The world became a less funny place when it lost the comedy genius of Tony Slattery in January 2025. He is deeply missed - especially by his friend of 41 years, Helen Lederer. This is another chance to rejoice in their friendship that dealt with everything including - literally - the kitchen sink. Why did he send her bouquet saying 'whoops'? Why did she ask everyone at her party for Germolene? Why did they play tennis on a hotel roof in Egypt? And who actually dropped the vase on Going for A Son...
Aug 20, 2025•24 min•Season 3Ep. 9
ENCORE! The Emma Freud and Richard Coles Friendship File kicked off Series Two (in 2021 lockdown, as you’ll hear). They met at the beginning of their TV careers - he was a pop star, she was interviewing people in a double-bed and both were new to the job. Here they reveal a secret fake wedding ceremony, offering an illustrious classical composer class A drugs and why it’s better to be pretty than clever. It is a totally irresistible portrait of a friendship. They’ve both experienced a lot since ...
Aug 07, 2025•22 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Remember being little and wanting your best friend to be with you forever? What if that dream came true? Hannah Begbie met Melissa Case on their first day of a new school. They grew up together and shared everything. But when most friends go off to start separate families, Hannah and Melissa became each other's. Discover their fascinating story in this special episode celebrating the International Day of Friendship . Hannah drew on her extraordinary friendship with Melissa in her latest novel, T...
Jul 30, 2025•31 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Was it Kylie Minogue or cold Christmas pudding in the dark that did it? Does she still have the scars? Will he be eaten by cats? What about that fork? Sorry might be the hardest word. After nearly 30 years, Stewart and Gwen reveal all. Listen now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 16, 2024•26 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Two girls meet in the middle of a Cambridge quad. One looks like a movie star; one had a movie director for a dad. Both would bring history to life in different ways. Daisy Goodwin is a TV producer, screenwriter, best-selling novelist and the creator of the global hit show, Victoria . Her friend Emma Fearnhamm has had a long and brilliant career as a history teacher and head of Sixth Form. Over forty years of friendship - who is the communicator, who is the wardrobe co-ordinator, who is the terr...
Jul 22, 2024•25 min•Season 3Ep. 5
A Year Two impressed a Year One by standing up to his sister. Now they impress each other in different ways - an award-winning musician and one of London's most successful dance party organisers. Ssega and Nick - a friendship with an extraordinary soundtrack. Ssega is the musician and artist Love Ssega < https://lovessega.com >, original frontman-songwriter of Grammy-winning group, Clean Bandit, and also founder of Black-led clean air movement LIVE + BREATHE < https:// weliveandbreathe....
Jun 21, 2024•22 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Why did two young actors bring a rehearsal to a dead stop? What began this friendship of in-jokes, money-making schemes suggested and rejected, ex-girlfriends comforted and meals cooked? Oh - and does she actually like skiing? Listen to Laura and Simon uncover the friendship of a lifetime. Laura Shavin is an actress, presenter and voice artist - find out more here https://fvo1.com/voice-over-samples/ . Her podcast, The Offcuts Drawer talks to writers about their unpublished work. Find that here ...
May 30, 2024•23 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Who knew that this intense schoolgirl would become one of the world’s most successful crime writers? Ann Cleeves - creator of the Vera , Shetland and Two Rivers novels - and her friend, Sue Beardshall, reveal the inside story of nearly 60 years of friendship. Why is bread so important? Who has got stuck in The Woodyard? And what is the problem with the dog? Pre order The Dark Wives , Ann's thrilling new mystery, a DI Vera Stanhope novel (as seen on ITV's Vera ) here . Find out more about all Ann...
May 15, 2024•24 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Comedy legends Helen Lederer and Tony Slattery's 41-year friendship has dealt with everything including - literally - the kitchen sink. Why did he send her bouquet saying 'whoops'? Why did she ask everyone at her party for Germolene? Why did they play tennis on a hotel roof in Egypt? And who actually dropped the vase on Going for A Song ? Find out in the first of our new series of irresistable friendships. Find details of Helen's brilliant memoir, Not That I'm Bitter here and her Comedy Women in...
May 01, 2024•24 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Aaaaand ... we're back with more friends answering 17 questions about each other - recording on their own and without conferring. Here's a taster. Plus, we reveal which amazing friends start us off in our first episode - coming soon. Have a listen to the trailer to find out who it is. iHk5skcyiznW25KSM9Dz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 25, 2024•2 min
Six years ago, a young man climbed off a tiny boat onto a Greek beach. He was clutching his shoes and could only say one thing to the woman holding out her arms to him: "Are we safe now?" It was the start of something no one could have predicted. The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 25, 2021•24 min
On the steps of a politics tutorial there was an accusation. "You don't know anything about me." That changed. There was a roast chicken involved. More than one. This is the story of thirty years of mutual support ... and insults! t · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 18, 2021•27 min
Five key things come up again and again as our friends talk about each other and their relationships. Five things that could make a difference to our own friendships. In this short mid-season special, find out what the friends are trying to tell us. The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 11, 2021•9 min
"I am the reason she always carries snacks in her handbag." "She is like a dance I know all the moves to." Two young women guiding each other through life, creating a strong, honest, playful relationship as they do it. The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 04, 2021•23 min
Catherine Carr and Louise Halling met as students and bonded over dodgy sign language. They have been talking ever since. Find out how they've helped create - literally and figuratively - each other's life story. The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 24, 2021•25 min
Martin Plimmer and Michael Magenis met on a bus or over a bottle of vodka ... no one is sure. What is certain is they were destined to go places together neither would have reached alone. They became The Men Who Know, sharing 24-hour schnapps-fuelled writing sessions, prank calls to the BeeGees, performances with Eartha Kitt and being sung off stage to the death march - but, above all, an extraordinary friendship. The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...
Feb 18, 2021•25 min
Emma Freud and Richard Coles met at the beginning of their TV careers - he was a pop star, she was interviewing people in a double bed and both were new to the job. They just clicked. In the first of a new Friendship File series, they reveal a secret fake wedding ceremony, offering an illustrious classical composer class A drugs and why it’s better to be pretty than clever. And, as you'll hear, even after 35 years they can still surprise each other. The Friendship File · The Friendship File Host...
Feb 11, 2021•22 min
The Friendship File is back - two friends recording answers to 17 questions, on their own and without conferring. Each episode combines those answers. The results are surprising, funny, moving, weird, life-affirming and, usually, a bit of a revelation. We start with brilliant UK broadcasters, Emma Freud and pop-star turned Reverend, Richard Coles - friends for over three decades but who, it turns out, can still raise each other's eyebrows! The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acas...
Feb 09, 2021•2 min
What was it like the first time you spoke? Has doing The Friendship File made a difference? What have you learned? In this Series One finale, our friends reveal what happened next. The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 12, 2020•27 min
These girls seem like chalk and cheese but they share one thing - they're both misfits. Their connection leads to an enduring friendship no one could have predicted. The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 27, 2020•20 min
Two very different boys lose touch after school. Both are on the path to success when chance brings them back together to create a friendship that becomes essential to both their lives. The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 13, 2020•25 min
Two women connect in church. Both from a small town, they each have big dreams. Can they make those dreams a reality? www.thefriendshipfile.com · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 02, 2020•17 min
College roommates end up on opposite sides of the world. How can you be there for each other when you're so far apart? The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 22, 2020•20 min
In bedrooms 500 miles apart, two nerds discover a virtual connection. Could it ever become a real world friendship? The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 15, 2020•21 min
There was an argument by a swimming pool. Or was there? Either way there was football, food, yoga ... and a friendship that would become more important than anyone could ever have imagined. The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 08, 2020•22 min
Two very clever - and very different - girls. One song that suddenly bridges the gap. The Friendship File · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 20, 2020•16 min
Two determined, ambitious boys dislike each other on sight. But then ... things begin to change. The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 12, 2020•12 min
A 13-year-old cuckoo arrives in another 13-year-old's nest. A machete is involved. Surely these two will never be friends? www.thefriendshipfile.com · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 06, 2020•16 min
A lecturer and a student hit it off. A meeting of creative minds. But what happens after graduation? www.thefriendshipfile.com · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 04, 2020•19 min
Navigating the maze of 21st Century life? What you need is a friend with a ball of string and a megaphone … and a bottle of really good wine. www.thefriendshipfile.com · The Friendship File Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 30, 2020•19 min
