Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - S6 Ep 12: Olly Alexander
Episode Date: July 10, 2019Following his triumph at Glastonbury, we’ve managed to bag Years & Years frontman, Olly Alexander for the season finale of Table Manners Series 6. Olly talks about his coming out experience..., Pride, his obsession with Kylie, how he only drinks champagne and the band's global search for the best doughnut! Even mum’s flat tyre didn’t stand in the way of a gorgeous lunch with Olly. Despite being a vegetarian, mum says Olly can come over again, anytime, she loves you!I hope you’ve all enjoyed this series as much as we have. Thanks to every guest who has held the new baby and dealt with a chaotic household! We’ll be back for series 7 very soon, but before then, we’ll see you in Edinburgh!! XProduced by Alice Williams Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
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Hello and welcome to Table Manners. This is the last of this season. How do you feel about that,
Mother? A little sense of relief, darling, that I'm not pounding the streets of London.
Well, don't get too relaxed because we're up in Edinburgh. Oh, pounding the streets there.
And doing a live show. How are you feeling about that? Sing out, Louise. I'm very excited. We are about
to announce that the second
show is sold out.
Wow. So we have two sellouts
in Edinburgh. That's the way I like it.
The only way is
down from here. No.
I'm kind of a sellout person, darling.
And we are really excited
to announce that we are putting a
third show on because of the phenomenal demand.
We have decided to put a third show on.
So we will be doing three shows in Edinburgh.
Can I just say one thing?
Yeah.
If you look, bands in town are advertising it as you singing.
Oh.
So bands in town have got Jessie Ware performing at the Gilded Balloon.
Oh my God, you can be on the screens.
So I might be, I might be.
We'll get you a yazoo.
What are they called?
Kazoos.
You can do the theme tune, Mum.
So I bet they want you to sing.
Yeah.
No, I'm not singing.
Definitely not singing.
Sarah, manager, is scrolling through Bands in Town now, livid, sorting it out. Yeah, so third
show we're about to put on. Really excited. We are yet to announce our guests, but they are sorted
and they are fantastic. The dates for the shows are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of August. It's the 4th
of Sunday.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, somebody messaged me yesterday saying I'm doing the boursin chicken on Instagram.
She sent me a picture saying it's going in and it looked beautiful.
Oh, wow. That was very sweet.
Good for her.
She's not even got the cookbook yet.
She hasn't even got the cookbook.
So that was just because we talk so much.
Someone leaked it online.
So, hold on.
Somebody's also asking for recommendations in Skopelos this is i'm now
we're now travel travel food baby advice uh center hi jesse we were off to skopelos this
august with our 10 month old baby girl and wondered if you had any tips for going with
a little one do they have aptamil on the island would you would most of the restaurants be okay
with babies and is it easy to cook for little ones over there and eggs, etc.?
Lion stamp or cinema?
I don't know what a lion stamp is, babe, but I did respond to her.
They have organic eggs there.
You're going to be fine, B.
Beamer's 88.
You can take your baby everywhere.
Oh, yeah, look.
Nell acting up on Instagram.
Boursin chicken going in.
I said, ooh, let me know how it goes, and she said, delicious.
There you go. That is one for the books thank you editor producer alice for adding that one to the um book so we've got a veggie today we've got a veggie who apparently doesn't like mushrooms or
truffles and i just found out but thank god i haven't cooked with either um thank god we have
the wonderful ollie alexander from years and years coming on fantastic yeah
i've always wanted to meet him and i watched him make that fantastic speech at glastonbury
really beautiful and heartfelt and he seemed incredibly emotional about it and quite rightly
so it was um celebrating 50 years of pride pride which is, well, it's just been this weekend.
Well, it's been all the month,
but London just had their pride at the weekend.
And I wished I'd been there, actually.
It looked so beautiful.
So yeah, this was a perfect way to finish this season.
Sorry, have you got some rice pudding?
Yeah, the AA are coming, darling.
I've got a puncture.
I'm so sorry.
Well, hold on.
I've got to go out at quarter to two. You've got to go out at quarter to two
you've got to go out
at quarter to two
that's when we're doing
the podcast
I'll have to just
nip out quickly
on the menu today
I've done
a salad
that I had
I was in Dorset
at the weekend
in Bridport
where my husband's
family live
and we had this gorgeous
alfresco dinner
a barbecue and loads of salads and I made
a salad that I've been obsessed with since I kind of had a version of it in Esther's my favorite
coffee breakfast spot in Stoke Newington anyway so it was this delicious fennel salad that came
with a poached egg and they did some fantastic roasted something or other in a puff barley thing which
i didn't do but it's a really fresh delicious salad which is um just shaved fennel with lemon
and oil olive oil and then you put jalapenos in um nectarines which are really good at the moment
and then um some gorgeous goat's cheese on top so that's what we're having along with a bulgur
wheat kind of tabbouleh which is a bit everything but the kitchen sink which um our friend rang who listens to this all the time thanks rang you are one of
the best cooks i know and she did it at the weekend and she's put black beans in it um roasted
butternut squash um black olives pine nuts loads of herbs um and kind of made like almost like a
salad dressing quite a sweet salad dressing you put it. So, roasted aubergines in there too,
so that's really tasty.
What's going on?
Ah!
I was like, what the fuck?
Oh, hi!
Hi!
How you doing?
Come in.
Hi!
Hi, I'm Jenny, hi.
I'm so thrilled to meet you.
Oh, I'm so thrilled to meet you.
So, Ollie arrived, knocked on the door.
I don't know how he got in, but he was here.
How long have you been veggie?
Since I was 13.
I don't usually like veggies, but I think I'm going to take two. I'm a good one.
A good veggie?
No, you should hear what she...
I mean, you've probably heard what she says about them.
She's horrendous.
Because I'm frightened of vegetarian cooking.
But I do know, because my son-in-law reminds me,
and Jessie, I've got to think about the planet.
I know.
Plant-based.
Is that why you're a veggie?
I'm sure he wasn't thinking about that.
He likes pigs, probably, or cows
or something. Well, I do
think anything that
can smile at you, I do
sort of think is, hello!
This is my husband.
Have you met Sam before?
I can't remember if we've met.
Actually, Ollie, can we clarify this?
Because I feel like we haven't met as many times as we,
I feel like I know you very well.
It's because we've...
But, like, I feel like we don't actually,
we haven't hung out that much.
I think it's because our paths have crossed many times.
So, like, we've seen each other from, like,
in and out of backstages at festivals and things.
We're like, I'm not for you, Jessie.
Yeah, no.
I remember when you were doing,
we were both doing the thing for Universal,
that thing where you sit in front of the whole of Universal
and they're like
these are the people that we really hope do well this year
and you went before me
and you were like dancing and amazing
and that smile beams
but I feel like we always pass each other
but this is the most amount of time that we've had together
we are going to have
and it's such a pleasure to have you
it's so nice, thank you so much for having me
we're thrilled honestly, I was saying this to him before we've been
trying to get you for seasons oh stop it you're in demand and you're our season finale the big one
we have to end with a bang oh my gosh you are after this so we've got you for a few hours um
one hour one hour it's fine we can talk very quickly we won't into we've been yeah we've
been in trouble that we interrupt um a lot so um that's what you want to hear you want to hear you
guys no well no we want to hear you basically you are going after this to do goggle box with your
mum exactly yes i'm going to yeah i am yeah well me and my mum are your mum yeah i know oh no i
know we like mums.
Yeah.
Where is she?
She's on the train right now, coming here.
So where are you from?
Well, my mum lives in the Forest of Dean, which is...
Where is the Forest of Dean?
It's in Gloucestershire.
It's very, it sounds like Robin Hood, doesn't it?
Robin Hood, yeah.
It is quite, it is a bit like that.
It's quite a magical place.
It's very pretty.
It's in, we moved there when I was eight years old,
me, my mum, my brother and my dad. And they yeah my mom my brother still live there do you know what you're
going to watch no they just they they um they just show you on the day they show you yeah
just say it's sodding love island that'd be great are you watching yeah i do watch love island
i'm obsessed i'm actually on the best group fact, maybe I can get you into this group.
Stop it. It's a secret WhatsApp group.
Stop it. This is the best moment of my life.
And fucking, somebody said, do you mind if my dad joins at the weekend? It was fucking Jonathan Ross joining.
Uh oh. And then, I know, and I was like, oh, hi.
You need to hook me up, Jessi. You need to hook me up in this WhatsApp group.
Would you be up for it? I'm up for it.
I have to put it to the group and then they either accept you or not.
Oh, I would love him. They would love you. What if you what if they reject me no they are you fucking kidding me no it's it's
just tell them you know that barcelona is the capital of italy oh my god that was amazing
italy the capital of rome yeah no i mean no but bless them what do you mean bless them no
our education system is no jordan was, Jordan was like really confident.
I felt like she was so confident with her answer.
You don't think she said Italy was in Spain?
Well, you know what, like, it's.
But you're watching it.
No, no.
She texts me saying, why do you watch this shit?
Yeah.
With that clip.
I know.
I love it.
I'm depressed.
So did you grow up with your mum and your brother?
Yeah, and my dad. I love it. I'm depressed. So did you grow up with your mum and your brother? Yeah, and my dad, yeah.
And your dad, okay.
Until I was about 14
then my parents separated
and my dad moved away
and so it was just me
and my mum and my brother
but even before my dad
moved away, to be honest,
it felt more like
just my mum and us.
Bit of an absent father.
Is that true?
I know that one.
Yours.
Yours.
So who was cooking?
mum, always mum
good cook?
very good cook
what was your favourite that she used to cook?
she always used to make
she makes a lasagna
and she's always made really good lasagnas
although recently she introduced beetroot into her lasagna
and I don't know how she did it but it tastes so good
that's a good idea
I've been saving that one up to tell you
guys because i thought you would like it oh but you what does she use instead of mince meat so
she uses loads of vegetables so it's a vegetable lasagna and it's still and she's putting beetroot
in yeah it's quite meaty i guess no it sweetens it all up yeah but it's kind of and it makes the
tomato tomato sauce all like sweet and like red and... Oh, I think we should try that.
It's really good.
Will you get the recipe for us?
I will do, I will do.
It can be in the second cookbook, babe.
Oh, yeah.
Ollie's mum's lasagna.
Yeah, exactly.
Beetroot lasagna.
Yeah, very good.
So when you decided to be a vegetarian
was when you were about 13, did you say?
13.
Yeah, 13.
How did your mum feel about that?
I mean, I'm pretty sure I drove her crazy, to be honest.
But when I first went vegetarian, she got it because she herself was vegetarian before she was pregnant with my brother.
And then she said she got pregnant and she just had craving for meat.
The iron, maybe?
Yeah, and then she was just like, oh, may as well just eat meat now.
So she's veggie friendly.
So she's veggie friendly.
It's not hostile environment, no. Like our house. So, yeah. But she's veggie friendly so she's veggie friendly it's not hostile environment
not like our house so yeah but she's always been a good cook yeah she's always been good
you know she would say her mum is who taught her because our gran my granny is an amazing cook as
well and just always always cooking and my mum was always up you know she'd always have friends
around in the kitchen the kitchen was always a heart of the house you know so I always still feel like that's the same for me even though
I don't really cook would you do you entertain though do you have people around very very rarely
really well it's because you're always a bloody tour babe and busy it's hard it is hard yeah I
feel I'm like quite embarrassed by how little I because I live by myself as well I just feel like
anytime I have food in my fridge it goes off really quickly because I live by myself as well I just feel like anytime I have
food in my fridge it goes off really quickly because I'm away and then I'll come back and
I'll just be like sad ingredients in my fridge don't you just buy M&S nice things from M&S
yeah we're just that's what I would do treat myself I know delivery and Uber Eats yeah no I
know that one so how do you have a good diet then if you order takeaways all the time? Have you not seen him dancing?
I know, but how is he worried about his nutrition, darling?
Oh, right, sorry.
If you're at festivals, on tour, and you don't cook at home,
so when do you eat properly?
I know, it's bad.
Sometimes it's really bad.
No, don't worry.
I was worried you were going to get worried. Starting to worry.
Don't worry.
Okay, what have you had today?
Well, actually, this morning I made a smoothie,
and that was sort of my breakfast. But it's a good smoothie. No, I'm not a smoothie. See, what have you had today? Well, actually, this morning I made a smoothie and that was sort of my breakfast.
But it's a good smoothie.
No, I'm not.
See, that's why he looks beautiful in a swim.
If someone said he'd have a smoothie for breakfast,
I'd kill myself.
What did you... What was in your smoothie?
It's because I don't have anything else.
I only have things in my freezer.
Do you put things like kale in, like Sam does?
No, I have a really good smoothie recipe, though.
Okay, so it's just loads of frozen blueberries oh yeah frozen banana a frozen banana lovely
almond butter gorgeous yeah i'm into this dollop of almond butter and then you can add extras i
always put like protein like so it's a full meal like a bit of extra stuff would you think of
yourself as a foodie so I've been thinking about this I
wouldn't call myself a foodie but and it's big and honestly it's because I have a really difficult
relationship with food if I'm honest with you because growing up like I had I had bulimia and
an eating disorder for like throughout my teens and it started off like there would be ways I would
like tell my mum be like okay now I'm vegan or now i'm not eating uh any dairy now i'm not eating any wheat any gluten like i really went
through a lot of those and that is not to say like there are people that actually do need to
cut that stuff out yeah but you're controlling what you ate through these kind of fat yeah
exactly so for a long time like eating for especially like at home or just any environment
was like really difficult right and it just like I think
and that it just stays with you to be honest like and now I have like I have a healthy enough
relationship with food you know I mean like I try and eat as much like three meals a day like that's
important for me just stuff like that which is like sounds really basic and trying to enjoy food
in a way that doesn't you know that's like I'm not necessarily used to um but yeah like I
don't it's not I don't want to feel like I feel positive around food you know what I mean like
and I love to share food and be with people and like connect in that way but it's yeah for you
I think did you overcome it it was part of like a bigger well I guess I I sort of was really
struggling with low mood like like depression and anxiety.
And I started to see a therapist and I started to take medication for those things and trying to sort of like build like a, you know, like a more sort of like holistic approach, I suppose, to your life.
And I had, you know, help with any sort of through therapy and those things, which I think, you know, and now it's like in my past, you know,
but it takes a long time and it's something that I think, yeah, it does sort of stick around.
So it might have been an element of your low mood and depression.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I think it's like it's there's so many sort of like psychological factors and reasons that go into it.
When did you get bulimia? How old were you?
Do you talk about it?
and reasons that go into it.
When did you get bulimia?
How old were you?
Do you talk about it?
Yeah, no, I've talked about it quite a lot.
And I actually made this documentary with the BBC about mental health within the LGBT community.
And I spoke a lot about my own experiences.
And the bulimia started when I was around 15, 16.
Was that anything to do with your sexuality or coming out or trying to find out who you were?
Totally like it's all linked you know and I struggled a lot with my sexuality because I
just didn't want to be gay and I just you know and I knew from such young age that I wasn't straight
but I just it took me so long to kind of come to terms with it and admit that I was gay. How old
were you when you came out? I mean fully when I when I sort of told my friends and my that I was gay. How old were you when you came out? I mean fully when I when I
sort of told my friends and my mum I was 19. It must be similar for lots of people then. It really
is. In the gay community I think. Did you speak to a lot of I'm so sorry I haven't seen the BBC
three I'm really sorry that was really bad on my part um but I heard about it and I heard it was
fantastic but did you speak to a
lot of other um people in similar situations or was it very much focused on your no I spoke a
little bit about myself and then we the great thing about the process that we got to meet lots
of different people throughout the community and having different experiences you know so
we and we went to like the UK's only like male specific eating disorder
group and we sat in with them and you know discussed some of the issues that like people
are like to face and it wasn't just gay guys but it was kind of trying to look at how these issues
like do affect all of us but then within specific communities they have like these specific impacts
that are so damaging and often aren't spoken about
you know I think and for gay people you know there is once you come out I think there is this pressure
to kind of be except fabulous and like you live a great life and be proud and everything and look
wonderful yeah and I think there's like oh of course there's a huge like pressure like body
you can't be yeah it's hard to be chubby and fabulous and gay
and big pressure to look buff.
Yeah, there is, yeah.
Was it your idea to do the documentary
or did they approach you?
Because if it wasn't your idea,
did you have to really think about
whether you wanted to do this or not?
I did, yeah.
Well, actually, I got approached.
I started saying things that got picked up on about whether you wanted to do this or not I did yeah well actually like a few I got approached I
started saying things just in that got picked up on in sort of the media about my sexuality or my
mental health or whatever for my own reasons or you know whatever I was answering questions in an
interview um and then I started getting approached by people saying oh Ollie would you like to do
you know front this documentary or do you want to be involved with this campaign or do you want
to do this and this you know and I didn't expect any of those and at first I was like very very
much like no I don't want to do any of this but then I don't know this company approach production
company approached me and said we'll do whatever you want to do and you know you can choose the
issues you want to speak about and you can work with a queer team and you can you know really be
the process can be you can be involved at every
step so I was like okay well that sounds good and that sounds like I can make something that might
be you know something really positive and helpful in some way so so yeah it took it was um I mean it
was a really really emotional experience but it was like amazing it was amazing quite cathartic
it was just once it was finished. Did you feel like,
God, yeah, like actually in the documentary, I like went to see my mum and we speak about,
you know, like, and I asked her like, what did you, you know, did you not think I was always
gay? And I'd never actually asked my mum this. I said to her, like, you must have known I was gay.
And she said, she honestly tried. She just put it up. She couldn't think about it. She put it
out of her mind because she didn't, she just was worried it she couldn't think about she put it out of her mind
because she didn't she just was worried it would be a too it would be a painful life for me and
hearing that from her was like such a submission of honesty and like it was so I don't know like
I really respected her for telling me that and like how pain how difficult it must have been for
her and how she wanted just wanted the best for me and it was like I honestly like you know that
an actual moment was captured on camera.
It was crazy.
But it was an amazing experience, you know?
But you're kind of like a spokesperson for the gay community now.
And that's speed.
I'm going low-sharp about it.
I mean, I'm not like it.
You are a spokesperson.
But I wondered if that's a burden for you.
Well, I wouldn't say it's a burden because I do I am choosing to do it you
know like I do you know and I said I'm passionate about it and I care about it and I get a lot of
I get a lot from it you know it makes me feel like so inspired to be alive and passionate when you
and you can make a difference yeah and that's like I feel very fortunate to be to have like a platform
that I can do that with um but but you know it's always going to be there's always going to be to have like a platform that I can do that with um but but you know it's always going to be
there's always going to be limitations and I always sort of see you know it's quite I don't
know sometimes I like have this I feel like I'm driven by this like energy to do these things but
then afterwards I like feel so I get this real like low low like I feel so depleted and I just
sort of like oh god why do I feel so kind of like it's emotional
so speaking about the glastonbury speech that has kind of gone very viral yeah um the glastonbury
speech you know you were on the pyramid stage yeah in front of hundreds of thousand people yeah
and you said a speech that wasn't just a quick nod to it was a speech it was a beautiful speech and you looked
very emotional and nervous yeah were you nervous I was so nervous I was like yeah so I had to get
I was so nervous it was I mean you put it across so it was so eloquent it was it was beautiful
but um but like how did it feel after to be like, just, I was so relieved that it was over
because I had been thinking about this speech for, like,
it had just been going over in my mind for so long
because, I guess, I don't know, just, you know,
it did feel like a big thing to do, but...
Were you invited to do it?
No, I just did it.
Decided to use your platform, yeah.
So you just decided...
And that would have eaten up, like, a good two songs of, you know,
and like, that's amazing, I think.
Yeah, I know.
It's been, I guess it seemed, I don't know, it's parts of it.
I'm still quite like, oh, wow, I can't believe we did that.
But it's, I always say something,
Glastonbury normally falls around Pride in London.
So like the first time we played Glastonbury,
I think was actually on Pride. So I like said we played Glastonbury, I think, was actually on Pride.
So I said to the crowd, you know, like, happy Pride.
And, you know, and then in the years since 2016,
I've become much more involved, I suppose,
in kind of what advocacy means to me
and how I can best sort of like do it in my field.
And so, yeah, I guess I was like, oh, Pyramid Stage
is literally the biggest slot
we've really ever had.
So, you know, I may as well try and say something.
Good for you.
And you're supported by all your band members.
They knew you were going to do it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course.
They knew that you were going to do that.
Oh, yeah, they knew, yeah.
They knew.
Yeah.
What did you do this weekend for Pride?
Well, we actually were in Barcelona.
In Italy.
Just kidding.
I know it's not in Italy.
We just went out and played.
We were to a festival.
Yeah, we played a festival, yeah.
Which one?
It was called Cru...
I'm probably going to pronounce it wrong,
but it's called Cruia.
I did it last year.
Yes.
Yes.
It's nice.
It's so nice.
It's in the same place that Primavera is.
Yes.
Yeah.
And Kylie, what's been in the same place that Primavera is yes yeah and Kylie
what's been so amazing
yeah
has
we've been
sort of playing
yeah
playing for Kylie
on three shows
recently
it's literally
do you love her
I love her so much
you don't understand
like the love I have
for this woman
it just
it's become like
so
oh my gosh
she's just amazing
is she like a princess
in real life
I can imagine her
having this like regality of kind of like, she's just like, she's the
best pop princess in the world.
She kind of just exudes this like aura of like real like glamour and like amazingness,
but also just like, she's actually just so down to earth.
Like I know everyone, that's a cliche, but she really fucking is.
Yeah.
She just,
you know,
like she's sweet.
So nice.
So sweet,
kind.
And like,
I went to actually did a song with her for her.
Yeah.
This was a year,
a couple of years ago at the Royal Albert Hall.
She had a Christmas show and I did a song with her and it was honestly the best.
Who's coming in?
There's going to be a baby.
Is there a little girl?
Right.
So we've been interrupted by the aa coming and my little
girl joining us so i'm gonna get the food on the table whilst mom is sorting out her punctured
tire that has what was it maybe somebody's done that like they don't like the podcast so much
they put a nail and they slashed her tires.
Yeah, so I'm going to chat with Ollie whilst I cut up Feta.
Ollie, I hear you don't like truffle or mushroom.
That was on the list that you don't like.
That's correct.
I really don't like truffles or mushrooms.
What is the issue?
Have you had a terrible run-in with a truffle and a mushroom?
Well, I have with a truffle, yes.
Tell me.
Basically, I used to work at this restaurant in Soho called Spuntino.
Oh my God, I love Spuntino.
It's nice.
They used to do a peanut butter and jam, like, thing.
Ice cream sandwich.
Yeah, I love Spuntino.
It's great.
So, nice food.
You never get a fucking table because it was one of the first ones that was first come,
first served yeah
which is great but annoying
yeah yeah
it's very
very trendy
couldn't book a table there
no
but they did this one dish
they were very famous for it
it was called
a truffle egg toast
so basically
it's like a hunk of bread
toasted
and then they scoop out
the middle of it
I'm gonna get this wrong
but they crack two eggs into it
put loads of
like fontina cheese yeah truffle something like maybe it's something of the truffle and then they put
loads of truffle oil on top and then just put it all in the oven and bake it and i have to carry
those like four truffle toasts on this tray up from the kitchen yeah like hung over on a sunday
morning and the smell of the truffle would make me like honestly gag, just gag. So it stayed with you, you literally, it brings you back to
being a waiter and hangovers and... No, I cannot be near a truffle, no. That's such a shame.
And I can smell them so they, I can smell them from so far away. If you had a truffle in
this house I could smell it. Do you have a tr truffle i have truffle oil but hidden away
i know exactly truffle pig couldn't you bless you that would be the worst job ever and i wouldn't
i wouldn't want it and i think mushrooms are just like they're extensions of truffles aren't they
are they no they're different are they different i don't fucking know i know nothing but vegetarians
like they always force you to eat a lot of mushrooms if you're a vegetarian.
Do you know what I mean?
They always just be like, oh, they're vegetarian, you'll love a mushroom dish.
And I find that really offensive.
Like, I'm definitely like, I need more than just a portobello mushroom in between two slices of bread.
That is very true.
It's always a mushroom burger for the veggie burger, isn't it?
Ugh, or mushrooms jogging off.
Ugh.
Oh, I love mushrooms jogging off. Oh, no. It's not sexy mushroom burger for the veggie burger, isn't it? Ugh, or mushrooms jogging off. Ugh. Oh, I love mushrooms jogging off.
Oh, no.
It's not sexy.
Oh, yeah.
Creamy mushroom.
That is so...
So, okay, what would you cook if you actually did have some food in your fridge?
What would be the dish that you'd try and press somebody with?
I have been known to make a lasagna myself.
Right.
It's not as good as my mum's. but basically I just do stuff that my mum does,
and then when I'm making it I can call her and ask her questions.
Snap.
So, yeah, exactly.
So she makes a really good lentil dal thing.
Lovely.
And then if you add, like, spinach and just salt,
and, like, garnish it with, like, some fancy bit of yogurt, you know.
It's quite, but I actually don't think
I would cook that for a date.
Now that I'm thinking about this.
With friends.
Okay, come on then, what would you do for a date?
Oh no, this is sounding so like fucking Just 17, isn't it?
What would you cook for a date?
But what's the one that would impress,
like that's, is it like, what would impress?
Someone else.
Someone else that you think.
Oh, that I'm making.
Yeah, like, so Cariad Lloyd says that her meringues are like champion.
She's just like, they fucking shit on everybody else's meringue.
Wow.
Do you have something?
No, I don't have anything like that.
No, no, I've got nothing.
Nothing.
I need help.
I'm back.
Oh, sorry.
How is it?
How's the tyre?
He puts a plug in now.
It's like he's made a big hole, put a plug in,
and then he says that I've got to take it in.
Anyway, do you want me to help, Jess?
No, it's fine, Mum.
It's all done.
Ask some questions whilst we talk.
I quite like him to sing his favourite famous song, to be honest.
No, no, that's not what we do.
I know, but I do love that song.
No.
Which song, which one?
Oh, God, you're asking a woman of my age to be able to remember the famous one.
No, the one that is just so catchy and you want to sing it.
Desire or Kiss?
Desire.
Okay, there you go.
That's it. Is it? Desire or Kiss? Desire. That's it.
Is it?
Desire.
Yeah.
Desire.
Desire.
That's it.
Love it.
Aw.
I'll sing it for you.
Mum, I...
Oh my God, brilliant.
No, no.
Oh my God.
This looks gorgeous, Jess.
Oh, okay.
Thank you, Mum.
But please tuck in.
This looks gorgeous Jess. Oh okay thank you mum but please tuck in. So we have tabbouleh with lots of bits and bobs, black beans, butternut squash, aubergine
thank God I didn't put the mushrooms in, loads of herbs, yummy yummy, pine nuts and
then a kind of a balsamic dressing just to kind of like zhuzh it up. These are
pea, mint and edamame with dill and feta and then that's uh fennel
nectarine and goat's cheese salad yum and then we've got dusty knuckle sourdough so everyone
just eat excuse me darling napkins oh mom i can't remember where they are mom bought me napkins
because she wanted me to be a bit more um professional everyone has to wipe their mouth
with their hand yeah sorry um, there are no napkins.
This is amazing.
Thank you so much.
What a gift.
Oh, you're so sweet.
Thank you for doing it.
So, do you think you've got good table manners?
I want some peas.
Oh, no.
Really?
Well, what are good table manners?
Well, I mean, everyone has different opinions on it.
Do they?
Yeah.
Okay.
I think you're being a wonderful guest.
Oh, yeah.
You're well-mannered.
Thank you.
Tell your mum.
I will.
And is there anything, I feel like you're not going to, you're going to be like, oh,
I don't really care what people do.
Do you have any things that you can't stand when you're at the dinner table that other people do well being rude to waiter i mean
having also been a waiter many times myself is the amount of people who are rude to waiters and
just think oh don't especially on a date do you know what i mean if you're on a date with someone
and your date's rude to a waiter oh my god does that happen a lot well yeah i mean why would i
be rude to you you're like the smiliest sweetest person in the world. I know I know how could how dare they
Always busy what about people? I don't know like carbonated see I don't know
Well, I feel like you have the most beautiful voice and there any things that you avoid before you sing. No, I'm really bad
I don't do anything like that. I don't know
Much than girls i swear with their
voices they've just got more robust voices some somebody's gonna come and attack me now
what's your cocktail of choice we should be asking people this mum's yeah always a cosmo
do you like what's in the cosmo vodka cranberry juice and quan tre or triple sec
and they always put a twist of orange it. It's called Carrie from Sex and City.
But it's not sweet.
That's why I like it.
It's quite sharp.
I would drink a Cosmo.
Yeah.
I wouldn't order it though.
Wouldn't you?
What would you order?
Why not?
I don't know.
I'm not a huge vodka fan.
I think it's the vodka.
But you can't really taste it.
Well that brings me
to my next question.
What's on your rider?
Champagne. Darling! I basically now have decided taste it well that brings me to my next question what's your on your rider we champagne
i basically now have decided i know this this stage in my life i will only drink champagne
i fucking love you jesse do that that's great do you have it before the show or after no after
yeah how many bottles do they usually give you?
Well,
it's usually only one.
And...
Because you want the good shit.
Yeah.
What do you ask for?
So it's
for Clico.
Yeah, yeah.
All right.
Okay, fine.
I mean, it's not, you know,
crazy,
but one bottle
doesn't go far enough
so we've had to get more.
I mean, you're doing arenas
so I feel like a bottle
of Ferv Clico
is absolutely fine.
Yeah.
I think that's not enough.
No, we need more.
No, six bottles
i think we've started yeah little cute men bringing them in oh yes we should be on your
rider next that's will be on my rider edinburgh that's not good yeah yeah men six pack of champagne
with little cute memories um so uh what else is on your rider food wise
there's a lot of like fruit and vegetables yeah because we try and do because obviously like you
said you know this when you're on tour it's just so hard to eat well and everywhere you go it's
just like fast food or well we were last on tour in america we were like we were trying to hit up
the best donut place in every place in every city we went to.
Because America loves donuts.
Okay.
And then, I don't know what it was.
I think maybe Emery loves donuts.
And so it just became a thing that we'd always get donuts.
Okay, donuts.
You've had them in basically every city in America.
Yeah, I've had them.
Where is the best?
Best donut.
You know where there's an amazing donut place in Portland?
Voodoo.
Voodoo, yes. that's it, yes!
It's famous.
They do really good donuts.
They're like, but I feel like loads of people are cottoning on to those kind of donuts.
I know, you're right.
Is it overkill?
Is it too much?
I mean, the toppings are insane.
That's the thing, like I enjoy seeing like all these crazy donuts, but what I want to
put in my mouth is basically just a glazed ring.
A Krispy Kreme mouth.
Oh, you mean a Krispy Kreme.
Yeah.
Or a Krispy, yeah, exactly.
I have to say Dunkin' Donuts.
I love them.
Yeah.
Love them.
I love their coffee, too.
I don't really like Dunkin'.
No, their coffee's not good.
No, I like it.
Dunkin' Donuts, yeah, Hannah likes their coffee.
I really do.
Are you a coffee snob?
I'm not a snob, but I do love coffee.
How do you make your coffee?
It's a pour-over, you know?
Oh, you do a pour-over.
You're proper.
So I put it in the little paper filter, in the little plastic thing. And it's a pour over you know pour over you're proper so i put
it in the little paper filter in the little plastic thing and it's got the little spout
it's just it's not a spout it's just like it's like a receptacle like this okay fine and then
you fill it with a bit of coffee and then it's got the filter and then you like you're meant to
pour enough water to just wet all the grounds of coffee and then let it drip through and then you
pour more water and then it just fills up one mug and then i take it back to bed and drink it put some milk and sugar in it
that's um that's my favorite way to drink coffee are you a sweet or a salty person
i i don't know i think i'm a bit i'm honestly both i really have i do have a sweet tooth like i
but i sort of like i'm trying to think of what my favourite sweet
thing to eat is.
Probably like a cinnamon roll.
Oh bugger, I should have fucking got something from Dusty and Apple.
You were going to get.
Oh no, it's a mediocre pud.
I'm really sorry.
No.
No, you don't know what it is yet.
I've got magnums in the fritter.
I'm sorry.
I do.
And I really like them.
We've got watermelon or we've got baklava and it's mediocre.
Oh, I love baklava
okay perfect
with a nice coffee
and we could do a coffee
can Sam do a pour over
it sounds like a comb over
so okay
last meal
before
oh last ever meal.
You're going on a desert island.
Starter, main...
Because I can't bear the death one.
Starter, main, pud, and drink of choice.
I think I know the drink of choice.
Champagne.
Yeah.
I feel like starter, maybe I want something like fried cheese.
Oh, no, actually, do you know what I want?
I think, sorry, I think my favorite meal of the day is breakfast.
Great.
Breakfast food.
So I just want to structure this meal around a breakfast that I love.
Fine.
And I'm going to go with, what would I want to eat?
Maybe like a really delicious shakshuka.
Oh, fuck, I could have done you fucking shakshuka.
Oh, no, next time. I did say to
you, boyardee. I know, I know. No, but this was delicious. This was very delicious. Thank
you. You know, like a, you know, put some... Halloumi. Halloumi. Yeah, yeah. Some spinach
maybe. Okay. Or maybe tomato. So is this your starter? I don't know. Okay. Do I want that
as my main? I don't know. But what would I have as a starter? Great to know you, Ollie.
I don't know. Well, why don't you have fried main? I don't know. But what would I have as a starter? Great to know you, honey. I don't know.
Well, why don't you have fried halloumi as a starter with lime?
Mum, get him to...
No, that's what I want.
That's what I want.
Darling, I can.
You can't curate his last supper.
I can.
You can.
You've been for an hour.
I want you to.
Yeah.
I want you to.
I think he doesn't mind, darling.
He needs guidance.
I do.
I want you to take over.
I want to know, are you the sort of person that will carry on drinking champagne with
your meal
or you just have it?
No, I think I either
want it before or after.
Before or after, okay.
Before or after.
Or in between.
Yeah, like some people
will carry on drinking
their vodka tonics
with their dinner
and they don't have wine.
Although it's much better
for you, isn't it,
to have a gin and tonic
than a glass of wine
because it's...
Is it?
Yeah.
Oh, I don't know.
I thought wine was good for you.
For calories, you're thinking about. For calories, yeah. That, I don't know. I thought wine was good for you. For calories.
For calories, yeah. That's what all the Towie lot, they always have vodka soda.
They do, vodka soda and lime. Okay, we have not
got to your... Main.
Main. Isn't the shakshuka my main?
Yeah, you can have that as your main. And that's...
So then what's your starter? The fried
halloumi. Fried halloumi. I'd have the fried
halloumi in the shakshuka. Oh.
No, darling.
So now you've made room for a whole new...
Darling, no.
Why not?
Well that's what I did before and it's lovely.
No I don't think so.
Okay, you can have a new starter now.
So you can have the halloumi in the shakshuka.
So the halloumi is in the shakshuka.
Oh my god.
Jesus Christ.
Really?
You don't have to have the halloumi in the shakshuka. Don't have to have the aluminum and the sugar.
Don't have it in your sugar.
Maybe I could just...
You're not greedy.
I don't know what he's going to eat on the desert
if he doesn't eat fish.
On the island.
Coconuts.
That's true.
What about...
Now I can't think of anything for starter.
Let's go back
We'll do dessert now
Okay dessert
Can I have pancakes?
Yes
Wow
Okay well either
Well I probably have one classic
Which would just be
Like a thin one that you roll up
With lemon and sugar
Yeah
And then my other one
Would maybe be
Banana Nutella Oh no Banana No Nutella Strawberries with lemon and sugar yeah yeah and then my other one would probably maybe be um banana nutella oh
no banana no nutella strawberries and cream wow lovely i feel like we've really um we're gonna
get in real trouble with those people that don't like us butting in um so we're now telling you
what to eat that's what i want i need You need guidance. I'm just wondering what could the,
I mean,
you can have
their list.
Let him have
two desserts,
darling.
You can have
your donuts
with your coffee
afterwards.
Oh,
I could,
yes.
Speaking,
should I get
the coffee on?
And then I'm
going to actually
get Sam to make
the cheese.
Put the coffee on.
Can I just ask you,
your outfit for
Glastonbury
and all your other outfits.
Yes.
Who inspires you?
Is it you?
Do I inspire myself?
No, obviously.
Of course.
But do you, you don't make clothes?
I don't, no.
But I basically have like a few, I work with a stylist called Nick Royal.
And we have like together these inspirations for like people that we're trying to kind of like take inspiration from so one of the biggest ones is
um Lisa Left Eye from TLC yeah because and in fact all of TLC did you do you know TLC yeah so
no all of TLC basically yeah well she passed away she was the rapper and she was I mean they all
wore amazing outfits um but that kind of
moment in pop culture which was like i don't know it's just a lot of yeah glamour 90s noughties kind
of attitude yeah like her little kim you know rihanna even now like i take inspiration from
rihanna a lot mostly women i know i know a A lot of women. But I would say on the male side,
Bowie and Prince,
for sure.
That's like,
for me,
they're,
and Freddie,
but for me,
yeah,
they just.
I have to say,
actually,
I didn't say it,
I saw you at the Serpentine.
Are we there?
I was.
And I have to say,
you did really bloody well.
Oh my God,
thank you.
Because that is a tough gig mate it's not a
three-songer you had to do a full set it was like 40 minutes mate on a rotating cube
my husband actually I should get him down he was like that performance was so sick oh like honestly
those those things you you're very appreciative of being invited, obviously, and to perform.
Yeah.
But that's a nerve-wracking gig.
They can be a little funny because, yeah, obviously it's not your crowd or doing anything.
It's just these very, very well-to-do people with lots of money and celebrities.
Yeah.
Which is kind of quite intimidating, actually.
Did you see anybody in the audience?
I'm quite good at sort of zoning out and not focusing on anyone so what did you wear for that what was it it was this sort of two-piece sparkly
it was all it was from ashish and it was like just silver sparkles all over he was he was in a red
cube that moved around yeah it was i mean it was it was it did you have to practice on there
we only got
well I mean
we practiced a little bit on the day
you looked so comfortable
we I mean
I quite enjoy
a little challenge like that
so
you did look like you were
I had fun
yeah
and also you didn't have the boys with you
so it's like
it's you
I know
it's very weird
quite exposed
very exposed
had two backing singers
yeah
who were great
they're amazing
but yeah it was really
bless my daughter who is come down who apparently was feeling a bit sick be exposed. Her two backing singers who were great. They're amazing. But yeah, it was really,
bless my daughter who has come down
who apparently
was feeling a bit sick
but is managing
Ollie's Magnum
really, really well.
She's really
loving that Magnum.
Are you enjoying it, Bubba?
It always makes you feel better.
I told her,
you have to be really quiet
if you sit with us
and she's,
no problem,
she's got a massive Magnum tea.
You're a happy girl.
Where do you get these
back lovers? Is it back lover or back lava? I don't know. I called it a balaclava an hour ago. no problem she's got a massive magnum tea you're happy girl where do you get this back is it
baklava or baklava i don't know i called it a balaclava an hour ago so oh i'm not even
oh sorry sorry excuse me um do you want to say on microphone if you're going to say something
um no these ones uh around the corner this is not a fantastic baklava place,
but it kind of hits the spot, doesn't it?
It's sweet enough and it's like,
but yeah, I'm not a pudding person,
so I'm like the worst.
I'm really sorry.
This was a very low maintenance pudding.
Ollie, thanks so much for doing this.
Yeah.
It was such a treat.
I think he's not been here long enough.
No, I know, I know.
This is the bugger of doing.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, do. You could join us for a Christmas special. Yeah, we want to I know. This is the bugger of doing... Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, do.
You could join us
for a Christmas special.
Yeah, we want to do
a Christmas special.
Oh my God.
But you have to bring a dish,
Ollie, so think about that
for the next six months.
I'll start thinking.
Exactly.
Thanks so much for doing this.
Enjoy the rest
of the festival season
and send our love to your mum.
I will.
Thank you for having me.
Because she couldn't come.
I'm really sad
that she didn't come.
Oh, she'll be sad.
She's on the train now.
She is.
The forest is deep.
Exactly.
I think she's off.
How much did you love Olly Alexander?ander absolute delight couldn't tell you i'm completely mad
about him so sweet i love him he's so sweet he's very humble and just an absolute delight charming
charming um ate all our food great table manners excellent table manners thanks ollie for coming over um and
finally um joining us on table manners we're so happy to have had you
mum you can't ask people that is like one thing that i hate when people go oh you're a singer
sing you can't do that to him he was more up for it i think desire he would have given us a round of that you didn't even know how to sing it I knew Desire I do it
dun dun dun
I do know that one
dun dun dun dun
I'm just playing
the imaginary keyboard
yeah
I did know
you should have sung it
with him
would have been a moment
I didn't want to
better than Budapest
Budapest
who calls it
Budapest
Budapest
what do you call it
this is the last Table table manners of season six
thank you so much for staying with us thank you for um listening and we're all going on a summer
holiday is it a holiday no because we're going to be in Edinburgh on our summer holly bobs that's
not a bad thing no it's not it's a really exciting thing man watch what you say speaking of which
we are going to read out some of these I mean we've got like bloody hell are those all the That's not a bad thing. No, it's not. It's a really exciting thing, man. Watch what you say. Speaking of which,
we are going to read out some of these.
I mean, we've got like,
bloody hell,
are those all the,
pay fuck off.
Are you kidding?
The community hath landed in our inbox.
Oh my God,
we're not even going to be able to say all these.
I'm just going to say some names
of people that have messaged.
Grace Cartwright from Prague,
Amelia Phillips,
Jacana Bresson.
Leonora Ray.
Test out.
She think our listeners are women.
Susie Miller.
Vanessa Mills.
Cara Rogers.
Oh my God, no men listen to us.
Laura Morrison.
Fucking Sarah Lambert.
Fucking hell. Jesus, men. men oh life hack for lenny this is from jill nichols blitz a bunch of fresh coriander and parsley with lemon whole avocado
garlic and olive oil easy to spread on toast mixed through pasta or roast veg you'll always
have it on hand see that's a that's kind of like a recipe no that's like that's not a life
hack i don't think babe but that is a really lovely recipe thank you jill that's basically
like a pesto it's like a vegan pesto lovely it sounds fantastic oh she's vegan i'm not sure about
she's vegan we got a vegan sarah lamley is saying, the lookout by Gardner's Cottage.
You need to book in advance
and ask for the corner table.
Forage and chatter.
Finn and Bear,
Scran and Scally.
I've heard about Scran and Scally.
Buy Nico,
you need to book,
and Shea Jewels.
Thanks, Sarah.
Oh, I like this.
Right.
Mary's Milk Bar in Grass Market.
Ice cream to die for.
Timbiard. Yeah, I agree. It's beaut interior in Grassmarket. Ice cream to die for.
Timbiard.
Yeah, I agree.
It's beaut interior, as they say.
And who is this from?
John.
Oh, John Hitchens.
We do have a man that listens.
Wow.
Oh, my God.
John.
Wow.
You have given me so many.
Ting Thai Caravan.
Julie's Kopitam.
We Place, but Malaysian Food of Dreams.
John, do you want to come out for dinner with me?
Yep.
Johnny or John?
Thank you, John.
Okay, Test Out says that brunch, oh, lots of people are saying this, Urban Angel, Hemmer,
or the Pantry, dinner, Spoon Rumsack, number 11, Brunswick.
Thanks, Test Out.
Oh, and also, if you're taking podcast guest requests,
I'd love to hear Caitlin Moran.
I would too.
Mary Berry might need to hold back on the swearing.
And Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
I've tried for Phoebe Waller-Bridge plenty.
She is the most in-demand woman in the world,
but apparently she sings my song as her karaoke song.
So I feel like that warrants an invitation. Which one? And actually warrants her saying yes to the invitation. Which one? Wildest Moments as her karaoke song so I feel like that warrants an invitation which one?
and actually warrants her
saying yes to the invitation
which one?
Wildest Moments
is her karaoke song
oh my gosh
I know
maybe she was just being polite
we would love
Mary Berry
Caitlin Moran
or Phoebe Waller-Bridge
that would be amazing
thanks Tess
I feel like I'm
in the broom cupboard
on BBC BB's
do you remember that?
I see BBC
I'm basically
Andy Peters right now
in the Brim Puppet
the place that we're staying
because nothing's available
in Edinburgh
and when you decide
to do Edinburgh
quite late in the day
and you're rookies
you realise there's
nowhere to stay
so we have got
the most fancy place
it's got a hot tub mum
I know
maybe we should invite
everyone to the garden
there
and do
and do table manners
in the hot tub.
Be a bit like Love Island.
We could call it a new thing, a new podcast in the hot tub.
That sounds a little risque.
A different angle, darling.
Thank you to everyone who's joined us over this past season.
It's been amazing and slightly tiring with a newborn, but we thank everyone that has held my baby burped my baby
dealt with looking at my boobs and um sheen the health visitor
um thank you so so much we are having such a lovely time and we can't wait to bring you a
new series soon but whilst you wait for a new series we will be giving you the edinburgh
festival live table manners they'll be coming out so that's three that you'll have before to Whilst you wait for a new series, we will be giving you the Edinburgh Festival Live Table Manners.
They'll be coming out.
So that's three that you'll have to satisfy you before the next series.
If you do have more recommendations for the next series, I've run out of people on my phone book many a season ago.
We would love your suggestions and we will absolutely try and get them.
Email in at hello at table manners podcast.com what would you
like to say to your fans i'd like to say have a lovely summer relax enjoy it maybe we'll see you
mom i'm getting your voice over agent why oh fruity the table manners music you have been enjoying is by pete fraser and peter duffy
and our dear editor and producer is alice williams