TIM KEY ON THE BALLAD OF WALLACE ISLAND, FAMILY & WHAT HE'S REALLY LIKE WHEN THE CAMERAS ARE OFF

Summary

Podcast Summary: Great Company with Jamie Laing

Episode: TIM KEY ON THE BALLAD OF WALLACE ISLAND, FAMILY & WHAT HE'S REALLY LIKE WHEN THE CAMERAS ARE OFF
Date: September 9, 2025
Host: Jamie Laing
Guest: Tim Key
Producer: Jemima
Notable Guests: Rafi (commentary/sidekick)

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OVERVIEW

This episode of Great Company is a lively, heartwarming, and frequently hilarious conversation between Jamie Laing and poet-comedian Tim Key. Longstanding friends, Jamie and Tim banter about childhood memories, the creative life, Tim’s highly praised film "The Ballad of Wallace Island", and his new book of poetry, "L.A. Baby". The episode is structured around Jamie's mission to get Tim to "open up"—no easy feat where this guest is concerned! When questions get too personal, Tim reads a poem from his book, prompting playful but sincere psychoanalysis. The dynamic is affectionate, sharp, and full of memorable anecdotes.

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MAIN THEMES

• The creative process behind "The Ballad of Wallace Island"
• Tim Key’s childhood, family, and reluctant self-disclosure
• The emotional landscape of creativity, nostalgia, and resilience
• The peculiarities and pleasures of Britishness, comedy, and poetry
• Friendship, both in comedy and real life

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KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Opening Up — or Not

Jamie is determined to get beneath Tim’s wry, poetic surface:

• Tim’s resistance to traditional "trauma-mining" podcasts sets a playful tone:
  "I do trauma. Prizing trauma from people. That's your thing." - Tim Key [00:03]
• Tim will answer personal questions—except on podcasts:
  "I think I would actually open up to you, but probably not on podcast." - Tim Key [06:50]
• The poem-as-deflection game is introduced, adding playful structure whenever a question goes too far.

2. A Glimpse at Tim Key’s Childhood

A rare, open stretch where Tim describes himself as a kid:

• Sensitive, shy, emotionally expressive:
  "I think I did cry and sometimes have tantrums…Mummy's boy…Shy…Purple dungarees." - Tim Key [08:12-08:25]
• Early memories involving injury and care (father placing a handkerchief on a grazed knee), family street parties, and sibling pranks.
• Fondness for nostalgic details—Scotch eggs, lemonade bottles, home-brewed wine—grounding poetry in everyday British life.

3. Family and Sibling Rivalry

• Playful stories illustrate classic sibling dynamics:
  "My brother leans over and says, you can win this...I just go as fast as I can on my tricycle and lose. Then cried for...maybe seven years." - Tim Key [20:48-21:13]
• Stories of parental influence: dad’s impressions, home-brew, and the family’s general comic sensibility.

4. Formative Years in Comedy

• The long, winding road to a comedy career:
  "You gradually realize...something is possible...it's possible to do the same job as them kind of creeps up on you and takes quite a lot of time." - Tim Key [29:28]
• Tim’s entry into Cambridge Footlights involved a white lie about his university status—a moment of comedic “fraud” that pays off:
  "I did actually. I was fraudulent to get into the Foot...I didn't really lie. I just didn't, you know." - Tim Key [32:40]
• The impact of elite comedy circles, camaraderie with other talents like Alex Horne and Tom Basden.

5. Poetry as Memoir and Therapy

Tim uses readings from "L.A. Baby" to both reveal and deflect:

• Poem: "Welcome to America" — a sensory barrage of cultural icons upon arrival in LA.
  "The United States of America came at me like a fucking hairdryer…The Star Spangled Banner rang out like cathedral bells..." - Tim Key [18:00]
• Poetry captures the loneliness, imposter syndrome, and adjustment of working abroad:
  Poem: "The Wounded" [39:49] “Prostate on the floor, a leopard wounded. Its fur lank with blood…A Dodger's baseball cap upon its head, A UK passport in its pocket…” - Tim Key
• Final LA poem, the reality of ending a three-month stay:
  Poem: "The Game's Up" [63:40] “I sat down on my bed beside me, my suitcase unclosable, spewing its contents. My Hollywood life. Dodgers, scarves and coffee beans, sun hats and snow globes…” - Tim Key

6. Making "The Ballad of Wallace Island"

• Jamie raves about Tim’s new film, describing it as "possibly my favorite movie I've seen in the last decade" [44:34]
• Tim summarizes the plot—eccentric millionaire, romantic nostalgia, Carey Mulligan’s involvement, the 18-year journey from short to feature film.
• Challenges of independent filmmaking, international response, standing ovation at Sundance [51:05]

7. The Nature of Art, Mortality, and Friendship

• Jamie and Tim ponder whether artists "peak" after death:
  "It might be the perfect time to die. Like it would shift some units for the book." - Tim Key [57:17]
• Their playful (but real) admiration for one another:
  "Do you? I do. I like you. I like you too." - Jamie Laing & Tim Key [51:58]
• The importance of creative partnerships (Tom Basden vs. Steve Coogan):
  "Tom Basdon…Well, he definitely edges it because formative writing and performing comedy…we learn from one another and it’s kind of very…it’s something I feel very grateful for." - Tim Key [62:03]

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NOTABLE QUOTES & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• On Comedy & Vulnerability
  • "You can't prize trauma from me." - Tim Key [00:16]
  • "I think I would actually open up to you, but probably not on podcast." - Tim Key [06:50]
• On Growing Up
  • "Purple dungarees. We haven't said yet." - Tim Key [08:25]
  • "All I wanted to be was older...I hated the fact when I was 4 and everyone else was 18." - Jamie Laing [09:17]
• On LA
  • "The United States of America came at me like a fucking hairdryer." - Tim Key, poem [18:00]
  • "There's a seam of loneliness that runs through it." - Tim Key, on his LA poetry collection [36:09]
• On Filmmaking
  • "We wrote a short 18 years ago and then turned it into a feature...this one had five [characters]." - Tim Key [45:57]
  • "Part of the reason we did it…I always remember that short film and it was really fun to shoot it...people liked making the film, which is really important." - Tim Key [49:12]
• On Creativity & Nostalgia
  • "Smells do that. Why do you smell—I can still smell, like...the smell of my school...first home...bedroom. Brings me straight back." - Jamie Laing [27:38]
• On Friendship
  • "I do, actually…No, you don’t…Do you? I do. I like you." - Jamie Laing & Tim Key [51:58]
• On Success and Imposter Syndrome
  • “There’s an imposter syndrome. It’s trying to keep up with…fantastic actors.” - Tim Key [38:41]
• On Mortality and Legacy
  • “Oh, well, it depends. You can. You can look at it both ways, can't you? It might be the perfect time to [die].” - Tim Key [57:17]
  • Referencing Eva Cassidy: “Her work became famous after her death. That’s a neat trick.” - Tim Key [57:46]

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TIMESTAMPS OF KEY SEGMENTS

• [03:05] Jamie & Jemima introduce the episode and Tim’s unique approach to interviews
• [08:12–09:13] Tim Key opens up about childhood—crybaby stories, purple dungarees, “hippie” the hippo toy
• [18:00] Tim reads "Welcome to America" from L.A. Baby
• [20:48–21:13] Sibling rivalry and the “slow bicycle race” story
• [27:31] Evocative discussion of childhood smells and nostalgia
• [29:28] Reflections on becoming a comedian and the gradual process of “realizing it’s possible”
• [32:40] Tim describes bluffing his way into Cambridge Footlights
• [39:49] Tim reads “The Wounded,” capturing LA vulnerability
• [44:34] Jamie’s effusive rave for “The Ballad of Wallace Island”
• [45:59] Tim’s synopsis of the film: love, band reunions, nostalgia, and awkward reunions
• [51:05] Reaction to the film’s Sundance premiere—standing ovation and nerves
• [63:40] Finale: Tim reads the closing LA poem, “The Game’s Up”
• [58:44–62:00] Quickfire life questions—fears, nostalgia, guilty pleasures, friendship

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• The British banter is constant and affectionate, full of inside-family humor, and mutual ribbing.
• Tim’s poetry readings are both revealing and slippery—a masterclass in artful vulnerability, with Jamie’s psychoanalysis blending sincere questions with comic sharpness.
• The making of "The Ballad of Wallace Island" offers insight into the grit, joy, and uncertainty of indie cinema.
• Conversations about friendship, creative partnership, and mortality add real heart, leaving the laughter tinged with poignancy.

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RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE EPISODE

• Tim Key’s new book, L.A. Baby
• Film:_ The Ballad of Wallace Island_ (now streaming on Apple TV)
• Live Tim Key stand-up (if you’re lucky to get tickets!)

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For fans of British comedy, mischievous poetry, creative process deep-dives, and genuine yet playful intimacy between host and guest, this is an essential listen—a celebration of being funny, feeling things, and being in great company.

Transcript

[Jemima]

Coming up in this episode of Great.

[Jamie Laing]

Company, I like to open people up.

[Tim Key]

So there's a lot of podcasts where there's an additional thing that you don't need. I do trauma. Prizing trauma from people. That's your thing.

[Rafi]

Oh, ho, ho.

[Jamie Laing]

Just you wait, Mr. Key. I'm going to unlock you.

[Tim Key]

You can't prize trauma from me. Hi, I'm Tim Key, and I am in Great Company. Please welcome the poetic stylings of Tim Key.

[Jamie Laing]

How hard is it to become a comedian?

[Tim Key]

I think there's the little bit of.

[Jamie Laing]

Tea we just got.

[Tim Key]

I would actually open up to you.

[Jamie Laing]

Oh, can't wait.

[Tim Key]

Go.

[Jamie Laing]

Give it to me.

[Kathryn Ryan]

Hello, I'm Kathryn Ryan, and this is Write Me Dirty the podcast, where two comedians write steamy, ridiculous erotica about each other. I give them a bizarre prompt, think apocalypse must include a zombie, and they read their spicy stories aloud while I judge them on sexiness, fun, funniness, and sheer chaos. It's hilarious, awkward, and occasionally kind of hot. Write Me Dirty Thursdays just got thirstier.

[Jamie Laing]

Hello, everyone. My name is Jamie Laing, and this is Great Company. Hello, everybody.

[Jemima]

Howdy Doody.

[Jamie Laing]

Howdy Doody. That is Jemima, my lovely producer. I'm your host.

[Jemima]

Jamie, my love, lovely presenter.

[Jamie Laing]

My lovely presenter. Welcome back to the show, Great Company, your favorite show out there in the podcast landscape. Yeah.

[Jemima]

If you're listening, scream.

[Jamie Laing]

If you're listening, don't scream, because you'll probably be on the tube somewhere. But also, if you haven't subscribed to our show already, just click that subscribe button because it does us absolute wonders.

[Jemima]

But also, I think if you're. If you subscribe, there's definitely something more in it for you.

[Jamie Laing]

I agree. And it gives you those little reminders. And it's completely free to subscribe.

[Jemima]

It's in your pocket every week. And also, my word, that back catalogue, we have had so many good episodes recently. And also, to be honest, over the last year and a half.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah. So if you're listening to this episode now and you enjoy it, go back and listen to other episodes because, trust me, you'll really enjoy this episode.

[Jemima]

And if you've listened to them, listen to them again.

[Jamie Laing]

Exactly. And today's episode is with Mr. Tim.

[Jemima]

Key, Timothy Quay, who's an old friend of yours.

[Jamie Laing]

He's a friend of mine. I've interviewed him before. And the reason why I got him on the show, firstly, I loved him. Me and him have a very unique friendship. Very. In a brilliant way. But he recently starred and wrote a. In a Movie. He started in a movie and wrote a movie called the Ballad of Wallace island, which you can now watch on Apple tv. I think it is.

[Jemima]

That's exciting.

[Jamie Laing]

It's one of the greatest English rom coms of the past decade. Maybe, maybe century.

[Rafi]

Wow.

[Jamie Laing]

I mean, they weren't even joking.

[Jemima]

Were they making rom coms a century ago?

[Jamie Laing]

Well, this century. Oh, this is what I meant, the last century.

[Jemima]

Oh, okay.

[Jamie Laing]

This is the last century, isn't it?

[Jemima]

I feel it goes back to 19.

[Jamie Laing]

One of the greatest rom coms of this century. He's just fantastic.

[Jemima]

Jamie went to see it and came into the office and was like, everyone must go and watch it now.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah. And if you haven't watched it, you must go and watch it. We talk about it in the episode today, so I'm not going to give any spoilers, but this is a different one. Tim doesn't like to go deep.

[Jemima]

No.

[Jamie Laing]

And not that we always like to go deep, but we kind of like to know about emotions. So we connect. The whole point of the show is that we connect. But this one is full of humor, it's full of joy, what it's like to be a comedian, a bit of Tim's life. And I think we get a little snippet of what Tim actually is like growing up. This is the first time I've heard Tim open up a little bit because normally he would never open up, but he did open up a bit, which I love. Tim, if you're listening to this, you're just amazing. And not only am I happy to be glad to be your friend, I'm also just one of your biggest fans.

[Jemima]

Yeah, you guys are on House of Games together and People Lost.

[Jamie Laing]

I want to do again.

[Jemima]

But also, Tim has. Is a poet and as well as a comedian, and his poems are very, very funny. And he also has a new book out called L A Baby. And we, because we were aware that Tim, as a comedian, doesn't love to open up, we thought we'd play a little game, didn't we, where every time Jamie asks him a question he feels nervous about, he would then read a poem. And then I said to Jamie, then psychoanalyze the poem.

[Jamie Laing]

So we'll see how many perms are in the episode today. Okay. Also, get in touch with us if you like the episode. Let us know what you think of it at greatcompany podcast on Instagram or send us an email. Greatcompanyampleproductions.co.uk I'm sorry I interrupted you. It's okay. Don't worry.

[Jemima]

It's just a bad, bad habit.

[Jamie Laing]

What were you gonna say?

[Jemima]

I said, I'm working on getting us a P.O.

[Tim Key]

Box.

[Rafi]

Great.

[Jamie Laing]

Well, that's exciting. We can add that in.

[Jemima]

That's like, when your parents are like, okay, well done.

[Jamie Laing]

It's also. It's also one of those things. It's like, it hasn't been done, so why would we mention it? You know what?

[Jemima]

And why would I interrupt you to say it?

[Jamie Laing]

It's not even there. Such a useless information. It's not even. I'm sorry. Anyway, I had a dream last night.

[Jemima]

You fired me.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay, this is a good episode. The intro.

[Jemima]

Okay, back to follow us. Great Company podcast.

[Rafi]

Okay.

[Jamie Laing]

All right. Enjoy this episode of Great Company with Tim Key.

[Tim Key]

Hi, I'm Tim Key, and I am in Great company.

[Jamie Laing]

How would you describe a podcast?

[Tim Key]

Podcast is. Well, some of them can take the form of a fun conversation.

[Jamie Laing]

That's true.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, that's one. That's definitely one of the styles.

[Jamie Laing]

Is that going to be this?

[Tim Key]

That's definitely in the frame. Sometimes they can be a podcast. I've heard podcasts that are informative that drill down on one particular topic.

[Jamie Laing]

What would give me an example?

[Tim Key]

Well, like, something like the rest is history, where they'll, like, talk about Mary Queen of Scots.

[Jamie Laing]

And if they didn't do that, then it would obviously wouldn't make sense.

[Tim Key]

Okay, so could you take the history out of the rest of history? What would you be left with? I think you'd be left with a. With a perfectly functional podcast. They don't need the history. That's my opinion. So there's a lot of podcasts where there's an additional thing that you don't need. Like, you don't have. You don't have an additional thing. I do trauma. Prizing trauma from people. That's your thing. But it would still work without that if you didn't prize the trauma.

[Jamie Laing]

It wouldn't. It wouldn't.

[Tim Key]

Do you not think?

[Jamie Laing]

No.

[Tim Key]

Well, you're not. You're not prizing any for me.

[Jamie Laing]

Oh, just you wait, Mr. Key. I'm gonna unlock you.

[Tim Key]

You can't prize trauma.

[Jamie Laing]

This podcast, obviously, Great Company, as you said, is, I'd like to open people up.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

You and I are friends. Yeah, I know what you're like.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

You won't want to open up about anything.

[Tim Key]

No. Well, what I would do is I think I would actually open up to you, but probably not on podcast.

[Jamie Laing]

That's very fair.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, that's true. Because that's a public Forum.

[Tim Key]

I think that's sort of the way I would do it, really. Is on podcasts. Go on podcasts, and it's just like a laugh and just, like, talk about whatever.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

And then maybe I'll meet a friend in the pub and then open up.

[Jamie Laing]

Why wouldn't the microphone be there?

[Tim Key]

It's a puzzle, isn't it?

[Jamie Laing]

So I've got a game we're gonna play.

[Tim Key]

Okay, great. Perfect.

[Jamie Laing]

Every time I ask a question that you think is too personal.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

You have to. Instead of answering it.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

You have to read one of your poems.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Perfect.

[Jamie Laing]

So if I was gonna say Tim Keith.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Tell me about your childhood.

[Tim Key]

Childhood.

[Rafi]

Yep.

[Tim Key]

We're good to go.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay, good.

[Tim Key]

No poems for you there.

[Jamie Laing]

Oh, I can't wait.

[Tim Key]

Go.

[Jamie Laing]

Give it to me.

[Tim Key]

Childhood.

[Jamie Laing]

Come on. Just come and get. Open up. Pretend we're in the. Pretend we're in the. The pub together. We've got a glass of lager in front of us. Just l. A Vogue. We've just ordered the artichoke.

[Tim Key]

I don't smoke anymore.

[Jamie Laing]

All right, well, you. You're chewing on some nicotine gum.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

There you go.

[Tim Key]

Right, good. Trying to get back into cigarettes. What do you want to. What do you want to know about my child?

[Jamie Laing]

I want to know. I want. Okay. I want to know lots of things.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

What kind of little boy I was.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah. I do. I really want.

[Tim Key]

Baby. Were you a crybaby?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

No, you weren't.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

What kind of crybaby?

[Tim Key]

I think I did. I think I did cry and sometimes have tantrums.

[Jamie Laing]

Mummy's boy.

[Tim Key]

Yes, sir.

[Rafi]

Really.

[Jamie Laing]

Shy.

[Rafi]

Yes.

[Tim Key]

Yes. Purple dungarees. We haven't said yet.

[Jamie Laing]

Oh, nice.

[Tim Key]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Used to wear them all the time.

[Tim Key]

I think there was a lot of purple dungarees. A. My toy.

[Jamie Laing]

What was it?

[Tim Key]

Hippie. A hippo.

[Jamie Laing]

You called it hippie. I would lead with hippo and then say hippie afterwards.

[Tim Key]

What did I do?

[Jamie Laing]

You went, hippie, and I went, what's that? And you went, hippo.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

That's confusing.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

I wish I hadn't done that. But you can't have regrets, can you, on this podcast, that kind of. That kind of little mistake I could. I can handle when I'm cycling home.

[Jamie Laing]

Did you. Did you cry as a kid?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

What would you cry about?

[Tim Key]

I think. I think I just. I would just lose it sometimes and just cry about. Cry about anything. Would you really?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

So you're emotional?

[Rafi]

Yeah, probably.

[Tim Key]

Yeah. Did you cry?

[Jamie Laing]

How are you throwing this back on me? I cried a lot as A kid. Because I was frustrated because I think that I also. I don't know if you had this. When I was a kid, all I wanted to be was older. And so I. I hated the fact when I was 4 and everyone else was like, 18, they could go and do these things like travel the world and have money.

[Tim Key]

I know, I know. And then you have, like, your mum just sort of with that withering look, shaking her head, and just. She knows that's not what you actually should want. You don't want to wish your life away. She used to say that to me. But you do just want to be able to, like, you know, drive a car.

[Jamie Laing]

I have some moments in my life that really stand out.

[Rafi]

Yeah, right.

[Jamie Laing]

So like, really sort of pinnacle moments.

[Rafi]

Boom, boom, boom.

[Jamie Laing]

What is your first core memory that you have as a kid?

[Tim Key]

I do remember we were looking for a. To move house.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Looking forward to.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, well, yeah, we were looking for. To move house and we were on a street. I think we'd looked at the house. Then I think I'm spinning around and then I think I fall and graze my knee. Maybe cut my knee open. Okay. And then my father, whose name is Bill. His name's Bill. Okay, Bill, then. Bill. Key. Oh, God, yeah. Bill puts a white handkerchief around my knee. And I think that's my earliest memory.

[Jamie Laing]

Is it?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

So you must have been three, I reckon maybe four. I got one. I've got. I've got one on. There was a street party in honor of. Do you remember Lady Di?

[Rafi]

Yes.

[Tim Key]

So she got married to, well, the guy who went on to become the king. King Charles.

[Jamie Laing]

King Charles.

[Tim Key]

Prince Charles for a bit, yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Who I met the other day.

[Tim Key]

Excuse me.

[Jamie Laing]

Shake his hand.

[Tim Key]

Wow. Okay.

[Rafi]

Wow. Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

And he knew who I was.

[Rafi]

Wow.

[Tim Key]

What's he like?

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, like it says on the tin, he's sort of, you know, hello, how are you? You sort of do an awkward bow with him and you say, hello, and then he talks to you and he's got a sort of soft voice. You have to lean in quite a lot to hear him.

[Tim Key]

Oh, right, yeah. Oh, right. It's old ear by the lips time, isn't it?

[Jamie Laing]

You have to sort of get close in to hear him like that.

[Tim Key]

Is he sort of. Is he sort of quite dignified?

[Jamie Laing]

What do you mean by that?

[Tim Key]

Is he like, dignified? Does he have a sort of quiet, gnarled dignity about him?

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, and he. And he. He's sort of like a tortoise.

[Tim Key]

He's a bit like a tortoise.

[Jamie Laing]

If he was an animal, he'd probably be a tortoise.

[Tim Key]

If we. If you take. Well, without the shell, obviously without the shell. Remove the shell, put on a. A suit and a crown. Do you have a crown?

[Jamie Laing]

He didn't have a crown on him. No, but he had a suit.

[Tim Key]

Was he with his wife?

[Jamie Laing]

No, he wasn't.

[Tim Key]

She calls herself the Queen, but she is the Queen. So was there finger food?

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, there was. There was some cake. Some Victoria's sponge cake they took. Anyway, I need to go back to. So, Princess Di, you were saying, who is married to King Charles? This was another memory.

[Tim Key]

But the Queen's husband wasn't the King. Yeah, he was. No, he's. He was the. He was the Duke of Edinburgh.

[Jamie Laing]

Are you all right?

[Tim Key]

And now she said, I think it might be time for me to be the Queen. Pop me down as Queen now. What do you think about that?

[Jamie Laing]

I. I just. Well, listen, I can't say too much because the Royal family now follow me on Instagram.

[Tim Key]

Right. And you've got a sort of an in at the moment. You don't want to let yourself down. Well, I'll say it. Okay, you say it and then you. You can. You can break me.

[Jamie Laing]

I can break you?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

It's quite mad that she's calling herself the Queen. Okay, carry on. Because she's not really the Queen.

[Jamie Laing]

She's not. Well, I'm not gonna. Listen, I'm not gonna say it. I'm not gonna say it. Timke and everyone else putting their hands up. So I'm not gonna say it.

[Tim Key]

Well, you don't need to say it. She's. She. She. Her husband got promoted to king.

[Jamie Laing]

Yes. Is it promoted?

[Tim Key]

Well, I suppose it's succeeded his mother.

[Jamie Laing]

That's. Yeah, I think succeeded promoter is more what you get as a. In. In a job.

[Tim Key]

And then he said, okay, well, fine, I'm the king. And everyone has said, absolutely the King. And then she said, I'll be the Queen. And then everyone said, fine. Bit weird. Is that treason, what I've just said? I don't think it's treason what she's done.

[Jamie Laing]

It's not treason.

[Tim Key]

It's just. It's just an interesting thing. I don't think. I mean, I'm never gonna be in that position, I don't think.

[Jamie Laing]

But if you were in that position, if you. And if you and the King got married.

[Rafi]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tim Key]

I think I wouldn't be saying I'll be king as well. King, too.

[Jamie Laing]

But would you be saying, I'll be the Queen.

[Tim Key]

But I don't know. You don't know until you're in that situation. She just lost her head. Because what she should have said is, okay, you be the king and I'll stick with just being a person. And what she's actually said is, you be the king, and I've got a very good chance here. This is the closest I'm ever gonna get to being able to call myself the queen. So I'll go queen. But I think someone else should have said, well, you're not really the queen. Maybe he should have said that. And maybe that is perhaps something you say next time you're in the house.

[Jamie Laing]

I reckon if I was in that position, though, I would say I'm queen. I would take it.

[Tim Key]

I think you would.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

I would take it. Okay. So back to the memories.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, back to the memories.

[Jamie Laing]

Back to the memories.

[Tim Key]

I'm at a street party.

[Jamie Laing]

Oh, yeah. How old are you now?

[Tim Key]

So that was. When did they get married? 1981.

[Jamie Laing]

Yes.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Yes. So you would have been.

[Jamie Laing]

You're.

[Tim Key]

You're five, I think I'm back. I'm actually four, probably. Did they get married in 81 or 82?

[Jamie Laing]

You're born 76.

[Tim Key]

Born 76. And that street party would have been. I'm sure they would have got married in the summer.

[Jamie Laing]

But describe what a street party is for anyone who doesn't know.

[Tim Key]

Okay, so they will. But it's in my street. There was a party. Trestle tables.

[Jamie Laing]

Nice.

[Rafi]

Yep.

[Jamie Laing]

English.

[Tim Key]

Oh, English.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Flags.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

English flags.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Far. Right there. Lots of, like, picnics and stuff.

[Jamie Laing]

Picnic food or picnics?

[Tim Key]

Picnics. Patriotic songs.

[Jamie Laing]

Sausage rolls.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Scotch eggs.

[Tim Key]

Definitely Scotch eggs. Pork pies.

[Jamie Laing]

Oh, yeah. What's your favorite of that trio?

[Tim Key]

Scotch. Scotch eggs, I think. Yeah, I like. I like a nice. I like a nice Scotch egg. Sometimes I. Yeah, sometimes I get a Scotch egg from Marks and Spencer's. But they come in twos. Really.

[Jamie Laing]

They do always come in twos.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

So sometimes I'll.

[Jamie Laing]

You take two down?

[Tim Key]

Do I take two down? I'd rather. Maybe that's time for me to read a poem.

[Jamie Laing]

God, let's read a poem.

[Tim Key]

Okay, let's read a poem. I've not come on here to tell you whether I take two Scotch eggs down. Okay. So my new book is called LA Baby, and it's about. I went to LA last year. Yeah, we can talk about that.

[Jamie Laing]

I'm going to get on to that. Can I just say, the thought of you being in la.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Is already quite funny.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Funny.

[Rafi]

Right.

[Jamie Laing]

Why Because I, I just, I. I just don't think you. I. I don't think you would like.

[Tim Key]

Lauren Laverne said this to me.

[Jamie Laing]

Lauren Laverne said this to you? Well, I'm saying it to you now.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, that's two out of two.

[Jamie Laing]

That's two out of two. Because I imagine you, you sort of live in North West London.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

It's where you kind of don't, you.

[Jamie Laing]

Know, I'm not gonna.

[Tim Key]

Dox me.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah. But that's sort of where I sort of feel.

[Tim Key]

Where do you live?

[Jamie Laing]

Northwest Ish. London.

[Rafi]

Oh.

[Tim Key]

How close do you think we are?

[Jamie Laing]

Very close.

[Tim Key]

Are we?

[Jamie Laing]

We're not far. You're probably about 10 minutes from me.

[Tim Key]

Right. What would be the geographically best pub with a garden between us?

[Jamie Laing]

I don't know any pubs, but.

[Tim Key]

But how can you not?

[Jamie Laing]

Well, I sort of do, but I don't really sit in pubs. You sit in pubs?

[Tim Key]

I don't think that's the phrase, but yeah, I do go to the pub.

[Jamie Laing]

You go to the pub?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

I don't sit in pubs. Makes me sound like I don't have a sofa. Do I sit in pubs? What? So what, what, what are your reference points then? Cafes.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah. Actually are.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Do you sit in cafes? Sally Clark, Tim Key.

[Jamie Laing]

Gails.

[Tim Key]

Gails.

[Rafi]

Yep. Good.

[Tim Key]

Now I know where you are. Okay. This is a poem I wrote when I arrived in la.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

This is my first thing I saw when I opened the doors. When the plane doors opened.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay.

[Tim Key]

This poem's called welcome to America. The air hostess opened the plane door and boom. A lightning bolt straight into the veins stood at the top of the steps there. The United States of America came at me like a fucking hairdryer. Mickey Mouse, Huckleberry Finn. And the goddamn super bowl swept towards me from the tarmac. Jimmy Connors, cherry pie. The Wall street crash. The stories, the legends, the history of Buck Rogers, Walmart, Lassie, nascar tipping culture. Thanksgiving, Penelope, Pit Stop, Karen Carpenter, hot dogs. Antonio Pettigrew, Peter Falk, Star wars, the Yellow Brick Road, Yale, mash, Jennifer Aniston, everything. The Star Spangled Banner rang out like cathedral bells. I wiped my eyes, picked up my House of Games Carry on case and trickled down the stairway into the promised land. That's why you've got so many staff.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, yeah. To do that.

[Tim Key]

They're part audience.

[Jamie Laing]

That is Jennifer Aniston thrown in there.

[Tim Key]

Jennifer Aniston?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

That's piqued your interest.

[Rafi]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

I think you like Jennifer. Love Jennifer Aniston.

[Tim Key]

Have you met her for Tea.

[Jamie Laing]

I haven't met her for tea. But I think you're relating that to what you grew up on, which is friends.

[Tim Key]

I'm relating it to.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Just a sort of a white noise of America, I guess, that you just. You can't really avoid it, can you?

[Jamie Laing]

Just for everyone who is listening, who wants to know, Tim's little bit of life obviously grew up in Cambridge.

[Tim Key]

You. I need to finish this street party, so. Street party.

[Rafi]

Go.

[Tim Key]

This is trauma. I think the street party. We went to the. The. The park after the street party. Home Fields, it's called. And then there's a slow bicycle race. Do you know what one of those is?

[Jamie Laing]

Well, I'm assuming it's a slow bicycle race.

[Rafi]

Yeah. Yeah. Right.

[Tim Key]

So what do you think the rules are? Everyone on their bikes, you have to go slow to win. So I'm on a tricycle because I'm three wheels.

[Rafi]

Yep, yep.

[Tim Key]

So because I'm only four or five.

[Rafi]

Okay.

[Tim Key]

So I'm sat on my bicycle at the start line on my tricycle. And so I guess the elephant in the room is that I can just sit there because I've got three wheels. Not such a big elephant. My brother says to me, he's. He's older. He's called John. John.

[Jamie Laing]

So Bill, John and Tim.

[Rafi]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tim Key]

It's not. Hang on. That's not so bad.

[Jamie Laing]

I know, I know.

[Tim Key]

Like, we're simple people. Like, I've got a basic family. Bill, John and Tim.

[Jamie Laing]

I'm Bill Key. This is John Key and Tim Key.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

And mum is called Carol. That's a bit more spicy.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, there's something going on.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, something.

[Tim Key]

So my brother leans over to me and says, you can win this.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

But there's. All of the other kids have got two wheels and so it starts. And all of the other kids start, like, you know, maneuvering their handlebars so that they don't go too quickly and they're trying to stay still. And I just go as fast as I can on my tricycle and lose. Then cried for about maybe the next. Maybe seven years.

[Rafi]

What?

[Jamie Laing]

Because John was furious.

[Tim Key]

John was. No, John was very happy that he'd told me to. To go as fast as I can.

[Jamie Laing]

Damn.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Do you know, when I was a kid, I remember. I. Do you remember Silly Putty?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

So you would. You'd put your finger into it and make noises and it was kind of this putty.

[Rafi]

Right.

[Jamie Laing]

My. My brother took me to a.

[Tim Key]

Well, sure.

[Jamie Laing]

And yeah.

[Tim Key]

Was this in Romania?

[Rafi]

He said.

[Jamie Laing]

And he said. He said, if you drop it in there, it'll bounce back.

[Tim Key]

Oh, this is the problem with brothers.

[Jamie Laing]

Older. Yeah, older. Alexander.

[Tim Key]

Alexander.

[Jamie Laing]

It's a bit more spicy.

[Rafi]

Y.

[Jamie Laing]

He dropped a plop.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Didn't come out.

[Tim Key]

You just lost. How old were you? Five.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Was that one of your earlier memories?

[Jamie Laing]

Yes.

[Tim Key]

Wow.

[Jamie Laing]

Was so similar. I knew we were similar.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Brothers.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

And there was another time with my brother where I had drawn a picture for my dad.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Daddy.

[Jamie Laing]

For daddy.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

And I said, look at this picture. I showed him to him. You'd open it up like it was a book.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

My brother stapled it together without me realizing what I want to show my dad. I opened it and ripped. Wow.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Trauma.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, trauma. So we were playing with fishing nets by the river.

[Rafi]

Wow.

[Jamie Laing]

You, Bill and John.

[Tim Key]

Me and John. Bill was varnishing a boat. Where was. Where was Carol? Where was Carol? Where was Carol?

[Jamie Laing]

So I'm just reminded about Carol. Where was Carol?

[Tim Key]

Should have been at home. It was another. It was a different time.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay.

[Rafi]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

But, but, but Bill was varnishing a boat.

[Tim Key]

Let's focus on me and my brother.

[Rafi]

Okay. Right.

[Tim Key]

We can't just zoom in on my father varnishing a boat. And we don't see the anecdote. I can't just describe him varnishing a boat. For five minutes he's away. But varnishing. And then we're pissing about.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

With these things.

[Jamie Laing]

And he's how much older, John?

[Tim Key]

Two years.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

So then I'm walking backwards away from him, and we're like jousting, I guess, is the idea, like sword fighting with these fishing nets. And then I walk back and I just fall in the river. But he hasn't touched me.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

So then I come. This is a good. This is a measure of the man. I come out and I said that he pushed me in.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

And then I'm a hero because I've got this green weeds in my hair.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

And I think, like I was called weed head or something for about three months. And my brother had to face the wall. He had to face the wall for.

[Jamie Laing]

Three months as well.

[Tim Key]

No, that was less than three months. That was just to think about what he'd done, but he hadn't done the thing, so there's nothing to think about. What was really thinking is why I've done what I'd done.

[Jamie Laing]

And then did John turn on you from then on?

[Tim Key]

No, he was a very nice brother. But, you know, it's. It's. It's fractious. Stuff, isn't it?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

You know, I do remember the bit when you're like, he's sort of 16, 17, and it all kind of evens out a bit, doesn't it? And you sort of. You just sort of start, well, you like your brother when you're on holiday and stuff. But I do remember like thinking, ah, quite like this sort of, you know.

[Jamie Laing]

Grown up brother who in your family's funny.

[Tim Key]

I do, I do remember that bit where it turns slightly where you're like, you know, sort of 16, 17. I always found my dad like does impressions and stuff. Does. He was funny.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

I remember him doing impressions of, you know, big. Did you ever see the film Bigfoot and the Hendersons?

[Jamie Laing]

No. Bigfoot and the Hendersons, Yeah.

[Tim Key]

I think it's in the 80s. I watched it at Center Parks. Anyway, Bigfoot is like a sort of. Well, Bigfoot.

[Jamie Laing]

Bigfoot, yeah.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

And it was very funny. But he was, you know, he's like heavily prosthetics guy.

[Jamie Laing]

Because it wasn't actually Bigfoot.

[Tim Key]

Oh, God, no, no, that would have. If that was a documentary that's been. Has that been sent to you?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Wow.

[Jamie Laing]

Bigfoot and Henderson's is. It's a picture of Bigfoot in prosthetics. Right.

[Tim Key]

My dad could do a decent impression of Bigfoot.

[Jamie Laing]

What did Bigfoot sound like?

[Tim Key]

I don't think he did the sound. I think he just like manipulated his face. So, yeah, so, yeah, he was funny. And then. Well, my, my mom is funny. Sometimes intentional, but also, yeah, decent. She's a decent laugh. She's, she's, she's, she's pretty funny. But I think there comes a point where you're like a little older, deeper into your teens and you're sort of eating together, but also you're allowed to have a glass of wine or.

[Jamie Laing]

There we go.

[Tim Key]

And I do remember that being a kind of good sort of halcyon period. I like that, you know, to have a couple of. My dad used to make homebrew. Homebrew.

[Jamie Laing]

Like of wine or like spirit of.

[Tim Key]

Wine and also of beer.

[Jamie Laing]

No.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Vile, he was.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Nasty. I don't see him anymore, little man.

[Jamie Laing]

Did you used to drink. Did you used to drink the home brew?

[Tim Key]

Yeah, no, I, I used to drink it and I used to. I, I love it. And actually when I go home now and drink it, it's. It's just a very nostalgic.

[Jamie Laing]

Wow, that's a big nostalgic thing.

[Tim Key]

It's a very big nostalgic thing.

[Jamie Laing]

And no one else would understand that. I love that about nostalgia. No one else gets it.

[Tim Key]

And it. And it's all kept in the airing cupboard. Right. And it's all in. All the bottles are like, bottles from. I would say he started doing this home brewing in the 70s. So the bottles are like thick glass lemonade bottles, like Corona lemonade bottles. Yeah, yeah. So it's kind of a very specific. Which is.

[Jamie Laing]

So you go in there and just pour yourself or something.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

You do, actually. You go in there and you just pour yourself something. Well, he usually. He always gets it. Yeah. So he'll go up the stairs.

[Jamie Laing]

So you're not allowed to. No, still now.

[Tim Key]

Now probably I could. Yeah. Because his legs sort of creak a bit more. But he would go up and he would get the. The home brew, bring it down, open it, pour it into the jug. Like there's a process.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

And then. But also I remember him brewing it. And that's a very fond childhood memory where he was in his element in the kitchen, just sort of brewing this. Like he made elderberry wine. So I remember, like, being in my bedroom. Maybe I'm like seven and so I've gone to bed and it's like half past seven and I can hear classical music and smell the elderberry wine drifting up the stairs.

[Jamie Laing]

That's amazing. Smells do that. Why do you smell. I can still smell, like. Well, I can't smell it now.

[Tim Key]

Well, you probably couldn't. You remember the smell.

[Jamie Laing]

I remember the smell. I remember the smell of my school.

[Rafi]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Moments. Smell of school. Remember the smell of my first home.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Remember the smell of my bedroom. Yeah, I remember all those things. Brings me straight back.

[Tim Key]

I remember I've got a very, very powerful.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Sensory connection with Edinburgh where. When you get off the train in Edinburgh. Have you been to Edinburgh?

[Jamie Laing]

Someone else told me this the other day.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Maybe your group of people that have this. Someone else said this to me, that they have a real good connection with Edinburgh.

[Tim Key]

I think a lot of comedians have this thing where.

[Jamie Laing]

Of course, because.

[Tim Key]

So you get off the. You get off the train and there's just.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

This kind of waft of. Of hops from the. From the breweries. I think that's what it is. And it immediately just. Well, it's sort of what I'd like to do with Edinburgh is actually not go there for about 10 years, so I can like, fully appreciate the nostalgia. Because at the moment it just takes me back by one or two years.

[Jamie Laing]

Because you're repeating the same thing.

[Tim Key]

I just keep doing the Same thing. I'm in a cycle.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

You won the Perry AW 2009.

[Jamie Laing]

Big.

[Tim Key]

Huge.

[Rafi]

Huge.

[Tim Key]

Massive. That, that.

[Jamie Laing]

Is that, that. Let's put it out there.

[Tim Key]

That.

[Jamie Laing]

So Ed Festival. People don't know. Most prestigious comedy awards in the world for upand coming comedians.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

The Perry Award is the creme de la creme. It's the Victor Laorum.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

What's that? Victor Loram.

[Jamie Laing]

Don't worry about it.

[Tim Key]

Is that a fashion one?

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, no, it's. It's for athletics at private school.

[Rafi]

Wow.

[Tim Key]

Okay.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Did you go to a private school?

[Jamie Laing]

No. So it's the Vix Lorum.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

When you won that, who gave it to you?

[Tim Key]

Frank Skinner.

[Jamie Laing]

Whoa.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

One of your heroes.

[Rafi]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tim Key]

I mean, I used to watch his shows. You know, he used to do Fantasy football league and Bedeel and Skin are Unplanned and he was really famous. And when you first go to Edinburgh, you don't. That, that, that was an interesting. The feeling of like being in Edinburgh for the first time. There's a lot that goes on where you gradually realize that something is possible where you're playing bottom just because you're at school and then you're doing plays at university just because you're like at university. And then the moment where you're like, think. And also you're just watching comedians and stuff on telly and not associating what you're doing with what they're doing. And so the bit where you kind of realize that it's possible to do the same job as them kind of creeps up on you and takes quite a lot of time. But there's definitely a bit where you go, impossible. And then there's definitely a bit where you go, I'm actually doing that.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

And then it becomes weird. Right. And then sudden you're looking around going, hang on a second. I'm. I'm doing what I've always wanted to do.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

But I haven't realized I'm actually doing what I thought where little Tim over here never thought was possible, but now I'm actually doing it because it's not possible.

[Tim Key]

It's like doing, you know, it's like being a footballer.

[Jamie Laing]

How hard is it to become a comedian like that and a successful one?

[Tim Key]

Yeah, it's quite hard.

[Jamie Laing]

It is hard, isn't it?

[Tim Key]

But you just need to. But, but, but the main, the biggest moment is where you just find yourself on. At least on the bottom step, rather than just thinking, I don't even know where the steps are. When was that was that after 2001, I'd say no. Way before.

[Jamie Laing]

Way before.

[Rafi]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Really?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

By. By 2009, I kind of knew what I was doing and it kind of. It was slow. But you know what you're doing and you know that you're going on stage and people are laughing and stuff like that. There's stuff happening. You also know that you're. You've got friends who are doing the same thing. And you, you have a sense that maybe that you're in a good group of people. Like, you sense that maybe Alex Horn is like a genius. But you don't know. It might just be someone who in five years time, neither of you are doing it anymore.

[Rafi]

Wow.

[Jamie Laing]

I always listen to the American comedians when they say they used to do the stand up circuit and then suddenly this man came on stage and it just blew everyone out the water. It was Robin Williams and everyone just was like, that guy is just, how are we gonna do that?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

And like the other one was like, Jim Carrey was just so good. And they always talk about these people.

[Tim Key]

So I guess when I started watching it was people like Paul Foot and Daniel Kitson who were like just kind of enormous, you know, stage acts in the early 2000s. But still you don't know. You don't even then you don't. It's difficult to sort of work out how you could ever be on stage. For me anyway, how I could ever be on stage on my own, making people laugh. That's the bit that took maybe five years.

[Jamie Laing]

So when was the moment because you, you pretended you went to Cambridge University to get into the Footlights.

[Rafi]

Yep. Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Mad.

[Rafi]

Yep.

[Tim Key]

That was. That was 2001. So that, that.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

That you.

[Jamie Laing]

You lied.

[Rafi]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

You frauded people.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, I did actually.

[Jamie Laing]

I was fraudulent to getting into the Foot.

[Tim Key]

I didn't really lie. I just didn't. You know.

[Jamie Laing]

The Footlights are the notoriously famous group that it was at Cambridge University that does comedy shows the likes of Hugh Laurie came out of it. Stephen Fry, Rowan Atkinson.

[Tim Key]

No, no, I think he was at Oxford.

[Jamie Laing]

Sophie Ogilvy. No.

[Tim Key]

What's. Yep, Sophie Ogilvy. Basically the three main ones are Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Sophie Ogilvy.

[Rafi]

Ogilvy.

[Jamie Laing]

I'm thinking of who's the incredible British actress and her name is Sophie Ogilvy. No, it's not Sophie Ogilvy.

[Tim Key]

Olivia Colman.

[Jamie Laing]

Olivia Colman.

[Tim Key]

Nothing like Sophie Ogilvy.

[Jamie Laing]

Olivia Colman in the Footlights.

[Tim Key]

She was.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, yeah. There you go.

[Tim Key]

I think she might have Hoodwinked her way in as well.

[Jamie Laing]

So audition happens again to Footlight.

[Tim Key]

So I go. That is, after I've been to university in Sheffield. I go there and you've studied what at Sheffield? Russian.

[Jamie Laing]

Nikolajevich Catala. Why didn't you study Russian?

[Tim Key]

I went to Kiev in two, in 1996.

[Jamie Laing]

Capital of Ukraine.

[Tim Key]

Capital of Ukraine and really enjoyed my time there and decided I'd change my degree and learn Russian.

[Jamie Laing]

Wow.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Has that been useful? Well, I mean, I think languages.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, I think. I think it's. I mean, I'm. I'm glad I did it, but I mean. Yeah, I think it is useful. I think it's an interesting. Interesting one to study communication, because I was gonna, like, study English. I think that's already sort of backed up.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, you've got that.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

So, no, I quite. I'm quite glad I did it.

[Jamie Laing]

So you come on a shepherd and studied Russian. You speak Russian, you go for the audition, you say, him at Cambridge.

[Tim Key]

I go to the audition, I say, I'm at Cambridge. And they say, what's your email? I say, my email address. They say, it's different from all the other ones. I say, yes, I'm waiting for my college one. They say, what does that mean? I said, I know. Then I do the audition, they say, fantastic, you can be in our thing now. And then the director phones me up and says, yes, I know that you're not at Cambridge and. But you can stay in it. And so he lets me stay in it.

[Rafi]

Wow.

[Tim Key]

And then who was the director is a guy called Phil Breen.

[Jamie Laing]

Are you still friends with Phil Breen?

[Tim Key]

Yeah, he's fantastic.

[Rafi]

Yeah, yeah. He.

[Tim Key]

He's a big, short director. He directs opera in Japan.

[Jamie Laing]

That is niche.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Just quickly, to caveat part of a conversation, we've actually got Tim Keys book here.

[Tim Key]

Was it in the shops?

[Jamie Laing]

It was in the shops. It all the way in. In London. I'm being thrown at by Jemima. I think that's a perfect time to read another poem.

[Tim Key]

I'll read a poem.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

After that. Because. Because what it is, it's like a. It's like an ad break.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

So we're now going into an ad break where you read us a poem.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Pick a goodie.

[Tim Key]

Oh, yeah. Always.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, always. Do you want one that's more sort of traumatic?

[Jamie Laing]

Yes, I do. This is the way the trauma comes.

[Tim Key]

So when I arrived in. In la. Yeah, it's quite different. Have you been there? Oh, boy.

[Rafi]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Do you like it?

[Jamie Laing]

I find it lonely.

[Tim Key]

Right.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah. I find it lonely.

[Tim Key]

Right. You're gonna like this book.

[Rafi]

Why?

[Jamie Laing]

Because it.

[Tim Key]

There's a seam of loneliness that runs through it.

[Jamie Laing]

It is lonely.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

And also living in North West London, we're not lonely.

[Tim Key]

No. No.

[Jamie Laing]

Because you can go sit in the pub.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

And you can have. You can have your friends. Oh, yeah. You can go to Pure Gym.

[Jamie Laing]

You can do that.

[Rafi]

Yep.

[Jamie Laing]

And you can make friends there.

[Tim Key]

I've only made one friend at Pure Gym.

[Jamie Laing]

You can go to, like, a farmer's market. Doesn't really happen in la.

[Tim Key]

No.

[Jamie Laing]

And also everyone drives everywhere where in northwest London most people walk.

[Tim Key]

Well, that was a culture shock, the fact that you can't walk around. I love walking around.

[Jamie Laing]

Who did you make friends with at Pure Gym?

[Tim Key]

Well, well, well.

[Jamie Laing]

Can't say.

[Tim Key]

The spin instructor came to my show. Okay, let me read this.

[Jamie Laing]

There's the little bit of tea we just got. Were you front row, middle row, back row. Just give it to me.

[Tim Key]

Well, it's spinning.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Back always. Wow.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Her shaking her head at me. Well, the thing is, I was always adjusting it when she wasn't looking. That's a phrase. Amount of times I said, sorry. And that's been in class. I think that's probably the world that I'd said. Yeah, yeah. Because I'm not, like, doing it properly, like to sort of put it on its stand and I'm leaning against it. No.

[Jamie Laing]

But basically the thought of you in a spin class, Pure Gym is hilarious, right?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Different from being in la.

[Jamie Laing]

Similar.

[Tim Key]

That's my. That's where I'm supposed to be. But so then I said to her, because we were making a. A live stage show, a comedy show. And who's we? Well, me.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay.

[Tim Key]

But I wanted to have some, like, film in it.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

So I. I talked about spinning in the thing and then I said to her, would it be possible to film in your spin class? And she said, yes. And then I got some extras and we filmed in a spin class and it was fantastic.

[Jamie Laing]

That's very good.

[Tim Key]

And she was in it. And then she came and watched the show.

[Jamie Laing]

Because that is funny.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Because. Because you in a spin class with other people is funny. Candles in the spin class.

[Tim Key]

Candles.

[Jamie Laing]

Some people put candles in the spin class.

[Rafi]

No, you don't have that.

[Tim Key]

He's saying no.

[Jamie Laing]

He's saying. Rafi's saying no.

[Rafi]

All right.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay, here we go.

[Tim Key]

So after the first couple of weeks.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

And then I'd started the job, and then in the book, it's. There's some trauma because it's difficult.

[Rafi]

You.

[Tim Key]

There's an imposter syndrome. It's trying to keep up with the other fantastic actors.

[Jamie Laing]

And it's American show. American show wins it out.

[Tim Key]

September, here we go.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Okay, so this is me after, you know, when you have. When you're beaten down and then you have to get up again.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay, fine. Oh, so this is basically your journal.

[Tim Key]

But in Perms, it's memoir. Yeah, sort of.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Wow.

[Jamie Laing]

So you're being vulnerable in this.

[Tim Key]

Well, it's. Yeah, a very. It starts on the. On the drive to Heathrow and it ends next to the carousel.

[Jamie Laing]

And just quickly, what emotions are you when you're driving to Heathrow?

[Tim Key]

Yeah, good, good question. Nervous, excited, trepidatious.

[Jamie Laing]

Is that the fear of holes?

[Tim Key]

I think it's a mixture of nervous and anxious. Fear of holes. I'm not scared of holes. Are you?

[Jamie Laing]

Well, no. If you see those pictures of lots.

[Tim Key]

Of little holes, I don't like that at all. There you go.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, you're trepidatious.

[Rafi]

Wow.

[Tim Key]

Okay, this poem's called the Wounded.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay, here we go.

[Tim Key]

Prostate on the floor, a leopard wounded. Its fur lank with blood. A pulse of sorts still bubbling through its arteries. A pained breath honking through its nostrils. Shifting sand from where its skull hit the deck. A Dodger's baseball cap upon its head, A UK passport in its pocket, A claw getting traction in the dust. Its knees were into action, its thighs hardened like resin. The beast claws itself to its feet.

[Rafi]

There we go.

[Jamie Laing]

So you're the leopard.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, I imagine I must be.

[Jamie Laing]

So what, you. You're feeling. You're feeling a bit broken there?

[Rafi]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tim Key]

Emotionally, physically, just working out how to. Well, also there's some poetic license.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

So I was fine. But there's. Yeah, just an element of getting used to this new place and finding out, navigating your way through it, you know, it's hard.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Where did you live when you're in la?

[Tim Key]

Silver Lake.

[Jamie Laing]

Silver Lake. Why do you. Silver Lake. Is that where the studios are? No, no, Silver.

[Tim Key]

Do you know Silver Lake?

[Jamie Laing]

Well, I think it's like. Isn't that somewhere near West Hollywood or Malibu or anywhere like that? Or Beverly Hills?

[Tim Key]

Yeah, they're all completely different places.

[Jamie Laing]

I know.

[Tim Key]

So your Silver Lake was sort of. I don't know, it's like quite near West Hollywood.

[Jamie Laing]

Is it?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, it was about a 25 minute drive to work.

[Jamie Laing]

What did you learn about yourself when you were in la?

[Tim Key]

Well, quite resilient, quite adaptable. I think I did a pretty good job yeah, you would have done a good job. Made some nice new friends.

[Jamie Laing]

Hello, everyone. We're Jamie and Sophie. You may remember us from Nearly Weds and then Newlyweds.

[Kathryn Ryan]

But now, guys, things are about to get even wilder as we take on our biggest adventure yet. Becoming parents.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

That's right.

[Jamie Laing]

Newlyweds is now Nearly Parents. And we're bringing you the same honest, heartwarming takes on our journey to parenthood. I guess.

[Kathryn Ryan]

Join us as we find out what it really means to become a family while trying not to kill each other.

[Jamie Laing]

Get ready for Nearly Parents, your favorite new podcast. I really want to talk about this as well.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

The Ballad of Wallace.

[Rafi]

Yeah. Island.

[Tim Key]

Oh, God, yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Holy. So I was invited.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

By Richard Curtis, the great Richard.

[Jamie Laing]

The great Richard Curtis, to a screening of this. Got an email from his wife, actually. He was CC then.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Saying, jamie, love with your stuff. Love what you do.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

It's brilliant.

[Tim Key]

Had you met her before?

[Jamie Laing]

No.

[Tim Key]

Oh, brilliant. She reached out, but I had done.

[Jamie Laing]

Something for Comic Relief. I just did a big old run.

[Tim Key]

Oh, you did, actually. Well, not just one.

[Jamie Laing]

Five.

[Tim Key]

You went again and again and again.

[Jamie Laing]

Five days.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Fake news.

[Jamie Laing]

That's real news.

[Tim Key]

Was it real?

[Jamie Laing]

Five?

[Tim Key]

Yeah, five in a row. How did you do that?

[Jamie Laing]

You thought I faked that?

[Tim Key]

I absolutely did not. That was. No, that was a joke.

[Jamie Laing]

How can I fake?

[Tim Key]

I don't know. Impossible.

[Jamie Laing]

Anyways, invited cameras.

[Tim Key]

Film starts in the ends.

[Jamie Laing]

There was the arc. You saw me running.

[Tim Key]

I did, yeah. You can't believe it. I couldn't believe it. I saw your feet.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah. Swollen.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Thank you very much. So I got invited by Richard. As I turn up, it's in the Soho Hotel.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, it is.

[Jamie Laing]

He's saying we've got to watch this movie called the. The. The Ballad of Wallace Island. Your friend Tim Keys in it.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

I'm thinking, well, I liked him.

[Rafi]

Key.

[Jamie Laing]

I like the sound of this. I like Richard Curtis and his wife.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

I do.

[Jamie Laing]

And I like Soho Hotel.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

So I'm like, okay, this is gonna be good. So I turn up there. I walk in. First person I see, Paul Rudd.

[Tim Key]

Ruddles.

[Rafi]

Ruddles.

[Jamie Laing]

Second person I see.

[Tim Key]

Here we go.

[Jamie Laing]

Sophie Ogilvy. Olivia Colman.

[Tim Key]

She was there.

[Jamie Laing]

She was there.

[Tim Key]

She was in floods.

[Jamie Laing]

She was there. She was there. Next person I see, Tim Key.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

See you there.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

You're. You're chatting amongst your friends.

[Rafi]

Yep. Yeah. Yeah.

[Tim Key]

I found, like, a little pocket of people I knew.

[Jamie Laing]

Do you want to hear the truth about this? I've lied, by the way.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

When I Was invited to the Wallace of the Ballad of what, this Island.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

I didn't realize you had written it all. You were in it.

[Tim Key]

Oh, really?

[Jamie Laing]

And then when I saw the poster, I saw you there and I thought, okay, there we go. Anyway, we sat down and watched this movie. It is possibly my favorite movie I've seen in the last decade. And I'm not even joking.

[Tim Key]

That's very kind of you.

[Jamie Laing]

It is. I sent you a message afterwards.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

What? I'll actually read them.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, let's read the message.

[Jamie Laing]

Let's read the message. Here we go. 8th of May. I said you this dear friend. Truly magical. I imagine you're the kind of person who hates compliments, but you were more than fantastic. A perfect movie. Sorry, I had to run, have an early start.

[Tim Key]

It is.

[Jamie Laing]

It's a perfect movie. You gotta tell us. Okay, for anyone who hasn't seen it, what is it about? Synopsis, go.

[Tim Key]

Synopsis, go. It's about a millionaire who. An eccentric millionaire, lives on an island, decides to throw money at the problem and get his favorite band back together and play a private gig for him, for just him. But the two people in the band are no longer in the band together and used to be lovers. And he doesn't give the entire truth to either of them. So they arrive and there's some awkwardness and it's about relationships, nostalgia, people being stuck and people moving on. Pleased with that. Actually, it felt a bit out of control after. A bit. But then I think I brought it around.

[Jamie Laing]

I think you brought it around.

[Tim Key]

And it stars the great Carey Mulligan.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Who you emailed out of the blue to get on it.

[Tim Key]

I emailed Carey to ask her to be in it.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Because you kept her email address.

[Tim Key]

I kept her email from previous anecdote. And then.

[Rafi]

But.

[Tim Key]

But crucially, Tom Basdon, who I wrote it with.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

18 years ago. You wrote it.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Which is mad.

[Tim Key]

We wrote a short 18 years ago and then turned it into a feature. Yeah. Two years ago.

[Jamie Laing]

And the thing about the 18 year ago one which you wrote.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Only had two people in it. This one now had three.

[Tim Key]

This one out five. Because it also had AK who plays Michael, and Sian Clifford, who plays the shopkeeper. And then Carey Mulligan and then Tom Basdon, in addition to everything else, also wrote all of the music. Mvp.

[Jamie Laing]

Mvp.

[Tim Key]

Mvp.

[Jamie Laing]

And how many days did you shoot the whole movie?

[Tim Key]

18.

[Jamie Laing]

18 years. 18 days.

[Tim Key]

It all matches 18 years. 18 days. Brilliant.

[Jamie Laing]

You should have thought about that.

[Tim Key]

18 awards.

[Jamie Laing]

Come on.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Just because it is so good. It is so good. This is kind of thing that you get in a junket. But I'm gonna ask you, when you're playing your character in that.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Because you've written it and you've done it for 18 years and you know it so well, is it feel like just the best thing to be able to play around with that character in that role and just be free with it because you know the character so well?

[Rafi]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tim Key]

It's a, it's. It was a joy. I mean, there's a bit of pressure because you don't. Because it's your film and you don't want to fuck it up. So the first scene, the. You know, there's a lot of stuff where. Well, obviously the first thing is make. Getting it made and it Looks impossible.

[Jamie Laing]

Took 18 years.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

And almost to the last week it feels that it might not happen.

[Jamie Laing]

Get out of here.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

No, it can't. Even to the last week, there's mad.

[Tim Key]

Stuff happening where you're trying to get the finances together and all of this. I stay out of it. But yeah, there's stuff happening. It's crazy.

[Jamie Laing]

Can I ask. Can I ask a personal question? This is. You can go to a perm if you want. Please don't. 18 day shoot. How much does that cost to make?

[Tim Key]

Oh, I don't know. I don't know.

[Jamie Laing]

Why not?

[Tim Key]

I don't think I'm. I'm supposed to say. I can't remember. I think that. I think.

[Jamie Laing]

I don't know. You're not allowed to say.

[Tim Key]

Well, I mean, I know I can tell. You whisper it.

[Jamie Laing]

I, I actually. So you. So you can't say.

[Tim Key]

I actually don't know.

[Jamie Laing]

You do know.

[Tim Key]

I think they haven't told me so that I can't incriminate myself. It's like a spy. I've got only the information I need. I'd rather answer that other question about whether it is nice to be. Have that role.

[Jamie Laing]

Can I ask you another personal question?

[Rafi]

Oh, yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Because it takes 18 years to make.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

These aren't personal questions, you know.

[Jamie Laing]

Oh, they sort of, I don't know, maybe can make it deeper than this. Because it takes 18 years to make the Ballad of Waters Island.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Sometimes the process.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Of that is the best bit. Like when you're leading up to a wedding, it's all amazing. Amazing. The wedding is amazing. And then afterwards you have a real sort of blue bed. Does that happen with a movie where it's taken 18 years to make and finally you make it and then everyone goes to sees it and you're like, whoa. Okay, that's now happened.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, no, without one. It's kind of sort of exhilarating right the way through from when we started writing it again, about 2020, where you sort of have hope in your hearts that it might happen. Yeah. And then I just love. The writing process was very, very enjoyable because we write alone and then stick it all together. So you're constantly getting. I'm getting Tom's writing.

[Jamie Laing]

And when you get some of the writing, you're like, this is genius.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, I love it. Oh, I love it. And then the shoot was. Part of the reason we did it, I think, is because we always remember that short film and it was really fun to shoot it. So this. We had the same thing where we just arrive, it's a small crew, and all of the sort of cliches, like, you know, like a family, all that. All that stuff.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, yeah, but we like that.

[Tim Key]

But it was nice, you know, it was. It felt all good. It felt like everyone was like, into the film. It felt like people liked making the film, which is really. Is really important. And that comes a lot from whether, I guess, whether they like the stuff that we're shooting. But also we had a very good director. I think that's quite a big part of being a director, is galvanising a crew.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Cause you're a leader, aren't you? You have to lead the culture.

[Tim Key]

I really think so. I feel like there's more to it than just. He's a very creative, brilliant director with a real vision of how he wanted the film to be. And he's made the film brilliantly. But I think also he's like someone where you really feel it on the set that all of the people want to do it for him.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

So that was all good. So it was very fun. Then we finished it, and then I remember on the train home thinking, think we've got something good? Hopefully. Then there's bits of ups and downs when you're, you know, being sent edits.

[Jamie Laing]

And things like that, because things are cut out. You're like, no, we should keep that.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, there's a bit of that. There's a bit of, like, it's. It's all a bit difficult to watch when it's like assemblies. That's what they're called, when they're like sprawling two and a half hour versions of it, because you have to sort of get there. But there's. There's not just a bit where, like the film you saw. Yeah, is finished. And I saw maybe 13 versions that weren't. Anyway, then we eventually see the film in Sundance, in America. That's the first time we saw it.

[Jamie Laing]

And what was the reaction?

[Tim Key]

A good reaction. Like it was a massive cinema and it was kind of very nerve wracking, but it was good. There was like a. I mean, horrible phrase, but standing ovation.

[Jamie Laing]

Did you stand up?

[Tim Key]

Yeah, me and Tom.

[Jamie Laing]

Did you wave?

[Tim Key]

Oh, yeah. Then we had to go on stage. And what.

[Jamie Laing]

So you get. Did you bow as you went on?

[Tim Key]

We just.

[Jamie Laing]

Clap yourself.

[Tim Key]

We're terrible. We're just like. We look like really sort of bashful kind of 7 year olds. We're just like. I don't know what's happened, but yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

People may know Tom from Afterlife with Ricky Gervais.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, they might know him from.

[Jamie Laing]

He plays Ricky Gervais's brother in law.

[Tim Key]

He does. He also has a sitcom called Here We Go. He also has another sitcom called Plebs. He also is a prolific writer for stage and he's also a fantastic musician.

[Jamie Laing]

And look at you picking up your friend. I hope you do this about me when I'm not around.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, I do, actually.

[Jamie Laing]

Do you?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

No, you don't.

[Tim Key]

I do. I like you. I like you too.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

I think you're very good.

[Jamie Laing]

I think you're very good.

[Tim Key]

We got emotional. See?

[Jamie Laing]

Continue.

[Tim Key]

Well, when. When you go on House of Games with someone, a bond is formed and Sunday brunch. I went on that the other day.

[Jamie Laing]

I know you did. I tried to get on it as a surprise. As a surprise to you.

[Tim Key]

I tried.

[Jamie Laing]

I know I tried to get on it.

[Tim Key]

It was sad not having you there.

[Jamie Laing]

Wait, hang on. So you get on stage, the standing ovation.

[Tim Key]

Right? And so. So what you're asking about is there a bit where it just. You're finished and then there's like a low that hasn't really happened yet because we did that. Then we did some stuff in America.

[Jamie Laing]

Has it landed in America yet?

[Tim Key]

Yeah, it started in America. So that.

[Jamie Laing]

What was the reaction?

[Tim Key]

Well, like, good. Like people. People liked it. I mean, the. Because we're like looking at it as quite a. It's a pretty English film.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, totally English. It's very English film.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

And so you're kind of like watching it slightly through that prism.

[Jamie Laing]

Do they get the humor?

[Tim Key]

Yeah, do like references and then humor. Like, will they understand all the references? And there's like, straight off the bat, there's lots of stuff about, you know, Monster Munch and things like that.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, but it's funny. But where. And also where is Wallace Island?

[Tim Key]

Probably somewhere near Wales.

[Jamie Laing]

I think so.

[Rafi]

Right.

[Jamie Laing]

That's what it feels like.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

But yeah, they. They were. I mean, I think they were. Yeah, they. They kind of got it and they went with it. And then you sensed when we were watching it that they were like into it. And I think, you know, they kind of. Yeah, there was. It was a great response. But I mean, we did it in Germany last month and they liked it. Yeah, I mean, that's like.

[Rafi]

That.

[Tim Key]

That was interesting.

[Jamie Laing]

Have you been dubbed or is it subtitles?

[Tim Key]

It's a great question. The version that we saw was the Munich Film Festival and it was no dubbing and no subtitles and it was just good luck. Germans.

[Jamie Laing]

If it was dubbed into Russian.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Would you do it yourself?

[Tim Key]

Do you know the. The way they do it in Russia is they have one guy who does all of it and then they keep the sound up a bit and then the Russian guy just goes over the top of it going, you know, blah, blah, blah. And I watched Armageddon, love.

[Jamie Laing]

One of my favorites.

[Tim Key]

Right. And in Armageddon, there's a bit where someone gets like blown out of the spaceship or something is sucked into space.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

And there's this great moment where they go. No. The Russian guy goes, niet.

[Jamie Laing]

What if you're writing scripts or poetry?

[Tim Key]

Poetry. Good.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay.

[Tim Key]

Because it's really, really hard to write scripts, I think.

[Jamie Laing]

Why?

[Tim Key]

Because there's more. That stuff you have to retain in your head and there's more stuff to do with structure. There's more stuff. It's like writing a novel.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

I just. I think it's. I think you gotta have a big old brain for that. I don't know.

[Jamie Laing]

Can you have a bad script but a good actor and make a good film, or does the script.

[Tim Key]

Probably happens all the time, don't you think?

[Jamie Laing]

I think script writing is. I think I'm really sad about movies because I feel like script writing is not so precious as it was. If you look at old movies like. I know. Look at likes of like True Romance or things like True Lies. True Lies. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[Tim Key]

Yeah. What?

[Jamie Laing]

Last Action Hero.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Unbelievable.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

But if you look at that, like, Jingle all the Way, the script writing.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

What do you think is good?

[Jamie Laing]

But if you. Script writing. Because people don't now focus as much on script writing. They focus on IP and they focus on what's going to sell. Am I lying?

[Tim Key]

I think there's a lot of IP and, you know, I Feel like we're very. We're very lucky that we. We managed to put one together that was our own idea and was original. But also, I think that's partly because we're sort of wired in that way. I think that. I suppose right from when me and Tom started writing, we're writing sketches and writing live stuff. I mean, it just wouldn't really ever occur to us to. To write something that didn't start with a blank page. I don't think. I don't think it would.

[Jamie Laing]

Have you got something else in your head that you're writing?

[Tim Key]

Yeah, well, with Tom or Solo. Yeah, me and Tom. Me and Tom are talking. We're talking over. Over boiled eggs.

[Jamie Laing]

Let's go. Because over boiled eggs.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, Scotch eggs. Boiled eggs, not Scotch. I mean, if you march into a cafe and ask them to scotch the eggs, you're gonna be there forever.

[Jamie Laing]

We haven't got long left.

[Rafi]

No.

[Jamie Laing]

In life.

[Rafi]

No.

[Tim Key]

Oh. Do you. Do you worry about your own mortality?

[Jamie Laing]

Not as much as I used to.

[Rafi]

Right.

[Tim Key]

You worried about dying?

[Jamie Laing]

I don't want to die yet.

[Rafi]

No.

[Tim Key]

I don't know.

[Jamie Laing]

And you.

[Tim Key]

You.

[Jamie Laing]

I feel like you're. I feel like you're just. You're not even. You're not even at the top of the mountain at the moment, you know, you're. For you right now, this would be not a great time to die.

[Tim Key]

Oh, well, it depends. You can. You can look at it both ways, can't you? It might be the perfect time to.

[Jamie Laing]

Die because then your art of. Then you're. Then your. Then your work, your. Your art becomes much more valuable.

[Tim Key]

There is an element of that, isn't there? I mean, it's like. Like it would shift some units for the book.

[Jamie Laing]

Not Eva Mendes, who was the person. Who was the person who sang Fields of Barley, Fields of Gold. Not Eva Mendez. She's married to Ryan Gosling.

[Tim Key]

Sophia Mongolia.

[Jamie Laing]

Eva Cassidy.

[Tim Key]

Eva Cassidy. When did she die?

[Jamie Laing]

She died before she was famous.

[Tim Key]

Oh. Oh.

[Jamie Laing]

Her work became famous after her death.

[Tim Key]

That's a neat trick.

[Jamie Laing]

Look, we're going to have to stop really upsetting you because we don't have much time with you, which is really. I'm. I'm annoyed at that, but we've got three minutes.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

So I'm going to ask you eight questions, then you're going to read your last poem.

[Rafi]

Yeah, Perfect.

[Jamie Laing]

But I want people to buy Tim's.

[Tim Key]

Book, La Baby, that's available in bookshops, as we just proved.

[Jamie Laing]

And it's great. It's great. And I also Want you to go and watch the Ballad of Wallace island if you haven't, because not only would it support you, but also. Boy, it's good. It is really, really good. I told my family to go watch. They all watched. They loved it.

[Tim Key]

I think, actually it's useful to watch anyway just to support, you know, independent filmmaking.

[Jamie Laing]

There we go. That's. I should have said that. Okay, eight questions. Ready? This. What's a saying or phrase that makes you smile or cheers you up?

[Tim Key]

Sort of. I like the phrase sort of.

[Jamie Laing]

Best compliment anyone's ever given you. Oh.

[Tim Key]

Richard Whiteley said that. I had a funny face.

[Jamie Laing]

What scares you most about yourself?

[Tim Key]

What scares me most about myself, if anything. Are you crying? No. No, I'm not.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay.

[Tim Key]

What scares you about yourself?

[Jamie Laing]

Don't really know. It's a weird question that. But we ask it. We ask it every time. What, the fact that I can't switch off? That's quite scary sometimes.

[Rafi]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Okay.

[Jamie Laing]

I can't switch off. No, I. I overthink.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

I have. I have a bit of that and a bit of maybe getting all. Getting consumed by writing sometimes.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Hyper fixation. I have that. When was the last time you cried?

[Tim Key]

It was. I went and watched a play recently and wept.

[Jamie Laing]

Did you?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

My friend had directed it. It was about Bill Shankley, the Liverpool manager. And it was. It was a beautiful, beautiful play with. With about. With maybe about like 30 actors in it. And then an additional 30. Maybe 20. And then an additional 20 is way less than 30. Well, 25, then. And then an additional 40 people, which was a community choir from the city of Liverpool. And it was fantastic.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

What's something you can't let go of? Your dad varnishing his boat.

[Rafi]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tim Key]

What can't I let go of? I mean, I cannot stop playing football. Clinging on, really. Dear life.

[Jamie Laing]

What position do you play?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Pretty far back now.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

That's all right. Team? Favorite team?

[Tim Key]

Don't have a favorite team.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, Nor do I. No, don't have that. What's your guilty pleasure?

[Tim Key]

Colombo. Watch a lot of Colombo.

[Jamie Laing]

What turns you off?

[Tim Key]

What turns me off?

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

What turns you off?

[Tim Key]

What turns me off?

[Jamie Laing]

Mine's rude. People don't like it. People who. People who are outwardly rude.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

Outwardly ruders.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Tim Key]

I don't like people who are outwardly rude. I suppose. I don't. I don't really like it when people are too used to having a nice lifestyle. For example, you see someone. I don't like it when someone. I think you should still Be excited if you, like, go to a nice hotel or find yourself at a sporting event.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay.

[Tim Key]

And people who are, like, get too much of that in their life and it becomes something which is routine. I love that you should be able to like, find excitement, find exciting places.

[Jamie Laing]

What turns you on?

[Tim Key]

I actually, I do. I do enjoy live performing. That makes me feel quite alive.

[Jamie Laing]

Last question.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Your writing partner, Tom.

[Rafi]

Yeah.

[Jamie Laing]

Or Steve Coogan.

[Tim Key]

It's a great. It's a very good question.

[Rafi]

I.

[Tim Key]

That they're completely impossible to compare. Steve Coogan is like a hero of mine and there's a sort of surrealness that I work with him. He's also incredibly generous and I've learned a lot from him and he's very nice to me and he also watches my shows and things. Tom Basdon. Well, he definitely edges it because formative writing and performing comedy in 2004. 5. Well, right the way up to the present day, I guess we learn from one another and it's kind of very. It's something I feel very grateful for that I have a synchronization with someone. Lights on. That is. That is beautiful.

[Jamie Laing]

That's the. Do you know? It's the best way. We're 501. 502.

[Tim Key]

Perfect. So you have to read your last poem. Here comes the last poem.

[Jamie Laing]

I can't wait.

[Tim Key]

Yeah, this is so. This in the. In the. In my story of la. This is when I'm about to leave. Okay. I'm in my Airbnb.

[Jamie Laing]

What a story we had as we began. Then halfway through. Yeah, now you're about to leave. That's like the journey of the podcast.

[Tim Key]

It's the journey of the podcast. Okay. Is this called the Game's Up?

[Jamie Laing]

Quickly, Quickly.

[Tim Key]

Before you start that. Favorite crisp Walker's Ready Salted every time. Are you serious? Yeah, Walker's ready salted. Favorite sandwich, Tuna, mayonnaise and cucumber.

[Jamie Laing]

Okay, now you can read the poem.

[Tim Key]

The game's up. I sat down on my bed beside me, my suitcase unclosable, spewing its contents. My Hollywood life. Dodgers, scarves and coffee beans, sun hats and snow globes pushed down onto the possessions of the Englishman who arrived three months ago and beyond. The Airbnb restored to neutral post. Its peeled from walls, candles burned out, newspapers binned pans scoured. Another attempt at the suitcase, folding the top shell over spread, eagling myself, forcing, farting. My international adventure crammed under my belly, my fingers groping for a zip. And now my full weight hard earned in bars and diners Crushing my American dream flat. And now the zip munching the track. Steam whistling from my ears. And then silence. Game over. Chapter closed. Order Uber. We're.

[Jamie Laing]

Tim Key, ladies and gentlemen.

[Tim Key]

Thank you.

[Jamie Laing]

I love Tim Key.

[Jemima]

He's so wonderful.

[Jamie Laing]

He's great. He's great.

[Jemima]

Very, very funny man. Go read. Or if you liked his poems, go read all of his books. But his latest book, L.A. baby, don't.

[Jamie Laing]

Watch him in stand up. If you can get tickets, they normally sell out pretty fast.

[Jemima]

I have seen him an innumerable number of times, an embarrassing number of times.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, you have a little soft spot for Tim King.

[Jemima]

Yeah. Also, I think he thinks that I'm like a shadow.

[Tim Key]

I'm just.

[Jemima]

I'm just always there.

[Jamie Laing]

Yeah, you're always there.

[Jemima]

And I think he knows that I'm there. No, I'm not that much, but I have.

[Kathryn Ryan]

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[Tim Key]

Now you can fly anywhere in the world and pay discount prices on your airline tickets.

[Jamie Laing]

Book a flight today to London, Paris, Madrid, or anywhere else you want to go.

[Tim Key]

And pay a lot less, guaranteed. Call the international travel department right now at low cost airlines, 8002-1551-4180-0215-5141. That's 800-215-5141.

[Jamie Laing]

Hello, everyone. We're Jamie and Sophie. You may remember us from Nearly Weds and then Newlyweds.

[Kathryn Ryan]

But now, guys, things are about to get even wilder as we take on our biggest adventure yet. Becoming parents.

[Rafi]

Yeah, that's right.

[Jamie Laing]

Newlyweds is now Nearly Parents. And we're bringing you the same honest, heartwarming takes on our journey to parenthood. I guess.

[Kathryn Ryan]

Join us as we find out what it really means to become a family while trying not to kill each other.

[Jamie Laing]

Get ready for Nearly Parents, your favorite new podcast.

[Jemima]

Seen him a lot.

[Jamie Laing]

We really hope you enjoyed the episode and thank you for coming back. As I said, if you like this episode, go and listen to other episodes in our catalog. There are so many different amazing ones that will make you, entertain you, that will educate you, that will inspire you. Go and listen to them. And if you haven't subscribed to the show already. Please do. And remember, you can get in touch at Great Company podcast on Instagram or send us an email. Greatcompanyampoproductions.co.uk. we're also on YouTube and we'll see you next week for another episode.

[Jemima]

We don't have a PO Box.

[Jamie Laing]

We don't have a PO Box. We'll see you next week for another episode of Great Company.