Wolf and Owl - S4 Ep 53: Press Nights and Pokemon Fights

Episode Date: January 9, 2026

We’re talking… Tom at Rom’s Women In Mind press night, the greatness of Sheridan Smith, maintaining concentration on stage, New Year’s resolutions, an epic Christmas dinner, Tom taking on Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen, trading card auctions, Pokemon Go, an update on Buzz’s girlfriend in Home Alone, Stranger Things, watching scary films as a kid and some controversial comments about landlines and soft-play. For questions or comments, please email us at [e-mail] - we’d love to hear from you. Instagram - @wolfowlpod TikTok - @wolfowlpodcast YouTube - www.youtube.com/WolfandOwlPodcast Merch & Mailing List - https://wolfandowlpod.com A Mighty Ranga Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the creative team behind the Brutalist and starring Academy Award nominee Amanda Seifred in a career best performance, Searchlight Pictures presents The Testament of Anne Lee. With rave reviews from the Venice Film Festival, this bold and magnetic musical epic tells the story inspired by a true legend. Anne Lee, founder of the radical religious movement, The Shakers, The Testament of Anne Lee. Exclusive Toronto engagement January 16th in theaters everywhere January 23rd. Yo What'd you want? Beak or jaws, feathers or fur, sharp teeth or feet with claws, whatever's preferred

They'll grant you all last request to steady your nerves, then podcast the body parts get severed and served. Bring your weak shit, wear the wolf and owler. That ain't just a mistake, that's an awful howler. Both of them are known to pull up at your shows. Have the crowd witnessing a murder like they rolled in with a gang of crows. Fuck the censorship, let them see the whole thing. They stay dressed to kill, never sheep's clothing. Dark enough to turn the sun.

to the moon, you'll see nothing, all your hear's a huff, a puff and a, expect killings, red spilling and flesh ripping, impressive in it, the death bringing his head spinning, just kidding, every word in his song's about two grown men dressed up as a bird and a dog. Hello, and welcome to a belated wolf and owl. We're here in the place. Feels like we haven't spoken to, well, I've spoken to you a lot, but we've not spoken to the pack.

Well, the reason we delayed this one is we kind of wanted to make it like the, or I wanted to make it like the one following, watching your incredible performance in the West End. It felt like that's what. Well, it's also scheduling, wasn't it? Yes, scheduling as well. Yeah, I mean, I was trying to make it feel like this is purposely. Oh, sorry, yeah.

Okay, yeah, yeah. Boy, oh, boy, Mike. I mean, we've been, I've talked about you. Yeah, I feel like you've paid enough compliments now. Yeah, but I haven't in front of the pack. And, my gosh, Ranguin'Athen debut. God, I had to call the Duke of York theater straight after. I said, if you need a good roofer to reinstall the roof that Romish rang and

Nathan has just blown off, call my friend Bobby Turbo. My gosh, man, what I'm both. Look, I've told you how amazing you are. I just, I would say that anyone listening to this, go and watch Ramesh do his thing. You're truly brilliant. I would say my description would be, go and watch Sheridan Smith do a thing, But Rommish also does the thing. Sheridan Smith is incredible.

She is unbelievable. It's like I don't know. She's been given a gift, man. It's true. It's ridiculous. It's almost like an acting glass watching her on stage. I had an embarrassing moment in an interview afterwards. Oh, I thought you meant because your flies were undone in the first act.

Well, no. Mate, that's almost happened on so many. Really? Yeah. Oh, my God. Because the trousers are so weird, aren't they? So you sort of forget, they were like braces, and they're like, they finished, like, just under my nipples.

And so, like, the fun saving graces, if the flies were undone, it would just reveal my belly button, thanks for it. But I was afterwards, we were like, where there was, we did the press night, which is what you came to very kindly. Yeah. And then, um, I had to do interviews down and says.

And obviously, like, they know that, I'm not really a, I'm not a theatre done. And so they said to me, and what's it like acting with Sheridan Swift? And I just fell into such a stereotype. I started talking about the France 98 World Cup, right? You know, when they, because I said, they were said,

what's it like working with Sheridan? I said, in 98, when France won the World Cup, I said, if you spoke to a lot of the French players, so they would say that sometimes they would stop and watch Sudan because he was so good, and they'd forget they were playing. That's how I feel about Sheridan Swift and was play.

And then the guy looked to me like, okay, cool, you've used to football reference. But that is how I would describe it, though. I would say arguably if she is Zadhan, you would be on re. Wow. I would say that. That's very sweet if you'd say it. I think that's too much. No, no, I think without a doubt.

I think you're without Europe. She is, I think there's certain levels of ability, there's certain levels of, and I don't want to go, I don't know what this whole podcast is Sheridan Smith Loving, although I happily would do. But there are certain levels that you can learn and then there's some other thing that you're just given

and no, you can't attain it if you're not given. And Sheridan Smith has that. She has that in droche, yeah. It's like her Stephen Graham, like, I look at people who are just epic. As soon as we start, as soon as the thing starts, her face is just like, she's the character.

Oh, she's in it. She's like completely, there's not a moment where she's like, you know, like, when you're, you're acting and things and you're like, I mean, I've never done theatre. I would say I was fucking in awe of you and everyone involved in it, by the way. And I love theatre and I love the West End and it's one of the most incredible things to sit and watch you do your thing.

I was just fucking so inspired, but you're taking such a, you know, such as a risk really to do something like that. But you have to be present the whole time. Like all joke at the site, like when you're doing, you know, when you're doing screen acting, that is, it's almost like I can see why the greats and the people who have come from theatre and the level of being present in every moment. Like I'd be lying if I wasn't to say that I've been in scenes and I've like, I've got a moment, you know, I'm sort of a third character in it and there's the world going on around me. Well, the number of times I've had to say.

Oh, I wonder if I should sign Stephen Gerard's icon for my former team. How would I get to that price point? Who would I have to sell? It does happen. When I was doing stand-up, when I was like, when you first start doing your 20 minutes or whatever, and that's how you're making your living,

doing 20 minutes at clubs. I remember that, I mean, now, thankfully, I've got, you know, I'm constantly trying to turn over new stuff. But then I had like a 20 minutes that worked, and I was just doing that for ages. It got to a point where, like, I'd be thinking about,

I'd genuinely be thinking in detail about what my curry order was going to be after the gig while I was on stage. but like just rattling through this set I'd love to get to that place yeah but you're doing a tour show that's different yeah I'm anxious

yeah I mean the difference of watching so I watch you or do your thing and then you're like you have to like and that takes you know a lot of I mean fucking rehearsing

rehearsing that's a point you get to what you realise as well is how it's just how slick it all is yeah and man I mean I've said this but the highest competition compliment I could pay you is like

like I was sitting there before because I've been texting and I've spoken to you so much through all of this and I was and I the scale of press night I've never been to anything like this I think I think by the way can we just say press nights by the way what an insane idea yeah that you that you

invite all of the press in for one night to what the fuck you're talking about yeah if they did that in stand up it would be every review would be like and for some reason Romish rang and Nathan started crying. It wasn't anything to do with the routine, but he just started sobbing and saying, I need this. I need this. Please be nice. The trouble is with the press as well, is they,

like, so when I turned up, I was like, and then they're obviously, you know, like any industry, they all know each other, but I will say most of them, very lovely, you know, very like excited, but, you know, by the show before and after, very nice, nice people. But, you know, they're chatting about, you know, they're critics, right? And that's, that's, they're all, me. meeting up and there. And I didn't realize that that's, you know, my naivety, I guess, but like, I thought it was like, oh, this is press, as in like, this is the press launch. So, like, you know, you turn up and this is where every, you know, you're going to get your, you know, your pictures. Yeah. But I didn't realize it was, yeah, it can be every critic from every

paper sitting, and they were sitting all around me and all around people are. But literally within moment. Well, I actually, I actually asked for that because, yeah. What I was thinking was is you're the sort of person that you're such a big supporter and such a good friend. I could imagine you're going, bloody old,

that was brilliant the way he did that. Fuck, you know. You nailed that as soon. I was really laughing. I will say actually that you might have, it might have ruined slightly something of them and the fact that you, someone decided to put an elephant in a fuck ear.

Theater seats, it's like, these, these theatres were built in the Victorian times. And they, like, people have grown, like, yeah,

there wasn't a one keys back then. You know? No. I was so fucking, like, my size, like, infringed at least 12 people closer than around me. Like, there was people, like, I know there was people that me and you know two rows back,

it were like, good, like, you know, it was quite good once you found a place you could see the show from around, you, you know, from the back of your head. It's just, and then the lady, breast, the lady in front, I'm, like, knocking her chair, and it was, it was so uncomfortable. Well, thank you for coming. At one point, I said I just wanted to stand at the back.

I'd have, you know, if I could have stood at the back and watch, like, one of the security guards, I'd have been so happy. But look, I appreciate you coming. And also, after the play, you phoned me up, and it's one of the best phone calls ever had, actually. You know what? No, but we were texting, and I just couldn't get out my emotions in text.

And I think sometimes, I know that, you're not a big phone call guy. But I had, yeah. You know, you are. You're not a big phone call. Well, you know, you are. you know, you had a lot going on, but I just, I was so overwhelmed and so, yeah, I was just in awe, bro.

You should be fucking proud, man. It was a thing to behold. Yeah. So if you're a fan of the wolf for now, if you're a fan of Sheridan Smith, but more, if you just want to see Robert Schraing and Nathan truly do something amazing,

go and watch women in mind. It's really, you've built it up way too much, but Sheridan isn't really? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You, take your flowers, sir. Take your flowers. I said, I know what you're like, and do it because we both do it,

and we're both guilty of it. But you're truly brilliant in this, man. No, thanks. Like, no bullshit aside, you're fucking brilliant. Speaking of elephants in the room, we need to acknowledge an elephant in the room, which is that this is going to be the last wolf for now. Yeah.

For January. Yes. Even I, even my heart went to my stomach. I had an envisage of, like, when you get your, like, fucking brawl by debut. Yeah. That's what we... But we are, for reasons,

Well, look, the point is we're taking a short break, but we're back in February. So we just wanted to give you a heads up on that. We didn't give you a heads up. Did you give a heads up that the episode is going to be late? Because I didn't. No, no, no. Were you inundated with messages because I wasn't?

No, I think people have just started now. We're looking at this now, but we need to get our ducks in order. Yeah, right, yeah. She's changing. Yeah. actually. The dubs walk in a row. They do like,

yes, you know, when like they leave the water, they walk in a row, don't they? Do you know, I always feel sorry for like, you know,

I don't know if you've been, I think we've been going for quite a lot of walks in January and sort of where the lake, little lakes and ponds are frozen over. Yeah. And there's nothing quite sadder than seeing like a duck sitting on the ice

like a bloke who's forgotten his keys on a night out. Just looking down. thinking, how do I get in there now? What do they do then? Is he still on there? Well, they just slide about a bit.

They try and find an opening and they all just gather around. It's like, you know, like an after party? Yeah. It's like, you go from a weather spoons where everyone's like, it's a big fucking pub or a nightclub and all of a sudden everyone's crammed into a fucking kitchen

and a council flat. It's going, it's lovely once you're in. Like, yeah. Some bloke just overtakes the whole thing who's essentially a swan. Have you got news? Happy New Year, by the way, bro. Happy New Year, my brother.

Happy New Year. What's your, what are you? My news resolutions, yeah, I've, just a normal shit, trying to be more healthy. Do you know what? I want to try it. My big thing was trying to be present more.

Like, I don't know about you, but over Christmas I really enjoyed just being at home, a lot of the time, just the three of us and just having some fun and actually try. And you know what, as well, cooking more. I love the, Over Christmas, I cooked loads, made a lot of food for the family, and for like, you know, I cooked Christmas dinner, which was fun.

But there was a lot of glory hunters at Christmas dinner. What does that mean? Well, my mum, for example, Catherine, to an extent, I spent two days cooking a Christmas dinner. I wanted it to be really special. So I prepped a lot. I got stuff ready. You know. You had ghost.

you? You're such a... We had a turkey, baby, and it was turkey and a little bit of ham. It was very like... I did a cauliflower cheese over two days, because I just wanted it to be the most special...

Two-day cauliflower cheese? So I made the cauliflower cheese. So then it sat, so the cheese and everything just really, really... The sauce, yeah, and then I whetted a bit more milk the next day. I gave it a little stir-pup to it in the oven.

It was so good. I think arguably, the cauliflower cheese from nowhere stole the Christmas dinner. Are you putting a layer of cheese over the top of that? Yeah, of course, a layer of cheese. And can I say I ate most of it, anything left I ate the next day in bubble, and then I was engulfed with the worst wind I've ever had for like two days.

I mean, the worst wind you've ever had, I can't even, I don't even, I mean, I imagine fences came down. But did you, how big are you dicing the cauliflower just out of interest? Because one of my big issues with cauliflower cheeses, sometimes it's too big. And then you're just basically inhaling a fucking molten boulder. I cut into florets. You know what I do?

I cut into flets and then I put quite a lot of the stalks into, because there's a lot of flavour in the stalks. So you put the storks in as well. I'm beginning to get an idea of what you were like over Christmas, by the way. Oh, anyway. And then I blend the storks in with the cheese sauce. Do you really? I've never even heard of that.

Is that something you came up with yourself? Yeah, it's a Tommy Davis special. And then you get this cauliflower that it really enhances the taste of the cheese sauce, but also gives it that sort of sulfuric cauliflower taste. Okay, okay, okay. Now you're out of your death. You're very much. No, no, no.

Your toes are almost touching the bottom at the beginning of this description, and now you're fucking drowning. Great analogy. So, yeah. Anyway, glory-hantly wise. So I'm doing all this. I'm getting everything. And I'm quite enjoying it.

I'm, you know, that thing where, like, I can see why, you know, Gordon Ramsey and the like of them do the sort of overly stress thing. This fucking guy, this fucking guy has gone from fucking blending some stalks his cauliflower cheese and now he's, he's comparing himself to fucking Gordon Ramsey. It's unbelievable. Gordon Ramsey, I don't think, I think Gordon Ramsey's a great fucking guy. I think he's a brilliant, like, you know, what he does. I only think he's now, regard, I think he's almost like, you know, he's like the Jake Paul of. looking, right? That fucking hell, man.

He's a great character, but there's better chef-chefs out there. I don't think he could go toe-to-to-toe with, like, some of the... I don't know who the best chefs in the world at the moment. But, like, I don't think... I think Ramsey's now, like, he's incredible. He's still pretty good, right? I mean, he's... I would say, if he's...

Look, I'd offer him out for a go-to-to-to-to-to- him on that. Do you know something? Do you know something? I can't deal with it. Because you're partly joking, but there's part... You've got the... It's a technique that you use very often, which is you pretend you're doing a bit,

but actually there's some self-belief in there. No, there's a slight self-belief. No, I think he's rusty, and I'll be like the up-and-comer up against him. By the way, can I say, I love Gordon. I've met him right at the box in. He was one of the nicest people to me, but...

Oh, no, no, no. Look, if there's one person in the world, I think we know can take banter and likes a bit of give-and-take, is old Gordon. I think he doesn't mind a bit of banter What he does, what he would take objection to, I think,

it's been described as a Jake Paula cooking. By the way, it's sheffing, but... Right, sorry, yeah. If you called him a cook, that's more offensive than... Yeah, sorry. Yeah, but it's not sheffing, though. So what? Are you chefing, yeah.

Did you chef Christmas dinner? Well, yeah, I wouldn't say, if you were to come into me and say... Somebody sits down at your table and you go, oh, yeah, I'm chef. all this. Oh, do you like the way I chef the cauliflower cheese? No, no, that's different though. Sorry, Tom. Over Christmas, you seem to become a fucking

****. No. No, but if you're a chef like Gordon and me, right? You don't, if you turn around and said, oh, um, uh, oh, nice one cook, do I what I mean? Chef is like, obviously wouldn't say that. You can't, you don't have to fucking, you don't have to use the same noun as the verb.

Do you know what I'm saying to you... You cooked a great meal, chef. No, but you said... That is... This is all side, you turn around and said, oh, Gordon Ramsey, you'll say Gordon Ramsey isn't a very good cook. I'm like, I'm saying...

I'm saying, like, he's an amazing chef, but I'm saying, like, he, for me, he's like, he's so elevated. He can put his feet up. I'm just saying, I'm the young buck who's fucking coming through. And I'm like, you've changed your tune.

You've changed your tune. You're like, that's not what you said. You weren't saying he could put his feet up. You called him the Jake Paul of chef him. Whatever the fuck you want to call it? No, because there's a lot of stuff that he's got buying a great personality in clicks.

Oh my God. What, he is? He's a great personality and clicks. No, he's a great person. Are you telling me, right, like in any industry, Gordon Ramsey, right, brilliant chef. I'm not saying he's not a great chef. Are you saying to me, right, in all honesty,

that his personality and the way he acts and how he goes into a kitchen has been a part of his mess success. Look, I'm not denying. That's what I mean. Oh, yeah, yeah, I get that. Before Jake Paul, what means is... But Tom, Tom.

But I don't think that should be an insult. I think Jake Paul is a lot of things and people just say what they think. Sure, sure. But what I'm trying to say to you, Tom, right, is yes, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey, their personalities have propelled them to start. Yeah, yeah. There's no doubting that. There's no doubt in that.

There are, almost certainly, there would have been people that they've worked with that are better at chefing than they are. Yeah, of course. There's no doubt about that, right? And it's their ability to translate that to television that has elevated them, right? The idea that because Gordon Ramsey's personality has helped his career means that you and he can go toe to toe in a kitchen. That's where I slightly take it.

Because you blended some storks in a cauliflower cheese. No, I just think he, all right, look, I might not beat him, right? Actually, maybe I'm Jake Paul in this scenario and he's Anthony Joshua. You're not, you're not Jake Paul. You're one of the fucking younger pools That hasn't made it into fucking stardom You're a pool that sort of goes out And buys Pokemon cards for them

I'm Neil Paul By the way You're Paul, you're Paul Talking about Pokemon cards I've become obsessed With the Golden program About the cards and the baseball cards And the auctioneers

Yeah Oh my God. It's incredible. It's so good. Like, some of the stuff that they find is truly, do you know what I was thinking? The unboxings they do are so exciting. They are exciting,

but this is my thing about that. Like, because, you know, I don't know if we watched the same one, but the one I watch is on Netflix, this guy that deals in sports memorabilia and then the Pokemon cards. And there was that NBA, like, Grail card

that they were looking for with the logo stitching in it. Is that, yeah, I mean, I've only watched series three. I'll go back on watch one and two. So I've, was watching series one and there's like some guy was trying to get a messy jersey or whatever. But anyway,

I get that all of these things are that I get why the price is increased and it's great players and it's great moments from sports and whatever. What I don't understand is the final purchase, right? So I get like they're all like the price is escalating and people are dealing and stuff like that and I get making money from dealing it. What I don't understand is the last person that gets this thing.

Collector, bro. Yeah, what the fuck? so then you've got it just what sitting in your fucking house mate have you not seen someone at people's hat there's a guy on there who's got about 12 million pounds worth of cards that's what what that's what's what mate for what but I don't know you can't use any of this shit to peacock just show them off so you're spending all of that money

so that when people come around you go do you'll have a look in this room I mean what the fuck is going on yeah but he's a vault and it's really I'd love to take it it's a vault it's a vault it's a vault It's a vault, but who gives a shit? Also, it's a talking piece around some of them, by the way. Talk about something else.

Look at BBC News. He bought for a thousand bucks and now they're worth like 400,000 pounds. You've been watching too much now. You're saying bucks. I would have accepted dollars because that's the fucking official currency. Don't ever in your life say bucks to me again.

I'm talking about the Milwaukee basketball team. Hello. Mate, some of us, I watched stuff like that and Catherine was like, Kevin had to say to me, don't you dare start collecting baseball cards and basketball cards. The thing is, Tom, I'm sort of chitting on it because I could sit, that could be, I mean, listen, you're talking to. I've got an addictive personality. It's a big problem.

Yeah. And if those addictions are like cooking and sheffing, like, which is wholesome and decent, but if it's like baseball cards and stuff, I will, yeah. I mean, you don't watch baseball. You don't know anything about baseball. I have no idea about baseball. I like basketball, but I like basketball. but I like basketball but I also would not know

what card's great and what cards not even watching that. I mean I know that the PSA 10 is you'd have to be told what it's good. You don't know, I've got no instance. A friend of mine has brought a Ronaldo R9 card and he's like, I bought it for £177 on eBay

and I said it's probably only worth 177 pounds and he went well no, it could be worth Yeah, could be worth any amount of money. Like people, I said, yeah, but it's on eBay. Like, don't you think that from just watching that program... The idea that your friend has got a level of knowledge that the person who owns it who's selling on eBay doesn't have.

You're basically... You're basing on the fact that guy doesn't have Google. If you watch Goldins and you've got the fact that they've got a whole enterprise there who are constantly looking up everything on eBay and they're linked with eBay, to see if anyone has... got anything worth any money.

They'll be trawling through every card. So the point is, the only way you can do it is if you buy one of those boxes. Yeah. Yeah, that have unseen cards. And you take the risk. When the boys, they're not into it anymore, but the boys used to buy Pokemon packs.

Right. That's the biggest. I mean, they'd collect them, but they're not collecting them to, like, for them to be valuable. They'd be collecting them just to put them in a book and then they'd swap them and shit like that. Anyway, like, the cards are so expensive.

I'm not talking about the, like, the trader, I'm talking about at fucking face value. It's a lot of money, right? So they'd go, can we get a few packs? So I'd get them a few packs. And then they'd open the pack and they'd go like this, rubbish, rubbish, that one's all right. I go, sorry, have I paid for something that 90% of it is fucking trash?

You didn't want to look at it a second time. That's exactly what you've done. But then you've just got, I hope that you've got some real like Dufus who's got no idea what they're doing, okay, someone like me, who would just take those craddy cards. Yeah. And also, by the way, Pokemon's, great. They make a lot of money, but Pokemon's are never going to die.

So you have got that one thing of, like, great sports people, if you've got a card, do you what I mean? Like, once something happens, don't... So when you buy a card and you hope the guy gets into a car accident? No, but at some point, you know, God forbid, but at least they have... It's not good for, it's God hope, isn't it? Is what you're asking for. It's God, please.

No. Dear God, please, can you spend the die? I'm just saying that if you've got, like, a jersey, or something and something happens or a card they won't make anymore. And that's, I mean, with Pokemon, that's not, you know, it's just, as far as I'm aware, it's just a drawing.

As far as you're aware? Yeah. Yeah. Well, I don't see now it exists. Okay. The thing is, I know you're doing it a bit, but it's very difficult these days to determine whether you're in character or not.

I can't figure out. No, but if you actually watch that, have you ever seen, have you ever played a computer game where you're walking around and you can see them in the room. Have I... I can't think of a more granddad way of explaining what that thing is.

You're doing about a Pokemon Go? The computer game where you walk around them, it's like they're actually in the room. Fucking hell. It's like you've just been defrosted from fucking 70 years ago. Mind absolutely blown.

So are they not really here? Well, so... Oh, no. When I put the screen there, it looks like there's a little yellow conning animal. So that's not there. I could see them on your talking box. I could see them on the talking box. Yeah, Pokemon guy, yeah.

I've played that, yeah. Me and the boys were obsessed with it for a while. Yeah. Did you used to have to go out and find them and stuff? Yeah. Well, you didn't go out and find them. But like, we'd go to like Chessington or whatever, and they'd get really excited because they'd heard tell

that there was a fucking, I don't know what they're called, gravel axe. Did you ever have any in your house? You don't have them in your house and stuff, no. They can be in your house, yeah. Really? But yeah, yeah, they can be. Fuck, wow.

What, then when other people come and find that they're in your house? Yeah, other people come to your house and they knock on the door and they go, there's a Pikachu here and you go, yeah, come in. It's just, it's normally over there in the corner of the bathroom. And they come in and do it, yeah. And you put a sign out of the front of your house and you go, Pikachu here if anybody wants this one. No, but surely if Pikachu, which is the only one as well that I know like you,

is that um I know what there's licky tongue squirtle so if squirrels but if squirtle

say is in the Raganathan household there's only one squirrel right there's not squirrels all right no there's shit loads of them really

yeah oh that takes a gloss off for me I don't think they're putting the gloss on for you no no but I'm right it's not very special

I thought that they like there's one Pikachu you had to find it well I think it was loads no there's loads of

no there's loads of because there should be one Pikachu in every country and you've got to go and find it. Well, that's, I mean, you're causing a massive issue then, aren't you? What? What if Pikachu's in your back garden? You get people fucking jump in the fence to go and get Pikachu.

If you're a fellow fucking... Yeah, but if you're not, you're, that, Pokemon Goat doesn't go, let's do a little survey to find out if this person's happy to house a fucking lickety tongue in their living room. When you sign into the game, it should say... You should say, are you happy to harbour like Pokemon in your abode? And then you say yes or no. Because for some people, it would be great if people turned up and go,

fuck it a nose, Pikachu at your house? Yes, he is. He is. You've actually described, you've actually described a fairly good system, actually. I don't think that's that bad. And then, because then actually meet light-minded souls. Yeah, no, you're right.

And before you know it, you're like, oh, who's coming around for Christmas? Oh, Rommish and Kevin, who came to our house looking for things. Thank you, you're right. I mean, the problem is I don't know enough to sort of really interrogate your idea. Again, it gets one of those ideas. I don't know if I've still got Pokemon Go on my, I have.

Have you still got it on your phone? Yeah, I don't know. Let me just see if I, it's been so long since I, I remember like I reached out up the account because. Because everyone was talking about Pokemon. It's not letting me log in. I was going to check if I'd like something in there. I'm pretty sure they just appear everywhere. It must be in fucking rush when they're fucking appear, man.

And you can do battles and stuff, you know that, right? What? Like you battle other trainers and stuff. So hold it, you train your Pokemon? You don't really train them, I don't think. But like, you have like a selection of Pokemon and you can enter into battles and stuff. Who do you, what, so if basically me and you're walking down the street

and where both playing Pokemon go, you could offer me out. I don't know if it works like that. I think that there's like, I don't, no, I'm now outside of my understanding. I don't think you can just offer someone out in the middle of the street. There's got to be a friend. There's got to be like, well, no, there's got to be like a battle somewhere or something. I think.

I don't know. I don't really understand. Well, do people go to find battles, I guess? This is the sort of thing that's passed me by. And I just feel like. Yeah, but it's also passed me by. It feels weird that I'm your sage on it. Let me, should I ask?

Should I ask? I mean, hold on one second How do you get, maybe me and you should do a thing where we both play Pokemon Go for like a week and who gets best at it? Yeah, I mean that really is great. The people go, thank God they're fucking taking a break for January.

Okay, so you can't just tap on a random person walking down the street to force them into battle, but you can battle people you meet in person if you both agree to it. So if you see someone playing Pokemon going public and you want to battle, right. You tap battle and then you show them

your QR code and the other one scans it and that initiates a battle. There's quite a lot, isn't it? It's not like an old-fashioned jewel. Well, it's not supposed to be an old-fetch. Well, okay, Tom, why don't you just carrying your hobby of fucking offering people out in a Weatherspins car park?

This is like for kids. No, I'm just saying even for kids. It's like, oh, would you like to battle me with your Pokemon? Yeah, I'll just get your QR code out. Obviously that sounds complicated to you that thinks it's some sort of computer game with my old fangle graphic from that, they're quite conversant in this.

It's not a big deal. You just basically go battle. The QR code comes on. You scan it and then you're battling. Yeah, but can I just say that, yeah, but I think that's the battle starts. It's not you going, shall I read out the QR code? It's dot gap, dot, dot, gap, gap, dot, gap, L-shaped square. No, what I'm saying to you, right, is I think you can win and lose a Pokemon.

battle with that little moment there. Like you get in someone... How can you say anything about whether you win a lose a battle? You only just fucking found out that they existed 90 seconds ago. And now you're claim to be an authority of it. What are you talking about?

This is... God and Rams you all over again. You didn't know Pokemon battles happened. Minutes ago you didn't know. And now you're professing an opinion on them. No, I'm just saying that in that sort of thing, like any kind of fucking... like any sort of battle vibe, any sort of challenge,

you can get in someone's head quite early. Like, if you go, put the QR code, and then you just turn your phone off and go, I'm going to say, well, my phone, try again, and then just get them a little bit, like, you know, and just play around a bit. If I, look, I can't speak for Pokemon battles, but if somebody said, do you want to battle,

and then I go, yeah, and they go, here's the QR code. Oh, the phone's gone off. I go, okay, we won't battle then. You're not going, oh, please, please, please. Oh, my God, you're psyching me out. My phone switched off by accident Let me switch it back on for you But you know this thing where you drive up

And someone goes to get in a car And you drive on a bit And then a bit It messes with the No, I don't know that Because I wouldn't do it But I mean that's the main reason You're trying to drive, isn't it?

Yes That is one of my new year's resolutions By the way To learn to drive So I could do that To learn to drive, yeah But I'm really worried That there's not cars big enough

For me to learn it What you mean? Well, I'm such a big guy. You're not that, come on, mate. Like, you're not fucking subhuman. No, but like, leg room-wise, I'm more like... No, I get it. I mean, look, they tend to... I have such a worry, re-encour a worry.

You know, in The Simpsons, when Nelson Munts is... You know, that guy, the really tall guy drives past in the car and his, like, knees are all up around his ears, and Nelson Munn, going, ah-ha. I have such a worry of that being... Because even when he chases Nelson-Munt, he's not very, like, sort of, you know, he doesn't have to do it with much conviction. No. No. No. No. Nils a month still wins that battle.

Sure. Yeah, sure. Sure. I mean, there's no QR codes. It's a good old-fashioned battle, isn't it? Yeah. The other thing that we talked about, the last time that we were doing the podcast, was Buzz's girlfriend. Yes. This is one thing I have been in and dated with. Okay. So can you just clear this up for... So one of the things that we said was that when McCauley Corkin goes, something like woof or something about Buzz's girlfriend. We were very upset for that girl. Yeah.

And it turns out that, I mean, do you want to deliver the news? Everybody seemed to know apart from us. Yeah, which really sort of really puts pain to our sort of foray to film critics. This wouldn't happen on what went wrong, would it? Well, no, it's seemingly everyone else used to me.

Our episodes of what went wrong would all be things that we fucked up on the previous episode. what went wrong this week we're talking about last week and this was factually incorrect Al Pacino wasn't in the parts of the Caribbean so yeah it was essentially it was even the art director

it was the art director's son I think so yeah so it was in which I actually do you know what it made me love the movie but made me love me love everyone involved even more. Like, just the fact that they preemptively did that. Very sweet moment that felt like everyone was in it together

and they knew that that wasn't a very nice thing. Very nice and sweet. Yeah, great movie. Did you do all the Christmas movies over? Did you watch a lot of movies? What did we do? We did, uh, we watched National Amper's Christmas vacation. Great movie.

I tell you what I'm very excited about. I saw an advert for, um, they're doing a, a documentary about Chevy Chase. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. It doesn't feel like he's a particular... After watching the John Candy one, which I cried throughout, the Chevy Chase one doesn't feel like it's going to be such a tear job.

Well, I mean, look, we don't know him, but the rumours are he's a helmet. You know, that is the sort of the talk... But it feels like from the advert of that documentary for the trailer of it, it looks like they are going to tackle that. Apparently he doesn't give a shit either, if you don't like it.

But then also it didn't... It's like that no one wanted to appear. on it. Is that true? I didn't know that. I didn't know that. Apparently, yeah, apparently I think it's like a lot of his co-stars have been so sort of, yeah, didn't want to be on it. Is it community he was on where like loads of the cast sort of hate him, don't they? John McHale is not that fond of him, I don't think. It's a dreadful shame really, because actually if you look at like, yeah, like National Ampoons and probably one of my favorite films growing up three amigos, he's so funny.

Oh, mate, in National Ampian's Christmas vacation, his performance is unbelievable. Yeah, it's incredible. Actually, the script is, like, there's lots of funny in the script, and it's written very well. But his facial expressions and his physicality and all of that is remarkable. You know, I watch one of the most underrated films that I love. I forgot how good it was, great outdoors. Okay, I'm going to tell you this now. Never seen it. Oh, my God. It's so under, it's such a brilliant movie.

Dan Akroyd, I think in his pomp and John Ganderthed together. I'm 80% sure it's Dan Aykroyd. It's such a great movie. What's it about? It's basically about a family who go away and I mean it's about

a dad trying to connect with his kids and they go away to this cabin that he used to go to as a kid and he wants to sort of take them on this holiday that he thinks is the perfect holiday of family holiday and gets interrupted by her. sister and his brother-in-law, who's Dan Aykroyd, who's like this awful sort of banker character.

But it's hilarious, but actually it's really heartfelt. It's, like those Hollywood movies at that time were just so, they could do it all. They're funny, but yeah, really. Do you know when they do films where they have like an odd couple or two people that grind up against each other? Yeah. Or they get into an argument. I'll give you the example that I watched is the one with, Matthew Broderick and, we talked about this, the Matthew

Bodrick, Danny DeVito thing. Yes, yeah, you're obsessed with that film. Well, I'm not obsessed with that film, but what... That's become your, you've done it three episodes in a row when we're talking about films. Sorry, it's just, I just want to talk, I just, it's just, this film, right, you're, you're, I think

this is your citizen gay. I think you're supposed to equally side with both characters, right? Yeah, yeah. But Danny DeVito, nicks a newspaper off Matthew Broderick's doorstep and he's stealing electricity from him to pay for his to do his lives. I just, I just think they, they pushed it too far in Matthew Broderick's favour, you know? Like, it's so difficult to sign with Danny DeVito that film.

Do you know why? Because you are Matthew Broderick. I know. I know. I know. That's the realisation that I came to is that I want to be Danny DeVito. This is the, this is the, the hell. that is my, not the hell, that's a massive exaggeration.

This is the bug bear of my life, is that I want to be Danny DeVito, but I'm actually Matthew Broderick. That's the truth. Yeah. You know, yeah. And something I've had to accept. Yeah.

I don't know who I... You're Danny DeVito. Do you think I'm Danny Vito? I think so. Almost certainly. You're Danny DeVito with Matthew Bodrick tendencies, I'd say. Yeah, yeah, I've got Matthew Broderick in me. It's like, yeah.

Right outdoors, you should watch that with the kids. Actually, it will resonate as well, because it's like his oldest son is just like he's trying to sort of have this bomb with his old. It's really incredible. And it's just about kids growing up. And yeah, it's great, man. You should watch it.

One of the things that Lisa's been watching with Charlie our youngest is Stranger Things. Wow. Okay. Well, we had a big discussion about this because Lisa and I started watching the final series. We've not watched it all yet. But I think we've one episode away from finishing. And then Charlie,

because we started talking about it said can i start watching it all of his mates are started watching charlie's 11 and then i i was sort of thinking like the first series came out what a decade ago must be right yeah yeah yeah and then i was trying to remember how frightening that that show is all from the start just the opening's quite scary right yeah i mean it's just the whole thing's quite creepy so lisa and i actually weirdly not weirdly quite normally actually had a discussion about whether we should let him watch it or not and so we had to i mean it's when you find yourself sounding like you're dad or a dad.

But you are a dad. I know, I know. Go with it, brother. You're a dad. You're a sound like a stereotypical dad. Yeah, but you are. That's what I want from you. Look, you're a West End fucking star.

You're a movie star. You're a fucking absolute legend. Right? But you're outside dad. And that's the sign of Romish Franken and I think of and I want to peel off and have a chew on. Well, oh, God. Anyway, so I just said to him,

you can, so I've been, obviously, I've been doing the play. So in the evenings, Lisa and Charlie had been watching it together. I just said if at any moment you start to get creeped out, just say we won't mention it, we won't make a thing of it but you know, you just, you're watching this under advisement.

Anyway, he doesn't find it frightening at all. I don't understand, I don't know if kids have built why I differently now, whatever, but he's not. He doesn't understand why I gave him a warning. He doesn't get it. He's like what you're talking about. I remember watching it when I was like 12 or 13 and it creeped me out from

fucking years. It stayed with me. Well, I remember watching one of my dad's friends brought a pirate copy of Terminator to our house. Terminator? What, you're scared of that? Well, yeah, I was. I can't remember how old I was. How old was on that film came out? Really young, way too young to be watching it. It wasn't the Terminator.

It was the flash-forward bits. They fucked me up. You know the bit which shows... It would show you what the future looks like. Yeah, but that's why... Yeah, okay, I think that's... That got in my head. The problem you have is you're too intelligent.

But for you, like you, you could sit and watch that, even at a young age, and go, fuck, that's what the future of. For me, I was probably the same age when I watched it, and all I could think of was there's a clown living in the sewers. That's what my mental capacity could handle. The problem was, is like, when I was a kid, I used to get scared. I mean, I have grown up loving horror films, right? Like, I love, and I even love the ones that people think of shit. So, you know, when they go, oh, it's a bit of a cheat, because it's all jump scares. I fucking love jump scares, right?

I think when they're done well, it's amazing. I think there's a lot of parallels with comedy in terms of like when you're watching a comedy, you involuntarily laugh, right? And when you're watching a horror film, you involuntarily jump or you're like messed up. Like it induces a feeling. I mean, weirdly, I did Bedford,

and I'd arguably say that my stand-up work in progress was more of a horror show than a comedy. Oh, good, what made you jump? It's just thinking about his career If this is what he's touring The face he made Oh Too much tea

But when I was a kid Like You would I was scared shitless of horror Like in a way that's not enjoyable Like terrified But then all your mates would be like Oh they've got a copy of

Nightmare on Elm Street or whatever Let's all watch it together And then you'd have to pretend That you were totally fine with it And actually do sit in and go And I'm not going to sleep tonight After watching this it's a disaster.

Like, you'd have to just sort of match out, horrendous. I remember watching a horror movie with a girl that I really, really liked and sitting there for the whole thing with my eyes closed. Just so I didn't have to see any of it. I think it's something that comes down to imagination. I do think that some people just take it verbatim like it's not ever going to happen.

Like, all joking side, like you watching Terminator, like me watching it. And I think people, when you have an imagination that these things could happen, which is a part of their job now it makes it all the worse it's like whenever I watch a rom-com and people get dumped or broken up

I know that feeling so it resonates a little bit more so I think when you actually have like an emotional connection to things when I look at the guys that I grew up with who watched Nightmare and Elm Street never be scared I'm like yeah but then they went on to be never scared of anything in life

and became absolute lunatics do you know and show little emotion in any aspect of their life it's quite yeah I think there's something in there I don't know I think that when you, I don't know, like there's some horror films where, like as you get older, anyway, I'm talking from a position of ignorance, but like sometimes, I remember watching The Witch. I don't know if you ever watched that film. No.

But you don't really see loads happen. But there's a bit where, oh God, where they're walking through the woods and they see something horrific. But you never see what the horrific thing is. It just is on the kid's face. and then it just closes up on the kids' face and it's their reaction that, and it fucking is horrifying, man. Do you know what I mean?

Like, Blair Witch was that, right? Blair Witch is that, right? Blare Witch is... Well, Blair Witch, I mean, I know this from the, I don't know if you're aware of the What Went Wrong podcast, but I listened to the Blair Witch episode of that. And the reason they never showed the Blair Witch because they don't have the budget for it. And it ended up being one of the greatest endings for, you know,

not, I don't know, I'm overstating, but it was an incredible ending to that film. I need to listen to that episode. I've just done the Michael Mann episodes and Toy Story. The Toy Story one's insane. Toy Story one's great. Really great. I listed the Big Travelling Little China one the other day.

I love that film. Do you know what? I listened to it and then I start talking about it and realize that none of the information has gone in. I mean, that's what happens to me is that like, so I've been listening to it on the way into the play. And then like one of the cut, like Lou Brearley who's in it is amazing. She'll go to me. How are you in it? Who is she playing?

Muriel. Oh my God. She's very, very helpful. funny. She's very funny. So she'll go to me, how have you been or whatever? And then I go, I've just been listening to this podcast about what went wrong actually, about Toy Story actually. She goes, oh, right,

and what did they say about it? And I go, oh, you know, that it's like an animation and it was like, it's like, it's like, Paul Newman was going to be in it. Yeah, and, you know, but do you know that Woody, they, you know, they, like, they weren't sure about his boots for a while, but then they,

Yeah, and then... Bus was going to be our G-I-Joe, but they didn't think you... Yeah, they could get that stuff. And they just go, cool, how long was this episode? It's about an hour, over an hour. She goes, okay, and that's what you've retained. Cool, cool, cool, cool. You also, can I say, by the way,

they're very animated and excited when they're talking about stuff. What do you mean? They manage to sort of, like, convey the information in such an insightful way. It makes one to watch films. Yeah, yeah, it makes me watch films. Yeah, yeah, it makes me realize that they're so into it. Yeah. They're so into, like, talking about it in such an animated way.

Well, I don't think I've heard you talk about something like that since you mentioned the Big Five, you know? Yeah, the Big Five. Yeah. Yeah, that would be something. I mean, for any fast food, to be fair with, I, my, my, the gears of my brain start clicking through. Can I tell you something last night? This is, hit me, baby. John Hobbs, the driver, Jim's away on holiday. So Hobsey, Hobsey, Hobsey, pick me up. Hobsey, by the way, is coming to 2026 with quite an incredible goatee. Oh, yeah. And I react. reacted to it when he picked me up the other night and he immediately became self-conscious. Like, do you not like it?

I was like, no, I'm reacting because, holy shit. This is great, man. I reacted. I reacted. There was no doubt in what I thought. I saw him and went, oh my God, a goatee. Wow, that's incredible. Really good. I hugged him. Really good.

He's got sort of almost De Niro heat vibes to him. Neil McCauley. Anyway, he turned up in the car waiting for me when I got in because he knew I was hungry because I'd eat all day. And Nando's. Oh wow I got into the car there was Anandoza

That's a very sweet thing And did he know Did he know your order? Yeah Wow Pretty impressive isn't it Three chickens And

And a corn on the cob That would be hilarious If you got you're a chicken perger You had to eat it Because it was such a nice act I mean the fact that I was sort of improv in there Like making it up And I struggle to add corn on the cob there

Really is a sign This play is really fucking up my... I need to do some stand-up soon, man. When are you... You've still got another month and a half, right? Yeah. When do you finish yet? I did a couple of Christmas gigs,

but it finishes at the end of February, and then we get a sundaeum for a week, and then Glasgow for a week. Wow. So end of February, you finish completely? Middle of March is when it finished. Like the West End run finished. Tickets sold well?

I believe so, I don't know. Do you honestly think that I'm looking at the fucking ticket sales? I'd be going in every day asking. I'd be so paranoid and worried. Well, I mean, it's the one thing about doing a play is that it's not your stand-up. No.

Do you know what I mean? Like, obviously you want the play to do well, but somebody else is worrying about the ticket sales, aren't they? Yeah, I'd be still going to go. It's not your job to worry about ticket sales. Yeah. I'd find other ways of not just my performance,

but I'd find I could undercover undercover many different anxieties and worries that actually I didn't need to have in my psyche and easily be able to... If we saw it out at all, do you think that could be? It's human nature, isn't it? Apparently this thing is like,

once you become comfortable, like you're constantly locking onto something to be anxious about. Is that your home phone ringing? No, that's the doorbell. Not the doorbell, the gate thing. Okay, hold on. I'm just going to...

Sweetly, she's got it. She's got it. Have you got a home phone, by the way? No. No. So I, um, on Radio 2 the other week I was doing the show on 3rd of January

so we took about New Year's and I was talking about stuff that we leave back in 2025 and I was just riffing I said 6-7 I want to be left in 2025 and I said facts just for a joke I said facts for sure I really annoyed me because that is my height I know well yeah I know

you're going to have to start pretending you're either shorter or taller than that just to avoid that being shirving I think I'm shrinking hopefully ages now and then I said landlines and the reason I said landlines and the reason I said landlines is because now, to me,

the idea of a phone ringing in your house whenever somebody decides to call you feels so invasive and mad, right? Yeah. But we got loads of complaints. Wow, complaints. Well, because some people live in areas where they, mobile phones

don't have a signal and stuff like that. So, you know, it was just, I managed to create some controversy by saying landlines, which I never thought was in my future. Contraising. Controsively, yeah. It's so conservate,

consensurful. You've literally just said the work. Oh my God, how close up has that got? How have you got rid of this thing, by the way? I switched it off. I couldn't bear it. I couldn't bear it. It's insane.

Why have Zoom done that? I can get you to switch it off now if you want. Yeah, it's insane. Where do I go? If you go to the top of your toolbar, can you see there's a green camera lit up. Green camera on the right hand side, there's like a little camera icon

with a green light on it. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so click on that. Right. You might not, does it just say quick time plan? Oh, yeah, fuck. You can't do it while we're on. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I'll do it after. But you basically switch off camera centering or whatever the fuck it's called. Okay, it's insane. But it's mad. Look, what's he doing that? It's not you about to say something dramatic. Well, yeah, I kind of am.

Okay, well. So we're talking about people finding controversy and anything. I did more variety over Christmas. which I don't want to dwell on. A part of it I'm talking about soft plays. I got a guy who messaged me and was so angry about, he was like,

you need to stop talking negatively about fucking soft plays. You need to fucking leave soft plays out your fucking mouth when you're doing your shows. He got so aggressive about soft plays. Tom, this is so weird that you're saying this because I had the same thing happen to me, right? It's insane. When I did Ranganation, we were talking about something.

And I used to do a closing thought for the episode. Yeah, I remember. Yeah, great show. And one of the, well, I mean, particularly the episode you were on. I was on one episode. I never got us back. I know that I ignored it. Anyway, we, particularly the one you were on. Anyway, one week, it was, like, as we were coming out of COVID,

and I said, and one thing I definitely know is that I'm not going back to soft play anytime soon. Yeah. We fucking hell man. Man, it's insane. But it's because people that are running soft plays. I was making a joke, but that's their livelihood.

Yeah, but like, I mean, if this guy's running a soft play, I'm not fucking going to it. Don't get yourself into another little pickle now, Tom. No, I just found it insane that he gets so angry. With everything else going on, I guess if he's running one, but I don't, you know, anyway, anyhow.

People will find it anywhere. And look, I suppose if you do live in the middle of the landline is pretty useful. Yeah. Like, my mum still uses her landline all the time. Yeah. Yeah. I think my mum does as well. I'm pretty, I think so, I don't know. Anyway, so apologies.

I want to apologise to landline owners and I'll apologise to soft play owners. Well, don't bring your other controversies from your other shows into this thing. I'm just saying, I'm just apologising. You're just saying, sorry. You're very uncontroversial and very decent on this. They get the decent side of you. Yeah. What do you be in the decent side?

I want to apologise to Gordon Ramsey if he's upset by anything. If this gets back to him, I'll be fucking amazed. If he's even aware that this podcast exists, I'll be fucking amazed. You've been someone in one of his kitchens might listen. By the way, Jamie's Italians are coming back. This is still in my head in this fucking Zoom thing. No, it's closed in as you announced to Jamie's Italian. So it's re-opening.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, look, I think what's clear is that we're picturing. out a little bit. So let's wrap this up. We're sort of saying random things that we remember now. It's time to probably fucking wind this up. So Tom, could you do

us the honour of taking us out, please? This final, this final wolf and owl of January. Yeah. New year, new year. Written in the stones, written in the sky. Challenges.

Differentials. Who are you going to be in 2026, friend? Same old you? Are you going to go for something new? Truth is, it's hard to change. Little steps. They're important. Big ones.

Challenging and hard. The truth of the matter is, unless you really, really need to change up, why would you? I think actually the thing that we need to do is just concentrate on the fundamentals of being a little bit more decent to one another, a little kinder.

If you're doing that, hey, here's my hand. Shake it. but if like most of us you feel there are times where you put your guard down and became someone you didn't want to be over 2025 or said something or did something like Romish's just done about landlines

maybe we should all just do power maybe we should lurk across this mortal core that we called Earth and go I want to be one of the good guys hey Thanos come down from that mighty roof be decent for a listen moment Oh my gosh

why? The truth about it is we're all given the option of which path are you want to walk. Walk the righteous one, the decent one. Be good, be true, be you. And above anything else,

I wish you truly a wonderful 2026. Yeah, have a great 2026, everybody. We will see you in February. Can we play JT the new Docheon-Cissor song? girl get up. It's really good. And thank you so much for listening.

Clos is this camera. JT needs to do an edit just to how close it gets at times. Thank you so much. Listen to the Wall for now. We'll see in February, guys. Have a good couple of weeks. We'll see you soon. Love you. Bye now.

Bye. to be 10 feet tall I don't need keys when I knock down walls been pushing peace since bathroom stars why sell my soul when I know I'm God If you have a problem, opinion, feedback or anything at all

please email us at wolf alpod at gmail.com That's wolf alpod at gmail.com We'd love to hear from you mainly because we don't have any content ideas. Thank you. Thank you.