We're getting festive...and a bit teary

0:00Oh, stop it. You're going to make me cry. Oh my goodness, that's delicious. He's the best, man. He is so cool. He is absolutely gorgeous.

0:17Fabio Sementilli. Big heart, big voice, big laugh. A rock star hairstylist who drove a Porsche. He was like a wizard behind the chair. The killers came for Fabio in his own backyard. You can't rationalize it. You can't figure it out. There was rampant speculation about everything. But every wild theory was wrong. Because the truth was even more unbelievable. Is anyone hearing what I'm hearing? And even more heartbreaking. The uncertainty of not knowing is a form of agony. From Sony Music Entertainment and Novel, This is Cut, Color, Kill. I'm Jonathan Hirsch. Cut, Color, Kill is available now on The Binge.

1:02Search for it wherever you get your podcasts to start listening today. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes, all at once, ad-free.

1:23I went really realistic with my ho-ho-ho. Realistic for what? Yeah, because I hate when people go, ho-ho-ho. I'm like, make it sound as if it's Santa doing it. Ho-ho-ho. Gandalfic. What sort of Santa have you experienced? Hello, little boy. That's really creepy. Is that too bad? Especially with the fingers. Oh, Lord. Yeah, I should have given the fingers a rest.

1:49It's Christmas in the Businessmen's studio. Yes, it is. We have a dawned now tree. with all the latest decorations, baubles, and a modem. Thank you, PT. And all good decoration stores right now. I think it sort of sets off the tree beautifully. I think it's absolutely incredible. Businessmen, Christmasmen more like. Am I right? We are the Christmas men. Yeah. You look fantastic in that shirt, Ben. Thank you. Absolutely wonderful. I love a cord, rust cord jacket. Little ginger cord. You look like a freshly ploughed field. There's some strong ploughing. Yes, man. You look like you're ready to be seeded.

2:27And, um... Ho! Ho! Ho! I just had a need. I wanted to do it again. Sorry, I won't keep doing it. It's not... I think it needs work. Carry on, sorry. It needs work. I won't interrupt. Remember you have a two and a half year old? Yeah, yeah. I'm excited to be Santa this year. You've got to be... But it needs work. Let's not scare him. I don't want to scare him. That is really true. He's very impressionable at this time. Yeah, yeah. I don't want to give him a fear of Santa. Early doors. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah, yeah. But of course, it's an important time for kids to be thinking about what they would like for Christmas.

3:00We are building up this business that will be skincare for business, but also more than that, Joel. Yeah. I think what quite a lot of people have said to us is that they've really enjoyed is the idea that our skincare range and our business that we launch isn't just about looking good, but it's about feeling good. And feeling good comes very much with nice skincare, but also health and wellness. That space, right? Just looking after yourself generally. Yeah. Looking after number one. And if our business is all about men and parents, fathers, sons, brothers, partners, boyfriends, whatever it is, we thought we'd take the opportunity to speak to the next generation, actually probably quite a few generations now, to see what it is that they love about their dads or the significant male influences that they have in their life.

3:52Oh, I love this. So I've gone out. This is such a Christmas cheer vibe. Spoken to some of our most informed listeners, podcast devotees. Do you want to hear what they have to say? Yes, please. You're going to enjoy this. The best thing about my daddy is that we do lots of cuddles together. Best thing about my dad is that he's really funny. The best things about my daddy is when he plays games with me. My favourite thing about my dad's face is that he's always smiling and his beard and he always has a twinkle in his eyes. My favourite thing about my daddy's face is his beard. He's got nice eyes He's got a rough beard that I like And he's got soft hair The thing that makes my dad smile Is when he goes out with his friends to the pub Are we coming home?

4:52Yes mate To see him? I went to a show I went to before with Farty I would ask Santa to give him a hammer Yeah. Um, yeah. All I wanted to bring is a new shirt. A massager? Oh. I really wanted to bring a magic for daddy for Christmas. Magic that makes people see the whole world. Oh wow, that's great. When I grow up, I want to be an illustrator because I love drawing. A police that gives people parking tickets. Milo at the end there that's quite dark Milo Milo a police that gives people parking tickets oh how cute how joyous is that just hearing kids voices talk about their family and their dads oh my god I would cry if I wasn't so broken as a human being I want to go to the show that Milo went to where one of the performers started yes there is nothing more joyous than watching someone at stage We found that out when we watched Celebrity Traitors.

6:01Yes! Celia Rimery. Oh, my God. It's just so joyous. How about what Jesse said? What did Jesse say? My favourite thing about my dad's face is that he's always smiling and his beard and he has a twinkle in his eyes. Thank you to all of those kids. I absolutely love that. To Margot, Jude, Nate, Jesse, Finn, Milo. You are all superstars. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. That's so lovely. it's gorgeous isn't it isn't that just like just like I just not to get too deep on it but I just love being a dad so much oh man it is cool isn't it it's just the best I mean it's fun at the minute because they still think you've got all the answers you wait till they get older but I think we have I think we have a little bonus have we got a little bonus one a little Benny bonus Wild what makes your daddy laugh she made daddy what's your favourite thing about daddy's face is it louder louder what do you think daddy would like for Christmas wild what was that I love you oh stop it you're going to make me cry oh my goodness that's delicious he's the best man he is so cool he's absolutely gorgeous I just love that you can say I love you now Yes.

7:27It's just like the best, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just like, oh, it fills my heart. My heart feels so full. And he still does what you ask him to do and he enjoys doing it, right? Oh, God. I know. And it literally is that point where now I go like, Wild, say this and he'll say it. You know, it's just soaking everything in. It's so pure and beautiful. And he performs for you when you ask him to. Yeah. And he just dances around. gets really exciting wiggles his hips oh man i think it's so interesting because i watch look back so sam's 20 and jack's 18 now but my memories of them being that small and just being filled with so much excitement around christmas and and being able to share that and being able to tap into that and just loving every moment what what's your like can you really remember like what's that feeling in your heart of that time when they were like two and four like when you look back on that time like how do you feel it's sort of a bit overwhelmed really because it's because it just seems to be it felt like it was yesterday and obviously it's it's not but we did things like we filmed we set up a camera we set up a video camera on christmas eve to try and film father christmas right and and with their with their cousin maya who was a year older than sam so sam would have been about four jack would have been two my was five and we set up the video camera and we got footage of father christmas coming in and and the reason we realized that we thought we i've got it was because there was a snowy footprint on the doormat inside and we came downstairs i said sam there's a footprint should we see if the video camera worked and then we got the video camera and the video camera was father christmas coming in saying going up the stairs come back down drinking and then i just i can still see the three of them so excited that we got we got we got we still we got him we've got him because obviously they were fast asleep because kids need to be sleep moments like that that you know you can't i never had any of that sort of stuff like my parents were amazing but we just had time to be able to help them enjoy the magic of christmas was so fabulous and what was the look on their face when they realized that you were lying what do you mean i don't mean it's all real what do you mean i tell you what it's really amazing so we had some lovely German neighbours next door but one Silke and Jern and they had two kids and they do I think I'm right in saying the Germans have Christmas on sort of Christmas Eve and they had this thing and Silke and Jern came around to me and they said uh Ben of the kids will you dress up as Father Christmas we're going to go to the German church service there's a German church near not far from where we are lovely German community and we're going to come home and you'll be at home and what they do is they gave me a a list of things that I had to give to the kids about how they behaved at school and all that and I so I had to essentially break into their house dressed as Father Christmas and sit and wait for them to arrive wow and I'm sitting in the front room just watching everyone walking up and down just like as Father Christmas and they came back and and I was so nervous I was so nervous because I didn't want the kids you know they were just fully involved open the door oh my just I remember the look on their faces when Father Christmas was just stood in the front room and then I had to go through right so you've been doing this and you've been doing that and this has been really good but your teacher says you've got to be a bit more like this and they're just the look on their faces right I'm gonna go now because I've got other children to go and see and I left and I had to walk down the road to my house next door but one still dressed as Father Christmas and going to the front door it was like that look of wonder and joy never ever lost on me that's amazing man it's that uh week because I've just been away for a month and then we just got back and it felt like Christmas getting back because he'd been away from his toys for a month.

11:31So every toy felt like Christmas Day. So just running around, he's got this toy of Woody from Toy Story and he was just like, big Woody, big Woody, big Woody. Did he get that from his dad? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Maybe he'd been on the internet. The joy, man. I'm starting to see, he's just started to find that joy. So what I've seen with the boys, and I kind of look at my dad a little bit like this, you know, when it comes to what we're trying to do, products and grooming products and stuff, my dad shaved. It was all very functional stuff that he had, maybe a bit of Fahrenheit or Dracar Noir and some shaving foam, but he didn't really look after himself at all.

12:11My boys are very different, but they've copied me as they've grown up. They're mums as well. I mean, everybody's got a picture of their kid covered in pseudochrome. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We've got this beautiful picture of Sam with pseudocreme all over his face. It just feels so great and you can't stop. And now they really love it. They look after themselves. Various sort of skin routines and this, that and the other. And I didn't really get much of that from my dad at all. It's because of the business that we ended up in that I've had that experience. Is Wild looking at you a little bit? Is he trying on his mum's creams and bits and pieces like that?

12:44If she's using something in the bathroom, does he want to use? Yeah, so he's very much like, we'll put like a sheet mask on or something like that. And he's just like, dada, mask on, mask on, mask on. And then it's just like, he takes like a mum's makeup brush. It's like, I just love like the idea of teaching him things that I was never taught. Yeah. You know? And not to get too deep about it, but my parents divorced when I was quite young. And so I still saw my dad and stuff. But so I didn't have that sort of father figure growing up. So it's all those cliches. And I don't know whether it's a cliche that I've got in my head that's not actually a real thing.

13:37But so I didn't have someone to teach me how to shave. I didn't have anyone to teach me how to like play football or do those things. So, like, I'm just excited to be able to... Unfortunately, I have a beard, so I don't shave, and I'm really bad at football. So bad examples. But you will be able to share those things with, well... Yeah, I'm excited. And a sibling when they turn up in the spring. Yeah. And they're old enough. And the chaos that ensues having two in the house. Oh, my God. But look, of course, there are lots of traditions around Christmas. Absolutely. In the business world, a Christmas business party is not a Christmas business party without a Secret Santa.

14:18That is very true indeed. And so we've gone ahead and just done a Secret Santa thing, haven't we? Yeah. It's very exciting. I've also, can I say, I've never done Secret Santa before. What? I've never done it. You've really never done it? Because I've never had a job. You've never worked in a business with other people that would be together at Christmas? No. That's a lie. I've done it once. And it was when I worked at MTV and they did a Secret Santa thing. And I think I got it completely wrong because then I wrote on the card that it was for me. That's the only other time I did it and I messed it up.

14:57So this is the first time I've properly done it. Although not strictly a proper Secret Santa. It doesn't really work. There's only two of us. There's only two of us. So it's sort of more of a Santa. It's less secret. it. This is my one. This is so exciting. This is for you. There we go. This is love from Santa. Thank you, Santa. Thanks, Santa, for this. I wonder who's given this to me, secret Santa. What is this? I hope I've got a rust cord jacket. Oh, yeah. Finger lifting. Weight lifting for your finger. Yes. I was looking at you and I was thinking, what's the bit that needs work. It's my stubby fat fingers need honing.

15:45It's weightlifting finger weights. And sorry, I shouldn't... Pump some iron with a mini weight set. This is awesome. I love it. Just in case you want to go up a ring size. Do you know what I mean? I definitely need to go up a ring size. Look at that. Well packaged. I'll say that. There's a little barbell. Oh, man, isn't that satisfying? This is so cool. It's not a bad way to it, actually. I can't... I need some work because I can't get into the packet. Yeah, well, exactly that. It's, you know, they're giving you training. Because if you've got your muscly fingers, this would be light work. That is very satisfying.

16:22Very satisfying. That is satisfying. There's a little... I'll be honest, this is better quality than I thought it was going to be. Little kettlebell. This is fantastic. This is great. 60-gram kettle. Oh, it's fantastic. And look, you've got like a little sweatband for your finger. Oh, hold on. And look, there's routines. Oh my God, there's routines. There's a whole routine. Warm up. Got to stretch. Oh my God. Step two, warm up, stretch. Without proper pre-workout care of your finger muscles, you increase the chance of a major hand injury from anywhere from 1 % to 100%. Got to stretch. Here are three finger lifting warm ups.

17:00Put your finger up. Crack your fingers. Oh, can you crack your fingers? I can't do it. Oh, actually, I can do my thumbs. I can do my thumbs. Oh, just a little bit of air popping. Yeah. And then get to work. Now you're tailed off and you're ready to stretch. This is, oh, man. There's a hang and snatch, a Frankenstein squat. Oh, my God. A jerk dip squat. Oh, and hold on. Yeah, put that on. It's a little headband for you. Sweatband. Sweaty. Don't want to have sweaty thumbs. Sweatband for your thumb. And then there's even some weights to go. Oh, Joel, I love it. What a present. I don't mean Joel. I don't know who it's from.

17:35Santa. It's secret. I cannot wait to see your beefy fingers next week in 2026. Look at this. Rise it up. Back on the dead. To my man took my chances. It's the eye of the tiger. It's the thrill of the fight. Oh, yeah. Rise it up. Even the little finger is going to be, your little finger is going to look like a big finger. Jeez, this little finger is going to get some hardcore action. Yes. Here we go, Santa. Sorry, I just hit it. Hopefully it's not fragile.

18:11I'm getting a very sweaty thumb. I'm going to take my headband off, my thumbband off. Oh, my God, I'm excited for this. Oh.

18:20Oh, my God, I love it. A seven-day face mask. It's like sheet masks, but they're all different animals. Yes. I love this. And then a proper mask. Oh, my God. Is that Ben Shepard? I know. It's slightly unnerving, isn't it? It's a very strange thing. With a French crop. With a French crop. And a black eye. Why have you got to... For the people who are listening, it is a face mask of Ben Shepard. It's really distressing, isn't it? You can actually buy that. Put it on. Yes, please. The thing that worries me about this is, not only is it an awful picture, but I... Why have you got the black eye? I'll tell you what this is from.

19:04I was boxing and I was training for a boxing fight and that was inspiring and I got the black eye and then I went on Loose Women. And I think it's a picture that was taken from there that happened to be used by the business you can go online and someone does it. No, you've got the birthday card you got me. It's really odd looking at me now. But that is one that is... I've got a black eye. I know. This is the problem, right, with what we do for a living. we have no say over what pictures people pick online to have that right, there's now a picture of you looking like sort of, you know slightly demented especially without your eyes but I want you to keep that and whenever you're questioning a decision a life decision, you turn to me and you think what would Ben do the picture that is used so much of me on so many references right online is of me and again it was from loose women yes what is it about those right and i did a segment on loose women where they came to me and they said we're talking about male makeup this is actually really relevant for what we're doing and it's like men are starting to wear makeup this is actually relevant oh my god what's actually what's going on and uh they um they had a thing where i talked to them in my normal little bit of makeup that i would have on the show or whatever a bit of powder and then um then later on i came back on the show and i had a full face of proper full-on makeup yeah and some they have a photo of me on that as if that's just me on the show and so i look insane i look insane full face of makeup right and that is the photo that is used so much of me and there's no reference to it being about makeup it's just like look at Joel looked like this is him, and he looks awful.

20:54And that's what's used. Is it that one? Is it from that? The worst thing is, it's not even that one. That's the worst thing. All right, let's have a look. All right, Joel Domet. Yes, yes, it's that one. Look at me. Look how much makeup I have on. Look how much makeup I've got on, and that's the one they use all the time. And that's one that pops up. Because he loves a bit of foundation, that Domet. Yes, please, reindeer. Reindeer, I'm putting reindeer on. Have you ever had awful Christmas presents that you don't really know what to do? I don't. I don't. The thing is, I really struggle with Christmas because all I want is my present is to spend time with the family and all of that stuff.

21:38And I'm really bad at presents. My wife is so thoughtful and really great at presents. And I really love giving a gift to her. But I genuinely think once you become an adult, it should be about giving presents to children. Why? Why am I buying a present for my brother? What is going on? We all need to stop. We all need to, like, draw a line under it. Why? I don't want a present for my mum. But you can. I'm 40. You're allowed to say that. Yeah, but, like, my way of bringing it up is to talk about it on a podcast. I'm too scared. Put the reindeer on, please. Put the reindeer on. Oh, my God. I love it.

22:22This is great. I might have to put one on as well. What do you want? Which one do you want? Do you want zebra? You put dog on. You put dog on. Actually, no, you put tiger on because you've got a tiger jacket. Oh, yeah, tiger jacket. This is good. Oh, my God. I'm going to look so shiny. These are great, aren't they? I was hoping they'd be good. I didn't think they'd be this good. This is fantastic. I just needed a bit of moisture mid-podcast. Mid-podcast moisturising. This is fantastic. I don't know if I were about to rob a bank. That one weirdly suits you. Does it? Yeah. Does it go with my jacket?

23:01It goes perfectly. They are very hydrating, aren't they? Your little hair just popping out of the top. I find sheet masks really difficult because they don't stick to my beard. Oh, I see. Yes, because I was wondering why it's dangling. Like, you've got a skirt on. This is my sheet mask skirt. And it's, so I have to cut my sheet mask. Sometimes people do half masks. But the annoying thing is, is that, and this is the annoying thing that I also find with facials, right? I'm paying the same amount that someone would pay for a full face, but they're only doing half of my face. You've only got half your face.

23:33And so often what I have to do is I have to put it up like that. That looks even strange. That looks even weirder. I quite like it, though. It's got a sort of a more of a, you're less reindeer, more sort of vole. Thank you. My, I used to, I'm really bad at getting presents that I don't really like or don't really want. Because I'm similar to you. I really don't mind if you don't. I just love being around everybody and having a lovely time. Please don't worry about buying me anything. My sister once bought me a wardrobe air freshener. A wardrobe air freshener? Like when she's telling you something with that.

24:08Your cupboard stinks. You need to let your cupboards air, man. I can remember thinking, but this was at a time, I was a teenager at the time. So she probably had, like, she was bang on, I'm sure. My cupboard wasn't smelling particularly nice. Christmas, you didn't get, like, I cared back then about getting presents. My birthday's quite close to Christmas as well, so people often used to do that thing where I'd go, oh, we'll give you one present for Christmas on your birthday. It's just not fair. It's not fair. People born in December, you've got to do two separate presents. and it was the one chance you got something cool and she gave me a wardrobe air freshener.

24:41I've never forgiven her. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And since then, have her presents got any better? Well, I gave her a good, I sort of explained that that was not all right. That's not okay. You need to up your game. Yeah, and then she started giving me sweets after that. That's good. I got sweets every year. I'll take sweets. Yeah, old fashioned sort of penny sweet type things. Oh, really? So she sort of rescued it over the years but that's the one present that still to this day annoys me that she at the age of 14 or 13 or 12 whatever it was she gave me a wardrobe freshener I mean that's really effective I don't think I've ever seen you this angry I just I just like yeah you've just got a stuffy cupboards well I didn't after that I did use it that's actually the thing I thought about when I first went to your house I was like oh my god Ben You have incredible smelling cupboards.

25:35They have a freshness and a fragrance that is enviable in the whole of southwest London. As an adult, life's more complicated. So when someone says, what do you want? I just find it so difficult to not say, can someone just please pay the mortgage? Just for a month. That'll do. Like something. Just contribute. Just contribute something. Well, I can turn around, yeah. To my livelihood. To my teenage son. Do you want to? Just make your bed. Just, yes. Put your clothes in the wash basket, not on the floor by the wash basket. Yeah. Like genuinely don't think the world only exists in a three sort of foot window around you.

26:16There is, that would be lovely. That would be nice. That's your present. That's your present from your sons is to put your washing away. Just put the washing away. Yeah, that's what I like. I like things like stuff, like buy me an experience. Like say something like his, you know, a voucher that says I will put my washing away I will do the dishwasher ten times I love that stuff yes that's a great thing yes a voucher book that I can give to him that he has to give to me yes that's good it's good I mean it's I was going to say it's passive aggressive it's just aggressive aggressive yeah yeah yeah there's nothing passive about it is it no just improve your behaviour tidy up after yourself it's basically a book that says be a better son do as I do not as I say yeah we did have a I had a conversation the other day because he's teaching at his old school and he's teaching kids from about four up to 11 or 12.

27:05I said, oh, they're so annoying, Dad. I said, what do you mean they're annoying? He said, because you have to ask them over and over again to do something and they just don't do it. Really? And I said, are you, so what's the thing? Well, if they get up, they don't put their chair in under the desk. They've got to put their chairs in. And they've got an answer for everything. So every time you're, they've got an answer for everything. I'm like, well, they don't put the chair in. So he said, how does that feel when you ask them to do something that they just don't do? oh it's really it really gets frustrating because it's such a simple thing to do it's not I'm not asking them to do much this is great and I just sit there going yeah wow that's real at no point that's so good at no point but is there any self-awareness to go oh hold on that's a little bit like me isn't it that's so good and I'm desperately trying not to laugh and my wife's going don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh he's on a jet yeah well and this morning he's gone to work this morning because we're recording this on a Friday he's gone to work But room's an absolute tit, right?

28:01Room's an absolute tit. And I know that he's going to be moaning about the kids at school because their cloakroom will be a tit when they haven't put the chairs under the table and they don't listen to me, Dad. I have to tell them five times. You know, sometimes, though, I've ever thought about the fact that maybe the reason that he doesn't listen to you is because look at you right now. You've got a tiger mask on your face. I'll tell you what, he'd take me more seriously with this on than he does usually. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the truth. That's the problem. I love the scope of this episode.

28:30We've gone for essentially you playing in a voice note from my son and me crying to me looking like a reindeer with a face mask on. Well, this has been a fabulous Christmas episode, Joel Dummett. It's absolutely been wonderful, Ben. I've really enjoyed it. I'm right in the Christmas cheer. Feliz Navidad! That is a wrap on 2025. Can I just tell you something really quick? Small story. for the Christmas episode of Mars Singer. It was out on Boxing Day. Very exciting. And my intros to all the judges were Christmas-related. So I'd be like, let it moe, let it moe, let it moe. And my one for Davina, I was really happy with it.

29:10I was just like, oh, I'm going to go, Feliz Davina. Feliz Davina. That works beautifully. Feliz Davina. And then it peters out like that. and it got taken out because they were like oh yeah it's not I don't think people will get it what? I was like that's what are you talking about? they don't think people will get it Felice Davina but you and you sell it I the point is like everything that I do Ben I will sell it you sell the hell out of it no matter how bad it is I will sell that thing vlog Felice Davina yeah oh we should sing that to her today we will sing Felice Davina did you get to do it then?

29:51No, they replaced it with something else. They replaced it with something like chestnuts. I'm walking on Davina. Yeah, yeah. I'm walking on Davina. I'm flying through Davina's hair. So that's Boxing Day, Masked Singer. Boxing Day, Masked Singer. That'll be fantastic. Oh, hey, big news. What's the news? Summit has been announced. Yes, the summit is coming out. Can we talk about that? In February sometime, hopefully. Very excited for the summit. Exactly, but finally, having filmed it a year and a half ago. Oh, my God, I'm so excited for that. So January is going to be big for us. The 6th of January, we're going to be back looking ahead to the new year, discussing our resolutions, what our plans are, market trends for 2026, Joel, as well.

30:39We've been looking at that. And recapping some of the best tips that we've had from some of our amazing guests. Love that. I cannot wait. I cannot wait. It's been a fantastic 2025 and I'm excited to explore 2026 with you, Ben. Can you take me seriously with a radio face? I can definitely take it. Actually, I take it more seriously. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Finally. We've tapped into the business, by any way. This is it. I can be whoever I want to be. I can be a serious CEO of a company with a mask on like this.