Our guest today is Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a great-great-great grandson of Queen Victoria, cousin of Prince Phillip, descendant of Russian Tsars and of Pushkin, and the second son of David, the late Marquess of Milford Haven, who was Prince Philip's best man at his wedding to Princess Elizabeth in 1947. Lord Ivar tells Gyles about his complex and fascinating lineage, and he also tells him about growing up in a grand house "like Downton Abbey", surrounded by servants and with a mother who was lazy, uninterested in her children and too posh to pack her own suitcase. He talks about the death of his father when he was only 7, and about his relationship with his Great Uncle, Louis Mountbatten, who was eventually assassinated in 1979. Ivar talks about his schooldays and tells Gyles some great stories about holidaying with Queen Elizabeth II. He talks about his sexuality, about meeting and marrying his wife, and about how he eventually gained the courage to come out as gay and begin a new life with his now husband, James Coyle. And he talks about appearing on the US version of the Traitors!

This is a fascinating snapshot of life in the English aristocracy, and an honest account of coming out as gay when you're a member of one of the most famous families in the world.

Enjoy this.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sun is out and our guest this week is a ray of sunshine. It's the unique British comic actress and fashion icon Su Pollard. In this brilliant conversation, Su tells Gyles about her childhood in Nottingham, how she got the bug for performing when she was still in the infants and used to go to school dressed in wild outfits that made her look like a morris dancer. He hears about her parents, Don and Hilda, how her father liked to garden in his shirt and tie and their impressive work ethic. He hears about Su's first boyfriend, her first professional role and her first meeting with the Queen. And he hears about Hi-de-Hi and how Su sometimes answers the front door as Peggy. This is a unique conversation with one of the true originals of British showbiz.

Su is currently on a nationwide tour called "Still Fully Charged". Tickets and info available from supollardlive.com.

Enjoy this.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.