The Friendship File

ENCORE! Stewart and Gwen

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 01:00:00 GMT

Was it Kylie Minogue or cold Christmas pudding in the dark that did it? Does she still have the scars? Will he be eaten by cats? What about that fork? Sorry might be the hardest word. This was one of our most popular episodes.

Music plays a big part in this friendship. Stewart is now running Rapture - a brand new nightclub in Orkney's capital, Kirkwall. It's been a smash hit. Rapture Rewind is the club's retro night and they've recently announced a DJ set from N-Trance. Yes! The band's Set You Free, released in 1995, got Stewart and Gwen onto the dance floor Shenanigans in Perth many times. And now he's running a nightclub and booking them 30 years later. Stewart and Gwen ... still got the moves.

Find out more about Rapture here - https://www.facebook.com/GardenSquareOrkney/. The first Rapture Rewind night is 30 August. Sold out in hours!

James Lankester – composer of the music - is now better known as EetSleep – you can find their work here - https://soundcloud.com/eetsleep.

The Friendship File is a Podcart production - https://www.podcart.co.uk/

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ENCORE! Helen and Tony

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 01:00:00 GMT

The world became a less funny place when it lost the comedy genius of Tony Slattery in January 2025. He is deeply missed - especially by his friend of 41 years, Helen Lederer. This is another chance to rejoice in their friendship that dealt with everything including - literally - the kitchen sink. Why did he send her bouquet saying 'whoops'? Why did she ask everyone at her party for Germolene? Why did they play tennis on a hotel roof in Egypt? And who actually dropped the vase on Going for A Song?

Helen is currently playing Mrs Richards in the West End production of John Cleese's Fawlty Towers. Find out more and book here - https://fawltytowerswestend.com/#

Find details of Helen's brilliant memoir, Not That I'm Bitter here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Not-That-Im-Bitter-Lederer/dp/1915306655 and her Comedy Women in Print book prize https://www.comedywomeninprint.co.uk/

The Friendship File is a Podcart production.

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ENCORE! Emma and Richard

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 01:00:02 GMT

ENCORE! The Emma Freud and Richard Coles Friendship File kicked off Series Two (in 2021 lockdown, as you’ll hear). They met at the beginning of their TV careers - he was a pop star, she was interviewing people in a double-bed and both were new to the job. Here they reveal a secret fake wedding ceremony, offering an illustrious classical composer class A drugs and why it’s better to be pretty than clever. It is a totally irresistible portrait of a friendship.

They’ve both experienced a lot since then. In 2025, Emma is still writing and presenting up a storm – including The Archers Podcast (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0jt4npn - the best job in the world). Richard is still a priest but has also forged his cosy crime writing career. Don’t miss him at The Edinburgh International Book Festival talking about his latest Cannon Clement title and his life as a writer on Saturday 9th August at 11.45. https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/reverend-richard-coles-murder-in-the-parish

NB James Lankester – composer of the music - is now better known as EetSleep – you can find their work here - https://soundcloud.com/eetsleep. T

he Friendship File is a Podcart production - https://www.podcart.co.uk/

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8. Hannah and Melissa

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 01:00:00 GMT

Remember being little and wanting your best friend to be with you forever? What if that dream came true? Hannah Begbie met Melissa Case on their first day of a new school. They grew up together and shared everything. But when most friends go off to start separate families, Hannah and Melissa became each other's. Discover their fascinating story in this special episode celebrating the International Day of Friendship.

Hannah drew on her extraordinary friendship with Melissa in her latest novel, The Last Weekend. Four friends gather on the Dorset coast for a weekend of sun, sea, friendships, wine, laughter - and secrets. Find out more about it here https://www.hannahbegbie.com/books/the-last-weekend.

Praise for The Last Weekend:

"Hannah Begbie has created a cast of characters so perfectly flawed I felt as though I knew them all personally. A thought-provoking and emotional story that had me laughing and crying in equal measure. One for book clubs everywhere." Clare Mackintosh

"Comic but so poignant. The end made me cry." Jeremy Vine (go and listen to Jeremy's The Friendship File edition here - https://pod.fo/e/237764

The Friendship File is a Podcart production - find out more here https://www.podcart.co.uk/

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7. Stewart and Gwen

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 01:36:48 GMT

Was it Kylie Minogue or cold Christmas pudding in the dark that did it? Does she still have the scars? Will he be eaten by cats? What about that fork? Sorry might be the hardest word. After nearly 30 years, Stewart and Gwen reveal all. Listen now!

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6. Daisy and Emma

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 01:30:41 GMT

Two girls meet in the middle of a Cambridge quad. One looks like a movie star; one had a movie director for a dad. Both would bring history to life in different ways. Daisy Goodwin is a TV producer, screenwriter, best-selling novelist and the creator of the global hit show, Victoria. Her friend Emma Fearnhamm has had a long and brilliant career as a history teacher and head of Sixth Form. Over forty years of friendship - who is the communicator, who is the wardrobe co-ordinator, who is the terrible driver ... and who gave who nits?

Find Daisy’s latest book, Diva, about the passionate love affair between opera singer, Maria Callas, and shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, here. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Diva-Brand-new-Bestselling-heartbreaking-legendary/dp/1035906708

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5. Ssega and Nick

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 01:14:05 GMT

A Year Two impressed a Year One by standing up to his sister. Now they impress each other in different ways - an award-winning musician and one of London's most successful dance party organisers. Ssega and Nick - a friendship with an extraordinary soundtrack.

Ssega is the musician and artist Love Ssega < https://lovessega.com >, original frontman-songwriter of Grammy-winning group, Clean Bandit, and also founder of Black-led clean air movement LIVE + BREATHE < https://weliveandbreathe.co.uk >. A previous Artist in Residence for Philharmonia Orchestra, this summer he has been co-commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Good Chance Theatre for ASSEMBLED, premiering on Saturday 6 July 2024 in Stratford-Upon-Avon <https://www.rsc.org.uk/kyoto/kyoto-conference/assembled>.

Website & Social Media:

https://www.lovessega.com/

https://www.instagram.com/lovessega

https://twitter.com/lovessega

Nick is perhaps better known as Shabba Party, curating carnival-inspired parties in London and beyond and entertaining thousands of people on a weekly basis. You can keep up to date with @shabbaparty and his events on Instagram.

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4. Laura and Simon

Thu, 30 May 2024 01:00:58 GMT

Why did two young actors bring a rehearsal to a dead stop? What began this friendship of in-jokes, money-making schemes suggested and rejected, ex-girlfriends comforted and meals cooked? Oh - and does she actually like skiing? Listen to Laura and Simon uncover the friendship of a lifetime.

Laura Shavin is an actress, presenter and voice artist - find out more here https://fvo1.com/voice-over-samples/.

Her podcast,The Offcuts Drawer talks to writers about their unpublished work. Find that here - https://offcutsdrawer.com.

You can discover Simon Pearsall's (brilliant but unprofitable!) cartoons here - pearsallcartoons.com.

The Friendship File is a Podcart production.

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3. Ann and Sue

Wed, 15 May 2024 01:00:33 GMT

Who knew that this intense schoolgirl would become one of the world’s most successful crime writers? Ann Cleeves - creator of the Vera, Shetland and Two Rivers novels - and her friend, Sue Beardshall, reveal the inside story of nearly 60 years of friendship. Why is bread so important? Who has got stuck in The Woodyard? And what is the problem with the dog?

Pre order The Dark Wives, Ann's thrilling new mystery, a DI Vera Stanhope novel (as seen on ITV's Vera) here.

Find out more about all Ann's writing here.

The Friendship File is a Podcart production.

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2. Helen and Tony

Wed, 01 May 2024 01:00:58 GMT

Comedy legends Helen Lederer and Tony Slattery's 41-year friendship has dealt with everything including - literally - the kitchen sink. Why did he send her bouquet saying 'whoops'? Why did she ask everyone at her party for Germolene? Why did they play tennis on a hotel roof in Egypt? And who actually dropped the vase on Going for A Song? Find out in the first of our new series of irresistable friendships.

Find details of Helen's brilliant memoir, Not That I'm Bitter here and her Comedy Women in Print book prize here.

The Friendship File is a Podcart production.

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1 Welcome to Series Three

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 13:05:59 GMT

Aaaaand ... we're back with more friends answering 17 questions about each other - recording on their own and without conferring. Here's a taster. Plus, we reveal which amazing friends start us off in our first episode - coming soon. Have a listen to the trailer to find out who it is.

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7. Glenys and Raafat

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 09:17:00 GMT

Six years ago, a young man climbed off a tiny boat onto a Greek beach. He was clutching his shoes and could only say one thing to the woman holding out her arms to him: "Are we safe now?" It was the start of something no one could have predicted. The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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6. Tony and Rohan

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 08:13:00 GMT

On the steps of a politics tutorial there was an accusation. "You don't know anything about me." That changed. There was a roast chicken involved. More than one. This is the story of thirty years of mutual support ... and insults! t · The Friendship File

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5. The top 5 things friends say ...

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 07:29:00 GMT

Five key things come up again and again as our friends talk about each other and their relationships. Five things that could make a difference to our own friendships. In this short mid-season special, find out what the friends are trying to tell us. The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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4. Elna and Tina

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 07:58:00 GMT

"I am the reason she always carries snacks in her handbag."
"She is like a dance I know all the moves to."
Two young women guiding each other through life, creating a strong, honest, playful relationship as they do it. The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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4. Catherine and Louise

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 21:25:00 GMT

Catherine Carr and Louise Halling met as students and bonded over dodgy sign language. They have been talking ever since. Find out how they've helped create - literally and figuratively - each other's life story. The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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3. Martin and Michael

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 07:20:00 GMT

Martin Plimmer and Michael Magenis met on a bus or over a bottle of vodka ... no one is sure. What is certain is they were destined to go places together neither would have reached alone. They became The Men Who Know, sharing 24-hour schnapps-fuelled writing sessions, prank calls to the BeeGees, performances with Eartha Kitt and being sung off stage to the death march - but, above all, an extraordinary friendship. The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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2. Emma and Richard

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 07:46:00 GMT

Emma Freud and Richard Coles met at the beginning of their TV careers - he was a pop star, she was interviewing people in a double bed and both were new to the job. They just clicked. In the first of a new Friendship File series, they reveal a secret fake wedding ceremony, offering an illustrious classical composer class A drugs and why it’s better to be pretty than clever. And, as you'll hear, even after 35 years they can still surprise each other. The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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1. Welcome to Series Two

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 16:14:00 GMT

The Friendship File is back - two friends recording answers to 17 questions, on their own and without conferring. Each episode combines those answers. The results are surprising, funny, moving, weird, life-affirming and, usually, a bit of a revelation. We start with brilliant UK broadcasters, Emma Freud and pop-star turned Reverend, Richard Coles - friends for over three decades but who, it turns out, can still raise each other's eyebrows! The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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17. Series One - The Reunion

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 08:26:00 GMT

What was it like the first time you spoke? Has doing The Friendship File made a difference? What have you learned? In this Series One finale, our friends reveal what happened next. The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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16. Dorothy and Chantelle

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 07:52:00 GMT

These girls seem like chalk and cheese but they share one thing - they're both misfits. Their connection leads to an enduring friendship no one could have predicted. The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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15. Jeremy and Dej

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 19:12:00 GMT

Two very different boys lose touch after school. Both are on the path to success when chance brings them back together to create a friendship that becomes essential to both their lives. The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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14. Nombasa and Andiswa

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 08:32:00 GMT

Two women connect in church. Both from a small town, they each have big dreams. Can they make those dreams a reality? www.thefriendshipfile.com · The Friendship File

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13. Hailey and Sarah

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 07:18:00 GMT

College roommates end up on opposite sides of the world. How can you be there for each other when you're so far apart? The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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12. James and Nathan

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 06:51:00 GMT

In bedrooms 500 miles apart, two nerds discover a virtual connection. Could it ever become a real world friendship? The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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11.Richard and Sukhthi

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 06:46:00 GMT

There was an argument by a swimming pool. Or was there? Either way there was football, food, yoga ... and a friendship that would become more important than anyone could ever have imagined. The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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10. Grace and Sarah

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 07:59:00 GMT

Two very clever - and very different - girls. One song that suddenly bridges the gap. The Friendship File · The Friendship File

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9. Engel and Mackenzly

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 07:41:00 GMT

Two determined, ambitious boys dislike each other on sight. But then ... things begin to change. The Friendship File

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8. Annabel and Rachel

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 19:08:00 GMT

A 13-year-old cuckoo arrives in another 13-year-old's nest. A machete is involved. Surely these two will never be friends? www.thefriendshipfile.com · The Friendship File

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7. Megan and Rudy

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 06:58:00 GMT

A lecturer and a student hit it off. A meeting of creative minds. But what happens after graduation? www.thefriendshipfile.com · The Friendship File

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6. Celia and Ange

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 08:02:00 GMT

Navigating the maze of 21st Century life? What you need is a friend with a ball of string and a megaphone … and a bottle of really good wine. www.thefriendshipfile.com · The Friendship File

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4. Elizabeth and Marge

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 07:54:00 GMT

What do they say? You can choose your friends but you can't choose your family. What if they're both? www.thefriendshipfile.com · The Friendship File

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3. Os and Tony

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 07:51:00 GMT

The people you meet on your first day of university. Sometimes you spend the rest of the year trying to get rid of them. Sometimes you’re friends for life. How long might that be? www.thefriendshipfile.com · The Friendship File

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2. Simon and Mary

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 07:48:00 GMT

Newish friends. Can an English man and a South African woman find their shared ground? www.thefriendshipfile.com · The Friendship File

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1. What is The Friendship File?

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 08:54:00 GMT

There's not really any 'presenting' in the files themselves, so here's a quick introduction to the The Friendship File - how it came about, what it's trying to do and why, if you have friends you really like (and we hope you do), you should take a listen and, of course, subscribe. www.thefriendshipfile.com · The Friendship File

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