Send us Fan Mail

Buying a Honda NSX in Japan sounds like the sort of assignment most petrolheads would accept before you've even finished asking the question.

But this is Wheeler Dealers, so naturally things don't go entirely to plan.

On the latest episode of The MarshyCast, I caught up with Mike Brewer and Marc 'Elvis' Priestley to talk about Season 3 of Wheeler Dealers World Tour, which once again takes the pair around the globe in search of incredible cars and the people who love them.

The new series begins in Japan with one particularly exciting target: the legendary Honda NSX.

It's a car with a huge following around the world, and buying one in its homeland should have been a dream start to the new adventure.

Then came the gearbox.

A problem with the car suddenly meant Mike and Elvis weren't simply enjoying the sights and sounds of Japan. Instead, they found themselves spending days working in a garage, with the trip even involving sleeping on floors.

Perhaps not quite the five-star international television experience you might imagine!

However, their Japanese adventure also takes them somewhere very special: Suzuka Circuit.

The famous race track has an enormous place in motorsport history, and Mike and Elvis had the opportunity to visit the circuit and meet fellow NSX enthusiasts who share their passion for one of Japan's most celebrated performance cars.

During our conversation, we talked about what happened when their plans started to unravel, the work needed to get the NSX sorted and what it was like experiencing the car culture surrounding it in Japan.

And Japan is only the beginning.

I also asked Mike and Elvis about where the rest of Season 3 takes them as Wheeler Dealers World Tour once again goes hunting for cars, stories and automotive adventures around the globe.

Because apparently travelling the world making a television programme about incredible cars isn't quite challenging enough without the occasional broken gearbox thrown in.

🎧 Hear my full conversation with Mike Brewer and Marc 'Elvis' Priestley now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Wheeler Dealers World Tour Season 3 airs Wednesdays at 9pm on Discovery UK.

Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

Send us Fan Mail

How do you deliver a great acting performance when your script doesn't actually contain any words?

That's one of the fascinating things I discovered when I caught up with actress Kate Harbour for the latest episode of The MarshyCast to talk about Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.

Having recently seen the film myself, I went into this interview as a very happy customer. It's a brilliant family film, but one of the things that particularly struck me was how much there is for adults to enjoy alongside the younger audience.

Kate and I talked about that delicate balancing act and why some of the best animation doesn't really feel as though it's been made exclusively for children or adults. It simply works for everyone.

We also explored the different worlds of animation.

CGI might dominate many modern animated movies, while traditional 2D animation has its own distinctive style, but there's something wonderfully tangible about stop motion. With every tiny movement carefully created, the amount of work involved in bringing characters such as Shaun and the inhabitants of Mossy Bottom to life is extraordinary.

But there's another part of the process that viewers might not immediately appreciate: the voice acting.

With Shaun the Sheep, performers have the unusual challenge of communicating character and emotion without conventional spoken dialogue.

Kate explained how surprisingly physical that can become. A performance might ultimately be something we only hear, but creating those sounds can involve using your whole body in the recording booth.

We also spoke about the changing world of animated voice casts and what it's like when big-name actors come in to lend their voices to a production.

For Kate, though, this isn't simply about standing behind a microphone and making a few noises. It's acting, just with a very different collection of tools.

Naturally, I couldn't finish an interview about The Beast of Mossy Bottom without venturing into horror territory.

So I gave Kate a scenario: you're stuck on a farm and you're allowed one horror character to protect you.

Who are you choosing?

Her answer rounds off a conversation covering everything from the painstaking craft of stop motion to the strange art of acting without saying a single actual word.

🎧 Hear my full conversation with Kate Harbour now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

Send us Fan Mail

You've spent years knowing where your children are, what they're doing and, broadly speaking, whether they've remembered to eat.

Then one day, you leave them at university... and drive home without them.

On the latest episode of The MarshyCast, I spoke to Myleene Klass MBE about what happens to the relationship between parents and children when they reach that next stage of independence.

Research suggests parents receive an average of 528 texts a year from children who've left for university, yet nearly half worry they're checking in too often themselves.

And it's easy to understand why.

Saying goodbye can be one of the hardest parts of the university experience for parents. Suddenly, you have to trust that all those years of advice, encouragement and occasionally wondering whether they're listening to a word you're saying have prepared them for life without you constantly being there.

Myleene knows that transition personally, with one of her own children at that stage of education, and we talked about finding the balance between staying connected and giving young people the space to build their own lives.

Thankfully, keeping in touch doesn't necessarily mean a nightly phone call home anymore.

Today's families communicate through everything from WhatsApp and FaceTime to memes, GIFs and TikToks. Sometimes a silly video sent without any explanation can effectively mean, "I'm thinking about you."

Of course, there are also those timeless communications between children and their parents.

"Can you send me some money?"

And the occasional appearance of a bag of washing probably says: "I love you, Mum" in its own peculiar language too.

But beneath the laughs is something every parent eventually has to confront. At some point, you have to loosen your grip and hope you've given your children what they need to make their own way.

I finished our conversation by asking Myleene something more personal: is she proud of the mum she's become?

Her answer was a lovely way to finish the interview, and one I suspect will resonate with plenty of parents.

🎧 Hear my full conversation with Myleene Klass now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

Send us Fan Mail

When you're choosing someone to carry out work in your home, what matters most?

Qualifications and credentials might seem like the obvious answer, but personal recommendations, first impressions and even how somebody looks can play a surprisingly big role in who we trust.

On the latest episode of The MarshyCast, I spoke to TV star Denise Van Outen and Ronan Howard, SME Champion for Gas Safe Register, about why younger homeowners can be more likely to trust a tradesperson based on appearance rather than qualifications.

It raised an interesting question during our conversation: why don't we always ask tradespeople to prove they're qualified?

In plenty of other situations, we'd expect someone to have the right credentials before trusting them to do an important job. Yet when somebody comes recommended by a friend or family member, that recommendation can quickly become the most important factor.

Then there's the first impression.

Someone arrives looking professional, seems friendly and appears to know what they're talking about. Is that sometimes enough for us to feel comfortable letting them into our home and getting on with the job?

Denise shared a cautionary story about a friend who allowed someone to carry out work on their home without realising they weren't properly qualified. The result was an awful mess and a reminder that looking the part and actually being qualified are two very different things.

Thankfully, checking doesn't need to be complicated.

Ronan explained what homeowners should do before booking someone to carry out gas work, including using the Gas Safe Register to check that the person is registered for the work they're being asked to do.

It's a simple check that could prevent a much bigger headache later.

And perhaps that's the takeaway from our conversation: a recommendation can help you choose who to call, but it shouldn't replace checking they're actually qualified to do the job.

🎧 Hear my full conversation with Denise Van Outen and Ronan Howard now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

Send us Fan Mail

Getting the whole family around the dinner table sounds simple. Getting everyone around the table and eating something they actually like can be a slightly different challenge.

On the latest episode of The MarshyCast, I spoke to author, podcaster and mum-of-three Giovanna Fletcher about how family mealtimes have changed over the past 40 years, and why making time to eat together can still be so important.

The traditional picture of everyone sitting down to exactly the same meal isn't necessarily the reality for modern families.

Sometimes keeping everybody happy means cooking different things for different people. And while that might sound like you've accidentally opened a restaurant in your own kitchen, Giovanna and I discussed whether the important thing is actually the time spent together rather than what's on everyone's plate.

Of course, there are those precious meals that manage to unite the entire household.

For Giovanna, something like Spaghetti Bolognese can be the ideal family pleaser. One meal, one table and, presumably, considerably less washing up.

But our conversation wasn't simply about food.

Family mealtimes can offer an opportunity to stop, talk and find out what's happening in each other's lives. With work, school and everything else competing for attention, sitting around a table can create a regular moment when everyone is actually in the same place.

We also talked about how that family dynamic changes when one parent has to be away.

Giovanna will be heading out on tour with her play next year, so naturally I wanted to know what husband Tom is like when she's away and he's holding the fort at home with their three children.

Does everything continue like a well-oiled machine, or are the rules slightly different when Mum's away?

You'll have to listen to find out.

🎧 Hear my full conversation with Giovanna Fletcher now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

Send us Fan Mail

For generations of football supporters, the obsession started long before their first trip to a stadium.

Football magazines, annuals, sticker books and stories helped young fans learn the players, pick their teams and develop the loyalties that could last a lifetime.

So, as women's football continues to grow, how do we create that same connection for the next generation?

On the latest episode of The MarshyCast, I spoke to Zarah Al-Kudcy from the Women's Super League and James Corcoran from official partner British Gas about Things' Football Adventures, a new children's book series specifically designed to help grow the next generation of women's football fans.

Our conversation took place just one day before the new WSL season, and we discussed why introducing children to the players, personalities and stories around the women's game could be so important.

One of the interesting differences we explored was tribalism.

For all its faults, the men's game has generations of family loyalties, rivalries and traditions behind it. Children often inherit a club before they're old enough to have much say in the matter!

Women's football doesn't yet have that same history of tribal support, which creates both a challenge and an opportunity. Today's young supporters could be the generation that builds those traditions.

And who better to help get them interested than Jill Scott?

The former England international is the face and voice of Things' Football Adventures, bringing one of the most recognisable and popular personalities in women's football to the series.

We talked about Jill's ability to connect with people well beyond dedicated football fans. She's become such a universally liked figure that, as we joked during the conversation, even Roy Keane likes her!

Of course, with a new WSL season about to begin, I couldn't let Zarah and James escape without asking for their predictions.

Zarah had the tricky job of remaining impartial.

James did not.

He's tipping Manchester City for the title.

Whether that prediction survives the season remains to be seen, but if projects like Things' Football Adventures work, there could be a whole new generation of supporters watching it unfold.

🎧 Hear the full conversation now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

Send us Fan Mail

New uniform? Check. Lunch sorted? Hopefully. PE kit? Erm...

Getting children back to school means parents suddenly have to remember an extraordinary amount of information, and according to former teacher, mum-of-two and Sunday Times bestselling author Lou Beckett, there's one modern parenting tool that can make life considerably easier: the school WhatsApp group.

In the latest episode of The MarshyCast, I spoke to Lou about the mental load that comes with the return to school.

After weeks away from the normal routine, suddenly you're expected to remember which days they need PE kit, what's happening with school lunches, whether last term's uniform still fits and approximately 427 other things before you've even got everyone out of the front door.

That's where the school WhatsApp group can come into its own.

While they're sometimes criticised for endless notifications and conversations that perhaps didn't need to involve 30 other parents, Lou believes the groups have become an essential tool for keeping families organised.

Forgotten which day something is happening? Someone in the group probably knows. Can't remember what the teacher said about PE? Search the messages. Need to check whether everyone else has interpreted a slightly confusing school letter the same way? Help is usually only a message away.

And if the constant pinging drives you mad, there's a beautifully simple solution: mute it.

Lou also has reassuring advice for parents who don't particularly want to get involved in the conversation. You don't have to.

There's nothing wrong with being a WhatsApp lurker, quietly reading the useful information without contributing to every discussion.

Ultimately, school WhatsApp groups might be chaotic, occasionally irritating and responsible for hundreds of unread messages, but if they make those frantic weekday mornings even slightly easier, perhaps they deserve a little more appreciation.

🎧 Hear my full conversation with Lou Beckett now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

Send us Fan Mail

Gabriella Cilmi was only 16 when Sweet About Me turned her into an international star.

Nearly two decades later, Gabriella is preparing to release a new album, Pure Love, and says her approach to making music has changed enormously.

In the latest episode of The MarshyCast, I caught up with the Australian singer-songwriter to talk about the new record, her latest singles and the next chapter of her career.

But first, we had some unfinished business.

The last time Gabriella and I met was at Victorious Festival a couple of years ago, when our conversation somehow ended up on the subject of Australian children's television and Pugwall.

Would she remember?

Well... she remembered having the conversation. Remembering the actual programme was another matter!

Thankfully, her memory was considerably better when we moved onto music.

We spoke about how the recording process has changed for Gabriella and what she values now when she's making a record. Having first experienced the music industry as a teenager, she now has years of experience to draw upon and a much clearer understanding of the artist she wants to be.

That naturally led us back to Sweet About Me. Gabriella reflected on releasing such a successful song at only 16 and how different her relationship with music, the industry and her own creativity feels today.

Her attention is now firmly on Pure Love, including the first two singles from the record and the process of bringing the album together.

There's also plenty happening on stage. After performing some fantastic support slots, Gabriella is preparing to head out on a UK headline tour, giving her the chance to bring the new material to audiences alongside songs from across her career.

We finished with something considerably less musical.

If Gabriella had the power to permanently abolish one household chore, what would she choose?

You'll have to listen to find out.

🎧 Hear my full conversation with Gabriella Cilmi now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh