That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - All On The Board

Episode Date: November 21, 2022

This week Gaby's very special guests are the guys behind the London Underground's inspirational noticeboards, Ian Redpath and Jeremy Chopra - better known as 'All On The Board'. They talk about how their viral sensation began, the motivation for their emotive boards and what life has been like since they emerged from behind their masks. Their second book 'Your Daily Companion' is out November 24.Trigger Warning: Suicide, Violence Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And welcome to That Gabby Roslin podcast, part of the Acast Creator Network. This week, my very, very special guests are Ian and Jeremy, better known as the guys behind all on the board. They are kind, they're thoughtful, they're honest, and I absolutely loved spending time chatting to them. They have their brand new book coming out in a couple of days. It's called Your Daily Companion. And quite frankly, all of us should just walk around with it,

It's one of those books that just looks after you. Don't forget, you can keep up to date by following and subscribing, please, to the podcast, where a new episode is released every Monday. Leave us a rating on the Apple Podcast app. And whilst you're there, why not leave us a review? We love to hear your thoughts. Now, on with the show. Jeremy and Ian are known as All on the Board.

What do your colleagues make of what on earth you've been doing? in the past five years. Go on, here's good. It's a strange one. I mean, they treat us exactly the same as we, you know, as they did before we had a book out. And, yeah, I guess, you know, a lot of supportive of it. And some, yeah, some are not so, but it's all good. Mind you, it's funny when, because we work on platforms sometimes, we have ex-colleagues who

are now drivers on trains and you'll be on the platform and a trainer pull up and the door will open. And you can't see the driver. should be inside. The door just opened and someone to pop their head and go, you're from all on the board. We're like, I am from all on the board. How did you know that?

It's like, oh, I see your stuff online. Thanks for doing that. It's really good. It gets me through the day and it closes the door and the train goes off. And you just get these random moments like that from colleagues who you've probably met or not met. I don't know. We're really rubbish of names. In fact, we say that in our new book about how bad we are with names.

Yeah. I get that. I mean, because, I mean, everyone wears name badges, but sometimes because on the underground, you can actually have a name badge that isn't your name. What do you mean? Yeah, because. So I could, like, my name's Ian, but one day I could wear a name badge that says Doris. Just for the fun of it?

Yeah, we were just for the fun of it. And I guess for possibly if you get stalkers or something. Oh, yeah, yeah. I want to enter a station where there was these two friends who had worked there for about 20 years together. And they both chose to choose Tom and Jerry. So when they stand next to each other, they've got Tom and Jeremy. I love that. Okay.

So I'm going to call you Doris and, yeah, what would you like to call? You look like a Dave. Dorison Day? Yeah, Doris and Dave. All right. Doris and Dave. Perfect. So, as I said, it's five years.

It was 2017? Yeah, it was March 2017. Yeah, we was working at North Greenwich Station one day. It was like for the O2 Arena and it was a Craig David concert and myself and Jeremy was standing there as you do, giving directions and stuff. And we were like, we were singing Craig David songs to one another. And then all of a sudden we came up with a little poem and like we saw a ball that just said keep right. And it was a filthy ball.

like it needed a clean yeah so it wasn't something rude written it just said keep right and people were keeping right you know and it's like it's kind of you know try to bring a smile to people's faces you know because everyone kind of gets you know it's one of the busiest places in the world and yet it can be one of the loniest places you know it's like you know you don't want to kind of get eye contacts it's a bit weird and stuff and we're like you know as people get off the the tube come out through the gates you know we could kind of bring people together and give them something to look at so we wrote a little poem and it was kind of

kind of giving directions to the O2 using Craig David songs and stuff. And yeah, we noticed like people going up to it and kind of smiling and taking selfies with it. And yeah, it was just, and it was kind of bringing people together. It's like they would stand by the board and ask someone to take picture of them or sort of chatting about it and stuff. And it, yeah, it's kind of started off from there. You know, we kind of like the feeling. You know, it made us feel good. They were feeling good.

So I guess it created that five. So who nudged who to say we can take this further out of YouTube? It was a mutual nudge, really, I guess. The thing is we'd met each other only about a year and a bit before that, I think. And we were always just creatively bantering whenever we were at work together. We were actually, at that time, we were writing a TV show that we still haven't finished. We were writing a whole series. We've written about 20 episodes or something like that.

And we still haven't finished it. And then that happened. And it's exploded so quickly that we've never got back to the other stuff we were working on. So it was literally as fast as suddenly it was there, Craig, David was there and then suddenly you're about to have your second book out in a couple of days. So, I mean, it probably feels that for you as well. I mean, it does for us. You've been a part of all of our lives.

And I have to say through COVID as well, you helped so many people. And my lovely friend, Deborah, adored you guys. But you have this innate ability to touch the heart and the soul of people. So when you first did that Craig David thing, did you know you had that in you? Well, it's an interesting thing. I mean, Ian's been writing poetry all his life. I really only started when kind of met him, really,

although written things in the past. But creatively, we're now in our mid-40s. Although we look like we're in our mid-20s. I was going to say, Gabby. I was going to say mid-20s, yeah, yeah. But we've been creative people all our lives, and then we just kind of met each other, and we started bouncing off each other.

And I think we realised that we had a creative thing going. But we didn't, I wouldn't say that we knew, oh, this is going to become what it was in any way, shape or form. We didn't realise we were going to touch people and reach people in the way we have. We reached people in places all over the world, you know, every country you can think. And the biggest start. I mean, Michelle Obama, for going to say. Wow, that was a moment.

Well, we got a shout out from Kate and Will. Yeah, that was a bit of a shocker. Sort of one morning. It's like, you know, my mum find me and goes, here, the Royals have given you a shout out. And I was like, oh, get out of it. Yeah, yeah, they'd given us a bit of a shout out. But like you said, Misha Obama.

Kate Perry. Yeah, Hollywood actresses. We had Katie Perry come down to North Greenwich Station one day just to get selfie with her board when she was performing at the O2. Isn't that fantastic? Yeah, it's crazy. But again, that's exciting. But it's just some of the direct messages that we've received.

You know, we're not doctors. We're not medical health experts or gurus. But we've received so many messages saying like, oh, you know, you posted that at the right time. It's saved my life. And some of the stories that we've received and like messages, you know, it's like, oh, the book has saved my life and stuff like that. And it's just very humbling. It's just them kind of messages. You know, you post something on, you know, social media and like, oh, yeah, it's got this many likes.

But we're not worried about that. You know what I mean? If the message reaches one person and it's changed their life or save their lives, you know, then that means everything, you know. So, yeah. Okay, so trigger warning. We have to warn people that we're what we're about to talk about. Because you've, you know, you've seen horrific things happen. Yeah.

And on the London Underground, it does happen. On trains, it does happen. We were talking just before we started recording about this. Do you get a feeling that people are finding life tougher now? I mean, it's really, we're going through very tough times. you know, with the pandemic, with the cost of living crisis that we're going through, with actually, you know, the very sad death of our queen,

you know, there was a public outpouring of love and sadness. But do you get the feeling, because you have seen horrific things, that people are struggling even more? Yeah, I mean, you know, the 2020s have not been a great decade, so far, you know, it's just like generally on the underground, you know, come the winter months as well. That's when there are quite a few sort of suicide people jumping in front of trains and stuff.

And it's just, yeah, it is tough. But we, you know, this is why the message is important to be kind to one another, just talk, you know. It shouldn't take bravery to talk about mental health. It should be about like, you know, like us talking about the weather, you know, how are you doing today? Well, I'm not doing too great, you know. I don't know why I'm sad.

I cried last night. I don't know why I cried. We should be able to talk about them things. You know, it's just to get more people talking, raising awareness, getting it out there. And, you know, it's just, you know, the people that think or the people that look like they have it figured out, they haven't got it figured out either.

You know what I mean? Everyone has got issues and stuff and just getting together and sort of, let's get through it together. You know what I mean? Yeah. We've got through a pandemic, you know what I mean? Yeah. You do it.

You do get this sense of like people struggling when, not necessarily the most extreme examples that Ian said there, for example. But even when people are conversing with you, just come in and asking directions or the service being a bit, you know. And you just get this, the aggression is there that wasn't there before because people are just trying to find their way through things. And unfortunately, sometimes it comes out the wrong way. So, you know, for example, I was assaulted recently.

Oh, I'm sorry. Just as we were finishing this book, actually, it was like right in the meat of it. And it was the first time ever on this job. And that kind of... Physically or... Yeah, physically, yeah. So I was off for a few months.

But, you know, we were determined that we're going to make this book amazing. So we just kept on going on with it anyway, the best that we could. And we kind of want people to see that, that kind of resilience that, you know, bad things happen, but we're always looking for the best kind of result that we can get. So hopefully that comes out in the books. We kind of infuse that. that we've a lot of the things that we're writing in the book as well, you know, that things are really hard, but there is a way through it. There is a way to help each other, be kinder,

you know, find a way to talk to each other, to express things differently and all this. So, so, yeah. Were you always able to then? Were you always able to express yourself and say how you felt? Yeah, I don't, I, I haven't. I mean, I, I've got social anxiety. It's really, really bad. Like, I, you know, the way I express is, uh, well, explain it would be that I'm kind of like, I'm shivering throughout my whole body, but you can't see me shaking. You know, it's a weird sensation. You just kind of shake and you start. When would that be?

Just in every situation. I mean, it's happening even now, to be honest with you. But not as much as I've had in other circumstances because you're just, you know, you're Gabby. So, so it's really nice to be here and it's and it's working out fine. But there's situations where we get invites to some things and I'm like, I can't, I can't do it. We went to, we went to at Happy Place Festival for Fern. And that was the first time we've ever read our poetry out loud. And it was for about 15 minutes, I think we were there, outside, surrounded by strangers.

And I think even you got a bit anxious as well. We were both like, oh, my God, what are we going to do? We got, the sky just gave us mics, and we were suddenly there, and we had to start reading out poetry. And everyone was so warm. They were clapping. Ian just said, yeah, Jeremy's got social anxiety. So this is a big deal for him. And I was like, thank God you said that, because it really is, you know.

And they gave you a round of a course. And they gave me a round of a course. It worked out fine. So no, I don't think I've ever always been able. But, you know, there's resilience in all of us. And it's just sometimes just finding it and kind of like bottling up. We're not bottling up, but, you know, pointing a bottle that you can let out when you need to. Yes, you know what you meant.

Yes. Because you're the opposite to bottling something up. I knew exactly what you meant. People always get a shot. I talk about it very openly on the podcast, but I'm unbelievably shy. So somebody says to me, come to a house party. You go, no, I can't do it. I absolutely can't do it.

I get far too shy. So, you know, even people in the public eye have that sort of, I call it shyness, because that's what they've always called it for years. Well, it's a strange thing, actually, because we work on the tube, you know, surrounded by, what, 4 million people a day, apparently, some number like that. Is that 4 million a day? Used the tube. Yeah, used to be.

I don't know what the number is right now because obviously there's a drop, but it's not far off from that. But it got to 4 million at one point a day. And we work in our department, we work specifically. specifically at events. This is why we were together at Craig David. We work at, you know, whether it's Wembley events or, you know, football events. Tonight we're working football events, for example, surrounded by, you know, thousands and tens of thousands of people.

And for someone who's social anxiety, that's like a really weird place to put yourself every single day. So, so I'm quite proud of myself for doing that every single day. You should be. Yeah, well done. Yeah, you should be. How about you? Were you always able to be open and honest about your feeling? Do you know what?

I've worked out, like, the poet. that I'd write as a youngster. You know, so I look back at it now and it was kind of dark and I would hide it away because I'm thinking who would read that? That would depress someone to read. But it was kind of me getting my feelings out

and I guess it did help. You know, it's just, you know, in my teens, I was sort of like just had so many anxiety attacks and I was always nervous and stuff. And yeah, I guess my head was in a bit of a dark place. But just, yeah, I feel that writing helps. You know, without writing, yeah, I don't know where I'd be, you know what I mean?

It's just, and it was just kind of, we started off with the concerts and fun stuff. And it was, then we started writing down our feelings and, you know, the conditions that we have. And it kind of resonated with people. And then, you know, we kind of wanted to research other things, you know. It's like, like my wife, she has, like, really bad periods. And it was like, I remember looking into it. And I was, I was thinking, this can't just be periods. And I kind of saw this condition called endometriosis.

Like, myself and Jeremy sort of, like, read up on it. It's like, why have that? Your medical boards are brilliant. Yeah, and it's just like, why have we never heard of this condition? So we kind of researched it, put it on a board, and it did resonate with a lot of people. And it's just, yeah. How do you both cope with the, I'm going to use this word, which I hate, so apologies, the celebrity status that has now happened, the unmasking.

When everybody else was masked, you unmasked. You know, you know what, that was a weird thing. Because we were never too sure if we were ever going to take the masks off. because like we were breaking rules by doing what we did. It's a bit rock and roll. You know, like that moment when we wrote the first board, one of the first things we said was,

oh, we're going to get into trouble if we do this. And then we both just said, you know what, let's just do it anyway. We're not going to write anything bad. And if they, if they have any problems,

we'll just wipe it off, right? So we did it and we had that kind of courage. But then because it took off so quickly, and people kept on asking who's doing them, we just like, you know, we don't like lying. So let's come up with these alter egos,

you know, N1 and E1 and put masks on whenever we have photos of ourselves and just say, you know, we're, you know, yeah. Did your bosses know it was you? Only a couple of people knew who we were. Wow, I didn't know that. Yeah, for a long time. Because we kind of like the idea of being a banksy's of the underground, but we're

not good at keeping secrets, to be honest. It was like, but yeah, like Jeremy said, so we had these pseudonyms, is that the right word? Yeah, it's a N1E one and people would think, oh, why are you using post codes, you know, you'll start off a war. And it was like, oh, no, no, we was trying to be a bit street and a bit cool because N1 stands for no one, E1 stands so everyone, it was like, so when people

would ask, oh, who does he's bored? Oh, no one does them or everyone does them, you know. So we wasn't actually lying to people. It was really clever. And the masks were the cheapest disguises that we could find. And they left these in-dense on you because there were these tiny masks, only about that big, so I've just blocked my mouth. And either our heads were getting bigger or the masks were getting smaller,

but they was very uncomfortable. I was so pleased to lose them in the end. So how long did you have the masks for? So it was right up till the day that the first book came out. So about three years. Three years. Yeah, three years. Did I interview you?

Were you unmasked? I'm trying to remember. I can't remember. No, we wasn't quite on must. I don't think you were. We was on the verge of being unmasked. Because it was for your first book. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Wow. Yeah. But when you came unmasked, that must be. So for people with social anxiety, that must have been. Oh. Do you know what? We've disappointed so many people. Why?

Why? Oh, underneath this. We look like George Clooney. We look like Brad Pitt. We look like this. And you do? You're even better looking. Thanks, Gabby.

Yeah, yeah. But it's like, you know what I mean? We're good enough. We're good looking enough. You know what I mean? It's all right. It's a strange thing taking masks off. But the thing was we took the masks off and obviously everyone had to put masks on for the pandemic.

We were putting wearing masks. It's a confusing time. We ended up not actually having taken our masks off in, you know, in the public, you know, coming through the station. because we had other masks and they couldn't see who we were anyway so it was a there was a bit of a gradient as to when we eventually

became really clearly like that's you and me because we still get people and they're going oh it's nice to put a face to the words when we post an image of ourselves because there's still so many people

who still don't know who we are but yeah I mean the social things oh gosh that was like and do you know what thinking about a mask they were unintentionally creepy we didn't see him as creepy but I think they give quite a few people no I thought they were

really? Yeah yeah we was getting messages saying, oh, why do your disguises have to be so creepy or it's freaking me out and stuff? Don't forget, the very first kind of celebrities that we met doing all this thing was steps themselves. Yeah, we did a board for them. And they loved it. And we took it up to the O2.

We wield the whole board all the way up to the O2 to meet them. And we were still in disguise back then. That was 2017, in fact, I think it was. Yeah, yeah. And we had to take our masks off because it was freaking them out. No. So we had photos done with them with our masks off and everything like, we were out, you know, what it's cool.

It's steps. We love them. They love us. It's great. but we photoshop the masks on ourselves later on. Oh, that's so funny. That's so funny. So with the boards, do you have, do you get anxious about coming up with new things all the time?

I mean, there's some things because, you know, we always get messages to people asking us to write about this and that is happening. And we can't. Yeah, because they're political. We can't really get involved. Oh, I see. They want you to have political. Right. Yeah.

That's not what you're about. No, exactly. And that's the thing. what we're about is just trying to get people. I mean, if people are going to make political judgments and reasons from what they read, then they can. But what we want people to do is feel happy in themselves and clearing themselves and able in themselves to be, you know, who they are.

So that they're going to make, you know, whether they are politicians, because actually some politicians follow us. They're going to make their political reasons from that core self, you know. So we're just about trying to make people happy and get themselves to the place where they make decisions. in life, you know, that are going to help people and help themselves. Just kind of reminding people that they are not alone. However lonely you feel, you are not alone. Honestly, it's like just kind of trying to use social media for the good.

For good. I agree. I mean, I agree. That's always what it's been. There is a dark side of it. But, you know, I'm the same. I just let's just spread the joy and make people feel better about their lives. You know what? I always wanted to ask you about that because your posts on Instagram,

you find some of the most craziest things and you post someone like, you surely don't just go looking through the internet all the time, looking for people. we're sending you those things. No, I don't, obviously somebody knows my feed because I do get sent. I get sent by friends and stuff, so I'll say if it's from them. But I just find some. I love them.

But life's too short, not too easy. I've always, I mean, you know, 35 years I've been in TV and radio. And it's always been about putting a smile on somebody's face. That's how I've always. Gabby, that's impossible. You smoke. That is impossible. It was minus three.

Yes. That's what I do. So, yeah. Yeah, so the coming out, as it were, and being unmasked and then the first book, and then the first book's doing so unbelievably well. Was that a pinch me moment? Yeah, but we couldn't really celebrate its success, I guess, because we was in the pandemic and, yeah, because it became Sunday times best seller,

four times over and that. And it's just we kind of high-fived each other and got on with our shift, you know, when we found out, you know, so we didn't really get to celebrate. but yeah, it was crazy in the best way possible, you know. Yeah, no, it's nice. It's nice because the reason why we wrote the book in lots of ways is because, yeah, we put these boards out and, you know, thousands of people, millions of people possibly seeing them, certainly now millions of people because we've got that many followers,

I've seen them online. But there's so many people out there who don't have the internet, who don't go out through stations. And, you know, we know that it resonates is what we write. So why can't they have it as well? So, you know, we wrote the book, made it as a book. that people can gift it to those people who otherwise, you know, wouldn't have it. And this next book, we've gone the next step, which was, you know, that we know that first book resonates, but we wanted this one to almost feel like it's a person, you know, your friend,

your companion, who's going to be there with you all the time. So it's taking that another step. So whoever you are, whatever you're going through, you've got this companion with you, and you can flick through it at any page, any particular point of the day, and you will find something in there that's going to, you know, make things better in some way or get you through or understand what you're going through. And it's taken a lot of work because the first book was like a merging of all the, the best stuff that we had done and some new stuff.

This one is pretty much most of it is we've just, we've written it. It's all book. Yeah. It's all book, which shows how much work we've had to do because we've been working and then we've been coming up with new posts that we've been doing on our Instagram and on our Facebook, everything. and then writing a book on the side as well. Where do you find time to do it all?

Are you full time at London? Yeah, yeah, full time. Eight hours a day at work and, you know, it's kind of like the rest of the time sort of coming up with stuff. And I'm so sorry. Like, it's just reminded me of something. It's just like about book one, about something like how it helps people.

Yeah. A couple of months ago, I had a lady come up to me at station. She goes, oh, you do them boards, didn't you? You and your colleague? And I was like, yeah, yeah. She goes, oh, I love your book. And I was like, oh, thank you very much. She goes, you won't be offended if I tell you that I keep it in my toilet.

Yeah. And I was like, no, not at all. She goes, oh, it's a lovely toilet book, you know. Oh, it really helps me go. And I'm like, you know. It helps and go. Yeah, yeah. So that's, we put that on the next one.

Yeah. To be honest, some of it was probably written on the toilet. Well, that's what I told you. A lot of the book was written whilst on the toilet. And she was like, fantastic. Love that. So we hugged each other. And then she went on her merry way.

Oh, I love that. Well, maybe quite literally. went on. Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. No, no, no. So for this book, though, so you're working eight hours a day, you're doing your social media posts and you're doing this.

When? How? You know what? I suffer from bad insomnia, so sometimes that helps. It helps to write a book. And Ian is, like you say, he's right on the toilet. He'll write it in the cinema. I'll be watching a movie.

I just bit boring. It's a bit boring. You start writing on a piece of paper. I mean, I remember the time when we worked, we worked a shift. at Victoria Station and it's quite unique in that you both work on on opposite platforms

from each other and occasionally we shout and make a joke to each other and people on the platform thinking what's these what's the beauty of? Do you? I love that! But the worst thing about that place

was that it's pretty much the scene of the worst moment that Ian had as a train driver so he was really suffering that day because he shouldn't really been working there but he was but I was getting through it by a little bit of banter

across the other side between trains but afterwards you think most people going through, you know, reliving certain trauma would kind of go off and, you know, I don't know, have a stiff drink or, you know, go and have a massage or something like that. Ian went off and started writing. So, you know, that helped you. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

So, so this is the thing, like, you'd be surprised at how much time you can squeeze out of, out of your anxious moments and your bad moments if your outlet is writing. You know, you've ended up writing a book from all of that, from all of that pain and that, you know, those moments of trauma. And it's just like kind of, you know, writing down your feelings, writing down the bad things that are going on. You look back at them in a year's time and it's like, well, I got through that. You know what I mean?

It's like anyone that's had an anxiety attack has survived 100% of them, you know. So say, write them down, look at it. Oh, I got through it that time. And, you know. And you'll get through it again. Yeah, absolutely. What's it like working for, obviously, you have to say very nice things, but for London Transport.

Despite looking like I'm 27, you know, I've worked there for 21 years. Jeremy, you've done 10 years? Coming to that, I think, yeah. 10 years, double figures, isn't it? Yeah, it's good. Yeah, it's like you meet people from all around the world to chat, all, you know, different languages and stuff.

Yeah, it's good work in it. It is all about the people and like, you kind of like, there's this sort of like you can be proud of London, you know, because they ask for, oh, where's the best places to meet? where's the best place is to go. That's lovely. You can kind of show off your knowledge and a bit banter and have jokes with them. And also it's the best place to do people watching, right?

So if you're coming up with ideas writing about people or, you know, coming up with, like we, this is why we were coming over a TV series because we were watching people and listening to people talking in all kinds of different ways, you know. Absolutely. And you have to converse with them and kind of figure out what people need and this and that. And so, you know, we're in quite a unique position to be, you know, learning creatively. certain things that other people don't get an opportunity for.

I love that you're saying this. I get really because I walk everywhere. My big thing is walking and when I'm not walking, I'm on the tube. And that, you know, when I need to get somebody somewhere quickly, I do it. And I absolutely can't bear. And it's great that people are listening to the podcast. Please carry on doing so.

But I wish people would take their headphones out and I wish they'd stop looking at their phones and look around them. Because there's a whole world of people. Absolutely. People are fascinating. So I wanted to share with you a story that actually happened on the tube.

There was a young lad he did have his headphones on and he was singing along and he was doing it quite you know when it was that that sort of sound and I thought I know that song and I was it was quite busy

but I like to stand up on the tube I don't like to sit down it's just a thing and so I can see more people I'm very nosy but he was singing and I thought and then he started and I realised it was

Well, living on a prayer. So I, without thinking, I heard myself singing out loud. And then so all these people look up and they started joining in too. And we were singing on the carriage, all singing John Bon Jovi, living on a prayer. That's brilliant. And it was one of those moments. And then at the end, everybody cheered and clapped and we all just got off and went our merry way. I bet they were all probably trying to figure out that song as well.

And you just, you know, you broke the seal. But it was just, but nobody, lots of people on London Underground don't look at each other. I always talk to people and they always get slightly freaked out. I go, hello. And they'll just, oh, boy, ah, hello, Gabby, what are you doing? You're not allowed on the tube. Yes, I am allowed on the tube. How are you?

So I'll always chat to people. But there's a funny thing about London Underground that you're not allowed, you're not allowed to look and you're not allowed to all sing on Jovi. I mean, so you go on to a train or onto a bus now, literally everyone is looking at their phone. Yes. And like before we had the phones, I guess, like newspapers and there's books. Yeah, lots of like elbow fighting and stuff. But I mean, I was thinking about it the other day. If, like, my nans and granddad's up in heaven now, but it's like, if I was to tell them, yeah, so nowadays, people spend six hours, seven hours a day looking at their phones, they'd be like, why are they looking at their phones for?

They wouldn't know what the phone was. Yeah, yeah, waiting from to Rick. what they're expecting it's just like sort of trying to explain now to someone in the past. Yeah, you're quite right. What is going on? But they would chat. In years ago, people would chat on a bus. Yeah.

Yeah. My late mum, she would always, when she loved to get the bus and she'd always have a nata, she always did. That's where I learned to chat to anybody. But she'd always have a natter on the bus. Or she'd go to the supermarket and have a nata. It's a community thing as well, isn't it? Because I think you always, certainly from a nostalgic perspective, when you look back at a whole, old reels and so on.

You see people talking. They kind of all knew each other. But they knew each other because they talked in these moments. And now people don't, people don't. Do you know what? That's like you asking about our jobs like what makes it worthwhile. Because we get the people that don't talk to one another come up to us and talk to us from all around the world. Brazil.

What a responsibility. I mean, I love that responsibility. We've had to put families together. We've lost each other across the other side of London, you know, things like that sometimes. And they don't speak any English. So you're like trying to figure out this and that. Now we've got things like, like you're communicating to people from all around the world and from, you know, like, you know, it's like visibly impaired people.

Yeah. Mobility impaired people are just all around the world and like different conditions. And, you know, we, we have people come up to us like and they can't do crowds and they're stressing out. And they're having a panic attack. And you sit with them for a while and just chat and just to see them kind of the relief in their faces. And it's just like, just take your time. Well, I can see a difference in that. The other day on the tube, there was a gentleman with a white stick.

And there was a very lovely person from London Transport who led them onto the carriage. And then they got off at their carriage. And there was somebody waiting for them outside. Honestly, I just, but I went and I said thank you to the person. I just thought it was lovely, really, really lovely. And I feel that it's changed. And I hope you accept this. I think it's partly because of you two.

because there seems to be a different attitude on the tube these days. Right, yeah. And it was just kind of like when we was coming up with the messages, you know, not all disabilities are visible, you know, like invisible illnesses and stuff. And then, you know, I mean, it did seem to happen at a similar time, but there was like underground seats, like priority seats being printed up with, you know,

not all disabilities are visible and like priority seating. Someone may need your seat more than you. I mean, it happened. Maybe it was perfect storm. Maybe we did influence something. Maybe we didn't. But it's just nice. You know,

we've influenced externally from that as well because there's people from Australia who have sent us like, focus from outside of their cafe where they've taken one of our poems and put it up on those little little notice boards that usually have the menu on it and they've made the letters into,

or, you know, teachers from schools who have like used our poem to teach their students to, you know, analyze poetry and something and sent us the work that their students have sent us. there's some colleges that have just put these boards out on exam days you know out on the path that goes to the exam hall you know just to kind of big up the confidence of people on their way to the exams

and they sent us these photos we're like wow this is crazy I mean like we're getting credited for writing things on a board which you know please but accept it accept it because people are so grateful to YouTube I mean you know when when I said to my lovely producer Oh, we should get the guys from all on the board. Lept at it. It was, yes. Because everybody, you've struck a chord.

Everybody adores what you two are doing and everybody knows why you're doing it and for what reason. And it's not pointless. It's so important. So we always ask what makes you laugh. Now, you can be very serious, you two. We know that, but also you like to have,

I love that. You both have just got the biggest smiles on your face. What makes you laugh? Jeremy, you go first and you might inspire my answer. Because he makes me laugh sometimes. Some of the things that he gets away of saying to people. Yeah, I'm quite fun of you. It would just be, usually it would be like in a really serious situation.

And then he would just say something. There was that time when we had a customer come up to us who was completely lost. And they seemed really anxious about being lost. Well, I'm not surprised. And instead of like just giving them this. It's a really simple station because it's giving them really simple instructions.

He came out of a little purring in the moment. He says, it's not Platform 3 you seek. Listen to the words I'm about to speak. And obviously, rhyming at that point, but then you're expecting the punchline

to be the actual direction, but he just kind of like walked away and left me there with this lady and she was just like looking at me and I was looking at her. I was like, what have you just done to me? He just went off just for a laugh.

Did she find her way? Yeah, obviously, I got her on her way. And you know what? She started laughing, which was the whole point of it. So it worked out. But that little moments like that, he cracks me.

And you know what? It is kind of like nice trying to sort of read people. You know what you can get away with and what you can't. So, you know, Gabby, if you came up to me and you look like you wasn't having a bad day and you go to me, oh, how long's the next train going to be? And then I'll say, eight carriages or 100 foot long, you know, so you can get bits like that in, you know, it's good. There's one thing that we do.

It's like when we give directions sometimes, we've started. up doing it as much now, but we try to fit as many song titles in as possible. Oh, fantastic. Come on. Right. I'm right. I need, okay. Okay.

Okay. I remember the Britney Spears one. Okay. So you'd come up to me. Okay. We'll do it. Yeah, yeah. Cool.

Yeah. Excuse me, sir. I'm a bit lost. Which way do I go to get out of here? Because I can't find the entrance of the station. Right. So you need to go down that way. Oops.

I did it again. So I've directed you the wrong way there. Yeah. And it's like, you know, it's like, no, no, sorry, I'll pretend that I didn't get your instruction. Oh, you didn't hear. Yeah, yeah. So we're doing again. Okay.

No, no. So you've asked me. So I say, oh, hit me baby one more time. Which is the way out, please, on this session. Oh, if you go down that way, oops, I did it again. That's the wrong way. And, yeah, and for some reason, Britney Spears titles have kind of disappeared from me. You're being very toxic.

Yeah, I think you're very toxic. Yeah, yeah, being very toxic, yeah. But you was born to make me happy. Yeah, yeah, that is one. Yeah, yeah. It depends on the event as well, is it? I think that was a Britney Spears event. Did we did that or not?

I can't remember. I think it might have been... I think it might have been something like ACD. So do you get to meet them all? ACDC. Yeah, it could have been, yeah. You'd never see Brittany and ACDC in the same room. Maybe they are.

Or is it? Quite possibly. You never know. You never know. Spider-Man. mean when they meet each other finally. Who's the person YouTube would like to meet then?

William and Kate? Is that? Do you know what? We invited them for a cup of tea when they did that board for us. We're still waiting. Yeah, we're still waiting for their response. Maybe it might happen.

It might happen. I think it might happen. Yeah, they don't trust your team making. Do you know what? You know what? I used to be a teammate. I used to be a runner before I came to the underground. Did you?

Yeah, I used to even places like this. It's why it's so nice to be back here. Not here. I've never been this one. But in Soho, I'd run all over the place and find myself making tea for Zoe Ball or for Terrence Stamper. I remember that one blew my mind.

I was like, oh my gosh, I'm in with General Zod. I didn't want to say that to me that one because I thought, he's done a lot more than that. You know, it's one of those things. You would have loved it? Yeah, possibly, yeah. But we bump into people on the underground. So in McEllen once upon a time, I told him,

you shall not pass. Weanna's an escalator. It was a one-way system. And he said, no, I'm trying to get to Mornington Crescent. And then, of course, I helped him the right way. But I told Wianna Rof for trying to use a broken escalator and didn't even realize it was her. So I like it's normal.

Yeah, but I was kind of like I'd been given the heads up. Oh, we're Anna might be coming through your station. So I was all prepared, wait, to take a selfie and that. But she was a bit in disguise. And I told her off trying to use a broken escalator when I was trying to fix it. And then I got upstairs. You fix the escalators as well. Yeah, we can fix escalators.

Yeah, not kind of underneath, but like the bits that you can see. Yeah. But, yeah, I mean, like some of the people that we've met, everyone that we've met have been, lovely. We've been really lucky. Lovely, Mickey Flanagan. You know, like you was on our bucket list. We can cross that off now because we're going to booge it.

You're such schmoozer. You're such smoo. And you know what? And you would know, like she was a good friend of yours. But like, you know, meeting Dame Deborah James, you know. It's just when she turned up at the station, like she was a force of nature. Yeah. And it was just a whole like trying to get her on to strictly come dancing.

Why did they never have her own? You know, I would like to know just how close it was because it felt like we were just waiting for that little message to come up from Debbie to say, oh my gosh, I got it. She was in the room, Bill. weren't she? It was like Kevin Clifton wanted to dance with her. And it was just, but when she turned up at the station, she didn't need strictly come dancing to shine.

You know, I mean, she was a glit ball in herself. And just a false of nature, you know, she turned up at the station, like come to see her board. And, you know,

she was wearing a sort of blue, sort of a glittery, yeah, sparkly dress. And she'd just come out of hospital. Yeah, yeah, she'd just come out of hospital.

So she'd just come all the way there. And then she invited us to dance with her. So we was dancing with her. Didn't know what we were doing. to force of nature and it was just like, and then when she left, it was like, our lives just felt better just through meeting her. That shift blew. Honestly, the rest of that shift blew through.

It was like, you know what? It ain't going to get any better. And then it was kind of like, can you imagine if they like, well, she was Deborah James Bell, babe, yeah? But if she was being beamed into houses on a Saturday night, the amount of positivity. And do you know what I mean? Genuinely. I think that would have been something special that was missing. Yeah.

I will agree. I agree. but she did what she needed to do. She raised so much money for the BAL Babe Fund, which is still going. Yeah, and it's kind of like, you know, in the darkest nights, you know, that's when the stars shine brighter and she was like the brightest of them all, you know. And that's what we chuffed about in book two. Like, again, she was very ill, but we managed to collaborate with her on a poem.

You know, she said to us like, oh, I'll do anything that I can to help with book two. And we was like, look, we really want to get you in there. Can we collaborate on a poem? So we was exchanging messages and stuff. And like we showed it to ever recently. and Heaven was like, oh yeah. Her mum. Yeah, yeah.

And just to point it into book too, you know. How wonderful. Yeah, yeah. We're just desperate to get her inside there, you know. Oh, that's really special. Yeah, yeah. People can get the book in three days' time. I know it's on pre-order already.

Congratulations on it. It will be, you know it's going to be another smash hit. It's going to be another Sunday Times bestseller. But carry on doing what you do. And I'm intrigued to know about the TV show. Keep it under wraps because you don't want anybody to steal it But one of these days will get Will it, should it be called all on the board as well?

It won't be We can't reveal too much No, don't tell me, don't tell me You know what, all I can say is that it's Nothing's been done like it No, and it should have It should have, it should have And you know, we should have just got on with it

But like you say Have you got somebody what, I mean Oh, it's happening No, no, no, no, no We'll continue to finish it We need to finish it I mean, like I said, we've got ideas for about 20-odd episodes at least. Characters.

Children's books, TV shows. Fantastic. Carry on doing what you do. And the kids' book, yeah, definitely. That's a great idea. But what a pleasure to spend time with you. You're just two proper, decent, good people. And thank you for that.

Thank you, Gary. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. And thank you for your comments as well. They really mean the world to us. Coming up next week, the one and only award-winning Mr Anton Dubek. Actually, we can just call him Anton. Everybody knows and loves him. That Gabby Roslyn podcast is proudly presented to you by Cameo Productions,

with music by Beth McCarie. If you wouldn't mind, could you give us a like, a follow, a subscribe, and please leave a review? We read them all and love to see what you've got to say. See you next week.