The Romesh Ranganathan Show

James McAvoy, a Scottish actor and filmmaker known for roles from Atonement to X-Men and directing California Scheming, chats about his accidental start in acting and pastry training. He explores mastering accents, his story-first approach to choosing roles, the challenges of directing a music-driven film, and how he handles reviews and aging in the industry.

A lively chat covers gentle parenting and when discipline shifts as kids grow. They spar over air fryers, kitchen habits and whether liners are cheating. Ice baths get teased for hype and hassle. Quick takes on WhatsApp, supermarkets and calorie counting add bite. Warm family stories and listener dilemmas weave through the fun.

Bryan Cranston, award-winning actor best known for Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle, reflects on career pivots and craft. He discusses observing people to build characters, bringing All My Sons to London, the pizza-toss moment from Breaking Bad, nearly losing Malcolm, and cautious views on AI. The chat mixes practical acting talk with personal anecdotes and gentle humour.

A reluctant birthday becomes chaos with prank gifts, party props and a bizarre multi-take role play. Family banter ranges from gardening tales to blue humour and nostalgic prank stories. They debate who would survive prison and share energetic Tamil and party playlist picks to get everyone dancing.

Tom Allen, British comedian and presenter known for stand-up, Extra Slice and the gardening podcast Pottering. He riffs on fashion pet peeves and suit etiquette. He talks about discovering gardening and the Chelsea Flower Show. He also chats about his debut novel about suburban life and shares anecdotes on comedy, football and youthful 'mandem' memories.

They debate AI relationships and whether tech can recreate calls with lost loved ones. A chaotic grief role play pushes boundaries of comedy and emotion. Weird survival choices and a desert island standoff spark practical versus quirky priorities. They test a viral science trick, trade Tesla coil nostalgia, and play a hilarious Disney snog/marry/avoid game.

Should we be worried about AI? Mathematician and presenter Hannah Fry joins Romesh to talk about her new show 'AI Confidential with Hannah Fry' and the surprising ways maths and technology shape our lives. From Hannah’s work explaining science to wider audiences, her podcast The Rest Is Science, to Grief Tech. This episode explores the strange questions maths can actually answer, from whether you could theoretically be bored to death to how to cool down your car. The conversation moves from teaching maths and traumatising students with numbers to the bigger questions around AI, technology and the future. Plus: maths jokes, a question from Shanthi, some genuinely useful science-based life tips and the team catch some strays. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform Media. 00:00 Intro 03:19 Gift giving 07:34 Some maths jokes 10:01 On teaching maths 14:55 Traumatising people with maths 17:40 The Rest Is Science 20:39 Can you be bored to death? 26:09 On making a difference 29:28 Hannah’s ultimate tip 31:25 A question from Shanthi about tech 37:41 Hannah’s new show on AI 41:25 On Grief Tech 43:12 Do we know what we want with AI relationships? 45:03 Should we be worried? 48:45 Working with Dara O'Briain 49:40 Misquoted 00:01:47 An exclusive tip 00:02:33 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mum shares a wild Thailand holiday with facials, a jaw-dropping red-light show and moments that left her son squirming. They trade playful insults about his glasses and reminisce about food, family trips and name awkwardness. A famous documentary maker sparks a chat about dark subjects she’d investigate.

Louis Theroux, documentary filmmaker known for embedding with fringe communities, chats about his on‑camera persona and why he spends time with extreme online subcultures. He explores the manosphere, meeting figures like HSTikkyTokky, being “cooked” by viral clips, interview craft and memorable encounters from Armie Hammer to Jiggle Jiggle fame.

Funny kids' film impressions and a heated case for why Toy Story 3 hits hard. Role-played advice on confronting a smelly colleague and dealing with a spoiled hen-do surprise. A surprisingly long, frank chat about toilet habits, bidets, and the great toilet paper debate.