Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

Dominic West, one of the talented British actors who has had success both at home and in Hollywood, is our guest today. His breakout role was in the cult U.S. gritty crime drama The Wire, in which he played the detective, Jimmy McNulty, so convincingly that many American viewers were shocked to find out he was a Brit. In this conversation, Dominic tells Gyles about his Yorkshire childhood: he is one of seven children and grew up on the moors just outside Sheffield. He reminisces about his parents, the brilliant way they coped with the logistics of having such a big family, and their talents outside the home. He talks about his schooldays; the intense homesickness he felt when he went to Eton, and his feelings of alienation and "grief" at finding himself down south and far from home. He talks about finding his feet at that school, through drama. He talks about going to Italy, Edinburgh and Paris. He tells Gyles about going to university in Dublin and about what he learnt at clown school. He talks about playing Fred West and how he approaches his work.Thank you Dominic for this warm and wise conversation.If you love Rosebud, you can join the Rosebud Family by visiting www.patreon.com/rosebud. It's £4.99 + VAT a month and you'll get ad-free episodes and bonus shows with Gyles and Harriet.Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's More Rosebud, and this episode is a conversation that took place at the Henley Literary Festival in 2025 between Gyles and Dame Joanna Lumley, about her Book of Treasures, which had then just been published. This conversation is about poetry, books and quotations that inspire Joanna. It's also about her childhood, and how moving about a lot made her curious, and optimistic. It's about Leonardo Di Caprio, Dame Patricia Routledge, Frank Sinatra and Sir John Betjeman. It's about the lowest point in Joanna's life, and about a moment of joy. Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're starting 2026 with a remarkable person: an actress who is 100 years old, and still a bundle of enthusiasm, vibrancy and joy. It's Thelma Ruby, born in March 1925, and acting since the 1940s. In this episode she tells Gyles about her long and fascinating life: about her childhood in Leeds, in a religious Jewish family, where they couldn't poke the fire on the sabbath. About her formative years in New York City, where she was sent with her mother and brother to escape the bombing in WW2. About her return to England and work for ENSA, and her first love affair. About performing with Orson Wells, her famous portrayal of the first female prime minister of Israel, Golda Meir, and about her friendship with Dame Judi Dench. Thelma also tells Gyles her secrets for a long life, and talks about her one hundredth birthday party. If you love Rosebud and want more, why don't you join the Rosebud Family, our new subscription service? It's £4.99 a month and you'll get bonus episodes, murder mysteries, and you can join here. Enjoy this! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for the very last Rosebud of 2025, and we're leaving you with another warm, wonderful and witty edition of Gyles's diaries. In this episode, Gyles starts off by tellling us about his recent encounter with Sir Mick Jagger, who was a special guest for Gyles at the show he put on with Dame Judi Dench in the West End at the end of 2025. Gyles's diaries, which in this episode are from 1972, tell of the publication of his first book, "Created in Captivity", and his fated attempt to stage a son et lumière in Leeds. Gyles, Michele and Harriet also talk about disappointments, cats, and their highlights of 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're British, the chances are that last Christmas you watched the Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special. And Gyles's guest this Boxing Day is one of its stars: Mathew Horne, also known as the kind-hearted, loyal everyman, Gavin. In this episode, Mathew tells Gyles about his country childhood, about his loving and hard-working parents and their devotion to caring for him and his older brother. He talks about his schooldays, and the intense relationship he had with his girlfriend there. He talks about getting into stand-up at Manchester University and the phenomenon of Gavin and Stacey.We wish all our Rosebud listeners a very merry Christmas!Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.