Share
Insane In The Men Brain
John Robins
Find John on Twitter @nomadicrevery I Instagram @nomadic_revery I and Ed Fringe + "Howl" tour tickets at www.johnrobins.com.
John Robins is one of his generation’s most critically acclaimed stand-ups. John followed winning the Edinburgh Comedy Award (formerly The Perrier Award) in 2017 with two sold out national tours: The Darkness of Robins and Hot Shame. John is also a recipient of the Gold Aria Award (formerly The Sony Awards) for the BBC Radio 5 Live radio show, unsurprisingly he’s one of the leading voices calling to make it illegal for awards to change their sponsor.
Alongside friend, comrade and “under-DJ” Elis James, he rewrote the rule book for commercial digital indie radio broadcasting on Radio X. Before moving to prime time publicly-funded speech-based radio channel BBC 5Live. Every Friday the pair tackle the big issues, like what foods give you gas and what’s the weirdest place you’ve done your tax return. As well as this, Elis and John host a podcast called How Do You Cope? where they talk to guests about the challenges and hurdles they’ve faced in their own lives. What shines through all their projects is the kind of male friendship, full of warmth and openness, that we don't see enough of in entertainment. Leading The Guardian to comment
They are tweaking British masculinity at the edges, and in doing so letting in a lot of much-needed light.
John has appeared on Live at the Apollo (BBC Two), Celebrity Mastermind (BBC One) (John is one of the world’s leading authorities on the rock band Queen) Live from the BBC (BBC Two), Mock the Week (BBC Two), 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4), Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled (Dave), Stand Up Central (Comedy Central)
Become a "Men Brain Member" and get:
*over 50 archive interviews via your own private RSS link
*early access to our FILMED interviews
Go to https://www.patreon.com/menbrainpodcast or click the LinkTree for ALL for YouTube videos, live comedy dates, socials, contact Producer Paul and everything else https://linktr.ee/MenBrain
More episodes
View all episodes
17. 🍼 🩵 Kate & Rich welcome a new baby boy! 🩵🍼
01:03:01In this very special episode, Kate and Rich discuss Kate's pregnancy and upcoming birth. They talk about the challenges they faced, including technical difficulties, pregnancy symptoms, and the decision to have an elective C-section. They also touch on the age gap between them and the impact it may have on their parenting journey. Throughout the conversation, they share personal anecdotes and experiences, providing insights into the physical and emotional aspects of pregnancy. In this episode, Kate and Rich discuss their memories of childbirth and the changes in parenting over the years. They also talk about the challenges of finding supplies and the similarities in the birthing process. They share their excitement and boredom leading up to the birth and express gratitude for the support from friends. They discuss the preparation for surgery and address misconceptions about C-sections. They also talk about the placenta and the decision not to eat it. They discuss the C-section procedure and the recovery process. They share their realization of the C-section process and the feeling during the surgery. They talk about the sudden birth experience and express their excitement and nervousness.
16. Ian Smith
01:00:48Ian Smith has funny bones. His whole demeanour just makes me smile and watching him perform onstage never fails to bring me joy so it was a real pleasure to have him on the podcast. We talked about growing up in a small town, local press, the pressure that sometimes comes with being a comedian up at the Edinburgh Festival in an ever more competitive industry and local newspaper journalism. Find Ian here:Instagram: /iansmithcomedyTwitter: @iansmithcomedySee Ian here:I'll be back at Soho Theatre next year with my Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated show Crushing - 29th-31st January at 7.30pm. Tickets here: https://sohotheatre.com/events/ian-smith-crushing-2/I'll also be on tour around the UK next year, with dates in Manchester, Hull, Edinburgh, Glasgow and lots more. All tickets here via my LinkTree or Insta: https://linktr.ee/iansmithcomedy
15. Rachael Wells
56:17This week’s guest is my friend and co-host of my other excellent podcast But Please Don’t Panic! Rachael “Wellsy” Wells. I met Rachael through this very podcast and we’ve been friends ever since. Rachael is Autistic, a condition I’d never really come across before so it’s been a real education for me. It’s estimated that one in a hundred people are autistic and it was really great to have a proper sit down with Wellsy and to find out how being neurodiverse affects your every day life in a world that assumes everyone is neurotypical.
14. Alistair Barrie
01:03:27Comedian Alistair Barrie. (Did he mention he's playing at the Comedy Store?)Alistair Barrie and I have been friends and colleagues for almost 20 years an we really have seen the best and worst of each other but we’ve never really sat and had a proper in depth chat until this very episode where we really opened up to each other and it was an absolute pleasure to do so. Alistair is currently on tour and will be filming a comedy special at The Comedy Store on November 28th, tickets for which can be found at www.alistairbarrie.com.
13. Frank Foucault
42:25I was first introduced to the magic of Frank Foucault at the Edinburgh Festival back in 2018 and I was completely blown away by his originality. My friend Katie aka Myra Hollow was raving about him and dragged me along by the scruff of my neck and I’m so glad she did because he has now become one of my favourite comedians. This is part one of a two part episode as we had to cut it short so Producer Paul could go get his yoga on. Stay tuned for part two coming soon.
12. Michael Fenton Stevens
50:19This week’s guest is fantastic actor and host of the wonderful "My Time Capsule" podcast, Michael Fenton Stevens, and oh what a joy it was! Michael and I grew up in the same area but we had no idea just how similar our lives have been. We talked school days, what it was like growing up in St Mary’s Cray, inspirational teachers and the importance of taking some chances in your life.
11. Adam Bloom
01:02:59Adam's book i“Finding Your Comic Genius” is on AmazonFind Adam on Twitter @adambloomie2Become a "Men Brain Member"*join the show recordings *get 50 archive interviews via your own private RSS link*get early access to our FILMED interviewsGo to https://www.patreon.com/menbrainpodcast or click the LinkTree for ALL for YouTube videos, live comedy dates, socials, contact Producer Paul and everything else https://linktr.ee/MenBrain
10. Paul Foot
01:02:07“He's a comedy genius, one of the funniest things I've seen. Sublime, original and brilliant”The Independent“Quite simply, he is mind blowing, so if you fancy your mind being blown Paul Foot is one of the few comedians working today who can do it for you” The Mirror “A deranged genius” Sydney Morning Herald “An exquisite symphony of jubilant madness” Melbourne Age “A work of genius (..) Highly intellectual and ridiculously silly (..) A treasure”Chortle “Comedy gold” Broadway World “Simply one of the best I've ever seen (..) True alternative comedy at it's very best” British Comedy Guide “A delight (..)Silly and inspired” FestCatch Paul Foot on tour with Dissolve, a brand-new show which promises to be his most personal, surprising and inspired stand-up offering ever. Tickets go paulfoot.tv, seetickets.com and plosive.co.uk.
4. Phil Walker
01:03:05Phil Walker talks *comedy*running marathons*triathlons, and more. Not only is Phil the son of Roy Walker from Catchphrase, his sister is in Everyone’s Talking About Jamie!