RHLSTP with Richard Herring

RHLSTP #584 - Eleven Holes? - It’s approaching the end of the Fringe (for Rich at least) and his guest is, I think we can all agree, at least his equal as a ventriloquist, Nina Conti. They talk about her fantastic new independent film, Sunlight, how it’s a dark love story about a suicidal man, a woman in a monkey suit and an attempt to dig up a grave to recover a $20,000 dollar watch, but so much more than that. How the idea a...

#409 Di and Dodi Threesome - Recorded in the week of a tragic loss, at least there is good news for one of the podcast’s favourite personalities. Richard’s guest is the brilliant actor and writer and also his ex-girlfriend, Sally Phillips. They talk about the girl who smelled of spam and Sally’s impressive performance in the film “How To Please A Woman”, but they can’t avoid the elephant in the room and discuss ...

Book Club #155 - Mad, Isn’t It? - Richard talks to stand up comedian Emma Doran about her fantastic and funny memoir about teenage pregnancy “Mad, Isn’t It?”. They chat about the difficulty of being on Last One Laughing, deciding to take up stand up during a maternity leave, how it’s rare to hear the story of teenage pregnancy from the perspective of someone who has actually experienced it, why it was necessary to be comp...

RHLSTP #583 - Seeing God in a Cloud - Rich is three days into Edinburgh and is already shouting angrily at the Scotch people, but mainly because he’s had a claim to fame taken away from him. His guest is a man who has also done a whole Edinburgh show about missing parts of his genitals, Tom Rosenthal. They chat about how being a movie star makes you very conscious of how much your watch costs, whether the people stuff say...

#408 Rat Surge - Rich is worried that his son is going to become a comedian or worse still a Messiah, but Rich is planning to buy a sex island so all is OK. His guest is superior (in both senses) comedian and possible giant Pierre Novellie. They talk about Charles Manson’s bold decision during his trial, being massaged by Dave Benson Phillips, the disturbing consequences of a South African accent, whether Richard is ...

RHLSTP Book Club #154 - Entitled - Richard talks to Andrew Lownie about his meticulous and explosive book about Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson and more, Entitled. They chat about the process of getting this book to print and the surprises and revelations that are sometimes quite casually dropped in, how it’s easy to feel sorry for Andrew for his bizarre childhood where he had no boundaries, but harder to feel sorry for him when you ...

RHLSTP #582 - Talent and a Half - Rich has had some troubles in his cheap Edinburgh accommodation, but at least it’s his dad’s birthday. Why is Richard such an idiot? His guest is star (5th tier) of series 20 of Taskmaster, Ania Magliano. They talk about how she skipped school to be in a short film and her troubles with a more recent film appearance. Plus podcasting with your partner or your family, the punk early days of podc...

#407 Teleporno - Rich has some big questions to ask about a hymn that seemingly most people in his audience don’t remember, so maybe he won’t do an hour long comedy show about it then. His guest is internet sensation and fab stand up Eleanor Morton. They talk about Leonardo da Vinci’s hate mail, the surprise appearance of Pan in Wind in the Willows, the difficulties of getting a pirate sitcom off the ground (or on to...

RHLSTP Book Club #153 - Young Once - Richard chats with a Young One who has decided to embrace his Young Oneness, even though we may not be the young ones very long, Nigel Planer about his fantastic autobiography Young Once - A Life Less Heavy. They chat about how Neil and Nicholas Craig emerged from Nigel’s real life experiences, why the American Young Ones helped to give birth to a major part of the Simpsons, seeing Laurence...

RHLSTP #581 - Dopamine Sex Dungeon - It’s another studio podcast with character comedian turned stand up comedian Simon Brodkin. They talk about making the transition to being yourself on stage after hiding behind stunts and characters, joking about the royals and then appearing at the Royal Variety, when it’s the right time to do a confessional show and when you should just be doing jokes, the cocks of deities, how once ...

#406 Rolf Harris’ Creepy Toes - Richard is back for a 25th series, but unfortunately pretty much nothing has happened in the news so there’s nothing for him to talk about. His guest last appeared on the show almost exactly a decade ago, it’s the comedy genius Reece Shearsmith.

They chat about his excellent new film “See How They Run” https://www.searchlightpictures.com/see-how-they-run/ and working with the starry...

RHLSTP Book Club #152 - A Poo On A Pogo Stick - Richard is joined by a new co-host who threatens to replace him as he talks to comedian, cartoonist and jokesmith Olaf Falafel about his very enjoyable joke book, A Poo On A Pogo Stick. They discuss how the book came together, where the jokes came from, the decision to make some of them very slow burners for younger readers, how telling and making up jokes can bond...

RHLSTP #580 - Pea on the Cob - As if there weren’t enough people here for the Festival, Edinburgh numbers are swollen by Oasis fans, though Rich adlibs a decent joke for once, so it’s worth listening to the intro. His guest is RHLSTP favourite, Tim Key. They chat about being locked out of flats, broken cat-flaps, the year of the Herring and how much O2 paid to sponsor RHLSTP (in the golden era), Tim’s appearance...

#405 The Black Hands of Doom - It’s a bonus episode to end series 24 with the world class stand up Doug Stanhope, recorded over zoom from Dublin just an hour or so after Doug arrived on a TransAtlantic flight for his UK tour where people are about to lose their minds due to the death of our beloved monarch. They chat about authenticity in comedy, the self-destructive nature of Doug’s lifestyle and how ...

RHLSTP Book Club #151 - You’ll Like It When You Get There - Rich is talking to comedian Rhys James about his surprisingly deep and thought-provoking book “You’ll Like It When You Get There.” They discuss how being pantsed at school has haunted Rhys’ life, why pdfs might not be the best format for books, how comedians often become comedians to control their embarrassment, how mortification can stop you ridin...

RHLSTP #579 - Record Breaking Glockenspiel - Richard has come to Chesham in Buckinghamshire for a special live RHLSTP and is bedazzled by news about the local fire brigade. His guest is the fabulous stand-up Esther Manito. They talk about lockdown parenting, the craziness of taking up stand-up so shortly after the birth of her second baby, how Esther owes her existence to a blasphemous joke, why masturbating on a tube tra...

#386 Thirty-Eighth Choice - As the latest run at the Leicester Square Theatre comes to an end Richard is impressed with Adrian Chiles’ bathroom choices. His guest is comedian and actor Alan Davies. They chat about avocado bidets, being called a S****bubble by Liam Gallagher, setting off Neil Kinnock’s burglar alarm, spending a huge amount of money on a chair you might see in an estate agents, how he managed to get the Jonathan...

RHLSTP Book Club #150 - Where Did She Go? - Richard talks to returning author Cariad Lloyd about her moving and beautiful book about helping children cope with death and grief - Where Did She Go? They chat about why using euphemisms about death is not helpful to kids, why we veer away from discussing this subject with youngsters, the books we love and dread reading to out kids, whether Cariad knows how much the illustrator Tom Perc...

RHLSTP #578 - Ken Dodd’s Tollbooth Baguette - We’re back at the Crossed Wire Festival in Sheffield and you’ve had some time to relax and go to the toilet, but the audience haven’t. Richard is still talking (though mainly listening) to comedy legend Bernie Clifton. Finally we’re getting to Bernie’s TV career and cultural references that might be understood by anyone under 85. Remember that Bernie is 89 ...