Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - Second Helpings - Aisling Bea

Episode Date: July 30, 2025

We may be on our summer break but we thought we’d delve into the Table Manners archive and relive some of our favourite episodes from 17 wonderful series! Up first is the gorgeous Aisling Bea who joined us in February 2020. We had been trying to nail down a recording with Aisling ever since we became friends on a Love Island WhatsApp group. I had laughed and swooned at her wit and grace from afar for a while so it was a total pleasure to offer a hoodie and a green tea to Irish actress writer and all round hilarious human, Aisling Bea. And thank God she came, if only to explain the meaning of 'dogging' to mum. We chat Irish whisky, plane food, Love Island (of course) sustainability and nibbling on toasted pecans. Aisling is the sharpest cheddar on the board and god we love her! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Hello and welcome to Second Helpings with me, Jessie Ware and Lenny. I'm here. You're here. We've just rounded off our biggest season, Table Manners, but we thought we wouldn't stay away for too long. So we thought we'd remind you of some of the fantastic guests we've had over the years. So first up, we have the phenomenal Aisling B, who makes me laugh like no one else. Her and Alan Carr.

Jessie, I remember that episode. I think you were onwell. I had COVID. Do you think? Yeah. It was January, 2020. Yeah, and you had to drag, I'd been in bed for three days and you dragged me downstairs to do the recording. Oh God, an awful human being. Yeah. So yeah, it was series nine with Aisling,

who's an actor, comedian and writer. I was living with you, mum, because I was having a renovation done on the house. Little did we know that we'd be locked down for two years after that. Aisling is a pescatarian so I made salmon fillets with panko breadcrumbs and chili and ginger and spring onions which I think was a recipe that producer Alice had given me. No it's mine. It's in our cookbook. Oh it's in our cookbook.

And I tasted it at someone's house and then made it up. And then we served it with mashed sweet potato with ginger and orange zest and pak choi. God, we should do that one again. That sounds delicious. And we knew that she wasn't a pudding person. So we had a cheese board instead. Did we? Yeah, I don't remember any of it.

You were ill. I was terribly ill, I think. I hope she was all right after. I had just had a facial. I just had micro-needling. So my face was bright red, but this was before we did visuals, so thank God. Aisling came over to talk about lots of things, but I was such a fan of This Way Up. But she'd just been in a Netflix series with the gorgeous Paul Rudd, who I would love to have on.

It was called Living With Yourself. So here it is, Aisling B on Second Helpings. ["The Second Helpings"] Aisling B, you've arrived on a Thursday night. Classic me. You've asked for a hoodie to be a bit more comfy I just needed to chill out you're drinking yeah I'll get your PJs on too. I can run you a bath. Oh can we do it from the back imagine you guys serving me salmon in the bath. Salmon in the bath it would be very like a circle

of life wouldn't it you're like there go little salmon, back to where you began. But yeah, you're drinking a green tea, it's January and we're all trying to be good to ourselves. So when I was texting you, now I've got your number through this Love Island WhatsApp group. God, for a second I thought you meant you were like, I've got your number mate, I know where you're up to. And I was like, all right, Jessie, bit of an aggressive,

oh, but no, you literally, you do have my number. No, I actually do have your number. What is it then, go on, but I am I I kind of did the thing of like can't wait to meet you because I actually feel like you're the nearest I've got to a tinder date because I know you mean because we've never met each other yeah yeah yeah so well yeah I've seen your humor I've heard your voice and voice notes I've danced and wiggled my arse many times to your voice oh so like we have and wiggled my arse many times to your voice.

Oh, thank you so much. And then we met each other on our Love Island WhatsApp group. I know. And we're both active on it. And I think neither you nor I, correct me if I'm wrong, ever realized how many people are actually on the Love Island WhatsApp group. Yeah, it's quite a lot, isn't it?

I thought there were about 12 people on it. And... Probably 70. Oh, like it's now up to 92 92 and there are a lot of people who are watching quietly on our love and I didn't know and I was I think maybe change a group oh it's very it's too late now it's not there is an exclusive group that I'm not in Jesse oh no you can't be like hey guys can we stop this one off it's like love asking to be respected or told that you're cool.

Once you have to ask for it, you're sort of not cool anymore. Darling, I've never brought you up to not be in the exclusive group. Mum, oh my God, I feel like it's pretty exclusive actually. But he's a bit, Catherine Ryan, Johnathan Ross. Ross, Ross. He's so sweet, his daughter.

What if there's another like offspring when we're not in? Oh no. I wonder. But no, I feel, I thank every moment that I'm still allowed to be in it. Isn't it funny that like with this job of ours and we work in, the business we call show, that no matter what you do there's always some other room you think there might be. No matter what level you get to, you always think oh is there

another room that I'm not allowed in? You're chasing some kind of like being accepted and only this year am I finally like, ah grand, I'll stick with hanging around with like good crack people in my front door. I mean, when you say I'll stick with what, Sharon Hurt, like you're doing alright. Everyone always, I had an interview. Paul Rudd, I've always loved him. Yeah, everyone loves him. From Clueless. And because he's not on any form of social media, once it kind of came out that I was doing

Living With Yourself, the show I was in with him, I became like- Netflix series that's up for a- It was up for Golden Globe for actor Paul didn't get it, unfortunately. Still was up for it. Yeah, it was still up for it. Hey, that's another thing. I remember once I was nominated for a comedy award and the whole week everyone's like, congratulations.

And then as soon as you lose it, people are like, oh, I'm so sorry. So it takes away the thing that was a congratulations, but suddenly you don't lose. And it's always a chase and another. But I still got nominated, it was still the thing. And that's what I mean about constantly, you have to at some point go,

ah, maybe I won't bother looking for that carrot on the stick anymore. But I get all of Paul's like, hey, is there any way Paul could just try on my t-shirt? Or is there any way Paul wants some free biscuits? Or could you tell Paul Rudd that he's on the list of like people I'd allow my wife to have an affair with? Like I have to pass on all these messages.

Do you pass them on? Yeah, yeah, mainly, yeah. Can you ask Paul Rudd to be on a table in his pocket? Yeah, yeah, exactly. It happens with Paul, Phoebe and Sharon Horton. He's kept surprisingly gorgeous. Yeah, so he lives in a little fridge and they refrigerate and then they take him out for kind of meetings and stuff like that. He's very well preserved. The problem is acting with him is a very cold experience because to touch his face has that sort of waxy pallor. I love this is her on dry January, do you know what I mean? I just wonder.

Or like dry which January ladies am I right? No I'm dry January it's been more of a damp January. Like every five days I reward myself for doing so well by getting absolutely twazzled. Were you twazzled last night? I didn't get twazzled. I think I was more, there was free cocktails at this. Where were you? I was at an event, like a Vanity Fair party before the BAFTAs. Oh, darling.

Rising stars. Darling. Night. Who were you wearing? Who was I wearing? Every boy's eyes and the whole venue. Ben, what a confident woman. I was there with loads of friends though,

so it was actually great crack. And that's where I'm not someone who- You've got to let go. Yeah, I'm not someone who drinks when I feel insecure. I'm actually like, I get carried away by fun. I hate being left out of a potential anecdote. I tend to stay three hours longer than one. You know, there's that thing of like leave when the party's going well.

I leave like at the end when someone's like, sorry, we just have homes to go to. You know, that there's higher. It's just it's over. It's oh, there's not nothing's going to happen. I'm like, but what if what if in the last dregs of the night, there's a potential laugh and I could get involved in the anecdote of it. So that's what I might say. There are a lot of friends there and I found it very hard to leave and there was so much sugar in the free cocktails. Oh god, you feel like shit.

What, which is your favourite cocktail? I love an Eastern Standard or a Gimlet with vodka. So like things that are like elderflowery, minty, cucumber. I've got a little elderflower that you minty, cucumber. I've got a little elderflower that you could put in that if you want. Oh! It's fizzy water. I didn't even ask if you like fizzy water. Do you know what? I'm so humble.

I don't like fizzy water or champagne. That's how humble I am. Do you? I'm real saltier type of person. Yeah, I like still water. But you have good water in Ireland. We do actually. A lot of it.

Well, in some places. Well, though there is a lot of controversy about water pipes at the moment and people being checked for water. Should I take that then? Do you actually want still water? Could I have still water? Of course, would you like a little bit of a wilder towel? I'm just so humble. Yeah, why don't we stick it in there for the laugh. Which bit of island do you come from? So I am from Kildare. Kildare is like sort of Berkshire to London in terms of distance and it's a very horsey part of the country so it's where the Cura race course is and a lot of horse racing. Sorry my daughter's being a cat. Hello little cat. Oh my god you train your child to bring things in in its mouth. Jessica, what's this can I have that?

Oh you're a doggy. Oh you were a doggy. It's obvious it was a a bone. I will say you're gonna have to work harder on your dog material I'm not gonna patronize her by saying that was a great performance of the dog because I read it as a cat. It would be very unique if she decided to stay like that if she identifies as a dog when she gets older. Yeah What would they call, what would that be called? Well there is have you ever seen this? K9 something? Yeah. I don't know anyway. There is a channel for a documentary called The Secret Life of Human Pups and it's very fascinating. Are they the children that were brought up by wolves or dogs? No, no but that's also a great one. This one is about a group of people around the world who like to live their lives as pups and they identify as puppies.

And they dress up in quite sort of sexy leathery clothes. Oh, it's like a sex thing. Well, that's the question which sort of hangs over us for the whole documentary really. I felt really sorry for like, they go to the international like best human dog convention and there is this one guy who's representing Britain and he's like, he's like, for his, and he's dressed up as

a dog and he's his owner and there's a little bit of sexual tension between the owner and him and we kind of do wonder what goes on. Well they don't do dogging and things. Well we don't know. Oh my god. It's just a little bit of the unanswered question but we definitely. Why is dogging called dogging actually? It's because of the way dogs do it

Okay, I don't think that's it. I think I think it so here's my thought We're definitely going to get emails in to us three poor ladies sitting around going, but what is talking? Let's have blue sky think it I think dogging might be cold dogging Because maybe a lot of people pretend to go out to walk their dogs. Oh, that's it, yeah. But actually go and watch people in cars having sex. And the people in the cars know people are watching them,

so we're doing it for a performance of reasons. You're kidding me. Yes, and as a performer, may I take my hat off to any side specific theater? But then I also wonder, is it that you're sitting there watching almost like a dog? I wonder, is that an element that you're there

kind of looking like- Now what did you think, mum? Do dogs like watching? But do you know the way a dog would sit and watch you at the table eating and you just sort of like tongue out? Like watching. I thought it was them mounting them from behind. Oh, no that's doggy style.

That is doggy style, that is doing it doggy style. And that is something I would definitely say I know about. The other one, I will say, I'm not so sure about the etymology of dogging. Dear readers, please feel free to phone in. Please don't. I'm so glad that my daughter walking in as a dog has turned into doggy style and dogging.

And absolutely. But in this documentary, God loved them. I'm so glad that my daughter walking in as a dog has turned into doggy selling doggy and absentee. But in this documentary, God love them, the guy representing Britain as a puppy goes to Germany to do the international puppy convention and they all have to have a talent. Of course it was in Germany. But it's in Germany and he goes. They're a little freaky deaky over there. This is the thing. So he goes dressed up in his really cute Playtex rubbery,

I'm just a little puppy outfit. And for his talent, he grabs a crayon in his mouth and draws something on a page. And it's like, look, the pop drew. And then for all of the other ones, they are in proper sort of like gimp outfits. Really sexy. Some of them have like their lads, their balls hanging out.

And for their talents, they do like an absolute strip tease. And the poor little British puppy is like watching, being like, oh, I think I got the brief slightly wrong. It's like almost like turning up to an orgy with a cheese board, being like, hi guys. Oh, you've already started. I thought we might do snacks first, but okay. This is a lot more.

Do they do that on Love Island too? Do they do? This was, this Love Island seems like a day out at the convent in comparison. It's not giving me enough. To the international human puppy convention in Germany. Let's just quickly talk about Love Island because both you and I,

I haven't watched last night's actually. Me neither. Fine. It's a little bit quiet on the... Dry this year. So my friend said yesterday that he thought the reason it wasn't going very well is because we're not in summer. We don't, you know when they go to Clicks to buy the outfit that Blah's wearing, people

are in hoodies and wo woolies and they don't feel I like staying in and watching it for me it's my what I've decided to let go of is Annie like when people go oh it's a guilty pleasure it's cheap watching I don't mind that people have soap operas or like sport is just kicking a ball up and down you know not plot wise not a lot happens in a football game you know there's no real drama except for someone falls over pretending every now and again. But with this, I feel the same thing. I love the simplicity of it. It's like a sort of humble dish of like just potatoes and cheese, you know. It's just like, I like you.

Do you though? Yeah. What I like as well is that they don't really tend to have chats. They tend to do just constant analysis. It's like, it would be like if, if football games were only two minutes of football and then the pundit speaking for like an hour. And the editing is on point, like Shanice's little face that's now become an international meme.

Yeah. When the girl comes in that no, anyway. I mean actually almost again like we were talking about earlier on about like always thinking there's another room where someone else belongs like you take these people all of whom are gorgeous and might be the most beautiful people in their time and then they keep on sending just when you think there couldn't be more beautiful people someone who's even more beautiful. Zena the warrior goddess came in and like...

And suddenly they're the people who are like, I'm fit, I'm lovely, this is how I look. But aren't they all panting mouths? How do everyone know? In fact, the real threats are the people who come in and they've had nothing done in their natural beauty. And then they go in the morning and they don't put any makeup on and they're making the eggs.

And I think that she's one to watch, isn't she? There's a girl who's come in and she really doesn't need any makeup. She's stunning. That is when you see someone, I did a film this summer with Frieda Pinto and Frieda Pinto is the most, it's almost like when they put makeup on Frieda it makes her look like, she's still look, she's, I could eat my dinner off her face. And she's such a good woman as well. She is someone who like does so much work with like charities and

and works really like she's been in the Hollywood business since she was like quite young and she just like say one year she went out and took all with a van of her own accord and took like all of the excess food from a load of award ceremonies during this sort of ceremonies in Hollywood and gave it to a load of homeless shelters and charities. And she did that all off her own back. Food waste is my biggest hatred.

Of course everyone's gonna be vegetarian now, aren't they? There's nothing wrong with that, Mum. So plant-based, darling. Mum's got a bit of a, I think you're- No, I have not. I have not. mum. So plant based darling. Yeah. Mum's got a bit of a, I think you're- No I have not. I have not. I subscribe to it darling. But I think that you should give people a choice.

No, what- Yeah, for me it's everything I do, we can't live like this anymore. We are dieting like kings and thought that we could all live like that forever. But what we've done is we've taken too much out of not just the resources on this planet to fulfill what we thought would be an endless stream of food and money and clothes and items.

And we, what we were really doing was we were agreeing to take away from people who are far less fortunate than us. So to afford our avocados, we've let people in South America fall into gang warfare over avocados. To have our beef, there's so much land in developing countries where there are poor people, has had to be soy plants and forests knocked down for soy plants to feed cows. So it's not like it's, you shouldn't eat an animal for me, it's like it's very much the 10 percent has been feeding on the riches of other

people's lives. So is that why you've become a pescatarian? Yeah, generally. And even that's problematic. Generally. I mean, there's we're all going to have to change because the world is running out of space and it's almost like we've been like, catch me if you can, Leonardo DiCaprio style running away with a credit card and there's been no money in our bank account and now all of the bills are coming in and we can't ignore them and that's what it feels like environmentally and it's we're we're getting to the point ecologically where we might even not be able to get out of it. I'm just gonna put the food on because I know you're hungry.

No we've got to pull back. Yeah we've got got to, but it's gone a little bit beyond that. We've got to do more than pull back. We've got to give up stuff. It's a huge effort. Governments really need to help us out. We can, people are like, what help is it of me bringing a plastic bottle everywhere, or a reusable bottle?

The point of anything is that nothing's gonna, no one thing's gonna fix it. Veganism is not going to fix the environment. Vegetarianism isn't. Just banking with a different bank isn't, petitioning isn't. But all of it together, the idea that a community, like a warlike spirit, because this will be the next big issue for your kids who is coming in as a dog, they're not going to care about Brexit or what wars are going on. This will be, there will be climate refugees for her age group. These are the issues that are going to be facing her when she's doing podcasts at our

age. And so it's a multi-pronged approach in terms of who do we bank with? Who do we get our money with? Starting to do things that are a bit difficult and not nice but also a general community spirit. So yes, the one tiny thing you're doing might not help, but the idea that we're not all collectively giving up is very important and that we're all in some way giving up something and actively doing something creates a spirit that maybe together we could do it. But one small group screaming and another small group going oh bloody hell feck it. We all have to do something. You came from a family of how many? Three in total. Three. So my mother, my sister

and myself. Yeah. And did your mum cook? So mammy, because she was bringing us up on her own, has a sort of interesting culinary tale and that she was a working mother on her own. So all of our like hope, like today I'm not feeling very well. And I'd meetings in the morning and then an audition in the afternoon and when I went home I had four slices of white toast and spaghetti hoops on toast with loads of butter and And I was like, oh, this is my happy place. I'm like this. So like tins, freezer, toaster, microwave.

Those are still the things that are like my my home cooked feelings. But Mami also, when she got married, was a jockey. So she was an athlete and she couldn't boil an egg. So they, but they sent her off to like- Not Ballymaloe. Not Ballymaloe, that wasn't around then. Ballymaloe, yeah. Ballymaloe. But not too far off.

What's the name for like French cooking? Like, Cordon Bleu. So they sent her off to a Cordon Bleu course. Like, I think maybe my nana gave her a voucher when she got married, like here in a sort of 1980s, you'll have to learn to keep your husband away. But so Mammy can just about boil an egg and put things in the freezer and she'll kill me now she hears this, but also can do about seven dishes of cordon bleu cooking like gratin dauphinoise really beautifully.

So there's a chasm in the in between bit, but there's so a lot of like packets and stuff like that. But on the other hand, she does like chicken a la crème and gratin, dauphinoise and salmon en crouté and can do these things. But yeah, I remember when we were growing up, she decided to try baking once and she made these scones and myself and my sister Sinead our best game was who can throw the scone against the wall hard enough to break it and neither of us won, I think the biggest loser was the wall in the end but yeah we wouldn't come from a baking family

okay I'm just gonna put it out there yes oh this all looks lovely look at oh my god have you made accidentally like the Irish flag with the dinner it's like green white and orange yes baby Yes, oh this all looks lovely, look at, oh my god! Have you made accidentally like the Irish flag with the dinner? It's like green, white and orange. Yes, baby! Look, this is an accident, but like, no, look, you said you wanted really healthy, so I've gone, I'm not indulged, babe.

Like it's, well, it's kind of, it's very, very healthy. And a bit, come dine with me now, but I'm looking at it. But it's okay. Oh my god, when I graduated from drama school, I didn't have an agent, I just assumed I'd come out and immediately go to Hollywood and I watched back to back, non-stop, come down with me and I'd say there isn't an episode for the first five years of come down with me that I haven't seen. I loved it so much.

Do you like cooking programmes? I love, for the first five years have come down with me that I haven't seen. I loved it so much. I got really upset. Do you like cooking programs? I love, so I haven't seen that much comedy. I don't enjoy watching comedy or, it feels like work a lot of the time. Like I watch it and most of my friends are comedians. But I love watching cookery shows, especially if there's a competitive element to it.

Me too, MasterChef. MasterChef, Great British Menu, Bake All. Love Great, I love Great cookery shows, especially if there's a competitive element to it. Me too, MasterChef. MasterChef, great British menu. I love Great British menu. Turn it upside down. You need to take the lid off. It's delicious, Jessie. Oh, you're sweet. I won't have you speak ill of this dinner.

It's real nice. Because we were going really light, because we're both trying to be good to ourselves. I've got music video. We're just kind of trying to be good. I did, I did carrot and swede. That's what it is. It's so lovely. Carrot and swede with sweet taste and then I added a little bit of ginger in it. And some orange zest. By swede do you mean turnip? Is a swede a turnip? No I think they're different are they? The bigger one. So is a swede different to a turnip? Is a Swede a turnip? No, I think they're different on there. The bigger one. So is a Swede different to a turnip? Yeah. I don't know. Oh, it is? Interesting.

A turnip's a little white one and a Swede is orange inside. Oh my God, I've been calling Swede's turnip all my life. People do. They don't make taste the same. Oh no, so turnips are the taste of my childhood. It's the one thing my mommy and my granny would cook loads of bacon, cabbage, potatoes and turnips and eating this makes me feel really happy.

Have I asked you what is your go-to dish that you will offer up as a hostess? I love, one of my favorite things in the world and this is what I miss traveling for work the most is just having people around my house and having big old dinners. I normally invite three people but accidentally end up inviting twelve. Everyone has to sit around with food in their laps. I love having people around. I normally do lots of bits. I do like my mother taught me a gratin dauphinoise. Oh, cheesy potatoes lads. Who you gonna call? Everyone loves it. Everyone loves it. Yeah I do I don't necessarily have a go-to thing.

I'll do lots of salads. I do do lots of big brunches. So for Pride every year, I have a kind of LGBTQ plus breakfast morning before the people go out and march and go to the parade. And that's one of my favorite things. There's a picture I quite like of this year. I spent loads of effort on the breakfast.

And then finally I sat down, you know, in that kind of way, the host sits down at the end and goes, now I'm going to eat my dinner and I went to tell an anecdote and I flipped my plate onto the cement in my garden and it's just a really sad but really funny picture that my friend, my best friend Bronagh took at an opportune time where I've just got a really sad face and a giant pink come out to support LGBTQ plus t-shirt with this plate of eggs upside down on the floor.

I wanna know about standup because it just seems like the most petrifying thing to me. I'm not a comedian, so that's probably why, but like the idea of just presenting yourself to, maybe I'm thinking of it in the wrong way, but like a skeptical crowd or like, or maybe they're quite up for it if they're going to see comedy.

But do you not feel like they're sitting there being like, come on then, make me laugh? No, generally people want to have a good time. They'll always be that idiot. I think that's the fear mentality that people who hate public speaking have. So apparently Jerry Seinfeld has a bit about how people's number one fear is public speaking

and people's number two fear is dying. So which means that people would rather be dead at a funeral than have to speak at one. And that's Jerry Seinfeld's bit, not mine. But it's funny when something isn't scary to you. Like I have never done sport. I cannot imagine what it would be like to go out on grass and have to like put your foot against a ball with the knowledge it's going to get into a net with loads of people watching you that to me would be like oh

something would go surely no way what but for me I've always spoken out like I mean it's not exactly like you're like, oh, Aisling, you're stuck for chat at the moment. Like, it's not the biggest transference of what's already there. When did you start stand up? Was it, because you were acting, because I mean, we, I'm not gonna lie,

like, I didn't, I kind of forgot that you were in the fall. We didn't, the nurse, nurse, get up! But you fancied him, didn't you? As in my character? Yes. No, we had. I think that's what people wanted to say. You were too nice.

I fancy Jamie Donagh. It was. But you were too nice to him. My character was more obsessive in a religious way. Yeah. There was like a religious obsessive thing that he'd come back and the idea that you could save somebody, that you could be reformed and that sort of religious element to someone that's like, oh, you could be, what if you've done something so awful,

but the near death experience has changed you? Could you be reformed at that sort of interest? So that was a sort of like odd vibe to the old nurse. But people really got into that character and it's funny because I- You are gonna have some cheese on you. Please. You don't have to, that was like

I definitely will. Progressively put mother. I just love cheese. I am always intrigued by the fact that fruit and cheese work so well together. That's great Do you know what I would love an apple and cheese one of my favorite things my aunt ever cooked was you know, you know toasties cheese toasty makers She makes so she puts butter on the outside of both sides of the bread, obviously, then inside butter as well, and then inside she puts cheese, which will melt,

but also apples. So she puts apples into the toastie. So when you push it inside, you've got hot apple, which is like a chutney essentially, and cheese. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but a savory one. You spend your time between New York, LA, London, but a savory one you spend your time between New York LA London You're an international gal Some of your favorite restaurants in those places. Oh

In London, it's a place called la perilla and I actually found a place Oh, it's great in Stoke Newington and I found it because your man the director pretty sure he's called Ben and Was on Great British Menu. And I liked the stuff he was making. And I was like, oh my God, it's near my house because that's not far from where I live. And so I went up and there,

they always give me bread and butter now when I go and it's like fresh seaweed sourdough and the butter is whipped. So it's almost like it's caramelized and whipped, but it's almost like it's sugary. Oh, I know. It's so good. New York, LA, you need some. Oh, New York, I mean, It's so good. New York, LA. Do you need some?

Oh, New York. I mean, New York, just everywhere is great to eat. The thing I miss, so when I was doing Living With Yourself, which is a Paul Rudd show, I was living in New York and the one thing I miss is home cooking because everyone pays such high rents. Even the richest people don't have really big houses. So the wealthy, famous celebs still have relatively humble houses comparative to London or LA or anything like that.

And so no one really, there isn't a culture of going around to people's houses for roasts or taking your shoes off and just eating with people. And I really miss doing that and living that. So, but the plus side is everyone eats out all the time and the restaurants and takeaways are amazing. I did go, there's this bar I really liked in the West Village called the Hudson Hound, which my friends run and that like had proper like Irish food, which I really missed.

But also, where was, where did we go? Oh, I feel like just everywhere was great, so it's hard to sort of pin down one place. But it was the cooking element I did miss in New York. LA? LA, there's a Mexican restaurant called Gracias Madre, which is a vegan veggie place that you would actually like. And you'd be like, did I not have meat? Really?

Have you had it when we were at Benny's? No. It's great. The coconut bacon. Yeah, all of this stuff and I love that. But yeah, generally Mexican food in LA is so tasty because there's such a

large Mexican community there. Don't you think Epoise is the most delicious cheese? Is that what I'm eating? I can't stop. It's really good. It's my new favourite cheese. Oh, what is it? Epoise name. What's no it isn't darling Is that the brand? No, it's poiss Alright, well, we're saying it terribly

What's it mean? Is that the brand or is that the type of cheese? The type of cheese. Oh like a brie It's an a poiss. An a poiss It's so delicious. Oh man. I can't. I know it's just the best cheese. Guilty pleasure food. I think we know. Spaghetti hoops maybe. That's not guilty enough. I don't really. White bread is. I don't like, I believe in health and nourishing yourself but I don't feel like attaching guilt to food and stuff like that because I'm like oh let, let's, you know, what do you eat that you're just like, this is it, what do I eat that is not good for me? It's probably drink, it's probably alcohol. I love all drinks, except for champagne or

cava, that makes me get really sick. You don't like fizzy stuff. I don't like fizzy stuff because I've got a naturally bubbly personality, you see, so it just over overcompensate it tips me over the edge. So white or red wine? Both. White wine does make me a bit like you know what I have a secret about and I'm not allowed to tell anyone so I try to avoid white wine. Red wine I really like I love whiskey all sorts. Irish whiskey. Irish whiskey I love. Jameson's. Oh my god. The nicest whiskey is Dingle whiskey. I love Dingle. Dingle is so nice. Dingle is the best place in the world. Do you like Dingle area? So my dad was from Dingle and I got a hamper sent to me with some Dingle vodka in it. I was like what? Dingle vodka? Vodka made in Ireland? Come on lads. And their gin has been recently

voted like the best in Europe but they sent over my sister for the bar because it's from where the year my dad is from for the bar for her wedding my sister had em so she's Irish and her husband is British Indian so they had like an Irish British Indian wedding all sustainable so they had like veggie curries on banana leaves and all that amazing amazing but the food was Indian and so delicious and then the bar was Irish, so it was like stocked out with Dingle, gin and vodka, but their whiskey, they sent over one like 15 year number.

Oh, it was like drinking a hot chocolate. It was just a little delicious. I can still taste it now because I just had some in my little cup, I know what you're doing. What, speaking about your sister, your sister was involved in Little Women. Yes, she is the assistant costume designer. Did she do costumes? Did you have costumes in

This Way Up? She's a designer of costumes. So she went from, Sinead was in Boston doing Little Women while I was in New York doing Living With Yourself, which was really special that she was there. And then we both came back to film my show and she designed my show. So a lot of the colours and aesthetic to it are all down to Sinead. But yeah, my little sister is absolutely brilliant. And actually Indian food's become a big part of our life now because of Mads's, my brother-in-law's mother is an amazing cook.

And so his aunt, she lives in India, but his aunt is also an amazing cook and we go down to her a lot. In a place outside of London. And are they veggie? Mads' mom is, and Sinead mostly is as well, almost like me, so they would lean that way. So Mads grew up with a lot of Indian food that was veggie, so it's very easy for him to sort of live like Sinead's,

but every now and again he'd have like a big smokehouse steak and stuff like that. Was your sister Sharon in This Way Up's kind of relationship for him to sort of live like Sinead's, but every now and again he'd have like a big smokehouse steak and stuff like that. Was your sister Sharon in This Way Up's kind of relationship and his family based around your brother-in-law? It wasn't. Again, the thing is, it's a fictional show, so it's not based on my life, but then there are elements that I'm inspired by and I'm like, oh wow, yeah, why wouldn't the family

be Indian? And also it's a family I don't get to see a lot on TV. So I don't get to see my brother-in-law's family on TV. And by his family, I don't mean his literal family. I mean, Indian family, British Indian families, of which there are many gorgeous families, and I like the idea of like the Irish Indian connection. And it's all getting to know each other's cultures. And so stuff like that becomes a thing.

But then you start making other characters and other people and different things. And, you know, I mean, the one thing that's definitely in it is that like Maddov does make his own sourdough. So in episode one, there's a bit where Vish is making sourdough. And that's absolutely mad. But yeah, so that's become a lot more part of what we eat and love. And my mom just went out to India this year over Christmas for the first time.

And, you know, we were like, Irish people are not good with spice. Like, I remember one time I was going, Jeez, that soup's very spicy. What's in that? And it was a tomato and mazel soup and the spice was pepper. And I was like, oh, God, I need a bit of yogurt now or something. So we were all a bit nervous, mommy going to India. And she just fell in love with it. She just felt so healthy. She just such a glow about her.

And it is I love the idea of everyone just integrating with each other's cultures and there's bits for us all to take and at the bottom of it all is people having a laugh and and and coming together around a table just like this. And food is a gorgeous way to connect people. And at Sinead's wedding, for example, they had some bamboo cutlery, but mostly it was like eating with your hands, traditional Indian style eating with your hands.

And, you know, we were like, oh, a lot of the Irish aunties and uncles are coming. And if you are not nervous, people are grand. No one's ever, like, too old to be like, I couldn't manage that or that's not what I'm used to. It's great crack to try something new and everyone just got involved because it was a different type of wedding and it was unique to Madame and Sinead and it was just a gorgeous day where you'd all of these like Irish aunties and uncles who would have been meeting two potatoes and maybe a bit of vegetables but one of the vegetables was probably also potatoes and just eating on a banana leaf with their hands and it's just like yeah of potatoes and maybe a bit of vegetables, but one of the vegetables was probably also potatoes,

just eating on a banana leaf with their hands. And it's just like, yeah, of course. It's just like, get involved. So that was a gorgeous food day in my life. Hey, you're a Canadian podcast listener, and that makes you important to us. We'd like to know more about you, what you think of this podcast, and the other podcasts you'd like to hear. So we've put together a super brief survey we'd like you to fill out.

Complete it, and we'll give you a chance to win one of three $100 Amazon gift cards. That way, we can say thanks for your opinion. Just go to mypodcastsurvey.ca and have your say. That's mypodcastsurvey.ca. Do you eat the plane food? As in food on the plane? Oh, sorry. I thought it was quite like the plane food. Like the bread. The waffles.

I love plane food. As in aeroplane food. Yeah, so exciting. I've, so I guess. I still get a thing about hotels and aeroplane food where there's still an element of excitement, childhood excitement. And even though if you were to take aeroplane food

out of an aeroplane, you'd be like, what is this bullshit? Where am I, prison? When you're actually on an airplane, the little, oh, little things, I really still enjoy them. Little part here, little part there, I'm in there, there's a video. Yeah, I still get, I always eat everything. And what's your room service choice? Because you know, you said that you've been living in hotels. Yeah, that's the one thing I got really so I was doing a movie which is when I was doing a Frida Pinto in Italy and I was like oh my god you were living in Rome

for six weeks oh my god but I was living in Rome in a hotel for six weeks in like the Oxford Circus of Rome or like the Times Square of New York and there's only so many evenings you can watch or eat from the room service menu and it's all pasta that that's where. Remember when I said to you when you text I was like I can't really do any more pasta and there is such amazing Italian food but I think for me pasta always reminds me of university and non-stop eating pasta and pesto and tomatoes and that's the only thing we would eat and so for me that much pasta and again being in Rome where they're like

Hi, I'm trying to eat that much dairy or wheat at the moment. They're like what else is there? It was like having none of it. And so my favorite place in Rome was a sushi restaurant right beside the Hotel I know the two of you changed Look at that. You changed, babe. I loved it so much. And with myself and Eleanor Tomlinson, who's a flame haired beauty in pole dark, she's in the movie as well. And we would go to this sushi restaurant almost every night

because there was one sushi roll that had little bits of chips on top of it. And I was like, oh my God, it's sushi, but with chips, what could be better? And we made the same joke every night. We'd open the door and be like, who went in Rome? And went into our sushi restaurant.

What would be your last supper? You start in Maine, pud and drink of choice. So is it desert? So I have two questions for you please before I answer. Is it desert island or is it like, I have two questions for you, please before I answer is it Desert Island or is it like I'm about to die tomorrow No, it's like whatever you would prefer Well, it's whatever you prefer. What's ever gonna make a better gag? Interesting a better gag. Oh, well, no, it's my death will make me gag. I am

Think it'll be some sort of potato without a doubt. That's the starter? Starter will be some kind of like, I think maybe like chopped up tuna or like a taco, like a fish taco. I love a good fish taco or like- Not a sashimi, what's the other thing? You know that poke? Is it poke?

No, there's poke but then there's also- Oh ceviche. No, there's the other one that you love. Tuna tartare. Tuna tartare. Yeah tuna tartare, but I think you can get a ceviche or poke. I like things dressed in a bit of a dressing. That's my like yeah. A little bit of a oh bonjour citrus. Okay. Then for mains even though I don't eat meat, if it's my gonna die meal, it will be my granny's bacon, cabbage, potatoes and turnip.

Oh, lovely. And that would be the way my granny did it. I presume the overarching flavor is salt. It threw out everything. If you're looking for like, what are the notes left on your palate? That is salt. And she used to like cook the cabbage afterwards in the bacon water. So you get like the kind of salt in the cabbage,

mashed with a shedload of butter and pepper. You don't fry the bacon, you cook it in water. Yeah, boiled bacon. Ooh. Yeah, boiled bacon. Yeah, kind of like gammon but proper. Almost like more like a Christmas ham. So they would boil it and then put it in the oven

and then get the crispy thing on the top. So I would probably, if it's my last day on earth, have my granny's bacon, cabbage, potato and turnip mash turnip. Condiment? Do you need it? Mustard? Would you never? No, it's just you don't do that. That's the thing. You just mash is the sort of condiment. I suppose the mashiness of the butter. Amazing. And what would be your drink? Probably my drink would be maybe an espresso martinis so I can wait up to see the apocalypse. So I'll definitely not fall asleep. Dessert would be a really rich chocolate mousse

with a raspberry. Cooley. Cooley, or else maybe a pecan slice. Oh, yes. And you know what I realized recently, and I was really delighted with myself, like when you discover that you genuinely like celery, you're like, oh God, this is great.

Not many people genuinely like it, and here I am eating it. I realized my favorite bit of the pecan slices is roast pecans, and the other day I got a load of pecans, fired them into the oven, and now they're just my little nibble around the house. Pecans unroasted are not that nice, but put them in the oven.

Tasty, tasty, it brings out the sort of like, Yeah, I are not that nice, but put them in the oven, tasty, tasty. It brings out the sort of like, yeah, I get that. Quality of them. Also spending time like, I talk about this a lot, but I'm obsessed with Gilmore Girls. And I'm imagining like your time in Boston and New York, and you're having a pecan pie, a little slice,

maybe hanging out in Connecticut. I really used to love the Gilmore girls going up because again it was a family that didn't look like any other family and I loved the idea that it was a mother and a girl and that sort of almost sister almost like we're all learning this at the same time family structure was just a real relief to see and myself, Mammy and Sinead would watch that together. That was the thing we watched together. And it was like watching, Oh, imagine a family of just women where it's almost

like there are no roles, we're just the three of us trying to work out what the world is together because we were also lived out in the countryside. So it's not like there was like, and we have a huge extended family. Mammy's got loads of sisters and stuff like that. And I have another two aunts on my dad's side as well, who were a bit of like the village raising you, but they weren't living right beside us or anything. And the idea was like the same with Little Women, the movie.

Like the fact that Sinead was working on it was so emotional for us because that was another thing that felt like us. Like it was just a mother and daughters and sisters. And that's kind of when you talk about what part of my show is fiction or not. For me, it's just the essence of sisters and family and siblings together and a different type of family structure and the language between them. And that for me is where I love writing and finding with people. But little women as well, little women and the Gilmore girls, they were our,

oh, that looks a bit like us, that's our world, you know, and there's no dad walking in going honey I'm home or oh dad you're so funny or any of that which was just a foreign concept to us. So that I always loved. What are you writing at the moment? Are you always writing? Yeah I'm always writing with the hope of a series too and then also a film I'm writing at the moment. I find writing is my hardest, loneliest job and I don't necessarily love it. I hate being on my own quite a lot. And even though, like Sharon's an amazing

producer and like everyone who gives notes are great, they're all over email predominantly, and I find that really lonely rather than I'm much better when I've predominantly and I find that really lonely rather than I'm much better when I have someone in a room because there's just a humans aren't supposed to be on our own hermits it doesn't do our mental health any good it doesn't have to look at people in the eye when you're talking or get feedback is everything. I can't stand being alone. I don't mind my own company living wise and even in relationships being independent working on my own without someone to throw something.

And I think with writing, if I write on my own for stand-up, that evening I'll be able to give it to someone or show it to someone. With writing, like I wrote my show like a year and a half ago and you only got to see it like a couple of months ago. It takes ages before anyone gets to see it like a couple of months ago like you it takes ages before anyone gets to see or enjoy your work and I don't write it for myself you write it for other people to watch and that's the very lonely bit I found that incredibly lonely writing the show so a bit of me is like oh no do I

go back into that now? You get a little bit nervous. Right I mean well I'm sure there will be a second and the film? Film is an idea I've had for ages kind of I'm sure there will be a second and the film film is an idea about ages Kind of I'm working on that with a production company at the moment, but that's something I want to write It's been an idea swimming around for ages. You're busy, but that's how you like it. I do I have a circusy sort of lifestyle. Thanks for fitting a thing. Yeah Oh, I've really managed to make it like guys But you had just come from an audition by the way, like and you'd come and like but this is a joy also

To be cooked for is such a special thing by little mommy and daughter welcoming into your home You really embarrassed yourself. You didn't answer me at the door. You came downstairs three minutes late after I was here I'd already had my wee and taken my jacket off and my shoes and socks. You didn't even kiss me. I let myself down. You really did. But you did put lipium. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I put lipium. You did. And lastly, your karaoke song, please, Ashley. Oh, my karaoke song. Now here's a little bit of my problem with karaoke. I believe that we get to perform for a living and we are so lucky to get to do it. And I believe that karaoke should be kept for people who don't get to perform for a living. I completely agree.

And sometimes when I go to karaoke with other actors and singers, it's just like, oh my god I'm so embarrassed, bring me a high on that ho! And you're like alright mate, we've all been to school. You know it's's just a bit, I'd have it should be for out of tune people who are like, oh, I'm loving angels instead. And I'm like, yes, today is your five minutes, own it. I agree. I mean, I do like Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus. I think as I'm Irish, I like to do the like, you know, Sinead O'Connor's like,

we've found need money. You did that really well in This Way Up with the Cranberries. Oh, yeah. That was incredible. That was very joyous for myself and Sharon to sing. And people keep on tagging us doing that at karaoke now and atting us in. And there's like we really like we cracked each other up doing that so much because we really wanted to come across as great singers. And a bit of us were like, oh, people find us funny, but they also might ask us to be

professional singers after it like because we were so arrogant. It was really good. It was really pretty. But that em anything where there's a bit of I like singing you know Wrecking Ball or Diana Vickers. Diana Vickers used to give a bit of house area. Like that sort of stuff. Ashlyn you've been you've been... Fabulous. Everything and more. You guys are. What a joy. Um, I'd love you to just come back every time you need a home-cooked meal, to be honest. Yeah, oh my gosh!

And thanks so much, and I can't wait for this way up to come back because it needs to, because it was such an important piece of work. So thank you. I might have a little cry there. She is really one of the most funny people I think ever. She's very funny. Everything has like, she lands every sentence with... It's timing, isn't it? Oh, she's so good. Yeah. Ashling has just announced a UK tour, Older Than Jesus, and she's also had a baby in the last year, and so congratulations. And I will be going to see her show. I think she's

playing in London and Walthamstow, but there's of tour dates and I will be going I think it's in February in 2026 so go and get some tickets. Thank you for listening and we'll serve you another helping up next week. Hey, you're a Canadian podcast listener, and that makes you important to us. We'd like to know more about you, what you think of this podcast, and the other podcasts you'd like to hear. So we've put together a super brief survey we'd like you to fill out, complete it, and we'll give you a chance to win one of three $100 Amazon gift cards. That way we can say thanks for your opinion. Just go to MyPodcastSurvey.ca and have your say.

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