Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - S8 Ep 6: Luke Evans

Episode Date: November 13, 2019

This week’s guest flew straight into mum’s kitchen from Los Angeles, where he’d been for his new film premiere, armed with his mother's banana and nut loaf! Hollywood actor and singing heart-throb, Luke Evans tells us all about his upbringing in the Welsh valleys, how he lives for a Dalston Doner kebab and who his favourite on-screen kisser is. We are treated to an award winning karaoke performance around the kitchen table, with only a 'little' wine. Encore, Encore! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to Table Manners. I'm Jessie Ware and I'm here with my mum. Hi. You may have to start doing that intro, mum. Why? Because you're a big deal. I know, darling. You're now an author. In the words of Ron Burgundy, I'd like you to know I'm kind of a big deal.

We have big news for you. We have a cookbook that is finally ready to pre-order. I'm so, so happy and excited because this is the culmination of two years, two years of working hard. The people wanted the recipes. And we have given the people what they want. And so much more. Well, we've created a cookbook called Table Manners, the cookbook. And it's got all the recipes that we've cooked for different people. It's got lots of anecdotes about our family.

It's a pretty personal cookbook, I reckon. I think it's lovely. Lots of nice pictures of you, Jess. What are you talking about? There's nice pictures of you too. What are you talking about? There's nice pictures of you too. What are you talking about? Not very nice. You chose that one with my gums. Mum, you were happy serving some food in the 80s. It was really good.

With my gums? Yeah, your metallic shoulder padded shirt is fantastic. Anyway, it's been a labour of love. And we are so proud and excited to say that the pre-order is now up today. We are so proud of it. It has taken a lot of work and nearly ruined my mother and I's relationship. Jessie, I've been very tolerant. What's better, Mum, making a cookbook with me or living with me?

Actually, they're equally tricky, darling. It's less messy actually doing the cookbook with me or living with me? Actually, they're equally... Arduous...equally tricky, darling. It's less messy actually doing the cookbook. Oh, yeah, cos I did most of it. Oh, sorry. That is just not true. Whose recipes are they, Jessie? Whose words are they? Mother, we are the Lennon and McCartney of cookbooks. The order on Waterstones, the first 2,000 copies ordered,

are going to be signed by us i've never signed actually 2 000 names on a book don't worry mom i'll show you how it's done okay thanks darling is that a john lewis and partners number mom yes it is darling it's gorgeous isn't it yeah it's gorgeous you look very lovely that personal shopping was one of the best experiences I've had in a long time well mum I'm sorry you were so anti-going I know you kind of effed and blind before we got there saying I know what I suit I don't want to go then I met Adrian oh Adrian was so sweet he was so lovely helped me look at lovely things that I would never have chosen and I ended up with this beautiful talk he knew how to tame the wild beast I don't know about that but he did introduce me to things

that I would never have considered next thing you knew after you being like no no no I don't want to be here I know what I like you were hand in hand eating him eating out of his hand darling yeah so we've got Luke Evans tonight big star star. Yeah. Great singer. Hollywood. Baby. So I'm going to try and impress him a little bit with one of my John Lewis and Partners numbers. Well, you do look fabulous. I'm wearing one of the, I mean, obviously I didn't go as Vavavumi as you when I was going for my personal shopping. So I've got a comfy jumper on, which I do like. But it is beautiful. It is it's gorgeous yeah I feel a bit like a Stacey Dooley in it my look today is a bit Stacey Dooley okay which I'm very very happy about mine's a bit Kim Kardashian thank you Adrian the

lovely lovely man who was my personal stylist I felt he gave me a little more attention than you darling. Because you needed him. Okay. I actually really don't like shopping at all. Neither do I. I find it really stressful. So actually John Lewis & Partners, it always makes me happier because everything's a one shop stop and it makes me happy that you can get everything in the same place. I can't believe how many different ranges they have.

I know actually. It's just everything I'd ever want to wear. It was really lovely and not stressful. There was a calmness about it. Yeah, I really, actually. It's just everything I'd ever want to wear. It was really lovely and not stressful. There was a calmness about it. Yeah, I really enjoyed it. Luke Evans is an actor, but has now become a recording artist and has done a cover of Say You Love Me on his album. Wow.

I know, he's got a beautiful voice, as you would expect from a Welsh man. Yeah. What have we got on the menu tonight? You said you wanted something warm and comforting. So I've made beef stafado with rice and veggies and afterwards, not done this

before, I've made a Moroccan orange blossom cake. Where I drizzled a syrup over the top. So we're going to have that with ice cream and creme fraiche. Oh yes. The gorgeous Luke Evans coming up on table manners. Hi, nice to see you. How's things?

Really good. Good. Have you met my mum? I just met Lenny. Oh, bless you. Some wine. Thank you. This is from my mum? I just met Lenny. Oh bless you. Some wine. Thank you. This is from my mum.

Oh my god, what? What is it? Cake. Your mum has brought... Yeah, so she makes... she's a really great baker. Oh. Good, because we're not. Oh really?

Yeah. Well I've been listening to your podcast, I know you cook well. Well, yeah mum, shut up, we just announced a bloody pre-order of the cookbook so don't worry i saw a nice kebab shop on the way down so if i'm hungry i'll stop on the way back up so yeah so she always cooks great cakes i i know how to bake what i used to probably can't do anymore but when we were growing up we used to have like a tech we have a terraced house they're still in the same house where and have a terraced house. They're still in the same house. Where is it? Abba Bargoed in South Wales. Right. And the kitchen was just one wall like that, one bar, and then there was a wall.

And as a kid, I used to pretend we were on a cooking show. Right. So I used to pretend I had cameras. And my mother was my assistant. Her name's Yvonne, and I used to call her Doreen. Oh, my God. My assistant, Doreen. And she used to go with it.

She'd put all the measurements of the flour in the bowls. You know, we'd measure it all out. So you know what they do on... They just go, this is 300 grams of... Love it. Three ounces of this, and then you mix it up. So that's how I learned to cook. So she's made this.

And to act and perform? Oh, no. No, I don't know where that came from. It certainly didn't come from her. She can't act for that. She can't act for toffee. Or sing. She can't do anything. Oh, Or sing. She can't do anything.

She's a great cook, though. And a very interesting woman. So what have you brought us? So she made this and she puts it in my fridge. And she said, you need to take them. Because she dropped them off when I was at home. Bless her. So she slices them all into one piece.

She loves wrapping things. We've had tinfoil and then individually cling-filmed slices. And she wraps them up. It's banana, walnut, sultanas. Not allergies. No. Nut allergies. There's none of them in this house.

And there's ground hazelnuts, almonds. So what's it called? Is it Welsh? It's not bad at birth. It's Doreen's. Doreen's. Doreen's. Doreen's Delight.

Oh, my God. Thank you so much, Doreen. It was frozen. Yvonne. Yvonne. I hate the way I said that. Thank you, Yvonne. That is so sweet of you.

We let it defrost because she cuts them into slices and puts them in my freezer. Oh, my God. No, she's too much. How sweet. It's really good. So, oh, my God. That's the kind of thing I'd expect of you as a Jewish mother, but you actually, you don't go to this level. A Welsh Jewish mother.

Is she Jewish? No. She's just a Welsh mother who likes to feed you? No, she's a Welsh Jehovah's Witness mother, I think. Oh, really? Yeah, I was brought up as a Jehovah's Witness. Were you? Yeah.

Are you still? No, they are, though. Yeah, I was a Jehovah's Witness for 16 years. So you never had a birthday? No, my first birthday was when I was 18. And I had the guilt, even though I hadn't been a witness for like two years, this strange, you know, thinking,

oh God, this is weird. You call it Christmases or Easter or... No, they don't celebrate any of the kind of celebrations. No, no, because a lot of them... Did they mind that you left? I think they were a little worried because I was so young. I was like 16 when I left home. You left home at 16 to pursue acting or just to get out?

No, just wanted to get out. I felt like I was ready and I was itching to just get on with my life. And so I moved to Cardiff. And they went, yeah, I'm the only child as well. So, you know. But they always knew I was very ambitious and I was very driven, very opinionated, very like, I always never felt like I fitted into the valley life, you know.

I love the whales, but it just didn't feel like me. Whenever we used to come to London to see a show or just getting on that train in Hemel Hempstead or St. Albans, you know, and then you'd catch the Underground, you'd go Underground, then you'd come up in Piccadilly Circus, and my heart rate would go up. Yeah, mine goes out of stress and nerves, like half standard.

See, I was the opposite. Didn't you live next door to Tom Jones or something? No. In the Valleys. Luckily enough, he didn't have to live next to us. No, he's not far from us, though. But then you're never far away. Not really, exactly, yeah.

The Valleys is a very small place. So you've just got off a plane today from L.A.? I went to L.A. It's Thursday today, right? So I left Monday morning to go to L.A. And then we had a premiere on Tuesday night for a movie called Midway that I'm in. Okay, amazing.

Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid. Oh, amazing. Is it action or comedy? It's Midway. It's the Battle of Midway, which was a big battle, naval battle in the Second World War between America and Japan.

It's like, it's Roland Emmerich who did Independence Day. Oh, wow. 2012, you know, that kind of patriotic. Big blockbuster. What do you play? I play the Lieutenant Commander Wade McCluskey. The handsome one. Actually, he wasn't that handsome in real life. None of them were, really.

Back in the day. I mean, it looks chained, doesn't it? But he definitely wasn't a looker. It wasn't like Madame Butterfly. No. Madame Butterfly. He's supposed to be gorgeous and he meets this woman, doesn't he? And you know what? The modern version of Madame Butterfly. What is it? Miss Saigon. Oh, yeah. i've never seen it i played chris in this show

you didn't oh yeah oh my god yeah so what did what was your first my first show i was 20 and i left college two months before my graduation to play the juvenile lead in a musical called La Cava, which was a fictional and factual tale about the Moorish invasion of Spain in 7-11. But it was based on a love story. You always get a bloody invasion, don't you? Bloody hell. I love a good war. I love an invasion. good war but it was about the girl that sort of had enough fell in love with the king of the son of the king of Morocco and caused this huge uproar it's a beautiful good song there was a lyric that was he was a prince he was a god

and I worship the ground which he trod oh it was a dream that came true I was no older Florinda than you I mean it's a bit rhyming cup the story itself was written by a woman called Dana Broccoli who was the wife of cubby broccoli who created bond bond yeah so they had lots of money and they admit the set was amazing but for me was college started at the palace in Victoria then he went to the Bromley Churchill Churchill Bromley then to the and the set was amazing but for me it was like I came from college started at the Palace in Victoria then I went to Bromley, Churchill Churchill, Bromley

then to the Victoria Palace and then it ended up in the Piccadilly Theatre so okay so you were like musical theatre yeah

so now it makes sense that why has it taken you so long to release your own material then well it's not my own material it's other people's hell but like

you know it's your first album but I'm covering people's stuff and including me you're so cute i was like they just they told me this like when we were like you know getting ready for this and i was like are you actually kidding me that's amazing and i can't do this beautiful thank you have you heard it yes it's gorgeous really yeah i was like last night for swear you've got budget for trumpets and I didn't have fucking budget for trumpets so I love that

it's a beautiful I mean let's get it out now I'm a massive fan of your music your voice everything that you do is

just tell me more it plucks all my heartstrings oh stop and I often sing to it and I add new harmonies to your songs when I'm singing them in the car. I do it all the time. And so when I was trying to find a list of my favorite tracks that meant something to me,

that has moved me or the lyrics mean something, yours definitely do. I was like, well, I have to sing this song, you know. Thank you. And that was it. That's why it's there. And I just hope I've done it justice. Oh, my God, absolutely. I'm so...

Is it weird listening to a man singing this track? I quite like it. Because it totally... I think it works quite well for me. It works really well, yeah. It's a good performance song as well when you really... You deliver. Yeah.

So which other songs have you covered? So I've covered Turn Back Time by Cher. Oh my God, did you see her? No, I was away. Did Diane Warren write that? Diane Warren wrote it. I didn't know that she wrote that. Yeah, and obviously, you know, we all know it as Cher's song

because she made that massive one on the battleship with all the sailors. So we basically stripped it right back to the lyrics and then we slowed it right down. Oh, nice. right back to the lyrics and then we slowed it right down and turned it into quite a sort of mournful melancholic sense regretful moody you know if i could turn back yeah and it i relate to them all in in a certain way they're all about love is it a heartbreak on this album quite a lot of it have you been heartbroken um oh, yeah, definitely. He's romantic. I'm sure you've broken hearts. You're romantic. Yeah.

I don't know. You'd have to ask. I don't know. I really don't know. I guess, yeah, I'm 40 years old. I mean, I've had plenty of experiences of relationships and falling in love and then it not working out. But I also think that turn back time is really much about regret.

You can't turn back time. You can only look forward. But the song is about, if I could, what would I do different? I didn didn't mean to do this I didn't mean to say that I you got me wrong I didn't mean you know and it's actually when you hear the song when it shares plays it you get so into the the chorus you don't listen to the lyrics as much and when you take it all away and you listen to it's like this is a really sad beautiful and regretful song with a really powerful lyric. So then, OK, so tell me, you went from doing, you left home at 16. You moved to Cardiff.

Yeah, got to Cardiff. Started singing lessons. OK, so that was the first thing. Yeah. So singing was your first love? Yeah, yeah. Ah. started singing lessons okay so that was the first thing yeah so singing was your first love yeah yeah 15 pounds a week from my um river island wage i love that i was worked in the shoe department and uh it was a christmas temp and i stayed and got the job and then i kept 15 pounds and she was the same singing teacher with charl. Amazing. So Charlotte, you're the same.

I do. Yeah, well, I did. I don't know her so well now, but we still know each other. Have you had a cheeky bimp time with her? Oh, that was when I sort of lost touch with her. That was when I moved to London. So that was at 16. She's got, then she's carried on doing her thing.

I moved to London and studied there for three years at the London Studio Centre. Oh, OK. So that's how I got out of the valleys, really. But my mum and dad have always looked at me and gone, he's going to do his own thing whether we support him or not. He has got his dream and that's it. And they've just supported me, even though it probably wasn't what they would have wanted.

What do you mean? Well, you know, they would like me to have stayed in the religion and, you know, and been part of that. What, become a priest or something? Well, yeah. Not priest, they don't have them. But, you know, like, developed in the religion. An elder, yeah. You know what?

It was funny, because we had Deborah Frances White on, who does a podcast called The Guilty Feminist. Oh, yeah. And she left The Witnesses. She's Australian. Yeah. She left when she was about 18, I think, maybe. But she found when she was part of The Witnesses, all the role play that you would do

to try and encourage people to join, she really enjoyed it. And it really built her comedy up. Absolutely. And her performance up. And so she felt like it. And it really built her comedy up. Absolutely. And her performance up. And so she felt like it was really helpful for her career. Well, also you have to learn to speak in public. You know, every couple of weeks I would get a, you know,

like next week you're going to read a bit of the Bible. You're going to have to talk about it and what this part of the Bible means to you. So you have to write your own script. And then you'd stand in front of 200 people on a Thursday night or a Sunday or whatever. And you'd have to speak to them. You have to learn how to present yourself, be clear. And then you'd get critiqued. So then you'd have to learn on work on empathy or illustrations or gestures. So it was very specific. So in a way, you know, I would not say any of that kind, that upbringing had any detrimental effect on what I ended up doing.

And, you know, having a door slammed in your face on the door-to-door work, which happened regularly, was a great prep for, you know, thick skin as an actor, which you always get. So that's what you'd be doing. You'd be knocking on doors and trying to encourage people to join. All right, puss. And this is Prince, who's the most attention seeking it's gorgeous I love animals so much you have any no face no I don't I travel too much and I really wish I didn't because I'd love a dog I love a dog never had one do you live in London when you're in England yeah so when I'm back I live in Dalston that's where I was I've moved I

love it I've never seen you in East London that's so well I was there until no I'm not there a lot but I I love the area when I'm home if I was a dot on a on a little map I literally just move like just around the street you know like i don't go outside of that i think it's really good especially if you're like it's not i mean i found it quite exhausting once i had like a family because i think it's a different vibe when you've got kids but like i think it's such a fun place to go out everything's so accessible there good food great. Great food, lovely little bars, nice markets on a weekend. You know, the whole place comes alive from, like, Thursday to Sunday.

You've got street markets. Jessie, it was alive for you every single day of the bloody... Every single night was alive for me. Boy, oh, boy. It was very noisy. So do you cook? I hear from our mutual friend, Holly, that you like to host dinner parties. I do.

I'm a really good cook. Are you? Well... Shit. Well, what'm a really good cook are you well no no no not like I just like cooking and I really enjoy the process and I love I also think the communal experience of cooking is what I enjoy as well so if there's a kitchen in one room and then everyone's in another I wouldn't enjoy it because I'd feel like I was missing out because I'm very nosy and very Welsh you know so I've got like an island in my house and everybody stands around the island and I cook so when was the last time you had a dinner party um oh it was a while ago it was a while ago but I did yeah so I went and bought um two shoulders of lamb, which I then stuck rosemary all in it, and I wrapped them, I tied them up, big two joints like this.

I cooked them, I roasted potatoes, I steamed peas, because they're my favourites, carrots, broccoli, Yorkshire puddings. Oh, it was a roast? Yeah, full-on roast. I love roasts. Made my own apple sauce, no, mint sauce, sorry. I've done apple, it was a roast? Yeah, full-on roast. I love roasts. Made my own apple sauce. No, mint sauce, sorry.

I've done apple, because the other one I do is pork belly, which you just go at the top, rub the salt in, and... Get that crack in. So, is roast your favourite? I like roast, because they remind me of... When you're away, you know, because I've just been in Hungary for... Yeah, you can't get proper roast. They don't do it. It's just not their thing.

Why have you been in Hungary? Because I was shooting a TV show called The Alienist, which is like the second season of the show I did for Netflix. Well, it's not Netflix. It's actually TNT in America. It's made for, but then Netflix buys it for the rest of the world. And Dakota Fanning's in it? That's right. So it's me, Dakota, and Daniel Brougham. I need to watch that.

It looks like Gangs of New York. It looks like a movie. I mean, it's high production. Yeah. It's been great. But, you know, six months in Hungary

in Budapest, which is a beautiful city. Is it goulash? A lot of goulash. But they're a little bit more European now so you can get a lot more but they still,

their cuisine is part of who they are. Yeah, it's kind of European, fill your belly up, keep yourself warm. And in the summer it doesn't change. So there's a lot of dumplings.

It's stew and dumplings and, you know. I wish I hadn't done a stew tonight. I love stew. No, I love stew. It's stafado. It's beef stafado. So it's like, it's Greek stew. It's got lots of cinnamon and chalice.

Yeah, it'll be good. Sounds amazing. I'm a big fan of it. But so, I mean, look at you. You're like, you're a tonk. It's a lot of stew. It's a lot of goulash, isn't it? But like, you'll be good. That was amazing. I'm a big fan of it. But so, I mean, look at you. You're like, you're a tonk. It's a lot of stew. It's a lot of goulash in here. But like, you just work out every minute.

You must work out. I do train a lot. Well, not a lot. I train every day. What do you mean you train a lot? I train every day. But sometimes I'll... Have you trained today?

I trained in LA before I left, yeah. But I got up this morning. So that was like yesterday? Yeah, it was like 20 hours ago. Yeah, yeah. Sweet. So I got up early because of the time difference. You're up at the crack of dawn, you know, before the sun comes up.

So I get up and then I go up to the canyons, Runyon Canyon. Do you run it? No, no, no. But I drive up there, park, and then I just hike up really quickly. The really steep bit. So you get completely exhausted. Have a look at the view, which is incredible, and then walk down the road and then do it again.

I want to ask, kind of growing up, and we've talked about your family a little bit, but how was food, like how did dinner times work in the Evans household? So my mum always cooked. She was a housewife. Yeah. So in the valleys of South Wales,

very working class family, okay? Very working class. Mum and dad both come, mum and dad are both twins just by chance they're both how weird did they marry did the others marry the other twin no no my dad they both have sisters my dad and my mom but um very working class i would say low to middle working class, big families, not a huge amount of choice of food in the valleys when they were kids. And so my mum's a lot of anything really, spam, ham, you know, mashed potatoes and stuff like that. Jesse, leave everything. But as you, as when I was a kid, I remember like my mum would cook beef

and she, because the beef wasn't great, the joint wasn't good, you'd have to really cook it. Yeah. You have to. To be able to cut it. You have to cook it so it's well done. Yeah, everything was well done. Then when I moved to London,

all of a sudden, you know, like trying a steak that had, that was pink in the middle and, you know, you're tasting truffle and, and I thought, okay, there's lots more to, you know,

and then you go to a supermarket honestly like we used to shop at a place called quicksave so quicksave was where we used to shop can you imagine and then they brought out the no frills quicksave as if it isn't no frills enough but you know that's how I was brought up and I don't blame my mom for not being a brilliant cook she didn't have great materials to cook with but then they brought out a Morrison's and then they used to

come to London and when they came to London, I would take them to a restaurant and I would say to my dad, Dad, not well done, you're not going to have

a fillet steak and cost £30 and you're going to have it well done, you have to have it medium. Oh Luke, I don't know, it's pink in the middle,

I don't know, a bit of blood, I don't know, I'm not sure. So just try it and you know and now we've you know they've embraced sushi

I think in Chinatown we have dumplings you know my mother will eat anything my dad's a bit picky but every time he says oh your mother your father wouldn't eat that

I put it in front of my dad and he'll try it and sometimes he'll go through you know taste things he's never tasted before so through my experience and the broader world that I live in, they've been able to experience

a lot more culinary things that they would never have got to taste in the valley. So you're a Welsh boy from the valleys. And you're organic now, like LA, very LA. Organic? Yeah, do you any... Only if it tastes better. If it doesn't taste better...

Avocado's on toast now in the morning. I do like avocado. I wouldn't do it myself. Oh, bloody hell, you've let the side do like avocado. I wouldn't do it myself. Oh, bloody hell, you've let the side down. No, I wouldn't do it myself. Of course, I wouldn't let the side down. It's lush.

I bet your mum doesn't have avocado on toast. No, my mother would. Yvonne would not be having that, I'm telling you. Yvonne would have porridge on top of that. Of course they do. And I bought them a juicer, because I think... Have they used it? No.

Yeah, you know, they do. They do, they're really good. They never used to... Don't get them a bullet. Well, no, that's not... Well, it? No. Yeah. You know, they do. They do. They're really good. They never used to... Don't get them a bullet. Well, no, that's not... What's pointless is neutral. It only serves one person. Yeah.

You know, it's not... It's fine if you're on your own. But if you're making a juice, you can't... Two times washing that out? Oh, thanks. That's such a good point. We do...

I have juices. So I've just done... I've been working 14 hours a day for six months. In Budapest? And on weekends, I was flying home to record the album I really I was the right kind of structure of my week to get ill you know because

I was pushing myself to the limit and I was I did juices every morning and um Jamie my assistant he's my best friend travels with me and we have vegetable carrots beetroots apple celery and ginger pint of every morning touch wood i haven't been ill since last year do you want me to serve this out here yes i think so all right then so okay so what was the typical okay so a typical meal with your mom was quite well done meat well done beef but she used to make great gammon. Oh, yeah. Gammon and chips and egg, pineapple. Oh, nice. She loves a good chili. She'd make a good lasagna. What, like chili con carne?

Yeah, shepherd's pie, lasagna. She loves to make a good roast. Now she's a really good cook. Like, now I go home and she surprises me. I'm like, what's this? And she's like, well, I watched this thing the other day and I tried it out. She also makes these like,

so you know when you're on Instagram, I'm obsessed with food videos on Instagram, Facebook. You know when they come up? Oh yeah, I know. And it obviously works on an algorithm. So I don't just see one. I see like a hundred. You're kind of hypnotic, aren't you?

Yeah. And I love watching these ones. And every time I see something, I go. Like lasagna cake or something. What about those apple slices and they make them into a rose inside a little and then put some sugar

on the top so I watched it one day and I was like my mother could make that so I copied the video sent it to my mother on WhatsApp and said

try and make these and within two days she sent me a picture bag and she went what do you think and she made them oh my god she made them

I actually think yeah she's so clever that's the thing about mum and dad they you give them a task and they'll work out how to do it

and they now have Google and YouTube and all that and they're so clever with it so I mean you

you left at 16 thank you you left at 16 that's a very small portion of it so she's trying to say something. Yeah, Jesus, Mum. I thought I was hungry.

No, it's delicious. But you left home at 16, but you were still so close with your family. Every day we speak. Every single day. And they must just be kind of, it must be quite bizarre for them that you've turned into this mega Hollywood star.

I don't know whether it's me, but I feel like they take it quite well in their stride. I mean, they are... I think when they have a moment when they go, oh, God, yeah, he is that person, is when somebody else reminds them of it. To them, I'm still... Because I am...

Darling, would you like more, given the desks that I've underdone you? There is more. If there is more, I'll have more. Yes, you'll have it. See? It's very hot. Mum, you've never not love you. Go on then. You'll have it. See? It's very hot. Mum, you've never not given enough.

Darling, I was trying to be delicate because he eats in a sunset tower. It's in America. Look, there we go. I wasn't quite sure. There is more if you need it as well. Oh, that's beautiful. Look at those onions. Yeah.

Shallots. Shallots, yeah. I love a good shallot. So they kind of, did they come out to Los Angeles with you or not? No, I mean, I don't live there, so I'm only there maybe for a premiere. I took them to the last premiere we went to was, what would it have been? You want to put some...

God, I don't even remember. It was a premiere, I think, the last time they came my shit sorry he's drinking the other one I don't I'm just happy to be home and tired I'm going to be getting my dinner cooked for me and chance of lovely people and right last meal let's go my love you meal you know the drill let's go oh well it's it's a real it's a toss-up between two things and i'm gonna be judged on one yeah really badly if i choose it but i think i probably would choose it and it's really bad but i would probably go for where's my last meal and then I'm gonna die, right?

You'll have a part of it on turn. I'm gonna kill you. It'd be an extra large kebab. What, doner? Yeah. I love you. With crunchy salad, like cabbage. I do like that. And loads of the green pickled chilies.

Are we going doner from Dalston or are we going... Doner from Dalston. He's in Dalston. Donna? Elephant leg. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I understand that. I completely understand that.

Is there one in Dalston that you like? Yeah, there's loads. I could go, I could go like four or five. So you go to Dalston for a Turkish, but you get the donna. I fucking love you. You're like the only remaining person that I know that gets Donners, but I'm here for it. Oh, I am finished. There's no Donners in LA.

You've got to have chips with it. Yeah. And then I would douse the whole thing in vinegar. Like a load of malt vinegar. No, I've really gone. I'm confused now. Home. Okay, so I love eating.

Yeah, and then I'd have sticky toffee pudding and custard for dessert. Okay, so sticky toffee pudding and custard for dessert. Okay, so sticky toffee pudding and custard for dessert. Anywhere that you've particularly had it, a brilliant one, your mother? Well, no. No, she doesn't make, she's not good at the old, like the runny dessert.

She's much more of a cake person. So she was a Victoria sponge, fairy cakes, barabrith, and Fruit Loaf, which I hated because I never used... I had a real food problem

when I was a kid. Why? I wouldn't eat anything. I wouldn't eat the things other kids eat. What were the restrictions with Jehovah's Witnesses? Not food-wise.

No, they wouldn't have... Well, they don't do... They don't take blood transfusions or any sort of blood. So your food would be cooked well. But that doesn't really have much to do with the food, though. Oh, you wouldn't eat black pudding because that's congealed blood, isn't it? So what is the issue about blood? It's sacred.

Blood is the life force. It was God-given and it was not yours to... I mean, it just not yours to I mean it just goes back to the Israelites did you see the children act oh with

Emma Thompson yeah because that was about I watched a bit of it yeah it's a bit too close to home

yeah got to be in a good place for that one right do you have good table manners? Yeah, I do, yeah. I think you do.

What's your worst table manner in other people? Well, I have, it's actually a phobia. My mum and dad are going to laugh so hard. It's not ASM. What's that? Is it called ASM? Yeah. It's ASMR.

Where you can't, ASMR.'s not that's the thing that people like get like oh they get they like it yes i don't get turned on by this okay so imagine three people in a in a in a house me my mom and dad so my mom and dad are they love their food i didn't love my food so there was a lot of the time where there was nothing in my mouth when I was a kid they'd be eating and I'd be like pushing the pee around my plate going I can't eat that I just hated food and all I could hear was them eating and that that noise that called me miso miso yeah I have it I have it very badly you can't bear It's called misoph... Misotopia. I have it. I have it very badly.

You can't bear people... I can't hear this. If I'm doing something myself, I can put up with it. If I'm... If there's nothing going on in my ears and all I can hear is... That... Oh, God! You're just giving me the shivers. You don't like it either?

So your partner has got good table manners, obviously. Yeah. Or you just can't. Yeah, say he is okay. It's all right. I want to know, you're always the heartthrob. You're quite a lot of the time the heartthrob. Darling, my heart is throbbing. I thought you were going to say something. You've got a throb on there.

I've got a throb on there. But is it quite like hard work? No, it's ridiculous. The whole thing is ridiculous. It's all... You also have... You're the heartthrob. You also like, you know,

you get all these women that you're kissing and you have to, you know, and it's kind of... Who's your favourite leading woman? Who's been your favourite kisser? I did do a great sex scene in the shower once. With who? Itting girl on the Train.

Yes, I remember it. That's hot. That was bloody full on. Yes, it was quite full on. We got really drunk that night. Did you? So, yeah. So, the director was really cool.

He's the guy that did the help, who I love. Tate Taylor, his name is. And he was like, y'all, if y'all want to get drunk, you go here. I'll provide the alcohol. You just go drink. So, I was like, okay, we'll get drunk. And she I'll provide the alcohol you just go drink so I was like okay well we get drunk and she was very very fun we knew that it was gonna have to be full-on and Tate was in the other room and we're all doing in the shower and he was singing we were singing Lion King singing? As we are, we sing. My daughter will come down and sing with Cora. She loves it.

And I'll lift my son up like Simba. And we were singing Lion King while dry humping in the shower. Oh my God. It was so funny. It was brilliant though. It sounds really fun. Close to it. It was very funny. What's your karaoke song, Luke? Oh yes. It's Queen. Which one? Oh right, ambitious, Luke.

March Jesus. Which one? Your falsetto must be amazing. Yeah, go on. I want to hear it. Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time. I feel alive. And the world is gonna be my home.

I'm gonna have a good time. I'm gonna have a good time. I'm gonna have a good time. I'm gonna have a good time. I'm gonna have a good time. I'm gonna have a good time. I'm gonna have a good time. I'm gonna have a good time. I'm gonna have a good time. I'm gonna have myself a real good time. I feel alive. And the world turning inside out. Flying around in ecstasy. So don't stop me now.

Don't stop me cause I'm having a good time You know yeah, I always try and go on after somebody's son a Celine Dion track because everybody's feeling really like Hard will go on it will go on let me say you Need to choose a good what's your I hate karaoke I'll show you. Oh, my God. Jessie, you need to choose a good karaoke song. What's yours, Jessie? I hate karaoke.

Come on. I hate it. I hate it. Seriously. I love it. You can't do it yourself or you hate watching other people do it? I've got a phobia from it

from mum at Club Med when I was 15 saying, darling, sing. I did make an audition for the X Factor. Whitney Houston. Which one? I Want to Dance with Somebody and I literally, the fear of God, and I was like, I for the X Factor. You made me do Whitney Houston. Which one? I want to dance with somebody. And I literally, the fear of God, and I was like,

I want to dance with somebody. I want to feel the heat with somebody. Jessie, what did you sing? It was horrendous. What did you sing on your X Factor audition? Until You Come Back to Me. But I didn't get through. What song is that?

Oh, Until You Come Back to Me. Thank God you didn't get through. This is it My mum made me go for it when I was 18 She was doing Ray Levels as well And I had like I was trying to revise

She's got a great voice She has got a great voice Your things have worked out That was not your journey though Thank God No, it's great That was not your journey That was not my journey

I've just come from LA I can say that No, it's great It's a reed dog. Tess, you're going to get pudding. No, but I want to try a Vons first. I think we should all try a little bit of a Vons. So open up one of these cling film slices,

and then we'll just have some. She worked out that you can freeze them, and they don't lose any of their moisture yeah yeah all right what else do you have in your freezer that your mum's like frozen for you just this for now you can see all the different nuts like this lovely the walnut walnuts yeah banana and it's not bad is it and then she's really pretty it's a work of art she got this from Greggs. It's a work of art. I think she bought this from, she got this from Greggs, no? It's a work of art.

Have you taken a picture of this? Yvonne's banana, what do you call it? Well, I said, do you want to give it a name? She's like, no, I'll just call it walnut and banana bread. But it ain't bread, and it certainly isn't just walnut. She said there's ground almonds, and there's chunks of hazelnuts, and sultanas, and everything.

I love that. Hold on, let's have a little bit of that. Well, I don't know whether this is any good or not. Look at that! I don't know that it's any good. What is this? It's a Moroccan orange blossom cake. But it might be shit.

Yvonne, you're a good baker. Is she? I'm going to taste it. Come on then, Doreen. Let's have a little taste. Doreen. I love this image of you having your own system. Well, I just always thought Doreen was such a funny name. And I'd be like, my assistant Doreen. I love this image of you. Well I just always thought Doreen was such a funny word funny name and I'd be like my assistant Doreen. It's laughing as I'm actually getting her to weigh out the. I love this sort of taste. Nice right. With a nice cup of tea. Have the last one.

Thank you Doreen. She's Yvonne darling. I know. No. Tonight she's Doreen. So where are some of your other favourite restaurants in London? I love J. Sheiky's. I've never been there. It's great. Quite good fun. It's an institution. Great Fish is obviously famous for its fish.

I'm a big fan of that. I love Bistro Tech. I haven't been to Bistro Tech for years. Do you want to try some of this? Try it? I want to eat half of it. I don't even know what it's like. Oh come on. Because I've never made it before.

Do you? Did you cook this upside down and then...? No, I drizzled syrup on it. Which might work or might not. It's gonna work. It's just over dark. Explain to me how you cook this then. It's just ground almonds and eggs

and orange blasts of... Send this to Yvonne. Oh mum, it's got a full of flavour. It's absolutely delicious. Oh good. It's quite easy though. You've nailed it. Jessie. I'm sorry, it's not easy. It's been slated away. It's easy. Luke Evans, thank you so much for coming over

when you've just got off a plane, bringing the most delicious wine chatting the most about food thank you to Von your dear mother for freezing slices of banana and nut cake that was delicious

fabulous gorgeous honestly you've actually really cheered me up I was in such a bad mood before you turned up honestly

I thought you were going to be furious because I was late oh no we weren't worried about that no I forgive you you know you were 15 minutes late but I forgive you. You know, you were 15 minutes late, but I forgive you because you're charming.

And I hate being late. Jessie, I've fallen in love. Have you? I've got room in the car. Okay. No, she won't go to Dalston. She fucking hates me. She won't.

Believe me. Mum? Yes, darling? I'm happy again. He had such a good appetite. Good appetite. I love a man with a good appetite. Great guest. Enthusiastic and fun.

And a bit naughty and just good fun. And brought a great bottle of wine. Really good. Have we nearly finished it? No. Oh. I'm going to try tonight. Oh my god. Well, Luke Evans, we are so happy to have had you on

the podcast. We really, really had such a fun night really really needed that. I had such a fun night. It was such a bad move with my husband before this. So that was just lovely. I feel like a pop star. Yeah, why? Because I've got those mics that go on round your head

and into your mouth as if you're going to do dance and sing at the same time. We're gonna fight, fight, fight fight for this love. We're gonna fight, fight, fight, fight for this love. We're like Cheryl. Yep. Or Janet. Does Lizzo have one of these?

I think so, the juice. Well, we're trying them out, so it's a little bit of a different sound potentially. So thank you, Sennheiser, for delivering these goodies to us and letting us try them out. Let us know what you think about the sound quality thank you for listening if you are enjoying table manners still after eight seasons uh please rate us and subscribe and please jesse's stop swearing i have i've been trying to not swear as much

haven't i yes and we're not interrupt so they can all those people that are very nasty can sod off. I've taken heed. Table Manners is produced by Alice Williams and from all of us here in Clapham. No star, yacky da. Yacky da. Good night in Welsh. Is that right? It's thank you and good night.

Say it again? No star, yucky dar. I like it.