Ed Gamble & Matthew Crosby on Radio X

Episode 348 – Matthew Crosby and Matthew Crosby (without Rhys James)
Date: March 1, 2026

Episode Overview

This chaotic, star-studded edition of the Ed Gamble and Matthew Crosby Radio X show sees Matthew Crosby left to helm the show solo—without either regular co-host Ed Gamble (away on tour in the USA) or planned fill-in Rhys James (down with the flu). Faced with the challenge of filling three hours of live radio essentially unprepared, Matthew enlists producers and a staggering array of comedy pals to keep things buoyant and hilarious. The episode is a scramble of improv, audience interactions, impromptu celebrity interviews, and classic Radio X absurdity—essentially, “the radio equivalent of Gromit laying down the tracks as the train hurtles away” ([13:04]). Notable guests include Josh Widdicombe, Alex Horne, Fern Brady, Joel Dommett, and Harry Hill, with surprise input from Ed Gamble in the form of witty voice notes from his US tour.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Show Must Go On: Hosting Solo

• Matthew opens (00:02–01:37) by explaining why he’s flying solo:
  • Ed Gamble is away on tour in the US.
  • Rhys James was meant to stand in, but is down with the flu.
  • Producer Vin and Matthew briefly consider just not doing the show at all but decide to press on.
  • In classic crunch-time fashion, Matthew rapidly canvasses other comics to guest via Zoom/phone.

Scrambling for Content & Guest Coordination

• “It's a star-studded lineup of people who said no… All your favourite comedians said no.” – Matthew ([01:55])
• Guests who step up: Josh Widdicombe, Alex Horne, Fern Brady, Joel Dommett, Harry Hill.
• Matthew jokes about how the absence of Ed forces him to rifle through his little black book; “You’ll have an absolutely star studded show. More stars than the Moyles show.” ([02:26])
• Behind the scenes is frenetic: “We literally didn’t have time… we were texting and FaceTiming people all the way through the show.” ([02:24])

Audience Interactions & Listener Emails

• Amusing analysis of charity shop T-shirts and odd clothing items ([03:46])
• The accidental reading of off-topic emails intended for other radio shows, and subsequent debate over listener intelligence ([05:10])
• "The listeners you deserve" becomes a running joke about their eccentric audience ([38:18])

Scraping the Barrel for Running Order:

Matthew improvises with text-in topics:

• What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen behind a curtain?
• Ever sat in a celebrity’s lap?
• Caravanning disasters.
• Can you whistle really well? (Send a voice note)
• Stories about hats, handstands, cartwheels, or doing the splits ([14:34])

Celebrity Drop-ins & Memorable Segments

Josh Widdicombe Interview ([22:04–30:12])

• Josh joins from a hotel in York, reminisces about solo radio, and “slow social media” emergent formats.
• On radio solitude: “I was allowed to talk to Neil... The ten seconds before my first ever link on Radio X, he said, ‘Just so you know, I'm not a laugher.’” – Josh ([24:14])
• "Due to cuts at the BBC, I think the zoo format is dead." – Josh ([25:38])
• Discussion of viral Instagram train streams. “Rob Beckett thinks I should set up a YouTube channel just of me filming myself silently on the train because people found it calming.” – Josh ([26:41])

Ed Gamble’s Voice Notes from America ([20:01], [31:02], [70:35])

• Offers mock encouragement, increasingly absurd reportage (“Sold out in Brooklyn… hung out with Barack Obama, Joan Rivers, Top Cat…”), and classic Ed ribbing:
  • “I hope the show’s going well, Matthew, and that you haven’t had a full mental breakdown by now…” ([31:02])
  • “Normal co host of the show. I do it about eight times a year. Hope you haven't ruined it yet because I'd quite like to come back…” – Ed ([70:35])

Alex Horne Interview ([39:20–45:27], [46:10])

• Whistling challenge—debate over if Alex can or can’t whistle; live demonstration.
• School play story: “They drew back the curtain and there was… a boy crying in the canteen… it was quite powerful.” – Alex ([41:49])
• Talks Taskmaster, caravans, personal handstand/celebrity lap experiences (“the only lap I’ve sat in is Greg Davies’s lap… these are all true.” [43:31])
• On Taskmaster: “She [Joanna Page] thinks she can do a handstand… You'll see.” ([44:22])

Fern Brady Drop-in ([46:10–50:11])

• Candid, groggy chat about marathon running, marathon anxiety, and being overtaken during races:
  • “A man with one leg overtook me...” ([48:56])
  • “I thought if I run too much, I’m not going to be able to talk enthusiastically about my favorite program… so I’m already trying to worm out of the run.” ([47:01])
• Plug for her charity marathon run.

Joel Dommett Interview ([50:22–59:09])

• Details on the Brit Awards: “I am the Alien Ant Farm of rock and roll.” ([50:49])
• Amusing contrast between showbiz appearance and Uber realities: “...then I found myself in a car for four hours doing diversions, trying to sleep on a pregnancy pillow and a pregnant woman.” ([51:34])
• Discusses impending fatherhood, logistics of touring with a very pregnant partner.

Harry Hill Interview ([59:33])

• Off-the-wall banter about IKEA doomsday packages, candle hoarding, and the “original beanbags were designed for invertebrates”—a classic Harry Hill bit ([60:44]).
• On whistling: “I see myself as a whistler first and a comedian second. That was always my dream...” ([63:12]); demonstrates a “nose flute.”
• Shares a Morrissey anecdote:
  • “Morrissey goes, ‘We’re all waiting for death.’” ([67:07])
• Promotes his Youtube vodcast “The Harry Hill Show”; admits to “batch cooking” vodscarf episodes ([68:57]).

Recurring In-Jokes & Running Themes

• Tongue-in-cheek bile for “perverts and thickos” among the listeners ([38:18])
• Touching on “achievability” for laminated celebrity free passes: “Don’t shoot for your Brad Pitts… get somebody who is basically just above the open mic circuit… Tim Key’s very much the British Brad Pitt.” – Matthew ([35:00])
• Josh’s assertion: “You're making a big deal out of the fact you have to host a show on your own.” – ([72:17])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This show is the radio equivalent of Gromit laying down the tracks as the train has already started hurtling away.”
  —Matthew Crosby ([13:04])

• “Josh is obviously on the show. Alex Horne, he said yes. Again, like I say on the show, the first two cabs off the rank, always Josh and Alex Horne, they said yes. But I tell you what, it’s a star-studded lineup of people who said no.”
  —Matthew Crosby ([01:36])

• “We just got perverts and thickos… but I say this every time: you get the listeners you deserve.”
  —Matthew Crosby ([38:18])

• “I see myself as a whistler first and a comedian second. That was always my dream.”
  —Harry Hill ([63:12])

• “You book a Harry Hill on the show. He comes prepared with stuff. He comes prepared with goods.”
  —Matthew ([65:27])

• “Imagine if famously nice Joel Dommet turned out to be a chauvinist pig.”
  —Matthew Crosby ([56:22])

Guest Segment Timestamps

• Josh Widdicombe Interview: [22:04–30:12]
• Ed Gamble Voice Notes: [20:01], [31:02], [70:35]
• Alex Horne Interview: [39:20–45:27], [46:10]
• Fern Brady Drop-in: [46:10–50:11]
• Joel Dommett Interview: [50:22–59:09]
• Harry Hill Interview: [59:33–69:46]
• Listener Reports (Rhys James’s Dad & Joel): [74:35–77:29]

Closing Reflections

The episode concludes with producer Vin and Matthew recapping the carnage, marvelling that they survived, and reflecting on the show’s ephemeral magic. They riff about preparedness, joke about unused “Steely Dan” research, and share TV/music recommendations—including exuberant praise for “How to Get To Heaven from Belfast.”

“Thank you so much, Finn, you made that. You really did. You're the producer, but you did. You made that show. And I had a great time doing it. And thanks to all of our guests. … And thanks to you, the listener.”
—Matthew Crosby ([83:00])

Key Takeaways

• In the absence of both regular hosts, Matthew and Vin engineered a joyously incompetent, A-list-assisted breakfast show full of warmth, improvisation, and relentless audience engagement.
• The parade of guests—many via phone or WhatsApp—underscored both the resilience of the format and the centrality of their comedy circle.
• Listener interaction (texts, emails, voice notes) fueled much of the content, with spirited riffing on everything from whistling to handstands to charity fashion.
• Ed Gamble’s pre-recorded missives retained his sardonic spirit, even in absentia.
• The episode captured the lovable shambles, meta-humor, and personality-first style that define the Ed Gamble & Matthew Crosby Radio X experience.

Summary by [Your Assistant Name], 2026