Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
2 appearances
Comedian and writer best known for creating and starring in the British television comedy The Office.
On the island
Eight records
If you see her, say hello. She might be in Tangier. She left here last early spring.
LilywhiteFavourite
This track is off of T for the Tillerman. And this this one, Lily White, is just just beautiful.
Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock, John Lydon
I was just the right age to get excited about this sort of thing. But it stands up. It's such a powerful song. I think it's great.
His voice is so fragile, it's like he's worried about what he's got to tell you, but he's going to tell you anyway.
Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Philip Selway, Thom Yorke
There's a lyric that goes I used to fly like Peter Pan and the way he sings it and the way the music soars it brings a lump to my throat'cause it's that anything to do with regrets or the way things were, I'm a sucker for that and this it just does something to my soul.
What people don't realize is he's written one of the most beautiful love songs Ever, it's called Letter to Hermione and it's just so stripped down, this is just gorgeous.
It's a guy who leaves to go to war and there's a lyric in there that goes I'm so afraid of dying before I dry the tears she's crying. And it's just lyrics like that.
Johnny Christopher, Mark James, Wayne Carson
Again, it's that regret, it's that guy who's maybe made some mistakes and now he's in the the twilight years and he's trying to put it right.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:07How much do you empathise with David [Brent]?
Quite a lot really. Because I think we've all got a little bit of um David Brentiness. We all want to be loved. We're all worried about how we're perceived. And we've all got a, you know, the blind spot. I think it's monstrous in David Brent. But, um, by definition we never know about our own blind spot.
Presenter asks
2:12How did you know [how to make The Office so realistic]? Presumably that had come from your own experience of working in dull, repetitive, grey offices.
Well, I work I worked in an office for seven years and obviously I I was I've always been quite a people watcher and the reason why it had to be so real, hyper-real, is that you know it was essential that people understood this was meant to be a documentary. Because without that aspect, it's nothing. It's a bunch of idiots in an office with where nothing happens. But if you say he's doing this to become famous, it all falls into place. Everything makes sense then.
Presenter asks
5:56How did they treat you then as much older siblings?
Well, I was I was spoiled and bullied, so it was the perfect balance. I suppose I had to shout to be heard, so uh that's the classic show off performer in me. But it was it was very normal, I think.
The keepsakes
The book
The luxury
Well, I don't really care about the iron then, will I? Um But medicine's useful.
Presenter asks
15:09Why did you leave behind your ideas of pop stardom and musicianship?
I didn't leave him behind, I failed miserably and had to do something else.
Presenter asks
27:49How has [your partner, Jane] handled [your fame and working in Hollywood]?
It seems like a very sort of I dunno, it it just seems very natural to us, because we know. Nothing's changed except our bank balance and when you step outside the door. We we we haven't changed our values or our outlook or our politics or our, you know, beliefs it at all.
“The worrying thing more and more is that people don't really know the difference between someone who appears in Hollyoaks and someone who invents a cure for cancer. That that's the problem.”
“I didn't know that we were poor till I went to university and People spoke like the Queen. I grew up in a working class estate. My dad was a labourer. My mum was a housewife with part-time jobs. Fairly typical, hard working, working class family, yeah.”
“I don't think there's any um taboos in in humor. It's where the humor comes from. Humour comes from a good or a bad place.”
“We're uh we're just here for as long as we're here and um I just think that's that's sad. It's it's probably'cause I'm an atheist. This is all we've got, so uh you better enjoy it.”