Ed Gamble & Matthew Crosby on Radio X

Episode 335 – Phil Ellis / Lovely Legs | November 23, 2025

Overview

The 335th episode of the Ed Gamble and Matthew Crosby Radio X show delivers the duo's signature mix of surreal comedy, baffling listener questions, generational culture clash, and in-studio banter with the irrepressible Phil Ellis. From debates about odd animal milks to the enduring mysteries of kangaroo pouches, the episode riffs on the absurdities of everyday life and the idiosyncrasies of modern youth culture. Highlights include a crash course on Gen Z slang, a confessional "misheard lyrics" session, awkward social scenarios, and Phil Ellis grappling with his newfound sex symbol status. As always, the tone is friendly, chaotic, and relentlessly quick-witted.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Absurd Listener Emails & Strange Questions

• Worst-Tasting Mammal Milk ([00:44])
  • A listener asks: “Which mammal has the worst-tasting milk?”
    • Ed suggests pig’s milk (“Apparently pig's milk is pretty grim.” [00:58]), while Matthew adds donkey milk, referencing Cleopatra bathing in it (“She was one of the stickiest people in Egypt.” [01:56])
    • Vin imagines platypus or marsupial (kangaroo) milk as possibly being even worse, humorously speculating about its storage in pouches.

2. Body Parts Behaving Like Other Body Parts ([03:13])

• Inspired by a listener: “What if your fingers behaved like your hair and needed regular trimming?”
  • The concept spirals into surreal notions—receding fingers, finger transplants from Turkey, and “body bits getting erect.”
  • Ed: “What if other bits of your body, apart from the genitals and nipples, got erect? … Like a whole leg erection, you'd have to hop around.” [03:47]
• Spontaneous Song Creation: Ed and Matthew break into singing “Hey guys, I’ve got an erection… I’ve got a selection” ([04:23]), and muse about creating jingles from the snippet.

3. Connecting with Gen Z: Terms, Vibes, and Trousers

• Gen Z Slang Deep-Dive ([08:10])

  • Ed and Matthew attempt to use Gen Z terms: “big yikes”, “bet”, “drip”, “cheugy”, “vibe”, “high key”, etc.
  • Matthew: “According to the Gen Z Bible, which is Google AI Overview…” [08:53]
  • Joking about the show being a "fidget spinner perched on a razor scooter" for the youth demo.

• Young People Interviews:

  • Rhiannon (28) ([14:03, 16:09])
    • Revealed scrolling TikTok is the main activity for “kids.” Suggests index fingers may become more muscular over generations.
    • Discussing club comms: Snapchat is still in use—maybe for in-club communication, though she values “living in the moment.”
  • Sam (23) ([38:08])
    • Points out the trend of going to the gym and drinking protein shakes replacing pub socializing for the younger crowd.
    • Admits never seeing a full episode of The Simpsons, believing “Simpsons” is their breed, not surname ([52:57]).
  • The hosts repeatedly marvel at the generational gap and express bemused fascination with youth habits.

4. Tour Stories, Local Gigs & Life Admin Misadventures

• Dream Fireworks Hosting Gigs ([11:23])
  • Ed aspires to go from hosting in Beckenham up to London's citywide fireworks—flatly declining ambitions to travel further. “I don’t want to travel. I can walk to Beckenham.” [11:55]
  • Imaginary Christmas film: Ed swaps life with his German doppelgänger, who is—naturally—a princess.
• Matthew’s Mattress Ordering Ordeal ([43:02])
  • Matthew shares the absurd challenge of trying to buy a bunk bed mattress online, only to find it in his four-year-old’s name. He ends up forging an email, “Please send Matt,” scrawled in crayon and photographed for customer service ([44:13]). Ed: “If she had been in the house... I would have put her on the phone.” [44:27]

5. Phil Ellis Interview

• On Being the Only Guest ([22:57])
  • Phil enjoys being the show’s “solo guest”—embracing his reputation for solitude.
• Barenaked Ladies Lyric Guessing Game ([23:34])
  • Team attempts to recall lines from “One Week;” devolves into a comical (and incorrect) debate on “your brain stops ticking.”
• Misheard Lyrics & The Day/Night Lifestyle ([24:38])
  • Phil’s favorite: “Flintstones, we’ll have a day all night” [24:57]. Discussion of Edinburgh exploits and being a “man of the day night.”
• Tour Chat: “Bathmat” ([26:37])
  • Phil rejects earlier title “Hair Plugs Tour,” not wanting confusion about hair status.
  • On Taskmaster, Phil’s “sex symbol” moment and the viral wig episode: “I'm the housewives' favorite divorcee. But let this be known ladies: I will never love another man's child.” [27:36]

Phil’s Big Questions

• On Embarrassment ([29:35])
  • Phil gets ahead of embarrassment by “8-miling himself”—roasting his own balding, clothes, marital status on stage.
  • Most embarrassing recent moment: Asking a man to move his leg on the train, only to receive a compliment about his own “lovely long legs.” Leads to running “long leg” gags ([31:14]).
• “What Is It?”: Kangaroo Pouch Material ([33:23])
  • “What sort of fabric is inside a kangaroo's pouch? Is it fur lined, or is it fleshy?”—generates spirited theorizing about marsupial interiors.
  • Matthew: “I’d imagine maybe quilted.” Ed: “Is it like the palm of the hand or the inside of the mouth?” ([33:54])
• Ever Had an Erection? ([35:12])
  • “Well, I won’t again after this.” – Phil Ellis

6. Listeners’ Lives & Young People Reports

• Reader Emails:
  • Peter (26): “Working, doing chores, failing to organize social events as all my friends are busy. So, basically, same as you guys but with slightly more life left.” ([19:22])
  • Eloise (b. 2000): Nights out, buying poppers, engagement parties, working at a lesbian club night, IRL Twitch streams, “watching TikTok and playing video games in my pants.” Ends with: “Skibidi, Toilet Rizz, Slay, no Car Punks.”
  • Zoe (20, Glasgow/Cambridge): “We charge our phone, be bisexual, eat hot chip and lie.” Also enjoys Letterboxd, 10+ hours of sleep, and can’t do housework without a podcast ([47:01]).

7. Pop Culture Mysteries & Generational Gaps

• The Simpsons Theories with Sam (23) ([52:53])

  • Sam's view: thought "Simpsons" was the family's “breed,” not surname; can't name Lisa, suspects they've predicted the future merely by covering every possibility.
  • Ed: “You thought ‘Simpsons’ was the breed?! … Like Sylvanian families?” [53:43]

• Other Generational TV Gaps:

  • Ed proposes a future segment: ask young people what they think classic TV shows are about, e.g., “What do you think Only Fools and Horses is?” [56:26]

8. Music Recommendations and Miscellaneous Comedy

• Heavy Metal Band “SpiritWorld” ([36:07])
  • Matthew extols their “Wild West” musical theatrics; Ed loves their “all black cowboy” aesthetic.
• Escape Rooms & Daily Life ([49:02])
  • Matthew recommends “The Alchemist” escape room in Amsterdam.
  • A classic radio moment: Ed is caught jamming to hold music by the Smooth radio team while stuck on the phone with “Bed Kingdom” ([56:38]).
• Wombles Weather Chat ([45:27])
  • The hosts debate whether the Wombles have winter coats and remind listeners to care for their fictional Womble pets.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ed Gamble: “What if other bits of your body, apart from the genitals and nipples, got erect? Like, a whole leg erection… you’d have to hop around.” ([03:47])
• Matthew Crosby on Cleopatra: “She was one of the stickiest people in Egypt.” ([01:56])
• Vin: “Do you think cow’s milk is brown?” ([02:22])
• Matthew Crosby: “Hey guys, I’ve got an erection… I’ve got a selection!” ([04:23])
• Ed Gamble on Gen Z research: “Are we a cool show now? Bet.” ([09:02])
• Rhiannon (interviewee): “Our index fingers are more muscular than they've ever been before.” ([14:34])
• Eloise (listener): “We charge our phone, be bisexual, eat hot chip and lie.” ([47:44])
• Ed Gamble interpreting Sam’s Simpsons theory: “You thought… the breed? … Like Sylvanian families?!” ([53:43])
• Phil Ellis: “I'm the housewives’ favorite divorcee. But let this be known ladies: I will never love another man's child.” ([27:36])
• Phil Ellis admitting defeat: “Well, I won’t again after this.” (on erections, [35:12])

Quick Reference: Segment Timestamps

• [00:44] – Worst mammal milk debate
• [03:13] – "Body parts like other body parts"/spontaneous jingle
• [08:10] – Gen Z slang "crash course"
• [14:03], [16:09] – Rhiannon interview segments
• [22:57] – Phil Ellis joins
• [23:34] – Barenaked Ladies lyric guessing game
• [26:37] – Bathmat tour chat
• [29:35] – Embarrassment & “lovely long legs”
• [33:23] – “What is it?” Kangaroo pouch speculation
• [38:08] – Gen Z: Sam interview (“war memorial” vs “the pub”)
• [43:02] – Mattress-ordering fiasco
• [45:27] – Snow chat, Wombles
• [47:44] – Zoe’s Gen Z life summary
• [52:53] – Sam and The Simpsons
• [56:38] – Ed’s Bed Kingdom/Smooth radio hold music saga

Conclusion

Episode 335 is a comedy whirlwind blending surreal hypotheticals, bemused inquiry into youth culture, and the glorious foolery of Ed, Matthew, and Phil Ellis. Underneath the relentless riffing lies a genuine curiosity about generational change (“Should I wear bigger trousers?”), sensitivity to social quirks (embracing embarrassment), and a talent for elevating the mundane to the hilarious. Whether discussing animal milks or the mysteries of cartoon lineage, the show remains a brilliant, self-deprecating love letter to British morning radio and the oddness of daily life.