Emily Atack on The Inbetweeners, Unwanted DMs and Nobody’s Fool

17:46Romesh Ranganathan:Do I think it's fair that you don't have kids at your wedding? Yeah. 100%. Yeah, okay, fine. Yeah, it's your wedding. And people... It's your wedding. Welcome to me there. It's your wedding, honey. But I'm surprised at how many people are actually really happy about that. I thought I'd get a lot of people kicking off about that. But everyone's like, no, fuck those kids. I've got to be honest with you. I think that when you're a parent, you feel like you're duty bound to take your kids wherever you go. If somebody says to you, you're not allowed to bring your kids, that you have basically been given a ticket to have a break from them.

18:16Oh, good.

18:17Romesh Ranganathan:And you've got no choice. Fine. Officially. Say, for example, if I'm talking about coming to your wedding, right? And I'm telling a friend, I went to Emily's wedding. Emily and I was great, blah, blah, blah. You really want to come, don't you? Yeah, I do. And then they said, did you take the kids? If I go, no, because they said they didn't want kids at the wedding, that's fine. If I go, no, Lisa and I wanted to have a good time, so we fucked them off. There's a judgment there. So we've done a good thing. You've done a great thing. By removing that, yeah. Do I think that's completely undermined by you getting married abroad?

18:46Romesh Ranganathan:Yeah. My brother got married in Cyprus. Yeah. And I don't think I started doing comedy. Maybe I just started doing comedy, but Lisa and I were teaching at the time. We didn't have any money. And we struggled to get there. We struggled to afford to get there. And then it was like the breakfast was all you can eat and we would stuff Lisa's hamburger with stuff for lunch. But my brother's wife is Greek Cypriot origin. That's why they got married in Cyprus. And she told us that a tradition at the wedding was to staple money to the bride's dress. Okay. And I said, how about I staple my airline tickets?

19:26Romesh Ranganathan:because we've had to fucking fly here. If you think you're getting more money, you are absolutely dreaming. Yeah. This is the thing. It does create some controversy, especially with my hen do as well. And I've always done, I wrote sketches taking the piss out of hen do's as well, going, why am I transferring 1 ,624 quid to a girl called Bex that I don't fucking know? Like, oh yeah, so we're going to do archery, but if you could transfer me that 1 ,625 pounds please and I'm like who the fuck are you I know it's mad isn't it it is mad but again I'm trying to I don't actually know what's happening on my head at all it's all a surprise but you've got a history of partying yes does that mean that this is going to be like the one last big hurrah I fucking hope so I get annoyed every year on my birthday that I don't have a stripper so like I'm sitting there waiting I'm waiting I'm up for it I'm ready and it never happens so if I don't have a fucking stripper on my hen do there's going to be so you want strippers strippers I want a stripper I want I want a big beefcake man to come out and show me a really great time and squirt cream on me and all of that I think it's very different for a woman to say they want a stripper at their hen do than it is for a man to say they want a stripper at their I know everyone's uncomfortable in here No, I'm not uncomfortable.

20:48Romesh Ranganathan:But I just think like when you think about a woman with a stripper, the woman's laughing and it's like fun and there's cream flying everywhere and there's a dance and everyone's screaming and it's funny. When it's a man, it's that, isn't it? Yeah. It's different. It's a different energy. It's the stereotype being flipped. I don't think it's as fun. Yeah. I think it's seedier do you know what I mean? I want a stripper that sounds fun and I will say it until the cows come home it could be a magic mic show I want it you want to be like he does a back flip and he lands on you on the chair and I want to put money in his little thong do you know we actually we got a stripper for my sister's hen do and that was a big surprise but it was like we didn't think it through because it was like and it was during covid times and it was it was when you were just allowed do you remember that like oh those rules were so weird but you were just allowed 30 people in the garden at that point and if you had a stripper it had to be a substantial meal didn't it so it couldn't be cream it had to be like a scotch egg or something bigger yes yeah and i can't remember the rules exactly so yeah so we we hired the stripper and it was like but it was it was so weird because it was like all my aunts and like and it wasn't you know it wasn't all our young friends it was like all my aunts and a mum one it was like a mum aunt hen do in my mum's back garden and we still were like no we've got to have a stripper it would be so funny and he came in and because it was covid times he just had nothing but a mask on he just had a covid mask coming in doing the thong song on my sister and I was like oh my god this and like my auntie maw was like rubbing lotion on his back going lovely yeah good good and I'm like don't put this online because oh my god it really makes me think when you hear stories like that it really makes me think we didn't understand viral transfer at all yeah yeah the guy is completely I think the second round of covid started in that back garden

22:57Romesh Ranganathan:now you're doing a brand new tv show yes nobody's full yes uh tell us all about well you and Danny dyer hosting yeah do you know what it was so fun so we so it's it's a group of contestants they've never met before and they're in this house a very kind of posh old english you know style house like a rivals type gaff and um they all get uh given these tasks and it's not about how and that they're all from different walks of life some of them there's like one or two of them from eton um one or two of them literally not even been out of university for very long you know and all different age ranges and everything and different abilities, different skills.

23:37And it's not about how smart they are, but it's about how smart they can convince their peers that they are.

23:44Romesh Ranganathan:Because they do a quiz in secret, right? Yeah. So I've got this secret pod quiz room where they do secret quizzes, but they can lie about how they did in that quiz room to the other contestants. so it's about kind of like blagging it and faking it till you make it that sort of thing and proving that you don't necessarily have to be a bookworm to be super intelligent you can maybe play off each other and you can lie and tell a few white lies to make people think that you're smarter than you are and that could actually get you further in the game so yeah it sounds really complicated but when you watch it it's so fun.

24:26Romesh Ranganathan:It feels like it's got loads of elements to it because obviously you've got the quiz element and then you've got them sort of lying to each other. Yes. And then, you know, they're all deciding between themselves who they think is like the dud. Yes. So it's kind of, it's kind of traitors-y. Yes. Who wants to be a millionaire? Yeah, yeah. It's so fun. And it's, we, me and Dad, we accidentally call it the holiday when we talk about filming it. And we go, I'm on the holiday. Oh no, when we were filming because it was so fun and we were filming at the pig, we were at the pig in Canterbury and it was two weeks of just hilariousness.

25:03Danny is so funny. Obviously, I know him from Rivals really well and we've developed a great friendship. He is so funny. He makes me actually piss myself laughing and we had a ball. It was great.

25:19Romesh Ranganathan:How do you find sort of hosting something like that? Because that's kind, it's a, you're trying to get across the concept of the show. Yeah. they've booked you and Danny because of the skills and the personality that you bring to it. How hard do you find that kind of thing? I quite like hosting. I feel quite powerful when I host. It's nice to be involved in something like that, but there's no stakes for you. Yeah, exactly. Yes, just in the hotel afterwards. And obviously you have to, like, feign empathy for the contestants, but you don't really give a fuck, do you? No, you just go and get pissed in the bar afterwards, yeah.

25:53Sort of standing there shaking hungover most days. No, not at all. But yeah, no, it's super fun. You've got all the power and all the... But we became really kind of engrossed in it. And I actually get very emotional at the end. I'm quite an emotional person anyway. But yeah, it was really interesting. And with hosting, I don't find it easy. I wouldn't say it's like the thing that I'm mainly really good at. but I do enjoy it definitely and especially doing it with someone that you can bounce off like I've done a lot of stuff with Joel Domit I love Joel and like if you're with someone that you can have a laugh

26:37Romesh Ranganathan:a lot of people don't realise this about Joel actually and I'm not asking you to comment on this but he obviously he trades on being quite a nice guy but he's a horrible prick isn't he he's a complete yeah complete utter and I don't I'm saying that and I don't think that's being I don't think that's being disloyal because like no No, because what I'm saying is what he does on TV is great. It's like, hi, guys. All of that's great, but he's a fucking horrible piece of shit. Horrible bastard. I mean, like, his views on the hotel protest are some of the most shocking things I've ever... And I remember him saying to me...

27:16Are you Kipinny?

27:17Romesh Ranganathan:I remember him saying, I'm really struggling to fit in the masked singer around painting all these roundabouts. Oh, my God. It's a nightmare. Oh, God. Oh, Joel Lee. To be clear, Joel's a great guy. He is so lovely. Yeah, publicly. Yeah.

27:40Romesh Ranganathan:This episode is brought to you by Lidl. As any good vegan or plant-based Don knows, it's very difficult to find good vegan food at good prices. There's a little bit of a vegan tax going on. You go and find the thing that you're after. For example, you look for some vegan sausages, and suddenly the vegan sausages are much more expensive expensive than regular meat sausages, which I think is an absolute travesty. Shopping for a family means you have to search high and low for quality vegan food. You know the drill. I'm trying to convince my children to be more plant-based. You want good quality vegan food so they're not rinsing you at the dinner table.

28:10Romesh Ranganathan:It can be embarrassing if you say this is really good and then they taste it and they say it tastes like you found it. It's a big problem. You also have to make sure you're getting the stuff that meets the dietary needs and pickiness of the whole family. One of our children, for example, only eats three things, and one of those three things he won't eat if it's the wrong colour. Thankfully, your saviour in this exact situation is none other than Lidl. If you're always searching for those plant-based goodies, Lidl has got you covered with a whole assortment of fruit and veg, plus your Linda McCartney burgers, corn sausages and nuggets.

28:41Romesh Ranganathan:I nearly said nuggies. But I haven't forgotten the kids either, with everything from mini baby bells to fresh fruit smoothies and freezer favourites for fussy eaters. And that is alliteration. nail the weekly shopping for the whole house at Lidl Lidl, more to value Legally, we can't say drinking Storm makes you smarter and more focused but with zero sugar, 200mg of caffeine and immunity support you're smarter and more focused for drinking Storm Storm, good energy in, good energy out energy for life So good, so good, so good New markdowns up to 70 % off are at Nordstrom Rack stores now Stock up and stay big on shoes, tops, dresses, accessories and more must-haves for summer.

29:24Romesh Ranganathan:Join the Nordic Club to unlock exclusive discounts, shop new arrivals first and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favourite rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack.

29:41Romesh Ranganathan:You're kind of, we talked about your hosting, you're a bit of a, not a bit, you're a polymath, right? acting, presenting. This is how I see you in this light. It's an interesting kind of thing, isn't it? Because I think as a woman, without banging that drum too much, as a woman, I find it really... I love doing it all, but it's hard to get people on side when you're doing it all. I think it's difficult. I do think it's without being patronising. For men too. No, but I think it's more difficult for women than it is for men. Yes, yes, yeah. but I enjoy doing it all I really do and I think yeah and it's good it's good to sort of just add strings to your bow isn't it and then and just like try something and if you don't like it just don't do it it's like with with stand-up comedy everyone sort of went when I said I was going to do that everyone was like what the fuck are you joking you know literally hopefully but no are you joking yeah yeah but I I come from a a family of comedians So to me, it didn't feel too random to do that at all.

30:48You know, I'd done the in-betweeners and I've worked in comedy for years. So for me, it didn't feel too random. But when I remember the first night I went out.

30:57Romesh Ranganathan:This is part of the TV show, just going out. This was just going out. So I did The Jungle. And then whilst I was in The Jungle, so my plan was to write. I wanted to do a one-woman show. I didn't initially call it a stand-up routine. I just wanted to do an evening with you. An evening with, yeah. I wanted people to sort of see who I was as a person a little bit more and everything. And so the plan was to sell a few more tickets by being in the jungle and, you know, hoping that when I came out, people might have bought some tickets. I did the other person who did that, Notorious Arsehole Joel Domet.

31:29Oh, God. What a... I know. God, we're going to have to get him, aren't we? But no, he actually gave me a lot of good advice. when I came out, he introduced me to Steve Dunn, who helped me write. Well, because I came out of the jungle and I'd sold out the entire show and I hadn't even written it yet. So I was like, oh my God. I mean, that's being a stand-up. No, yeah. And then I got put in touch with Steve Dunn and then we wrote Talk 30 to me. But yeah, I'd already sold it out. And so I remember going out that first night and I'd never even done the clubs. I'd never done stand-up in my life.

32:09Romesh Ranganathan:So when you did your first show. In Crawley. Was it at the Hawth? Yeah. Holy shit, you debuted at the Hawth? Yeah. Fucking hell, that's a fire pit. Yeah. When you first went out there, how many gigs you did at that point? None. So literally. That was literally my first effort. I know. And I went out, and you won't believe it. And I went out, having my whole life building up. It's fucking insane. I thought to myself, I could just collapse. I could just make out I fainted and not do it. And that would be amazing. Yeah. And so I went out there, lights go down, you know, like a GCSE play, and I'm like my whole life building up to this moment, it went boom.

32:46And all I heard was, big tits. I know.

32:50Romesh Ranganathan:That's Crawley. I know. And that's Crawley. They would have said that regardless of who was on. Yeah. Especially Joe Dominic. But, yeah, no, I, yeah, and that was the first time I ever did it. And everyone was kind of going, you're a psychopath. had you memorised it or was it on a thing I'd memorised it yeah I'd learnt it learnt it like a play fucking hell that is mad yeah and I I couldn't work out when I came off stage I couldn't work out if I loved it or hated it is that that's kind of what it is isn't it really it's like torturing yourself it's like self harm I'm going to be honest with you what you described I would call an anxiety dream yeah like the idea of the first time that you walk out on stage at all yeah is for your first show it makes me want to vom yeah so and so And it went well, I guess.

33:36It went great. And Joel, he's getting so much air time. I actually said to Joel, I was a few gigs in and he went, you know, and how do you feel when you have like a quiet night or a bad night? And I said, I've never had a bad night. I don't know what you mean. By the way, I bet you would have loved to hear that. But, you know, people go out and people, you know, when you die on stage, I was like, I've never died. Everyone just loved it. because I knew, sorry. I know, I know. I know how mad this is saying this now.

34:10Romesh Ranganathan:I thought we were having a great time here. I know. And you've taken a big old shit on it. I know. I don't mind telling you. It's a fucking insult. I know. I know. But I was so naive. And I'd just written all these like willy gags and like stuff about hen do's. And it was just, it was a load of women on hen do's with their little dick straws and all of that. And they just loved everything I had to say. I knew me, I knew me audience. you know and I catered for those girls it was the false eyelash wearing fake tan girls on hen dudes that came up to me afterwards saying I didn't think I was posh enough to go to the theatre oh my god I loved it I've never been to a comedy gig I loved it it was for those girls and they loved it well I think I think actually that audience that you're describing without again without trying to be patronised but I can do it accidentally and I do often but I do think you sort of think about the traditions to stand-up comedy, and I do think that's an audience that have been underserved by stand-up and live comedy.

35:07Yeah, I agree.

35:07Romesh Ranganathan:And you sort of think it's been so, you know, even in the rise of alternative comedy, it was so dominated by blokes talking about their wives and kids and all of that. By the way, I'm speaking as somebody who still does that in 2026. But, you know, that audience that you're talking about, they weren't being spoken to, do you know what I mean? Or they haven't been spoken to as much as other audiences. So I do think that there is something in what you're saying that you're hitting that audience. But also the other thing is, in terms of your level of inexperience, and without getting too nerdy about comedy, it's like a lot of stand-up comics, they have this thing of like, you've got to hit the clubs and you've got to hit the clubs and you've got to do the hard yards and blah, blah.

35:47Don't bother. I'm not saying don't bother, kids.

35:49Romesh Ranganathan:No, but I do think part of the downside of it, I think when you're doing comedy, there is two conflicting objectives, right? And one is to express yourself and say something interesting. And the other one is to make people laugh, right? And if you do the clubs too much or you get too good at doing the clubs, you're so obsessed with hitting a punchline that actually what you're saying is less interesting. Do you know what I mean? Because you're so desperate to undercut, undercut, undercut, undercut. And so actually I think there is some method to your madness. I mean, would I recommend that? Do I think that anybody should do that?

36:23Romesh Ranganathan:No. Do I think you should have done it? No. But it worked out for you. It did. If you'd have said to me, if you'd have said to me, Ron, I'm doing this thing. And the first time I do it, it's going to be as part of my, I would have genuinely, I would have said to you, like, as a mate, you've got to stop. Yeah. You've got to call your team. Don't do it. Sean Walsh said that to me. Yeah, I bet he did. Yeah. He said, are you fucking mental? I was like, well, well, yes. But yeah, that's how I got my sketch show. So I just, I invited a load of execs and again, fucking mental. Not to the hall in Crawley.

37:00Pardon?

37:00Romesh Ranganathan:You didn't invite to the first one. Fucking hell, Emily. I did. Are you serious? I did. That's how I got my sketch show. I fucking nailed it, Rom. How, do you meditate three hours a day? No. How the fuck are you doing that? I know. And I didn't even drink any alcohol before it. And everyone was sort of saying to me going, I think this is the one time where we're okay. if you would like a drink beforehand. I was like, no, no, I'm all right. I sort of pretended to have a drink on stage and I got absolutely arsehole afterwards. But yeah, no. I got everyone from my TV to come and all the jungle lot.

37:36And yeah, and then they came and they commissioned my sketch show. Sorry.

37:40Romesh Ranganathan:It's been so many stand-ups on here talking about how hard it is and the craft of working. They talk about you just like, it's an impossible craft. Turns out it's quite easy. I'm sorry. Just write it and perform it. Yeah. everything you've been talking about with all these comics just write the jokes stand and say them get a show just like say really funny things it does make sense I'm sorry this is more craft you've got to tread the board what are we all about just like go out and say a load of funny things and then go right see in the bar afterwards and then get really arsehole and then do it again the next night and then be even funnier the next night and then get funnier.

38:25Don't get not funnier, get funnier.

38:27Romesh Ranganathan:It does make sense. Why are you making eye contact with me as you say that? I'm actually just talking. Have people been saying that I'm getting less funnier? No. No, be honest. No. To be honest. You are. No, because the way you did it. No, but the way you said it was like there's a rumour. No, I'm showing off. I can handle it. I'm showing off. I can handle it. Emily. No. I promise. You're untouchable. Great, great, great. You're untouchable. That is true, according to the Indian car system. But no, that's how I got my sketch show. I'm sorry. No, you don't have to apologise. I mean, don't apologise to me, apologise to the industry.

39:03Romesh Ranganathan:But, I mean, that is amazing. Thank you. That is fucking amazing. You know, I'm taking the piss saying that's mad. It is mad. But it takes fucking balls of steel to do something like that. And it fucking paid off, man. That's so good. Yeah, and I worked really hard on it. And there have been some things in my life that I have blagged. And yeah, obviously, to a degree, I did sort of blag that. But like, I worked really hard on it. And I love writing. It made me realize how much I loved writing. I would sit there with Steve. And it was just like a therapy session, just talking about my life and like my dating life and all the things that the papers love to talk about.

39:46I sort of felt like I was kind of like taking that ownership a bit like doing a podcast but you know on stage I saw people afterwards kind of doing it um that had never done it before and I think I was doing what everyone else was doing about me going oh god why they're doing that and then I was like oh shit I'm that person you know but um but no I I can't I still can't work out if I loved or hated it I don't like touring uh it's lonely I don't like the dressing rooms yeah dressing rooms are grim they're they're depressing and i get really lonely yeah and it's all it's like why does it have to be that grim i don't understand i think it's just um to make you sad yeah i think it is and i and you'd sit there like often i'm like oh that's why comedians are all really weird and fucked up because that sorry but that is that every comedian i know i'm friends i'm literally friends with we're all friends with the same people i just i went to Catherine Ryan's house the other day and I was there with all of them and I, yeah, they're all mental.

40:49Was that for her Easter get

40:50Romesh Ranganathan:together? Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna let me just tell you about what happened to me at that Easter get together. I'm really good friends with Catherine Ryan. Yeah, she's great. Love her. She's great. One of the best. She's like, yeah, icon to me. Tom Davis. Yes. He was there. Yeah, he was there. He phoned me the other, maybe a week and a half ago and he said to me are you going to Catherine's Easter thing? And I said I would consider it if this wasn't the first I was hearing of it. She came to the renewal of your vows. You invited her to that, didn't she? I did, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I then text her immediately because I don't play that shit.

41:25Yeah.

41:27Romesh Ranganathan:And I said, why am I hearing from Tom Davis that you're having an Easter thing? I know. Right? And she said, oh, I thought it would be too far for you. Where do you live? Just so I can rub it in a bit more. Just down the road from the Horth in Crawley. I live out in the sticks. So I'm not sure if that's good enough. So listen, I know Catherine. I'm just here to make you feel great today. I think we're going to get Catherine on at this point. But just in case she's watching, fuck you. Lovely dude. So you did the sketch off the back there. What was that like doing? And the sketch show, for people that didn't see it, you were doing sketches, but also it was interspersed with your stand-up as well, right?

42:11Romesh Ranganathan:Yes. It was sort of Seinfeld-y, wasn't it, in terms of like you would kind of set up a topic or a theme. Yes. And I am so proud of it. I did three seasons of it and it was such hard work, such fun work. I remember the first season we did in COVID. So the rules were crazy. Like it was nuts. I can't believe we did that in series one. But I loved it. I found it, I found the scrutiny quite tough. I found that really tough. And because I, this was the first time I'd put my blood, sweat and tears into something. And like, it was mine. It was my name above the door. And it was funny because the working title was The Emily Atec Show.

42:54And when they came to me and said, what do you actually want to call it? I was like, I want to call it The Emily Atec Show. But there is a lot of, you know. A bit narcissistic. Yeah. But yeah, big gold letters. yeah um and but then it the reality of that really sort of kicks in because you go oh my god it's my name above the door that's terrifying and uh yeah the press went through a stage of like comparing it massively to my real life because i would talk a lot about real things that had happened i spoke about like my sex life and love life and all the stuff that the media like to talk about um i i felt it was taking ownership of it but then it does it when it sort of lives simultaneously alongside each other it was like uh it would it would be like i'd i'd do a load of sketches about dating and then i'd get caught dating someone i shouldn't have been dating or like i'd or i'd be rumored to be dating someone or do you know what i mean so i saw i found that really difficult um it was a shame because i loved i loved writing it the writer's room was so fun there's nothing more creative and lovely doing that you know with all these incredible writers like amy gledhill i had her in my colin pole all these brilliant people um and i felt really special and i felt really like oh my god like i've this is the dream you know um and it's just yeah i i feel like i've maybe got a slightly thicker skin now but at the time i found the scrutiny really really difficult

44:25Romesh Ranganathan:Do you think that, and by the way, I'm not saying this from having seen it, but like as in any of the scrutiny, but like I know we joked about it, but the fact that to the outsider, you got that show quick, right? Yes. So you've been an actor and then you put on a stage show and then off the back of that you get the sketch show. You are a performer that also had like a gossipy interest. Do you know what I mean? Totally, salaciousness. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There was as much interest in what you were doing in your life as there was, you know. Yeah. And I'm not saying that to diminish what you do professionally.

45:02Romesh Ranganathan:No, no, no, yeah. But, you know, you were in the tabloids and stuff like that, right? So do you think that probably exacerbated the scrutiny? Completely. But I thought naively that would kind of take a bit of control on it. But it just, yeah, it just made it. It was like, you know, a red rag with a bull. It was like the press just kind of really went for me with it. And yeah, and in comedy, I've realized that like, you just can't worry about that. But I do, I'm quite sensitive. And I, yeah, I just, and also when I was dating people, I would go on dates with people. It was like, I was in top shagger mode, but it was really starting to it was starting to affect that because then men would kind of go if I go out with her I'm gonna be all in the papers and she's gonna write about it in a sketch show and blah blah blah so it kind of did start to um uh kind of drip feed into my my real life which became quite lonely and yeah I was a bit like oh no I didn't enjoy that bit of it but you know it's my own fucking fault wasn't it well no that's not true well it's just you know And that is, you just don't get that same scrutiny as a bloke.

46:23A woman talking about her sex life and doing all that stuff. I felt really liberated when I was doing it. And I thought it was just funny and just silly.

46:29Romesh Ranganathan:What I can tell you is almost certain nobody's ever Googled Rommashanganathan Topshagger. I mean, it's almost certain. I don't know. I don't know. But, I mean, you've been really open about your treatment in the press and online and stuff like that. and you talked about having a thinner skin back in the past like do you think have you become more philosophical about it now do you think um yeah and i think i i i've had a baby now which completely sort of don't get me wrong i don't it doesn't you don't become an adult overnight just because you have a baby and you and you start cooking tea for your partner and your child like I still I'm still affected by things like I was years ago but it I definitely feel um I learned a lot from that time and I don't have any regrets I'm glad I spoke about all those things I'm glad I made light of some of it I'm glad I spoke quite seriously about some of it like with the documentary I did asking for it it's my my main thing has always been I should be allowed to stand here and talk about these things and laugh about them and we can all have a good old laugh at my chaotic love life um you know under my control of it it's when uh people think that they can say what they like to you send what they like to you and that's the bit that I have a problem with and some people think that you don't deserve that kind of privacy it's not even privacy is it it's just I don't want dick pics being sent to me I don't want wanking videos being sent to me but people think that because I've been this certain um this this person who you know has had salacious stuff written in the press and I talk about these things that means it's like open season yeah yeah um so I'm just always kind of that champion you know I still talk about things that you know funny things that have happened in my love life and blah blah blah um I just don't look at the the my Instagram as much you know but doing asking for it was like it was a great thing to do and I don't know how much you know this is a documentary did about you know kind of your the the the stuff you're getting sent and all the stuff that you talked about first of all when it when it came out i mean it it was a it was a brave show to make and a brave thing to put yourself out there like that um at the time you must have been aware of the fact that lots of people going thank god that somebody is talking about all of this because you know like we talked about katherine who's you know who has been a friend but is now an enemy but even even Even when I've seen, you know, I've been party to screen grabs.

49:02Romesh Ranganathan:You know, sometimes she'll share screen grabs of stuff that's been said to her. And women just get sent stuff that men don't have to, you know. And when I say get sent stuff, I mean routinely get sent stuff, right? Thousands of messages a day. Yeah. And so for you, and I think it's so much. that actually people can't, they actually think this can't be true. You must be exaggerating. Yes. But you're not. No. And so what was the kind of, what made you decide to, it was a really great thing that you did, and I think it really helped people actually. I hope it did. What made you, what put you through that process of doing that?

49:46Well, it was during COVID. I was living on my own in COVID. It was when it was like lockdown, lockdown, where you literally weren't allowed to see anybody at all. I hadn't touched a human being in weeks and I was on my own in my flat in Crouch End at the time. And obviously we were all living online, weren't we? The online world became a great thing and a great tool to stay connected and watch funny videos. And everybody, you know, we were all clapping the NHS on the, you know. That feels mad now, doesn't it? It's fucking crazy. Can we just, listen, listen, I do love the NHS.

50:23Romesh Ranganathan:and I support everything they do. But thinking back to banging a wooden spoon against a saucepan on your doorstep. It's like Santa coming down the road on the little lorry. What the fuck was going on? I know. It's fucking insane. I know. I know. Get out there, kids. I know. Kids. And everyone really aggressive. Like, Thursday. Yeah. I just don't know what... Children must have been thinking, they've gone fucking nuts. I know. And then you just go inside and get absolutely twatted. Good times. I got... I can say it now, I got heavily into edibles. Oh, did you? Anyway, let's not talk about that.

50:56Romesh Ranganathan:Oh, my God. So anyway, let's talk about the documentary. Yeah, so I was online a lot and I just, I really realised, and I was talking to, I was replying to like, I don't like using the word fans because it makes me sound like I think I'm Madonna, but like people, you know, I was connecting more with members of the public. Devotees. Yeah, followers. Obsessives. Disciples. Psychos. No, I was connecting more with like followers than I normally would because I was lonely. And we were all, everyone was there for each other. And, you know, it was just that sort of thing. And I think it ramped up as well because it was locked down.

51:36I was used to getting videos and pictures and really disgusting messages. But it was like, it had really stepped up a gear. I mean, they were finding new things to shove up their ass or whatever it was. and um it was just getting what it was getting so bad and it it started to really affect me personally and it gave it gave me anxiety and um obviously you know the the whole world was kind of um ending at the time as it was and it was like that just made it so much more lonely and awful and I kind of I started questioning my own uh who I was as a person and I was asking what is it about me what what do you think it is about me that they do that to like is it because I'm this way and is it because I'm that and am I asking for this kind of attention um because I've sort of been told my whole life that that like I'm asking for that kind of thing it's like if I'm you know when I was younger at school and I wore a short skirt it was my school uniform I'd get you know you get the horn toot at you with in vans lorries and stuff and like I was sort of told my skirt was too short I wore too much makeup I always felt like I've always been told that that that kind of negative attention is um brought on by my by me myself so uh that yeah so when I was getting all these messages on Instagram I then started I started looking through my Instagram going well do I post too many bikini photos am I but and And, you know, don't get me wrong, like I was single at the time.

53:14And I think for me personally, maybe I did put sexier photos up or, you know, you sort of do carry yourself differently when you're single. But you're also allowed to do that.

53:26Romesh Ranganathan:Yeah. You do what you want. Yes. But it's just, but this is the systemic thing, isn't it? That's been drilled into us that it must be something I have to change or that I'm doing, you know. and so yeah I just started it was when I started questioning who I was as a person that I thought I'm gonna have to start talking about this so I I literally just started posting the stuff that was being sent to me just to see people's reactions and I was kind of going is this normal does anyone else get this and it was met with it was like 50 % of people going oh yeah I get this all the time it's fucking horrible isn't it to it was from that to like oh my god are you like this is the most horrific thing I've ever seen are you okay and you know um yeah and then it just kind of gathered all this traction and then uh I started to think about how I could do maybe a documentary about it um and yeah so then and then BBC2 came forward and said would you like to you know do a documentary and I was like yeah and I already had I already knew exactly how I wanted to do it and And the people I wanted to see, I went to go and visit a school of girls to talk about what they're sort of facing in their Gen Z era and how bad it is on social media.

54:39And, yeah, I really I wanted to it was so much harder than I thought it was going to be because it opens a fucking can of worms. And it it it was really you put yourself in the firing line. And the actually for a time when I did that documentary, the messages just ramped up. I was making it worse for myself. I was making it worse. And I was kind of going, oh, my God, I'm now stuck in this hole. I'm now this sort of spokesperson to talk about all these things. But people find that confusing because I've played all these sexy roles and I've posed in my underwear for FHM. And now I'm standing here.

55:12Romesh Ranganathan:How the fuck can you have a problem with it now? You know, that's the idea. That's the confusion. Men don't understand. They go, but I thought I was allowed to say this to you because I thought you were up for it. I thought you were fair game. There's a bit of that. So when I do stand up there as a spokesperson going, this is unacceptable and I don't like this treatment. Yeah, they sort of think that they, because they've had it drip fed into them that, and this is headlines, this is the media, how women are portrayed, especially women like me, girls like me. The headlines are always, Emily Atat flaunts her ample assets whilst on a stroll with her mum.

55:49I'm not flaunting anything. I'm just walking down the road. But because those words like flaunting and stuff has, it's ingrained in people. It's been drip fed into men that we are doing it for the male gaze. We're doing it so that you can wolf whistler us, grab our asses, whatever it is. And so when we turn around and go, fuck off, I don't want to be treated like that. Yeah, they kind of think we're taking that right away from them and they don't understand it. So, yeah. So, sorry, I'm going off a bit. No, no, no. But yeah, that was the, that was kind of the crux of the documentary.

56:21Romesh Ranganathan:it was really really difficult um do you think you would do any more i would i actually i want to do a documentary about intimacy coordinators uh on sets because getting riddled well this is the argument so people are um it's it's a very new i'm sure you've experienced this it's a very new thing in time this has all happened since the me too movement we now have people on set if we're doing sex scenes or anything, kissing scenes, anything that requires intimacy, we have a coordinator on set cock blocking us. Yeah. Right. But it's like, it's just, but it's for so many different reasons and people get annoyed by it.

57:01People say, oh, I find it actually more awkward. It's an awkward chat. But Ramesh, let me tell you something. It's not just, so we know, right, you're not a pervert. Okay. We know that there are good men out there. we know there are great men it's just that when you say it

57:20Romesh Ranganathan:it makes it sound like there's a suggestion that I have no so we know the good men you shouldn't have to say can we caption that we know categorically I'm not a pervert you're not a pervert you aren't rumoured to be a pervert you are a good lovely person that everyone likes to work with and you're professional so to you having an intimacy coordinator yeah that might be annoying to you But there are some men out there who have completely abused their position of power and they don't behave in a way that they should. And for girls like me, I've been on sets at 19, 20, 21, where I've been treated appallingly by men.

58:02Not always. I've had more good experiences than I have bad ones. But the times where it's been bad, I would have given anything for someone just to be there to make sure I was all right.

58:13Romesh Ranganathan:One outside voice, yeah. Yeah, and they're not standing there trying to already blame a guy for something that, blaming you for something you haven't done. It's also for afterwards. So like, for example, at Rivals, there was this one particular day I did three sex scenes back to back, literally. And it was an exhausting day. And even though all the men I work with on Rivals are nothing but gracious, lovely and professional, it's a new, the intimacy coordinator thing, it is a new thing. and people are finding their feet with it, finding how to navigate it. But I do think it's really important to show that women and men are being listened to and just making sure that everyone's comfortable during the intimacy scene and afterwards.

59:00Because sadly, there have been people who have abused that.

59:03Romesh Ranganathan:But even like from the... Sorry to get all serious. No, it's great. We need some of this on this fucking podcast. But even when like from a bloke's point of view, not that I've done I've not done loads of sex scenes on camera but I've not done loads of sex scenes full stop but when I love that they're laughing I know they're like when we did like when we did Avoidance and it was Aisling and I doing that kiss you you're even like it's fucking weird yeah and I'm thinking to myself I don't know we can talk about how much of a kiss we want this to be but it's a fucking weird like you know you're so frightened that you might not frightened because Aisling's a mate But if it's somebody you don't know, you might go to, you might misinterpret and then that person feels violated and all of that.

59:48That's also why an intimacy coordinator has to be there. Because if somebody was to say, oh, he did that or whatever, that covers your ass as well. It's just to, it's for everybody. It's so that, yes, there might be an element of feeling a bit awkward. but at least that takes away something that could be way more.

1:00:12Romesh Ranganathan:I mean, it's a tiny price to pay for the benefit, isn't it? Yeah, I think so. Because it's way more awkward being fucking felt up on a set and more like, you know, having someone whisper something in your ear that, you know, people can't, when no one's around, like that's worse. Yeah. Yeah. Now. Bollocking over. Yeah. Now listen, I would love to have a better segue, but my mum's got a question for you. Okay. She's on voice note. I've not heard this. Let's hear it plays. Great. Hi, Emily. This is Romish's mom here. I love your performances in Rival. You are fabulous. Do you have any juicy gossips behind the scenes?

1:00:56Let me know, Riley. Have a wonderful day. Love you. Bye.

1:01:00Romesh Ranganathan:Do you have any juicy gossips from? Juicy gossips? That's going to be my next tour title. Juicy Gossips. Oh, I love her so much. It's a fun show. It's a fun group. There are so many of us. There are so many fun scenes. We're a happy bunch and we get on very well. Okay. And we like to have fun. This sounds full of gossips. We're a happy bunch. We're a happy bunch, but not willing to discuss any juicy gossips further than that. Is that fair? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we get on great. We have such a fucking hoot. It is a dream job. And Jilly Cooper, oh my God, Dame Jilly Cooper. We lost her in the middle of making season two.

1:01:52So it's like that has given it so much more heart for us. And it's like filming the rest of it was like a love letter to her. And she loved drinking champagne and she had a twinkle in her eye. And so we will continue to drink champagne. and misbehave. No, not misbehave.

1:02:09Romesh Ranganathan:Yeah, but no gossip. No, there's no juicy gossips. Is it true that when they put out for casting that the call was for somebody like Emily Atac? Yeah, yeah. And I don't know whether to... I don't know how to say it because at first I was like, oh my God, that's great. But then you read that, you know, she's a promiscuous fucking nightmare and you go, oh no, cool. But yeah, so Dominic Treadwell Collins, uh laura wade amazing writers um they really are they are such a duo they they write they write it all and uh yeah they they told me that there was when the breakdown for sarah stratton came in they said think emily so they explained what sarah was like um yeah i think it was like extremely promiscuous um uh badly behaved car crash of a woman um but fun and loving think emily atack i I was like, I'm kind of chuffed.

1:03:02But yeah, and then so then the producers said, well, why don't we just try and get Emily Atec in the room? And I went in. I went in full 80s get up. And yeah.

1:03:12Romesh Ranganathan:I hear stories about this. People do do this for castings. Yes, but it's much cooler not to, but I always do. I really go for it. And the ones that I do, I always get the job. So I would actually give that advice to someone. I can't really give very good advice. And do you think that overcomes a complete lack of acting ability, asking for a friend? I think it definitely distracts. So like, but I think it just shows, you know, it shows good willing. But also it's just fun, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you get two minutes in the room. You might as well, you know, look as much like a tit as you possibly can.

1:03:49Romesh Ranganathan:Absolutely. Yeah. When you were making the first, because obviously it was a, I don't know, I was about to say it was a surprise smash. Not a surprise, but like, everybody was talking about it when it first came out. And did everybody feel that, I always am interested if people know that they're making magic when it's happening. Well, we used to all look around and kind of be like, people are either going to fucking love this or fucking hate it. Because it's so difficult to know, especially how broad it felt. And, you know, like, and some of it as well in this, in the, you know, current times, we were like, God, can we say that?

1:04:25we're going to get over but it was when you see it as a whole and you realize how brilliantly written it is you go ah it it was just I think it was the perfect timing everyone needed that bit of fresh air everyone wanted to see some shagging on telly and everyone you know and that's the thing you're allowed to to to enjoy all of that stuff um you're allowed to watch bonking on television be like oh oh I wish that was me um you know I wish I wish I was getting railed on a concord by rupert campbell black you are allowed to think that we all do railed is such a great word isn't it um but yeah so yeah and it was it was naughty um but it was done it was i believe done done tastefully um and like the nudity and the sex it's obviously that's the thing everyone's obsessed with but it it's never unnecessary it's always integral to the story it's like the naked tennis scene that I had to do, on paper you go, well, that's just, that's bonkers and that's crazy.

1:05:25But it's such a famous scene in the book. It's such a huge scene. So I really wanted to get that right. Yeah, you're allowed to find it entertaining. You're allowed to enjoy sex and the sexiness of it.

1:05:40Romesh Ranganathan:Enjoy sexiness. Right, time for a game. This is misquoted. I have got five quotes for you. Some of them you said, some of them you didn't. Oh, God. And you just have to tell me if you said them or not. My heart's racing. I've got a temperature.

1:05:59Romesh Ranganathan:It's misquoted. There's no need to be nervous. Can I get my colouring book now? Yeah, there's no pressure on this. Have you done any colouring, by the way? What, in just... Sorry, it's just that I went through a phase. You're talking about during COVID. During COVID, I went through a phase. Not the Paint My Numbers one. What was the other one? The mindfulness. Yeah, like the adult colour. Not adult colour. Yeah, it's a bit sad. You're not colouring somebody getting railed. But it was like they're much more like, it's like really complicated. It's actually quite too difficult for me. Yeah, no, yeah.

1:06:27But please don't tell me you do that paint by numbers box.

1:06:30Romesh Ranganathan:Let's play misquoted. So we've got five quotes. Yeah. Some of them you said, some of them you didn't. Here's your first one. Good luck. No need to feel any pressure. You've done great in this chat so far. Thanks. So if this goes shit, we'll just put it in. Okay. Okay. Here's your first one. I knew what I wanted to do and I knew I didn't need a maths GCSE for it. I definitely said that. You did say that to The Guardian in 2024. This is about you leaving school age 16 and moving to London. That's nice. You got that right. That's nice. You know, maths is a load of shit, isn't it? Yeah. Maths is a fucking load of bullshit.

1:07:09Romesh Ranganathan:Fuck maths. I'm dyslexic with numbers. In the eyes. And the X's. What is it called when you're dyslexic with numbers? Thank you. Because for me, you know, I'm not dyslexic with letters, but I am dyslexic with numbers. Isn't it just called numerically dyslexic? I don't know if there's a specific word for it. I am that. I don't understand numbers. Yeah. Yeah. But who cares? Yeah. Look at you now. Thank you. If I can live that countryside life. Yeah. It's why I don't like paint by numbers. No. Paint by what? Okay. Here's your next one. You won for one. Congratulations. Thanks. Here's your next one.

1:07:44Romesh Ranganathan:Charlotte Hinchcliffe is made for me. This is my role. Yeah, I definitely said that. Apparently, this is what you said in the audition room. I did. And now knowing, that's funny to think, isn't it? Because I would never say that now, but I was so naive. And it was like, I think it was like my second ever audition. And I was living on my, I was living, me and my sister were living in this flat. And I had no money, like I had to pay the rent. and I went in there going, well, I have to get this job. Like there's no, you know, I've got to support me and my sister. So this was just pure financial desperation, I guess.

1:08:23Yes, but also just desperately trying to make it. I needed to become a famous actress quick because I had to pay rent. So I went in and I saw all these other girls, I think hundreds of girls auditioned for Charlotte Inchcliffe. I had to even bang the door down to get an audition. And I just knew it was mine. and I said to them just on the way out I said I just need to say this this role is made for me there is nobody in that room that can do that better than me and they just went thank you and I was like I walked out I was like fuck I shouldn't have said that but I got the part that day fucking hell I know I would never say that now no I didn't understand the etiquette on paper

1:09:04Romesh Ranganathan:your career journey you should be so dislikable do you know what I mean like purely based on how you've done it you're a piece of shit and I mean that in a really envious kind of good for you way like fuck you man thanks darling okay well done you're two for two congrats, here's your next one when I told my mum about my nude scene in Rivals she said just do whatever Jilly Cooper says no I know what she said I got the script for Rivals and I got the I was reading the tennis scene and I read out the tennis scene to mum and it said there are two people, Sarah Stratton is playing tennis completely naked.

1:09:50You can see her bush. It was like describing my bush and like my boobs flapping about and everything. And I said to mum, I read out the scene and it was very raunchy.

1:10:02Romesh Ranganathan:It says the word bush. It says the word bush, yeah. She's covering her bush with a tennis ball. And it's very 80s. and my mum said to me she said there is no way on earth that they are going to get my daughter playing tennis

1:10:20when you read that

1:10:21Romesh Ranganathan:did you not slightly shit yourself yeah about the tennis I was genuinely oh my god am I going to have to have tennis lessons well done you got that right as well so you're three for three it was nominated for most memorable moment at the 2025 BAFTA It does, yeah. Does that mean I've been nominated for a BAFTA, technically? No, it's... Don't know. No. Yeah, surely. Does it? Thank you. You have been. No, but what I'm... The moment was nominated. No, but what I'm saying is, who was in the moment? Yeah, I am in the moment. Okay, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben. We can all do this fucking flannel-y bullshit, but when you submit for the BAFTA, you have to list some names, don't you?

1:11:00Romesh Ranganathan:So will Emily's name have been on that thing? You're sounding a bit jealous at the moment. Why? Because Emily's breezed into stand-up, breezed into acting, just found it all easy and done it. It's obviously been a bit more work for you. Yeah. You've won BAFTAs, haven't you? Yeah, but not for fucking getting my bush out playing tennis. No, but I'm genuinely asking the question because you have to list them. I had to fight. I was a technical BAFTA nominee. So I was at the nominee party. I was in the nominee room. Then you were nommed. Thanks. That was easy as well. Straight in. Straight in there.

1:11:31Just for getting my knockers out. Big tits. See, they never fail me.

1:11:35Romesh Ranganathan:Here's your next one. Unless it's for breastfeeding. Here's your next one. Getting that job was quite tricky. Just kidding, you never would have said that.

1:11:46Romesh Ranganathan:No, it's just...

1:11:57Romesh Ranganathan:Oh, God. It's your next one. You're doing very well at this. Thanks. I watch Downton Abbey every single day, I ate nothing but peanut butter sandwiches and pancakes. I don't know if it well I yes I watched Downton Abbey this is when I was pregnant yeah and I watched Downton Abbey every single day and all I ate was peanut butter sandwiches but it was actually banana bread and pears but yeah and pancakes yeah yeah I did say that yeah yeah you did say that well done yeah pregnancy did that change your relationship with your body oh my god my body has been my best friend and my worst enemy throughout my fucking life and like because it holds everything it's like it's done so much it's worked for me it's worked against me it's pushed a child out it's been ripped open a woman's body tells such a fucking story doesn't it um and i think yes birthing a child when it all went horribly wrong at the birth and it was all very dramatic um but uh but i still fucking nailed it yeah um yeah childbirth nailed it yeah i understand you were nommed for best delivery of the year yeah um yeah i didn't even need a midwife just did it myself yeah um yes yes in answer to your question it did it did um yeah it's it's pretty nuts what women's bodies can do.

1:13:32Romesh Ranganathan:Definitely. Okay, you're four for four. Here's your last one. Is this true or false? I'm a die-hard believer. I'm sorry. No. Did I say that? Do you think you said that? I mean, I like Justin Bieber. I'm a bit worried about him. I sort of want to give him a big cuddle. Yeah, I mean, listen, he's obviously, he's not been, you know, he's been pretty close to that loop, hasn't he? Bless him. Do you think you said that or not? I don't think I said that. You didn't? No. What you actually said was, I'm obsessed with aliens and UFOs. I'm a believer. Who's to say there isn't life elsewhere? And that was to the Radio Times in 2025, which makes me feel that interview went off the fucking rails.

1:14:15Romesh Ranganathan:Sorry, I nailed it. You believe in aliens and stuff? I do, yeah. Well, I'm engaged to a scientist. Right. Which you would think that that would mean that I would believe. no but actually being with a scientist has really broadened my horizons statistically speaking, scientifically speaking it's incredibly unlikely we're the only the only ones here right? Yes and when you actually learn about the intricate details and the complexities of the world and the universe it is fucking mental and I do I'm a big believer in everything, I believed in mermaids for a bit Did you? How long was that for? I'm not a conspiracy theorist though so what's a mermaids conspiracy um well i don't know just like

1:15:06oh god but no i i'm i i like to believe in lots of things i'm quite religious yeah like a faith and i have it but and also that's an interesting thing because people think that being with a scientist would would make you not religious yeah but it kind of does and weirdly because I read all the books that he reads and I try and learn as much as I can listen to all the podcasts that he listens to and stuff and it's it actually they talk about God way more than they do scientists like science and God is actually way closer than you think but that will save that for

1:15:40Romesh Ranganathan:another day god that feels like that's gonna be a fucking heavy second appearance but no it really I remember I remember the the first time I listened to this insane science podcast like It was like a Brian Cox thing. And I was surprised at how quickly they mentioned God. They mentioned God like straight away. Yeah. So, yeah. I'm very interested in the universe. So, Al, your other half, right? Is he religious? No. Well, no. But he is very, he's so intelligent. His brain is so open. He would never say like, there's no such thing as this. There's no such thing as that. but he believes in facts and science but he's also very kind of connected to the universe in a very interesting way.

1:16:28There's been a lot of serendipity moments in our lives that have kind of brought us together.

1:16:34Romesh Ranganathan:So he's open to that idea because the idea of somebody that's into science you just think if you go, isn't it mad how the world brought us together and they just go, well actually it's just coincidence because that's what the trainer's doing at that time. He wouldn't do that. No, he's not. I mean, I wasn't trying to do an impression of him. No, no, you should see him before. I was doing an impression of a stereotypical, yeah. He's a very sexy scientist. I bet he is. I bet he is. But yeah, no, he's very open and he's just very smart. He doesn't shut anything down. He'll have a conversation and open anything.

1:17:05Romesh Ranganathan:As we all should be. Yeah. Am I right? Yeah. Now, Emily, you've been an amazing guest. Thanks. Fantastic, right? Fantastic. Thanks. it's sort of given Ben a bit of an opportunity to attack me I haven't sort of commented on it much during the episode but we will talk about how you've been during this episode I think it's been disgusting and I didn't want to make a big thing I didn't want to embarrass him well we'll talk about it afterwards but you've been a real just to close off the episode I don't know if you're aware actually but we like to try and get an exclusive or potentially something that you haven't said publicly before?

1:17:47Okay, yeah.

1:17:47Romesh Ranganathan:Anything? Yeah. Yeah. Have you got anything for us? I write poems and I was going to read you a poet. Do you really write poems? Yeah. Can you remember any? No, I love poetry because I'm not very good at reading books, I have to say. And so poetry, I just read thousands of poems because they're quick. Yeah. And I get through mountains of poetry books. I'll tell you a good thing to do, because sometimes reading books can be intimidating. And I don't mean it then as patronising. No, no, yeah. That's the fourth time I've said that. I can't be arsed. Maybe I just am patronising. I think when somebody denies it as many times as I have done, you maybe just fucking...

1:18:27But at least now you say, sorry, I might be being patronising. Yeah, yeah.

1:18:30Romesh Ranganathan:But you wouldn't accept that from a racist.

1:18:35Romesh Ranganathan:But, you know, sometimes when you, like, I don't like reading books where the chapters are really long. Yeah, no. If they've got really short chapters, you think, well, I can tackle this? Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally. Because I do love reading, but yeah, I can't be arsed. And when the words are too small, I can't be arsed. Yeah, fuck that. Increase the font size, please. Okay, shall we hear a poem? Okay, okay. So I am a bit embarrassed. Right, go on. That's not the title. Is it like a limerick or like a serious one? A limerick? No, it's quite... It's right. Okay, so this... My name is Emily Atak, and this is a little bit of payback.

1:19:02No. Right. I wrote this in COVID, okay? Okay. And it's a bit flimsy. Okay. And it's a bit, but it's just quite nice. I just think it's nice to end on a nice note. There's so much shit going on in the world.

1:19:16Romesh Ranganathan:Yeah, love it. And I'm not trying to be funny. I'll just say something nice. This is called When You Cannot Face the Day. I'm very much looking forward to you being named Poet Laureate after reading this.

1:19:30Don't take the mickey. Because I'll never, this is the first time I've ever done this. Great.

1:19:34Romesh Ranganathan:We're honoured, genuinely. And I mean that. I feel like it's cruelly all over again. Yeah, yeah. Right. When you cannot face the day, a few things to remember. The months and seasons are here for you, January through December. When you cannot face the day, note the start of spring. Take a moment and listen and the birds will start to sing. A bit basic. When you cannot face the day and the summer sky is blue, those blazing rays of luminous gold, they're shining just for you. When you cannot face the day, notice the colours of autumn, those expensive leather walking boots. You knew you should have bought them.

1:20:10when you cannot face the day because winter is just too dark find the footprints in the snow where your loved ones left their mark death when you cannot face the day and you can't see through the mist wondering when the last time was that you were hugged or kissed know that this will pass my friend you'll begin to find the light just try a little bit harder try with all your might and when that day should come, take one small step outside. The beautiful day awaits you and you can face it because you tried. So when you cannot face the day, I send my love to you and hope and pray that you will find this world is there for you.

1:20:48Romesh Ranganathan:Emily Aitak, everybody. That was sick. Thanks. Thank you so much for watching this episode of the Romesh Ranganathan Show. I've been told that some of you are watching this, enjoying it, wallowing in it, but you still haven't subscribed. That's mad behaviour. You're going to miss episodes. Very silly. So follow and subscribe to the Romesh Ranganathan show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. We drop new episodes every Monday and Thursday. On Monday, I'm here with amazing guests talking about their career, what they're up to, having a laugh with them. And then on Thursdays, I'm joined by my mum, widely regarded as the audience's favourite Ranganathan.

1:21:23Romesh Ranganathan:And we answer your questions, your stories, and your family dilemmas. So I'll see you on Thursday when I'm back here with my mum, Shandy. Send your questions and stories to podcast at rangaby.com, voice note or text on 07731 623 355. We genuinely love hearing from you and there's a good chance you'll hear yourself on the show. See you next time. Oh, shut up, Romesh.