Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe's Parenting Hell - S8 EP26: Andi & Miquita Oliver

Episode Date: April 5, 2024

Joining us this episode to discuss the highs and lows of parenting (and life) are our very first mother / daughter combo - it's the brilliant Andi and Miquita Oliver. You can listen to their podcast 'Stirring It Up' everywhere you get your podcasts. And you can also find Miquita's new podcast 'Miss Me?' with best friend Lily Allen on BBC Sounds with episodes available twice a week. Parenting Hell is a Spotify Podcast, available everywhere every Tuesday and Friday. Please leave a rating and review you filthy street dogs... xx If you want to get in touch with the show here's how: EMAIL: [e-mail] INSTAGRAM: @parentinghell MAILING LIST: parentinghellpodcast.mailchimpsites.com  A 'Keep It Light Media' Production  Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, I'm Rob Beckett. And I'm Josh Willicombe. Welcome to Parenting Hell, the show in which Josh and I discuss what it's really like to be a parent, which I would say can be a little tricky. So to make ourselves and hopefully you feel better about the trials and tribulations of modern day parenting, each week we'll be chatting to a famous parent about how they're coping. Or hopefully how they're not coping. And we'll also be hearing from you, the listener,

with your tips, advice, and of course, tales of parenting woe. Because let's be honest, there are plenty of times when none of us know what we're doing. Hello darlings, this is Lisa Vanpump. Will you join me in France for a new reality show? Meet my hand-selected staff as they work, live and play at Chateau Roosevelt. Their job is to provide once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our guests.

And of course, they'll have to meet my standards and not everybody has what it takes. Vanderpump Villa has first-class luxury and world-class drama. I'll be there, will you? Vanderpump Villa premieres April 1st, streaming on Disney+. Hello, you're listening to Parent in Hell with... Charlie, can you say Rob Beckett? Rob Beckett. And can you say Josh Whittaker?

Josh Whittaker. Well done. There we go. I like that. Here's my two-year-old Charlie doing the podcast intro for you. He turned two in February and is such a little chatterbox. He's doing well for two, isn't he? Yeah, that's excellent.

I've listened to the podcast since the very beginning and you guys got us through lockdown with our first son who was two and a half at the time. We were both working from home full time. The highlight of that time was when we were potty training our eldest son and halfway through a team's presentation, he wheezed all down my husband's leg. Thanks to you Lars for being sexy and relatable. Catherine, Jack, Henry and Charlie from Cheltenham. Cheltenham, a lovely place Cheltenham. Have you ever been to the Cheltenham races? No. I want to go but I'm always busy in March. It's a bad time for me. Do you know how horse racing? I hate it on TV. I've got no interest. Yeah, don't

watch it there. But I mean, like it's quite, I went to Ascot. It's a fun day TV. I've got no interest. Yeah, don't watch it there. But I mean, like, it's quite, I went to Ascot. It's a fun day out. I went to the Grand National once. When Channel 4 got the Grand National, I got invited and I was told it would be a celeb full. It was my first ever celeb thing. Oh! Me, Alex Brooker and Joe Swash. That was it. Bursting at the seams. Bursting at the seams, mate. Turns out Liverpool's fucking miles away from London. Did I tell you what happened to Sean Walsh with it all out at

all? No. So he has a joke. He won't mind me sharing this. But he's got a joke where he basically sort of says Joe Wicks has let himself go. Yeah, because he sort of looks a bit like Joe Wicks, a beard and the curly hair. I've been talking to him about he did that dangerous roads show with Joe Swash. So he was chatting about Joe Swash for ages before because I know Joe really well. And he went out on stage, he went, I know what you're thinking, Joe Swash has let himself go. He said he was such confidence that the crowd sort of laughed.

But then after the crowd went, he looks like Joe Swash. Joe Swash is ginger. A victory for rhythm. Yeah. You cannot underestimate the power of rhythm and speed and confidence to get a joker. Because if you're in a comedy gig and there's a person confidently delivering what seems like a joke, you just assume it's funny at the end. Yeah. And I won't name names.

There's people at the top of the game, I would argue, who have built a career around it. You cannot underestimate rhythm in comedy. You can't. Today, Rob, I realized is when we're recording this is when the episode where we talk about me being slagged off on the Plymouth Argyle message board is going out. Shall I just have a quick check? I've got a live Google of that. A live Google to see whether it's reignited

the Josh Whiticum thread. Can I find this thread, Plymouth Argyle? Oh, it's back. Someone wrote on it 13 minutes ago, Rob. What? Look, the thread's alive. The thread lives. Go down, it says general, and then go to Plymouth Argyle

fans forum. Forums? And then where do I find you? And then you go down, ignore the forum. Josh Whitakam on Talksport, here we go. Oh, God. You need to go to the end, because you're see, you know, it's a long thread. There's a lot of opinion about you on here.

No, well, it goes into a discussion. 11 pages? It goes into the discussion of the Janna song, which I found slightly annoying. I think it's still Janna. Oh, is it? Oh no, here we go. Update, today at 8.59,

Josh has responded to this thread on his Parenting Hell podcast, The Rock Beckett on Tuesday the 26th of March episode. He definitely reads Passotti and found it hilarious that the thread descended into the discussion whether he's funny or not, with the verdict that he isn't and is stealing a living. Yeah, and then someone agrees that you're stealing a living. Quite a bit awkward.

And then it goes back into the Janna song again. Oh, for God's sake! The Janna song needs to be performed live before matches and everyone needs to stand for it, like the Americans do with a national anthem. Is he being serious? People are weird, aren't they, Rob? There's an advert here for Teemu, right? And I don't know who they think reads this forum,

but there's six images here. One's a pair of white trainers and the other's like a green jacket, looks like a fake sort of Stone Island jacket. I get that. Football, you know. Also one's a nice watch. Then there's a pair of red sort of wedges, sports shoe trainers for women. And then there's a pair of high heels,

like sparkly high heels. It doesn't feel like it's aimed at the same demographic as these angry people talking about the Janna song. What is the Janna song? Rob, let me play you the Janna song. You can offer an opinion on quite how awful it is. You know, like Liverpool, they play You'll Never Walk Alone. Yes. Yeah. So at Plymouth, they've implemented a song, a Janna is someone from the South West or from Devon or whatever. So a Devonian, so a Janna, like a Cockney for East London.

Yeah, basically. It might be Cornwall, I don't know enough. What is a Janna? It's like a Cockney but for the southwest. Sounds like a racial slur. Yeah well it's not. Where the fucking Jannas have moved in. Okay do you want to hear this? This is what they play before each. This is just mortifying. You can try your best. full of rolling green hills and a coast that's been blessed and inside of the sound lie the three Glimmoth towns where everyone's known as a Janner Janner

Let the crowd go, Janner Down in Glimmoth we're all known as Janners the crowd go Janus. Is that Nick Noles? It sounds like Nick Noles' new song, you know? So Janus, Janus down by the call Janus, Janus. Down by the call, Janers, Janers. They'll shout Janers and eat a pasty. Unbelievable. That's the equivalent of going to a stand, holding jelly deals and shouting, Corkneys, Corkneys, Corkneys.

Probably better than bubbles, I suppose. Yeah, so there we go. Let's keep an eye on that. I feel like they're really gonna have a go at you. Michael, who have we got on today? Andy and Makita, Oliver, Josh. Oh, brilliant they're really going to have a go at you. Michael, who have we got on today? Andy and Makita Oliverjoh. Oh, brilliant. This was an incredible episode. Loved it. I used your catchphrase of one of my favorite ones I've ever done,

which you say quite a lot. I absolutely loved it. Andy's partner Garfield came along when Makita was 10, but sort of a single mum with an only child is such a tight bond and they've sort of really been there for each other for a lot of different things. So it was lovely to see him laugh and joke and mess around, but also see a little bit of the friction that's come from that relationship. But it was brilliant. Really good episode. Yeah, brilliant. And we referenced that we've got Lily Allen on next week. So they ask a question for Lily Allen because Makita and Lily are best friends. Exactly. Here is Makita Oliver and Andy Oliver. Open the janers!

Hi guys. Hi boys. Hello, you're alright. Hello, thank you so much for doing this. So nice to meet you Josh and Rob, I don't think I've ever met either of you, hi. No, I don't think I've ever met either of you. No, lovely to meet you. And I think you've met you Andy,

I don't know where though. I feel like vaguely we might have been some weird fucking- You know, sort of like a weird Sunday brunch thing or- Some like green room situation, yeah. Yeah. Passing ships in the green room night. Yeah, exactly. Well, thanks for doing this. You're so welcome.

All the weird people that you meet when you're like, whatever, in our industry, we call my mum's band. And so far it's quite an eclectic group of people. I don't know what me and Josh should be on. No. Yes. No, you're joining the band. This is you. Triangle percussion. Yeah, I'll take that. You're percussion straight away. You were in a band though, Andy. I was in a band. Yeah. You and Nina Cherry, right?

Nina Cherry, correct. Nina Cherry. Sorry. Sorry. It's all right. I just subtly adjusting. Yeah. And then I drew attention to it. What an error. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, no, I was. That's how I started in music, actually, which is why I think I really like things like live TV and, you know, like lots of people find that really terrifying and they sort of think, oh my God, but for me, that's, I fucking love all that. How old were you, Makita, when Andy was on top of the pops? Or were you not there?

I was not born. Oh. And mum had me at 20, so she was a teenager in Ripley. Wow. Wow. She doesn't really like things that happened before she was born. No. No.

It's like, well, where was I? I'm like, not conceived. How's that? How do you like them? How do you like them apples? How often do you see each other now? Me and Makita? Yeah.

I mean, all the time. Like, really, probably quite a dysfunctional amount. Yeah. I think other people think it's a bit weird. Like, she'll be with her mates and she'll answer the phones and then put them in and they go, who's that? And she'll go, my mum. And they're like, oh, yeah. Yeah. We talk she'll answer the phones and then put them together and she'll go my mum and they're like okay. Yeah we talk a lot on the phones and then we work together so I see her all the time for that.

It's quite important to try and remember to like have a relationship where we're just mum and daughter and not like colleagues because that would get bit. Yeah because that's the thing me and Josh when we see each other we'll go oh how don't ask me. I'll tell you Monday. I know., I'm asking about the family and stuff. This is terrible. I don't know if that's so much with Mum, but in my new one with Lily, because it's all about, you know, where we're at. I literally can't talk to each other anymore. I'm like, save it. Save that gold. Well, let's do an official intro to this episode where we've got Andy and Makita Oliver, who

have their podcast Stirring It Up, which is more about food than it is sort of what you've been up to. But then obviously Makita's new podcast with your good friend Lily Allen is way more about catching up as friends. But this one is Parenting Hell. And let's chat about the dog first, Makita. I think this will have an impact on the parenting chat

because you're holding this beautiful little Spaniel puppy and you're saying, I'm not gonna be one of those dog mums, this isn't my baby, but you are cradling this puppy like an oob or. I know, I was all I could do to not hold her up to the moon last night and get a bit Lion King about it. So yes, I got her yesterday. My friend came with me who's had a dog for a long time and was like,

right, we need to get you a sling. I was like, I'm not having a sling. A sling? A sling? Do people carry their dogs in a sling? Apparently. Maybe in East London. I've not seen it in the burbs.

Maybe in Hackney. That's just creepy. Though I'm trying my best to be more like a guardian. Yeah. A companion. I don't really want to be a doggy mummy, but I really wanted a puppy. So can the dog not go on the floor then? Does it have to be held in your lap?

No joke. I'm not, keep the dog there, I'm loving it, but I wouldn't say a guardian, you know, like, would cradle you. You might be able to pay one to do it. It might be some sort of like dark web situation. I'm actually going to go put her in her area because she's got to get used to that. But I want her to say hi. I'm only joking. Yeah, I'm not attached. I'm going to go and let her be free.

I feel bad now. Look what you've done. Look what you've done. We've been here two minutes and you've already broken Meketa's heart. Oh no. Andy, were you consulted on the dog, Andy? I was consulted on the dog and I was a little bit opposed to it briefly, wasn't I? And I thought, why am I being such a bitch? Why can't she have a dog? Do you ever catch yourself doing that? And you're like, no. And then you think, um, there's no actual reason that I'm objecting to this at all Well, I think the reason would probably be is just that like I think if there's something that mum

Just worry I think in a parent then a quick reaction is is what comes after it's like I'm worried that might not go exactly how it should or whatever. So it's just like no, let's not She just gets worried and then defensive and then excuse me. She's just trying to look after you. Thank you. Who's that? Where are you? Is this a train station? What's going on in your house today? I'm at my house. This is what it's like at my mum's house the whole time. It's like kind of HQ. Right. It's HQ. It's HQ. The dog's barking. Someone's just turned up to pick up the cushions from the mattress. Oh, so it's all right.

I'm a huge avid dog then, is it, Andy? Yeah, it's a big dog. Well, she's not big dog. She's an old dog now. Yeah, I know. That's why I mean, if I could look after a dog, surely Miki could look after a dog. I don't know why I'm being such a bitch about it. So I stopped resisting and I bought her the dog, actually.

Well, I haven't given her the money yet, but... No, no, yeah. I have bought the dog actually. Well, I'm giving her the money yet, but no, no, I have. I bought the dog as part of her birthday present. Oh, that's sweet. And is this the house you grew up in, Makita? No, no, this is from recent years, even just a year and a few months. This is a house house. You know, we were skint people for many, many, many moons. We had a housing trust flat in Labyrinth Grove. Yeah. And then we moved from there to a like, you know, normal

rental in Kensal Rise. And then we moved to a housing trust flat in Hackney. And we've only been living in this house for a year and a half. Yeah, a year and a half. But when they moved... Did you live together? No, I'm in Clapton. Oh, you're near me. You're Clapton. I'm Victoria Park. No way. Oh, fancy. I've never even seen you about in? No, I'm in Clapton. Oh, you're near me. You're Clapton. I'm Victoria Park. No way. Oh, fancy. I've never even seen you about in the ends. I imagine you go to very different places.

No, we don't. I don't. I go to Clapton a lot. Do you go to Pizza Express at 11 a.m. in Westfield? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha All the high spots don't even, don't even chat to me. I know where it's happening. I'm thinking more like Josh, we should have seen each other at some sort of farmers market. My neighbors the dumplings. Do you eat at my neighbors the dumplings? Oh, I like my neighbors the dumplings. Well, quite. That's near my house.

My neighbors the dumpling. What's that? It's a little dumpling restaurant in Clapton, on Lower Clapton Road. I lived in Clapton for 26 years Josh. I know I was once sat in a cafe in Clapton about four years ago and there was a woman on the same table that I presumed to be your agent. She kept making phone calls about your diary Andy and I was listening in. That's Kelly. She kept making phone calls about your diary. That's Kelly. That's hilarious.

Dynamite assistant life partner. That's Kelly. That's hilarious. I'm wearing my dynamite assistant life partner. She's brilliant. Four years later, we've got you on the pole. We've managed to nail you down. We've managed to nail that diary down. I have to have her because I can't even, basically my life got so hectic that I got to the point where I was triple booking myself and stuff and not even realizing it. And then I'd be on the sofa or somewhere else

and people would bring me up and go, are you on the way? And I'd be like, oh shit, where? Is there anything worse? And I'd be like, of course I am, where? It was horrible. The only thing worse than are you on the way is your car's outside and you have no idea why. Oh God.

What do you mean? And where am I going? Why, where am I going? What have I done? What have I forgotten? This is like a little local community. Me, you know, like in lockdown, the Jackie Weaver one, where it was just a big argument about the local area.

Just you guys spitballing about East London. Where are you, Rob? South East London. But now I'm further out in Kent countryside. Oh, the Garden of England. The Garden of England, yes. The Garden of England, how delightful. Hang on. Yeah, certain parts of it are, if the garden involves people fly-tipping down any lane they can find.

So what was Andy like as a mum? What was Andy like as a mum? You're an only child, is that right, Makita? Yeah. Only child, and now you're a dog mum now. So you've both got a child each. Don't call me that. No, I feel bad when you put the dog,

what's the dog called, by the way? Oh, right, Z, Z-E-D-D, Z-E. Z-E, and so you've put Z-E in our area as you called it. Yeah. Oh, she's crying, oh God. If she's crying, just get her back. Oh, bring her back, bring her back. Bring her back, Mckita.

No, I can't, I can't. My friend was very harsh yesterday. She was like, you have to let her cry it out and at four in the morning, she kind of went to sleep and I was like, and then at four in the morning she was up and I couldn't, I couldn't, she sounded so distressed so I brought her on the sofa with me and she was so happy. I tried that when

Makita was a baby I had this whole thing because I was a single mom so you know she was just in the bed with me the whole time I think most people like that anyway but because I was a single mom there was never anybody to go you take her I'm gonna have 10 minutes off or whatever so you know when she was about two or so I don't even know how old she was. How do you not just lose your mind, Andy? Because that is the deal. And you know, if you know there's an option, then it stresses you out. If you know that that's what you've got to do, then you don't know. You can lose your mind if you like, but then who's going to look after the baby? Do you know what I mean? It's like you don't have...

We talked about this the other day, didn't we, Keith's when we did a sort of Mother's Day special thing and she was saying that when she gets anxious, I get like a bit stroppy and I try not to. I really, really try not to because I'm trying to listen, trying to hear. But I'm a bit like, OK, we talked about it. What are we going to do about it? I'm like, find a solution. Let's get on with it. Because when she was I was going when I was little, it's kind of both really. He's only 20, wasn't you? Yeah, I didn't really have time for anxiety. Because I just I had to keep going. Do you know, the anxiety kicked in when she was about 12 and I could finally have some anxiety. Then I had an actual nervous breakdown.

You were bottling it up. I saved it all up and then fell apart completely. And she was like, however, but I think what's going to happen now is because already after one night with a puppy, I'm like, I really understand. Yeah. I totally get what it was like to be a single mom. I get it. I get it.

So what I was telling you was I was supposed to leave her to cry, like because she used to get into my bed and I had basically it's got to the point where I had no social life at all because I was getting into bed with my daughter at 730 or whatever and then I would fall asleep. Yeah. You know, it's like 21. It's like, come on, I need to speak to other people and do other stuff. So one of my friends came around and said, all right, I'm going to sit with you. We have to leave it to cry. That's what you do. You leave to cry. Which one? Which harsh auntie or uncle said that was Caroline Harris?

So we're about 10 people saying you've got to leave it to cry. You got to leave it to cry. And I was like, OK, but it's stressing me out. I can't have it. So she came and sort of sat with me the first night. It's sort of what I mean, she cried and cried and cried. It's horrible. Yeah. night, it's sort of what I mean, she cried and cried and cried. It was horrible. And I was awful. And she finally went to sleep. But I thought that just, you know, she went to sleep like a distressed painting.

What's that? The scream? You know what I mean? That's how she was in the sleep. And then the next night, she cried and cried and cried and she cried so much she threw up all over it. Oh, and I just thought this is bullshit. This is just bullshit. I don't care. I'm not doing it. And I just refuse to do it. So what you stopped?

Yes, I stopped because you were so some children cry and then go to sleep. But you were so angry. You're like, where the fuck is she? But wait, Rob and Josh, you're both parents. Yes. Which one did you do? Well, there's kind of different methods. Like that was like then. A year old method.

And now there's the kind of more softer versions of that. I did a thing with my son where if he started crying, you go back and then you leave, and then you go back and then you leave, and then you go back and then you leave. And I was literally doing that for like three hours. And so they're never going to, it's like a kind of modern day snowflake version of that.

It's a bit more graduated rather than, right, I'm shutting that door and I'm not coming back in till 6 a.m. Yeah, it's too much, it was too much. And actually I thought a bit traumatizing for her and for me. Yeah, how old was she when you was doing that, Andy? She was probably maybe about one- old was she when you was doing that? She was probably

Maybe about one ish our first born was like that and we just kept coming in and wouldn't sleep And not even getting into bed. We just had to sit next to her or she would lay on our chest And it was men I was like laying on the floor of like an arm up on the car In the end we had to do that cry out and actually it was we did the graduated version of what you tried and it did work and now she sleeps better and sounder than my youngest who we never had to do that with because she actually sort of went to bed slightly better right so it is but I think every child's different certain things that work for some people you can't read a book on it I think I'm gonna do what Rob's doing with Zed, with the puppy, because last night at 4am I said I broke,

and then I woke up like, I fucked it, shit, she's gonna be a nightmare for the rest of her life. I was like, no, you just try again tomorrow a little bit more. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think in the end, that's why I say the thing is that they're like, children, babies are like weird, kind of scary ninjas, aren't they?

Because like, if I would get into bed with Makita and we go, you know, read the book, and then she gets sleepy, and then the eyes would go, and then I would really lie and listen to the breathing. I properly regular, do you know what I mean? And then I'd lift my head up off the pillow, she goes, anything out? How do you know?

You were definitely asleep. You were definitely asleep! It's like literally as soon as the pressure of my head leaving the other pillow changed she'd sit up like somebody like Cerberus the dog at the gates of hell. Absolutely extraordinary. Yeah also mum said that when and this is interesting oh do we ever change from the babies not even children, the babies? We are saying the high up thing. I was I was obsessed with being held a loft like this, like Lion King. And to the point where even if it was here, I'd be like,

and then Mum would put me up and I'd be like, ah, this is in the middle of the night. So if she would get up in the night, you couldn't just get up and sit in a chair and rock her. She was like, no, that's not good enough. Could you please walk around the room and hold me above you? Like that walking up and down. That is tough on the old shoulders as well.

And then as soon as you tried that, she'd start screaming again. I mean, I had very, very good triceps. But what that transpired into in my adult life, guys, is I have to live high up. I've never not lived high up. Right now I live on the marshes and the view is extraordinary and I'm top floor and I need to see as much as possible. And I lived on a ground floor flat, the London Fields one, for about three years and my life was in the gutter. So I really do think that like to be up is to dream and to live higher. And obviously I knew it from a very early age.

She knew that as a baby. About six months old, I realized that. Yeah, that is mad, isn't it? So it's all there programmed in your head. It's all there. I think we never really, really, really change. And you still vomit every night you go to sleep Food is so central to your kind of is that central to your family life? What was it like?

My children are, well my daughter is definitely is a very fussy eater and my son, you know, is quite fussy. What was it like? What was Makita like eating? She ate everything always and she didn't really have a very sweet, I mean, I didn't really, I don't really have much truck with that fussy eating nonsense. It's like that's the dinner. If you don't want to eat it, don't eat it. Yeah. But that's dinner. And once they realize that they just eat it. Do you know what I mean? My mum is like my mum's one of those quietly hard, hard porkies. You're not like that on the Great British menu. No, I'm not. I'm lovely on the Great British menu. Yeah. It's a different case when the door's closed. So I, my mum just

said to me, don't even worry about it. She doesn't want to eat it. It doesn't matter. She's not going to starve herself to death and it will kick in and she will eventually eat something. And she told me that really early on. So I didn't really worry about that stuff and Nikita as a result, just literally ate everything. And then she did. I don't have a very sweet tooth. So there's never any sweets and stuff in the house. So when we would get a video from Blockbuster or a little treat day, Makita would have a bowl of peas. She would eat a bowl of peas and butter and that was like your heaven, right? Yeah, still to this day, that's like, I love vegetables.

Bowl of peas on top of a roof, you're flying. You've got to be vomiting for weeks after a bowl of peas high up. So she wasn't very, I mean, you know, I say, I think I got lucky with Makita a bit actually in the fact that she would just eat everything, but I gave her everything that I was eating from the moment she was eating solid food anyway. So I think it was just in her to just eat everything

because I was she that's what she always had. Interestingly I like baby food now. All right. Like not like... Not like straight up baby food pouch. No but like my mum now it's just it's all a bit too chefy for me. The syrups and the glazes and the braising. I'm just like, all I want is mints, mashed potatoes, sausages and mash. Cheese on toast. I like really simple mum food. You like shit.

She likes shit sausages. You can't even give her like now. She's more of a fussy eater, interestingly. When she was a baby, she would eat everything and love everything. And now she's like, what's that? What have you done to that? Why has it looked like this? Unless it's cheap mince with some mashed potatoes, I don't trust it. Are you saying that Andy's changed since she got on the box and she's now a bit poncy and she's now a bit kind of a...

That's exactly what she's saying. I don't want to be harsh, but yes, she has changed. She has changed. She was getting there. She was already, even with her pop-up, I think people don't realize just before Great British Menu, my mom wasn't like doing a culinary course in France. She was doing a pop-up at the Jack Jordan Star in Homerton.

I had a restaurant in the pub, yes. I had a restaurant in the pub, which was, it was an amazing restaurant, everyone loved it, but it was hardcore and it was ruckus, but mum was still there making her syrups and in this tiny bus up kitchen. I love that kitchen. Kenny's been there since day.

The fanciness was just coming in, all the experimenting was coming in, but I don't think you can do something like Great British Menu, host it and be part of it for as long as mum has now and not be, and not get a bit fancy. Yeah. I think there's room for everything. I think there's fancy days, there's bangers and mash days, there's chicken and rice and

peanut days. But they're less now. That's what I'm saying. We don't have bangers and mash days anymore. We do have bangers and mash days. It's not true. It's not true. You made me meatloaf with mashed potatoes, but it was for our podcast, for our Mother's

Day special. It's like, it's not... It's all a bit skewed now. You know what it is? It's I have less time to cook. Yes. And I'm a grown-up and I should be cooking when I'm eating dinner. So why are you giving me a shit?

Do you cook, Makita? I do cook. Yeah. I didn't for years because she was so good. I cook now. How often do you go round for dinner though, if you can, Makita? I do cook, yeah. I didn't for years because she was so good. I cook now. How often do you go round for dinner, though, if you can't be bothered? Do you think, oh, shall I order a delivery

or should I just go round Mum's and see what she's got? Yeah, I quite like that on Friday nights, I have to say. But because my parents, when they moved to Clapton, it was 25 years ago at a time where people weren't in Clapton. They didn't know where Clapton was. It was called Murder Mile. And I was one of those people. It wasn't my next door neighbours at Dumplin's, my next door neighbours at Dean's.

No, no, that was Nanna. Exactly. It was real, Rob. My next door neighbours are psycho. Yeah. And I didn't want to go there. I was 15 and I was like, I'm not moving to this place. And also it was a tiny flat. They didn't want to go there. I was 15. I was I'm not moving to this place and also it was tiny flat They didn't even have two bedrooms like we were in trouble at this time

And I ended up moving to my auntie's house in Primrose Hill, which was great, which I was really happy about I really enjoyed that. I was like, this is good But I lived with all my cousins and as an only child I was used to making myself whatever I wanted and being a greedy little pig and eating all to myself so I I'd be like in the kitchen making you know I wasn't being a culinary genius I used to just love making three cheese pasta with peas at peace And I would just make that be like well this can be good and then Nana my auntie Nana Cherry would come down and be like oh, that's so sweet. I'll get so I'll get some plates for maybe Lynn Tyson

I was like what the hell are you talking about? Sharing this? What do you mean I have to share my food? The whole set of sharing. Yeah. So I think that's what I realized. I was like, God, I am quite spoiled. I really am an only child.

I have been made sort of bespoke food my whole life, just for me. There's a lot of hard things about being a single parent, only child relationship, but that's not one of them. You get looked after in the food department and you're heard and you're seen. As a single parent only child, what really comes across here is like,

do you feel like you're more like friends than a lot of people you know with their kids? It feels like it's a real friend connection there. Well, we're a team. We're definitely a team. I mean, I have made a conscious effort because I really hate it when people go, oh, my this is my kiss my best friend, really. I'm like, she's not my sister. She's not meant to be a sister. What do you mean?

That's kind of slightly creepy. Fucking out. Get a life. get an actual friend, and leave your kid alone. That's what I always think. What are you talking about, you fucking weirdo? We are very close, but I've made a conscious effort. If I'm really low or something's going on, I tell my mates about it. I don't really tell her about it. Do you know what I mean? Because it's just not her job to be my best friend. And I think that's quite an important distinction to make, especially when they're younger. I mean, she's

39 now. So you know, it's obviously quite different. You're both mothers now as well. We're both mothers now, exactly. Beginning of our parenting journey. I hope she's alright. She stopped crying. Does that mean she's like good? She's either fine, but if you go, she'll see you and then cry again. Yeah. What about if I peek? Yeah. Here we go. Here we go. That son's going to cry immediately. That's why they could have a little camera on.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We need a little dog camera. She's even doing the parent quick but gentle step because the dogs are asleep. Did you see that? Is Brady, you're a bald mom, look at that. The way you walk, you're like a praying mantis. I do it right, guys. I do the weird parent walk in right. How was it?

She's in the bed bit, cause this was what's so horrible. Cause at least with a baby, you don't have to put them in the cage. Yeah, yeah. It's a crate, Makeda, it's a crate. Yeah, some people put them in what they call playpen. Yeah, the crate. Yeah, it. It's a crate, Makeda. It's a crate. Some people put them in a what they call playpen. Yeah, the crate. Yeah, it's a cage. So it's the bed pen, which my friend Iona and I made so nice.

It's such a couch and she's got a great view. It's like a little penthouse in the sky. I'd love it. And then there's the outer layer with like the puppy pads and then another softy thing to learn. So in the night when she fell asleep, I had to put her in the cage. She obviously wakes up and was like, what are you doing? And then you have to lock it and put the blanket over. I wish you'd put a blanket over the top.

To make it dark. Yeah, but they like that. It's like a little den. The dog doesn't want to view. Dogs don't care about views. I was like, you know, that's where they're still. That's taught them like, it's smart to live here.

I was like, put a blanket over the cage. So your podcast stirring up. Yeah. It must be nice to reach this point where we can work together. Yeah. And it's almost like a record of your kind of relationship as well, in a way. Yeah. I mean, it was Makeda's idea to do it, actually, because people kept coming to say, when you do a podcast and they had all these like, there's so many awful gimmicky weird, you know, you and Makita can do a podcast standing on one leg and you can be cooking while she's fucking twirling.

I mean, it's like, what? Yeah. No, don't want to do it. And I didn't want to do it. And she said, look, if we're going to do it, we should just because one of the things that we always have, you know, you have like little rules with work things that you have to have certain things in place and then you know it's going to work for you in some way. Yeah. So one of our things is that we'd like things to be based in truth.

So if it's the real thing, then we'll do it. We don't really want to do anything when we have to pretend to like something or whatever. Yeah. Drives me mad that when it's all bollocks. I don't really care, but we'd be chatting like this anyway. Yeah. You can tell when two people aren't really friends. Yeah, I've seen you work with Ed Gamble. Yeah.

I've seen me work with Ed Gamble. Don't you have to put it on short? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I'm really tired of that. Whatever Ed. I'm a fucking hero. So I was like, let's just do what we would do anyway in like Powis Terrace and Labyrinth Grove growing up, which was just like my mom, as she said,

had no money, but she managed to always feast it. She would just have these feasts of chicken and rice and salads and it just was colourful and hearty and full of love and everyone in the community and in our area and all our mates and everything, they would just be there and be fed and be loved up. And also I remember learning so much about people and adults and the stories they told to each other and that kind of sound of the dinner party was like a lullaby to me. I loved it. I still listen to Jazz FM to go to sleep because it's sort of the same as a dinner party happening in the other room. Because you were like 10 when you know, when Andy you were 30, you were 10 because you had 20. So it's like, you're almost nearly sort of teenager, adult and so if you're hanging around with other 30 year olds, there's not much of a difference in

your, you know, because you always, you know, you're our age. I remember seeing you on Telly McKees, but you always seemed older and more mature before your years. But I think, you know, you were surrounded and exposed to more adult conversations, stuff like that. I took her everywhere with me, like literally everywhere. Like if I had a gig before I went on stage, she'd be with me. I go, can you hold the baby a minute? Go on the stage, do the gig, come back home, get the baby back on, get the bag and go home. You know what I mean? Also, when you think about having a baby when you're really, really young,

you don't need much sleep. No, you need a lot less sleep. You've got a lot more energy. I feel like you've got more blood in your body. It's like you can just get on with things like, you know, a couple of us sleep. It's like, good, I'm ready. I'm fine. My friend who's here right now, when her baby, when he was two and they go to that station, they literally just won't sleep and they're a fucking nightmare. And you think, oh my God, I'm going to die.

All of that stuff. She was so tired. She said, I'm going to get one of those baby sleep therapist people and I'm going to take him. I said, really? Because he just sounds like a normal two year old to me. Do you know what I mean? It's like, she was going, it's a nightmare. I'm like, yeah, they are. Just the truth. Anyway, she paid this woman like 300 quid and the woman said, well, all babies are different. I was like, you can blame me. I could have told you that. A scam. But I think there is a lot of 80s parenting that is quite important for now. Yes, it was

a bit reckless and wild and looser and our circles, but there was, I don't know, it was everything felt a little less precious. Like my baby. I've never left my baby Yeah, there's competitive parenting now, which I just think must be really exhausting Yeah, cuz I'm not a parent but because I'm 39 most of my friends and family are so I've sort of seen how Toxic that stuff can be is it the same with dads? Some dads, but you you just learn to cut these people out quite quickly, do you know what I mean? Stick out at the school gates, just don't talk to them. I feel like there's two types of dads though, really,

where it's sort of like dads are a bit more like me and Josh, where we're like taking, got like much more of an active role than previous generations. It still falls on the mum more, just the way society's built and stuff like that, and stereotypically more men are in work than women when they have kids and stuff.

But then there is still like a hardcore, like old school dads that do fuck all. It's mad when you meet these people. Yeah. And they literally get up, not even a thought to like what the kids are having for breakfast or what have they got swimming today. It's itch, you're like, I've got me work clothes on,

I'm fucking out. Wow. And then they come home and go, where's dinner? And it's, it is weird. So there's still's still that. And you're doing what on a Saturday? You're going away with Arsenal to Manchester. Do you know how that would go down in my house? Or when people say I'm babysitting, it's not babysitting, it's your kid. Your kid, yeah. Your kid. And there's points where you sort of look and you go, they're not having to do as much and stuff like that,

but I do think the effort you put in now really does pay back when they're older, you know, and that kind of stuff. And it's like, some of the blokes are like, oh, he gets to go and do that, he don't know. And I'm like, well, no, it's fun looking after. You have fun, obviously, there's points where it's tiring, it's hard and stress, but like, you're part of a team, it's fun having after you. You have fun. Obviously, there's points where it's tiring, it's hard and stress, but like you're part of a team.

It's fun having the kids. They're lovely. And then when they get, it's only a few years when it's really, really hard. Two years, well, they don't want to even have anything to do with you. It's like, this is the time. By nine or ten, I was like, oh, leave me alone. And then you have to start a podcast with them just to talk to them, don't you? Exactly. Just to go round your house, you know.

No, but we do see a lot of each other. When I lived in Clapton she was literally over the road. Yeah so I ended up moving to the area that I was so like dismissive of. Despised. Of course. But I'm not part of that, I'm not the problem. I think we know the problem. I'm not the problem. But I am here. And then they moved to Wanst to this. You know, this is the first time my family have had stairs and a garden and space and a driveway and things like that. So it's been like a real quite emotional for us. And in our family, usually if you build it, more work comes like not intentionally.

It's just like we suddenly got this house. And then suddenly we were doing a podcast that needed a house of this size. Yeah, we could have done this in the flat Did we and when we were in the last flat our family friend who's our but like family builder Tom? Matty Garfield very sweetly got my mom's like, you know It was like a council flat with the kitchen that hadn't been done for about 20 years It was not and my mom was still you want a great British menu in the kitchen was like that Well, you I think you actually were yeah I mean like proper old school night in kitchen.

And then he knocked a wall out and redid it. And it was just this beautiful place. And we were able to do this thing we did in lockdown called What's for Dinner, Mummy? Where I just started filming my mum making recipes. We used to dance, talk shit, get a bit drunk. I mean, it was lockdown. But that led to a lot of other work that we're doing now. It's like everything leads to something else.

So this house is really important for, I say it's HQ, it really is, all the Kelly who was there in the jacked door with my mum in Homerton, and the birdcage, my parents used to run the birdcage on Columbia Road. Yeah, I remember that. Yeah. Because I used to live very near the birdcage

when you man it. Oh, sorry. And we've always been just sort of adjacent to Josh Whitacombe, just adjacent, quite close. Sorry, Josh. Never, it was quite a lively few years, wasn't it, Josh? just sort of adjacent to Josh Whitacombe. Just quite close. Sorry Josh. Never. Quite a lively few years, wasn't it Josh? How old are you now Rob? 38. 38 Josh?

40. Okay, so we're literally 38, 39, 40. Yeah. Yes. Okay, and how old were you when you had your kids? I was 2017, 34 and 37 or 38 or something like that. I was 29 turning 30. I was quite young.

I was young for all my friends I met in telly and comedy. I was about 15 years older and all my family and friends I grew up with. But you went to school. I mean, we had, there was like me, Nana and Tessa all had kids at the same time. And I think that, you know, we used to baby thwop. We have this brilliant system because we were, well Nana was married and Tessa was with my brother. So she may as well have been on her own because he was rubbish because he had about 17 girlfriends basically. I mean, bless him. I love him. He's passed away now, but he was an absolute philandering. Philanderer.

Brilliant. Fantastic bass player. Musical genius. Great mate. The worst boyfriend in the world. And so we used to do a thing where we would baby swap. So every third weekend, you'd get the whole weekend off. So I would have all the kids and now Tessa would go out for the weekend. Then Nana would have all the kids and me and Tessa would go out for the weekend. Then Nana would have all the kids and me and Tessa would go out for the weekend. Then Tessa would have them and me and Nana would go out for the weekend. So every weekend, every third weekend, you'd get an entire weekend off completely.

It was just brilliant. And also because of that, me, the daughters of those women, me, Phoebe and Naima, our sisters. That was great for us. And was that fun for you, Makita Croner? That was an adventure. Of course, I'm an only child. I was dying for siblings. So I was just like, this is great.

This is great. Some other people other than me and you. It gets very intense. If you ever do have a bit of a falling out or wind each other up, you know, if there is another sibling or that parent around that, is there someone

in your life that sort of comes in and bridges a gap and goes... Well, I met Garfield when she was 10. Right. So Garfield's been that guy. Garfield's been here for a long, long time. I mean, Garfield used to have to hold us apart like this. Poor Garfield! Like this, literally like this, going like Thor or something. Oh, both of us going, oh, I'm gonna fucking kill her. Literally, when she was a teenager,

it was quite fruity when she was a teenager, Makita was a very lively child. Wait, wait, wait, wait, Makita was a... What did you say? Oh shit, what did you say? You were a very lively child. Fair enough, yeah. Lively.

Obviously when Makita was on Pop World, so you'd have been what? She was 15. Fuck me. How did that happen then? Because I used to take her everywhere with me. There used to be a restaurant off Portobello Road called 192. And it was just a wine bar restaurant

that loads of people used to go to. Everybody just used to go there. It was great. It was like Jack Nicholson and like Soul to Soul. Like every weird, like everyone from London was there. And then me and my weird mates. So everybody was in it. It was like a real mixture. I met Harry Belafonte in there. It was a really, it was amazing. Is he a real bloke? I just thought it was a made up del boy. Harry Belafonte?

Yeah, my god. You know what he used to just say random. I just thought it was a made up del boy one. Harry Belafonte! My god! Harry Belafonte. Harry Belafonte was a god amongst men. Sort yourself out. Wait a minute, what did Harry Belafonte mean in slang? Not only fools and altsies, he would go Harry Belafonte, like when he was shot. Oh did he?

Instead of oh my, he'd go Harry Belafonte. Mary. That's good. Harry Belafonte. Did you really? Mary. That's good. Harry Belafonte was like an amazing actor, activist, musician. Anyway mum tell the 192 story. One of the most. Tell the 192.

Pardon? Keep going with your 192 story. I'm just telling, don't tell me what to do. No I know but we get it now. I'm just explaining to him who Harry Belafonte is. I think Rob's got it now. Well he was, I was just finishing the end of my sentence. I had two words left to go.

But thank you for your help with that, Nikita. It's great. Thank you for your production help. So anyway, I was in 192. I'm going to tell you this really quickly because I love it. And I was the only black person in there, which was often the case because it was a just, you know, just poncy, very middle class white people basically. And I was the only black person in there, which was often the case because it was just poncy, very middle class white people basically. And I was in there and Harry Belafonte came in, the whole place was all a ruffle because

Harry Belafonte was in and he walked through the whole restaurant and he saw me and he went, hi, how you doing? And everybody was like, oh my God, he's a god. I mean, he was like a god. Anyway, we used to go to one night to all the time. And there was a friend of ours called Sarah Martin, who used to run MTV. So she had all these like TV producer, MTV Europe, MTV Europe. And she had all these sort of TV producer friends who met one of them had met Nikita in one night when you were about 11 or something like that. Anyway, when they were casting for Pop World a few years later,

they went through all the stage school kids in the country. They couldn't find anyone because everybody was a bit too jazz hands. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. They wanted someone who could just be normal, but they wanted somebody who was a teenager. They wanted someone young. And then what's her name? Parasin Tamsin.

When I met this kid when she was 11, and she was amazing. She's about 15 now. Why don't we give her a call? So they called me up and said, would Makita like to come and audition for this thing? And I said, do you want to do an audition for this? She wasn't in school because she was having a really hard time at school.

So I'd taken her out of school. And I really didn't know what to do. She'd been to about four different schools at this point, or five different schools. Five. And it was a bit of a nightmare. And we couldn't didn't know what to do. She'd been to about four different schools at this point or five different schools. And it was a bit of a nightmare and we couldn't really work out what to do in there. And I said, do you want to just go and do this audition? She said, yeah, be interesting. So me and my friend, Sandra took her to the audition and she was really funny. What did you have to do in the audition? Simon Amstel, my darling Simon was already cast and he was 21 so I thought he was like a grown-up and I don't know it was just a bit you know good will hunting it was just a bit

like I just knew how to play I was just like yeah this I get whatever the hell this is I totally understand and let's go. Amazing. Just knew what to do. You've been in your bedroom watching loads of MTV hasn't you? That's what I mean life prepares you without you even knowing it. Because I was not in school, all I did was watch MTV and it was when MTV Select was on with like Donna Eyre and sometimes Kenny Brook. And I remember thinking, whatever this is, I could definitely do this. I didn't think I should do this and get into this industry.

I thought whatever they're doing, I think I could probably do that. And then I think maybe two weeks later, this thing came up. And so I just had to sort of like luckily I could like yes I could name all of five and I knew what was happening in JLo's life so I knew all that yeah but I also had an opinion and Simon really made me laugh yeah so it was surreal but I was like it was such an incredible show it was I just I just loved it so much. It was about 15 when it was on as well then

you were like yeah I'd have been a year older than Mckie. So I'd have been a sick four more. Yeah I was at the flower market. And Rob was at the flower market. Missed that a bit actually. Definitely. You had a vocation. That's very true. You would not have seen Pop World in the way that Josh would have. Oh, exactly. It was so good, because it was so- I sat there in Devon, feeling like he's watching something from Jupiter.

Honestly, Rob, go back and watch it. They were so cheeky in exactly the right way, and you didn't take anything too seriously, and it had exactly the right tone. Did you watch it, Andy? Yeah, yeah, I co-hosted one. No, imagine that now. Just leave my 15 year old. I won't even turn it on. I thought they watched it. They used to make me laugh

so much and I was quite, I still feel a bit motherly with Simon Amstel. Remember he came back to our house that Christmas and I made him a special little pie and he couldn't believe it. Yeah, he's had a lot of Christmases with us actually. Well, he was a vegetarian back then and I made him a little special vegetarian pie and he just was like nobody because his mom's not big on cooking, is she? And this is an interesting thing about being raised like I was and him being raised like he was. I was like, oh, we're going to have Christmas. We were actually having it at Lily's mom's house. Oh, Alison's, that's where we were. Alison's, yeah. So mom was like, I'm going to make you this whole vegetarian pie.

And Simon was like, oh my god, this is unbelievable. And I was like, standard. Like, yeah. Ask him for whatever you want. I was like, oh, I'm an asshole. Right. So special. And I was like, I expect that.

I expect this folk food. Yeah, I realized that that Christmas. What was it like, Andy, when, because obviously then Pop World happens and Makita comes famous and you're in the tabloids a lot going out and you're kind of, suddenly you're a celebrity and stuff. What's that like as a mum?

That was weird, all that stuff. Yeah. Was Makita a bit of a, like you said, Makita was a bit lively as a teenager. Yes. Did that manifest after Pop World or was that happening already before? Oh, way before Pop World. You might it was a bit lively as a teenager. Yes. Did that manifest after Pop World or was that happening already before? Oh, way before Pop World.

You might have been a bit more sensitive to it because if there's your daughter who's a little bit lively, however that manifests, then you now, she's famous and got a bit of money in her pocket. And also lively. Yeah, no, it was a winning combination. Before Pop World, I was well lively, I squat party lively.

And then I just made a decision when I was about 15 to stop going to squat parties. I was like, it's too weird, like it's just too much. I wanna live with the normal people again, with the real people, I can't be in. But I was sort of, yeah, I was like calming down and figuring out, and then I got Pop World, worked a lot and then got my liveliness back.

I was like, all right, let's go. And it was odd. It was slightly surreal. And then the one time it really freaked me out was when they did what parties used to do with T4, what they called? T4 on the Beach, mum. T4 on the Beach, yeah. I love T4 on the Beach.

Come on. Come on. Great days. I went to it and then afterwards I was trying to talk to her and in between me and her were like 500 people and then like weird security all around her and I was kind of waving at her and calling and she couldn't hear me and I realized if anything happened I couldn't get to her. Oh yeah. And it really freaked me out because I was like, what if one of those people went?

No, it just felt like my umbilical link had been interrupted in a really quite an odd way. You know, like you always feel connected to your child in some way. And you're only 35 at that point and she's only 15, 16. Like, it's like, you're still, everyone's so young involved. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, Makeda often says when we were kids, and I Like, it's like, you're still all, everyone's so young involved. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean, Mckayleet often says when we were kids, and I go, I wasn't a kid then, I go, no, you were. Actually. You have to think about like being six and like being a bit of a nightmare. It's like, my mom's 26. I'm surprised you didn't just tell me to fuck off and go out. No, I mean, we had babysitters.

Yes. I did take her. We used to do this club called the Hot Sty. And when we had the very, very last one, Makita was still in a Moses basket, that's how little she was. And I was like, well, I'm just going to take her. So I took her and she spent the whole night under the till. In Covent Garden, it was like next door to the comedy store or whatever. Yeah. Well, the next door

to there was it was it. I remember it was called. There was a weird club there. And that was where we had the last night of the hot style. And my friends must have been with me. Auntie Rose was on the door. So Rose had on the door and under Rose's knees there was a sort of like a shelf so we just shoved the baby she slept through the whole thing. Can you imagine doing that today? Oh yeah we took the baby we put it there was a shelf so we just put her in there. Josh getting caught doing that I'll be like um it's sad to report Josh Josh has to leave the podcast. I mean, because we were young, we would do things that maybe weren't the best. I'd say, but she was fine.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you're right. Aren't you? You're right. It's fine. And do you listen to her podcast? She's how you now do miss me with Lily Allen, who you've known since you were like six months or something, right?

Yeah. Well, she's a year younger than me. So since the, since the year Lily was born, 85. And so were you friends with Lily's mum? Oh, Alison's one of my best mates, yeah. She's still in. And what was it like, do you listen to their podcast now? I do, they're brilliant.

I mean, I love them, I'm so proud of both of them because they've been through a lot, you know, like with fame and success and then crashing, like nightmare disappointments and challenges. And they both have come through all of their stuff and they've learned from it, all of it. And they have real honesty and integrity and they know their own mind.

They have real clarity of purpose, which I think is really important as a young woman, you know? And they're the kind of young women that I hope young women are. Oh, mom. That's what I want for young women to feel confident enough to own their space and tell people what they need and draw have boundaries for themselves. You know, and a lot of young women don't know how to do that. And Makita and Lillian have always known how to do that, which is why the press gives them so much shit, you know, because they would rather that young women and got their clothes off or whatever.

And you know, you both got very badly treated by the press, I'd say. And that must be hard as a mum to see that happening. Absolutely awful. But you know what, as well, it's quite great to say that, mum, because mum and Alison were always told, like, oh, God, what are you going to do about Lily and Mckita, like I like the embarrassing kids that were like Lily was in nine schools by the time I was in five I think in the end Lily went to 11 We were just a mess and we were kind of like I don't know people were very worried about what we in particular of all The kids were going to do with our lives. They were unemployable

Yes, unemployable! Unemployable! That's what we were. And by the time Smile came out and I'd been on TV for about five years and we met at this moment of success together which was really great for us to have each other in that my mum and Alison were like, we win!

Our kids are the best! We actually had an our kids are the best dance. You know, a house dance. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it felt good to make them proud because there was a lot of... These are the best dance, you know, housewives. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And it felt good to make them proud because they, you know, there was a bit, there was a lot of... There was a concern.

There was a concern. Do you think you both together sort of almost like egged each other on a little bit? 100%. Was it called enabler? Yes. We were very much in each other's enabler, groucho enablers. Yeah. So you said you started at 15, so there must have been four or five years before Lily became famous. From about 16 she was like, right I want to be a singer. She had like a record deal with Full Smile and everything. She was in the studio and stuff. She was on her computer writing songs and making stuff.

She was very focused. I fell into it. I'm good at it. That's why I got the job, but I didn't look for it. But you know, she would come on the T4 bus to V Festival and have a great time and snuggle my runners. I mean, when I say unemployable, so you know, like work experience, when they do work experience, Makita's work experience, one of them was for my friend David, who worked for a big advertising company. She used to get a car. He got me a car. He used to send her a car. He got me a car.

He used to send her a car to pick her up to take her to work experience. Bloody hell. And she'd get a car home. I mean, that's just bullshit, isn't it? That is what it is. Yeah, so I was a little bit like, this is great. And then she also worked in 192, sort of. And Freddie, who was the guy that used to run that one, I'll tell you about two weeks.

I said, so how she's doing with darling, she's fucking terrible. But don't worry. I'm going to look after she's useless. She's useless. The key is sadness, the coffee machine for this sort of warehouse party. Exactly. Sky blame squat party. That's before I'd quit squat parties. So I was not able to hold down anything. Amazing.

We're going to interview Lily next. What question? Oh my god, you are, aren't you? Like actually right next month? Yeah. What question would you ask, Andy? Well, I think I'd like to know, because she's a parent, so her two kids, it'd be interesting to know if becoming a parent has given her two kids, it'd be interesting to know if becoming a parent

has given her more empathy towards her own mother. That's exactly what I was going to say. Is it? Yes. I was going to say, did becoming a parent give you more empathy towards our moms? And I can say, because I've spent my night with my puppy, I get it already. I'm already there. So your kids are 11 and 12, you must be swimming in

empathy for them. Drowning in it. Drowning in it. Are you talking to them today, Lily? In three minutes time. Oh my god. I had no idea. That's hilarious. Well, should we do that final question for Andy and Makita? We normally do it about the parents but when we've got the mother and daughter on it, it seems the best way to do it. This is for both of you, but obviously about each other.

What's the one thing, Makita, that your mum done when you was growing up, or even now, where you're the best mum ever, that's why you're amazing, and what's the one thing she does that still frustrates you slightly now? And then obviously the same question to you, Andy, but about Makita. Okay, I'll start with the bad one.

If I'm talking about something she doesn't wanna talk about about she pretends to be distracted And then gets angry because I've noticed and says no I really did have to see that thing over there And I like know you're deflecting And she lies things I don't notice It's infuriating now the good thing, I love how much she consumes with educating herself and then sharing it with everyone. She's a great teacher, my mother, and she, like me,

have absolutely no education, what do you even call it? Academic credentials? Yeah, no, none. Qualifications? Yeah, absolutely. Between me, mom, and Lily, I think maybe Alison as well, Lily's mom, not one GC Yeah, no qualifications. Yeah, absolutely between me mom and Lily I think maybe Allison as well Lily's mom nuts one GCSE No, I have I have a lot smaller levels or something. Okay me and Lily have nothing

yeah, and my mom always educated herself she read and read and read and read and Took in and took in and fed that to me And that's why I love learning and knowing about everything. It makes me good at my job and a better person. So, that's lovely. Pressure's on now, Andy. Yeah, so what's annoying? Oh, you guys can begin. Now go on. Where would you begin? I think the annoying or frustrating thing is Makita tells me what I'm thinking. She's like, you said that because you think this and you think so. Don't tell me what I think.

I will tell you what I think because you're also wrong, by the way. I don't think that I think something entirely different. So what she's scared that I'm thinking of, she absolutely is convinced that I'm projecting onto you. She projects a lot on. And I do find that very frustrating. And when she's doing that, she doesn't, she can't hear. She loses the ability to hear reason or what I'm saying. So that's annoying. So that's annoying. The great thing about it is Makita is one of the kindest people I know. Makita with her friends and her family, she makes more time and gives them more of her heart than nearly anybody else I know. If it's three o'clock in the morning and you're in trouble

and you need help, call Makita. She's like Batman. She'll be able to help her puppy as well. Yeah, unless it's the dog and then shut up. Batman. Puppy as well. And compassionate. And I think that's a really lovely thing to be. This has been an absolute joy. It's one of my genuinely what Josh says it all the time, these two

nights, but it's genuinely one of my favorites. I never say it. Well, no, you're both super funny and insane. But also is a real love and a bond there. And I think there's a lot of people, especially single moms and single dads, you're both super funny and insane, but also there's a real love and a bond there. And I think there's a lot of people, especially single moms and single dads, you know,

I think that can be a scary thing, but it gives sort of people hope and excitement about what a great relationship you can have with a child. So it's been brilliant. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you guys. Thank you for inviting us.

Cheers guys. Guys, thank you so much guys. The podcasts again are Miss Me and Stirring It Up. Get them where you get your podcasts. Exactly. That's right, wherever the hell you want. Give Lily our love. Yes, tell her our love.

We'll do. All right, see you later. Bye. Andy and Makita Oliver, Josh, I stole your catchphrase. I think my favorite one. So good, wasn't it? They're fucking great.

Had everything. Yeah, had heart, it had laughs, it had incredibly insane stories about... Oh, Harry Belafonte. Harry Belafonte. They remembered her as an 11 year old and gave her an audition four years later and she just turned up and because she wasn't at school, she was just watching MTV.

Do you know what? Perfect training. That outlines one of the things I watched. My parents let me watch fucking loads of TV as a kid. And it meant that when I got to do it, I knew a lot about how it worked and I was good at it. A lot of people do say you're the young Kilroy Silk. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

And when you've watched him that much, you will be like him. Exactly. And say what you want about his views. much, you will be like him. Exactly. And say what you want about his views. Boy, you could do live TV. Oh, and once I turn that mahogany colour, people are going to be flocking, mate. I think we should do more parent and daughter or son combos. Yeah, so do I.

Who are you going to go for? Who's next on the hit list? I'm going to go to my celeb parent Filofax and find out, Josh. Yeah, do that. Or I'll tell you what would be good, the Gallagher's with one of their kids. Yes, exactly. And how about, I really like Shanti Ranganathan, but has she got any one she could do it with, Rob?

She's got a son called Dinesh who started on the comedy circuit. Yeah, he'd be good. Those two, those two would be good, wouldn't they? That'd be great. I love her work as the mum on things. Yeah, she's really good, but we need to find a foil that's as funny as she is. Absolutely yeah. Right see you next time boy. See you next time.