That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Ellie Taylor

Episode Date: January 24, 2022

On the show this week it's the comedian, actress and author Ellie Taylor. Ellie talks all about her Sunday Times bestseller book 'My Child and Other Mistakes' and she shares some brilliantly funny stories about her toddler. Gaby and Ellie discuss The Mash Report and how a clip of her from that show has been watched by millions and was then reposted by Madonna and Jennifer Aniston! She talks about her love of Victoria Wood and how she was a trailblazer for women. Of course they chat about the multi-award winning Apple TV show 'Ted Lasso' and their mutual admiration for the goddess Hannah Waddingham. They also chat about Ellie's Netflix show 'Cravings' and about working together on Gaby’s Talking Pictures on Radio 4. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to that Gabby Rosen podcast, part of the Acast Creator Network. My guest this week is the comedian, actress and author Ellie Taylor. We sat down to have a chat towards the end of last year. We talk all about her Sunday Times bestseller book, My Child and Other Mistakes, and she shares some brilliantly funny stories about her toddler. We discussed the Mash Report and how a clip of her from that show has been watched by millions and millions of people and was then reposted by Madonna and now Jennifer Aniston, which gives her such a thrill. She talks about her love of Victoria Wood and how she was a trailblazer for women.

Of course, we chat about the multi-award winning Apple TV show Ted Lassau and our mutual admiration and love for the goddess Hannah Waddingham. Her Netflix show Cravings and we talk about working together on Gabby's Talking Pictures on Radio 4. We both love Silly and she talked about. about the joy of simply being silly. I do hope you enjoy. Please can I ask you a favour? Would you mind following and subscribing, please?

By clicking the follow or subscribe button. This is completely and utterly free, by the way. And you can also rate and review on Apple Podcasts, which is the purple app on your iPhone or iPad. Simply scroll down to the bottom of all of the episodes. I know there have been quite a few now. And you'll see the stars where you can tap and rate and also please write a review.

Thank you so much. Lovely, beautiful Ellie, who doesn't look anything like Steve Tyler. Hello. How are you, Gabby? I'm really well, my darling, but you really don't look like Steve Tyler. There is definitely a resemblance.

No. And I know you have it on your website, and I know you've said it before because we worked together on two series, which was fabulous to work with you, on talking pictures. And you always said you look like Steve Tyler. And I've decided to tell you once and for all, you don't.

Thanks, Gabby. I love that I don't even get his daughter. I don't get Liv Tyler. I always get a note, Steve, specifically OAP man. That's what I get. That's me. But who said that to you? Who said it to you?

I can't remember who initially said it. But it's just so, you know, when I bring out photos of him, I'm like, I really can't deny that there's definitely something going on there. But hey, he's a very handsome man. Take it. I'll take it. And also that song. See, I can't believe that that song is allowed to ever go out on radio. You know the song. Isn't he the one that's on Loving an Elevator? Isn't that him? Yeah, that's him. Yeah. That's me. Yeah. Go through the words. Okay. Maybe I need to listen to the words of it. A bit more intending.

Loving an elevator. Living it up while I'm going down. Oh. Fair enough. Yeah, maybe it's just my mind. There we go. There we go. I think it's when I talk to you that I just turn into this complete giggly mad person. You know what? You're a real joy.

You're a joy giver. And I was lucky enough to work with you for two seasons on Talking Pictures for Radio 4. And chatting to you and interviewing you, there are conversations that were had in the dressing room. And part of it, I think, oh, I can't say that. Oh, I can't say that. including your discussions of when you were pregnant because, well, you were just pregnant when we taped the second season, weren't you? I was, no, I just had the baby, that was it.

Had you just, that was it? Yeah, I had to whizz back to get home for feeding. That was it. She was only a few months old, I think. No, but were you pregnant then the first series? Oh, I can't. You were. Yes.

I don't remember. Maybe. Well, they were a year apart. Yeah, maybe. I can't remember Gabby. It's all so long ago. It's all a blur of not sleeping much. Yeah, that happens.

Trust me, even when they get older, there's no such thing as sleep. Because then you worry about what time they're coming in. Oh, God, I can't even imagine that bit. I know everyone always says as they get older, it's big kids, big problems. Oh, God. I'll worry about her not eat enough broccoli. That's what I'll stick to for them. No, you know what?

That's the next book. Don't worry about it. Just think, Sunday Times Bestseller, third book. A trimester of childhood, yes. Oh my goodness, what's it like being a Sunday Times bestseller? I'm not going to lie, I'm flipping chuffed. Yes. Delighted.

Yeah, really, really chuffed. So I wrote my book, My Child and Other Mistakes, sort of at the end of the pandemic once the nurseries were back open, so I finally got some time to myself because before that I was just, you know, it was just me and the toddler. And I really hoped that I might get, I might scrape it. into the top 10 for a week. But, yeah, I've got like top five and it was in there for three weeks. So, yeah, really, really delighted.

And do you know, more than that is the messages that I get from parents and predominantly mums, actually, who say how much they've enjoyed the book and how much it's resonated with them and how sort of comforting it's been. And that brings me so much joy. And I've shed a few tears from these beautiful stories that these mums will share with me. And I feel so delighted that my tricky times can sort of be like a little cuddle to another mum. It means so much because I've flippin love a mum now. Ever since I, like, I'm a big girl's girl anyway and I've always loved women.

My ideal living situation would be some kind of female commune. That's what I love my husband, but, you know. Yeah, bye, bye, Phil. Yeah, ladies. So, yeah, but now I've had a kid. I just, mothers particularly, I really adore and especially newborn. mom's, they're my absolute faves. So to feel like I can sort of lift a few knackered women out of the depths of despair for a few minutes while they read or listen to my book as being at grill.

But also, I know, I've told you this before, but I know a few guys who have felt exactly the same. And there's a friend of mine who just said, I don't know, I don't know how to do this. I just don't know how to do this. And I remember having my first baby and my mom died years before, And I have literally no one who could help. And I remember sitting there about day six in the chair next, just sitting there like a zombie, thinking nobody told me about it. Nobody said about the hurt and the pain and the carry on bleeding and the not being able to sleep. And the sort of the excitement, but the crying.

And I remember, you know, when you cry and your eyes, your eyes are open and you're crying. You go, how did that happen? I didn't even feel it coming. All of those things. And I remember discussing with people and they said, nobody ever talks about that, but you've done that. You've actually talked about all of those feelings, but you've made it funny. You've made it endearing. And that's why it's a success. Because you've had the balls to go out there and say, look, this is how it is. And everybody does, I can't, do you know what? I love everybody. But there's something about the barefoot Earth mother that goes,

oh, being pregnant, isn't it marvelous? I wanted to slap them. No, no. No. It's a It's not. It's tough. Yeah. Yeah, do you know, it's, yeah, I think I did want it. I did want, I'm just going to close my utility room door because I can hear my washing machine. Oh, yes. I can't. We'll keep this in, the reality of podcasting. It's all showbiz here. It's all showbiz. Yeah, we're going to keep that in because we love that. Yes, I really wanted to speak very honestly because I think what I found was that there's so much when you're pregnant. so much is sort of focused on reading about the baby and what, you know, how things will be once the baby's here in regards to the baby, how much they will sleep and what you need to buy. But there was nothing I really read that gave a really good account of the sort of emotional impact that it will have on you as a mum. And I think to sort of the realisation that, you know, you don't just have the child and, you know, as soon as you hold them, you are a mother. It's an absolute, it's really is a process of, of that transition where you go from person.

and to parent. And it took, I think it obviously takes different people or a different amount of time to adjust, but it took me a while. And I think no one had spoken about that. And I hadn't, yeah, I hadn't read anything that I, that sort of prepared me. So I really do hope that this is sort of,

it's a good insight into, if you haven't had a kid, it's a good insight about what it will be like. But I also think what I love about it is that it seems to be giving a lot of women sort of, you know, affirmation that. you know, their experience that they have, they've gone through is very normal and is okay. Just to have your experiences reflected back to you, I think, because something is so healing. Because it is, it is, obviously having a kid happens all the bloody time.

It's not that very interesting. You know, to anyone else, of course it's not. People pop out babies every day. And yet to the person who has the baby, it is a massive experience. And I think that's the strange thing that we live in, the strange world that we live in, is that we sort of dismiss pregnancy and birth and becoming a mother as something that's very run of the meal. And to some extent it is. But on the other hand, to each family, it is seismic and life-changing.

And it's kind of working out that duality and, you know, understanding that it's not everyone's bag, but to those people who've just become parents, it's a real period of adjustment. And it's massive. And it's really overwhelming. It's the most profound thing, certainly, that I've been through, the most profound shift I've had in my life. And to be able to sort of share that with women and have them relate to it is wonderful.

With your toddler, will you let her eventually read the book that is titled My Child and Other Mistakes How to Ruin Your Life in the Best Possible Way? So, you know, are you going to let baby read this when baby's big girl? And how does your mum, Jill, feel about this? My child, yeah, she will.

I think, well, I don't know if she can be, bothered. She probably won't care, will she? Nothing boring than your mum when you're older. But if she wants to you, I'm absolutely, she's absolutely welcome to read it. I would love her too. Because really, it's kind of a love letter to her and my experiences with her. Because I think the thing that I sort of say throughout the book is that you can love your child and hate the experience of, you know, newborn life. And there has been some awful bits of toddlerdom, but I still absolutely adore her. And I, you know, I would hope that if she did read it, it would encourage if she did one day want to have kids, it would encourage her to talk to me about,

how she was finding it. So I think it just opens up discussions, doesn't it? And it did actually, yeah, like you should mention my mum with it. It did open discussions between me and my mum about how she'd felt, about her experiences of having my sister, who was her first child. So mum has read it. Mum has given the seal of approval. Oh, good. So we're okay there. We're okay there. I'm really pleased that it's a really nice record for me as much as anything else that, you know, all my experience is documented and put down. Like, what a privilege, really, to have time to sit down and write about this most amazing thing that happened to me becoming a mum. And I think, to be honest, that's part of it, is I've had so many women going, oh my gosh, it's like I could have written that. That's my story.

And it's basically because I have had the time to sit down and write it because luckily it was my job for a little while. It's such an, like, how lucky am I to be able to have that time, whereas most women do not get time to sit down and consider what they went through, sort of process it, put it down in print. So, yeah, I feel very lucky that I've had that chance. But you use the word luck quite a lot. You do, because obviously I know you, but then I do all my research on you. And I see that word coming up a lot. Funnily enough, it's one of the words that I was thinking I'm going to ask you if you feel

lucky about being in, you know, the right place, the right time or whatever it is. I mean, I'd like to take you back to the Miller pub, your first ever gig. Yes. How lucky did you feel to be doing that and what was that like? If you go back to that moment. Yeah, so that was probably 2008 or 2009. So it was before Show Me the Funny, wasn't it? Yeah, before any TV.

So it was like, yeah, about, I don't know, 12 years ago or something. Anyway, it was a long time ago. And I'd seen a friend of mine do a stand-up gig there. And I thought, oh, I can do that. We both went to university and we did the same course. So I thought we're quite similar people. We've got the same sort of skill set. I'll have a go.

And I felt, yeah, I really enjoyed the first gig, actually, because I didn't know what I was doing. Yeah, and I didn't think I'd do it again to the most. I didn't think I'd do another stuff. Really? No, but I just started dating my boyfriend, who's now my husband, and he came along, I think, to that gig. And afterwards, he was like, oh, that's really cool. You should do more of that.

You're good at that. And I only basically carried on because I wanted to impress him, because he was like 10 years older than me and, you know, an impressive older man. I was like, okay, anything to impress you. So I carried on to sort of show off to him, which is not the best way to pick a career, and probably something I won't be advising my daughter to do the same. Actually, I think he's been absolutely fundamental to my career having the right partner

because previous partners would never have entertained the fact that I could have been a comedian. It would have just sort of been a non-starter with them. But for my husband, when he first met me and I was working in marketing, he had no knowledge of me doing anything sort of performance-wise. And yet for him it was an absolute no-brainer that of course I should be in performance and of course I should carry on with stand-up. And then when I got the chance to do an ITV show called Show Me the Funny, which was sort of like the X factor for comedy,

when I was, you know, I had never been paid for a gig by this point, but I got asked to do the show and it meant quitting my day job and all that jazz. But for me, it was a terrifying decision for him. Like I said, absolutely no brain. He was like, of course you should do it. Of course you should quit your job. It makes complete sense. So that was very lucky finding someone who would back me when I didn't.

I wasn't sort of ready to back myself. Phil is a sort of, he's a reporter. He's an Australian reporter, news reporter. So he has that performance mode in him and your mum was into Amdram. So that performance mode is somewhere. It's around you. It's buzzing around you. It is.

Yeah, I think I do like show-offs. I do like a show-off. Yeah. So, yeah, so I suppose, yeah, definitely the sort of show-off stuff comes from my mum's side. And yeah, maybe I'm drawn to feel because of that. Yeah, like I've always sort of been interested in the TV world. So that's probably why I was working in TV in a very loose sense. I was working marketing at a news channel.

So yeah, it was, it's funny how it, yeah, sort of circled me and then, and now I do that. Is he still doing news reporting? Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's still at CNN, yeah, yeah, still an international correspondent. So that is, that, the past 18 months have been quite extraordinary because of the news that he was having to report while you were going through your own seismic change with, with your baby and also not being able to do stand up and, and, and, and, and, and, you were going through, performance, although Ted Lassau, I know you did film in lockdown, which we will talk about, of course, everyone needs to be more Ted. But, but so it was a huge shift because you'd been so

unbelievably busy, but now he's reporting on world pandemic and the changing the shift in the world. So it must have been an extraordinary time for you two, those 18 months. Yeah, it was a funny old time because, well, yeah, he was, so he was working, but sort of obviously working from home, which is hard as to say, yeah, an international correspondent. not getting any more international than maybe going to the shops. And I had to sort of give up all of my stuff because it was, there was no childcare all of a sudden. So me, as the person who's freelance, I think, which happened in a lot of relationships,

the freelance person kind of got sacrificed so the person with the salary can carry on. So yeah, I was full on just, you know, parenting 24-7, which was not ideal for me. I absolutely get if you want to be a full-time parent, that's, you know, it's a real choice and it's a it's the hardest job. Tough, tough, God, my respect to them. So tough, so tough. And obviously it's not comparable and normal, you know, you know, a pandemic is not the same as, you know, actively choosing to be a stay-at-home parent when there are lots of things open. I get it's a different kettle of fish.

But, oh, my, yeah, it was a lot. And I was delighted when nurseries opened back up. But, yeah, it was a tricky balance. And I think getting, and I think for a lot of couples during lockdown, you know, getting the balance right was really hard when you're in the house all the time. But you're both gagging for some time on your own to do your own stuff. And resentment was a really tricky thing to navigate for me when I've, as a, you know, I hate using this word, but it's true that as a creator to not be able to create. I found really hard. I just got, I had no time to myself to just be able to sit down and write.

And I found that very, very challenging. I felt very sort of like I'd stalled and it was it was horrible to just sort of sit there. But I kind of had to make my peace with that because it was what it was. And once I did sort of get my head around that and I, you know, to use the hackneyed phrase, I lent into it. And I thought, well, this is, you know, you've got to look at the benefits. I would never normally have had this much time with her. My husband would never have been a home this much.

And we did have, you know, lunches together and dinners together, which we never would have had. So there were definitely lovely moments. but I wouldn't want to do it again. Let's say that. No, I think everybody would agree with you. Everyone would agree with you. But as far as the performing goes, I mean, you mentioned Show Me the Funny,

which is, I remember it, it's the X Factor for comedians on ITV. And then it's sort of snowballed. And where you are now, the fact that you've had a Netflix show, you know, there you are on the world television stage. that's stupid no the world television screen you know what I mean you know what I mean

you're doing cravings on Netflix which was massive you're then in a show which has been nominated for 20 Emmys Ted Lasso you know that this is I presume it's very far away from the Millipub from Phil saying to you carry on doing this you didn't think you were going to be

acting in a Emmy nominated show that's taken the world by storm. Like I said, everyone needs to be more Ted. If they haven't seen it, watch this because it's one of my favorite shows of all time, I think, because Ted Lassau is one of the most beautiful characters ever, ever. Yeah, yeah, it is lovely. You know, I think, I mean, to bring it back to the word luck, I mean, it was total luck

that I ended up being in the show. It was one of, you know, just another audition where I traips across London, I think, well, this is going to be pointless, you know, I'll have wasted half a day getting to somewhere, and I won't get it, because that's what happens in acting. I do lots of auditions and you don't hear anything back. And then, yeah, I got a yes. And I was like, oh, hello. And then it was all quite tricky.

I remember it was, the first lot of filming was clashing with a lot of tour dates and I think I had quite a lot on. And it was like, I didn't know if I was going to be actually able to make it work. And then, you know, managed to jiggle things around and do it. But, you know, when I was filming it, I had no, I think no one did. Even the guys who were in, you know, the main stars of it didn't have. any idea of how massive it was going to be. So sort of I pop up to do a little bit of filming. I'm not quite sure what the show is because I'm filming in isolation. I've no idea what the rest

of, you know, the rest of the episodes have been like. So it was, yeah, it was all a bit of weird. And then when it came around, I was like, well, I don't, you know, when it came on, like, when it dropped on Apple, I thought, I don't know if I've done a very good job. I probably won't tell anyone that I'm in it. I'll just leave it. And then everyone started going, oh my god it's really like it's really good and have you sit and i hadn't had apple tv i hadn't watched any of it i didn't know anything about it and then i was like oh okay maybe i'll have a look and i was like oh my god it's brilliant and oh my god my scenes are okay and it's this lovely sort of revelation for me alongside everyone else finding it um and yeah it was it was it was lovely

i mean me and my husband don't tend to watch stuff you know we don't sit down on watch shows that i'm in but this is one thing that we do sit down and watch and my parents watch which is unheard of. So yeah, it's an absolute joy to be a small part of such a massive show. And I get such a fun part. So I play a girl called Sassy in it. He's just a great character. She's just really bullsy and fun.

So yeah, it's brilliant. And I get to play alongside amazing people like Hannah Waddingham, who is one of the best people in the whole world. She's a goddess. Goddess. I've known her for many, many, many years. I knew you know her, Gabby. I just thought she's got Gabby written all over it.

But every time I see her, I go, goddess. And when I ring her up and I wind up her daughter to make sure that I get mum to say yes to everything and she just goes, stop it, stop it. You're like a really bad, naughty aunt. I'm not her daughter's aunt at all. But I like to wind up Hannah Waddingham because she's a goddess. She's a goddess. She really is.

She's lovely. She's like, what a pleasure to have met her and like to meet, you know, the cast. And Jason. Oh, lovely. And Nathan. Yeah, all of them are just gorge. It's a gorge, gorge. Anyway, enough about them because this is all about you.

Because I also want to talk about the MASH report, which, and you know I'm a huge fan of this, but obviously me being a fan, but it is very insignificant when you've got Madonna. And I know everybody talks about this, but I remember, so I think I saw you or spoke to you the day that that happened, because I remember having a conversation with you, and you literally were just going,

what the hell? Those weren't the words, but you know, what, what, what, what, what, what, how did this? And it just, it's, what was so lovely. And for people who now, because it's always talked about, I'm going to say that what was so lovely is that you were like an excited teenager that didn't quite understand how Madonna knew you. I mean, it was just, your reaction was, it was so adorable.

And it did blow your mind, didn't it? Well, yeah, so yeah, I did a sketch on the Marshall Report, which is a certificate news show, which is now, it was on BBC, but it's back on Dave now, which is great. And I did this sketch on there, and it was all about, as as my character, Susan, the newsreader,

and it, and yeah, it was basically all about women tell everyone, to fuck off. And it was this, you know, it was a beautifully written piece that I got to perform. And it just really, really resonated. It was, it was a clip that's gone viral. I think it's got, at the moment, I think it's something like 120 million views online. It's mad.

I know. It's insane, isn't it? And it sort of started getting shared by different people. And one of the people who shared it and put it on her actual, and on her proper Instagram feed was Madonna, which was madness. So, yeah, and I think I remember, I think when that, the day that that happened, was, I was quite poorly. I still had quite a new baby and I was quite ill with mastitis.

And it felt so odd that I was like in bed, not feeling very well. And then Madonna was posting my face. And then I think that also happened around the time that my Netflix special came out. And my name was literally up in lights in Times Square while I was in bed with and stitus in my mum's house in Essex. And it was like, the world is mad. The world is absolutely mad. So, yeah, it's a delight when, you know, the stuff that you've done resonates with other people.

And, yeah, when it's Madonna or, you know, more recently, it sort of flares up every so often that clip. Someone reposts it and it does the rounds again. It was Jennifer Aniston did the same thing recently. Oh, my God. I know. It's so cool. Obviously, they don't know my name or anything, but they've, like, I'm like,

they've seen my face. They've seen me talk. So, yes, it's really, it's really exciting. I've read that your hero was Victoria Wood. So sad that she's no longer here. I always, I've, when I say was, I just, I sort of do a double take because she was so vibrant. Do you know, yeah.

I was once at a party at the Edinburgh Festival and she was there. And it was quite a small little gathering and I didn't, I was too scared to say anything. And I'm really, one of my biggest regrets that I wish I could have said, hello and thank you, because she really was a big inspiration. And I didn't even clock it when I was little. It's only sort of in later life that I've gone, you know, she really stands out to me as, It was just, she was such a true example for me of a silly, of being silly, of how it's okay to be silly and to really celebrate that silliness. And her choice of language I love and I, I would hope that I try to emulate that in some way.

I love, you know, being really precise with my choice of language when I'm, you know, when I'm writing something. And yeah, like, she was, she was incredible and I know that so many comics of my, of my generation just of, of, really were so inspired by her. And I think she's brilliant. Her work absolutely stands up still today. It's wonderful. I was caught a bit of dinner ladies the other night. And it's just, it's so funny.

And it's just so clever and so gaggy. Like it's, oh, it's brilliant. She was brilliant. My ex-boyfriend from many, many, many, many, many years ago, decided to start running a comedy club. And some of the stand-ups who are still going today, and doing, I'm incredibly well, we're doing it in this pub. And I remember one night, a woman, it doesn't matter who it is,

and she's still doing her stuff and very well moan. And she did stand up. And I remember, and I was, I started out in telly. And I remember everyone going, oh my God, there's a woman. And I promise I'm not exaggerating. Everybody, women, men, it was, unheard of. But I remember sitting back and watching this and thinking, why? Why is everybody so shocked that there's a woman doing it? I was a kid's TV presenter. And I was a woman and I always

had to have a male co-host. Everything, there were always men. I was, you know, I was one woman with three male co-presenters. And everyone, I was seen as the girl, as the female, but I remember everyone's reaction that there was a woman being stand-up and everyone thought it was incredible. It's very obvious who that person is and I love her dearly and she likes cakes a lot. But it was amazing. Everyone couldn't believe that the wonderful woman who might be involved in Bake Off on the extra slice. It might be her. But, okay, Joe was there and the reaction was extraordinary.

Yeah, I think it is still seen as slightly subversive, perhaps a woman being in control of a room, you know, being alpha enough to be on stage to command an audience and being the one in control. It's not something that is typically associated with a typical feminine trait, is it, being that sort of arrogant. You do have to be slightly arrogant to get up on stage and want to do that. And I do think, yeah, when you go on stage as a woman as a comic, it tends to be, it sort of feels like sometimes the audience or some of the audience members are judging all female comedians

on your performance. If you have a bad gig, then, well, that's it. That's confirmed the fact that, you know, the stupid old adage that women aren't as funny as men. Whereas if a bloke goes up and bombs, then he's just, he's just had a bad gig, you know, him and just him by himself. He doesn't carry the whole weight of his gender on his shoulders. And I think, yeah, sometimes it's a bit more weighted.

But I think, I don't know, I've got, I suppose I've got used to being, and I'm sure you had this Gabby as well, especially when you were starting out. Like, you're often the only woman in the room at meetings and at jobs and stuff. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I think I'm sure we're both old enough and ugly enough to deal with ourselves now. But initially it can be, it's a confronting situation. It can, you do feel very like, oh, crikey, okay. You do feel like the odd one out and to sort of really have to speak up for yourself. I mean, it certainly, it makes you bold.

And I do think it's made me, it's made me stronger for it. But you shouldn't, you shouldn't be that way, should it? We shouldn't be sort of numbered. No, you just reminded me of a story. It's really weird. We were all in a meeting. And it was all guys. And there was a female producer and all my co-presenters who were men, the bosses who were men,

another producer who was a man. We were all in a room. And they were saying, oh, Gabby, you can. can do this item. I'm like, oh my goodness. Like really, you want me to do it? I remember them all turning around saying, oh, you got your period. Oh, God.

It was the go-to. And I remember saying to them, no, I haven't, but I'm due on in a couple of days. And they all got such a shock that you answer back. Yeah, no, I get a period. Yeah, yeah, sorry. Yeah, oh, didn't you realize? Oh, yeah, a couple of days, that's when. But it was weird.

Good on you. Good on you. Yeah. sort of those sort of things. But you're a woman with balls, and when you do your stand-up, you say it as it is. And you're, you've got, because I say this over, you know, in this season with lovely Josh Whittaker.

I think Josh Whittickham has got funny bones. You know, last season we had Lee Mack, we had Rob, lovely, Rob Beckett and Rob Brydon and loads of the comedians and who I've, I'm lucky to have to have known a long time. And they've got funny bones. You've got funny bones. You just can't, I mean, when we did talking pictures, my favourite thing that you ever did on talking pictures

was when you looked at the video of a film without sound and you had to describe to your other team members what you were watching. I honestly, I think I might have let a little bit of wee-wee out each time. It's just funny. Thanks, Gabby. Yeah, I think I've got more comfort. being, and I mentioned this word earlier, silly, as I've got older, but more.

Yeah, I love silly. And I think you're so sort of encouraged, I don't know, silliness is not a word that you usually associate with adults, is it? And I think I really try and encourage it in my daughter because I think it's so important to keep that sense of play and being a wally. And I love being, like, and she's at that perfect age now being a toddler. I really get, oh, I can really flex my silly bones with her and it's wonderful. And I think, yeah, as I've got, you know, as I've sort of grown into being a

comic, I've found out more what makes me laugh. And, you know, sometimes I'm, I'm, I'm quite weird, I suppose. My husband thinks I'm quite weird. And especially like my weird, stupid stuff I do on Instagram, which is my, where I, where I really, I do peak silly on Instagram. Me too. Keep being silly. Yes. Exactly. Actually, Gabby, that's so true. You really are. You're, you're very silly. You're very playful still. And I think, yeah, let's, let's keep on doing that. Keep silly. Do you know who else I think is really funny and silly? Like, Lisa, like Lisa. Tarbuck is so silly and I love that. I love that. I've met her a couple of times. I'm like, you're such a wally in the best possible way. And isn't that brilliant? Her radio show on

Radio 2 makes the family love. So if we're in the car and we're going somewhere on a Saturday evening between, I think it's six o'clock she comes on. We just, it's like, put it on, put it on Lisa on. And we will, she just says the most random things and I love and respect her for it. Absolutely. Absolutely. Same. Brilliant. And, you know, going back to Hannah Wodding she's a great example of silliness as well. I think I just like me a silly woman. That's what I'm into. I think you need's rebranding because silly people think means stupid

and stupid can be a bit derogatory, whereas silly just means, let's all just laugh because, you know, you might, today might be your last day. If you want to, like this morning, I just wanted to jump.

My 14 year old daughter was late for school. And I stopped the car. I said, I'm going to jump. She went, no, not now. I went, I'm going to jump. She said, Why, I mean, I need to, I just want to jump. I'm going to jump. So I jumped and we put it on Instagram and I said,

no, you have to jump. Obviously, I don't put the kids on. And then you said, no, mum, I said, just jump. So we stood in the road and we jumped. We had the car radio on really loud listening to Chris Evans and the feeling were playing. And I put it on my Instagram as well. They were playing, you got a fight for your right to party. And we, the two of us, by the time she got to school, she left going, oh, I've got this first thing.

We were in hysterics because we were. We were being silly. We jumped. We jumped in the air. And that's what Todd, actually, going back to your daughter, that's what toddler. Toddler will jump into a puddle and it will give them so much fun. They'll pick up a box and they'll hide in the box and they'll fall over and bang their head and they won't cry.

It's silly. It's fun. It's so silly. Yeah. And she's just, yeah, she's getting more silly. Everything is poo. So she started saying to me, love you to the moon and back with poo. And she knows it and it makes me laugh.

You're like, yes, you've found your audience. Yes. Yeah, it's magic. It's really magic. A lovely skill. A skill. I'm going to call silliness a skill. It's a lovely skill to have.

I'm with you there. So what, talking about what makes you laugh, and we always ask on this podcast, what makes you belly laugh? So what's the thing that makes you properly lose it? What makes me belly laugh is, I do, I mean, I'm quite like slapstick, I suppose. Yes, good girl. Yeah, I love a video of someone falling over. Yes.

really makes me and Robbie Williams. You me and Robbie. Yes. It's just something. There's something so sort of basic about it. You can imagine that from the dawn of time, you can imagine cavemen finding it funny when one of their mates tripped over a rock.

Do you know what I mean? It's just so basic. It really tickles something primal in you. I like that. I like, I mean, to be very specific in like in terms of TV. We started watching Veep again, which is just so beautifully written and the little stinging one lines in there

they're all such horrible people and I really enjoy that yeah I mean to be fact I don't really watch much comedy on telly because I'm a bit, it's a bit of a busmastmas holiday and it makes me feel a bit anxious so I don't watch that much comedy I think yeah on a sort of everyday level

it is people being idiots and like yeah seeing someone fall over you can't really beat that See, I love that. Absolutely love that. So there's more mash reports, of course. And the next book is going to be out when? Oh, Gabby, give me a child.

No, you have to. You have to do the next age. The next stage. Yeah, I might, yeah, I've got to, I will think about it. Because I really loved the process, which I haven't sort of anticipated. I really enjoyed writing a book. But of course, you know, doing it sort of at the tail end of a pandemic was good because there was not much else going on. So I had lots of time.

So if I can find a period of time, where I've got some time to actually write something. I would love to write something again because it was, yeah, it was, yeah, it was, yeah, it's brilliant. Yeah, but you're going to be doing more standard. Yeah, I've still got a tour, I've got to finish. You've got your tour. It's dragging on forever, the tour that will never die.

And then, yes, I suppose after that, I'll probably have to start thinking about writing some new stuff after two years of sort of being stalled and stuck with the same material. So, yeah, I have to get back out of there. But it's lovely to be back on stage. and, you know, being silly in front of an audience, which is my absolute dream situation. So I'm really enjoying it.

Oh, we'll enjoy every moment of it, my sweet. And also, talking pictures are going to be back in the live in the theatre next year. So we've got to get you in for one. You can be, you don't need to be a captain. You can just, you can now sit back and join in. You probably will know the films, you know. But listen, thank you for chatting today. It's always a joy to speak to you.

Give your husband and give your mom and dad, Jill and Richard, a kiss from me. And especially give your baby toddler a big hug. Oh, we'll do. Thanks, Gabby. So nice to talk to you. Coming up next week, it's comedian Ramesh Ranganathan. That Gabby Roslyn podcast is proudly produced by Cameo Productions. Music by Beth McCari.

Could you please tap the follow or subscribe button? And thanks so much for your amazing reviews. honestly read every single one and they mean the world to us. Thank you so much.