The QuaranTea Break Podcast

The QuaranTea Break Podcast is back - the socially distant tea break with some extraordinary people. Host Simon Ward once again chats remotely with some of the biggest names from the world of entertainment to find out how they're coping, what they've been doing and what they've been watching

It's the third episode in season 2, and DJ and broadcaster Dev Griffin joins Simon for a remote conversation. He talks about moving from BBC Radio 1 and Radio 1xtra after 18 years to join Heart, and what it has been like broadcasting throughout the entire pandemic.

Dev is such a warm, funny guy, and he’s so honest about how he’s coped with the past year, particularly about moving jobs during lockdown. I also finally get something off my chest that has been burning inside me for years – yes, for the second episode IN A ROW, I manage to weave Strictly Come Dancing into this podcast.

If you somehow don’t do so already, you can catch Dev’s weekend radio show on Heart every Saturday and Sunday, 12-4pm. It’s like spending the best afternoon in a pub with a really good friend – two things (pubs and friends!) we all miss right now.

If you enjoyed this episode, please do subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and a review always improves my day. If you'd like to support this podcast, why not buy me a coffee (or preferably, a tea): https://ko-fi.com/quaranteabreak. You can also follow @QuaranTeaBreak on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

We’re back on Tuesday 9 March. Until then, please stay indoors.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-quarantea-break-podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How you getting on TQBP listeners? I hope you’re all well this week. This episode, I had the pleasure of playwright and screenwriter James Graham’s company on FaceTime. We recorded hours after he appeared on BBC Question Time (seek out it on BBC iPlayer) where he talked about the battle to save theatre and the arts amid huge funding gaps due closure and shutdown. It’s a subject very close to my heart, and he expands on what he said on the show brilliantly here.

This is a wide-ranging conversation. We talk about the challenge to creativity and toxic productivity. James shares his theory why we’ve all turned to quizzes in lockdown (as well as their shortcomings). We talk digital theatre and his play THIS HOUSE, which will be shown on YouTube as part of National Theatre At Home on May 28. And, of course, we talk about ITV’s Quiz, which James wrote and is now officially the biggest television drama of the year. Listen for loads of great secrets about the show, as well as the usual lockdown TV recommendations.

James also talks passionately about the ways in which you can help theatre in this time. Please search for your local venue and try to pre-book tickets for future shows where you can. Many theatres, including The Globe, National Theatre and more are also accepting donations. There is also a list of resources for helping the arts and artists here: https://theatresupport.info. You can also write to your local MP to ask them to support further arts funding to see them through this crisis. You can find their details online, or use this handy tool here: https://www.writetothem.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please tell a friend. And please follow @QuaranTeaBreak on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. See you very soon and take care.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-quarantea-break-podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The QuaranTea Break Podcast is back - the socially distant teabreak with some extraordinary people. Host Simon Ward once again chats remotely with some of the biggest names from the world of entertainment to find out how they're coping, what they've been doing and what they've been watching.

In this second episode in season 2, restauranteur, chef and broadcaster Simon Rimmer joins Simon for a remote conversation direct from his home kitchen! He talks about his two major pandemic experiences – being on Sunday Brunch during the early days of lockdown and how he’s coped with being a restauranteur during the most disruptive time his industry has ever faced.

And yes, we of course talk about pandemic Strictly Come Dancing.

Simon has been on my podcast wish list from day one (not just because he’s a Liverpool fan, but that helps!). He didn’t disappoint. Funny, honest... and he predicted Liverpool would win the league (this was recorded before the Burnley game, so please forgive our January optimism *SAD FACE*). Do also check out Simon’s podcast, Grilling, which features great conversations with legends from the world of food.

If you enjoyed this episode, please do subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and a review always goes down very, very well. If you'd like to support this podcast, why not buy me a coffee (or preferably, a tea): https://ko-fi.com/quaranteabreak. You can also follow @QuaranTeaBreak on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

See you very soon, and please stay indoors.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-quarantea-break-podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HELLO, and welcome to EPISODE 11. Thanks for coming on board. Today’s brilliant guest is stand-up comedian, writer and actor DANE BAPTISTE. You’ll know Dane – the first black British act to be nominated for a Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – from Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown and his incredible sitcom Sunny D. I was so delighted Dane joined us for this episode.

I really loved our conversation. As always, we had an honest chat about lockdown life and what that has meant for him (for Dane, he was about to embark on his stand-up tour, Dane Baptise: The Chocolate Chip, which has now been postponed until next year – you can pre-order tickets here: https://danebaptiste.co.uk). Dane spoke about his experiences around the recent conversation about British TV comedy in light of Black Lives Matter, plus his sitcom Sunny D returning to BBC iPlayer. We also talked about how we keep the momentum around the Black Lives Matter movement, and whether he’s optimistic about change.

We also gassed on about his exceptional podcast, Dane Baptise Questions Everything, which I love so much. Like this podcast, you’ll find it in all your usual pod places.

As always, please, please, please subscribe and continue to recommend this podcast to your friends, family or newly formed social bubbles, and spread the word in playgrounds or parks from two metres. And if you’ve enjoyed the podcast, please drop a review and a star rating. I’ll read out my favourites in a future podcast. Plus, any review always makes my day.

If you'd like to support this podcast, why not buy me a coffee (or preferably, a tea): https://ko-fi.com/quaranteabreak. You can also follow @QuaranTeaBreak on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

See you very soon, and please stay indoors.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-quarantea-break-podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello, how are you keeping? Before we get started, a HUGE thank you to... you. We’ve just had the biggest week on the podcast for two consecutive weeks, which is incredible news. You’ve gone out there, you’ve told people about us and new listeners have continued to jump on board each and every week. So, THANK YOU!

But you’re here to find out about this week’s guest, and it’s BAFTA-winning actor Jason Watkins (The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, Line of Duty, W1A). Jason was such a lovely guest, and even though we were on video chat, I felt welcomed into his family home for this conversation. We chatted about what he’s been doing during these past few months. Jason talked about how he had to leave filming in South Africa as lockdown started. He spoke about how the incredible W1A lockdown Zoom meeting came about and plans for future ones – and he gave his reaction to the W1A idea to rerun the 2012 Olympics in its entirety was announced by Eurosport just days after they joked about it on the sketch.

A trigger warning: there’s a discussion about grief and bereavement towards the end of this week’s episode (starting from timecode 00:40:48). If that’s something that’s not going to help you at this time, feel free to pause the show and return to it at a later date. If you need to speak to someone (or want to get further advice on how to help someone else going through bereavement), you can contact Child Bereavement UK (https://www.childbereavementuk.org, if you’re in UK you can call 0800 02 888 40) or Cruse Bereavement (https://www.cruse.org.uk, if you’re in the UK you can call 0808 808 1677).

As always, please continue to recommend this podcast to your friends, family or newly formed social bubbles and help spread the word. It helps so, so much. And if you’ve enjoyed the podcast, a star rating and review always makes my day.

If you'd like to support this podcast, why not buy me a coffee (or preferably, a tea): https://ko-fi.com/quaranteabreak. You can also follow @QuaranTeaBreak on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

See you very soon, and please stay indoors.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-quarantea-break-podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.