Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - Martin Freeman

Episode Date: April 16, 2025

We have Emmy & BAFTA winning actor Martin Freeman joining us for dinner this week! And he may have a filthier mind than me! In the midst of rehearsals for his new play, mum served up a delicious Ginger Pig lamb with an array of gorgeous sides for Martin. We heard all about his love of musicals (especially West Side Story), how he nearly became a professional squash player in his youth, how he gave up being a vegetarian after 25 years, what it’s like being the youngest of 5 children, and we hear about the exciting new play he is starring in with Jack Lowden. We laughed throughout this whole episode, Martin was a total dream dinner party guest (even if he had given up puddings for lent!). Martin’s show ‘The Fifth Step’ opens at ‘@SohoPlace' on 12th May and runs through to the end of July. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to Table Manners. I'm here sat in Lenny's living room. You're looking very glamorous Lenny. I don't think I look glamorous at all. You look chic. I'd say you look chic. Your lipstick makes you look chic darling. How are you mum? Great darling. How are you? Sun's out. I know. Yeah the sun is going away, isn't it? It's been a beautiful week, and am I OK? I've been dealing with children with tummy bugs. Very long tummy bugs at the moment. I don't know if anybody else has had that one. That was fun.

I've been writing songs. I went to a new opening, One Club Row, which was really cool. Really good spot. This guy who used to live in New York, one of the restaurateurs, and then the other guy is the guy who, the guy, his name's James, has Camberwell Arms, has Franks in Peckham, has Bambi in Hoxton, lots of London places,

I'm sorry guys. But yeah, one club room was really cool. It was where the Le Toit Gasson used to be, was that? Yeah, Le Toit Gasson, to be. Was that? Yeah, L'Etoile Gasson, the three interior designers is in that building. They've made it into a pub underneath that does really good chicken and then they've done a really nice restaurant upstairs and they're going to like have a pianist there and stuff. It's very New York. Had a delicious martini. Also shout out to Papi that I went to Forteus in Hackney. Annoyingly, lots of very good restaurants

are in Hackney and that's quite inconvenient for me. But Pappy and their fried chicken. Have you been in at all this week? I thought all your children were sick and you've eaten out three nights. That was on Saturday, thank you very much, a lunchtime where you had the children. Oh yeah. Thank you, Lenny. And one was on a Tuesday and I got my birth chart done, astrology chart. But but yes I have been dealing with sick buckets as well is that okay are you judging me learning not judging I'm just looking at the work-life balance here yes fantastic the life seems to be I'm loving it I never want to go on tour ever again um so we have Martin Freeman coming on the podcast today. He is in a new play that was in

Edinburgh two years ago with Jack Loudon. Can you just say how excited I am to see this iconic actor? I don't know you can say it. Okay fine I'm going to say it. How excited are you to meet Martin? Very very very because I think he's an immense actor. Incredible. When you think of all the different parts he's played. You know from... Tim from The Office. Did you watch The Office? Of course I did. Is it Bilbo Baggins he is? Yeah. What's the other bloke from Sherlock? Watson. He was Watson. He was with our mate Daisy Haggard. Embreders. Embreders. Which is his baby actually I think. I think he kind of created that one.

Fargo. Yeah. The very interesting Minnesotan accent. And now he is going to... The responder. He was in the Pinter season. He played with Danny Dyer, didn't he? I think they were in the play together. We'll ask him about how he felt about Danny's pauses, pinter pauses. And now he is going to Soho Place, the new theatre in Tottenham Court Road and playing opposite Jack Loudon from, well Jack Loudon who is in Slow Horses, husband of Sirsha Ronan. Yeah. And now the new Darcy mum. I know. Anyway, so Jack and Martin are in a new play.

But also Jesse the responder. Oh, the only responder. He's up for the BAFTA for the second season. Yes, I know, because he's so wonderful in it. He's so good. That is a very heart breaking show. I wonder if he was depressed playing that part. We can ask him in a minute.

So brilliant. We'll be in five minutes. That Scouse accent. Oh, the Scouse accent was amazing. Amazing. The script on that is just so good, the stories. But he's coming here to talk about the new play that he's starting this summer with Jack Loudon at Soho Place and it's called The Fifth Step. I just hope he likes the meal because I couldn't get tickets on the night I wanted.

You text me, like, do you want to go to this? Absolutely, yes. Couldn't get tickets. It's sold out probably in a second. Not for that, yeah. And so yeah, I think it starts in May. Do you think we can schmooze a bit? Absolutely, yeah. Bottle of wine, that'll do it. I'm slightly worried that he's given us forewarning he won't eat dessert. Yeah, I'm interested about this. Does he have to get his kit off on the show? I think when he sees what I've made he'll think, fuck it, I'm having it.

Let's see how much self-restraint he has. And let's respect that. If he doesn't want it, I will respect that willpower. Right, right. What have you made, Mum? So, I've done a lamb recipe from the Sunlight and Breads Club. Your favourite. Good old Rene Dixon. And so it's got, it's kind of been marinating all day in ginger

and savoury leaves. Do you know what savoury leaves are? What? Well, it's, you can put any sort of kind of normal sage and things like that. So it's olive oil, garlic, as you can, I think, smell throughout the house, anchovies and ginger and it's on the lamb. So I've made that and I've done these potatoes from Georgina Hayden's cookbook. Love Georgie. So it's a...

Which one, which cookbook? It's a... Which one, which cookbook? It's Greekish. Uh-huh. So they're like little sliced potatoes that you stand up and then you put olive oil, lemon and fresh oregano on them. Yum. And they're in the oven baking away. Gorgeous.

It's quite Greek. It's quite Greek. I like it. Yeah. And then I've made a salad of courgette carrot and walnut With done in yogurt. Yeah, I think it's nice. Yeah with dill I have for Martin Pushed it right out for my dad really want the tickets just and then for the pudding that Martin's maybe not gonna have it's a tart recipe Yeah, which is a Spanish lemon cake you make it without butter

it's done with olive oil lemons it's got rosemary in it and then on the top is cream mascarpone honey. Plenty! Yeah he's missing out if he doesn't have a bit of pudding. Well listen on his off menu his final thing was a lemon meringue pie, so I feel like it'll be half for him to... With a lemon, yeah, I think it'll be half for him to resist. I know. Martin Freeman coming up on Tatermanns. Cheers.

Cheers, darling. Lechaim. Lechaim, very nice to see you. Nice to see you. Cheers. I must mention one thing since we're talking about sex. Oh, yeah. Did you know that Jason Isaac, the director of the film, was a very famous actor? Cheers, darling. L'chaim. L'chaim, very nice to see you. Cheers. Nice to see you.

Cheers. I must mention one thing since we're talking about sex. Did you know that Jason Isaacs, you know when he does the full frontal, that's prosthetic? I would imagine so. I'm so upset. No, I would think so. It's one of those weird things that even though it's probably a good likeness, I just don't think you can have someone's knob on the table.

Did he have his willy out in White Lotus? He opens his chest and all his children go, ah! Yeah, so his robe is open and you see his penis. You saw it, didn't you? You see his penis, see what you do. Do you know Jason? No. He's really nice.

But it's been interesting, the whole White Lotus thing, because I was thinking about, like, I mean, not that I read the Dome out at all. No you write for it don't you. You just have a column. Yeah I'm 3am. So did Jason. Yeah yeah yeah but I was like they're trying to make a whole thing about like this rift because of something that Jason Isaac said about it being like Lord of the Flies and like summer camp because it was kind of you were living and breathing and you were living in this resort. Everyone hated each other. No, but I was, I listened to your off menu episode, which was really lovely.

And you were talking about like method. Well, there was a Jim Carrey thing, was it Man on the Moon? Yes. And, and you had things to say about that. I did. And I sort of, I only partially regretted it because I meant everything I said about that particular thing. I actually really liked Jim Carrey. He's made me laugh a lot, and I don't know him, but he's made me laugh more times than he hasn't. And I do think he's really good. It was just that particular thing of that particular method he thinks doesn't float my boat.

I mean, I now want to watch that, so I'm going to go and watch it. Very interesting documentary. But I was thinking because it was Walton Gogorgons apparently was very method in The White Lotus and we're not just going to talk about method acting on Food Podcasts. Yes. But I was just thinking like that would be that would suck. You're like basically on hollybobs for like seven months. Like have a good time bro.

I remember someone said I can't remember who it was or it was someone with a good turn of phrase or someone made the very good point of why does no one ever stay method when you're not being a cunt why does no one stay in character really really hard when they're just being lovely and fun I mean it's always when you've got a very serious yeah yeah yeah no seriously do you do any method acting not I thought not with a capital M I I think... The responder. So good! Thank you very much.

So amazing. I stay in the zone and I stay in the accent all the time. I mean, not when I go home, you know, but from pick up to rap in the course of a day, from the moment I get in the car to the time that we've rapped for the day, I stay in that just because it's easier. But I don't demand that everyone calls me Chris you know like it's I don't think I'm an actual copper. When you're in America do you keep your American accent going all the time? Always. For the same amount of time. Hannah says that. Hannah's my sister who's an actress.

Okay. And she said she has to speak in an American accent. Yeah I do. Because she just starts to think in an American accent. You do your whole rhythm. I mean that's the thing it is partly that thinking and talking to yourself in an American accent. You do your whole rhythm. I mean, that's the thing. It is partly that thinking and talking to yourself in whichever accent you're doing, I think. It just helps. It helps internalize it. Where was Fargo filmed? It was filmed in Calgary in Canada, in Alberta.

Right. Yeah, so it was set kind of Minnesota, but it was filmed in Calgary. It was funny, because my friend has just started on EastEnders, and she's playing Vicky Fowler. And she gave me a voice note. We were talking about our friend who's been a bit unwell

and she was giving me a voice note and she sounded like Vicky Fowler when she was there. She was like, right babe, yes. So like, and I was like, babe, I think it's brilliant. She was, because she was on set, so it made sense. Yeah, you do feel, or I did anyway, I felt a bit, not pretentious, but I felt slightly twatish when I would, if I would have to be calling home to,

you know, to my kids, I remember my kids were quite young when I was doing Fargo, and, or if I'm speaking to my agent or my missus or whatever, and you're doing it in the act, but it's just, if you've got 10 minutes off and you're in your trailer, you don't wanna then come out speaking like this when you then have to go back in 10 minutes speaking like completely somebody else making different shapes with your mouth and your

tongue and your lips. I never ever want to watch something that I've done, full stop, no, I never want to watch something that I've done and think I should have done that better, do you know what I mean? I'd always want to, you know, just want to be specific. Do you watch your stuff? Yeah, I will always watch everything once at know, just want to be specific. Do you watch your stuff? Yeah. I will always watch everything once at least. And sometimes I genuinely do like things I've been in, some of them. But I will always watch something once, even if I don't like it, because I find it instructive.

You know, I just think, OK, what didn't I like about that? What did I like about that? What are you proudest of, would you say? I think being here. It is a big gig, say? I think being here. It is a big gig actually. I'm proud of a few things. I've been genuinely, honestly very fortunate in that I have done several things that are up my street taste-wise. The office was up my street taste-wise. I loved Fargo. I liked Sherlock. I liked The Responder. I liked Black Panther and I like, you know, I mean, I like The Responder, I like Black Panther, and I like, you know,

yeah, I mean, I like the whole, there's lots of things that I think, yeah, I'd watch that, I'd watch that. Is there something you'd really love to do or a part you'd really love to play that you haven't quite done yet? Or one that's been on telly that you were like, fuck, I should have done that.

I love that bloody part. I think there are lots of things that I see over the last 25, 30 years that I think, God, here's the thing, I like being jealous of people in a good way. Because you know, I don't think any of us are going to pretend we're not faulty human beings who have all the vices, jealousy is one of them. It's like, well of course you're jealous sometimes. I like it when you're jealous and you think good for you mate that was fucking great. We are here to talk about food and we want to talk about

where it all well can you paint the picture of your dinner table who was around it in your childhood and what were you eating a memorable dish? Without trying to play Oliver Twist I wasn't I had a slightly... Which is your favorite musical isn't it? Oliver is easily one of my favourite musicals. I love that you put West Side Story on your desert island desk. Yeah, I think it's one of the greatest things that's happened in the 20th century.

I really do. Oliver or West Side Story, both? West Side Story, just. Just. Oliver is... That's Premier League, always top four. But West Side Story, I think is, it's one of the greatest things that mankind's ever produced.

I really do think that. I really do think it's like, it's that good. It's wonderful. It's amazingly good. Did you like the first one or the second one? Well, by a country mile, you know the answer to that. Yeah. Yeah, and God bless him, you know.

I mean, I love Spielberg and it was really good. But that's just- It's really watchable. It was very watchable, but it's not. Yeah, but it's just ingrained. It's just ingrained into my soul. That's the, I've got a big framed poster of Rita Marino up in my kitchen as that.

Yeah, that's an old poster of West Side Story. It's the best, and it's just, it's like every single strand of it. See Natalie Wood wouldn't be allowed to be. No, not a chance. Not a chance now. No way. Well, not with George Chakiras. Not with George Chakiras because he was Greek I think. He was Greek and she was. Was. Yeah. Have you ever been able to do it? Did you ever do it? No, I haven't. No, I haven't. I used it as an audition to get into drama school. Did you? Who were you? No, I sang the Jets.

Boy, boy, boy. I sang the Jets song. I sang the Jets song, yeah. Of course. Or When You're A Jet. Did you wish you were? Yeah, yeah. When You're A Jet. Okay. And I sang that. I can imagine you being really good at that.

I'm glad you can imagine that. I'm liking you, I'm liking you, Martin, because you're like a serious, important actor, but you like musicals, and I'm glad you can imagine that. I'm liking you Martin because you're a serious and important actor but you like musicals and I always trust you and you like musicals. I do. However. No, no, I do. But I realise that there's a caveat to that in a little way and I'm not trying to backtrack about it because I think a brilliant musical is a brilliant thing. It's a wonderful thing. And I'm always a little bit, come on, when people go, oh, I hate musicals. Do you? All of them. Exactly. It's like there were terrible musicals there were terrible plays. Yes. But no I think it's I you know I like Bernstein I like Sondheim you know

I mean I like other people too but I think sometimes there's a whole load there's a strand of modern musicals. Yeah. go out there. I'm going to go out there. Post-Rent musicals, the iClass's Why Did Sondheim Bother kind of musicals. Just lots of talking like this. We're going to have some dinner. Fuck off, man. Write a proper score.

Write proper music. Absolutely with you. That kind of... Something that you'd knock up in the sixth form common room in about 20 minutes. I'm actually thinking that's... We're having dinner. I'm going to do that as our theme tune. I'm going to literally, that's going to be our outro.

We're having dinner. We're having dinner. And I look at it and I just think, why did Sondheim bother? Because apparently, you know, you don't need to write beautiful semi-classical music. You know what? Mum never got me into Sondheim because you have an issue with him. And I feel like you've... Okay. I feel like you've denied me a whole lot.

I did see Into the Woods and I did see, I haven't seen Mary Lee We Roll Along. That was fantastic. That was the first thing I ever did in New Theatre in Tainton. I wished I'd done that. When I was 15. Wow. I haven't seen it. That's quite epic. It is quite epic. But it was 1987 and it was a kind of failed Sundine musical, so it wasn't really a, it wasn't a successful one and it was a much lesser known one. Who did you play?

Oh no one, I was like one of the people, you know, one of the cast, one of the chorus, doing various bits and I was 15, I had a kind of Andy Warhol flick, just as me, you know, me, I had a big wedge haircut. I was tiny, I mean, you can imagine, because I wasn't the giant of a man I am now. You know, so I was small and there was not an ounce of anything on me when I was 15. And I was just like a rabbit in the headlights. I loved it, I loved it. And then we went to Berlin with that.

We took it to Berlin for a youth festival, and to West Berlin, and then we had a day trip in East Berlin. It was really, and then I, and then we went back to Berlin four years later with Blood Brothers. Oh wow. And in the interim we went to the Soviet Union as was then. 1989 we went to Kiev.

Was this the National Youth Music Theatre? No it wasn't, it was Youth Action Theatre in Teddington. That was my playground. So where did you grow up? Teddington, yes. Oh you're in Teddington? Yeah around that way, yeah. I was born in Aldershot but you grow up? Teddington, yes, around that way. Yeah, yeah, I was born in Aldershot but I kind of threw up my life and moved further into the suburbs

and yeah, I was a suburban, you know, green bit of London. Teddington's quite nice though. Let's talk about that dinner table then. Who was round the dinner table? Well, when I was much younger, my parents had split up when I was very young. I'm the youngest of five. I'm quite the youngest. I'm six years between me and the next one. So it was quite fractured. And again, this is where I come, not being Oliver Twist,

so I'm not trying to paint a poor me picture at all because I was very loved, thank God. What did your dad do? He was, by inclination, a painter. An artist? Yeah, not a patron decorator. He wasn't a patron decorator, no, but he was an artist.

So he went to art school, I guess, in the early 50s. And then the twin loves of his life were the sea, because he was also in the Navy, national service, him and his twin brother, national service in the Royal Navy, and painting and alcohol, which is why, which kind of wasn't very good for him. But yeah, I spent a long time really with my dad, because when my mum and dad split up,

I was actually with my dad for a long time, and then I went with my mum. So yeah, it was kind of a bit fractured. There was a dinner, there was a table, but I don't remember, there wasn't like a whole family around it, not my first memories. Did your mum work? Yeah, she worked as all sorts, as all sorts of things.

Yeah, what did she meet him at art school? Were they both arty? No, she was quite arty. What did she meet him at art school? Were they both arty? No, she was quite arty but they didn't meet at art school. I think she met him at a party in North London in probably 1956. Were they kind of art schooled? You know how art schooly people dress? A bit beatnik-y? No, I don't think they were beatnik. They weren't that cool. OK. And I think maybe they were slightly,

I mean my dad was born in 1930, my mum was born in 1933, so maybe they were a few years older than the beatniks then would have been, I think. Okay. But they grew up, they were in the 50s. Yeah they were. That was kind of their young years. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And my dad, yeah, so my dad would have been out of the Navy. They met. But he had to do military service. He did, yeah, and he loved it. have been out of the Navy. They met. But he had to do military service. He did, yeah. And he loved being in the Navy. Did he? Him and his twin brother went round the world and, you know, had a good time. So they're both enlisted together? I think so, yeah.

How sweet. Yeah, I've seen... And did they look alike? Oh, they were mirrored. They were what they call mirrored twins. Oh my God. So the parting was on the other side. Yeah, yeah. But they both died fairly young. Oh shame. What of?

Alcohol. Oh bloody hell. Maybe being in the Navy. Well there was a tot of rum with it. Yeah, everything. That was part of your rations. Yeah, I mean, like a lot of people at that time, I guess, drink was totally a thing. It was just a thing. It's delicious. It is. It is. It is.

And cheers. Cheers. Just gonna finish my another vat of wine. So not necessarily a memorable. It wasn't loads. It wasn't the Walton's round the table. Even though there were lots of siblings. Lots of siblings.

That were kind of everywhere. Yes, and lots of, you know, genuinely, I have to make this clear. There was lots of love, but it wasn't, we weren't all together. What is a memorable dish or meal that you remember from your childhood, eating a lot of or liking? I remember one thing that I knew how to ask for when I was probably about five, and this again, without being all over the place, walking back from the pub with my dad, because I used to go to the pub with my dad a lot. He said, I think he said something like, you know, what do you fancy for tea or something? And I remember

it coming out of my mouth going, this is a sentence I'm saying. I said, beef burger, chips and peas please. And I thought, that sounds good. And I must have had it before. I can't have just invented that in my head. So I liked beef burger chips and peas. I loved spaghetti bolognese and the next day, I always loved cold spaghetti next day, loved it. Still do actually. So those were early ones for me. Was your mom a good cook? She was okay.

She was all right. She said that, you know, I think my dad was horrified because he met my, you know, they were married in the late 50s. Women was definitely supposed to be able to cook. My mum was one of 14. So, um, she- Are you Catholic?

Yeah. So- Just trying to work that one out. So, so, um, I think he just thought, and why wouldn't you? Well, I've married a woman. She'll be able to fucking cook, you know, and she could sort of cook, but not, not really. I think, I think certain bits of knowledge got kind of skipped over

various bits of that brood of kids. And I think my mum was just like, I think. But she was working as well. She was working, I think, and she wouldn't have called herself, you know, again, she was born in 33. She wouldn't have thought of herself in, as any, like, she didn't self-mythologise. So she wouldn't have said, well, I was a proto-feminist. But I think she sort of was in her head in a way that she was like, why should I cook for you?

I think she probably thought that, like genuinely thought, what the fuck, you've got two arms. I think there was part of her that was like that. So he'd been in the services... He'd been in the services. He'd been in the services, yeah. So everyone makes your food for you. And he also, he was from up north originally. He had a very traditional working class background I suppose where understandably women cooked. And you know, I have no judgement on that one way or the other.

What's your expectation now, Martin? I think bitches should be in the kitchen. Christina, that was a joke. We all know it's a joke. It's fine. I love Jim Carrey and I love women working. Next. Are you a good cook? I'm not bad. I describe it as I can keep everyone alive. And Rachel, my girlfriend, I think we both like cooking. She's pretty good. I'm quite good. Well, she's French.

She is French. She is French. Is she Cordon Bleu? She's not a Cordon Bleu. She's a massive cheese and wine whore. That's what she would say about herself. She says that about herself. But she does say that about herself.

I'm a cheese and wine whore. That's not all she is. But no, she loves all that stuff. Cheese and wine. She loves it, yeah. I know. And we like cooking and we do, recently we have tried to be mindful of how much processed food we have.

I was a vegetarian. Which book did you read? I was a vegetarian. Well, no, it wasn't that. I know you're a vegetarian. I was a veggie from 14 to 2023. I was, no, I was vegetarian for a long time. Then I was pescatarian.

Yeah. But basically I hadn't had meat since 1986 right hadn't had any meat chicken nothing Since 1986 and at the end of 2023 I'm you know things in my life had happened which I won't go into but you you know You lose enough people in your life and you go Yeah, I'm gonna have a little re-evaluation of what I'm doing and why I'm doing this. Is this, do I really want to do this or is this just habit? You know.

And I thought, I love, I really do love vegetarian food. What occurred to me was, we talk a lot in our life, in our culture about balance and about getting balance. And I thought, well, I can't have had that much balance because I haven't eaten meat or chicken since 1986 you know me there must be something slightly lacking in that I don't know well basically what it was is I like replacement me like a Beyond Burger is amazing some of that stuff is genuinely lovely but then when you know you read the ingredients and there's 28 ingredients most of which you can't pronounce and it's very very it really is it really is and and even

though I I in an ideal world I wouldn't eat animals but I'm I've just decided I want to give myself as much potential health as possible so actually I started eating meat again as a health thing no Because usually the other way around is, well, you give up meat for health and I get that as well, because you shouldn't be eating 10 meat pies a day. But again, balance, not eating red meat all the time, but having some chicken, just having more protein basically. So I just need to know what cheese is always in your fridge?

If you're cheese and wine. Well, I'm not, Rachel is, comte, she loves comte. My kid, my kid now knows to go to the cheese man at the farmers market, my three year old and he knows, I mean I don't know what that means. Why does he like it? He loves a comte. It's smelly. He loves it. So Rachel's always got a comte. She's, I mean she's got lots of things that I don't really know about, you know, like, you know, like I don't know that much about wine other than I know some little things that I like, you know. But I like soft cheeses.

Me too, I think. I like them. I like a blue cheese and I like a soft cheese. Do you like a smelly cheese? I don't mind it, but I'd rather have a, well, does brie count as smelly cheese? Slightly, if you leave it longer now. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And it sort of goes like it, yeah. Yeah, and it has a little crust on enough. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And it sort of goes like it, yeah.

Yeah, and it has a little crust on it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I do love that. And I like a sort of baked brie. Oh, gorgeous. Or a baked camembert. Oh, lovely. That's what I meant.

Yeah, you mean the baked one. Brie and camembert are kind of cousins, aren't they? I love a baked camembert. Yeah. Yeah. And which wine would you have for that? I like Cabernet Sauvignon. I like Cabernet Sauvignon.

Oh, I like a good... A Cab Sauv. A Cab Sauv. I like Cabernet Sauvignon. I like Cabernet Sauvignon. Oh I like a Cab Sauv. I do yeah. I do too. I went to New Zealand a long time ago to film The Hobbit. Of course. And in New Zealand people really care about wine right. Young people like normal people like 25 year olds are going to tell you about wine and I got onto Pinot Noir there and I thought hey I love Pinot Noir, I love Pinot Noir and I and actually after a while I thought I don, hey, I love peanut butter, I love peanut butter. And I, and actually, after a while I thought, I don't know if I love it that much. It's a bit thin, it's a bit thin. Yeah, it was a bit, at that time though,

I reckon it was quite trending. In 2011 sort of thing, yeah. It's a bit trending. Yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe so. Martin, I would like to know, if we were coming over for dinner, what are you cooking for us? Oh God.

And vegetarian meal, maybe, that's like, is that gonna be your food too? No, it would, no, it would be, I think I would now cook you meat or chicken. I'm trying to save you with the vegetarians. No, I think I'm already persona non grata with them. I don't know. I mean, you know, quite...

Or are we ordering in? No, we're not ordering in. For a period, we would have been ordering in. That's fine. If there's an, over a certain number, I think we're ordering in. Cause I fine. If there's over a certain number, I think we're ordering in. Because I have a fantastic Japanese canteen down the road that I just love. I just love it. Can't get enough of it. You like Japanese food? I do love Japanese

food. Also, I don't feel well versed enough to be able to cook a Japanese meal well enough better than so's it. I almost don't want to learn that well enough. You know what I mean? There are some that I believe in specialities and I believe in people's specialisms. And I think, well, in the same way that I'm not gonna get in your territory and make your album, I'm not gonna start trying to do sashimi in the same way.

Like, that's what that restaurant's for. So do you go out for sushi? We order that one in a lot. We occasionally go there because it's a very not-jujy, very unpretentious canteen. There's a place up the road in Hampstead Village called Ine, which is posh Japanese. Oh wow. Where you have a sake sommelier and it's like a proper... Wow. Yeah. I mean I'm not... I don't work for them. Yeah? I'm not on I don't work for them. Yeah? I'm not on Insta for them.

Okay. Yeah, this place, Inay. I-N-E. I think we should go darling. It's really beautiful. I think we met years ago. I know where we met actually. Oh Jessica! Okay, let's say it one word at a time.

You've never said this! Let's say it one word at a time. Okay. You go first. Harold. Pint. Hahaha. Carry on.

Erm. Fill her in. The season. I was next to... That's not one word at a time! OK, sorry. OK. Simply... Daniel? Kaluuya. OK.

We hadn't met. And was Joe Dempsey with us too? I don't know. Maybe, but Daniel, you and Daniel... I know that I... Yes. You know Daniel, I think. Yes, I know Daniel a bit. And we were talking and then you arrived and we were introduced briefly and then yeah. You've got such a good memory because I was not, I was going to bring it up.

Because you don't care. You don't give a shit. Well I don't give a shit. No. About what? About meeting me. What are you talking about? She doesn't care.

I think I do not care. Jessie you never even mentioned it. No exactly. Oh my god. Because A, she doesn't care, B, she forgot, C, because I'm not Joe Dempsey. It's not as important. Excuse me Martin, I was being professional and a bit fucking cool. No you weren't, Jesse, you were about to mention Danny Dyer.

I'll tell you why. Because Martin was there because we were seeing a play, do you remember? It was a double bill, wasn't it? It was a double bill, it was The Lovers, which I really liked. And it was the Homecoming. Was it the which I really liked and it was the homecoming Was it the homecoming? I think it was the homecoming. Russell Tovey was in it Hayley's worst because we went for Hayley

and Soushey, David Soushey Oh David Soushey So you were part of the same season? Correct And we recently had Danny Dyer on Yeah he's lovely isn't he? And were you in the same show as him? Yeah we we did the Dumb Waiter, which is a two-hander, which was... I've never seen that one.

Yeah, it was very, it was very fun. I really liked Danny. How did it feel being with Pinter's Muse? Well, interestingly enough, when we were both younger actors, I was up for a couple of things that Harold did, and I remember getting a recall and hearing that it was between me and Danny for it at the this was like 1998 or nine something like that and and he got it and I

remember not minding because I had actually seen it in that way that when you really like an actor you go God go with you with you. Fantastic. Good for you. And I had seen him in a play at the Almeida in early 99 called Certain Young Men by Peter Gill, where he was playing a rent boy. And he was just, he was fantastic. He had a real charisma. He was natural. It's like he wasn't acting. So I've always been a big fan of Danny. Yeah. What made you get into theatre?

Your mum and dad didn't act. It was the tight trousers. The tight trousers. It was the leather hose. No, it was, I thought I was gonna be a squash player from about the age of nine. Can you play squash? Yeah, I mean I was a very, I was genuinely.

You thought he was gonna be a player, mum. I genuinely was a very good squash player. You were very good. I was in the Surrey squad, I was in the national squad, you know, my age group. And I was a really good squash player. You were very good. I was in the Surrey squad, I was in the national squad for my age group and I was a really good squash player. Who got you into that? My mum and stepdad worked at a place in Weybridge in Surrey.

Yeah. They worked at a place called St George's Hill tennis court. Oh I know that. Yeah. How do you know that you go to that place? Because I used to work in Weybridge. Oh right. Did you?

Okay. So between... At an approved school. Did you? Yeah. OK. So between 79 and 83, I lived there because we lived on site. You know, we were the help, basically. And they're Cliff Richards. Correct.

Tom Jones. They all lived there. Dick Emery. On this particular estate. Well, are you like a ball boy for them? Don't do that. Don't say ball boy and do that. Don't say, were you a ball boy?

That's just that. You're a ball boy. That's just that. It's not that kind of podcast. Jesse, it's going into that. I wasn't a ball boy. I we live we live there. Me and my brother Jamie lived there with my mum and stepdad while they my mum ran the kitchen, my stepdad ran the bar and we lived upstairs, we lived on site. And that's where I found out I was good at hand-eye coordination, I'm good at tennis. So did they have a squash court?

They did, they had like four squash courts, and I sort of tentatively went down and played, and I was quite good immediately, I was sort of quite good, and then I got better. So anyway, I loved it, loved it loved it loved it until I did so I will stop hitting this table. I loved it until I slightly fell out of love with it because Competition came in and I was going up and down the country for various competitions

And you know sometimes when you are when you do something just for pleasure and it's completely Untutored it's really good fun. and then the deeper you get into it then it becomes a bit of a schlep, a tiny bit of a schlep you know and then I sort of didn't love it anymore I just I just thought I don't really want to do this so then I thought what do I want to do I thought at 14 you should know what you wanted to do with your life because from the age of nine I thought I'm gonna be a squash player and then when I didn't anymore I thought well I better hurry up and find something and and and I had done a play at school I've done a musical at school and I thought

I was okay in that I certainly enjoyed it and and we're from a family of kind of show-offs you know there's musicians and there's a performance element in my family without question, you know. So I joined a youth theatre. I joined a youth theatre up the road from me in Teddington. I find it really interesting. If you had musicians in your family and it seems like you turned your hand to things, anything, you could have been a sports person. Right.

And you're one of our greatest actors. Not my words, the words of Jessie Ware. But OK, and you have this of our greatest actors. Not my words, the words of Jessie Ware. Yeah. But okay, and you have this love for music. I do, yeah. That's the first of every kind. I love that more than anything. Was that almost too sacred to even touch?

Kind of, and I think I have too much respect for it in that, like, I know good music, I know what it is. It's like being a eunuch in a harem right. I know what it is, I just can't do it right or I can't do it as well as I would want to do. I was in a band with one of my brothers for a while, I've been backing vocals and percussion and stuff you know and I really enjoyed it but and I do definitely have a musical brain or a musical heart or whatever or a musical instinct if she keeps on making that kind of noise I am gonna go absolutely apoplectic with rage I'm joking Lenny I'm joking genuinely louder than your gigs no it's good it's all good stuff. But no, I think when I sort of learned to play, when I was about 19, I learned to play a bit of guitar.

And then I thought, I'm not going to be amazing at that. What's the point of putting more mediocrity out into the world? I was already at youth theatre by that time. No, I'm going to be an actor. That's what I think, without sounding too present, I think that's what I'm supposed to be an actor. That's what I think without sounding two percent. I think that's what I'm supposed to be doing. Yeah. And I think what I'm supposed to do with music is loving it.

That's what I'm supposed to be, you know, I'm really cherishing it. So we're going to start eating and this may offend... By the way, I'm a slow eater. I chew. Well, I just chew. I like chewing. I don't like hoovering anymore. OK, you like to masticate. Yes, I do like to masticate, yes. OK, do you want some red wine?

I'd love some. Which one did you... Did you bring this one? Let's open your one. Let's open your one. Yeah, I think it's quite nice. I think I've had it, yeah. What's that? What's that salad-y thing? Oh, it's a Turkish thing. Is it? It's courgette and carrot.

Oh, lovely. And yogurt, and I've forgotten what else is in it. But it looked quite nice, but actually I think I should have got it out of the fridge earlier because it's a bit cold. It looks really good. And those potatoes look fantastic. Well, they're still forever,

and this girl that's staying with me, it was actually a two-person job. Was it? Because they didn't stand up. The standing up bit is quite impressive. Yeah, unless somebody... oh yeah. It's kind of like a vertical doping was. Will you help yourself?

Sorry. Mummy, it looks delicious. I will help myself, I'm just going to do that. It looks really, really delicious, mum. It does look good, thank you very much. So, erm, the fifth step... Yes. Jack Loudon.

Lovely Jack Loudon. Erm, Have you spent much time with him? No, I've met him once in the flesh. So did you have to read opposite each other? No, that's not what happened. It was a play he had done last year at the Edinburgh Festival and so he's already done it once. I think it's great. And it was sent to me just before Christmas. Right. And I read it and immediately thought, oh, this is dangerous because I want to do it. So it's all very well reading a play that you think, I like it, it's really good. I like everything involved,

but I can pass on it because it's too long or whatever. But it was too good to not do. It was just a really, and I didn't know Jack, but I do like Jack's work. I think what he does is very good and thank you. Do you like slow horses? I do like slow horses but also, you know, he's done various things over the years. I just, thank you. I think sometimes you can tell, well I hope you can tell, I think I'm

right. You can tell what someone is going to be like as a human. I think you can tell a lot by the way they are. And who they marry because, you know, Ceesha Rowlands are catch. Yes. And a very good actress. She'd been on this, eh? Yeah.

She was amazing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now she was good. Now she really was good. Now she was amazing. You know, he seems like the way I hoped remember her. Now she really was good. Yeah. Now she was amazing. You know, he just, he, he seems like the way I hoped he would be, which is a very normal, unshow busy, unpretentious person, you know.

And- So tell the people that are listening. Yeah. It's at the Soho place, which is a new theater. It is a new theater. Yeah. It's, it's, it's right next to Totten Court Road tube in London and

And it's yeah, it's an exciting new venue for the young people of today and it is it just you two in it It's just us two is no interval straight through. Thank you straight through me, too So do I as a doer and as a viewer? I love a straight through some Yeah, so do I. So do I. As a doer and as a viewer. I love a straight three. It's, um... It's not because I'm lazy, because I... Well, maybe I am. I love theatre. I absolutely love theatre, but I do appreciate...

But you don't need it to last five hours. I don't. Yeah. Apart from the Layman trilogy, I didn't mind that lasting for a very long time. Oi, look at that. Bloody hell. Jeez, Louise. Fantastic. Ooh, that wine's delish. I'm really going to take my time with this, Danny. I hope that's OK. You're absolutely fine, fantastic. Oh that wine's delish. I'm really gonna take my time with this, Danny.

I hope that's okay. Okay, absolutely fine, darling. But it'll be very appreciated. I know that. I hope it's nice. Thank you, darling. Gorgeous. So the premise of the play. The premise of the play is Jack and I

meet at Alcoholics Anonymous. Right. I end up being his sponsor. He's, you know, I'm a generation above him. I've known the game a little bit more, we talk, get to know each other and we kind of run the gamut of... Do you like each other? We do, I think my character...

Help yourself to more... Thank you. What unfolds is that there's a slight... I don't know, between human beings, I guess, there's a slight status thing going on. Like, whether you're a sponsor or a mentor or whatever, I think it's, I've always been interested in that thing of, you know, if you, you know, there's a young singer who you see and you really wanna help her. You really wanna, because she's amazing. And you love her, you love her, you wanna help her,

you help her until she's more successful than you. You know, and then it's like oh Christ I didn't make no this you were meant to be my padawan you know whatever you know so I think there's a little bit of that in it you know I see a young a younger man who needs help I want to give him help but then I also probably want to control him a little bit as well. Uh-huh. The fifth step. The fifth step. It's... AA. Yeah.

Yeah. And of the 12 steps in AA... What is the fifth? Mm. The fifth step... No, the fourth step is when you have to write out every bad thing that you've done in your... Everything you feel bad for. What they call resentments and fears

and harms done to others, everything that you're- And then you have to apologize. And then you have to give it to your, let's say your sponsor, and you have to just lay it out there like a confession on steroids sort of thing, you know. People have described it to me.

And I guess, you know, if you want to, how it's been described to me by some, of mine is if you wanted to do it properly You don't you don't need anything out so That to me is pretty terrifying The idea of everything that has made you feel Well, I think when you know you've done something wrong in your life, you know And God knows if you live long enough in your life, then you would have done a few things that you think,

that wasn't great, that wasn't great. And telling someone who is not your mum, I know, maybe it's easier if you, I don't know, I don't know. But, um... Do you need salt and pepper, anyone? I don't, um, no, I think it's delicious. Thank you. Like how...

I love that salad. I know, it's good, isn't it? Mum, that's a really good salad. It's delicious. Thank you. Like how? I love that salad. I know, it's good, isn't it? Mum, that's a really good salad. It's Turkish. Yeah. It's in the cookbook that I thought, oh, great. It's a vegetarian Turkish cookbook. I'm a born again vegetarian, really. Really good.

Delicious. The jus on that is like unreal. I can't taste ore arugano in that. It's delicious though. I'm really enjoying this mum. Me too. It's really lovely. Thank you.

Good darling. Okay, last supper. Starter Maine Pud drink of choice. He doesn't eat puds Jess. I do. What is this? Lent. I gave it up for lent. Oh, you're going to really regret it tonight. Oh, Jess. I do. What is this? Lent. I give it up for Lent.

Oh, you're gonna really regret it tonight. Oh, don't say that. You are. So you do Lent every year? I do. It's like the last vestage of my Catholicism. We just thought you were a diva. Yeah.

Or like you were trying to get, you were getting naked in the show. Yeah, the Maui bod. No. You're like, oh wow, he's in competition with Jack Loudon, so oh god, he needs to get a bit naked on stage. No, it's just I always give, I always give, there's a set load of things that I always say I'm not...

No, chocolate. No. But wine is fine. Yeah, Mum, because I haven't said I'm giving it up. So wine is fine, but like, so chocolate, sweet stuff? Crisps, biscuits, chocolate, cake, pudding, dessert, sweets. It's quite specific. sweet stuff crisps biscuits chocolate cake pudding dessert sweets it's quite specific mum we can't we can't fuck with that so yeah fair enough but we will have it of course I'm just going to tell you what it is but what have you made yeah please do

so it's a Spanish lemon and almond cake fuck off yeah with a mascarpone um honey oh man can you not, because you're with Jews tonight. Yeah, it's a different thing. It's a Passover tonight. God will let you, God will give you a bit of a pass. Jessica, it's just a dry house. Okay. This is very nice Primitivo, darling.

I love Primitivo. I think it's one of the best. You know what, I forgot to drink wine. Yeah, we can't, mate. Drinking wine with you, I... God's the best. You know what, I forgot to drink wine. Yeah, we can't with you. God almighty. Yeah. Oh, that's lovely. It tastes delicious. Yes, delicious. It's really good. So, so, um, OK, so last supper.

Oh, my God. Mm. Yeah. Starter, what are we starting with? OK, my starter is tuna tartar. Oh, I love that. Because it's light. Yeah. Tasty. Yeah.

It does what it's supposed to do, wake your mouth up. Yeah. And tantalizes you, but it's not too filling. It's still light. Where have you had your best tuna tartare? Mmm, the Walsley does a good one. Oh. Yeah, the Walsley does do a very good one. Yeah. Do you like the Walsley? I good one yeah the Walsley does do a very good one

do you like the Walsley? I do I love it yeah it's not snobby do you have a cocktail with your tuna tatar? Negroni mum. I just love a Negroni. Yeah I love you. I love a Negroni. It's like pudding at first. So a Negroni with a tuna tatar. Nice. Main. I really love fish and chips. I love a posh fish and chips. Where do you get yours? Anywhere. Okay. Big batter. Do you like the batter? Or do you take the batter off? Of course. What? Some people do. Why would you get fish and chips then? Because they pretend that they can't eat the batter off? Of course not. What? Some people do. Why would you get fish and chips then? Because they pretend that they can't eat the batter.

No, I know, I have seen people do it. Who are you talking about? This conspiracy theory is so nostalgic. I have seen people do it. I've seen people. Jessie, they take the batter off. Why would they order fish and chips? Because they try and be part of the gang

and then don't eat the batter. What gang? The fucking heart disease gang. And then seashells good. Do you live in? Listen. Yeah, Listen Grove. Listen Grove, yeah. Very nice. We've got a good one in Dulwich opposite Rockwell Park. I usually finish my kids fish and chips because I don't think I could do a whole fish and chips. I know what you mean. Especially when it comes out like that. And that is not me judging you because I can eat.

But I don't know if I'd be able to do it. No, I am what is known in my family as a fat pig. And I love eating. Do you? Yeah, Mum. I love eating. Friday night though must have been fish and chips night when you were little. Yeah, Mum. Yeah. So, OK, so fish and chips, any sides and condiments? I know I want to know which fish it is. Oh, sorry about that. Had it cod, cod, yeah. Haven't it? Yeah. So, okay, so fish and chips, any sides and condiments?

I know, I want to know which fish it is. Oh, sorry. Haddock, cod, cod, cod. I do like haddock. Yeah. I also like place. Me too. But there's nothing like cod, really.

Cod is great. Yeah. Vinegar, vinegar. If you ever interrupt me again. Sorry, this is terrible. Take over from Alice. I'm going to go fucking mad. Yeah.

Tell her. I didn't realise I'm stirring up a lot of anger. I know. Oh, gosh. And it seems to be really... Terrible take over from I'm gonna fucking yeah, yeah, I didn't realize I'm storing up a lot of anger I know and it seems to be really Just keep don't wake the beast vinegar salt and vinegar of course love it Plenty of salt if you fucking have to catch up. Yeah. Yeah, I do do the ketchup and mayonnaise and mix out Ketchup. Yeah I do do the ketchup and mayonnaise and mix it up. You're the only person that is silenced.

I mean she's not silenced but she's definitely quieter. Yeah I'm quieter. Mushy peas. No. You're not having it? Yeah. Mushy peas. Where? No I don't mind. You're doing that like it's you've never heard of this. I have. I come from Manchester.

We have curry sauce on chips. I've never heard of this. I have, I come from Manchester. We have curry sauce on chip. I've never seen you have. I love curry sauce. That's the gang you try and be in. I've never seen you with a curry sauce chip. Because we're not in Manchester, darling. They don't sell it here. They do.

Where? Does Lys and Grove Seashells sell curry sauce? No, I don't know. No, definitely not. Did you film the first responder in Liverpool? Yeah, both of them, yeah. So did you get curry sauce all the time? Yeah, you see?

No, I love curry sauce. I love it. But it's down here. It might not be as good as the North West. It's not everywhere. Do I want to choose that? Or do I want to just choose a massive platter of beautiful Japanese food I think. I don't know. Speaking to Mark Gatiss about this and he said and I kind of agree is there really really anything just nicer than beans on toast? Maybe not maybe not with immediately satisfying yeah with butter. Do you like cheese on top? She's scared to ask a question. I'm actually terrified.

Babe, I was acting. He was acting. I was pretending. He was acting. He's back in the room. I would overdo that with someone I felt comfortable with. And Martin, I don't care. She's gonna keep on trying, don't worry.

You won't keep me down. She doesn't care, she doesn't remember me. She's so hard being me. Harold fucking Pinter, Martin! Daniel fucking Columbia! Fucking hell! Okay, so we've got tuna tart, Japanese omakase, and fish and chips. And beans on toast.

Oh my god, I mean this is a hell. The reason this is the last supper is because it will kill me. And then are we going to have a little, are you going to have any wines in the main? Well, yeah, I'd have a Cabernet Sauvignon. Yeah. This Primitivo's given me a lot though. This is really good. I don't know where you've got this from but I like it.

It's organic, Jessie. There you go. There you go. You can rub your rose quartz on that. Oh, shut up. Can't say that anymore. So pudding, it's obviously, have you got a sweet tooth? I do, I love sweet tooth.

And that's why you've given it up for Lent? Yeah, I try and give things up that I actually will find slightly difficult. So what is, is it still the lemon meringue pie? I do love lemon meringue pie, but because it's you, I'm going to choose something else. Okay. I love, I like a really thick chocolate cake. I just do, with cream, I just love it, man. But like, are we?

Why are you disagreeing? No, I'm just wondering, I just need to know whether like it's a, a, a, a, a sandwiched one. Like what kind of conditory? They were very, they're very nice, actually. What would be a nostalgic taste or scent that could transport you back somewhere? Happy or sad?

Taste or scent? I don't know the answer to this, but something is drawing me to Christmas. Mm-hmm, oh. There is some, I do feel the smell of a Christmas tree genuinely puts me back to, I had a specific Christmas when I was nine, 1980 Christmas. John Lennon had just been killed.

Crikey. Not that that was all of it, but there was a lot, at the time we didn't have a telly, so the radio was on all the time, so John Lennon was on all the time, Beatles were on all the time. Were you a big Beatles fan at that point, as much as you are now?

I really liked them, almost like you like cartoon characters. Okay, right. I love the Beatles just because they were so appealing to a nine year old as well as to everyone else. That is like my benchmark Christmas for me, 1980 for some reason. What present did you get, can you remember? Well one present I got was a pocket fruit machine.

So you press a little button and it... The pinky thing. Oh yeah. That sounds great. Yeah, I bought one on eBay the other day. Just to kind of... I think you get to a certain age, you might not have got there yet,

but you get to a certain age and you think you really crave stuff from being a kid. It's just weird. It's not, frankly, it's not very interesting. But like, in the last few years, I've started re-buying all the old football magazines that I used to buy as a kid. Who do you support?

I used to be a Manu fanatic. Me too. Oh, you're not supporting Manu anymore? Not anymore. No, I just like watching football now. I'm an England fan, and that's painful. Yeah, I know. My son is a Spurs nut.

So is her husband. Yeah. And he's made all her children dress. They had fun last night, though. Oh, husband. And he's made all her children dress. They had fun last night though. But he's made all your children dresses. Yeah, and I don't need to get my weekends ruined anymore by that. I like watching it.

I support England. That's enough of a pain. Will you go to the LA? I feel like that could be quite, maybe try and get like a, you know. Well, I've taken my, I took Grace to the Euros last year, the final. Okay, wow, amazing. I took Jo to the Euros in 2021 as was at Wembley.

Very exciting, I like the fact that we're a decent team. So what is, if we were being invited round to your house? I mean that won't happen. It genuinely won't happen. I was hoping for Jonathan Ross's Halloween party. I think we've got more chance of that than going to his house for dinner. Yeah, yeah, you have, to be fair, yeah. But could you get us into your play? Because it's sold out. I know it's not fucking sold out. Is it not? No. That's why he's fucking doing this.

Oh, okay. Do you think I'd be schlepping around here? Fucking hell. Oh, the day that we wanted to do. No, to be honest with you think I'd be schlepping around here? Christ. Fucking hell. The day that we wanted to do. No, to be honest, I actually genuinely don't know how it's going to be. I think it's doing okay. I would love to see my play and come backstage and I will definitely say hello. Not for long. Not for long. Especially if it's a two-show day.

I've done enough of that shit. When it's two shows, do you have a little schloff in the middle? Yeah, you try. You try, so you say- Do you feel like cabin crew? Well, you feel cabin feverish. All right. Again, this is not meant to be a humble bragging anyway,

but because, because I have people who come and see me, and they don't necessarily all leave between- When you say people that come and see you. And they don't necessarily all leave between matinee. When you say people that come and see you, fans. As in fans, you know, fans. And are these Sherlock fans or are these Lord, because you've been in such kind of everything.

No, I think Sherlock is definitely, you know, see it's weird because I haven't done a play for six years. So it's genuinely interesting for me to see, you know, the people who were coming to see me multiple times, they might have, they might be doing something else now you know genuinely I have no idea who or what they might be love actually might be American tourists yeah but they don't leave so so you can kind of feel like you go I want to go out and fucking have a walk around but then you can't

you can't always do that I I'm so ho theater. Where is it? No, it's not so it's that's on the internet. It's actually you know, I found out the other night. It's called at Soho place That's the name of it. I am but I I want to thank you by the way, you can have dessert. No, it's fine Why we thought it was no, it's the God of course not. No, we're not gonna like throw a fucking I don't hate God striking us all with lightning coming through the ceiling. I mean, he's already got your fucking number. I know, he's got my number already. Yeah. This is lovely. I love this.

Do you love it, darling? Yeah, it's really good. Thank you so much. Such a pleasure. Would you classify that nearly as a crisp? Don't do that. Don't do that. Do you know, this year is the first year I never break lent. Seriously. You look scared. And I'm not a very religious person. But as soon as I go, oh it's for lent, I just don't

break it. This year I have, a couple of times. So you could have my pudding. I know but I've done it already. No, he's doing it. I know but I've done it already. Do you think three strikes and you're out? He only hates himself. Yeah, I think so. And on that note. Do you think Three Strikes a Year?

Out. I think that's out of the science of it. Martin Freeman, you're rude, but you're funny and I do fucking remember you. That's my best review ever. And you're a delight. God bless you. Thanks so much. It's been such a pleasure to get to know you. Thank you. And to chat with you. And good luck with the play. Thank you very much.

At Soho Plays. The fifth step, Jack Loudon. It's going to be amazing. Jack Loudon by David Ireland. We haven't even mentioned David Ireland. He's an amazing writer. It's going to be, you know, Finn Den Hertog is our director.

And David Ireland, I think, is one of the best writers around now. I cannot wait. Me and Jack are occasionally texting each other going, it's gonna be so exciting. I can't wait to see you on stage together. You're not getting in but erm, no but I mean I'll tell you about it. Yeah, no, cool, yeah. No, thank you very much. It's been really lovely to meet you both properly and have some lovely food. This is really good. Thanks for coming, thank you. You're very welcome. Maybe you can try it.

I don't know that I could get it to stand up for that long. Oh, you can't see that anymore. I mean, apart from the fact that Martin Freeman just told me this just completely annihilated my Russian shirt. What did he say? He said, Jessie, next time please can you just wear a slightly bigger white shirt that looks slightly more like a Victorian's sleeping gown. I went.

He's so funny. I loved him. He's great. He silenced you. He silenced me but he was teasing. He only silenced me for a second darling. I loved him. I loved him too. Just gorgeous. He was fun. He was flirty and all the things you want in a man. And he loved your food. Yeah, ate a few helpings. Did, we loved that. He potentially is up there in top three slowest eaters, but he did acknowledge that. So I have respect for him.

Yeah, I do. And since he hadn't eaten meat for about 30 years, I think he did well. Yeah. It was a real pleasure to have him on and chat to him. Just like a really funny, nice guy. on and chat to him. So passionate. Just like a really funny, nice guy. Can't wait to see the fifth step.

Absolutely. The fifth step, playing at Soho Place Theatre. Preview's the 10th of May. Go and get tickets. He didn't have pudding because he's doing Lent. Yeah. So more for us, darling. Okay. Make me a slice. Thank you for listening and we'll see you next week.