Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware

We’re still pinching ourselves that we had the absolutely legendary Chaka Khan join us this week! Chaka arrived fresh in from visiting a local school, and she brought her gorgeous sister Tammy & daughter Dana along with her too. Over mum’s delicious afternoon tea we talked all about the phenomenal career Chaka has had, including her upcoming album and brand new musical ‘I’m Every Woman’ launching in the UK. We heard about her skincare routine (our fave topic!), living in Georgia with her family, her dislike of touring, how she became Sia’s godmother, the food served at Nelson Mandela’s birthday party, her love of the TV show 'The Chase’, plus she shares all the stories of hanging out with (wait for it) - Prince, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner & Michael Jackson - no biggy! We barely scratched the surface with this legend, this episode absolutely needs a part 2!

This week, we have the legendary singer and cruise extraordinaire, Jane McDonald! Jane arrived with a gorgeous bunch of flowers in hand and mum & I instantly fell in love with her. We talked about everything from her life on the cruise ships (and the secret crew parties), performing everywhere from Blackpool to Vegas, learning to dance with her dad, growing up in a police lodging house, her tips for the perfect gravy and we discover that she is also her own manager - there’s no end to her skills! Jane is welcome to join us for lunch anytime, maybe even on the high seas next time! Jane's brand new album ' Living The Dream' and tickets to her tour are available now. Hosted on Acast.

It’s a family affair this week, we have acting royalty Kurt Russell with his son Wyatt Russell here to talk about the brand new series of their hit Apple TV show. We’ve already had Wyatt’s sister Kate Hudson join us, we’re only a few steps away from ticking off the full family (Goldie next?). We covered everything from Kurt being a trained pilot, Wyatt never wanting to become an actor, their joint phobia of spiders, eating ready meals while filming in Australia, being wine & cocktail entrepreneurs, and we even find out that Wyatt took his very first steps on the set of our all time fave film - Overboard! We absolutely loved having this gorgeous father and son duo join us, looks like we’re getting closer and closer to an invite to THAT epic NYE party…! The new series of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is streaming now on Apple TV now. Hosted on Acast.

It’s a pop emergency this week as we have Hilary Duff joining us on the podcast! Fresh from her smash sell out London show, Hilary joined us for lunch to talk about her brand new album ‘Luck… Or Something’. We chatted about being a mum of 4, growing up in Texas, we swapped sourdough starter tips, heard about writing the album with her husband, she shared her thoughts on being compared to Sabrina Carpenter, where to eat in LA, and Hilary confesses she actually stopped at Brick Lane for a quick bagel en route to the recording! We can’t wait to see her headline at The O2 later this year when she kicks off her huge world tour. Hilary’s album ‘Luck… Or Something’ is a great record and it’s available to buy everywhere now. Hosted on Acast.

This week we have science guru, maths mastermind - and owner of the best hair of all time - Professor Hannah Fry! Hannah is a TV host, university professor, AI consultant, social media superstar, and now she adds another string to her bow as the face of the new podcast series ‘The Rest is Science’. Over a delicious lunch we covered everything from Korean skincare routines, to cooking her ex-mother in law’s Indian recipes, her dreams of being a hairdresser, the science behind the best Yorkshire pudding, dabbling in stand up comedy, and we hear about the classic ‘Irish Mixed Grill’ - aka 5 different types of potatoes all on one plate! Watch this space, Hannah has absolutely nailed the science behind skincare and it’s only a matter of time until she’s the face of her own beauty series too. The new series ‘The Rest is Science’ is available to listen everywhere now. Hosted on Acast.

The fabulous Emma Corrin joins us on the podcast this week! Straight from Heathrow - where they had just landed from LA - we welcome Emma home with a Kitty Coles asian style roast chicken. We all know Emma from playing Princess Diana in 'The Crown', to Elizabeth Bennet in the new TV series of 'Pride & Prejudice', Emma knows how to do iconic. We talked all about their latest starring role in the fantasy-romance film ‘100 Nights of Hero’, splitting their childhood between Kent & South Africa, having to very reluctantly give up dairy, being rejected from RADA acting school, and their tips for how to get over jet lag. We got to learn the hilarious game they created with Josh O’Connor on set, and we discover that Bake Off is the guilty pleasure that got them through lockdown! What a total delight to be joined by Emma, a gorgeous guest and a fabulous episode. Emma’s new film ‘100 Nights of Hero’ is out in cinemas now. Hosted on Acast.

It’s a huge one this week, we have superstar Margot Robbie coming home to Clapham! Fresh from the Eurostar after the Parisian premiere for her new film ‘Wuthering Heights’ (starring Jacob Elordi and directed by friend of the pod, the gorgeous Emerald Fennell) Margot was exactly what we always dreamed she would be; a gem of a guest and gorgeous human! We talked about the juggle with producing and acting in films, the food she ate growing up (including ‘Fivesies’ and 'Bogan Narrrrchos’), how her own gin ‘Papa Salt’ came to be, teaching Bette Midler about ‘Gavin & Stacey’, the bachelorette party her friends threw for her character Cathy, her husband being a phenomenal cook, the accent training she needed when she started in ‘Neighbours', and we hear how she nearly killed her grandma-in-law by feeding her raw ham! Margot, you’re welcome to join us every week, and we’re absolutely popping round for one of Tom’s famous ‘egg’ steaks! 'Wuthering Heights' is released globally in cinemas on 13th February. Hosted on Acast.

We’re in the presence of royalty this week, it’s award winning actress (and phenomenal Queen Elizabeth II) Claire Foy! Mum really pulled out all the stops to make the most regal of afternoon teas for our star of 'The Crown' - homemade madeleines, mini trifles and even coronation chicken sandwiches. Claire is fresh from making her latest film 'H is for Hawk' and we heard all about the training process she went through to become a Goshawk handler. We also discover Claire is a sucker for a dessert, would love to star in Six The Musical, is always surprised when actors want to work with her, loves a Cosmo, she suffered for years with stomach parasites, loved working with Brendan Gleeson, and we discover her dream meal is her mums special home made spag bol, which has been recreated by her all over the world perfectly! Claire’s new film 'H is for Hawk’ is out in cinemas now, and it’s beautiful. Hosted on Acast.

We have award winning actor Bryan Cranston on the podcast this week! He’s the star of Breaking Bad, Malcolm in the Middle and is currently starring in the West End in the play All My Sons. He popped round for lunch before his show that evening. We covered everything from working with Tom Hanks, his love of TV dinners, creating a Mezcal brand with Aaron Paul, embracing his fatherly role on every set, his daily routine for London’s West End, filming The Studio with Seth Rogen & Catherine O’Hara and we hear what it was like when he tried magic mushrooms in Las Vegas during filming! Plus we hear possibly the strangest nostalgic smell any guest has ever revealed on the podcast before… Talking to Bryan was a complete delight, he has the most soothing voice and we could listen to his stories for hours. Basically he needs his own podcast! You can catch Bryan in ‘All My Sons’ at the Wyndham’s Theatre until the 7th of March, you don’t want to miss it. Hosted on Acast.

This week, we’re joined by the ultimate dream duo Alan Carr and Amanda Holden! It’s Alan’s second time joining us on Table Manners and since we last saw him, he’s become a winning Traitor and has just released the third season of his sitcom, Changing Ends. He’s joined by his work wife Amanda, who is celebrating her 20th anniversary as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent and is one of the leading voices on Heart Breakfast. Over lunch, we drank lots of wine and enjoyed Ixta Belfrage’s delicious Celebration Salmon while chatting about Amanda & Alan’s Greek Job, the best clubs to party in Corfu, Alan attending a lesbian festival, getting the inside scoop on both The Traitors and Britain’s Got Talent and of course, a lot of innuendos! Watch the full season of Amanda & Alan’s Greek Job on BBC iPlayer now Hosted on Acast.

We are joined by the Three Lions maestro this week, comedian and writer, David Baddiel! For the man with many strings to his bow, mum made latkes which were a big hit. We spoke about his new series ‘Cat Man’ and why cats deserve more airtime, his perfect ‘Full English’, his love of curries, being kidnapped for the greatest meal of his life, his allergy to alcohol, singing karaoke with Blur and the legacy of ‘Three Lions’. David’s limited series ‘Cat Man’ is released on Channel 4 on 16th January, so don’t miss out. Hosted on Acast.

It’s our first episode of 2026 and we have the wonderful broadcaster and radio presenter Emma Barnett joining us for lunch after an early morning start for her at Radio 4. Emma has actually interviewed me before (and we got quite drunk together back in 2011), and it turns out that mum & Emma’s mum went to school in Manchester many moons ago! We covered everything from her breakfast routine, nostalgic Jewish food, being a colouring-in-book entrepreneur, her endometriosis diagnosis, the amazing guests she has interviewed over the years, and we reminisce about the time she got a Conservative MP to apologise live on air for lying! What a delight to share an afternoon with Emma, one day we’ll have to take a trip to Manchester to check out the bagels together. Emma’s fab new podcast ‘Ready To Talk’ is available on BBC Sounds and all other podcast platforms now. Hosted on Acast.

And just like that, it’s the end of 2025! But it’s not over yet, we have the fabulous Kate Hudson to see us out of the year. Kate joined us for breakfast in the midst of a whirlwind tour for the brand new film Song Sung Blue, which is a beautifully touching film. Over breakfast, we talked about everything from making the film with Hugh Jackman, her love of a dirty martini, the family’s epic annual New Years Eve plans, being caught in the LA fires, meeting Neil Diamond, when the perfect age is to watch Overboard, and we discover that Kate’s Italian family come from mafia roots! What a way to end the year, thank you for popping round Kate, hope you have a fabulous 2026! Kate’s new film Song Sung Blue is released in cinemas on New Year's Day. Hosted on Acast.

It’s Christmas Eve and we’re sitting down with a glass of champagne to listen to the Queen’s (Lennie) speech. We're joined by some of our lovely listeners from around the world to hear about their Christmas traditions and answer their questions. We cover everything from Christmas games, desserts, roast potatoes, mulled wine, cocktails, oven space hacks and the age old debate of Yorkshire puddings at Christmas! Plus you may hear from a few friends of the podcast along the way, including Cheryl, Kadiff Kirwan, Benny Blanco & more. Wishing all of our fabulous listeners (and watchers!) a very Merry Christmas wherever you are! Hosted on Acast.

We have the thriller King joining us this week, international bestseller, Harlan Coben! You’ll find all his books in stores worldwide, and now his TV series are taking the world by storm on Netflix. His latest series 'Run Away’ also stars multiple previous guests of the podcast (James Nesbitt, Ruth Jones & Minnie Driver), and it’s gripping from start to the end! Mum was in love with Harlan from the moment he walked through the door. We discussed his writing process, his love of Bruce Springsteen, growing up in New Jersey and his mum being a terrible cook, writing ‘Gone Before Goodbye’ with Reese Witherspoon, his iconic Thanksgiving bagel party, and how his lead character Myron Bolitar is very much based on himself! Harlan’s new series ‘Run Away’ is released globally on Netflix on 1st January - don’t miss it! Hosted on Acast.

We have chef & Instagram sensation John Gregory-Smith on the podcast this week! John brought round the most delicious monkfish curry and beef coconut rice from his brand new traybake cookbook, and mum made a gorgeous pear and chocolate tart for pud. We laughed non-stop with John - he told us about training to cook with Gordon Ramsey, his absolute love of Christmas, how to make the perfect festive gravy, eating his way round the Middle East, the ultimate kitchen gadgets, when Delia Smith introduced him to pesto, and why East 17 play a very important part in his family’s Christmas traditions! Thank you for the most delicious lunch John, that recipe is absolutely going straight on the regular meal list! John’s brand new cook book ‘The Greatest Traybake Cookbook ever’ is released on the 29th January, and available to pre-order now! Hosted on Acast.

The absolutely divine Da’Vine Joy Randolph joins us on the podcast this week! The Oscar winning actress joined us in the midst of her global promo run for the brand new film Eternity, which coincidentally also stars friends of the podcast Callum Turner & Elisabeth Olsen! Da’Vine has to be one of our most foodie guests, we could have talked about eating and drinking for hours. We also discovered that London feels like her second home, that she has a seltzer water addiction, that she loves a sticky toffee pudding, what filming The Holdovers was like and she reveals that she has dumped men over their bad food choices at restaurants! This is surely the first of many meals we’ll share with Da’Vine, what a lovely lunchtime treat! Eternity is out in cinemas in the USA now, and UK on the 5th December. Hosted on Acast.

We have star of stage and screen, acting legend and national treasure Bill Nighy joining us on the podcast this week! Fresh from creating his brand new podcast ‘ill advised by Bill Nighy’ - where he is an agony uncle - we sat down with Bill for lunch. Mum even made his favourite dish - pasta puttanesca. We found out that Bill was a Mod in his youth, how he feels about the success of Love Actually, the time he scammed tourists on the streets of Paris, why he prefers to eat meals alone and how he must add as much spice as possible to every meal he eats! What a total delight to have a meal with Bill, we could have chatted for hours and hours. Bill’s fabulous podcast ‘ill advised by Bill Nighy' is available to listen to everywhere now. Hosted on Acast.

In a first ever for the podcast, this week both mum & I managed to forget to cook…Fortunately our guest Josh Widdicombe was actually stuck on a train during a tube strike and we had time to get it all sorted. When Josh finally made it to my house, we covered everything from how 'The Last Leg' was formed, his thoughts on school events, WhatsApp groups, eating his parents famous ‘Hippy Stew’, spicy food and how it’s his role at home to keep a tight control on the fridge! We also heard all about how he put together his brand new comedy tour ‘Not My Cup of Tea’ which is on the road until May 2026. It sounds brilliant, you don’t want to miss it! Thank you Josh for schlepping up from Devon, we loved having you join us. Hosted on Acast.

On this week's episode we welcome musician and songwriter, Marcus Mumford! We chatted to Marcus in the lead up to brand new Mumford & Sons music and what sounds like an incredible 2026 for the band. Over steak tagliata, we talked about performing at Glastonbury, living in Devon, surfing in Malibu, the church his parents set up, his beloved Wimbledon AFC, and we hear all about Taylor Swift using his studio in Devon to finish her album. Thank you Marcus for travelling across the country to join us for dinner, wishing you all the best ❤️ Mumford & Sons’ new album ‘Prizefighter’ is out February 13th, and features collaborations with Gracie Abrams, Chris Stapleton & Hozier. Hosted on Acast.