Ed Gamble & Matthew Crosby on Radio X

Episode 341 – Josh Widdicombe / Chloe Petts / Dad Energy
Date: January 4, 2026
Podcast Theme: A comedy breakfast show featuring irreverent banter, celebrity guests, dad anecdotes, New Year’s resolutions, and uniquely British comedic takes on everyday life—plus a hearty dose of catfish facts, heavy metal, and listener interaction.

Episode Overview

In this laughter-packed episode, Ed Gamble and Matthew Crosby (Crunch & Crumble) return for the first Radio X show of 2026. The duo are joined by comedians Josh Widdicombe and Chloe Petts for wide-ranging, often absurd chats about New Year’s resolutions, “dad energy,” podcast launches, jumpers (sweaters), pop culture, childhood responsibilities, and the joys and horrors of British breakfast radio. True to Radio X’s “proper radio show presented by comedians” spirit, the episode is loaded with tongue-in-cheek self-deprecation, send-ups of radio clichés, and off-the-cuff insights into modern parenthood, culture, and comedy.

Key Discussion Points

1. Starting the Show: Podcast vs Radio (00:10–03:00)

• Ed and Matthew open with meta-chat, joking about their status as the “most popular podcast of all time,” rivaling Joe Rogan.
• Their banter skewers the gap between what’s allowed on radio vs. podcast, with Matthew opining, “That’s the whole point of a podcast—to be able to say 'cake day'.” (03:43)
• They riff on the joys of hypothetical mega wealth, and how they'd handle being billionaires, with mock ethical quandaries.
  • Matthew: “I’d be one of the really, really unethical ones... Sorry, I can't hear you. I've invested in some really good headphones. That's how much money I got. I've got the best headphones that block out negative thoughts.” (01:24)

2. Radio Resolutions & Dad Energy (08:32–15:04)

• Ed and Matthew discuss New Year’s resolutions, the “pressure” of dry January, and the futility of denying oneself all pleasures (especially wine).
  • Ed: “So you lasted three days of dry January.” (09:43)
• The hosts declare 2026 their “Year of the Real Radio Show”: “Let’s remove the irony in 2026.” (11:03)
• The team debates what “dry” can ever be positive for ("You don't want dry food. You don't want dry skin... What are good dry things? No one wants to go and live out in the desert" – Ed, 12:18).
• “Dad energy” gets explored with Matthew describing a 90-minute stint watching a friend’s child: “Spoiler: The kid's still alive.” (15:00)
  • Ed offers parenting tips: “You can’t have uncle energy; you’ve got to have dad energy. Dad energy is a little bit less patience.” (20:28)

3. Listener Emails, Music Picks, and Indie Bants (15:17–17:08 & 23:20–26:08)

• Reactions to the Radio X record of the year (Wolf Alice) and playful complaints about their own (joke) choices being ignored.
  • Ed: “Shut up of your face. It's such a good song.” (16:49)
• Deep dive into jumpers: Ed debuts a “statement” car-crash jumper, seeking verdicts from guests and listeners.
  • Ed (on wearing a women’s jumper): “I definitely bought it from the women's section of this website.” (24:41)
  • Matthew: “I actually really like it on you.” (26:03)

4. Josh Widdicombe Interview & The Pop Culture Museum Podcast (27:37–47:48)

• Josh enters as “first scoop for Daddy” and exchanges classic banter about Red Hot Chili Peppers fandom (“Naked butt, free sock over my genitals at this point.” – Josh, 28:14).
• Hilarity from a slapdash guest info sheet ("All we've got written down here is ‘Welcome’. So we've got to welcome you. And we've done that. The next question is ‘What are you plugging?’" – Matthew, 28:40)
• Josh promotes his new podcast “Josh Widdicombe’s Museum of Pop Culture,” described as “old guys having a chinwag” but with real research.
  • Josh: “Imagine the Rest Is History podcast, but about things we're actually interested in—i.e. things that don't matter.” (32:42)
  • Trivia highlight: Pete Waterman, famed pop producer, "didn’t learn to read and write until his mid-forties...he was in a class of 63 children" (34:14–34:28).
• Extended riff about Tom Holland the historian vs Tom Holland the actor/Spider-Man:
  • Josh: "In my world, [the historian] is a much bigger deal than the Spider-man, who I don't care about." (36:23)

5. “Big Questions” with Josh Widdicombe (40:38–47:48)

• Why Are You Always Standing in the Thoroughfare? (41:05–43:46)
  • Josh delivers an unexpectedly philosophical answer about the human tendency to focus on discomfort rather than comfort:
    “That’s the human condition… you only think about thoroughfares when you’re in the thoroughfare.” (42:11)
• What’s Embarrassing, But Shouldn’t Be?
  • Buying pants or toilet paper: “It's really embarrassing buying pants, even though everyone owns pants.” (45:25)
• Josh’s Verdict on Ed’s Jumper
  • Josh (on seeing Ed’s controversial jumper): “Of course I don’t like it. You look like Gyles Brandreth.” (46:49)

6. Chloe Petts Interview: Lad Culture, Big Naturals & Ooh Yummy (49:33–66:01)

• Chloe is introduced as “headline scoop for Daddy”.
  • Playful discomfort with being described as “delicious” and “yummy”:
    Chloe: “Oh, yummy.” (50:23)
    Ed: "Well, you are, you are yummy. You're absolutely delicious." (50:23)
• Chloe describes her show “Big Naturals”, about growing up around lad culture:
  • "All the music that you're going to be listening to, I do a routine about Kasabian, do a routine about football, do a routine about Charlie Dimmock's Big, Big Gnats." (53:27)
• They discuss “patting yourself on the back” technique, leading to a whole debate and Ed’s back-diagram for Instagram (52:13)
• Chloe’s “Ooh Yummy” catchphrase devolves into a discussion about domain names:
  • Vin the Producer: “Oohyummy.com is available. For $4,000 at the moment.” (56:42)
• Chloe shares a comedic failed “noble experiment”: opening her comedy show to the tune of “You Can’t Touch This,” with the lyrics changed to “Big Naturals”—and an unexpected, awkward audience reaction.
  • Chloe: “I put the mic in a man's face thinking he was gonna go ‘Big Naturals’. And he just went, what?” (57:53)
• The team and Chloe brainstorm a game show called “Pooh Bet,” in which contestants must guess if someone is pooing or not, based solely on their top halves (64:20).

7. Final Banter & Listener Questions (66:01–73:00)

• Chloe’s verdict on Ed's jumper—diffident in person, but in a photo says, "I like your jumper, Ed."
• Matthew and Ed discuss the etiquette of wearing band T-shirts to gigs (68:30)
• Beck Recs (recommendations):
  • Matthew recommends the musical "Old Mary" and the TV series Broadchurch.
  • Ed reminisces about the Bromley Panto ("Sue Pollard was in it." 73:16).
  • Vin (Producer) recommends Park Chan-wook's new film “No Other Choice,” praising the inventive editing (73:49).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Meta-Humor, Podcast vs. Radio (00:25–01:03)

• Ed (re: podcast exclusivity): “This did not go out to the nation. This is just the two of us.”
• Matthew: “I hope it's going out to the nation right now. I hope everyone in the nation's listening to this.”

On Being Billionaires (01:22–01:25)

• Matthew: “I’d be one of the really, really unethical ones… Sorry, I can’t hear you. I’ve invested in some really good headphones.”

Dry January Discussion (12:06–12:49)

• Ed: "You don't want dry food. You don't want dry skin, do you? You don't want a conversation to feel a little bit dry."

On Dad Energy & Parenting (13:24–14:41)

• Ed: “My morning will start when the kids decide it starts. I can’t be partying until 3am if I’m gonna get up at 4am.”
• Matthew: “You know, you need to sort those kids out, man. Why are they in charge?”
• Ed: “You can’t have uncle energy; you’ve got to have dad energy.”

Debate Over Pop Culture Podcast (32:42–33:39)

• Josh Widdicombe: "Imagine the Rest Is History podcast, but about things we’re actually interested in. I.e. things that don’t matter. Pop culture is the lifeblood. We live in a world that cares more about Taylor Swift than Keir Starmer, and here’s to more of that, right?"

Philosophy of Standing in Thoroughfares (41:36–42:22)

• Josh: “That’s the human condition… you only think about thoroughfares when you’re in the thoroughfare.”

On “Big Naturals” and Laddism (53:27–54:07)

• Chloe Petts: "It’s kind of about growing up on lad culture…do a routine about Kasabian, do a routine about football, do a routine about Charlie Dimmock’s Big, Big Gnats.”
• Matthew: “You are the most laddish comic I’ve seen in years.”

Failed Audience Participation (57:53)

• Chloe: “I put the mic in a man's face thinking he was gonna go ‘Big Naturals.’ And he just went, what?”

Debate on Patting Backs (51:08–52:17)

• Chloe: “When you pat yourself on the back, how do you do it?”
• Ed: “It’s got to be cross across the chest because it’s almost a little hug…”

Chloe’s Comedy Show – Audience Reactions (58:37–59:17)

• Chloe: "I tried to change the opening of the show…just walked on going, 'Big naturals.'...And put the mic in a man's face thinking he was gonna go 'big naturals.' And he just went, what?"

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:10–03:00 – Podcast cold open: “sclusie” content, podcast/radio boundaries, jokes about being the #1 podcast
• 08:32–15:04 – Resolutions, “dad energy”, dry January, and starting 2026 as a “real” radio show
• 23:20–26:08 – Ed’s controversial car-crash jumper, fashion chat, and audience verdicts
• 27:37–47:48 – Josh Widdicombe’s appearance; launching “Museum of Pop Culture”; classic banter about pop music and comedians
• 41:05–43:46 – “Why am I always in the thoroughfare?”; philosophical detour
• 49:33–54:53 – Chloe Petts interview: “Big Naturals”, lad culture reclaiming, and self-patting technique
• 56:06–58:49 – “Ooh Yummy” branding, domain name discussion, and Chloe’s failed bit
• 64:20–65:04 – Pooh Bet game show pitch
• 66:01–68:09 – Chloe’s verdict on jumpers; gig/Band T-shirt etiquette
• 68:30–73:56 – Beck Recs (theatre, TV, films), Pantos and Park Chan-wook
• 70:00–72:43 – “Broadchurch” TV review and nostalgia
• 73:43–end – Film/life recommendations, wrap-up banter

Tone & Style

The episode is characterized by fast-paced, playful, and self-deprecating humor—classic British banter. Ed and Matthew are masters of taking familiar “radio” or “parent” topics and twisting them for absurd comic effect, supported by dry wit, the occasional philosophical flourish (especially with Josh), and lots of audience engagement in-jokes. Both guests, Josh Widdicombe and Chloe Petts, run with the show’s madness, gamely enduring and elevating Ed and Matthew’s relentless riffing.

For Listeners Who Missed It

If you like comedy that blurs the lines between high-brow philosophy and low-brow toilet gags, find warmth in jokes about indie dad dilemmas, and appreciate comedians gleefully anthropologizing pop culture, this is a must-listen.
Highlights include Josh Widdicombe’s musings on the meaning of standing in a concert thoroughfare and Chloe Petts’ efforts to reclaim—and rib—classic British “lad” culture with a feminist twist.
Tune in for deeply unserious debates that verge on wisdom, plus tips on how to survive dry January, wear jumpers with pride, and (maybe) start your own “Ooh Yummy” movement for 2026.

End of Summary