Joy, a Podcast with Craig Ferguson

Episode Title: California Dreamin (On A Winter's Day)
Release Date: December 9, 2025
Host: Craig Ferguson

Overview

In this solo episode, Craig Ferguson comes to listeners from a hotel room in Los Angeles, sharing candid musings and comedic reflections on the elusive nature of joy amid modern chaos. Without a guest, Craig answers listener tweets and emails, touching on topics like nostalgia, personal mementos, advice during tough times, childhood memories, and a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor. The overarching theme: where we find joy, and whether we even know how to recognize it anymore.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Hotel Room in Los Angeles

• Craig humorously describes recording from a hotel room in LA, noting palm trees and the intrusive sound of pool machinery.
  • "Either in California or in a garden center somewhere, but which is. Is Los Angeles a garden center? In a way, it's the garden of dreams." [01:42]

2. On the Road, Filming, and Missing Home

• Shares he's been filming across the country (project unnamed), currently enduring jet lag due to recent travel from Florida to LA.
• Recommends visiting Everglades National Park for its surprising beauty.
  • "I thought it was like a, A swamp. It's not a swamp...Go somewhere very, very beautiful. Go to the Everglades." [03:02]

3. Tweets and Emails: Reader Q&A

• Format: Craig answers listener questions, often with tangential musings and comedic riffs.
• Creates an impromptu jingle:
  • “Tweets and emails, tweets and emails. Tweets and emails. We're gonna answer the tweets and emails. Answer them, Greg. I will. Thank you, Jeff.” [04:27]

a. Housing in LA for the World Cup

• Listener James Arthur from Scotland asks if Craig has a house in LA for Scottish World Cup visitors.
  • Craig jokes about having "two second names" (Craig Ferguson), describes his hats, and clarifies he doesn't own LA property.
  • “If I did have a house in la. I would welcome all Scottish fans... to come and stay with me ... and enjoy the restrained drinking.” [07:24]

b. Tattoos

• Julie A. Ferraro, world traveler: Asks how many tattoos Craig has and his favorite.
  • He’s unsure of the count as they’ve blended over the years, contemplates filling a new gap (with an eel or “a map of treasure”), and jokes about the perils of people chasing his "treasure map arm."
  • "I don't know how many I have because they all kind of bleed into one another..." [07:56]

c. Nostalgia and Sentimentality

• Jared Huff: Wonders if nostalgia is healthy.
  • Ferguson references James Joyce: “‘Sentimentality was unearned emotion.’” [13:34]
  • Admits to enjoying nostalgia in moderation but cautions: “It’s a little bit misleading sometimes.” [14:19]
  • Emphasizes missing his kids as young children and concludes, “I think it’s okay to be nostalgic. So there.” [15:12]

d. Advice for Recovery/Bed Rest

• James R. from Nashville, after foot surgery: Asks for advice on passing time.
  • Ferguson recommends audiobooks, specifically David Mitchell’s Unruly (about British monarchs), lauds Mitchell’s humor, and suggests watching "Ludwig," a British crime show starring Mitchell.
  • “Audiobooks is how I go. And I read. I listened to a very funny one yesterday on the plane... David Mitchell is a natural. He’s very, very good.” [16:11–18:46]

e. Returning to Scotland—Rituals

• Simon Deacon: Asks Craig’s first action upon going back to Scotland.
  • “Tea. Probably I don’t drink tea anywhere else, but I drink tea in Scotland.” [20:14]

f. Show Mementos and Props

• Michael McFadden: Inquires about keepsakes from Craig’s projects.
  • Mentions having two Jeff Petersen skeletons, Secretariat horse costumes, and the famous snake cup from his late-night show, but keeps nothing sacred or on display.
    • “I don’t keep them sacred, funnily enough. I don’t have a little shrine to myself.” [21:12]

g. Pop Culture Generational Gap

• Tina White: Asks Craig what he knows about Doja Cat.
  • He admits next to nothing, saying, “You may have got the wrong number,” but infers Doja Cat’s success from broad cultural osmosis.
  • “I know I’ve heard of Doja Cat, which means that Doja Cat is successful because I’m clearly not in the market.” [23:35]

h. Early Relationship Advice

• Jacob: Wonders whether hard relationship questions should be asked early.
  • Craig suggests taking it easy, jokes about "hard" questions being math or trivia, and recommends not overwhelming a new partner.
  • “If you’re in the early stages of dating someone, my advice would be to take it easy.” [24:38]

i. Overcoming Nerves and a Stutter

• Simon from Germany: Seeks advice about stuttering when nervous around women.
  • “I’d probably come clean about your stutter. That’s what I would say. I’d say, ‘Look, I’m a bit nervous talking to you, so I might stutter.’” [26:59]
  • Recommends authenticity: “Just be who you are. And then that’s probably the healthiest way to be...” [27:18]

j. A Not-So-Funny School Story

• Ahmed Al Taheeb: Requests a story about Mrs. Dunbar, Craig’s primary school teacher.
  • Instead, Craig recalls her sternness and corporal punishment endured as a child; later declines to confront her in her old age, reflecting on the long-term impact.
  • “She was the infant mistress…they had corporal punishment...really whacked you with [a thick leather belt]…It was terrifying and very painful.” [28:34]
  • Ruminates on the outlawing of such practices, their negative effect, and the complexities of forgiveness and nostalgia.

4. Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On nostalgia and age:
  • "If you ever get as old as me... It's really weird, isn't it? Like what happened? But there you are." [10:02]
• On looking at the past:
  • “One of the things that I like to do… or maybe it’s a pathology, maybe it’s not a good idea, but I like to kind of keep moving forward.” [22:50]
• On being honest with personal challenges:
  • “Just be who you are. Be respectful, but be who you are. You’ll be all right. Probably.” [27:18]
• Reflecting on school punishment:
  • “I hated school and I hated it because…they’d have these belts. They’d hit us with them and it was really sore and I didn’t like it...I think it did a number on me, to be honest.” [30:00]

5. Reflections on Kindness & Perceptions

• Ends with a story about Jerry Springer, expressing surprise at how kind and intelligent Springer was, subverting public expectations.
  • "He was so nice and clearly a very bright man, very intelligent man and such a pleasant, friendly dude. I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting that." [32:35]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Hotel Room in LA, Setting the Scene: [00:32–02:36]
• Everglades and Miami Experiences: [03:02–04:09]
• Tweets & Emails Theme Song: [04:27]
• Talking Nostalgia & Sentimentality: [13:15–15:12]
• Audiobook and Entertainment Recommendations: [16:11–19:47]
• Keeping Mementos and Personal Reflection on Props: [21:12–23:23]
• Relating to Younger Generations & Doja Cat Segment: [23:35–24:25]
• Advice on Authenticity/Overcoming Social Nerves: [26:59–27:32]
• Dark Reflection on School and Mrs. Dunbar: [28:34–31:23]
• On Jerry Springer & Kindness: [32:20–32:54]

Summary & Takeaways

Craig Ferguson’s inimitable style shines: equal parts self-deprecating, philosophical, and compassionate. Through listener questions, he weaves a tapestry of memory—funny, dark, and poignant—anchoring the pursuit of joy in authenticity, small rituals (like tea), and gratitude for experience, even when the past stings. The episode is both a comfort and a gentle challenge to find joy in the real, not the illusory—whether in a cup of tea, a favorite audiobook, or the serendipity of being honest about your own imperfections.

Final Thought:
As always, Ferguson signs off with warmth, inviting more tweets and emails: "Be who you are. You'll be all right. Probably." [27:32]

Note: Segments not directly relevant to content (ads, intros/outros) have been omitted.