Lucy Beaumont

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1:10Lucy Beaumont: Hello and welcome to the Travel Diaries podcast. I'm your host Holly Rubenstein and here each week I uncover the seven chapters of my guest's travel diaries. From the first place they fell in love with to their all-time favourite and hidden gems, we uncover the travel experiences and destinations that have shaped their lives. Today's guest is one of the most distinctive and brilliantly funny voices in British comedy. I was born on holiday, on a camping trip. We thought one woman was bumping off the other women. We thought we was like Miss Marple. And then we realised they were just going home.

1:48No one was dying, they were just going home. And she woke up and I went, oh my God, you've had your tongue pierced. And she went, you've had your nose pierced. We realised we're quite nice girls. We don't need to do this. It used to be you'd be the only woman with a group of men. Yeah, we'd just talk, you know, talk over you. But it's not so much like that anymore. You felt like you'd won a competition. But what did they all think about celebrity traitors? It's like otherworldly. You're like, because you get your phone taken off you. You're only allowed to make one call a day. You took your passport, but they search your luggage for any recording devices.

2:24It is a bit extreme. I think it was my second show went really well, and I had a pad thai before it. So I thought, that must be the secret. And there's a street called Land of Green Ginger, and it says it, and it's a little cobbled street. It feels otherworldly, and you would never know you're in Hull, yeah.

2:42Lucy Beaumont: That was, of course, Lucy Beaumont. You'll know her from shows like Would I Lie to You, Taskmaster, Meet the Richardsons, The Celebrity Traitors, of course, and so much more, as well as from her acclaimed stand-up and writing. I spoke to Lucy a couple of weeks ago at the London Marriott County Hall on a beautifully sunny day. We were in the Big Ben suite overlooking the iconic Westminster skyline. And on today's episode, we travel from an out-of-season teenage trip to Magaluf and sneaking off to Torquay in search of surfers, to falling in love with Menorca and finding magic in New Orleans. This one is great fun.

3:22Lucy Beaumont: So let's buckle up and get started. Here's Lucy.

3:33Lucy, welcome to The Travel Diaries. It's amazing to see you. How are you? Good, thank you. Are you? I am good. It's a beautiful day out there. Really nice. Yeah, but you've had a busy one. It's a muggy though. Well, for April, it's blooming muggy, isn't it? Yeah. But it kind of makes me feel like I'm on holiday. I know, it's lovely. It's about time, really. I shouldn't complain. Yeah. We deserve it. Yeah. So what kind of traveller are you? I think I'm really good to travel with. I think I'm good on holiday. Yeah. I think I'm easy. I want to relax. I treat holidays as, you know, some people like doing things, don't they?

4:11I'm one of them where I like, I always say, I want a beach holiday, but with an old town, you know, where you can, that's my perfect. Fly and flop with a side of culture. Yeah, yeah. So I like, I think I'm good because I genuinely really want to relax. Like I do think that's what you're meant to do. But then after a while, I do want to see something. Yeah, yeah. Are you good at relaxing? I am. I'm only on holiday and that's why. That's interesting. They're really important to me. Yeah. because I can really rely if I think about the times I sleep best it's always like on holiday you know yeah we're gonna go on a journey today you see yeah we're gonna go through the seven chapters of your life's travel diaries right and we start at the very beginning with chapter one and that's your earliest childhood travel memory my earliest childhood travel memory is um abroad is Magaluf with my mum.

5:12We didn't go abroad till I think I was about 16. But she could afford a holiday. And it was really lovely how she did it because we were going, I think I thought we were just going to the shops or something. And we stopped at a travel agent and it was a surprise. And she was like, no, we're going here and we're going to book. And we did it last minute and we went the next day.

5:35Lucy Beaumont: Oh my God, how exciting. Yeah, yeah. So it was a really big thing for her to, you know, be able to give us a holiday away. And then after that, I did go on quite a few with my uncles. I went to, like, we went to quite a few places in America and stuff. So after that, I did quite a bit. But that first, I think it was the build-up to, you know, it was so exciting. Then just going away the next day. That spontaneity. Yeah, when you could get, you know, the last-minute deals. Yeah. Yeah, like when in the travel agent window. Yeah, yeah. And what was your first impression as you landed? Well, she didn't know, bless her, that it was out of season.

6:18She didn't know what out of season was. So everywhere was shut. And like one bar, but we made friends. We made friends with these two lads from Birmingham. And I even went to visit them when we got back off holiday. and you were really lovely yeah yeah so um yeah we had it was funny it was really funny because it was it was the clientele were very elderly you know we we were i think mum loved it because she felt very young and we thought we we had this thing that we thought we thought one woman was bumping off the other women we thought it was like a miss marple and then we realized they they were just going home.

7:01No one was dying. They were just going home. But it was, yeah, it was fun. We had fun. And you were an accidental tourist before you were even, well, as you came into this world. Yeah. I was born on holiday. Yeah. So really you are the dream guest for me. Well, yeah. Yeah. Born on holiday. Yeah. And I think I went up in the well. I got born in Truro in Cornwall. So on a camping trip. Do you feel an affinity with the West Country? ever since? No, not at all. But my dad once said, oh, do you know, you've got Cornish birthrights. I don't know whether that... Well, if it becomes its own country. Yeah.

7:39Yeah. If they started, you know, which they should, they should start saying, shouldn't they? You can't buy a house in Cornwall unless you're born there. Yeah. I would feel it's a bit like, you know, when you get a European passport. Yes. Yeah. That's really nice. Do you go down there to tour a lot? um i'm going um this tour that starts in september and i'm going to talky which i have been we went um another so that was probably that was my first trip in the uk without parents and we lied to them we said we were staying at each other's houses and we got an east yorkshire coach trip to talky but it was awful because my friend booked it because we wanted to meet surfers and she said they're all in Torquay, but she got Newkey and Torquay mixed up.

8:28And we got there, like we got off the coach in a bikini, tops, you know, and we're like, where's the service? Yeah. Did you find them in the end? No, we found a cricket team that said they were the England cricket team, so we'd hang around with them. And then we found out they weren't. Oh my gosh, how disappointing. It wasn't a good trip. The woman who was B &B it was, she rang our parents because she thought we seemed quite young. She rang your parents? And she said, don't worry, I'll look after them. I know. Oh, no, but she was looking after them? Well, she said, I'll look after them, but she was awful to us.

9:05We had to be in by nine. Oh, no. So she snitched on you. Do you know that she had a pool, but it didn't have any water in. And she let us just pretend to sunbathe around an empty pool. That's really sad. Really depressing. Really depressing. And I just remember a model. I just remember crouched behind a windmill in a model village smoking. That's what I remember. Did you surf at all? Oh, no. No. I can hardly walk. And obviously Hull is so central to your identity, to your life. Yeah. If I was heading up there for the day, where would you take me? Oh, I would take it to the old town. um it's beautiful it wasn't you know Hull was bombed more than any other city more than Coventry non-strategic bombing so and it's such a shame because what's left is absolutely beautiful and if more had been left it would be such a you know it would be people would go to Hull and

10:07Lucy Beaumont: you know like they go to Yaw yeah so idyllic yeah I know but what's left is really beautiful and there's a street um called Land of Green Ginger and it says it and it's a little cobbled Street and it's you know beautiful like with Georgie and and I think there's some Tudor houses there and it doesn't it feels otherworldly and you would never know you know you're in Hull yeah really are there places that you feel kind of protective over yeah all that area then there's a pub that's got the littlest window in the world it's called the littlest window in the world there's a there's a pub and outside there's a little window and it's got a plaque it says it's the littlest window in the world wow yeah I wonder how they ascertained that it's more like a slip but um yeah and around the docks it means a lot to me because um like my grandad used to take me to the docks and tell me about the trowelman and the fishing industry and um the marina like is like really nice like it's lovely around there Humber Street it's really eclectic loads of independent shops and cafes it's got a real european vibe and there's all the yachts there's a marina and i think people just don't know how beautiful it is yeah yeah oh i can really feel your affection for it yeah because it it's it gets a lot of bad press and it's like that's why it's so much nicer than croydon like yeah you know like people there's certain places you think why do people take the mick out of it's it's the areas that are just beautiful yeah Wasn't it the 2017 UK capital of culture?

11:44Yeah, and it still does stuff now, like the legacy of it. It still does a lot of like community arts things and has loads of festivals, loads of like free festivals that like bring the city alive and like loads for kids. And yeah. So if people were maybe coming up to Hull and staying there and then like making a long weekend of it, what would they see around the area? What would you recommend? Oh, well, all around the marina and the docks in the old town, that's really lovely. And there's some really nice places to stay, really nice places to eat. And then I would probably then maybe go to some of the villages.

12:22And then I would probably go to the coast is really close. Like Hawns is only like half an hour away. So probably do a bit of everything. Beach and city. A bit of beach and a bit of culture. Yeah. Ideal. Lovely. So chapter two is the first place that you fell in love with Lucy. Where comes to mind for that? The first place that I fell in love with, I think it was, and still is now, I'd love to want, that's where I think I'd retire to, is Citadweller in Menorca. I just, I've gone to quite a lot of places in Europe and there's obviously so many beautiful places, but it's just stunning. And yeah, well, you will have been, won't you?

13:11But for people who haven't, how would you describe it? How would you paint a picture of it? It's sort of this really picturesque little port. It's the old capital city of Menorca. And yeah, it's very old. lots of like um lovely um spirally cobbled streets um and there's a lovely port of harbour with lots of restaurants on it but it's not they've kept it really traditional it feels local there's some quite like bougie shops and restaurants but it feels really authentic and And it doesn't, there's no Irish pubs. No, like it's just beautiful. And you feel really relaxed there as well, considering, you know, it's still quite a big city.

14:01It's just, yeah, beautiful. Menorca is just stunning, isn't it? Like it just, because I love the lyrics and I love Mallorca as well, but Menorca just has that like slightly more chilled out pace, doesn't it? and so it just feels like that bit more tranquil it's it's that little bit more undiscovered yeah yeah and I think it has changed a lot like I think I went about it'd be about 10 years ago but apparently like more and more like money has moved in and it's just slightly certain places are just slightly tipping you know that that other side I went to Dea recently and I thought it was beautiful but I could feel it just felt different it just felt like people living there that aren't attached to it it's a really interesting vibe when you can feel that there's not an affinity to you know that you can't walk in a restaurant and it's a family run restaurant you know and things like that that's how it's true and speaking of falling in love when did you first fall in love with comedy do you think at what point did you say this is something I'm I'm really passionate about um I think it just came in stages really uh I think I'm I've been born into a family that use comedy as a you know some families just like everything's a joke like in my family like my mum's side um you know my granddad and grand like you know it's still and always was a bit of a meeting place you know for the we always used to do the rounds go to different people's houses you know yeah my granddad's sister and my granny's brothers and my childhood was just I think a lot of people's was it just you went visiting that's what I did um and everyone it was the same everywhere you went you didn't open your mouth unless you had something funny to say really yeah you didn't you wouldn't you wouldn't just tell someone about like you wouldn't walk into their house and just say like what you'd been doing that week you'd only say something if you'd done something funny and that's perfectly for panel shows well yeah well yeah good preparation well yeah yeah if you can get a word in on them yeah yeah exactly yeah I've always wondered that about kind of panel shows like is everybody kind of vying for the time to tell their story or their anecdote.

16:37It used to be like that. And they've changed a lot because sort of a new generation's come in. Yeah. But they're different. They used to be. They weren't, you know, it used to be you'd be the only woman with a group of men who, yeah, would just talk, you know, talk over you. But it's not so much like that anymore. But it used to be, yeah. That must have been really intimidating. Oh, gosh, yeah, yeah. Well, you felt like you'd won a competition. There were no other women on it. Yeah. God, isn't it crazy how in such a short period of time, but then obviously a long period of time before that, but then thankfully things have changed for your experience as a comedian and a woman.

17:20Oh, I think it's massive. It's a different, yeah, it's such a different world. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What's your favourite panel show? Oh, would I lie to? I just love, I love doing. I'm going back on it again. So I think that'll be, I've done four series in a row or five series in a row. So I'm so chuffed whenever they ring again, because every series I do, I think, oh, they work, but my next one, so far, you know. I've gone, yeah, so I just love it. Yeah, because I've got a lot, I have a lot of stories that sound like lies, you know. So true. And it's not a traditional panel, you know, because I think everyone gets your moment, you know, to tell you know it's not like you're trying to find something funny to say quickly yeah okay can you answer me a question about what I like to you that I've always wondered yeah when it's somebody who is totally obscure from a story that is from 20 years ago like the person who helped me with my car how do they track down that person it's amazing they're trying to track down someone I worked in asda with and they do it and they're trying to work at track down a dinner lady it's amazing that i think because it's such a well-known show people want to want to help them you know so there are teams actually like in place trying to kind of it's almost like ancestry.com but like for what i like to yeah yeah it's amazing yeah the man who did they get hauled off gosh i can't remember now i've done so many but yeah they got um someone i worked with last time oh no they managed to find an electrician that I had that's amazing yeah amazing your job must have been on the floor I know yeah it's like such a long time so going back to falling in love with with kind of performing in comedy um you've talked about that you had quite bad stage fright at the start oh yeah terrible stage fright yeah so how did you like how did you go from there to stand up because that's quite uh or and touring and performing how did you conquer that oh I you I didn't give up I just I wanted to I just thought I'd always be that person that shakes on the stage people have to put up with it but so you were always you wasn't you wanted to do it it was just nerve wracking yeah I just yeah yeah I always I was determined I was determined to get good at it I was just in the beginning I was just wanted to earn a living from it and then and then you were right, the next stage, you know, now I want to try and overcome the, you know, the fear of it.

19:55But now I feel more relaxed going on stage than I do off stage, you know. Really? Yeah, yeah, I really do. That's so interesting. Yeah. Why do you think that is? I honestly think it's that thing of, I've done it for like 15 years. I think it's, you know, they said that like 1000 hours thing. Yeah. I think I just, I've just done it so much now, you know. Yeah. Yeah.

20:21Lucy Beaumont: We'll be back with Lucy in a moment. I just want to share the latest chapter in my travel diaries, which involved a visit to an iconic English countryside hotel that I've been wanting to check out for years called Coworth Park, which is in Asgard. Such a beautiful part of the country, only about 45 minutes from London. So really easy for a one or two night countryside escape. and the setting really is just so lovely. Rolling parkland, wildflower meadows, horses grazing in the distance, that very manicured, quintessentially British feel to everything. Cowarth Park is part of the Dorchester Collection.

20:59Lucy Beaumont: We went on our own. We managed to get some childcare and spent the night enjoying that real sense of polished old-school luxury from the moment that you arrive, a kind of place where everything runs very smoothly and discreetly, all very immaculate and we really just spent a lot of time kind of pottering around the estate there's lots to do if you're into kind of country pursuits there's horse riding tennis bikes we didn't have great weather unfortunately so we mainly made use of the spa which has recently been renovated and it's lovely it's serene and beautifully designed and I had a very unusual treatment actually I don't know if any of you have had this before but it was a seaweed based facial because I learned that Hebridean seaweed has natural antioxidants and bioactive minerals that really are fantastic for your skin.

21:49Lucy Beaumont: So it was very unusual. It was accompanied by this kind of transportative monologue, which helped me to visualize the Hebridean seascape. And there was an audio soundtrack of the waves. It was very immersive and nice to switch off, help my brain to relax people go to cowrath park for the restaurant because it has woven by adam smith there which is a michelin starred restaurant and it's really superb we also ate in the more relaxed barn restaurant there which had like yummy gooey short ribs and juicy roast chicken like real comfort food and the standout moment i actually would say was the breakfast in the morning genuinely one of the most yummy breakfasts i've had in the hotel in a very long time especially from a gluten-free perspective I always judge hotels pretty ruthlessly on their gluten-free offering this one was exceptional homemade pastries gluten-free that was the dream for me overall I would say that Cowarth Park feels like one of those really rare hotels that works for almost any occasion it could be for a romantic weekend a family stay a work retreat honestly just an excuse to disappear into the English countryside for a night and reset it was for me at this kind of point in the season when I'm feeling a bit burned out it was just what the doctor ordered and we're very lucky to have places like this kind of surrounding London so thank you very much Chickalworth Park for having us.

23:16Do you still have it where you feel like crowds have completely different vibes depending on where you are or at this kind of point because you've got an established fan base do you not do you kind of have always that like wonderful for positive reinforcement that must be so addictive yeah no you yeah that that that that is it because when you start out you're having to prove yourself and especially as a woman like you you know you have to come in with a really good gag straight off the bat you can't be you know some men could like come on and and slowly tell a story and it could build you you can't because they wouldn't give you the chance you can feel you you feel the you used to feel the room tense up when they said that there was a woman coming on next because they just the audience just was like if she must she just won't be good and you could feel that energy of like you just won't be you won't be as funny as the last man that was on because we had this culture of thinking only men were funny.

24:21Yeah. And it used to get in my head. I used to think, I'm not funny. Women aren't funny. Like, yeah. And even like taxi drivers and stuff, you know, be like, you know, like they always say exactly what they think. Yeah, so you always did. Your first gag had to be a really, really big gag. No pressure. Yeah, yeah. Who are your favourite female comedians now? Oh, gosh. I honestly, I sound really corny, but I respect all female comics. I really do. I just think, I know how hard it is. I know how hard it is. And usually you've had some weird sort of life. Like it's an odd thing. It's an odd thing for a man to do.

25:07It's an odd thing for a woman to do. You know, there is something very odd about, A, thinking you can make a room with people laugh and spending that lot, like, because you have to do it for free for a year. Certain ones that are like idols, you know, Victoria Wood and Carolina Hearn, you know, that I think are, you know, most people would say. Like national treasures. Yeah, they're one-offs. You're not, they're sort of geniuses, really. You're not going to get another one of them. And then there's people that I think have massively opened the doors for other women and made the landscape very different.

25:48Like Catherine Ryan has been so steely and so confident on shows and so unfathomable, you know, in every, like you've, like. She's so clever. Yeah. But have you ever seen her like drop the ball or even look tired or not feel comfortable? But like that, all those things are like, were massive, like in terms of going, okay, right, well, here's the next, you know. And she's always been really good with newer female comics. And so people like her have been, they really did change things, you know. Yeah. Yeah. I love her. Yeah. I just think that she's hilarious and I just love the way that she articulates herself.

26:33Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's no, she's no nonsense. But yeah, you're right. Like massively, highly intelligent. Yeah. Do you think that when she came on the scene that she probably came on the scene in that time when it was more male leaning? It was totally. And I don't know whether it was her being feeling a bit like an outsider, but I felt she came and shook things up a bit. Yeah. And also this thing of like, at the time, I was going and doing comedy gigs in pubs and stuff when she was like quite big on TV. And I was like going and getting there, taking my makeup off, taking, you know, whatever top I was wearing and putting a hoodie on and trying to like make myself like disappear.

27:20Like I was really worried because I was like 27 or whatever. But, like, if I'd have dressed up, like, getting wolf whistles or, like, if the idea that they thought I was dressing up and that they could, like, men could, like, heckle or, like, I felt that weakened my position if I've dressed as I was, as a dress for a night out as a 27-year-old, you know. Yeah. But I felt like she came around, she was like, this is how I like to look. I like to look glamorous. Yeah. You know. So she embraced, like, her femininity. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think other female comments was like, I think we were going to brush up a bit.

27:57Get the big bouncy blow dries out, you know. Yeah, so I think she did a lot on TV for women in live comedy, I think, yeah. But yeah, Victoria Wood is massive. Your all-time fave. Yeah, yeah. I just, yeah, watched her from being a kid and studied her work, like, you know, studied, like, those, like, little asides, those little, those, like, lines of detail that you can read them and know them, the hairs. And I always was like, I'd really like that one day, that the idea you could have your own comedy voice, you know, that I think is really special. And now you do. Well, no, I feel like I'm far away from that, but get put on that trajectory you know I feel like there's still a lot I want to do you know and and write and create you know but um but yeah maybe not that workload I think yeah I don't think I'm as hard working as that I don't think I can focus as much as she must have done totally well we're we're kind of feeling introspective right now and chapter three is a place where you learnt the most about yourself?

29:17That's really, I mean, I know this sounds mad, but I went on an 18 to 30s holiday to Kavos. Where's that? Where's Kavos? It's in Greece. It's one of those, like, where they've just ruined it and they've made, like, a strip, like Benidorm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, and it's like... But I think I was, like, 18 and I'd never been away for two weeks. I mean, I still don't go away for two weeks. No. I think that's the only time I've ever been away for two weeks, actually, which is terrible. I hope to do that. Well, you can't when you work and you've got kids. And when you've got kids, yeah, yeah.

29:57They're done after a week, aren't they? Yeah. Or you are. Yeah. But I think a lot happened on that trip. I think as a woman, I feel like I grew up a lot because I think, I think at the beginning, we behave me and my friends behave quite badly and then we started to realize we need to sort ourselves out because we're getting we're getting we're getting led astray a bit I think I came home a lot different I think I'd seen a lot you were matured yeah yeah a lot happened and I'm yeah I mean what happened well like one day we woke up we me and my friend were in a different hotel room and she was at she we were top to tailing and she woke up and i went oh my god you've had your tongue pierced and she went you've had your nose pierced and we had no recollection of it oh my god i don't remember doing it and then you know it slowly came back we're like going in the scene like trying to i think you've got the better end of the deal yeah i kept mine in fridges it looked lovely but eventually went septic she was septic her tongue was yeah and how was her tongue are you still in touch with her we had it done in a nightclub bloody hell yeah the corner of a dance floor someone did it for us oh my god so it wasn't even an official kind of situation no but I did I honestly really grew up at the end of it like when I came back like people commenting was like because I think by the second week we were like right let's suck no more piercings we were going on like booze cruises and stuff, you know.

31:33And then I think at the end we were like, no, this is about us. I think we thought we had to act a certain way. Right. And then we realised we're quite nice girls. We don't need to do this. And let's never, ever come away on a holiday like this again. And we never did. And then the next one we went to Cyprus and it was calm and we did something that we wanted to do rather than act the way we thought boys wanted us to act. You know, that's what I mean. We came, we really went full circle. and we were really looked after each, you know, like. That's really nice. Yeah, honestly, it was really. And nice for your friendship.

32:06Different, yeah, yeah, yeah. Did you ever get any tattoos away? No, I've never done that, no. No. Do you have any tattoos? No. No, me neither. I'd like one. Yeah. Would you? Yeah, yeah, I would, yeah. I'm not sure I would. But I feel like most people I know got them when they were away somewhere. Yeah, they do. Yeah. And it doesn't, when they get the writing and it doesn't leave. In Sanskrit or something that is like something profound. Yeah. Maybe like you said, isn't actually what they were thinking. No, yeah. But yeah, I would like one. What would you do? I don't know. I saw this thing, but it looks terrible.

32:43But you know, when like you go on Instagram every now and again, stuff makes you cry. And then you're like, oh. That's like me daily. Yeah. It was this and it was that you get your child, you mark, you know, put like felt tip on your child's fingers and get them to hold your hand. And then where they mark, you get tiny little stars put in so they're holding your hand forever. Oh, but then it also looks really bad. Did it not look good? No, it looks terrible. I like the sentiment behind it. No, yeah, just something like nice and dainty. Dainty. yeah I think if I was doing it I'd do the same thing something fine something fine yeah well let's pause there and move on to chapter four and that is the big chapter your all-time favorite destination Lucy all-time favorite destination I feel like even though I look well I've got I think it's so cliche but I do I love a bee I love a beafer I can't help it and I didn't want to like it and I really do and I always want to go back I like there's like um I can't remember the name is it the it's called like the blue there's a certain hotel I like and it's only 15 minutes from the airport and it's on a beach but it's right near the old town and then there's this amazing amazing restaurant that I like because I like to just do it in two days you know just that's all I need really yeah two nights yeah that's all I need and I've reset and yeah um it's a a restaurant called um Caligari Sionetta and it's on a like a private beach and it's a beach restaurant and it's like the nicest food I've ever had in my life and it's all like all the wood is all like um you know where it's all aged like wood every you know all that it's lovely and it's just yeah and like a really good meal there and what would you order usually like a sea bass and they read deep bone in front of you and all the veggies it's just all such gorgeous fresh food so that is like beach but like my still my all-time favorite place is new york is it yeah the magic of it yeah yeah I just love it I feel like I just yeah I just love I just love the buzz of New York I think it's it's of course being a kid and but yeah if it isn't a somewhere in like a beachy place in Europe New York for me is I can't believe I haven't lived there really yeah do you think you might one day I would I'd like to work there yeah I'd like to do do something there.

35:26Yeah, so you have the chance to be there for a bit, base yourself there. Yeah. So what are the places you always like to go? I love Brooklyn. Yeah. Yeah. I really do. My dad's from Brooklyn. Oh, is he? Yeah. Oh, wow. I mean, of course, I mean, when he lived there, it wasn't cool or trendy. No, it would have been quite, some parts were quite dangerous. Yeah. There's people now, they've got houses there and they're worth a fortune now. Yeah, sadly, not him. No. But yeah, I do I love Brooklyn there's so much I just yeah just yeah the energy of it today's episode is

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37:28But equal to that is New Orleans. Oh, really? Yeah, I love it. Yeah, I can't wait to go back. I've never been. I felt like I'd been there before. It was really weird. I was walking down the streets. I was like, I've been here. I've never had that anywhere else. it's like I knew it I knew it I can't really explain it was so you were a Louisiana I think I've been I think I've lived there in your past life I'm sure of it that's so interesting so you felt a real affinity with it yeah yeah so what is it that you loved about it oh gosh uh it's such a special place the streets and the food the food and the music have a connection I didn't I mean Maybe because I haven't been to South America, you know, and I think people have said it's a bit like that, but I didn't know somewhere, I didn't know food and music could connect.

38:23Does that make sense? Totally makes sense. Yeah, that real cultural blend. The Creole and the blues, that it like fed into each other. Yeah. It's very hard to explain what I mean, but if that makes sense. Yeah. You didn't get that in this country. But it's made me want to visit like, I mean, I know it's not like, but apparently like, I've never been to like any, like Mexico or anywhere like that. Or even, like I haven't been anywhere where they say like they're quite passionate about the food. Like there's a, because it's just not like that in this country, is it? Are you a foodie? I am. I am a foodie.

39:00I don't, I'm not like a foodie. Like I don't really like, I've done it all. I don't really like tasting menus and I don't equate good food with it being really expensive. Yeah. Or like pretentious. Yeah, I think that's wrong because some of the worst meals I've had have been the most expensive meals. But I do, yeah, I do try to eat, yeah, well and I think I'm terrible because I expect like I'm terrible at sending stuff back. I'm off. You wouldn't think it, but I get really like, why if this? But I just, I think this could, I can't bear it about this country that we're just all used to like a really just bland, horrible, processed food.

39:46I think it's such a shame. So when you travel, you love to experience the like other tastes and flavours. Well, everywhere's better. I was in the airport, the Orly airport in Paris. and I had like you know when you're expecting to go get like a um that all they'll be is a Costa toaster one of them to like yeah in the plastic that they put in the microwave they go all wet and it was a proper meal their coffee shop it was lentils and rice and carrot like and it was like but it wasn't like all in like it was like done in like you got like a sachet of olive oil and And I was like, this is an airport.

40:29It's like proper food. You shouldn't be surprised to have proper food. You're so right. But I sound like a middle class spanker. I was like, what have I become that I'm going on? But it is back, you know, like in hospital hospitals where all you can get is like, but we have got used to it. Yeah. Or accepting it, isn't it, as well? Yeah. Yeah. Do you cook a lot at home? Yeah, I'm terrible. I love, I wish, I wish, so I'm good. I can cook, but it takes two days to then clean up. I use every pan in the house. They'll be like tomato sauce on the ceiling. I'm just, I don't find it relaxing, but I do enjoy it.

41:09But I go in and out of it. I can get quite lazy with it. I like to eat nice food, but I get really lazy with it. It must be hard. Well, this is a good time to talk about the fact that you're, like you mentioned, heading out on tour again. the best titled tour about it quiz shows good with weirdos love that where'd that come from just because it rhymes yeah I really wish I'd put more thought into it because you keep doing interviews and they keep saying where does the title come from I was like just don't know I mean the the poster I did on chat is it chat JGPT yeah did you yeah that's terrible isn't it you shouldn't say that you should have got a designer but I wasn't expecting to use it.

41:54I just thought, I just was like, I wonder what if I do if I ask to put this picture of me on a background of this comic. And I was like that. But then the person on the comic was like that, holding up because it was a Superman comic. And it gave me four arms. I was like, I can't not use this now. But yeah, just because it rhymes. And because I'm bad at quiz shows, but the weirdos is just because it rhymes. Yeah. I was just thinking about all the like crap food that people end up having to eat when they're on tour right when you're out late. I did a really silly thing because I think it was my second show went really well.

42:32And I had a pad thai before it. So I thought that must be the secret. So I had a pad thai before every show. And I got to like towards the end. And I literally like, you know, like it was like just the smells. I was like, I've got to do it. Because what if there is that? And I was like, what if I have a bad shirt? I'd be eating it good. It's just the smell. The worst lucky charm. I've promised myself I can't do that. I can't have the same meal every night. That's so funny. I know. You tried every Pad Thai around the country, basically. Yeah, but it'd be like, you know, on Uber Eats, going, oh, where's the nearest place?

43:12And then the smell. Then you take it out of that plastic container. Did you have it with chicken or prawns? Prawns. Prawns as well. That's quite, like, iffy, isn't it? It could go one way or another. I know, I know. But it worked that second night. I couldn't stop it. Where was the best one that you had? Do you recall? Oh, it was always, I got really excited if they had a giggling squid. Oh, I've got one of those near where I live and I've never been there. Oh, the pad tap. That was really good. Did you try the pad tap? Okay, well, when I have it, I'll be thinking of you. Chapter five, Lucy, is your hidden gem.

43:50So that's a place that you love that maybe my listeners don't know so much about. Well, I feel like people either know it or they don't. But when people do know it, they all say it's a spiritual place. It's really, I find it really weird. It's Robin Hood's Bay. And it's a little, where Whitby is. So again, on the East Coast, but higher than Hull. So you've got like Scarborough and then it keeps going up. But before you get to like, you know, proper North East, like Middlesbrough where, you know. Although I think people from Middlesbrough do come down. so you've got Whitby and that's quite well known but then there's a little fishing town just above it called Robin Hood's Bay and it's got the best fishing shapes and it's really idyllic a lot of people seem to go painters and they retire there so all the shops are quite lovely I suppose perhaps maybe the nearest thing you could relate to is a bit like a little St Ives but in the north yeah and um but when people do go they all say oh it's it's really spirit you know it's really spiritual yeah in terms of like almost people make like a pilgrimage to it where they feel they feel really relaxed and at ease and interesting yeah and I think a lot of people when um we went when my granny was ill with terminal cancer and I've heard from a lot of people they tend to go to robin hoods bay it's just like almost like a bit of a pull you know like they know they're gonna feel and how did she feel when she was there yeah and i think because it's that thing like is it therapeutic yeah but then um yeah there's something in the area definitely i don't know i don't know what but i have heard it from other people said the same thing but then being by the seas isn't it so good for you like that used to be prescribed as actual medicine by doctors.

45:44Yeah, but they've proved you get a bigger cellular renewal, breathing in. And if you live in London, you literally can detoxify your lungs, all the pollution from your lungs. By going out somewhere like that. So interesting, isn't it? The Victorians knew what they were on about. Yeah. Going back to the tour, what quiz shows have you been bad at? All of them. Really? Every single one I've been disastrous. Which one have you been on? all of them weakest link i think i spent longer saying um goodbye to people afterwards than i did in the studio playing the game pointless i spent longer on the train going down than i was at the show and we uh the wheel i lost one 98 000 pounds and then it was 70 then 75 000 just kept going and going it's just humiliating and my granddad said can you not go on these shows because i live in a cul-de-sac and I can't get away from the neighbours.

46:42Well what did they all think about celebrity traitors? Oh that was different suddenly you know like when your friend's kids are interested in you. Yeah because that must have that has obviously opened you up to like a whole new audience as well. Yeah to young people yeah yeah like to like a little eight year old coming up yeah I feel I feel like Hannah Montana. Yeah but rumour has it that a lot of time that was spent at the courtyard by Marriott by the airport. Is that true? A lot of what? A lot of time was spent at the courtyard by Marriott Hotel. Well, I couldn't say. Does that kind of break the magic a little bit?

47:19They tell, they're very, very strong on you not giving anything away and they're very looked down on you, like. If you kind of reveal any of the inner workings. Oh my gosh, you sign a contract to say you work. Was it exciting though? It was, it was. I mean, I honestly can't remember. It's like, you know, like those dreams you have and then you can't remember them. Like if you told me it was a dream because it. Like a fever dream. It's like all the worldly. You're like. So even though you did go out of the castle, as they do on all the series, you still felt like you were actually part of something kind of magical.

47:57Like you were really into it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because you get your phone taken off you. Yeah. And then you don't, you're only allowed to make one call a day. they confiscate. They took your passport as well. It's mad. And you can't... What are they doing with your passport? I don't know. I don't know why they do that. It is a bit extreme. But they search your luggage for any, like, recording devices. Wow.

48:22Lucy Beaumont: They really think you're going to take it very seriously. It was taken far too seriously. Absolutely. But it all builds to this thing of light. You're just so immersed in it. You don't even know what... They won't tell you what time it is when you're there. There's no crocs. Wow. There's no clocks? No, no. Bloody hell, that's amazing. All you can do is... So all you can do is sit around and talk about... Yeah. You know, and get... It makes me think of it like the crucible, you know, like kind of like... Yeah. Rising hysteria. Yeah, it totally is like that, yeah. And is Alan Carr going to invite you to his traitor's castle in Scotland, do you think?

49:00Oh, has he got... Yeah, because he's got... He bought a castle. Castle. Yeah. Wow. Yeah, he loves doing stuff up, doesn't he? Yeah. Yeah. So that could be the next place in your travel diaries. Yeah, yeah. They were lovely. We were all in a group together and that's really lovely, that side of it. Do you think you'll go back up and see more of Scotland where you're not doing tasks? Oh, yeah. Scotland's beautiful, isn't it? Yeah, I would. I loved it around there where we were. Yeah, it was gorgeous. Yeah. Well, our penultimate chapter is chapter six. and that is your worst travel experience or the place that you'd just never go back to?

49:38There was a place in Turkey that I really struggled with, but the resort, I've really struggled with the resort and it wasn't that, it was the clientele. I found it really, really hard. I won't say any more than that, but there was a real culture of like pushing in and not saying thank you. And I was really struggling with people not being, you know when you can hear in ear shot that they're not being nice to the waiters. And it made me like, I became obsessed with being nice to the point I was like, it was too much. But I found that really, really hard because I think we're not like that in this country.

50:24for all our faults, all that they say about British tourists. We are, we're really polite, aren't we? We're up to, you know, I do it, say thank you, you know. I've like drummed it into my daughter. Say thank you, say thank you to the lady, you know. But I really struggle with places that have guests that aren't polite. I get that. And you've done some really like hairy road trips as well on TV. yeah those were scary yeah montenegro would mean johnny vegas did montenegro together gosh yeah um that was beautiful have you been there i have yeah i only went for the day from croatia so we went to kotor and where it's like very mountainous and beautiful oh wow yeah i haven't been to croatia but i've had yeah but that's getting expensive now isn't it yeah because that was like where you could go for a really cheap beautiful holiday croatia yeah yeah so now it's montenegro oh right yeah now you can go there yeah i think that's like the next place before it kind of like and then it will be albania after that i think the food was very good in montenegro yeah and the again like it felt like the services like people are still quite baltic and i think that'll change as it gets because it because they've got really lovely yeah now all the luxury hotels have descended there as well i wonder if things will change but Did you enjoy that trip with Johnny?

51:54Oh, it was amazing. And we were close anyway. He's like a comedy, you know, like I sort of tend to hang around with people off TV, you know. I think partly not living in London, you know. Yeah. But Johnny feels like family, really, you know. And we got a lot closer after that and it was lovely. and there was a bit at the end, at the safe for the end, we had to climb all these stairs and it was hard. And he did it and he said, I didn't want to disappoint you and he got up and he really, really struggled with it. And it was, you know, it was really hard to get to the top. I don't know how many it was and it was so high up and it was really lovely and he was like, yeah.

52:46But it's, yeah, really, really special. but he was one, I felt like I'd known him all my life, you know. Yeah. But it's like a 15-year friendship now, you know. Well, that's so nice to get to kind of do something special like that together. Yeah, it was, it was. But it was hilarious because he didn't know I didn't drive. Because the idea was you shared the driving. I was like, oh, no, I can't drive. He had to do it all. And it was, I can't believe they got the insurance for him, to be honest. No, I mean, that is. Because there was no optical illusion. we were literally like that at the end of a cliff, you know.

53:22It was mad. It was mad. But he did so well. Yeah. Yeah. But it was good to talk because we both got ADHD, you know. And I don't actually, most people I know don't have it. I don't actually get to talk about it with other people that much. But he has, you know, we get each other, you know. I get him. And he's, you know, he's the funniest person I know, you know. Yeah. It's absolutely brilliant. Alice, it's been so fun chatting. Thank you. We are on to the final chapter of your travel diaries, and that's chapter seven, the destination. That's at the top of your bucket list. At the top of a bucket list, I really want to go somewhere because I love beaches.

54:05I really want to go. I've never been to like a tropical, like somewhere where you just relax. Like sometimes if I'm stressed, I just look at pictures of the Maldives and I instantly feel relaxed or like, you know, St Lucia or even like Baham or like anywhere like that. I really want to go. Paradise vibes. Yeah, yeah. I want to go to where it's got, you know, the white sand and the crystal clear water. So that's next where it's like just full chill. All you can do is chill. Yeah, that's what I want. Oh, I hope that you make it sometime soon. Thanks. Lucy Pemont knows for your travel diaries. Thank you so much.

54:52Lucy Beaumont: Oh, what a big thank you to Lucy Beaumont. Tickets are available for her brilliant new tour, Bad at Quiz Shows, Good with Weirdos, which begins in September. Thanks so much for listening today. I will be back with another episode on Saturday, a bonus destination special, transporting us to Newport Beach, California, the sunny O.C. So tune in on Saturday morning for that. Don't forget to hit follow or subscribe on your podcast app so that you don't miss an episode. To find out who's joining me next week, come and follow me on Instagram. I'm at Holly Rubenstein. You'll also find me on TikTok at Holly Rubenstein as well.

55:33In the meantime, have a fabulous week and safe travels.

55:51Lucy Beaumont: Today's episode is brought to you by Airbnb. One thing I have learned from years of traveling is that the trips you remember most aren't always about the big headline sites. It's that feeling of getting under the skin of a place. Some of my most memorable stays have been in real homes, in real neighborhoods, where you start to experience that quieter rhythm of somewhere. the morning coffee spots, the local park around the corner, the little details that make a place feel lived in. And of course, many of those homes belong to people who are simply away for a few days or heading off on their own travels.

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57:47So it's a private sleepover, but you are invited. Staying up with Taryn and Cammie, new episodes weekly, follow wherever you listen. Acast helps creators launch, grow, and monetize their podcast everywhere. Acast.com.