The Frank Skinner Show - Statistically Come Dancing

Episode Date: November 22, 2024

On today's podcast Frank shares his beef with presenters statistics and explains why he finds the losers dance on Strictly Come Dancing so troubling. The team also revisit Frank's run in with Gabby Logan and there is news from The Isle of Man! Email [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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from South Africa came they're all here, open brackets, hooray, close brackets today. Hi. That's how I'm starting nowadays. What do you think? That's a bit friendly. I'm going to reserve comments at this time. I like it. I think if one recalls the popularity of Glee, I think it's tuning into that vibe. Hey. This is Frank off the radio. I'm joined by Emily Dean and Pia Novelli. Follow the podcast on X and Instagram.

You can, you know, when you start something with too much spit in your mouth, hate that. You can email the podcast via frankofftheradio at avlonuk.com. Simple as that. Listen, I was listening to radio football commentary. I mean radio football commentary. There isn't a thing called radio football that I know of.

It wasn't radio football, yeah. The guy was talking, the commentator, and he was, I don't remember the exact words but I'm gonna give you a feel of it he said yeah and actually only they've only won one of their last seven visits to the capital so tall order for them today and I thought to myself so the last time they were in London, the eight times, they've only won one of those games. What are we to draw from that data? What is that? What does, where is the theme?

How do we follow a trend? Is there something about London? Because there's not even a, that's not even a specific stadium he's talking about. No, it's just what is, they have all these statistics just to fill the time up with. They find the M25 very intimidating. Crossing it, they filled us dread. The only one I want, I thought, hey, the only, well I said it out loud I think to the radio, the only thing I want to hear from you if you're going to give me statistics, make them

a bit more interesting. For example, what percentage of the laughter on this commentary between you and the co-commentator is real and what percentage of it is fake? You know when we get who's won the most aerial challenges? No, no, we'll come to that. What percentage of the laughter is actually... When you say something to the co-commentator as an ex-player, well I don't think you ever went that far upfield, did you Nathan? And they go, no, no I never...

That's not real laughter that's happening there. What's that WDS 40 or something, that oil? WD 40. WD 40 or something, that oil? WD 40. WD 40, yeah, yeah. I love that red, red wine. Yeah, it's that. It's just oiling the cranking machinery of their conversations.

When would you like these stats to be dished out while it's still on air, just right at the end? No, I think- And for those who've been listening for the entire afternoon. And just for the first half there, 8% of the laughter was real and that's 92, Frank, where do you feel about that, Nathan? I just have to say crushed. Yeah. And then, and then I watched Strictly Come Dancing. And Claudia said, Claudia Winkleman, who I think is great on the show, lovely hair, et cetera, says something like, oh, that's the third highest scoring samba we've ever had on movie week.

Who cares about that? Too many qualifiers. What are you talking about? No, they often do that to make them feel better. No, but it's become a theme. There was one that was on the eighth time an American Smooth has come third on the Leaders Board in October. You're kidding. They didn't say that.

There's some equivalent of that. You know Sir John Curtis, that guy that does the election? Claudia Winkleman has become him. Who wants statistics? Do you remember when you used to listen to the lottery and it would say something that's number 22 yeah that's only the 17 times that that's come up but it's appeared five times in the last five weeks yeah but that's not gonna help me what you can't

there's no statistical help with the lottery you could say I think they like to make the people feel better, don't they? It's for taking part medal. Maybe that's why they get the statistics out. So people can sort of go, ooh, ooh. Eighth highest in October. So people will think, oh, they're not as bad as I thought they were. I know, but Claudia should be above statistics.

It's not called statistically comdante. It should be. It should be, this series. Is it? She didn statistically come down to it should be it should be this series is it she didn't used to do I think some producer said yeah oh we had a bit of a chat and we were thinking about be good to get some statistics whoa baby idea of like trendy people being like character out of Scooby-Doo or something. Someone's cool in Scooby-Doo. They're not that good. Is it because, have they fired the writers of the bits of business?

Well, she's funny. She's funny on it. She's brilliant. They've chopped her at the ankles. She doesn't need the stats. Brilliant's a big word. Oh, Frank, don't be so rude. Presenters don't do brilliant. Oh my God.

The bar is so rude. No, but presenters don't do brilliance. Oh my god. The bar is so low for presenters. You've done presenting. I know, and I'm another example of it. You could argue on presenting this. Ergo, the bar is low. Is it because if they don't have the stats, they've so run out of things to say that they

would just go, and that was some more dancing? Well, they could have, you know, they could work out little tweaks to the format, like the ending. Yeah. You don't watch it, Pierre, but at the end, the people- The ending is troubling. The people who've just lost, yeah, they have to do a bit of a speech about what an experience it's been. And they also say it's been marvelous.

Of course. And then they ask, what do you think of Luigi? Or whatever it is they've done. Never been a Luigi on the show in the entire history. Well, you know, generically Luigi. And the poor celebrity is often like, I hasn't done that much. Telly says, um, says, yeah, well, I've met a friend for life there. And you think, no, you haven't.

That's not true. You'll get one reply from Luigi for the next text. You'll never hear from him ever again. Even if you meet up with them in the pub, what do you know? He's still dancing. He won't even, he won't even. Still dancing? He won't even. Done any quick steps recently?

Yeah, sorry, I'm busy. That's how it's going to be with Luigi. Or even worse, he'll hold your attention for hours saying, and it was the eighth highest Scottish samba before the solstice. The dancers don't soil their hands. No, they don't. I think what Luigi will be doing is ringing up saying, excuse me, you'll give me discount for Versace and you're quite well connected.

Maybe that, yeah. So you get that and then you get this terrible final dance, Pierre. You wouldn't believe it. It's the most embarrassing thing that has happened. Is that as a credits roll? So they go on to the dance floor. The people who have being voted off. This is a celebrity who's just established that they can't really dance if they've had

a week with someone telling them exactly what to do. And suddenly they've got to improvise. So they go on the dance floor. As a punishment for having failed. So yes, so they're left there and I think the other contestants wait a little bit longer every week. So they're looking for dance. Usually the dancer just, the professional dancer just picks the other person up and swings them around

if it's a lady celebrity. And then they, I mean people go onto the dance floor and improvise at weddings and it's fine, but they can't do it having been on a dance teaching show. And they say, and they every week they play a different sort of sad goodbye song. Oh my. Like end of the road boys to men.

They shouldn't play a song. They should say well sorry and they should leave. What do you mean? They should leave to complete silence. They should dance to complete silence just echoing footsteps and squeaks. I think just walk off, just the click of stilettos and a slight rustle of taffeta. And then the big fire escape door. Yeah, and the audience should all turn their backs theatrically as they go.

And maybe just one person, just one, whispering, shame. What's the name of that dance that the Man City fans do when they turn? It's a Polish thing. Oh yes. They all turn their backs and jump up and down. But turn their back but not jump up and down. Shunning. Pozman I think it is. Amish style shunning. Oh man it's so awkward. I wish they would change that. By the way, can I just establish, I think Claudia Winkleman. I think, oh Winkleman is very very good. What I'm saying is presenting is basically you know a shabby career thing. Oh that's much an infinitely nicer thing to say. No, but she's Korea thing. Oh, that's much infinitely nicer thing to say. But she's capable of much more than that. She's decided, you know, it's a massive...

Why don't you like presenting, Frank? Presenting is... I just think, you know, when I've been listed as a presenter on things, I've honestly thought, how dare you? And I am a presenter, but I'm not, you know, I'm ashamed of it. Speaking of shame. Yeah. I just, just as we started recording, I got a text from my, from my mother and it's a photograph. Good luck.

Yes. Godspeed. Yeah. The photograph of one of the Isle of Man's newspapers, the Isle of Man Today, I think. Do we want to just fill people in in case they don't know? Frank basically did a gig in the Isle of Man and you didn't feel it was your best? No, no it was yeah it was like speaking as I think I said something like it was like being the captain of a sinking ship screaming

into a storm. I believe it was a burning ship. Yes. Oh, yeah. They've got you over from this very podcast. Oh my God. Hang on. Explain what's happened then. So obviously, the Isle of Man rarely comes up in things. So when it does, all the forces of commentary are mobilized on the island to tackle it, to opine. And so the start of this write-up of it is- There's a very sort of nasty satirical magazine called The Bile of Man.

Where was this? They pair into people. Local farmers. Oh, I've experienced that, my friend. Where was this? Is this in... It's just in a Manx newspaper. Oh, a Manx newspaper. And your mother found this.

Which means a newspaper with no title. Yes. Yes. So, you mentioned in your recounting of the gig that out there in the stormy ocean, there's a lone man whose laughter was like a sort of... There was a lifeboat, but I couldn't reach it. There was one man laughing. Yeah.

Abroariously. You know they talk about the sound of one hand clapping. Did it make it worse? That would make it worse. No, no, it didn't make it. Well, no, it didn't make it. A glimmer of light. Well, because the Isle of Man is a very small place,

we now know his name. The Lover. of light. Well, because the Isle of Man is a very small place, we now know his name. The Lumber! Which has never happened in gig history. That's brilliant. He's going to go down as a legendary figure now, isn't he? And we have found that man. What is he called? So, Lon Pinkerton. Lon? Yeah. Has it named after Lon Chaney, the man of a thousand things perhaps. Well also Pinkerton, they're a security firm aren't they?

They used to. They were a Scottish detective agency. The Crown Jewels they looked after. Did they really? Those Crown Jewels. Nicknamed for the Secret Service as well before it was the Secret Service. The Pinkertons protected the. Okay, anyway.

I think he was the Scottish guy who started that detective agency. Well, Lon Pinkerton outed himself as one of those who had paid to see the comedian. He'd done that 20 years ago on the Isle of Man. He'd have been tarred and feathered by now and awaiting trial. Your demographics changing. He outed himself saying, I was the man laughing at rawrously in the audience He thanked me twice during the gig It's a pity Frank didn't enjoy the evening as much as I did no one no one enjoyed as much as you did long

What a fabulously positive man, I'll tell you I'll tell you long you got me through it as much as you did, Lon. What a fabulously positive man. I tell you, Lon, you got me through it, mate. Really? Thank you. I love Lon. Someone who thinks very highly of Douglas has asked of you, how could you compare Douglas with Worthing? And I think there may be, haven't been to Worthing recently.

That's a bit anti-Worthing. Yeah. I think maybe they're slightly overestimating Douglas there. I think Douglas is better than Wirthing. I actually was nice about the Isle of Man. Well, that's it. Yes, that has been noted. Okay, good. Whereas Lon hates it. No, he doesn't. No. I didn't have a conversation, but I would like to officially thank Lon for reaching out. I'm sorry you know that the roaring waves kept us apart. I mean I'm talking about the roar of silence now obviously. But it was good to know

that one person got it. Lovely fan for you. And relax. and got it. Mmm. Lovely fun for you. And relax. Music The faster money and data move, the further your business can go to a seamless digital future for Canadians.

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Mitsubishi Motors. Oh, I don't think I told you did either. You remember I talked on this show many moons ago, including some super moons. Is that what they're called? Those big moons? I talked about Gabby Logan nagging me into getting fit. Do you remember this? Yes, of course I remember. I was absolutely mortified when you did that. Why? Because Gabby's lovely, she's so supportive. I didn't say she wasn't lovely, we all have nights when, I don't know, the devil is within.

The devil, see what I mean? This is what you do, you go too far, Frank. But see, basically, honestly, it was like being trapped in a car with the head girl telling you after. Will you stop then? So go on. So I was leaving here and I bumped into Gabby. And she said, oh, what have you been up to?

And I said, I've just been really complaining about you on a podcast about that night in Manchester when you gave me that lecture about not doing exercise. What did she say? She said, were you slagging me off? And I said, I don't know if I was, I don't think I was slagging you off. I said, I think, you know, I love you, you're great. I said, but you did really have a go at me that night. And she said, has it completely changed your life when you're doing loads of exercise now?

And I said, no. And she said, oh, you're like this then, because I missed the train the other day. And I can't remember the exact details, but there was another train she could have got because it's another nearby station. She said, I had trainers on. She said, the guy said, you won't make it. It's about, and she said, well, we'll see. She said, and I ran, I ran fast. He said, a guy actually shouted from a train, go on Gabby. She tore it in.

That was Kenny. And she said, it was pulling out and I I came steaming down the platform and I caught it. And I said, so here we are again. Because obviously I'd have thought, oh, maybe I could get an Uber. But I do have an admiration for those types. Oh, no, you know what? Omar reminded me that when she was in the car, she said, she said, for example, if you could

cycle up to Birmingham, have coffee with a friend and then cycle back again. I thought, well, obviously I want to cycle back again. I don't choose, my bicycles aren't treated like disposable contact lenses. Right. I just get off them. I just get off them, they just skid into the gutter and I walk away. No, it just hurls it into the cut. But what about that? But cycling to Birmingham would take so long. How long would it take?

Well, we don't really do bikes, do we? I'm not great on a bike anyway. Well, nor am I, because I told you, my mother said when it was my cycling proficiency test I had an audition for a film and so I called in sick. Well I don't have that as an excuse, but I had my first bicycle lesson when I think I was 56. How did it go? Well when he said stop, I jumped off.

That was how I... What happened to the bike? No, I held on to the bike. Some say it's still going. Exactly. Yeah. And if you listen in the night, you can hear the distant ringing of its bell. Luigi, what are you doing? Get back to the studio. You can hear the distant ringing of its bell.

Luigi, what are you doing? Get back to the studio. I just thought I'd join in with... No, no, out. Sorry, the work's dried up. Yeah, exactly. That's the fourth time Luigi has interrupted me in January. It's very hard to learn to ride a bike at our time of life though, isn't it? Because I feel faintly ridiculous. Mind you, can I tell you, you know when I said I did a speed awareness course and then I got a speeding thing? I got another one yesterday. You did it? Oh, fran.

So that speed awareness course has ruined me. Since I've done it. I've got two speeding tickets in two months. What were you doing? Was this a 20 or 30 mile? This was 24 miles an hour in a 20 mile an hour. That's where they get you. So the speed awareness course has made you very aware of speed, but only in a positive way. Well, I would say that the ticket, getting the points has made me more aware of speed.

Speed awareness, of course, is a bit of a walk in the park, quite a slow walk in the park. But now suddenly I've got tickets coming out my ears. 24 in a 20 feels harsh. I know. Well, every one of them, that's three-speed. Yes, but if they make an exception for you. Yes, they make an exception for you. They have to make an exception for everyone. I've got three speeding tickets this year and they've

all been sob 30 miles an hour. Some kind of James Dean figure. This is Starmers Britain. What was the? One of them was, soon act Britain! But no, there's been no improvement. No, no. So do you just have to take the points now? There's nothing you can do. Yeah, I have to take the points. I mean, imagine when I'm on nine, how slow I'll have to drive there.

I got to that stage once. When you get to that stage, we'll talk. Do they sort of regrow the point? You're not nine forever, are you? It takes three years for the point. Like lizards arms. Yeah. They last for three years, I think. No, I know about this because I did, I'm afraid. I got very panicky when my points racked up.

I did contact Mr. Luke Pole. You know, that celebrity lawyer who gets pieces. He sees that I'm actually Mr. Luke Pole. You know that celebrity lawyer who gets people. He sees that I'm actually Mr. Lou Pole. I was thinking it would be, but it's not. He's called Nick Freeman, but he's known... That's also pretty good for what he does. Nick Freeman. Oh yes. Well it's the two possible outcomes. Yeah. Nick Freeman. Yeah, exactly. We'll see how it goes. We'll move on to the two. Look at characters from a Martin Amos novel. Nick Freeman. Yeah, exactly. We'll see how it goes. We'll move on to the two. Look at characters from a Martin Amos novel.

Nick Freeman. It's the perfect legal name, isn't it? He's got all bases covered. So I contacted Mr. Loot Pole. It's like Nicole Kidman, which I think is what they said when Michael Jackson was arrested. No, absolutely not. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Okay. And Mr. Lootpole gave me fabulous advice. Yeah.

I can't really go into the specifics of the case, but if you get to that stage, I am going to put you in touch with Mr. Lootpole. Mr. Lootpole, if I remember rightly, got Jimmy Carr out of a driving on his, using his phone. Because he said he thought of a joke and he had to write it immediately. And that you're allowed to use your phone in the course of your work. And David Beckham, he's represented. You're allowed to use it in the course of your work. If it's something to do with your professional obligations or something.

So if you were writing a joke. What if you're a drug dealer, you've got two phones on the go? That's going to do with your professional obligations or something or... So if you were writing a joke... So if you were writing a joke, you've got two phones on the go. Or more. That's gonna be dangerous. Or more. Yeah. Well, I don't know.

I don't know much about the business. You very rarely see a drug dealer's car driving around with a sort of typist in the passenger seat at the front, sort of taking notes, going through things, handing him phones. No, exactly. Frank, have we got time for a little bit of outside world? We've got ages. Oh great. Just, just, that'll inspire the listeners.

Oh man, yeah, it's a long haul. Can I share this with you? Because it's something that doesn't happen very often. It's an email with the subject line, Pierre is wrong. Oh. I know what this is. But then in peripsy. And I still disagree. Even then in peripsy... And I still

disagree. Even then he has to be in control of the information of the error. Pierre is wrong but they've put in parentheses for once. I like that. I blame the parentheses obviously. Dear team tilt-handing, I'm comfortable with that Monica. Yeah that's a reference obviously to the Elton John. Yeah. I'm comfortable with that Monica. Yeah, that's a reference obviously to the Elton John. Yeah. I had to write to correct a monumental slur cast by Pierre during the last... Wow, that's big, a monumental slur. I didn't know the mics were on. During a recent episode he stated that my name was Cornish but this is wrong. Pridaux is a Norman name. Now this I should have said. I'm going to explain. I thought this was from Joe Cornish, the screenplay writer, because he's on a sticky wicket with

this one. Pridot we should say, this is from Stuart Pridot. I remember this, you know they used to be a cricketer called Pridot if I remember rightly. Oh was there? And it's spelt like Caddo, like the French present. Gatto. Yes. I went gift, you went cake. Pridot is a Norman name. Lord Priddo took part in the invasion of England and fought well, alright, strange flag, in the Battle of Hastings. According to the embroidery. That's where I get all my history. Yeah. And was granted the western part of the southwest peninsula by William the Conqueror. Western part of the south? That's a bit American smooth, first eighth.

Yes. No good, I'm not doing a dis-Israelite. To make Piers... Yeah, I'm an enormous fan of the Anglo-Saxons, so I see the Norman invasion as one of the worst things that happened in British history. Okay. To make Piers Fauxpire worse, I'm originally from Devon. So saying I'm Cornish is the ultimate put now. I don't want to be associated with people who eat their cream scones upside down and

claim the pasty is their own, even though it originates from Devon. I think the only thing that joins them is no 5G. Well, Stuart Prudeau describes them. He says they are a bunch of Celts. We're okay, I've checked, it's all fine. Praise redacted. À la prochaine, Stuart Prudeau. So at least you made a foul par, which fits in with the Norman invasion. I'm afraid Mr Prudeau is still a Celt. Really? So what say you to this?

There's no record of a Pridot with William the Conqueror. Oh my God! It was made up by the Pridot family in the late 1800s as a way of... Up until the late 1800s, they were happy to admit that they'd Frenchified it sometime in the 1400s. And before that, it was Pridias or Pridia, a sort of Celtic Cornish name. Did you know this was coming or have you just got this at your fingers?

Because Pridot is the surname of one of the characters in Tinker Tail a Soldier Spy. And I thought there was Norman as well and Le Carre is not even a real French name either, he made that up. Now, yeah. It just means like the square. This is like a scene out of a film where the nerd owns the bullies. No, it's right.

So, the thing is with Pierre, he gets to be the bully as well. Well, this is what's unfair. It's that he cosplays as a nerd, but he actually looks like a jock. Hover's best of both. How do you get jock and nerd? It's so unfair.

I'll tell you what it's like. It's like that when, when Bruce Banner becomes the Incredible Hulk, he still keeps all the scientific intelligence. Keeps the glasses and the coat and the hat. What about that was so sad at the end of the Hulk, that sad music, you know, and he'd walk away. The piano. Oh, don't, it used to make me cry every week. Do you remember it?

The TV series. Yeah, okay. What a terrible pianist the Incredible Hulk could be. Oh no, so much damage. Yeah exactly, but also like three notes at a time because of his big green fingers. And he'd lose his temper when he got it wrong, he'd smash it to bits. What about when I went to see that, do you remember that film, is it called Shine? About Jeffrey, with Jeffrey Roche? About the piano player. Jeffrey Roche, about the piano player.

I can't remember the piano player's name. Called... Pierre or no? Hmm? If you're not listening... I've got the pre-dough, I'm still on it. He's on the pre-dough. Oh, we've lost him to the phone, mid-podcast.

No, I'll tell you what that was. Look, you're not on, you're not on Bodcast now. It's called Budpod. Stop calling it Budpod now. It's called Budpod. Stop calling it Budpod now. This is a professional outfit. When someone comes to early medieval history with me, that's my only qualification in this life.

Yeah. Anyway, I forgot what I was saying. I haven't. You were talking about Geoffrey Rush. Oh yeah. So I went to see that piano player, the real man. And I remember he was, is at the Albert Hall or something and he made noises when he plays. He was neurodiverse.

And we didn't really know what that was then. And then people were looking around at each other. I thought that we're here, aren't we? Because we've seen the film which explains this man is neurodiverse but can still, but there's a great bit when in the middle he went, whoa, this is a difficult bit. And I love that. I really loved it. You said that out loud? Yeah. Oh, that's great.

I wish Lang Lang would do that. Yeah, I wish I'd have done it before I started the Isle of Man gig. Do you think that it would improve classical music, like when jugglers are deliberately making little mistakes to show you how difficult juggling is? Whereas in reality they could juggle perfectly, they don't need to do that. Yeah well, I can't, you know I like opera but I don't like the instrumentals, the classical instrumentals. They're big fans of the instrumentals. They fell for

Tchaikovsky, those guys. While we're on that classical subject, we've had this in from Damien, still refusing to go into those churches. What's happened to all the middle-aged, horn-rimmed glasses-wearing violinists of the 1970s and 80s? Have you noticed that they've all been replaced by LBD wearing, you know what that is don't you, little black dress? Oh yeah. Long flowing hair, beautiful waifs. Wonder where they all went. That's from Damien. Vanessa May started it. Thanks for the tip. But he is right, Damien has a point. I think this is Damien, this is further to what you were saying recently about scientists.

It's like me and the scientists. Yeah. Is that it used to be. It's like actors. I mean, Fowlde wouldn't get the gig now. He'd need a glow up. But actors now, you get an Oscar in the gym, you don't get it in the rehearsal room. Yes. And actors, they didn't all look... You got like flabby actors in the old days but now even like...

Yes, I know my parents were friends with all of them. Yeah, even the losers in films have to have incredible bodies when their shirts come off. Yes. But the classical music arena, one would have thought with a virtuoso, that's enough surely. I mean that Geoffrey Rush character, he wouldn't be getting the gigs now. He'd need to be going to Turkey to get his teeth done. Oh yeah, you're probably right. Anyway, we're here. So, you know, I've broken the trend. My teeth.

The fact that my teeth are still in the public eye. I always think, Sonny, when it comes to these teeth that I've just allowed to get green and get horrible, me and Mary Beard are the only celebrities holding the fort anymore. She's holding obviously a first century Roman hill fort, but that's her business. But that's why I recommend watching 70s films like The Wicker Man. If you want to feel better about your teeth, watch The Wicker Man, Frank. Watch Doctor Who. Not New Who, but Classic Who. I mean, the first Doctor has got those Queen Mother wooden teeth.

Heritage teeth. That explains the blue plaque. Speaking of, speaking of, that's brilliant. Very good. That is, I don't know if we can follow that, but we should because we'll be told off for doing too short a podcast. Okay. I read, by the way, that Hard Talk, which I was talking about the other week, has gone the way of the Frank Skinner radio show. I'm starting to think I'm some kind of Jonah figure. Well Simon Gunton actually got in touch about that.

Gunto? The Guntons I think came over here with the picks. Well, Simon says... Oh, I'm ready. It had been going for almost 30 years. Wow. 30 years of her. And Simon actually says maybe... 30 years of talk.

Frank, they needed to get you on board. Maybe you were asked to do it due to that, i.e. we must interview Frank before we go. I don't think, when I spoke to Stephen Sackur on the day, he didn't seem like a man who knew he was doomed. Well don't go for the name Sackur then. I think... You've only brought it on yourself Sacky.

That was bad luck that he had the word sack in his surname. Yeah. I mean I think he's genuinely upset. Can we remember some of the examples just to remind people? This was an interview Frank did on a show called Hard Talk which is... It's like the Syrian economic minister and the former head of the UN. Yes. Well actually I got a text from our producer Daisy which enclosed her screensaver which

she's passing to me now. I'm sure she'll rub this over with hand sanitizer when I give it back. No, because I'm at Euro, he's immaculate. Some of the guests. Fred Felt's American First Policy Institute. And father of Vanessa. Chris Murphy, US Senator for Connecticut. University Cyber Policy. Film director. Oh, this is a good one former head of Iran's national

Dot-dot-dot because there's not room for it on the caption. I wonder what it was Nash Iran's national theater bird sanctuary and then Frank Skinner comedian I'm just tucked in the middle of it. Were you the last person ever on Harddaw? No, no, I wasn't the last one. But can I just read you something that was said here? This is what he said. He said that, this is Stephen Sackur, the guy who interviewed me, he said,

at a time when disinformation and media manipulation are poisoning public discourse, and media manipulation, a poisoning public discourse. He's obviously listened to the co-commentator and commentator. Hard Talk is unique. A long-form interview show with only one mission. Bear in mind, I was a guest on this show. Only one mission. To hold to account those who all too often avoid accountability in their own countries. Now I have to go to the island back to get my rough meds.

Come up and- What? I'm avoiding accountability in my own country. I don't know what my accountant's going to think when he reads that. Do you think that you would like that? Hold on, here's a list of some of the examples. Oh he's not done. Former president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, he eases his way into my Ven diagram. Who wants to be a millionaire fraudster, Charles Ingram? The late Venezuela leader Hugo Chavez, who was actually my dance partner on him, but I did that. You still haven't got back to him.

Yes, exactly. Yes, Hugo's been an absolute hero. I mean, you've been so good with me. No, no, no, I'm very proud of you, but I never call you again. And Sergey Lavrov. Oh he sounds nice. Russian Foreign Affairs Minister. Your mates. And me. Do you think that it was like the end of term because they knew the program was getting cancelled so you were like letting all the kids watch a video.

No really. Have a nice fun episode. Just to round things off. I was wear your own clothes and bring toys in. You were muffed today. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Why have they shoved you in with all these bad pennies? I don't know, but they're punishments. I mean, I should say that is described Robert McGarvey as a bad penny.

But I don't think the baby's has ever been more strict on dumbing down. I've been on hard Talk, he's gone. We can forgive you talking to Robert Mugabe, but not to a comedian. Oh man. It's the Frank Skinner podcast. A new winter change is blowing' It's the Frank Skinner podcast I'm not totally sure how it's goin' Thanks for listening to the podcast. Make sure to like and follow so you never miss an episode.

And if you want to get in touch, you can email the podcast via frankofftheradioatavalonuk.com