Gabby Logan On Match of the Day, Trolls & Live TV

24:01Romesh Ranganathan:Got a standing ovation at the end of the pilot. We started talking about taking it to America. That's the last time we ever did that. Yeah. It happens all the time. Yeah. I did a pilot that I did it in three different guises. Yeah. They kept coming back in different ways. It's never seen the light of day. And then, you know the one Lee Mack, the 1 % club? Yeah. I think they were derivatives of it. Do you know what I mean? Oh, I see. I think that's what it eventually evolved into. Right. I'm pretty sure. But with those ones, I've just became so sanguine about it. You know, you kind of go, oh, well, oh, well.

24:32And I think that's, you can't take things too personally, can you? No. Going back to you reading out those lovely comments, I think it's.

24:38Romesh Ranganathan:No, I mean, I find those comments quite fun. I mean, I sort of enjoy sort of making people upset. You know, like when you sort of read those comments, you sort of go, that sounds like they're really angry. It's like fun. Do you know what I mean? I think it's very tricky to not take it personally, but I think you have to not take it personally. Try not to, yeah. Yeah. Live television, your demeanour is so unflappable and so relaxed to the point where I think in your future there's an undercover weed habit that hasn't been discovered yet. You think I'm just having a quick smoke in the back of the back of the office?

25:18No, not necessarily. Not necessarily.

25:21Romesh Ranganathan:It might be edibles. I don't know. Oi, Wayne, have you got any gummies? just sitting there going that was a mad one wasn't it um when you were doing match when you first started doing match today and even just doing live telly in general when you did the london marathon that seems so highly stressed i couldn't we couldn't hear what each other were saying in reality we're relying on the hardest thing in live sport is hearing because you've got these in his ears things which are kind of the thing that pop stars they're those kind of moldies you know so you're supposed to be able to block out all the other noise and but often we were at Galatasaray we did Galatasaray Liverpool in Istanbul a couple of weeks ago in the Champions League and those fans are off the charts and they not only that they pipe in extra aggressive noise into the stadium and drums and all sorts and so when you're in that kind of noise that cauldron you do get used to it but it is so hard sometimes to hear what people are saying and you know that is one of the big challenges because obviously with football you want to hear what they're saying so you can respond to it but I think the adrenaline comes from that environment which I really love and you don't want people at home thinking you know that you're out of control in those situations you know your job is to to try and remain calm in those situations unless it's something that's obviously you know when the Red Roses won the World Cup and they all invaded the desks pitch sides the whole team brought the trophy and just jumped on and that kind of moment of sheer unbridled joy and you know madness I kind of like all that as well if you're talking to sports people or exports people I don't want to generalize but sometimes you know and but and I this is a bugbear of mine is people having a go at football as for not being eloquent or interesting or exciting.

26:58Romesh Ranganathan:I just think it's an unfair expectation because like nobody's asking Stephen Fry to bang in a top corner free kick. So why do we expect it the other way? It feels like such an unfair thing. So how difficult is it for you to, are you conscious of trying to elicit the best, most interesting responses? Yeah, I feel that's my job is to try and make them feel comfortable enough to be themselves because most people, you know, when you first go in front of a TV camera are going to feel a little bit self-conscious. And especially I think, footballers especially those who are newly retired think about what their fellow pros are saying they remember what they felt like when somebody critiqued them they don't want to they so they couch it in all this kind of you know language so they don't feel they're giving somebody personal criticism so you want to make them understand that it's okay to give a critique without being you know kind of somebody ringing up later on and why did you say that about me so they're all conscious of that but equally i feel the best types of conversations i said this to a colleague the other day is almost like a podcast you know that kind of freedom that you have to go back and forth within the confines and discipline of live tv having timings right you've got six minutes of this chat you know so you have to get these three runs of analysis in and you want to get a little bit of their personality in as well so yeah i think i mean it's early days on match of the day in terms of the new presenting lineup but i think that's what we would all i think probably aim for is how much is happening in your ear because i did a lot this is a lot lower scale but i did radio 2 in the park and then had to host the iPlayer live broadcast and the whole i was we're interviewing the stereophonics and the whole time you've got somebody going so you've got 45 seconds on this move them to the next question do you want to ask them about that and just like constant like constantly like that and you've got to be engaged in things you can hear the director obviously who's not talking necessarily directly to you might be talking to the pa or might be talking to the vision mixer especially you know on live sport when there's different shots kind of coming in and then you've got the producer who might not have heard your previous answer and then, you know, decides to come back in and says, oh, have you asked about, and you've already asked that.

28:54So you kind of go like that to the camera.

28:58I have been known to get caught, cut up going.

29:06So, yeah, it is a lot going on in there. Only once in almost 30 years of live TV have I accidentally answered the producer on air. And it was a footballer who will remain nameless who was sweating. He was so nervous. It was on a live show that was kind of a magazine-y style show. And he was so monosyllabic. And the producer said to me, oh, my God, this is like watching paint dry. And I said, I know. And he went, what?

29:41I didn't know where to go with it because obviously I was, because I just on live TV just said, I know randomly. and I'm just like I know exactly what you're what you're saying and you looked at me like what are you talking about you don't know and then we just moved it on but the producer was laughing his head off this is the other thing when you work with people for a long time I've had a producer that you did athletics with for years and years and you have such good relationship that it's almost like he's having a laugh with you about something you know and you have to kind of keep focused and you know but it makes the job obviously enjoyable when you work with people who know you really well sometimes you're like I'm presenting a live show you know but I like I hate it when they have open and closed TalkBack.

30:18I always have open. If some reason TalkBack wasn't working, I'd feel all alone. I'd feel, I wouldn't like it. I'd like hearing them and hearing the noise.

30:26Romesh Ranganathan:I mean, I've got people in my ear while I'm hosting, but I'm not doing it live. And so I just think it's easier. You know, you sort of... Well, if there's a problem coming, my job on live TV is to try and head it off. So if I hear that they haven't got that BT, something's happened to it, we're not going to go there, then this chat's going to have to keep going on. So rather than close the questions down, I'll just keep it going and we'll do, you know, so you, or we're waiting for a guest, you know, a footballer. Oh, Arna Slott's coming. He's coming. Oh, no, he's not. Oh, he's coming. You know, so you've got to keep the chat going before you link to him and all that stuff.

30:56Romesh Ranganathan:It seems impossible to me. I don't know how the hell you do it. I genuinely don't know how the hell you do that. I think although all my colleagues that, you know, I work with who love doing live sport, I think we've all got that slight, there's a slight element of being, I would say, I'm not an adrenaline junkie by any stretch, but I think there's that element of danger that we all kind of like about it, you know. Does it mean that like when you have one-to-one conversations, there isn't a voice in your head, it's quite boring? Well, this is what my husband says, that I just listen constantly to other people's conversations while I'm talking to him.

31:23I'm like, speed it up. I'm just listening into this one over here. This is, you know, going on over there. And the kids are always like, mum. I said, but did you hear what she just said? She's leaving her husband on the next table.

31:35Romesh Ranganathan:Well, speaking of mums, we've actually got, and you know her. Is your mum here? No, she's not here. We've actually got a voice note question from her. Oh. So let's see what it is. so far it's been a mixed bag. Okay, so you don't know what's coming? No. Hi Gabby, I loved meeting you and your daughter in parents' evening. I think the presenting you do is fantastic. I understand who is the nicest or most handsome footballer you have interviewed. I'm a fan of Jamie Rodnab. He's so handsome. Bye darling.

32:14I think she wants me to say Jamie Reddack. I think she feels like she does. She's kind of put that answer out there. I mean, Jamie is obviously very handsome and ageing beautifully, isn't he?

32:22Romesh Ranganathan:He really is. Yeah, well done to him. They all look so young now. Yeah. I've been doing this so long. I look and go, I not only could be your mum, I could just about be your grandmother if I started very young. When my sons found out that I was older than Mikel Arteta,

32:41Romesh Ranganathan:they looked at me like I was from ye oldie days or something like they just couldn't they couldn't fathom not only you're older than the players you're older than the manager like how can it be well I know you've said that you know Fabian Herzler he's the Brighton manager I think he's about 34 isn't he so if I'd had him when I was 18 he could be my

33:07imagine that and now we're just going to go over to the amex where my son's waiting

33:12Romesh Ranganathan:do you i take it like obviously you're a football fan but then have you got over because for me one of the things is is that i get a bit nervous because you you watch particularly when i talk to footballers who were playing when i was younger they're they're set in stone in my memories of like such incredible days watching them you know tear up or whatever I still couldn't ever speak to Thierry Henry I don't think without um yeah oh Thierry is one of the I'd say a handful I've worked with him quite a lot yeah you do you know he's I mean he's such an amazing guy he talks non-stop when you're in the Winnebago in the car park before you go to the ground he's asking everybody everything and he's he doesn't just do a quick conversation you know He gets really deep into things and he is just like a true superstar, you know, when you work with him.

34:02He's got aura.

34:03Romesh Ranganathan:Yeah, but that's the reason I sort of don't want to. I feel like it's better that he doesn't... Come on. Yeah, that he doesn't know me rather. You know, do you know what I mean? Because then you get like, I don't want him to, you know, it would just be so embarrassing. But do you, I guess you'll pass, you know, you're not having those experiences meeting football, are you? I suppose not really. Although if, for example, we managed to get, say, Ronaldo or Messi to pop into the studio and do, you know, a prime Champions League night, I think everybody would be so excited. And it must be those people think about it.

34:36Well, their world must be so weird because everybody is so excited to meet them all the time. What must it be like to be that one, like that person? I remember I used to do a show with Frank Lampard,

34:51Romesh Ranganathan:Play to the Whistle, and one day somebody said, Frank, can I have a chat? Can I get a photo? And he went over there, and he was gone for ages. And he came back and he said, I just discussed my entire Chelsea career. The guy was so excited because they feel like they want to tell you everything. right and so imagine getting that I mean getting that all the time must be ridiculous yeah I think the way they behave I mean I have worked with Wayne Rooney quite a bit over the last year and on on tour if you like being at stadiums not just in studio where real people are coming up to him and he handles people so well you know and we were at Arsenal he was doing game there and he was getting such abuse being shouted at him from the Arsenal fans I mean you know some of it was quite funny but um but he took it so brilliantly and then on the flip side when people come up to him and they've got a handful of shirts they want signing and, you know, he's got time for people.

35:46And I just think, you know, they are public kind of property when they're out there. So especially the big names, you know, and I think it's really to their credit.

35:54Romesh Ranganathan:Do you not think footballers now should just be allowed to say something back to fans? What do you mean when he's getting that kind of? When people are getting abuse, when footballers are getting abuse and they have to remain professional and not say anything back. And if they do say something back, it's like considered really bad. I just think let's have an amnesty. or like you know have a weekend like the purge where footballers are allowed to just go when you go fuck yourself do you know what i mean it feels like so insane to be abused you're at work yeah right and you're doing your job and somebody's got like somebody's screaming at you and you see you know you see it don't you on match of the day or on a live match when you see people they're basically like about to burst they're so angry and so incensed by i don't know a mispass yeah yeah and there's so many times like you'll see i feel really sorry for you like because as you said they're so young i feel so sorry when a player has a bad game and you log you go onto instagram and they go they'll say something really sweet like they sort of there's a photo of them looking a bit dejected and it will say not the result we hope for uh we go again or something like that right something that somebody's put together for them whatever and then the first comment will be get the fuck out my club you scum and you just go what's going on man and it's like it's a 21 year old kid and probably a 48 year old man just like it's so wild isn't it it is it is and it's you know and it's a serious issue actually which has been kind of think that highlighted this week there was a story on just last night in the news about that and how it can really affect players and and you know their their a willingness to then kind of partake in social media which everybody expects you to be available all the time for them and i you know i if i was a young player i'm not sure i'd want to be in that area no and also the way you get jumped on i interviewed it's actually on league of their own one of the footballers who was on i can't remember his name now i can't remember which one it was actually it was saying that after they look after his team lost a match he had to be careful about how happy he looked in public right so like he went i think it's like his family came over and then he went for a meal and then he was nervous about being seen laughing the day after a bad result because then it'd be like this guy doesn't care about the club it was it's it was it's so mad people's emotional ties with their clubs yeah are so you know so all-encompassing so important and and that's what makes football great on the one hand you know it's that kind of community and that spirit and that tribalism but also i think it's a product of our age isn't it that people just are very kind of angry and wanting to be divisive in so many ways but fortunately just generally it feels like everyone's pretty chilled out so I think we're okay everybody it feels like in society we feel like we're in a really good space right now and I for one I've never felt more positive about the future I've seen people got into golf hasn't it as well oh yeah Ryder Cup Ryder Cup yeah would you say McElroy was that the right thing because he did fight back yeah well I just I personally I liked it tell them to go well I think he was fighting fire with fire yeah I mean we could all hear what was going on so I just think you know he's I've always admired the way he handles himself and the way he handles his passion for the Ryder Cup as well.

39:00And also the fact that Europe, I know there was something about this, that the fact that Europe weren't being paid and America were made it even better. They were absolutely smashing them on day one. Is that right? Yeah. Why was that? First time ever that they've paid Ryder Cup team. Why? Why did that happen? The Americans decided they wanted to be paid.

39:20Romesh Ranganathan:Don't make any eye contact with me. Gabby's in the room. Yeah, so Europe said, no, you know, we don't get paid. This is kind of, you know, yeah, and America, we're getting paid because they don't make enough golfers. That's crazy. I mean, it's the only sport that literally measures its success on money, doesn't it? Yeah. So it's so un-English, isn't it, to kind of talk about money like that. But it's so weird that you go, yeah, he's had a great year. He's made 45 million. Yeah, yeah, because it's directly related to it. Yeah. Makes sense. We've got a game here for you. Oh, okay. It's called Misquoted.

39:52Okay.

39:58Romesh Ranganathan:it's misquoted i've got one two three four five quotes some of them are made up some of them are true okay let's see how already how much you remember what you said or not give me some time this is the first one sorry i should go this is not me this is potentially maybe me yeah give me some time to exercise and a coffee and I'll do anything for you for 18 hours.

40:25That's true.

40:29Shall I tell you what the context was? Please. I'd love it. Why ruin a good quote? So I was talking about when we're away doing things like World Cups and the work is relentless and you can have these super long days, but I always think if I've got an hour in the morning to do a bit of exercise, have a coffee, I can do, you know, an 18 hour day.

40:50Romesh Ranganathan:18 hours. Yeah. But that's not, because when I read the quote, it feels like that is the cutoff. Like what you're saying is. 19? Yeah. 18 hours in one minute. Forget it. I'm out. Yeah. Extra time. I'm going. Okay. Well done. You got that right. Here's the next one. I'm the Mary Berry of sports broadcasting. I've got lots going on at the moment. So there are no plans to slow down. I don't think so. I don't think so. I don't know. Did I? Daily Mirror 2025. So that was this year. I said that in an interview apparently. This year? This year. I feel like I might have said, because I know Mary, and I feel like I might have said, I'd love to be the Mary Berry of sport, that you could still be going at 90.

41:31Oh, so you misquoted, literally. Well, it's not a bad quote, is it? It's not terrible. I'm not saying I want to take Mary Berry down.

41:37Romesh Ranganathan:No. I want to be the new queen of cakes. Yeah. I will say that though. I want to take Mary Berry down put that in the trailer this gets misquoted somewhere I love Mary yeah but Mary if this gets picked up and Mary reads Gabby Logan wants to take Mary Berry down Romesh Baxter up you can't take both of us Mary so do you not have any plans to slow down then what's your kind of I don't know sometimes I think I should and then other times I think I'm loving what I do and I've got the energy to do it And my kids are 20 now, so I don't have that daily, you know, oh, it's three o 'clock or it's that internal body clock that you think you should be cooking.

42:19Like last night, Kenny's away at the moment. And last night I was cooking for myself, which is so soul destroying. It's really kind of like, oh, I didn't, I didn't. This is what they talked about when they said empty nest, you know. So, oh, I'll just work instead. It's better to just keep working. Obviously, I've got friends and, you know. Yeah, of course. I'm sure you do.

42:38Romesh Ranganathan:I'm sure you've got a rich and busy social calendar. Did it sound lonely? Yeah. But only if you assume. I chose to be on my own. I was thinking that last night. When I was walking up the stairs thinking, there was a time when your kids are little and you're busy with work where you think, oh, just to have an evening on my own. And actually, it's not what it's cracked up to be. Do you know what the problem is? Is I think films have got a part to play in that. Well, I should watch more. Yeah, yeah. Just occupy yourself. It sounded really tragic. No, but you know when you watch anybody having a night in on their own in a film they're having a great time well they're usually in a bubble bath yeah they're playing music they're dancing around the house do you mean they're jumping on the bed and all that shit when actually it's just eating a pot noodle in your underwear you haven't even bothered to turn the lights on some of it falls onto your chest and you think you know what i'll leave that for later you know yeah i there's a bit of me lately been thinking we should take some like you know some kids who kind of like maybe they left school and they want to do some work in London and we live in it, maybe they should, we should get them into the spare room.

43:44We should have kind of, you know, some young people.

43:46Romesh Ranganathan:Like a sweatshop making sports.

43:50Make some football kits. When my kids come back, they're like, who's in my bedroom? I don't know, but they've sowed 38 nets today.

44:06Romesh Ranganathan:um yeah it's uh it's the thing about is the thing about cooking for yourself it's you sort of think i'm going to make something really nice but then because you're on your own and you're not talking to anybody it takes you about three and a half minutes to eat it right so it feels like the ratio preparation the ratio of prep time to actually enjoying it is so off sometimes like if I'm cooking for myself at least I'll come home and go she's been out with her mate she goes what did you eat today and I just go 12 sausage rolls because I can't be arsed to do like a full meal do you know what I mean yeah okay here's your next one you've done very well no you didn't do well no I didn't do well on that one I recognised it slightly but I didn't think it was perfect you got nervous because you thought you were throwing shade at Mary Berry that's what happened yeah I've been conducting myself on social media while working at the BBC for nearly two decades.

44:58Romesh Ranganathan:No fucks given then, no fucks given now. The first part of that quote is true. Right. The second bit, not so much. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. You're right. I've been conducting, the real quote is, I've been conducting myself on social media while working at the BBC for nearly two decades, so it doesn't change anything. Yeah. You can imagine when we took over the role, we got asked a lot of questions about social media and how we were going to behave. you know, behave. And if anything, in the last year, I'd say, I've hardly done anything on X at all. I know kind of, because it became such a, like a battleground, you know.

45:35The most anodyne, like pathetic beige comment would turn into a war. Yeah. So I just felt, you know, Instagram felt like a healthier place to be.

45:47Romesh Ranganathan:Instagram's better, X is a toxic. And you still find some people on Instagram who want to have a fight, you know. Yeah. But you just kind of go, I usually respond by trying to kind of calm them down slightly and go, well, actually, that's not what that was about. Oh, do you respond? Occasionally. Occasionally. Michael Johnson told me years ago to not bother at all. In his very amazing accent, he said, why are you giving this guy who's got four followers energy and you're half a million followers? I don't know what you're doing. He was very kind of like, and I went, you're right, actually. Why am I doing that?

46:15Because it feels good. Put him up. But you kind of do sometimes want to just go, no, the reason is da-da-da-da, and try to explain. And then sometimes they come back and go, oh, thank you so much for getting back to me and having been so angry with you in the first place. Which I feel, I always say to people, I started out in telly when you had to get a pen out, write a letter, put it in an envelope and post it to the BBC or ITV or wherever. People just didn't bother. You know, hadn't got time to do that.

46:40Romesh Ranganathan:Things are too easy now. Yeah, everything's too easy. There should be more moments of reflection. I think things are too easy to buy. like if you recommended me something now like if you tell me those are good i could order them they'd be on the way to my house before the end of this chat it's unacceptable yeah it's too it should be harder um partners i was going to call them boyfriends and girlfriends partners it's you know you're just swiping aren't you i mean i'm obviously it's well before my time when i'm i was single that wasn't around but even that is we were talking about this the other day about how young people meet you know and that is so different isn't it well this whole phenomenon now because It's like when I met Lisa, I just thought this is not going to happen again at this level of, you know.

47:23Romesh Ranganathan:Quality. Yeah, basically. And so I, you know, clung in and I dug in and I made myself just like a parasite, you know, like a tick. I would say I'm Lisa's tick. But one of the phenomenon of social media, you know, dating and stuff like that and apps is that people are more disposable. People consider people to be more disposable. So it used to be you'd go for a date with someone. You'd go, that was sort of all right. I'll give it a second go. Whereas now, because you can access so many people, sometimes they'll make their mind up as they sit down and they go, this is done. Or they look at you through the window and just go.

48:00Romesh Ranganathan:Just walk on by. Just go, yeah. It's tough. I couldn't, if I was younger than Mikel Arteta, I don't know, as a bar, if I was doing dating apps, I'd be out of the game. What photo do you put up? that's what i find i would always undersell and have them be thrilled when they actually met you yeah that's a good shout what i hear often happens is the other way around so yeah yeah i wouldn't put any pictures i do you know what i would do i would do drawings of myself and then i would say you want to see this in reality meet me do you do you have things that you i mean obviously you have things that you wouldn't talk about publicly but have you do you find yourself sharing stuff that your family wish he hadn't they're usually pretty cool actually yeah they're all right and reuben had his own experience of being caught out recently actually because he did an interview when he first arrived at the sail shark he's that's where he's playing now and he said something about me talking about my sex life and how he was kind of like in string changing rooms at northampton saints and somebody was playing the podcast out in the you know it's me talking about why orgasms are good for you on the podcast yeah and was he playing out as banter yeah right okay you didn't just happened to have it on this motivational thing to get ourselves up for this and so they did it obviously to wind him up and he told this story to this journalist they were laughing but of course then the clickbait headline was i wish my mum would stop talking and so he screen grabbed it and put it on our family whatsapp and went my bad you know because he then learned obviously oh that this thing yeah if you say something like you might think you've explained it like this but then somebody else is going to pick it up like this and so so actually he's quite he's quite savvy and quite able to just see it as what it is you know which in the old days they'd say chip paper wouldn't they yeah and yeah quite relaxed about it oh that's good uh here's your next one you've been getting to grips with your penis pump on your own

49:52it's a slight misquote is it it's a slight misquote yeah what was the actual quote oh gosh so this was to do with Kenny having prostate cancer yes and maybe I did well he basically had they gave me the hospital a penis pump and he said he'd leave me if I ever walked in when he was using the penis pump he said if you ever saw me doing this I'm leaving so so I didn't say you'll be doing that on your own it was more him saying I'll be doing this on my own yeah he didn't think it was going to be the sexiest thing in the world no he'd like it to be known he didn't need it for too long sure I didn't even know such a thing existed I didn't know either

50:43Romesh Ranganathan:I mean you knew didn't you what's the connection so I don't understand so basically when you have your prostate removed there is a risk of erectile functionality changing and so obviously to help that improve what the pump does is increase Do you regret that at all? Increase

51:04Increase the blood flow Yeah And and then help you know the process Yeah Not pre-sex by the way No This is just practice

51:13Romesh Ranganathan:It's like physio It's like practice Yeah it's like physio Yeah Exactly that Exactly that So it's not like Hang on Wait five minutes Wait I am gonna Just wait a sec because in about three and a half to four minutes I'm gonna give you the time of your life.

51:32Romesh Ranganathan:They're purely separate occasions. Yeah, so these are... The pumping and the intercourse are separate. Yes, so it's like, it is physio. So, you know, it's getting yourself back in shape. Yeah. And he didn't need it for very long. Let's be absolutely clear about that. Yeah, he was, yeah. Listen, he's the one that's spoken about this quite publicly. He did an article in The Telegraph recently that was, I was reading it, and I, you're not left much back from that, Kenny. But he feels quite, I think he's quite, um and responsibility because he knows that it helps the conversation and that people a lot of men don't want to go and get their PSA tested they know that 50 you know is the age when prostate cancer obviously is more likely to occur post 50 so yeah so I think he felt like you know the fact that he'd done if you know the story he found it by accident because I had Davina McCall on my podcast she was talking about hormones he said to me what happens to in men's hormones and he went actually for a hormone test because he wanted to see where his testosterone was not see what his PSA was yeah didn't even know what prostate cancer was so that's kind of you know he felt the responsibility then to pay it forward I think I think it's an amazing thing to do because I feel like there's so many you just don't talk about those you don't have an open chat about it and then I think the the what happens and if somebody is going through something like that they just feel so completely alone and then I think if anybody with any kind of profile is talking about the experiences they've had and is able to de-stigmatize something like a penis pump or whatever.

52:58Romesh Ranganathan:I mean, I know we've had a laugh about it, but to sort of say, you know, to know that that was my experience and you can chat about it and it's fine and da-da-da. I just think that's an amazing thing to say. No, I've got a huge aberration for him doing that, yeah, and talking about it, being so candid. And I think he felt coming as a, you know, an ex-rugby player, kind of, you know, a tough looking professional, all that kind of thing as well. You know, he felt there was an extra dimension there as well that you know if you're a sports person it's that you've got to be kind of totally you know indomitable and you know nothing can fail you because you're a strong athlete and actually you know that's just ridiculous yeah no it's a great thing um okay here's your last one good luck to you um i was told i was too competitive for a woman which is completely untrue and luckily i won the argument

53:46Romesh Ranganathan:half of that's true yeah well done that's right half of it's true the first bit is true the first bit the comedy ending uh luckily i won the argument uh yeah it's a good little punchline i was told i was being too competitive whereas i was thinking that was good that's what i did in sport and it worked yeah i'm referring to strictly i think did you get negative uh yes Yes, yes. From audience members? At the time, social media wasn't really a thing. It was more chat rooms, which I didn't venture into, but a few of my friends did and told me. Oh, that's nice of them. And I didn't even think I'd looked disappointed at my scores, but apparently I had a face like thunder and I looked disappointed.

54:26But I think I was more disappointed that they didn't enjoy it, you know, or something. And so I was kind of going, oh. Yeah, yeah. It was less of a pantomime-y kind of thing then as well, the show. I mean, I love, you know, it was a great experience. I absolutely loved it but I was very much I want to do as well as I can I want to be in this because once you start to learn something with somebody who's a world best at it you know it's such an amazing experience to learn anything like say tomorrow you had Bukayo Sacco rang you up and said look I really want to teach you how to cross a ball better I'd love that of course you would you know he is one of the best at it so that's what it was like learning to dance really on that show you're with these amazing people and you just want to keep going

55:04Romesh Ranganathan:well it feels like when you go on Strictly everything is under a lot more scrutiny while you're on that show oh yeah did you feel that yeah I mean there was a story one week which I was the Daily Mirror which was about um how I'd stormed off after the show didn't go to the bar or my 80 something I can't remember what she was at the time granny was there and she couldn't make it up the steps it was the old BBC to the top so we just had drinks in my dressing room instead that's what happened yeah and I had like Kelly Brook in there and Penny Lancaster it wasn't like it was just me on my own you know there were loads of us in there but somehow there's there's kind of leaks in the show and that kind of oh she's not in the bar she's upset you know and i remember reading that story and feeling heartbroken because somebody had twisted the narrative but also it was painting me in this kind of you know very grumpy you know wanting all out to win this show type light which i didn't recognize meanwhile my husband's you know floating along through to week 10 you know getting a totally different press it taught me a lot that whole experience i wrote about it in my book because it was a real life lesson for me because i just previously been this person that you work hard you get on and then this was showbiz this was an entertainment show so you have to kind of play the game a little bit and yeah with hindsight of course you know there is an element of performance and pantomime in the whole the judging process and everything isn't there and they want to get a reaction out of you but if your natural instinct is to go oh yeah and And I saw that a bit with Karen Carney on her second week because I was looking out for her.

56:31She looked a bit, she was a bit like, oh. And that's, I think, a sports person's thing. We're really good at taking critique, actually, and then changing what we do because it's what you've done your whole life. That's why I love working with a lot of the pundits I work with. They're so good at saying, how can I be better? But yeah, it was a life lesson, I think, in lots of ways that I'm glad I went through.

56:52Romesh Ranganathan:Do you think sports people are just built different like that? Because when we do League of Their Own, you know with sports people we do challenges i'm just not competitive at all and that's because i'm crap at everything and so i've trained myself to not be to not be competitive whereas like meeks and jamie and jill scott are like they are they have to win it doesn't matter what it is it could be a chicken wing eating competition and they have to win it's just it's a different wiring yeah it is it is and you know living in a household like growing up my dad was a footballer married to an ex-rugby player, son who plays rugby, my daughter's really competitive.

57:30You know, you realise not every, you know, when you get guests, like the kids' friends come round, you realise, oh, not every household is quite like this. Yeah, yeah. Oh, well, let's go out in the garden and play rounders. And like at the end of it, there's like a World War III breaks out and kind of the rules are being disseminated and the other kids going, oh, I'm just going to get my mum to pick me up now. No, stay. You stay there.

57:51Romesh Ranganathan:We are not done. Does this look over to you? Are we done? are we inside having a post game drink no I don't think so get the pads back on idiot

58:05but then you you know I've always Kenny's always been very much like yeah you've got to take them on like him and Ruben wrestling when he was about 15 and Kenny was that whole silverback thing I don't know if you do that with your boys do you do you wrestle

58:16Romesh Ranganathan:they've started to I mean you know the youngest one's 11 now so they can all beat me oh right no we do but that wrestling thing it's a real thing isn't it where the dad's strength starts to be overtaken by the sons. My dad struggled with that so. It's not being the. Yeah, he just really like, I really feel like there was an envy from him because my dad was a bit of a, I mean, we talked about it on your podcast. My dad was a bit of a player. And, you know, I think a lot of his self-worth was in kind of him being attractive and him being strong and him being like. And when you started overtaking.

58:54Romesh Ranganathan:yeah i mean it took a while to be honest with you look at me but but you know even when like it was like us sort of starting to to go out with like to go at girls and stuff you know he's sort of like oh my god yeah yeah oh it's horrible it's horrible hello can't take it any further got quite unpleasant but you know like but i think that my dad really struggled and now with the boys you kind of it doesn't matter how you know much the idea of what it is to be masculine has moved on there's still I think there's always going to be an element of that. Do you know what I mean? No, totally. Just the boy.

59:28Romesh Ranganathan:You know, my eldest son is absolutely, like he's working out now in a way that I just wasn't at his age. He's like more conscious of his physique and he does a lot of dance and stuff like that. So he's just, and then every now and again, he'll sort of say something along the lines of, I think I could take you now.

59:48And you think maybe you could actually, maybe you could.

59:51Romesh Ranganathan:Definitely could. yeah well you know i don't think definitely i mean what i would say is like charlie is a young no i'm talking about the 16 year old the difference is yeah yeah but you know i grew up in a council estate theo grew up in my house right he's very spoiled you know he's led a soft he's had a soft upbringing he doesn't know how i roll you know in brawfield crawley we fight dirty there's gouging do you know what i mean whose rules are you yeah none of this you know like he's on the other side of Crawley now he's lived a different life um now is it true I'm a is this true that you once wanted to be a comedian I I did um stand up for um comic relief um it was called let's stand up for comic relief and the premise of the show was five celebs uh it was sporting celebs had five different comedians as their mentor Paddy Kilty was my mentor and then you know the Bloomsbury Theatre it's about 500 people I think and you had to do stand up there and I did it Paddy was brilliant with me and did it and I won it was an audience vote and Tyson Fury was one of the other comedians and who else was there there was Razor Ruddock and Michael Vaughan anyway four other guys and I absolutely loved it how did the gig did you smash the gig?

1:01:16yeah I really I really did because what I did was I

1:01:21Romesh Ranganathan:did you do the Indian accent that you were doing before you came on this different times different times I we'd rehearsed in this little pub in Kingston that apparently a lot of famous comedians a fighting cop yes yeah yeah and we went there and Paddy's point there was that if you could make 25 people there laugh then you're going to make you know which is a venue of say 40 yeah you're going to make three quarters of a big theatre laugh anyway when we did it there I for some reason decided to Irish dance onto the stage and he was in hysterics and he went you've got to do that you've just got to do that because immediately the audience that's what you did in that pub yeah Gabby I'm not being that pub is like quite an intimidating place oh no there was no audience in there that night oh god it was an empty space okay Jesus I was going to say that is that is holy shit anyway so he said oh my god you should do that on the night just Irish dance onto stage because people will just not they'll throw them off guard they won't know what you're doing you know and then start have no reference to it whatsoever right so I was like okay and I was wearing like four inch eve songer on like shoe boot things as well which didn't lend themselves so I was dancing and then once I kind of got that first laugh I was just like oh my god I love this and I was like I'd living my you know I loved it and went home that night couldn't sleep because I was thinking, right, we could sell the house downsized so that I don't have the biggest mortgage because it's going to take me a few years really to get up to the big venues.

1:02:47I'm literally in bed working out how I can redo my whole career. To become a stand-up. Yeah, I was like, and material was coming out of my ears and I was lying in bed like this. And then I woke up in the morning and went, ah, reality. The kids needed to go to school. And I was like, and I just, yeah, I just loved it. And I had another chance to do something for a different charity thing. And each time I've just, I totally get what takes you back every time. because even if it hadn't gone as well, there is something. I mean, I've never been so nervous, obviously, because you're so out of your comfort zone.

1:03:16But what really made me happy was, not happy, but comforted me was seeing the comedians who also had to do stand-up on the night, how nervous they were backstage, even though they were all household names. You know, it was Jason Manford and John Richardson, was he on it? I don't know. There was a load of comedians that you would know and Paddy was doing my stuff. And they were all still as nervous, even after all these years.

1:03:38Romesh Ranganathan:Well, I think there's something really, I think one of the reasons stand up so addictive is no matter how good you get at it, it can really, you can really come unstuck. And that, you know, you can have a terrible gig at whatever stage or it can just go against you. You can make one judgment in the moment. You might riff something that you lose the crowd. That makes it incredibly addictive. Would you ever do it again? Like, would you do it again? Oh, definitely. Because for charity. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, definitely. because it's, I think the challenge of writing as well, you know, being involved in that process, I really enjoyed.

1:04:09And you probably worked with Phil Kerr.

1:04:11Romesh Ranganathan:Yes. Yeah, he was the writer that I worked with. I still use him occasionally for, you know, help me with do speeches for things, you know. And he was great. But also, you know, I really love watching comedy and get, you know, it's now, it's so different, isn't it? The landscape actually in comedy is massively different. So even then, you know, I think there's no surprise that I was the only woman that even volunteered to do this. because I think it was such a, it's a different place for women now, isn't it? I think. Yeah, it is. Women are allowed to be funny. Yeah. I mean, if you talk to Jo Brand about.

1:04:41Romesh Ranganathan:Oh, I have done. Yeah. What it was like for her on the circuit when she first started. It's amazing she went on. Even when, yeah, it really is. Like the stuff that was said to her by audience members, other comics or whatever, it is the fact that she's, that she decided to carry on doing, I find absolutely incredible. And like, and you know, she's unbelievably funny. So I'm so. Do you remember A League of Their Own? Yeah, I do remember. It got cancelled. Thanks for bringing it up. Do you want to talk about it's not rocket science as well? Do you remember? They think it's all over. Yes, I do. I was on there very early on in my career.

1:05:16And in the writing room beforehand, I was really nervous. Jonathan Ross was on the team captains. And obviously Gary was on the show. And she was on the show. And she was so generous. And I was actually quite scared of her because I'd seen her TV persona. but she was unbelievably kind and generous and encouraging and giving me should you have this gag this is really good you'll like this one and just made me feel so at ease you know in that environment and you can see that's obviously somebody who's been through like the real

1:05:43Romesh Ranganathan:trailblazers yeah you know so i feel like you could like you could do a tour couldn't you like you've got enough like if you suddenly decided if you just decided to gabby logan on the road i don't know would there be enough people want to come yes i don't think a hundred percent there so I'm not sure I'm prepared to test that. I reckon, I think you should, I would do, if I was you, if you're trying to scratch the itch, if you don't want to do like a whole stand-up thing, you could do like a bit of a Q &A about your career and your life and then do a bit of stand-up or open with a bit. Honestly, I actually think, you're talking about how exciting you find it, it feels so near to the realms of possibility that you would do it to me.

1:06:24Do you know what I mean? It's something that Kenny has always said he would love. because I think he wants to be my tour manager. And he says, oh, we'd have so much. He goes, we could do these tiny theatres in the Outer Hebrides. I'm like, you haven't got much hope for me. But he's like, we could go all over the country and we could like, you know, and it does sound like a, you know, something. You should do it.

1:06:42Romesh Ranganathan:Like a midlife crisis. Yeah, you could go to like smaller rooms and like work up the act, you know, and then you and Kenny can have a great time and just travelling around doing all that. And then, boom, you're ready with the show. Sounds like a great idea. I think you should do it. Okay, I'll start. I'll start working on it. Really? I'll start writing. There you go, there's our exclusive. It's got to be easier than learning the piano, which is the thing I keep telling myself I'm going to do. It's easier than learning the piano. In an interview, people are always going, you know, they'll go, what kind of thing would you like to challenge yourself with in midlife?

1:07:10And I go, I am going to learn the piano. I am going to learn the piano. And then I don't learn the piano.

1:07:15Romesh Ranganathan:Now, normally what we do is we ask our guests to give us some sort of viral thing or something they've not said before. I think we've got it. Because I did, I did. I think those things are compatible. I did have something for you. Oh, do you? Okay, let's hear it. Let's hear it. I did have something for you, yeah. Go on. Which I've not said anywhere else yet. Are you being serious? It's quite exciting. Are you being serious right now? Do you know what Ted Lasso is? Yeah. Okay, so you know there's a new series. Yes, I do, yeah. So in episodes three and four, I am the new comms director of Richmond FC and I'm pushing to have more input from the women's side of the game at the club.

1:07:54Romesh Ranganathan:that is a oh my god what an exclusive that's so good oh my god and do you know that's not true oh fuck's sake no one is a nobody does a true one is it not true no well I thought I didn't think you'd react so we had the same thing with Jack I didn't realise his one wasn't true either he told us he got off his tits at a festa with Mary Berry and can we stop taking her name in vain. Sorry, but that's what he said. That was the story he said. He's like, I can't remember what they said. They ended up in a K-hole together.

1:08:33Romesh Ranganathan:And I was like, oh my God, oh my God. I was looking around and Jack just sat there like you did. It's not, obviously it's not true. I was told I was allowed to make it up. I'm a bit annoyed. I do like Ted Lasso. And I have been quite annoyed from the very start that I haven't had a cameo. You should have a cameo. Rebecca Lowe's had one. Gary's had one. I think Gary had one. Every time I'm like, hmm. And they also told me that I used to live in a house in Chiswick and he stayed in my old house. He was renting my old house in Chiswick. I didn't own it anymore, obviously. And I go to Richmond all the time to get my hair done and Richmond has become Ted Lasso Alley.

1:09:07There's an alleyway that has got the Ted Lasso shop. People, American tourists just hang out there. I feel so close to it. I'm on the precipice of a phone call coming in anytime soon. Maybe this could make it happen.

1:09:18Romesh Ranganathan:Yeah. I mean, I'm mates with, I'm really good mates with Brett Goldstein who writes on it. Does he write on it as well? Brett. Yeah, Roy Cameron. I met him. I met him. It's Cookie Monster. Yeah, it was a bit. He doesn't talk like that in real life, does he? No, he doesn't. Am I doing it right? Yeah, he does talk like that. No. John Terry in it with a bit. Yeah. He's a great character. No, you've got to get on the ball. Is that right? I feel like I'm not quite getting it. Slightly less gravelly. Yeah. You've hurt your voice now. Anyway. It's a very, yeah, it's a very lovely show. So I would love to.

1:09:52Okay. Okay.

1:09:52Romesh Ranganathan:This is exclusive. Brett, please. Can you get Gabby onto Ted Lasso? Please. Maybe mention the fact that she's got the hairdresser in Richmond. She's got the hairdresser in Richmond. She loves the show. Do you love the show? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. She loves the show. It's convenient for her. It's convenient for her. You don't even have to organize a car. She just time it for when she's getting her next hair point. Hair and makeup done. Yeah. Please. Yeah. Brett, do it, man. My own wardrobe and everything. Yeah. she'll wear her own stuff yeah and she if you wanted to do a tight 10 minutes of stand up to warm everyone up she'll do that as well Gabby you have been a fantastic guest please give it up for Gabby Logan everybody thank you very much thank you for having me thank you so much for watching and listening to this episode before you go if you've enjoyed this episode and you've not subscribed that's a bold decision crazy behaviour follow and subscribe to the Ramesh Ranganathan show wherever you listen and it helps me, really, like really helps me.

1:10:52Romesh Ranganathan:It helps the team and it costs you absolutely nothing. We drop episodes every Monday and Thursday. Mondays, I'm joined by great guests. Thursdays, my mum Shanti joins me to answer your questions and family dilemmas. I'll see you Thursday with mum who, let's face it, is who you're actually here for. If you've got a problem you want to solve or a story you want to share, send it to podcast at rangabi.com, voice not or text us on 07731 623 355. We can't promise good advice, but you might end up on the show. See you soon!