That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Mel and Sue

Episode Date: September 22, 2026

The delightful, brilliant, funny pals - Mel & Sue - join Gaby for a natter! (after being 40 minutes late - tut tut) They talk about their friendship, working together, their new ITV show - 'Win Win' - a life in comedy and why they love each other so much. The two of them know each other so well...and work so well together (and separately too). THE BIG TOPIC of discussion is what is the nation's favourite sandwich filler? Gaby also asks about Last One Laughing - and if it's genuinely as funny doing it, as it is for us watching it... We hope you enjoy this joyful, fun and silly conversation!

I'm going to tell you a husband. We slightly took a wrong turn. No, yes, sit down. This is a really intense thing to be flown. I know. Straight in. Where are you? We've just been...

We've just been... We've been doing for the last 40s. What have you been doing for the last 40s? Sorry, we've been phoning her. You didn't answer. Oh, did you phone? That's the thing about the Melsu Collective is I answered. I know.

I didn't even see that you'd phone. Thanks. That's how little she thinks of you. I'm such... register the call. Whereas I'm like, hello, oh hi, yeah, I'm sorry, we're late, we're going to come, now we're going to come. Have you ever been late for live television? Actually, all jokes aside, have you been late?

Yes, I've been late for the show. There's an incredible woman called, we both know and love, called Karen Corrin, who runs the Guild of Balloon, we used to run, the Guild of Balloon venues, she still does, and she is a fourth right place. She's a force of nature. And, you know, her strength is that she just gets stuff done, but there's a flip side of like, don't cross, don't cross the coroner. and I love her.

She chased a police car once. Oh, she was chasing a police car. I think she went out with the head of police. She did. And when they used to row, he would chase her with the Nino's on across town. I love that. But she's an extraordinary person

and I was late for a show that I was doing as a student. So way before I did this as a so-called living. You know, was it Alex Ferguson? When he used to go into the dressing rooms at Manu and they'd say it's like the hair, they just called the hairdry. The hairdry?

I got hairdried by Coroner. Oh, she once shouted through... Oh, a letterbox. The letterbox where we were living, thankfully not... At 7 a.m. Not for us, but for somebody else that was living in the same place. Who was working for her in Edinburgh. And that was a hairdry...

I love that. Just flap and then bellowing. Through the post box. Effing and Jeffing. Well, we were doing that through the window. No. See, you coming up the stairs. Sauntering.

Sauntering. Is that a good word? I'm 56. I can't do anything but saunter. I don't propel myself anywhere. I know. Am I ever late? I'm usually 40 minutes early.

I'm scared. I'm scatter-gun head in the clouds. That's why you two are just so perfect together. But I feel bad that you've been sitting. Five past one, we were just settling into a blooming... Salmon. Salmon. And some guacamole.

I don't feel bad. I feel the plate. I love a bit of guacamole. It was a chunky one as well. It was beautiful. Did it have all the chili? A bit of chili. A hit.

It had spring onion, so for me I'm out. Why? I'm a purist. You're out with the spring onion? I'm not interested. An avocado is of itself a beautiful thing. It just needs salt. It does not need the adornment.

Do you put, I've seen an onion go. Do you fork? Do you crush with a fork? Smash. I'll take it. It depends on the rightness. I don't like smashed avocado. This is the most boring conversation we'll ever have.

I know, but you did do lunch. We've lost a great chunk of your audience now. When you did, this is the podcast bit. The radio bit will be. What the obsessive filming stuff? Where we're just like, I mean, you are on it, mate. When you did like lunch, you must have had that you've never spring onioned. She did in those days.

You did in those days. days, mate, but times have changed and one's bowel and palate change as one gets older. I don't know why I'm saying one the whole time. Sorry about that. I won't say that again. I just don't like mixed things. I don't like mixes of things. Like if you need to be a Russian salad, I'd be very aggressive. Because there's lots of cubed things in an undefined sauce. I like things separated.

On your plate as well? Yeah, I like quite like that. Do you never do the fork and then the fish finger? Fish finger. Oh no. We're going, fish finger, mash and peas.

Just an example. All together. No, do you, so don't you cut the bit of... Thank you. You like, you keep it all separate. Separate the food.

One fork full, one fork of each individual food. Correct, correct, my friend. And I bet now's squashing together. Loaded. And that's why I work together. And then many, many layers.

Because on the Mrs. and Mrs. We scored. We're diametric opposites. But that's why it works. Do you know what? What is so, seriously. Wonderful. Very easily on the eye.

. Joyful of you two. is the... We're old and willet. It's our lack of punctuality. And your bowels I now have known about... My own water type, mate. You always have been always will be.

No, but it's just how wonderful... I'll tell you why I don't mix my food. Okay, tell me why you were I don't mix your food. That's why my bowels are so good. Oh, I see, because your bowels. Okay. But you two love each other. You really do.

And separately and together. Guiltiest charge, mate. You just know what each other is thinking. Nothing. It's white noise. increasingly. So Saturday nights, I-TV. Yes.

Oh, how good is that show? It's fun. We love it. But it looks like you're having fun. I can always think I can tell if you're not having fun. Yeah. Because you're both very honest, actually. But you look like you have the best time.

It's so fun. It's quite old school in the sense that it's prizes and it's a game show and it's a shiny floor and it's Saturday night ITV. But we kind of love that. And it feels good. And I love the fact that basically, we are just stewards handing out prizes to people who, I mean, the winner had 20 quid in her bank account and left with a million pounds. Isn't that a great feeling. Because I tell you what, young uns particularly work so hard.

And there's not the opportunities that we had, are sort of ancient decrepit ones. It's tough. And it's so nice. Just think, you know, you'll meet an NHS key worker whose car's on the blink. And suddenly they've got a new car. It's exciting. And my heart's going like a shrimp for them. That guy that won the caravan.

And he hadn't been on holiday for years. Yeah, he won this big family. Mega caravan. It was so good. I get so happy when people, I really do. And I never thought it would. I thought, yeah, you know, it'll be great. We'll be in the studio and we'll have a laugh.

But I get very emotionally involved. As soon as the backstory comes, that's it. She's a quiver. And I have to make them win. And it's great. And they're such nice people. But it shows that you. It's all very.

very fairly done. I'm a series of hand gestures and coughs, which eventually will be found out. As it was on... I'm joking, by the way, before I'm joking. No, but then they'll have Martin Sheen be you in the expose drama. Yes, the drama of Win Win Win with Post-Gloxie.

I'll be played by Mike. Finally, some talent will inhabit my name's sake. But yeah, he can play me, and I think... I think Sue Pollard's lined up. Or Brenda Bluffin. Oh, Bluffin, good. Oh, I hope she is. Can't say she's not...

Of course she is. I hope so. At time of recording, I love her. Oh, my. Okay. So, Martin, Michael. Sheen and Blethe. I thought I'm going to say Martin Jarvis.

I'll happily take that as well. Okay. He'll do the voice. All right, so who would, okay. Mel and Sue, the life story. So you'd have Brenda. So dull. No, would be Sue Pollard, actually,

because people often say Pollard is my surname. Yeah. They don't. So it would be Sue Pollard and Brenda Bluffin. Patrick Mo. Sorry, do they really call you? They think you're Sue Paulard. Well, they mainly think I'm Mel Gajroich,

but when they don't think I'm Mel Gajroach, I think I'm superlars. And I'm happy with both of those. They think you're... In many ways, the real me is the most disappointing of that three. There's nothing disappointing. But...

We've seen you in the Queen Vic recently. Oh, yes. I saw that, maybe. Yes. You were in the Queen Vend. I was working Radio 4. You were... Yes.

You were there... With wonderful Trevor Nelson. Yeah, against the bar. It was very exciting. Did anybody say... Get out of my pub. Adam Woodyette did, a lot. did he?

Yeah, that was our little corner. So there's some EastEnders folk who were already lovely and then some radio folk. And I was in the radio folk mix. The radio folk. I mean, I didn't really see how they were putting it all together because I just did an afternoon and then... Oh, it was lovely.

Skipped off. No, but also, that's really... Mel and I, we're very lucky to work here at Magic. And it's a very joyful, really joyful place. Oh, it's gorge. Radio four's grown-ups. Oh, not the way I do it. No.

No. Well, I hope it's not grown-ups. No, it is great. I hope it's fun. Yes, it is fun. I only have a little corner of it. But you love, but you also, that's something else that you love. It's very you.

It's very cool. It is really cool. It is what it is. I'm not right back at you guys. But also, when I watch stuff that you do, and you, we've all had the conversation away. This is not come to be focused on me now. No, no, I'm going to say you and you.

I'm just going to look at you. Hello. I like that. I can see that you're both enjoying it. And I can hear when you're enjoying your show. I can hear when you're enjoying your show. It's a pleasure, though, to be next to Melanie because the thing is... It's a treat.

It is a little treat. It's a treat. As you know, we don't socialise. Outside of work. We try not to. So... What with anybody? Well, increasingly, no. But no, it's really fun.

And we're allowed to be ourselves and honoured about and... The nice thing is as well, we've got these 24 contestants who come on. And a lot of them come on. back week after week and they get to know each other and they are just having a ball. It's like a party is going on in that studio. But also you can play at home. Yes, I know. You can win the same.

You can win at home gap. Everyone can. He's going to register. Look at producer Dave. He suddenly. I'm ready. Yeah. Do it.

Register with the postcode lottery. The app's free as well. Download the app. You play along. You don't even have to get the questions right. You just have to play and you can win the same prizes. Do you want to know what else? It's not general knowledge.

Brand new format. Yes. Format point. Win the answer. When the answer. We could do a question like, what's nation's favourite biscuit? Do you get it right? You could win a year supply of whatever the right answer is.

Okay. Do you practice one on me? Come on. Okay. Okay. Oh, me and Dave. So we're sitting at home. Okay.

Are we married? A bit weird, but okay. Okay. We're married. And we're called Glenda and Phil. Glenda and Phil. Glenda and Phil. Glenda is excellent.

What is the nation's favorite sandwich? Is it? Cheese and pickle? I can't think of another sandwich. Ham. Is it Coronation chicken? Or is it falafel and salad? Or tuna mayonnaise.

Right, you guess. Okay. Cheese and pickle. Phil. Phil. Cheese and pickle, Glenda. Is that your name? Yeah, Glendor.

You should know. You're married to her. What kind of marriage is this? You've been married for 40 years, guys. Good Lord. What's your final answer? I reckon it's cheese and pickle. Cheese and pickle.

You're playing at Omson, so doesn't matter. But just, when we played this, there was a massive row in my household between the assembled family members because they were arguing what it might be. Chino Monez is a question. Well, I knew that. Not for me.

Yes. Not for me. For me every time. Really? You think Chimayo every time. Yeah, man. Not even if it's going to call. No, no, no.

Divorce now for us. Wet, wet marine life in a baguette. It's not for me. It's delicious. No, but it does smell like cat food. No, grapias. Put some capers in. Nice mayo, a little bit of chop cereal.

You've changed. Egg mayo. Egg mayo. With some spring onions. Mmm. What's wrong with you? No, crese. I do crease.

I love spring. I will have an egg sandwich as long as there's a boiled egg and then some bread. Oh, you'd have it separate? Little lump of mayonnaise. Then I will leave it in order. Slaces up.

Yes. So, you two, but it was really interesting. I told someone. a couple of weeks ago. Is this going? That we were going to be late. No, yes. And they said, I wouldn't bother interviewing them.

No, but I was talking about you two a couple of weeks ago with somebody. They said who? No, and they said, so were they really friends before they started together? Did they really work together or did television bring them together? Pals. And I loved pals. Yeah, always pals. No, I know.

But I loved that people just thought it was magical that you two. just got on so well and they didn't know the history and a lot of people don't know that it came before you were famous predated yeah yeah because we met in 88 yeah when you were eight years nearly four days I know we're at nursery together nursery newborns and yeah that's funny because I think some people sort of think oh a management company yes like sort of like we won the presenting show yeah yeah no not nothing so organized but it wasn't like that We were pals for years, about kind of seven years before there was a whiff of anything. Did our own thing.

I mean, there was a whiff of something, but not work. Slackness and procrastination. But yeah, we toured and had our own shows and I mean, I say comedy. It's a broad, broad term. So, yeah, a long time before any of that came. But it's just important because, as you know, things are ebb and flow, but you've got this through line of really understanding one another and being there for one another.

That's what's so wonderful. I wouldn't want to do it if we'd just been put together by... It would have been weird. It would have been really weird. But I like that you've cleared that up. But also that you do things separately and still you do things together. There's no other double acts who won't be mentioned only ever do things together. Quite intense.

Quite intense. But we love them. We do love them. They're lovely guys and they're always the same side on the television and we will love them. And that's great. It's whatever works for people. And, you know, I think for us it's a... I cherish one way together

I really do, it's my favourite. But it's also nice to exercise our own individual things and passions and not a circumstance. We've been blooming lucky to keep going this long. It's ridiculous. For me it's fingernails on the parapet.

Yes. Not as much. Please can we talk about and apologies this is directed straight at you. As you know, because I have told you, I think that last one laughing is the prescription that we all need every week

and please can it be on 52 weeks of year I mean I'm actually not kidding I think that show is so vital right now because of all the negative and nasty news and it's a family event we all play along we all try not to laugh that's so good really stressful love it

please I know you all I know this and that's going out I was only a contestant so I don't have any no but you're in it but you're in it again well just just a one-off because Rohing's going She's going in And you're staying out. Exactly.

So it's just a little one-off. I don't have any sort of, you know, sway in anything. Could you tell them to do it every year? I think they're doing a Halloween. It's going to run and run and run. You don't need to worry. Yeah. I think it's so good.

Isn't it joyful? They're going to do a Halloween special. Which I think is six people. And you're not allowed to smile or scream. So I'm hoping there'll be loads of jump moments. I'd like it like a ghost train. Yeah, they'll do that really well. Can you both do the gurning face?

Because the face of not... Let's all try. Everyone in the room. There was lots of it. You'll hurt yourself if you do. She did that. Yeah. 14 hours. 14.

That does hurt. 14 hours, I know, ridiculous. I've still got to... I go to this massar... This massars. She's French, who's a jaw, massurs. And she gloves up and she goes fully internal. She pulls the cheek back.

Buckle. It's awful. Because of last one laughing. Yes. Once every six weeks, because it starts seizing up. What an idiot. Just so stupid. I'd like to see you when it has seized up.

It would be... How did you? Trying an apple. I couldn't eat an apple. I couldn't eat an apple. I'm just a victim of her own success. No, I'm just a twit. Absolutely good.

It's a wonder. Thank you. I love, love, love that show. It is a prescription. Oh. It really, it's... It's deline. Yeah, it's delirious.

But also, you two. So I'm going to ask it, because I get every time I see you both. Can we have more... I know that I love... Love Wim Win. And it's just joyful. But can we have some sketch shows,

comedy shows from YouTube? Can we have the Melan Su show? Oh, Gabby, you're absolutely dying. On television? I mean, it's not always available. What do you mean? Well, I think... No. Don't swallow that.

Yeah, I've swallowed it. Don't say it again. Thank you. Sketch shows are... They're very expensive and they're very hit and miss. And Skech shows are for the youngs. No!

Don't you think? No, look at last one, look at last one, laughing. SNL is great. It's all ages. S&L is back, which is fantastic, with our friend who's behind it. So it's, you know, we're so proud of that show. It's just great that it's back.

Yeah. But you guys, please, can you just do another show? Well, we don't run television cabs. That's the problem. I think you're talking to us if we don't run it. If somebody asked us, absolutely bring it. I'm going to do it. And remember, I will pick up the phone.

I haven't got my phone. Which is why I didn't pick up. You'll call up. Mine's in my son. Scabby. Scabby. Oh, okay. Better pick up then.

Hey. Hey. Hey. So. Why are you speaking like that, Gabby? Because I'm calling from Hollywood. You never used to talk like that. Okay.

You do. You got your own show. I got Mel here with me. You want to speak to Mel. Yeah. Oh, Mel. You got Gabby. You got Gabby.

How good speaker? You're right? Yeah. You got your own show. It's Gabby. You want sketch? We'll give you a sketch. No, I want Skit.

We get Skit. We get Skit. We give good skit. What do you want us to do? Where do you want us to be? We'll do it. Okay, we'd like you on. Here she is.

Amazon Prime. Hey, Gabs, I got to bounce. But listen, it's great. It's great to talk to you are. We're going to get through some skits, goodbye. I think that's all done. We'll do it. When do we start?

When do we start filming? What are the hours? Oh, I love them too so much. Right. On reasons to be joyful, the podcast, we always ask everybody to tell us what brings them. true joy. Personally, what brings you joy.

Either you might have, it's a photo, it might be something you have, it might be whatever it is. Please, we understand that obviously family and friends, all of that. So you're saying that would be a boring answer. And I understand that, but that's the baseline. Oh, yeah.

Mine's very niche. Go on. And it's ever-changing. Go on. I can find joy in lots of things, really obscure things. Regional watchmakers, for example, recently. Great joy.

But also, there's a... Very fully... an earless and disabled sheep that really is on TikTok, and I love it. It's wheeled out and cuddled by everybody, and it has smiles, and I find great joy in it because it says that, don't laugh at me. I'm not, because we're not.

I'm being really honest. I love about that. It's like, people don't think about sheep. They just eat them. They see them in a field. I don't like to eat. I don't eat them, either. But it's this rescue charity, and they just, they'll take anything.

It's this guy, and he just takes anything, the flotsam and jetsum of sort of animal life. and they're all pretty unwell but the sheep is just it's permanently grinning because it spends its life being washed and petted and fed and wheeled about

and it gives me great joy because it fulfills it sort of fills my cup about what humanity is still capable of in all the horror I love that I love that thank you one thing about sheep though

you can't look them in the eye have you tried to look a sheep in the eye because they're too far apart they're fish eyes by the way the ideal answer for you afterwards would be What makes you happy? Lamb Sam.

Don't you've done. Don't say lamb chops. Really nice. Slow cooked. A braised Persian lamb. Yes, you're absolutely right. Have you ever done that? I rescued a sheep once.

You have to sort of go like that. And they're the thickest things. Even in the midst of rescuing them. They're beautiful. But even in the midst of debrambling them, this thing has got itself caught in a long bramble and worked its way around. And the brambles would cut into it.

And it couldn't escape. But even, I was just going, I am trying to free you. And every time I tried to unwind it, it just recoiled. It took two hours. Yeah. Two hours.

Oh, but how lovely that you did that? They don't have eye... Do you keep in touch? Yeah. Listen, they say they will, and they're texting. With those cloven hooves, it's hard for them. I know. It's very hard to send out an email one.

I know. Imagine you've got your cloven. Imagine being cloven. They're a nightmare for communications. They don't have eyeballs. They do have eyeballs. They do. They do have eyeballs.

They have eyeballs. But they don't have pupils. They have a weird... They have a weird... They do have pupils. They have a weird, like a fisher. in the middle, that you look at one, there's no pupil. There's no pupil in a sheep.

By the way, when, I had a magpie in the house once. Did you salute it all day? No, I panicked, panicked and rang everybody. Good morning, please help me. Run up to the attic and it followed me up there and I've got peck marks on the door. So I became obsessed it was after me. But they do the side. Side-ways.

The side-eye, what does it call? Like sheep? Side-eye. Side-eye. So the point happens. Oh, like fish. Yes. Fish have that. Don't all birds do that.

They have the lid that comes across rather than down. It creeped me. I know a vet. Who are you called us? Is it Mark? No. No, it's... It's Bolu from the Joy of Pets.

Thanks for watching the show. But that's fine. Of course it is. I have seen it. No, I have seen it. Yeah. And I know that you love animals and I love you for that. I cut across you, Melanie.

What makes you happy? Mine is pure and simply taking me brazier off at the end of a day. Do you know what? I knew you were going to say that. What, boom. Have you told me that before? Call me in the eye. And have a good old scitchy scitch.

No, I don't have a scrochy scrooge. How did I know you were going to say that? Have we had that conversation? Maybe we have. Nothing so releasing is there. It's letting that two, those two little eye holes go. Oh. Three.

No. Three. I'm on to three. Which is probably, yeah. Which is a bit like a sort of. Spring them off and let those. A Bugsy Malone. We went to see Bugsy Malone and you.

It's one okay. Is it was doing photos. At the Lyric Hammersmith. And you stood there and you said, oh God, I just want to get home and have a scratch. Get the brow off. Yes. Sorry, it's awful. But it is joyous.

I think how it looked at, because that might be hungry. How weird, I remembered that. Melisoo, everyone. Thanks for having us. Sorry, we were late. I'm going to take responsibility for that.