Well, you did. Boris and Michael Gove doing a comedy act. No, I didn't.

If only. No, it wasn't that. It was... He wasn't that bad at the time, but it turns out that since then he has become, they have become, not to give too much away,

like a very bad person. Anyway, so we went to see this... But my worst thing was I was sitting there inside... Were you laughing? No, I just sat there inside and it's furious. And I thought,

if this person, if Greg likes this, then I will never see this person again so was it Greg's idea yeah well I had the I had these tickets where had you met her so we we met actually met on Twitter weirdly so we met we just started chatting did you slide into her DMs no I slipped into his oh Bella part of being a journalist that sounds quite rude yeah yeah get with the program she's just learned what a life hack is I don't really know

what a life hack is to be fair life hack means like you know it's a tip keep your old biscuits in a balloon use a pair of knickers

as a hair tie instead that's a posh bicycle one someone told me to knot my earphones which I don't use anyway

we didn't like that one to knot one side so you know that's the left side I was like nah that's not a life hack there's an L on that sieve lentils through your tights like my grandma used to do oh gross was she wearing them at the time

that's quite a lot she used to sieve things through her tights what you doing nan just sieving me lentils through me tights I don't know why she's northern is she northern she was from Ealing so you started this twitter relationship What are you doing, Nan? Just sipping me lentils, sipping me tides. I don't know why she's Northern. Is she Northern? From North London. She was from Ealing. So you started this Twitter relationship,

DMing each other. Yes. DMing. I was... When you're a commissioning editor, you get really desperate for new writers. Where were you commissioned? I was at The Guardian,

and we were looking for, like, young, big names that would write this for the series. Yeah. For this series that I was running the Guardian and we were looking for like young big names that would write this for this series for this series that I was running and and he followed me so I was being lazy and I went through

Twitter why did you follow her a prominent journalist yeah loved her writing yeah well we

feminists we were following each other I don't know why I think Bella was being funny because she's incredibly funny so I thought that's a funny person she seems incredibly funny. So I thought, that's a funny person.

She seems like a good person. Fizzy Walter? Yeah. So I just went down my Twitter list of people that followed me and picked out the people with blue tics and emailed them all

and said, do you want to write something? Yeah. Because I was being lazy. Yeah. And Greg said, yeah, yeah, I'll write something amazing,

amazing. And then never did. And then I left The Guardian, went on for this long and went to work at Vice. And again, we needed like sort of trendy culture writers and again I thought

well he said he would last time so I messaged him again, yeah yeah I'll do it, I'll do it, I'll do it never did it and then eventually five months later we were now on a date so So you never actually got that piece of work from him? But had you met each No, no it was quite weird And he takes you to see an alt-right

comedian Not really well thought out But anyway weird we had a really and he takes you to see an alt-right comedian not really well thought out but anyway so we had this really really nice five months weird but nice five months

where we were just exchanging emails or sort of and then I think eventually quite exciting it was exciting I love it

it's like you got mail I worried that he had like a girlfriend or that he might be gay I didn't know anything about you and I thought this guy's very funny but that I worried that he had like a girlfriend or that he might be gay I didn't know anything about you and I thought this guy's very funny

but that was all that was the extent and you were quite coy about kind of your your life and so I didn't know whether you were interested or not

my sister was like this is such a time waste you're being a time waster you know you're 30 whatever you are you're such a this is such a boring thing for you to do

you always do this stop doing this you always hang on you always do this you always do this. Stop doing this. You always, hang on. You always do this. You always do this. You don't think she, you weren't the first to be.

No, that's true. Bella's sister always takes a piss and says that. She was like, yeah, wanted to get him to write for you, sure. Yeah, like I was just like shagging everyone on Twitter by asking them to write for me. But we had this really nice. Getting in touch with like the hottest men I could find.

We had this really nice sort of few months where we were just getting to know each other. Pen pals. We were pen pals. That's lovely. And then when we had our first date, to go and see the alt-right comedian, we sort of knew loads about each other

and actually there was no awkwardness at all. And then we went for dinner. So that was the question. When you came out, did you say, both say, God, that was awful. At the interval we were saying that. Yeah. Did you leave? We didn't. Well, God, that was awful? At the interval, we were saying that. Yeah. Did you leave?

We didn't. Well, no, we went back and watched the... No, we didn't. We stayed because we knew people sitting next to us. Oh, right. And they thought it was really funny, so we were like, okay, well... That's the best excuse about a dog and a baby. You can be like, oh, the dog's just like... Imagine our first date, our baby's at home.

We need to go. Okay, so what did you eat on your first date? And where was... Like, did you go for dinner after? Yeah, we went to Little House. Okay, you eat on your first date and where was like did you go for dinner after yeah we went to Little House okay lovely no we didn't

oh sorry no we didn't we got married at Little House sorry oh lovely we didn't get married there we got married at Camden sorry that was my other husband

that was that was Bella's first marriage I have been married before so I do like to refer to you as my current husband yeah I love this I am I love it I can see what actually happened was we left the venue That was Bella's first marriage. I have been married before, so I do like to refer to you as my current husband. Oh, Elizabeth Hitt, I love this.

I am Elizabeth Hitt. I love it, I can see. What actually happened was, we left the venue, and then we were sort of like, what do we do now? And I'd booked somewhere just in case it went well. Where had you booked? That's really nice.

I don't think I've ever been on a date with someone that's booked dinner, ever. No, that's really impressive. Come on, tell me. So it's the place on Pollen Street. It's called Little Social. Pollen Street Social? The Little Social, the one opposite. Oh, tell me. So it's the place on Pollen Street. It's called Little Social. Pollen Street Social? The Little Social, the one opposite.

Oh, I don't know it. It's like a little sort of French-inspired kind of tiny little benches and things. Really nice. Yes. And then I realised she was vegetarian. Did that put you off a bit? No, it didn't. And I'm actually now much more veggie than I was.

I'm sort of nearly a vegetarian. Sorry about my mother, Bella. If you were vegan, you wouldn't have been allowed through the door. That is a very valid question. I come from a family of Scottish farmers and nearly all of the daughters and granddaughters are now vegetarian. And we didn't tell my grandfather because we were just like, it's not worth his fury and vengeance.

But he knew about some of them. And at 90th birthday he's dead now um but at his 90th birthday he said to my aunt don't worry it's fine there's a table for the lesbians and she was like mum you would have yeah well with him yeah we were like to be fair fair play to him in his 90 year old mind like that is what a vegetarian is. And so I think it's fine. So how long have you been vegetarian? At least 10 years. Okay, so obviously vegetarian food has got better and better out as well.

Out and in, yeah. It's not just sides that you can get. No, exactly. I mean, obviously you go to France and they're like, what do chicken do? And you're like, not chicken. And they're like, well, pork do. And you're like, not chicken. And they're like, will pork do? And you're like, okay, we'll have to go through this again.

But here, it's completely fine and no problem at all. So where are your favourite vegetarian restaurants or places that do the best vegetarian food for you? I think it's by cuisine, isn't it? So like Greek food is fantastic for veggies. And when we were in Portugal recently, we had dinner at an Israeli restaurant. Oh, my God god it was just like

perfect there was nothing on the menu was it in Lisbon? in Lisbon yeah I love Lisbon best city me too

yeah it is the best city but we went back there twice because it was the most delicious vegetarian food so yeah Israeli, Lebanese we did that touristy thing of having a really nice dinner

and went I'm sorry can we book for Tuesday? yeah 6.30pm. If you find somewhere you like, you might as well keep going. It was just, I keep thinking about that place. And do you eat veggie food?

Yeah, I'm pretty much veggie anyway now. I've always been more fishy and chickeny anyway. I just don't miss having a steak. It's weird. Yeah, you just don't eat red meat now. Don't eat red meat. So my weird morals, I think everyone's got their own sort of thing.

And mine is, I feel better for not eating mammals, basically. I think it's maybe since having a dog, a little bit. Is your dog veggie? Well, no, he's not. He's an absolute monster. That's the thing with complete hypocrites.

I'm like, what will keep them entertained? Pigs ears, like duck throats, like whatever it is. I'm like what will keep them entertained pigs ears, duck throats whatever it is I'm just throwing them at them shoes, laptop chargers they've got fur they've got fur

I know that they look like they might be can't you get willies you can get willies they're called pizzles he's not into them he doesn't like a pizzle duck throats honestly it's everything It's called pizzles. Yeah, pizzles. Yeah. He's not into them. He doesn't like a pizzle. Pizzle. Pizzle.

Duck's throats. Honestly, it's everything. Duck's throats. Every part of the animal. They are not wasted. Yeah, it's pretty. It's disgusting. Weirdly, there was something that just happened with me where I just didn't want to, it felt like eating flesh was quite weird.

And it was, that's, and that's just my little thing I've stopped doing. So I eat a lot of fish and a lot of chicken, but not much else. And you won't go vegan, you don't think? I would never do it. I could never do it. Cheese, I could not do it. I can't function without cheese. No, and also, you know, I think if you buy free-range ethical eggs

and milk from, you know, Rachel's or whatever, I think you're okay. Sound like you're doing an advert then. Free-range ethical eggs. Oh, I am literally just trying to get my sponcons in here. Did I not mention? Sorry. I'm actually really hungry, so I feel like we should eat in that minute. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm starving. So, disclaimer, mum's had a bad back. Oh. So our friend Anne Sweeney has been set to the rescue to make this meal. Anne Sweeney makes the best. Anne Sweeney's the best. and Answini has been set to the rescue to make this meal. Answini makes the best.

Answini's the best. It's really simple. Sorry, green salad and some roasted asparagus. So we've got, yeah, we've got a veggie tart, phyllo tart with pine nuts and bits and bobs that we didn't cook. Answini is the best person in the world. And we've got green salad, asparagus. I do like eating veg though.

This is my favourite thing. This is actually Bella's dream. Oh really? Is this what you call plant based? Are you like Carly Rae Jepsen? You love a quiche? I love my mum. All my mum ever in our lives had in the house was quiches.

And one of my friends split up with her husband when we were in our 20s and she came to live with us and after about three months she was like your mum is obsessed with quiches in an unhealthy way and that no one eats them but she's always like there's a quiche on there's a quiche i love that what's her what's her quiche of choice um i think it's always like a broccoli and like tomato growing up in the 80s obviously that was like a classic fancy thing from an M&S. But so I do love a quiche. Can I just ask you about your jogging? Yeah. If I could jog, I would jog.

But you could jog. Not with a slip disc. Not with a slip disc at the minute. But I know people who run really love running and they can't not run because it makes them feel good. So what time do you start running at? During the day?

I do it first thing in the morning before I have breakfast. So what time will you go? So, I mean, bearing in mind that I go to sleep at, you know, one or two. Yeah. I get up at like nine. So you miss his show. I miss his show. I listened to it on the first day it was on and I haven't listened to it since.

I love that. That's like Sam's never listened to a podcast. But also, I listen to Radio 4. Like, I love you, but my vibe is very much... You live with him. I'm on that as well. Yeah, that's true. Across all the mediums following me around.

Turn on the day... We'll do a show that you will listen to one day. So yeah, I go first thing in the morning and that's kind of how I wake up and how I sort of start my day. And how long do you run for? I try and do 10K a day. Fuck!

Shit. Fuck you! That is why you look so fucking great! Is that more than 10,000 steps? Yeah, I'd say that's more. I don't know, wouldn't it be like you'd kind of... Is it more? Is it?

So how far... 10K is about four miles. I'm really happy for you, Bella. That's six miles. Six miles. Okay, and do you run around the Heath? Is that your spot? No, fuck that.

It's too hilly. Do you just do roads? Yeah, I run around. I run all the ugly arterial roads in London. I think it's more distracting. Yeah, it is. Because what you need is to be looking at things and concentrating on trying to get out of people's way.

How did you know that you had a stalker? Because he got in touch with everyone in my family and said When was this? This was about three and a half years ago So he got in touch with everyone on social media and my dad I think originally was like, oh one of your friends

got in touch with me. Were you two together? No, no, no. At the end of it all actually we'd just started going out. Yeah, but so he got in touch with everyone and it was a bit freaky and he was messaging everyone and it was a bit freaky and he was messaging everyone and it was quite obvious that he had mental health issues. And I kept saying to my family,

like, oh, no, I don't know this person, so just don't reply to any of it. And he was sort of trying to... And then he found all our email addresses and I don't know how. And then he found my work email and my Twitter. I mean, he literally found everything.

And... How do they do that? I don't know. I have no idea. It's really scary because especially, like like my mom's and my sister's they were private email i don't know um anyway so yeah he got in touch quite a lot for a couple of weeks and then his local police force contacted him and said you know gave him a warning but what was he writing in these emails like long sort of i love you and we're meant to be together. Right. You know, I can see the fire in your sister's eyes. Oh, my God.

Stuff about Princess Diana. I mean, like, really not well. Princess Diana? Yeah, like, not well, you know, not well stuff. And had he seen you? Do you think he'd seen you? No. Or was it kind of an online?

No, I was out of London. Right. I'd never met him. He might not be well, but he wasn't stupid, was he? No, exactly. So the police wound him off, which is what they do initially. They say, don't contact this person again, and if you do, you'll be arrested.

And then he contacted me again, so they arrested him, sort of cautioned him. And then it calmed down for a month. Bless you. And then, yeah, we thought it had gone away and i think by that time we were chatting i don't remember i was working at vice and i got a phone call from my mom and she said don't panic but the people who owned our old house so the house we moved out of 20 years ago didn't turn up i've just called to say that he's turned up then

and and i said right person says went straight to the police station and when i was at the police station i got a phone call from my one of my best friends was living at my parents house she just had a baby and they were living there and she called me and said he's just turned up on the doorstep of your parents house and i was living across the road from them so it's kind of the new yeah oh jeez literally gone straight from last place to that place so and her So, and her boyfriend tried to apprehend him, but he got away. And then I think the police spent like three days trying to find him, and eventually did find him. And then the process really worked.

So, did they know what to do? Because for a while, they didn't know how to manage stalking. And they still don't in lots of areas, but loads of work's been done on it. And my local MP was amazing. And there were loads of brilliant stalking advocates. And there's like a service called Paladin, and a girl called Claire Waxman, who's been done on it and my local MP was amazing and there were loads of brilliant stalking advocates and there's like a service called Paladin and and one a girl called Claire Waxman who's been amazing so they've changed the law and it's being rolled out I think but like a lot of police individual policemen need training because like I spoke to one who just said just get your dad to get a baseball bat and put it by the door you know that kind of attitude and there's

quite a lot of did you have a relationship with him do you know him like yeah exactly that he's a stranger so there's a lot of that and the only reason that it sort of kicked into high gear is because we're middle class and we're pushy and you know we got in touch with our local mp and stuff but actually if you're not like that you know two women were one woman killed herself last month and one woman was murdered by her partner and both women were told off by the police for wasting their time for speech for talking about it yeah so it's still like ways to go but they were amazing with him he didn't get custody he didn't get bail and then he went to jail for a year so and then i haven't heard from him since do you um did did this happen when your anxiety started to flare up was do you think there was

something to do with it? My anxiety has been there forever. Right, okay. And it definitely flared up mega because of that. And, you know, you suddenly lose that sense of safety and anonymity. You know, it's so important to be able to walk down the street. But that thing of just feeling like you're not free to just walk down the road and just, you know, being comfortable and on your own and running,

you know, I was really scared to run. Yeah, very well. You know, you don't know where that person's going to be and it turned out he was going to my local park and taking photos and so you know yeah really scary really kind of and but i think is he out of prison yeah yeah he's back in did that worry you yeah terrified me because they didn't call me to let me know oh that's not the best pastoral i know i know terrible but i was living with you at that point, so it was fine, because I sort of moved out.

I sold my flat. What was the offence that they charged him with? Is there a stalking offence? Yeah, there's a stalking offence. Stalking and harassment, and there was a third thing. Right. Yeah. I'm a bit worried about this,

and I don't want to put you off with the pudding. Taste that. What is it? I'm just a bit worried that the last thing we cooked on the griddle was fish and now I can taste fish. No, you can't. I really enjoy...

No, you can't. No, you should never have said that. I know I shouldn't have said that, but I just freaked out. You're a complete fool. Oh, it's fish pudding, my favourite. Are you sure?

Mm-mm. Kip a crumbly. I know, well, enjoy that. Thanks so much. It's a griddled, yeah, it's a griddled, sorry, I shouldn't have done that, but I just suddenly was like. But why did you say it? Well, I was just a bit worried.

But now what do you think they're going to think? Maybe they're going to taste fish. When they put it in their mouth. You know what, Greg is so, like, he's so suggestible with your nose. Like, you basically wander around the house being like, can you taste, can you smell shit? Can you smell shit? Because of the dog. He's like, can you smell shit?

He's had a shit. He's had a shit. He shat somewhere. Dogs do smell this. I do have some separate, if they do taste of fish, I've got separate nectarines. I'm really sorry guys. Sorry, sorry.

But you've spoiled it. I know, I have spoiled it. I'm sorry. We're going to get in the cab and be like, don't taste that fish. No,

you need to tell me here. We have good enough friends to be able to be like, you've just got to be like, don't taste that fish. I'll tell you. Whilst Bella's gone to the loo, who's got better table manners? We're both fine.

We're not that fussy with that sort of thing. Does she do anything that really annoys you? Well, she's slowly giving up smoking, which is great. So when I met her, she was sort of a 20 a day... Really? Roll-ups. Like Ash Lill. Yeah, proper. I mean, her thing is like holding a glass of wine with a Diet Coke under her arm with a fag.

Because she's quite fabulous. She's fabulous. And she is amazing. She is completely... I was completely blown away when I first met her. She's so glamorous. And she's amazing. She's gorgeous and she is amazing she is completely I was completely blown away when I first met her she's so glamorous and she's amazing

she's gorgeous she's done really well I do know that don't need to whisper we can tell her oh yeah that's true she knows so she's just slowly giving up

which is great she's down to one a day so I guess that's her only habit and when does she have that one? after dinner or something? yeah it tends to be with wine there's like a trigger I think of like wine. It's like a trigger, I think, of like wine, food.

It's like a crutch almost, yeah. But no, we're pretty, I think we're pretty good with that sort of thing. We're not, our house is sort of, and I mean it in the nicest way, like your house, which is just like stuff.

Shit everywhere. There's just stuff. Yeah, shit everywhere. We hate houses that feel like no one ever lives in them. There's stuff everywhere. There's a dog running around. There's people always walking through the door, which I really like.

So we just have a really nice sort of shambolic time. Do you live near her family? Yeah, her mum and dad live around the corner. Okay. Well, Bella, I tried to get a shit on you when you went to the loo, but he's having none of it. It is weird that we live around the corner from my family, though, probably. Do they come and

do they come and cook? No. They don't come and cook. Are they good cooks? My parents my mum is an incredible cook because I think family of farmers

they were all sort of like like food to table farm to table. She's an amazing Scottish girl. My mum thinks she's a Jewish mother. So you're not Jewish? No, but we grew up in North London.

I feel like you're a Jew. Everyone I knew was Jewish and my mum was like, well, you know, I'm the closest thing to a Jewish mother. I was like, you've got to stop it.

And she was like, well, you know, I just, you know, the community and then blah, blah, blah.

So yeah, I grew up with like, all the lovely Jewish girls. Did you guys have a lot of bat mitzvahs? Yeah. Like, all the, I genuinely thought I was Jewish growing up. Like, my friends were with all the lovely Jewish girls. Did you guys have a lot of bat mitzvahs? Yeah. Like, all the... I genuinely thought I was Jewish growing up. Like, my friends were like, you're Jewish.

Yeah. And, you know, bat mitzvahs, Friday night dinners, like, the whole shebang. I'm sorry we didn't do something more Jew. Yeah, we could have done. Jewy, yeah. But I was asking Greg whether he thought that you had good table manners,

and he said you're both pretty brilliant. I said that our house is sort of chaotic and it's like it feels like a house people live in yeah it's messy

and like a bit dirty and like there's only ever like five things in the fridge there's like wine there's always wine

and ice cream Bella loves twisters I do that ice cream is pineapple isn't it yeah pineapple strawberry and like a sort of cream flavour it's just brilliant but Bella's habits Bella loves twisters. I do like, I get, that ice cream is pineapple, isn't it? Yeah, pineapple, strawberry,

and like a sort of cream flavour. It's just brilliant. But Bella's habits are sort of, I've got weird habits, but I think maybe they're anxiety habits.

Yeah, I think they are, but it's like, have to have a bottle of Diet Coke nearby, have to have a little snack in a handbag, have to have a little

something like this. So what snack do you have in your handbag? Because like, I think because I get anxious, like I would always have like really low blood sugar, so like sort of crash and then be so hungry that I'd sort of start anxious, I would always have really low blood sugar, so I'd crash and then be so hungry

that I'd start shaking. So I always either have oat cakes or... When Bella takes my raincoat out, when she takes Barney, I'll put it on for work the next day and I'll put my hand in. And there's oat cakes in. Oat cakes in my pocket.

Or like digestives, or like a caramel. I've got a caramel with me in my bag. Love them. Yeah, for like the children stuff Just in case you ever get like Or the wafer ones Yeah

I love them So I mean I love them I buy the stuff in bulk in Sainsbury's Like my mum in the 80s And then I just like have it on me Just in case I need a little snack I always like it I like a snack

I'll get up at four in the morning Have a biscuit Go back to bed You're a snack Yeah so I think these are quite anxiety things. If Brexit goes through, what would you stockpile from Europe that we might not be able to have access to? Your dad stockpiled, isn't he?

My dad stockpiled. What, wine or olive oil? Wine, olive oil. No, so my mum apparently said to him, please, can you get like a two litre thing of olive oil? And then he came back with like eight litres of olive oil and wine because he's worried about wine. Well, olive oil has gone he came back with like eight litres of olive oil and wine because he's worried about wine well olive oil

has gone up dramatically already by about it's now like eight or twelve pounds yeah rice is more expensive olive oil is about

twelve pounds for good olive oil a litre and it used to be about six quid I have started stockpiling wine

what have you started stockpiling what's your favourite one wine and cannellini beans because I felt like I could live on them forever they're quite good starch

oh shit well they go too they'll go fuck they're going anything that's not like white bread beans, wine, olives

all the good shit all the good shit so stockpiling Italian red wine Brunello yeah Camontopulciano yeah

this is all my favourite shit fuck I'm gonna start stockpiling stop get on a cardo mate now now fuck

just because you want it you want it to be in the house you don't want it to have gone up in price don't you just drink it accidentally and then be like oh fuck better start stockpiling again

yeah but do you know what when we moved into our house there were there was lots of things wrong with our house but the best thing in our house was that someone left this massive wine rack

like this enormous like really professional looking kind of mahogany it's rude not to feel yeah so you're like it looks empty if you don't have like do you drink wine every day yes she does and in fact like a nice day something the summer is going to be an absolute killer for my hours because we just sit in the garden now the other night until about half an hour i'm fine she She's like, you've got to go to bed. I'll be fine.

It's so strong. What? Whispering Angel. Whispering Angel. Honestly, had the wildest night with E.L. James on it. Mental.

Amazing. Jessie's best mate. Of course, E.L. James drinks Whispering Angel. That's her drink. She probably owns the company of Whispering Angel.

That's what I want to do. One day we'll move to Italy or Portugal and we'll have a vineyard. We'll just make wine, just sit in the sun. But you know Kent's doing really well out of climate change. Yes, because they've got... It's quite the same, darling. No, I don't know which way...

I want to go back to Bromley. I reckon I can spread my wings a bit further than Kent. I love it. It sounded like a song. One day we're going to live in Lisbon. We didn't get round to what you ate at your wedding. Ah, yes. We had like a real mixture.

So when Bella remembered what the venue was. Who am I married to? My first husband. Oh no, I've not done Bella voice yet. Oh, is that Bella voice? Oh my God, it's absolutely It's just North London voice It's my first husband, oh my god

Was that my first wedding or my second wedding? Where's my cat now? What are they called? Becks Are you a Beck? Well, like, I'm a 35 year old Goyim, but yeah Oh my god, Greg Oh my god, let's go shopping for shoes

and he does the voice now and he does it on the radio of me the dog's done a shit come pick it up anyway at our wedding oh my god

he's like Tim Dowling where are my fucking car keys he's creating you into Tim like Tim Dowling's wife yeah at our wedding to eat

we had like basically big bowls was it completely veggie yes yes no no no we had a couple of meat

we had chicken we had some fish we had a salmon and a chicken it was like big sharing bowls oh yeah that's because that nine nine or ten tables I pretend

it was Little House in Mayfair so we had a big dinner there I pretend that I'm really not judgmental about meat I'm like yeah do you that's great and then I get like really aggy about it. I'm like, yeah, do you? That's great. And then I get, like, really aggy about it. We had proper, like, nice risotto things and loads of veg.

We did, yeah, big bowls and macaroni and cheese. Stodgy to make sure people didn't get too drunk. And then we had this amazing bakery around here, actually, which is a social enterprise called the Luminary Bakery. Oh, they're in Stokey, aren't they? Oh, they're a social enterprise. They did our, yeah, they train up women, and it's all part profits go back into the development.

It's amazing. Oh, great. And so they made our carrot cake and chocolate cake and tiramisu cake. Oh. They were the most delicious cakes. What was your wedding cake? Tiramisu cake. Oh, you, that's so right.

That's the best. It's the best. We had a table of cheese as well. A cheese table. Just like wheels of cheese. Just wheels of the stuff that would be a big problem with Brexit

wouldn't it yeah good cheese that's why I moved to France yeah we'd have to we'd have to we'd have to okay so

Desert Island Desert Island meal Greg go first Italian okay so

anything tomato-y. Starter. Let's go with starter. A pizza for starter. Yeah, cool. Toppings? Pretty plain. Like a nice but beautifully made

with buffalo mozzarella. Is there one particular place that you've had that that you love in Italy yeah just an Italian proper made okay

one with buffalo and natural cherry tomatoes say buffalo again buffalo okay thank you it's beautiful beautiful and then

and then just a nice pastry just like a just a made it's Italian the whole way through what pasta is that pasta is it pre-meat or is it going to be a main And then just a nice pastery. Just like a, just a maiden. That's Italian. It's Italian the whole way through. What pasta? Is that pasta as a pre-meat or is it going to be a main?

It's a main. Okay. It's a main. So your last, Bella, your desert island meal. Are you going Italian too? Probably. You're not on the desert island together. You could be.

Why not? Let's bring us up. No, you can have separate meals. You bring your own. What the hell is this? I would have, I just feel like

a parody of a middle class person. I would have stuffed zucchini flowers. Why is that? Shut up. I completely understand that.

Yeah. No, it just sounded like I was like, I'm about to say the most ridiculous sentence in the world. You can find them on the desert island

somewhere. Yeah. Have you got find them on a desert island somewhere yeah have you got any parmesan to put in the best ones Italy River Cafe oh I've never eaten there

yeah I've heard they're amazing we have them a lot in Greece though we've got to go back to River Cafe mum it hasn't been since Alex's graduation

Hannah's graduation it's far but it is by far my favourite meal the blinis with the peaches yeah my favourite in London it's London I know it's not the fact that it's in West London it's the fact but it is by far my favourite meal. The bellinis with the peaches. Yeah, my favourite in London. It's London.

I know. It's not the fact that it's in West London, it's the fact that it's quite far from a tube or like a, you know, it's in like a residential bit. Schlepp. Yeah, but it's Schlepp. But it is just the best. So that with ricotta inside, fresh ricotta, I would have that.

Then I would probably have, again, I would probably have pasta because it was just like, as a child, I used to eat like pans of it. What would you have again I would probably have pasta because it was just like as a child I used to eat like pounds of it what would you have as a child I literally would have parmesan and olive oil and salt and pepper and that would be it and then for dessert I would have um eclairs but with proper creme anglaise in them not like cream that you get in supermarkets because that makes me angry whipped cream yeah just it's a cheat don't do that it's cheap I do love whipped cream fine but I want

proper French custard fair enough I thought so what about dessert I fucked the whole thing yeah you fucked it I panicked I wasn't expecting

the question come on you go back it's fine I'm deleting the earlier one okay fine Alice no keep it in but I need to correct

my wrongs cheese just all cheese you just want cheese and then dessert is custard based dessert No, keep it in, but I need to correct my wrongs. Cheese. Yeah. Just all cheese. You just want cheese. And then dessert is custard, based desserts. Do you like your cheese with a cracker or with bread? Yeah, anything with bread, crackers.

Are you going to have like a trio of custards? It's dairy-based meal. So it's going to be... Flan. We're going to have flan, proper French flan. Oh, rice pudding. That sort of wobbly kind of... Oh, like crème caramel.

It's like crème caramel. But in a tart, like proper tart. Okay. Oh, rice pudding. That sort of wobbly kind of... Oh, what, like crème caramel? Slight crème caramel. But in a tart, like proper tart. Okay. And then sort of like a rice pudding type thing. Do you like rice pudding? Yeah, it's like a... So does Richard Curtis. It's delicious.

I like ambrosia. Do you like ambrosia? Like the most basic. I like the Lebanese one. My childhood was essentially eating out of a... They put pistachio and raisins really your childhood

was eating out of a tin eating mouthful out of a tin was that because your parents weren't massive foodies they hated me no they were just

a great treat I was like I'll just eat it out of the tin well they might like a peach or two shall I get up and do it

yes fishy peach fishy peach I'm so sorry about that it's rosemary griddled peaches. Amazing.

Greg really loves dairy. He's smothered the fish. I know, I've really... No, I love that. He's done it to take away the fish taste. I know, I'm so sorry. Have you got some nuts? Cream on ice cream is my favourite thing in the world.

Oh my god. Dessert's the most important to me. So, because I am a massive baker. That sounds rude, doesn't it? Oh, no. No, if you said master baker. How did we not know this? Master baker. So, I did, like, cordon bleu courses.

And I, like, yeah. So, when I was going through, like, all my sort of anxious divorce stage. And you didn't bring a cake. Yeah. Jesus, Bella. I did think about it. You know, honestly. Well, I spent feminist literature, but I wanted a fucking cake.

I did think about bringing a cake, right? And then I thought, like honestly feminist literature but I wanted a fucking cake I did think about bringing a cake right and then I thought I wanted a fucking cake the slightly obnoxious thing that I do is that I bring cakes to things where like

I have no business bringing cakes so like you have business to bring a cake to a food park but I think sometimes it feels a bit smug

like someone's cooked dinner or lunch or whatever and then you're like here I am with my cake I have a cake I just feel like sometimes it's a bit like

what's your cake sorry just quickly this is really mean and this makes me like I feel cringy when I think about it if I oh my god you love each other so much I couldn't I didn't think that I would um love her any more than I did at the time and then we went to a mate of mine who left for a really big job in LA. He went to go and work for Netflix in LA. And so there were hundreds and hundreds of people at this leaving party. So I thought it was like 10 people in a bar.

I thought it was at the pub. Like, there'll be 10 of us. And my mate Ben is a proper, like, he loves a night out. And he's hilarious. And I was like, I think a cake that is leaving dudes probably might be a bit So I made a flourless chocolate cake

a mousse cake and put it on a plate There's about 200 people at this theatre bar I'm going to take it with me Bless you There were literally

200 people smacking their tits off Essentially it was like a club It was a club We got there and everyone was just dancing and there were speeches

and she was like I don't know anyone here. You can hold the cake. Hold the fucking cake. So I was stood there with this chocolate cake in tin foil. It wasn't even in tin foil. It was just on a fucking plate. Oh my God, I love that.

In the middle of a nightclub. So I think actually there's PTSD from that. Yeah, no, that's true. It doesn't bring a cake anywhere. So now I don't, I've like stopped cooking properly since then and just made my own. Oh my God, no. That's not true. That's bollocks.

Did anybody eat the cake? No. Did you even get it out of the tin? No, I literally sort of went, I bought you a cake. And my mum was like drunk and went make them at home. Oh my god, no! That's not true, that's bollocks. Did anybody eat the cake? No. Did you even get it out of the tin? No, I literally sort of went, I bought you a cake and Ben was like drunk and went, yeah okay. Fuck is wrong with you? But at the end of the night we had to, we went back to see Ben because everyone, he

was obviously pissed, so we went back and went, just remember that Bella did bring you a cake, that's a really nice thing to do. And he went, yeah, a really nice, yeah, yeah, yeah, great, thank you. Who's Bella Bella you fucking idiot but no I sometimes make cakes late at night when I can't sleep

and I don't want to write and I make them for you to take into work the next day so when I when I leave at quarter to five whatever it is

there's sometimes a little package on the oh sweet I bet everyone at work is really happy so I walk into the team who are obviously so tired

and it's like so I walk in and go Bella had a sad night she's been in and go Bella had a sad night she's been baking so Bella's had a sad night but we all win part of your dating I love

courting your courting was definitely didn't stay it was it was revolving around it was it was revolving around

drinking and I imagine you were in Soho all the time that's how I imagine were you in Soho where did time that's how I'm imagining, were you in Soho? Where did you go out to eat a lot? Maybe it's because your first date was in Soho

You just said our first date we ended up walking around Soho and went there's nothing here and I was kind of tentatively like what do we do now? and then you you went come back to mine.

Oh, come back to mine if you like. You can't really hear eye rolls on the podcast, but if you could, that was the biggest one ever. Yeah, I was 33. Time wasn't getting any younger. Fuck it. Let's get it done. Did you eat anything?

We had our nice dinner. You shouldn't have come home for a nightcap. You didn't use that line. No, I think I was pretty like... Let's go and do this. And then we just sat up in her flat and just chatted and listened to loads of music. And then we just stayed. By the way, he made, in our wedding speech, he made that speech.

He was like, stayed over the first night. And I was like, what are you doing? What the way, he made, in our wedding speech, he made that speech. He was like, stayed over the first night and I was like, what are you doing? Like, what do you want from the crowd at our wedding? Like,

what are you looking for? A laugh, which I got. Very good. Perfect. So, where do you like to eat? So I moved in with him

for a bit, in Shoreditch. So we ate a lot around Hackney, Shoreditch. Where would you eat in Shoreditch? Bistro Tech. It was really nice.

Oh, yeah. I haven't been there for ages. And on Columbia Road Market, La Campagna and Jones. Oh, that's the best for, like, Italian. Yeah. That's where we went for Hannah's birthday. Is that where Hannah's birthday is?

I got obsessed with Dishoom, their breakfasts. Oh, yeah. Fucking great breakfast, yeah. And then there's a little, what's the one that's on Exmouth Market that's now on... Morito. Yes, Morito.

Shit, there's the place where Bella proposed. Oh, fuck, we haven't talked about this. Just off... I can't remember what it's called. It's a really lovely little Italian... A mate of mine the other day went, oh, I found this amazing Italian... Where in Ashford?

Right off Great Eastern Street. Yeah, in Hoxton. Yeah. And they said, I went to this amazing talent last night. What's it called? I can't remember, but they said, and I went,

oh, fuck yeah, I've been there, that's where they proposed. But it's a really nice, near Great Eastern Street, around there. Yeah, between, yeah,

I can't remember the name of it. Did you know you were going to propose that night? Sort of. I thought, I woke up that morning and thought, Did you have a ring? No, so I woke up that morning and thought,

because he was about to go and do that big challenge that big um climbing mountains challenge last year oh was it the three not three peaks it was beast in the east and I remember being like he may die he might die because I'm anxious so I was like all right the worst thing that could happen die um so I woke up that morning and thought I might just go to Argos and see if I can get a ring and then I had this little there's a little square near St Paul's I was like I might just go to Argos and see if I can get a ring. And then I had this little, there's a little square near St Paul's that I was like, I might take him for a walk and take him to that square. And then I didn't go to Argos. I went and bought myself some shoes or something.

And then I, we took, we went to the square and it was shut. And I was like, okay, I'm not going to do this. And then I had one glass of wine at dinner and burst into tears and was like, I think we should get married. And he was like, yeah, cool, yeah. Because we talked about it. And then I was like, no, I think we should get married, for real. And then cried and you were like, oh, God,

like, you're being serious. So then I had to go outside and have, like, a cigarette and calm down. And then we went back inside and he sort of said, great, but, like, let's not tell anyone. No, this is the bollocks bit of the story. This is the lost in translation. So lost in translation, but I thought he was saying to me,

like, don't tell anyone and like, let's not decide yet until I get back from my trip. So in my head, it was like a... It's like he's not sure. Yeah. Meanwhile, in my head... He was like, I've got to go to bed now. See you later.

So he went to bed. Wait. And then I spent the week writing this book that I was writing, like on deadline at my mum's. And I was like, sort of think I proposed to Greg on Saturday but he didn't really say yes oh god right this sounds like a rom-com yeah my mum was like

okay well don't waste my time like come back to me don't waste my time yeah she was just like fine like I don't want to get invested in this

like just let me know so then you came back and I was like well I mean meanwhile I was doing this stupid challenge with having that amazing thing in my head whilst I was doing this stupid challenge with the having that amazing thing in

my head whilst I was doing this to get me through the whole thing but I hadn't obviously communicated that properly so I was that for comic relief a sponsored wedding um it was for sport relief yeah and sport relief yeah and uh and I had this amazing thing in my head. I was like, this is going to get me through and I'm feeling sad. But you hadn't told this to her? Well, I was having to communicate it properly. No, it's sort of been like, cool, babe, got to go to bed in like half an hour because I've got to get up and climb a mountain.

And also, let's not really talk about it or tell anyone. I was like, cool. Yeah. Well, that's the one side. Did you really propose? Why didn't you want to? No. Come to understand the notes. No, I did. I really propose why didn't you want to come to understand the notes but why didn't you want to marry me

no no I didn't that's not a direct quote that's been changed the story's changed I just said let's do it as a thing when I get back bring everyone around now

we're getting married if I survive just to make her a little more anxious I mean you're saying it like it was you planned well none of it

was planned the whole thing has been a brilliant do you wish you'd been able to get in there before to propose no definitely not he does this thing

now every time we like pass a beautiful place like that's where I would have proposed if I had the chance like literally like walk past a park and he's like that's where I was going to if I had the chance like literally like walk past a park

and he's like that's where I was going to do it even places we never thought like in Lisbon I go that monument that was where I'd planned I planned

yeah on Calton Hill in Edinburgh like a place he'd never heard of he was like I called the council and organised a fireworks display

thank you so much for being so much for coming for spending your like pretty precious time together with us. Please. It's nice.

I've got a deadline for next week, so I should be doing that. Oh, God. Hanging out with Greg. And this has been a lovely welcome, really. Mum, you loved them. I loved them. You and Bella, I could see being friends. Yeah.

Going out for Cosmos. He's very tall, isn't he? I couldn't get over how tall he was. He doesn't look tall on telly. I loved having a couple. It was fun. Maybe he just stands next to tall people usually but he was noticeably tall and clearly I've

got to get out jogging. They're both slim as pins. Yeah, I really shouldn't have brought up the fish with the peaches. Why did you do that? He did douse his peaches in cream. But it didn't taste of fish for seconds i think but jesse why would you say does this taste of fish i got the fear you've got to stop this self-doubt

sorry i am doubting myself no stop it just the pressure of this podcast little more confident for brilliant people it's you know it's getting to me well and sweeney absolutely knocked it out of the park it was delicious it was so delicious i could become a veggie eating that i wonder how long that took doesn't take long i've got the recipe okay well i loved it and i did like our oven roasted asparagus that was very good thank you producer alice that was really lovely and the peaches were a treat. Were they? They were gorgeous. They were all right. They were lovely, darling. I think that's been one of my favourite desserts.

What? Fresh raspberries, grilled peaches. Because you didn't make it, probably. Yeah, I love everything I don't make. Thank you so much to Bella Mackey and Greg James for coming on Table Manners. We're so touched that you are fans of the show. And I hope we lived up to expectations.

It felt slightly chaotic. Sorry. I felt like we were a bit tail-enders at this. Yeah. Coming in to bat at the very end. However, they have been with us for three and a half hours. Yeah, I think they enjoyed it. And do read Bella's book, Jog On.

And also, please do read Greg James' book, Kid Normal. I can't wait for my daughter to be the right age for it. Eight. Eight, yeah. About like a normal, a superhero with no superpowers. Kind of a charming couple. Power couple. Royal couple.

Royal? Almost royal, weren't they? They were lovely. Yeah, I loved them. Brilliant. Yeah. She had some good life hacks. Yes. Oh, what was the one that they told me? weren't they they were lovely yeah I loved them brilliant yeah she had some good life hacks yes

oh what was the one that they told me she said her friend said if you wouldn't want to do if you get asked to do something and you wouldn't want to do it that evening

then don't bother saying yes to it I don't know that was a very good one I like that one that's you that's a good one for me but you'd never want

to do anything except go to bed that's true yeah so I don't think that is a good one for me. But you'd never want to do anything except go to bed and drink. That's true. Yeah, so I don't think that is a good one for you. Okay, fine. The music you've listened to on Table Manners is by Peter Duffy and Pete Fraser. And Table Manners is edited by...

The wonderful Alice Williams.