Podcast Summary: Ed Gamble & Matthew Crosby on Radio X

Episode 337 – Unique Lurgee
Release Date: December 7, 2025

Overview

This episode of Ed Gamble & Matthew Crosby on Radio X is a festive, delightfully chaotic blend of comedy, listener interaction, and personal anecdotes as Ed (Crunch) and Matthew (Crumble) ring in the Christmas season. The show is brimming with seasonal grumbles, tales of illness, and the annual kickoff of their crowd-favorite "12 Listeners of Thickmas" segment—a search for listeners’ most thick-headed moments. The chemistry between the hosts is sharp as ever, with signature British self-deprecation, surreal tangents, and playful mockery of themselves and their audience.

Main Discussion Points and Highlights

1. Exclusive Podcast Banter & Unique Content

• Ed and Matthew riff on "exclusive content," joking about never having said their opening sentences in that exact order before ([00:10]–[00:39]).
• Ed recalls a past tradition: starting each new year by saying a sentence he’s never uttered before (e.g., "Harry Secombe lives" with a railcard above his head) ([00:42]–[01:05]).
• Discussion about memes and how phrases (like Alexandra Burke allegedly bringing "elephant in the room" to the UK) spread ([01:26]–[02:03]).

Notable Quote

"I held a rail card above my head and said, 'Harry Secombe lives.' And I thought, I bet no one else has done this."
— Ed Gamble ([00:42])

2. Plugs & Comedy Gigs

• Ed promotes the Pappy’s Flatshare Slam Down Christmas Special. Live stream tickets are £8 ([03:00]–[04:13]).
• Matthew laments missing the annual show where he played the "Elf on the Shelf," expressing love for the skits and Christmas-themed quiz rounds ([04:25]–[04:55]).
• Discussion about gig lineups and the fluidity of comedy bookings ([03:38]–[04:01]).

3. Spotify Wrapped & Listener Obsession

• Juliet from Leatherhead: Has listened to over 100,000 minutes of the show, putting her in the top 0.1% of listeners ([06:09]–[06:45]). She confesses to falling asleep to the podcast nightly and references responding to a text from episode 11 after her sixth full re-listen.
• The hosts discuss the quirks and randomness of Spotify Wrapped, including their "listening age" stats ([08:01]–[08:26]).
• Ed’s top album: Claims he listened to Frank Black’s "Teenager of the Year" 162 times, raising skepticism ([08:43]–[09:13]).
• Ed and Matthew reminisce about the tactile, bumpy covers of Goosebumps books ([07:43]–[08:01]).

Notable Quote

"Think I've spent more time with Bartleby Scrib. Long live. Than any sane human should. Send help. I think I'm having a breakdown."
— Juliet from Leatherhead ([06:53])

4. Holiday Sickness & Lurgie Talk

• Matthew launches into his "Beginning of Christmas Elf" character, lamenting being ill at the busiest time of year ([10:04]–[10:51]).
• The duo joke about how each year Christmas comes earlier and the concept of the "unique lurgie" that only Matthew has, demanding sympathy not empathy ([13:42]–[14:16]).
• Discussion about parental responsibility: Parents aren't permitted to be ill for their nearly 40-year-old children ([14:16]–[14:42]).
• Ed describes Matthew’s illness as the worst he’s ever looked, likening him to a Dickensian character ([12:46]–[13:01]).

Notable Quotes

"Sorry, when have you ever been a bandwagon jumper? You're a trailblazer. If anything, you're patient zero."
— Ed Gamble ([13:50])

5. 12 Listeners of Thickmas: Listener Thick Moments

• Launch of "12 Listeners of Thickmas": Listeners are invited to submit their thickest (i.e., daftest) mishaps for a festive singalong in three weeks ([12:01]–[12:14], [33:13]–[33:50]).
• First entries:
  • Listener texts only the show’s number (“83936”), twice.
  • Discussions about competitions, how Radio X listeners may be the thickest, and playful, affectionate condescension ([16:03]–[17:12]).

Highlights of Submitted Thick Moments

• Mr. Mayhem: Chewed an ibuprofen tablet with a biscuit because mum said not to take pills on an empty stomach ([34:15]).
• Lisa: Thought leather could only come from crocodiles until age 35 ([35:52]).
• Adam from Manchester: Accidentally punched himself in the groin after dropping his keys ([37:00]).
• Sam from Stockport: Realized only because of the show that The Strokes album cover is a bum, not a knee ([37:53]).
• Joe: Thought "each way" betting on a horse meant the horse had to run there and back ([38:50]).
• Gareth: Broke his electric kettle by using it to heat milk for Weetabix ([39:59]).
• David from Pool: Believed "ER" on postboxes meant "Her Majesty" ([40:45]).
• Sarah in Reading: Only learned at 48 that actor Ray Liotta isn’t called "Rayleigh Otter" ([52:39]).
• Caroline Keane: Thought "Do Not Alight Here" on trains meant you couldn’t light cigarettes ([53:26]).
• Rob: Told a McDonalds cashier (who said "Have a good day") "No thanks," then drove off ([53:31]).
• Alex: Left his partner stranded at a rural Welsh train station by forgetting her phone and bank card in the car ([50:59]).
• Sammy: Looked forward to trying a “traditional curry” on safari in Kenya, not realizing Kenya is not in India ([49:18]).

Notable Quotes

"I got my first leather sofa... I was shocked, as I had always thought that leather only came from crocodiles."
— Lisa ([36:10])

"I once punched myself in the groin because I dropped my keys and snatched down my arm and didn't stop in time."
— Adam, Manchester ([37:00])

"How come all other sirs are men? Apart from Sir Corny Weaver."
— Ed (paraphrasing his brother’s thick moment about Sigourney Weaver) ([53:02])

6. Comedy Gig Disaster Stories

• Matthew’s tough gig in Stevenage: Struggles with a Friday night crowd in a sports hall, encounters walkouts, a UTI excuse, gets flipped off by an audience member, and has to fend off a confrontation with a heckler ([18:01]–[25:31]).
• Triumph as crowd backs him up against the angry heckler, providing the night’s biggest laugh ([24:21]).

Notable Quotes

"I've got to go to Stevenage to do 20 minutes of comedy. Like, I'm going to war."
— Matthew Crosby ([15:20])

"At that point, the entire audience booed the hell out of him."
— Ed Gamble ([24:21])

7. Saturday Kitchen Chaos

• Matthew and James Acaster disrupt Saturday Kitchen with chaotic antics, including James flipping over a Christmas wreath and physically attacking set decorations ([28:12]–[29:25]).
• Backlash from traditional viewers who didn’t appreciate comedians behaving badly on primetime TV ([29:51]).
• The cast and studio enjoyed it, the wider viewing public less so.

Notable Quote

"James's reaction was to scream at the top of his voice, flip the Christmas wreath off the table, punch the Christmas polar bear and shake the tree around in anger."
— Matthew Crosby ([29:25])

8. Music & Recommendations

• Ongoing debate about Radio X’s "Record of the Year" and which tracks should be eligible ([41:32]–[43:14]).
• Recommendations in the outro:
  • Matthew: The Chair Company (TV series), Wake Up Dead Man (Knives Out mystery film), and Nobody Touched Me (Bob Odenkirk action film).
  • Ed: Enjoying the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets’ album "Pogo Rodeo", audiobooks, and a contentious Taylor Swift song ([58:07]–[64:18]).
• Back-and-forth about Ed’s taste (“creepy” to enjoy modern pop?) and appreciation for the Lemonheads’ Evan Dando’s memoir.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Ed on being unique:
  "Do you ever think about... I've never said this sentence before?" ([00:35])
• Matthew on listener obsession:
  "You are having a breakdown." ([06:53])
• On parenthood:
  "As soon as you become a parent... you're no longer allowed to be ill." ([14:16])
• Christmas gig disaster:
  "She flipped me off... and everyone laughed. He said, 'That was uncalled for.'... and the entire audience booed him." ([22:35]–[24:21])
• Joe’s betting confusion:
  "Betting on a horse each way doesn't mean that you bet on it to run there and back." ([39:03])
• Lisa on leather:
  "I had always thought that leather only came from crocodiles." ([36:10])
• Sarah and Ray Liotta:
  "...the actor Ray Liotta wasn't in fact called Rayleigh Otter. First name Rayleigh. Second name Otter." ([52:39])
• Outro on recommendations:
  "I watched the entire Chair Company..." ([58:03])
  "That's the life of a showgirl." ([64:47])

Running Jokes & Recurring Segments

• Ed and Matthew repeatedly roast their audience as delightfully “thick” and celebrate these daft moments.
• Running banter about mishearing lyrics, cultural references, and TV moments.
• Continual gentle mockery of themselves, the premise of their own show, and each other’s career moves and tastes.

Structure/Segmentation

• [00:00]–[10:00] - Exclusive podcast intro, banter on unique sentences and plugs
• [10:00]–[13:00] - Ed as the “Beginning of Christmas Elf”, festive illnesses and intros
• [13:00]–[17:00] - Sick notes, lurgie chat, the rules of being ill as a parent
• [17:00]–[26:00] - Listener letters, more gig recounts, "12 Listeners of Thickmas"
• [26:00]–[34:00] - More listener thick moments, Spotify Wrapped chat, thickest entries
• [34:00]–[46:00] - More thick moments, childhood mistakes, musical chairs, Christmas gig tales
• [46:00]–[54:00] - Billy Bear Ham, Top Trumps: The Movie, more listener stories
• [54:00]–[57:00] - Wrapping up thick entries, favourite snacks, Matthew’s illness on TV
• [57:00]–[65:00+] - Outro recommendations, culture consumption, end notes

Tone

The episode is warm, gently mocking, full of wordplay, surreal imagery, and inside jokes. It's irreverent, inclusive, and encourages listeners to participate, especially by admitting their own gaffes and silly moments.

For New Listeners

This episode is a pitch-perfect entry point:

• You’ll experience the hosts’ natural repartee, warmth, and improvisational skill.
• You’ll hear an eclectic mix of stand-up stories, cultural chat, and sheer absurdity.
• The “12 Listeners of Thickmas” theme is central—listeners submit their daftest moments, from misunderstandings about horse racing to believing leather comes only from crocodiles.
• Expect affectionate ribbing—both of each other and the Radio X audience.

Contact the Show with your ‘thick’ moments:
sunday@radiox.co.uk

“We have the thickest listeners in radio, but we love it.”
— Ed Gamble, ([44:09])