Ep 298: James Norton (in partnership with Dexcom) - Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster

Summary7 min read

Podcast Summary: Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster (Ep. 298: James Norton)

Release Date: June 9, 2025

Hosts: Ed Gamble and James Acaster
Guest: James Norton
Sponsor: Dexcom

1. Introduction and Guest Welcome

[00:13] Ed Gamble:
Ed opens the episode with his signature blend of humor, likening the podcast to a Caprese salad, infused with elements of conversation, friendship, and internet culture.

[00:37] James Acaster:
James introduces the concept of their "dream restaurant," where each guest selects their favorite starter, main course, side dish, dessert, and drink.

[00:47] James Acaster:
Announces James Norton as the special guest, praising him as "an unbelievable actor," and highlights his recent role in the "Happy Valley" stage production of A Little Life.

2. James Norton's Perfectionism in Dining

[03:32] James Norton:
James shares his perfectionist tendencies, especially regarding food and restaurants. He describes his meticulous process of selecting the perfect table and his anxiety about ordering his dream meal correctly.

"I'm terrified that I'm gonna get it wrong. As if this is my one opportunity to." [03:32]

[05:01] James Norton:
Expounds on his drive for perfection in dining, admitting he often changes his orders to achieve the ideal meal.

"There is a version of this experience which is better and... I'm like, terrified that I'm gonna get it wrong." [05:03]

3. Managing Type 1 Diabetes with Dexcom

[02:30] Ed Gamble:
Ed introduces Dexcom, emphasizing its importance in monitoring blood glucose levels for both him and James Norton, who are Type 1 diabetics.

[04:31] James Acaster:
Clarifies that he is not diabetic but is an ally supporting the conversation.

"I am James A. You're not a diabetic." [04:31]

[38:02 - 43:44] Discussion on Dexcom and Diabetes:

[38:08] Ed Gamble:
Ed explains Dexcom's Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system, likening it to being a "cyborg," which continuously tracks glucose levels via a skin sensor.

"[...] it's a small skin sensor that measures our glucose every few minutes via a tiny wire beneath the skin, sending readings to our phone through Bluetooth." [38:08]
[38:24] James Norton:
Highlights how Dexcom has revolutionized diabetes management, reducing anxiety and improving sleep quality by providing real-time glucose data.

"Dexcom has genuinely made me more chic." [43:26]
[39:33] Ed Gamble:
Reflects on how Dexcom has helped him understand the impact of diet and exercise on his glucose levels, leading to better diabetes management.

"Turns out if I eat more nutritionally and more balanced and do loads of exercise, then it's much, much easier to manage my diabetes." [39:33]
[40:08] James Norton:
Shares his experience using Dexcom during a demanding four-hour play, demonstrating how the device aids him in maintaining stable glucose levels in high-pressure situations.

"Awareness and knowledge about your glucose levels is power." [40:08]
[43:46] James Acaster:
Discusses common misconceptions about diabetes, such as the belief that diabetics can't enjoy sweet foods or that managing diabetes severely limits one's lifestyle.

"People thinking that you guys can't eat sugar or sweet things at all is number one." [43:46]

4. Crafting the Dream Restaurant Menu

Starter: Steamed Asparagus with Parmesan and Olive Oil

[30:57] James Norton:
Describes his ideal starter:

"Best asparagus in season asparagus in the world. Cooked like steamed with the best parmesan in the world with olive oil." [30:57]

James Acaster's Choice:
Ed and James exchange jokes about emphasizing "the best in the world" for ingredients, showcasing James Norton's pursuit of perfection.

Main Course: Grilled Halibut Steak and Prawns on the Beach

[46:48] James Norton:
Details his main course preference, envisioning a serene beach setting in Jamaica with perfectly grilled fish:

"Some halibut steak, some prawns, maybe some scallops... sitting on the beach with friends." [46:48]

Side Dish: Fresh Salad with Seeds and Perfect Fries

[57:37] James Norton:
Outlines his ideal side dish:

"A salad with lettuce, avocado, seeds, pine nuts, and well-dressed, accompanied by fries with ketchup, mayonnaise, and vinegar." [57:37]

Dessert: Chocolate Mousse with Vanilla Gelato and Raspberry Coulis

[76:18] James Norton:
Envisions his perfect dessert:

"A chocolate mousse with at least 80% cocoa, a bit of chili, cacao nibs for crunch, vanilla gelato, and raspberry coulis." [76:18]

Drink: Casa Belfi Bianco Frizante

[77:08] James Norton:
Chooses a natural white wine with a slight frizzante to complement his meal.

"Casa Belfi Bianco Frizante, crisp and perfect with the fish." [77:08]

5. Culinary Preferences and Anecdotes

[07:36] James Norton:
Shares his passion for cooking, particularly tagine, and his insistence on specific ingredients like argan oil, highlighting his attention to detail.

"If I'm making a tagine and there's an argan oil, I'll make absolutely no difference to the dish." [07:36]

[08:01] Ed Gamble:
Recounts a personal cooking mishap involving evaporated milk instead of condensed milk, illustrating the challenges of following precise recipes.

"I thought they must be the same man. I put in condensed milk and it came up with evaporated milk." [08:01]

[17:18] James Norton:
Discusses his love for bread and the administrative aspect of managing his diabetes when indulging in carbohydrates.

"Bread is big for me. And as a diabetic, that's problematic because it's just not great to eat a huge loaf." [17:18]

[49:19] James Norton & Ed Gamble:
Exchange tips on handling leftovers, with James emphasizing the importance of efficient meal planning to avoid waste.

"I'll make a massive soup at the beginning of the week or a massive salad. And it will accompany all meals for the rest of the week." [49:19]

6. Addressing Misconceptions and Stigmas

[43:44] James.Acaster:
Expresses frustration over common misunderstandings about diabetes, such as the inability to enjoy desserts or the confusion between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

"People just kind of lump everyone together and don't appreciate that everyone's got their own journey." [43:44]

[44:40] James Norton:
Clarifies the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, emphasizing that both can benefit from Dexcom CGMs.

"Type one is autoimmune and we don't produce any insulin. Type two is a more sliding scale." [44:40]

[45:25] James Norton:
Debunks myths about diabetes limiting one's lifestyle, highlighting the practicality and non-intrusiveness of modern diabetes management tools like Dexcom.

"It's weird. You put it on every 10 days and it stays on there and you don't really think about it at all." [45:25]

7. Personal Experiences and Humor

[56:00] James Norton:
Shares a humorous anecdote about managing diabetes during the GQ "Man of the Year" awards, illustrating the challenges of maintaining glucose levels in high-pressure, public settings.

"I was fuming at that point... I had to go and speak to someone. So I went and sat down." [56:00]

[65:22] James Norton & Ed Gamble:
Engage in playful banter about their mutual experiences with natural wine, emphasizing the unpredictable nature and personal preferences involved.

"We have to chat about some stuff, James. You can't just say, best wine in the world, and we go, right, yeah, move on." [65:22]

[82:21] Ed Gamble:
Wraps up the episode with light-hearted remarks, reinforcing the collaborative and humorous nature of the podcast.

"What we're doing here is good. It's good for us to have a guest who cares about their menu." [82:21]

8. Conclusion and Sponsor Message

[37:21] Ed Gamble:
Highlights Dexcom's role in supporting diabetics, emphasizing its accessibility through the NHS and online purchases.

"Dexcom sensors are available on the NHS for some people living with diabetes and also are available to buy online." [37:21]

[83:27] Ed Gamble:
Concludes the episode by recommending listeners to watch James Norton's work and reminding them of the Dexcom sponsorship.

"James Norton has a wonderful body of work which must all go and watch immediately." [83:27]

[84:07] James Acaster & Ed Gamble:
Promote their other podcast, "Single Ladies in your Area," inviting listeners to tune in for more engaging content.

"If you like the sound of Dexcom, you can take a look online@dexcom.com." [84:07]

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

"I'm terrified that I'm gonna get it wrong. As if this is my one opportunity to." — James Norton [03:32]
"Dexcom has made my diabetes management so much easier. It's a game changer." — Ed Gamble [38:22]
"People thinking that you guys can't eat sugar or sweet things at all is number one." — James Acaster [43:46]
"Best asparagus in season asparagus in the world... with the best parmesan in the world." — James Norton [30:57]
"Continuous glucose monitoring is power. It gives you freedom from diabetes." — James Norton [40:08]

Key Takeaways

Perfectionism in Dining: James Norton’s meticulous approach to food selection underscores the challenges of striving for perfection, especially when managing health conditions like diabetes.
Diabetes Management with Dexcom: The Dexcom CGM system plays a pivotal role in enabling James and Ed to maintain stable glucose levels, enhancing their quality of life and allowing them to enjoy meals without constant worry.
Dream Menu Insights: The detailed discussion of James Norton’s ideal meal provides a glimpse into his culinary preferences and the balance he seeks between indulgence and health management.
Challenging Misconceptions: Both hosts and the guest address common myths about diabetes, advocating for better understanding and acceptance of individual experiences and management strategies.
Humor and Relatability: The episode seamlessly blends humor with serious discussions about health, making the conversation engaging and relatable for listeners who may share similar experiences.

End of Summary

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Transcript1,129 lines

[00:13]
Ed Gamble
Welcome to the Off Menu podcast. Taking the tomato of conversation, adding the mozzarella of friendship, sprinkling over the basil of humor, and finishing off with the olive oil and balsamic, dare I say, of the Internet. It's the Caprese podcast, James.
[00:29]
James Acaster
He's crazy for Caprazi.
[00:31]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, baby. I don't know if you would put balsamiq on it. Really? That's probably a bit of a riff on a classic Caprese.
[00:38]
James Acaster
That's a gamble. My name is James Acaster. Together we own a dream restaurant, and every single week, we invite in a guest announcing their favorite ever start a main course, dessert side dish and drink. Not in that order.
[00:46]
Ed Gamble
It's a bonus episode.
[00:48]
James Acaster
It's a bonus episode of Off Menu. James Norton is our guest. A unbelievable actor.
[00:54]
Ed Gamble
Yes.
[00:54]
James Acaster
An absolute talent. A chameleon.
[00:56]
Ed Gamble
Happy Valley Stage production recently of A Little Life.
[01:00]
James Acaster
Yes. Absolutely fantastic in everything that he's in. I know this should go about saying with actors, but let's face it, it's not all actors. I 100% believe James Norton in every single role. He disappears into the character.
[01:10]
Ed Gamble
It should go without saying.
[01:11]
James Acaster
It should go without saying for actors, but let's face it, there were some actors. The guy who played Lars Penfield, that.
[01:17]
Ed Gamble
Was my next example.
[01:19]
James Acaster
Yes.
[01:20]
Ed Gamble
Of actors who I believe 100% James A Ketter disappears. Jeff, any idea how crazy it is for me to be sat here in this studio with Lars Pinfield?
[01:29]
James Acaster
Yeah. And John the Mouse at the same time.
[01:30]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. And John the Mouse and the guy from Josh. And it should be said this episode is in partnership with Dexcom. It is a thing that is very close to both mine and James Norton's heart and of course, your heart, James, because it does a lot for my life.
[01:43]
James Acaster
Don't wear it close to your heart.
[01:44]
Ed Gamble
I don't wear it close to my heart. I wear it on the back of my arm. It is my constant glucose monitor.
[01:48]
James Acaster
Yep.
[01:49]
Ed Gamble
It keeps me abreast of all the changes in my blood glucose level. We'll be chatting a little bit about that with James. It's gonna be nice for me to have a fellow type one on the show to bond with.
[01:59]
James Acaster
I'm really looking forward to hearing more about it, genuinely.
[02:03]
Ed Gamble
But look, and I'm sure discussions of type 1 diabetes will litter the conversation because, of course, very closely aligned with food and the foods that we choose to eat, and food has an effect on us.
[02:15]
James Acaster
Absolutely. And, you know, I reckon there'll be a lot of people listening to this going, oh, I know what kind of Stuff they'll be talking about. Well, why don't you write it down now on a little bingo card and then as it goes on, see how ignorant you are.
[02:28]
Ed Gamble
Wow. James has come flying out the gates.
[02:31]
James Acaster
James Norton is an incredible actor and we're very lucky to have him on the podcast. However, if he picks a secret ingredient, an ingredient which we deem to be unacceptable, we will be forced to kick him out of the dream restaurant. Yes. And this week, the secret ingredient is nature.
[02:45]
Ed Gamble
Valley.
[02:45]
James Acaster
Valley. Now it's cuz. Happy Val. It's got the word valley.
[02:49]
Ed Gamble
It's got the word valley in it. We didn't really think about this one, I'll be honest. We're just excited to have James on.
[02:52]
James Acaster
Yes, yes, yes, yes. But you know, if you picks Nature Value Bars, it's out.
[02:57]
Ed Gamble
Well, let's just get on with it, shall we? This is the off menu menu of James Norton. Welcome, James, to the Dream Restaurant.
[03:11]
James Norton
So excited to be here.
[03:12]
James Acaster
Welcome, James Norton, to the Dream Restaurant. Been expecting you for some time.
[03:15]
James Norton
Oh, my God, it's the genie.
[03:17]
Ed Gamble
Wow.
[03:19]
James Norton
Terrified.
[03:19]
James Acaster
Terrified of the genie.
[03:21]
James Norton
Not terrified the genie per se. Terrified of what? I've sort of been love. Very excited about this and dreading it.
[03:27]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, I think why the dread? Because you mentioned the dread when you came in earlier.
[03:30]
James Norton
Yeah, I think nothing to do with you guys.
[03:32]
Ed Gamble
Thank you.
[03:32]
James Norton
Absolutely. Pleasure to meet. To see you both, rather than meet you both as we've. We've met before. No, the dread is, I think my personality type. I am such a perfectionist. And it's particularly about food and actually particularly about restaurants. So, for example, I'm the guy who walks into a restaurant and will probably move tables at least twice to make sure I've got the best table. And then if the other table, the best table is about to finish, then maybe we'll move after, you know, I mean, that kind of.
[03:57]
Ed Gamble
Wow, Okay.
[03:57]
James Norton
I mean, that's extreme. But I'm bad. I'll probably change my order. I'll probably order and then panic and then go up to the guy and say, sorry. The waiter said, I'm so sorry, would you mind? I would need the other one. So when you give me one opportunity to come to my dream restaurant, I'm like, terrified that I'm gonna get it wrong. As if this is my one opportunity to. And I sort of. There's some disconnect in my brain that this is still a comedy podcast and that this is imaginary because I've been agonizing about this for weeks.
[04:22]
Ed Gamble
That's what we Want. We don't want anyone coming in here saying this is imaginary.
[04:25]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[04:27]
Ed Gamble
Dexcom.
[04:28]
James Norton
That's actually not Dexcom, but it's a diabetic related alarm.
[04:31]
Ed Gamble
Oh, nice.
[04:32]
James Norton
Yeah.
[04:33]
Ed Gamble
Switch off for listeners. James is also type one diabetic. James, Nice.
[04:37]
James Acaster
Yes.
[04:37]
Ed Gamble
This is not a revelation that James, a caster, is now type 1 diabetic.
[04:40]
James Acaster
That would be a good revelation. So if we can do that in the future.
[04:43]
Ed Gamble
So if you, if a few alarms go off, don't worry about it.
[04:46]
James Norton
Yeah.
[04:46]
Ed Gamble
Just either me or James has hit the deck. Yeah.
[04:49]
James Acaster
I'm going to have to do the podcast.
[04:51]
James Norton
Yeah.
[04:53]
Ed Gamble
So I love this. I love that you're a perfectionist about restaurants.
[04:55]
James Norton
Huge.
[04:56]
Ed Gamble
I love that. Even ordering in the dream restaurant, you might want to come back and change your order.
[05:00]
James Norton
Yeah.
[05:02]
Ed Gamble
What makes you want to change your order? I'm interested in this.
[05:04]
James Norton
Isn't it weird? Yeah, it's a perfectionism. It's a. It's like there is a version of this experience which is better and it's. This isn't the sort of metaphor for my life generally. Like I'm, you know, this is measly into the therapy session. But yeah, I think I, I think there is a version of the experience I'm about to have which is the perfect version. And I'm. Whilst I'm still in control of the experience and I can still sort of strive to that perfect version, I will do everything I can to get it. And so I'm in the restaurant. I'm thinking, actually the gazpacho wasn't the right call.
[05:35]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[05:36]
James Norton
I am like crazy when once I've ordered something, I'm thinking it's not the right call. There is, there is this. There is a better starter out there for me and that will bring me more pleasure. I don't obsess about it and I then have to go and change it just in case. And invariably the first choice is always the better choice.
[05:53]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. Do you not then worry that you've changed it and the one that you left behind was always the perfect one along the way?
[05:59]
James Norton
Always.
[05:59]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[06:00]
James Norton
But what I've probably done in the meantime is manipulated the person I'm eating dinner with to order the other one I wanted so that I at least have it to try?
[06:07]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[06:08]
James Acaster
I think that's what it does.
[06:09]
James Norton
Is it what you do? If I meant to say everyone around.
[06:11]
James Acaster
The table, I get furious if someone orders the same thing as him. It's one less thing that you can.
[06:16]
Ed Gamble
Try because you, you know when the waiter's going around Taking all the orders, I've got in my head what I want.
[06:22]
James Norton
Yeah.
[06:22]
Ed Gamble
And it's always the person who doesn't know what they want and they order it just on the fly, that immediately picks the exact dishes that I want and then I know that I want those, but I'll have to change it.
[06:32]
James Norton
Do you sit around a table of, say, four people and you order first and then everyone says, oh, I'm gonna have that as well, and then everyone orders the same thing and I'm filled with rage. I'm like, yeah, wait, no, that's selfish of you. Yeah, order something else. Even though I might.
[06:45]
Ed Gamble
Make up your own mind.
[06:46]
James Norton
Well, no, make your own mind, but make sure it's not the same as me. So I can try your food?
[06:48]
Ed Gamble
Yes, yeah, yeah. Make up your own mind, but, yeah, just not in my direction.
[06:52]
James Norton
Yeah, yeah. Deeply selfish to order the same thing.
[06:54]
Ed Gamble
In fact, I'll make up your mind for you. That's what I want.
[06:56]
James Acaster
So it's selfish of them to order the savings because they want to eat it.
[07:01]
James Norton
I know.
[07:01]
James Acaster
Because then you can't try.
[07:03]
James Norton
I am aware of how deluded and vicious this sounds, but, yeah, this all speaks to a deep problem. I have food also. It is specific to food, I think. I love cooking, I love entertaining people in my house. I have that, like, host instinct. And if I've decided on a meal and say I've. I haven't got quite got the right ingredient, I will go mad. I will, like, travel across London for, like. If I'm making a tagine and there's an argan oil, it specifies, it will make absolutely no difference to the dish. But I will.
[07:37]
James Acaster
I will be like, I swear the two of you are very different.
[07:39]
James Norton
Oh, really?
[07:41]
James Acaster
When Ed is cooking or making something, say he's making, I don't know, ice cream that his friend's mum has sent him the ingredients for.
[07:49]
Ed Gamble
This is a specific example, James.
[07:51]
James Acaster
And. And he's been told to get condensed milk. He will just shrug his shoulders and decide that evaporated milk is as good as. And just use that and then complain when the ice cream will never.
[08:01]
Ed Gamble
It was hard. It was such a shit recipe. And bear in mind, this was during COVID I didn't particularly want to go to the shops, so I did a big online order with all the ingredients that this mysterious mother told me to get. And it was, you know, I put in condensed milk to the website and it came up with evaporated milk. So I thought they must be the same.
[08:22]
James Norton
I wouldn't probably know the difference. Yeah.
[08:23]
Ed Gamble
Who are we to argue with Ocado?
[08:26]
James Acaster
So, you know, up until that point, I thought, they're the same man.
[08:29]
Ed Gamble
I thought you were gonna say, I've eaten Ed's house a lot. And he's just. He riffs. It's more on instinct.
[08:34]
James Acaster
Well, you love cooking. And like that. That was it. Up until this point. I was like, you're so similar.
[08:39]
James Norton
Well, actually, do you know what? I do? I am a bit. When. So if I'm. If I'm being really pedantic about a recipe, which I don't often follow because I am. I have my, you know, my stuff I like and I know how to make and I do riff around a few themes. But if I'm like, you know, holding a. Having a dinner party and I want to get it right. Yeah, I get very. Yeah. Again, it's just this, like, there is a version of this meal which is perfect. And also I hate if I'm cooking a steak or roast and I've overcooked it by a fraction. I'll spend the whole meal going, it's dry, it's dry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
[09:11]
Ed Gamble
I understand. You'll ruin the dinner party for everyone else.
[09:13]
James Norton
Exactly.
[09:14]
Ed Gamble
By talking about how angry you are that something went slightly wrong.
[09:17]
James Norton
And everyone's going, it's really delicious. Don't worry about it.
[09:19]
Ed Gamble
No, no, I'm going to eat mine in the bedroom. That's me.
[09:24]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[09:24]
Ed Gamble
Completely understand that.
[09:25]
James Norton
So you understand why me coming on this podcast is fraud?
[09:28]
Ed Gamble
Yes. Yeah, yeah.
[09:29]
James Norton
Okay.
[09:30]
James Acaster
Does that ever translate? So I'd say that Ed and I. So Ed is like that, what you described? Yes, and I'd say I am like that, but only when it comes to being on stage and doing a show.
[09:41]
James Norton
Interesting.
[09:42]
James Acaster
And the. And the second that I have messed up and it's not going to be the perfect show, I'm like, what's the point? What's the point in us all being here? Do you get like that on stage as well? Does it only trans. Are you just on the edge side of things and not the. I mean, James side of things are confusing because you are called James. But like, it's just.
[09:59]
James Norton
It's a really good question. I mean, I think my job, maybe. I assume it's the same as with comedy.
[10:04]
James Acaster
Well, you've done a four hour play that's longer than either of us have ever been on stage.
[10:07]
James Norton
Yeah, that was the play thing, I think often in my. What I've learned, actually, I think, and relatively recently in terms of what I do is that actually the mistakes are where it gets good. And the more loose I am and the more open I am to not being perfect against my character, actually, that's where the kind of magic lies. So if any young actors, which is. I've got that point in my life, as I'm sure you guys have. Got any advice for young people? I am the young people. But if I do get asked about advice for people, it's often like, don't embrace the imperfections, because that's. That's. That's where the story is. That's where humanity. So, yeah, actually, more and more, I'm kind of like, if I up, it's no bad thing. Within reason.
[10:49]
James Acaster
Maybe it'll be like that for this menu. Let's see. Still a sparkling mortar, James.
[10:56]
James Norton
That's an easy one. Sparkling all the way.
[10:58]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[10:58]
James Norton
Every time. Oh, yeah, yeah, one of those. I'm sorry.
[11:01]
James Acaster
No, don't apologize for it. Although the sparkling water crew do get made to feel that they need to apologize.
[11:06]
James Norton
Why is that? Because we're worried we're too bougie.
[11:08]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, I think there's an element of that. But I think you need to divide the sparkling water crew into different factions, because there's people who are like, I always have it when I go to a restaurant, because that feels like I'm out. Like, it's a special thing. And there's some, like, deep members of the sparkling water crew who are drinking it at home. They're buying bottles of it to drink at home. They're drinking it instead of still water across their whole lives.
[11:27]
James Norton
What about those people who have the machines?
[11:28]
Ed Gamble
The machine people?
[11:29]
James Norton
Yeah.
[11:29]
Ed Gamble
I'm sorry, are you a machine person?
[11:31]
James Norton
I am. But in my defense, I haven't had a cartridge replacement for a long time, so I am suffering with the basic unfizzy tap. But no, I do have sparkling water in my fridge. Yeah. I don't know why. It just makes me happy. It does. Again, it's the. It's the perfection thing. If I am having a drink of water and it could be slightly better because of the sparkle.
[11:53]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[11:53]
James Norton
I'm like, this is just annoyingly not as good as it could.
[11:56]
Ed Gamble
So now there's no joy for you and still water at all.
[11:58]
James Norton
I mean, it keeps me alive, I guess that's a basic way. So that's joyful.
[12:02]
Ed Gamble
Sparkling water. If you only drank sparkling water, that would also keep you alive. Right.
[12:06]
James Norton
I've heard you guys have this debate before. Rates you and you actually brilliantly. I think it was One of the reason one said, there's been a study said that it does keep you alive as well.
[12:14]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, I think. But it just feels weird to me. It feels like. I know still water isn't like the most joyous thing in the world when you're drinking it, but I do get joy from it because I'm like, yeah, chugging it down. Being like, look at me, so grown up.
[12:26]
James Norton
Yeah. Yeah. I also take pleasure in water. I always found it funny when you're at school and there was someone like, I don't like water. I only drink Coke. I'm like, really? You don't like water? Is that real?
[12:39]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. That's why you've got no teeth. That's why you got no teeth. And you have Chinese leftovers in your lunchbox. I'm calling social services.
[12:46]
James Norton
Exactly.
[12:47]
James Acaster
Yeah. My dad doesn't like water.
[12:49]
Ed Gamble
No.
[12:49]
James Norton
Really? I feel like there's a punch zone.
[12:51]
James Acaster
No, that's it. He doesn't like water. He told me that he has to hold his nose when he drinks water. Yeah, he hates it, can't stand it. Things are disgusting.
[13:01]
James Norton
What does it do to his nose? Oh, the smell.
[13:03]
James Acaster
It's like he can't smell it. Which, I mean, I. I question that. If you could even.
[13:07]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[13:08]
James Norton
Is he drinking out of the. What is he drinking? What kind of toilet.
[13:13]
Ed Gamble
He's laughing away at the dog.
[13:14]
James Acaster
That explained why. So that's what he's doing. If I have a cat, him doing that, holding his nose. I'm like, dad, I think I know why you don't like water.
[13:20]
Ed Gamble
I've never liked water. And you have to drink it out of this big. This big white thing.
[13:25]
James Acaster
I have a question that's diabetes related, but I'm worried it might be ignorant.
[13:30]
James Norton
Go on, hit the taboo. We love it.
[13:32]
James Acaster
What if one day you had to change your pump and also had to change your fizzy water cartridge at the same time and you got them mixed up.
[13:42]
James Norton
That's not even.
[13:45]
Ed Gamble
You get this question a lot though, right?
[13:47]
James Norton
Yeah, it's never happen to me, but obviously people think about it. Well, I guess what would happen is my pump would then become my fizzy water dispenser. And anyone who came around to my house would have insulin.
[13:58]
Ed Gamble
Insulin flavored water.
[14:00]
James Norton
Well, they would just be pure insulin.
[14:02]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[14:03]
James Norton
So I'd probably murder all my dinner party friends.
[14:07]
James Acaster
Right.
[14:07]
James Norton
And in terms of how the pump would then be intravenously pumping fizzy water into my.
[14:12]
Ed Gamble
But it's just the gas cartridge, right?
[14:14]
James Norton
Yeah.
[14:17]
Ed Gamble
You'D be dead.
[14:18]
James Norton
We'd all Be dead surprising.
[14:20]
James Acaster
The inspector would have to try and piece that together.
[14:22]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[14:23]
James Norton
Yeah. That's a good murder mystery, isn't it?
[14:26]
James Acaster
Oh, it's an accident.
[14:27]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[14:27]
James Acaster
This guy was hammered when it was time to change, both things got them mixed up. And then his guests arrived.
[14:34]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[14:34]
James Acaster
And then everyone.
[14:35]
Ed Gamble
I think it'd be a quick murder mystery because you'd be like, right, they all drank this water, there's insulin in it.
[14:39]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[14:39]
James Norton
It'd be very niche for all those people who didn't really know what insulin does, because lots of people do.
[14:44]
James Acaster
But it'd be more. They would have to then figure out how to. You had died. I'd be like, okay, they've all drunk this, but this guy. Yeah, he's over here. Doesn't seem to have drunk any of that, but he's.
[14:53]
James Norton
He's dead too. I think what would be the. Probably the big giveaway is that whilst the pump may double up as the CO2 canister and people wouldn't. I would have a huge metallic. Metallic kind of thing sticking out of my midriff, which the inspector might notice.
[15:10]
Ed Gamble
And also insulin stinks.
[15:12]
James Norton
Instinct stinks. Yes. Anyone who knows a diabetic smells of hospitals.
[15:15]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[15:16]
James Norton
It's really interesting, the reaction that gets.
[15:18]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, it really stinks.
[15:19]
James Acaster
Does it?
[15:19]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[15:20]
James Norton
Which smells of, like, hospitals.
[15:21]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, it's like very chemical.
[15:22]
James Acaster
Ah, I like that.
[15:24]
James Norton
But people do like it.
[15:25]
James Acaster
I like that smell. People complain about how hospitals smell. I don't get it. I like it.
[15:30]
James Norton
Lots of people smell the insulin and go, oh, that makes. That makes me think of a hospital. And then other people like, oh, that makes me think, yes.
[15:36]
James Acaster
It depends what your hospital experience was.
[15:38]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[15:38]
James Acaster
There's good and bad things happen in those. Yeah. Reminds me of my child's birth. That's nice.
[15:42]
James Norton
Yeah, There you go.
[15:43]
James Acaster
Reminds me of the time I died.
[15:46]
Ed Gamble
Reminds me of my Brazilian butt lift.
[15:49]
James Acaster
Pop loads of bread. Pop loaves of bread. James Norton Pop Lobster bread.
[15:52]
James Norton
Easy bread. Bread. Bread. Bread.
[15:55]
James Acaster
So it's easy. So far. This is like.
[15:56]
James Norton
These are fine.
[15:57]
James Acaster
Where. Easing you in with the easy question.
[15:58]
James Norton
These are fine. Yeah, your bread. But I mean, I know, but specifically I want like steaming hot sourdough with, like soft centre, very crusty. And can I have three different types of butter, please?
[16:10]
James Acaster
Yes.
[16:10]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[16:11]
James Norton
I'd like a sort of salted, traditional, nice and thick. Don't go, what is it? Churned or whipped or.
[16:18]
James Acaster
You really visibly winced.
[16:21]
James Norton
Why would you whip up something with such beauty? I love butter.
[16:25]
Ed Gamble
I don't mind whipped butter, but I do think it's a way of restaurants getting less butter onto the plate.
[16:31]
James Norton
Interesting.
[16:31]
Ed Gamble
They're putting more air into it and they're like, look at this fancy whipped butter. And you're like, yeah, but that. If you saw that in just a normal pat form, it would be tiny.
[16:38]
James Norton
But doesn't it just dilute something delicious?
[16:40]
Ed Gamble
I mean, I. I like. I do like the texture of it.
[16:43]
James Acaster
I like it. You feel that worse.
[16:45]
James Norton
I feel better about slathering loads on when it's whipped.
[16:48]
James Acaster
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[16:49]
James Norton
I don't want my whip, thanks. I'd like a little bit of salt on one. I want a truffle at one.
[16:53]
James Acaster
Okay.
[16:53]
James Norton
And then the third one I think I'll just leave to the gene or subtle.
[16:56]
James Acaster
You know the Marmite one.
[16:57]
James Norton
Yeah.
[16:57]
James Acaster
Because that's a genuine. I've had Marmite butter before. It was delicious.
[17:00]
James Norton
I had lunch at the hamyard today and I think they're. Bread has a very slight Marmite taste to it. It was absolutely delicious.
[17:07]
Ed Gamble
Yeasty. Very yeasty.
[17:08]
James Norton
Maybe that was. It is.
[17:09]
Ed Gamble
I guess there is yeast in all bread, isn't there?
[17:11]
James Norton
This is true.
[17:11]
Ed Gamble
But maybe that'd be.
[17:12]
James Norton
Tasted like that. But anyway, bread is. Bread is big for me. And as a diabetic, that's problematic because.
[17:19]
James Acaster
Right.
[17:19]
James Norton
I mean, it's just not great to eat a huge loaf. But I often.
[17:23]
Ed Gamble
It's admin, isn't it? It's. Bread is admin.
[17:25]
James Acaster
What?
[17:25]
James Norton
Delicious Admin.
[17:26]
Ed Gamble
It's delicious. Admin. It's always worth it, but you have to do it. But I'll be like, right, bread. I've at least got a few hours of trying to make sure everything's fine after I have.
[17:34]
James Norton
Oh, I see. In terms of my admin and the admin. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It is an admin base, but. Or it leads to it. But yeah. I love bread. I love bread. I used to. I was one of those people who went down the whole sourdough, whole craze during lockdown. So I love bread. Love crusty, hot bread.
[17:48]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[17:49]
James Norton
And love butter. And we'll always eat, you know. You know that thing where there's like four people around the table and there are four slices. I will eat mine very quickly and I'll wait for someone to only eat half of theirs and then I'll eat the right. You know.
[18:00]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. I'm desperate for the waiter to come back and go, do you want some more bread?
[18:03]
James Norton
That's. That's. I would order more bread. Yeah, I do.
[18:06]
James Acaster
Generally for your dream meal, obviously. I'll often keep coming Back with the bread.
[18:10]
Ed Gamble
Can I, can I recommend a place for bread? If you're really into bread, you might have been. But there's a place called Oma which is in Borough Market.
[18:17]
James Norton
Okay.
[18:17]
Ed Gamble
Which is like sort of broadly Mediterranean. There's a lot of sort of Turkish influences, there's Greek influences, there's a little bit of Italian influences. But some of the main courses at the beginning, that, that doesn't make sense, but you know what I mean. There's a dips section. There's like an amazing baba ganoush, there's an amazing taruma. There's just all incredible dips but with a slight twist of them. There's like a scallop xo dip thing. That was incredible. But the breads that come with these things.
[18:43]
James Norton
Amazing.
[18:44]
Ed Gamble
Like this bagel looking type bread but covered in garlic butter. There's like garlic butter running through it. There's like these amazing flatbreads. I'm in huge shout out to the bread at Omar.
[18:53]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[18:54]
Ed Gamble
Do you have a specific place that you think that's my favorite bread?
[18:58]
James Norton
I've heard Dean street townhouse bread mentioned on here a couple of times. Which is a very good bread. Again, I think it's the heat, it's that it's clearly just freshly cooked. It's crusty, but it's not quite crusty enough for me. I'm not. I love food. I love eating lots of good food. I'm not great at remembering great restaurants. I can't like the starter in New York in the, you know, in 2005 is. It sort of blurs into one big gorge.
[19:21]
Ed Gamble
Well, that's fine. You don't need to remember the places.
[19:23]
James Norton
But in terms of. Yeah. I mean, Hamlet was had. The Marmite bread is pretty good today. Had it lunch today.
[19:31]
James Acaster
Well, let's get into your menu proper then.
[19:33]
James Norton
Can I have a loophole?
[19:34]
Ed Gamble
Oh, yes.
[19:38]
James Acaster
So.
[19:38]
James Norton
So I love going, I love going to those restaurants where above the starters there's the scallops and the like, you know, snacks.
[19:48]
James Acaster
Oh yeah, yeah, little snacks.
[19:50]
James Norton
Am I allowed a scallop round without it being a starter?
[19:53]
James Acaster
I think.
[19:54]
James Norton
Sorry guys.
[19:55]
James Acaster
I think the snacks portion of the menu is common enough now that that's an acceptable loophole.
[20:02]
Ed Gamble
Would there be scallops on there though?
[20:04]
James Norton
Sorry, sorry. I'm completely, I'm obviously nervous. I'm not saying scallops. Oysters. Oysters.
[20:09]
Ed Gamble
Oysters, yeah.
[20:10]
James Norton
The oyster section where it sits with like smoked almonds and you know, that kind of olives section. Olives. And then it has extra bread.
[20:17]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[20:17]
James Norton
Sorry. I love scallops. I love oysters.
[20:20]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[20:20]
James Norton
So, yeah, a dozen oysters for the table.
[20:22]
Ed Gamble
100%.
[20:23]
James Acaster
We've let. We've let people do the oyster loophole before.
[20:25]
James Norton
Okay.
[20:26]
James Acaster
You'd be in good company. Joe Quinn comes to mind. I did the oysters. So, you know. Although I think we may have made Joe Quinn have the oysters on the way to.
[20:36]
James Norton
Did he go somewhere?
[20:37]
James Acaster
The meal, we were like, it has to be on your way. Whereas I don't really think we need to do. Look, reflecting on it now.
[20:42]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, we just wanted to travel unnecessary. Cool.
[20:44]
James Acaster
You can just have it as part of it. It's in the snacks.
[20:47]
James Norton
Snack section.
[20:48]
James Acaster
Yeah, I've seen that part of the menu before. I think that's completely allowed for relief.
[20:52]
Ed Gamble
By the way, for the table.
[20:53]
James Norton
Yeah.
[20:53]
Ed Gamble
Is James A's catchphrase. Because we'll be sat somewhere, we'll all be happy with what we're going to order. And, like, we've already ordered too much food. And James will pick, like, two more dishes that we've not got and go, we should get these for the table.
[21:05]
James Acaster
Yeah, it's great. It's a great idea.
[21:09]
James Norton
No one wants them, just the table.
[21:10]
Ed Gamble
It's always when I'm like, I know I'm going to feel sick after this meal because we've ordered so much food. And the waiter stood there being like, fucking hell, guys. We said eight dishes maximum and there's no room on this table. And James is going for the table.
[21:21]
James Acaster
For the table for calamari.
[21:23]
James Norton
I feel like we're speaking from appetites. No, I have a huge appetite. I regularly get to the point at the end of the order and go, is that enough? Are we going overboard, do you reckon? Can you just advise us? And he or she will go, no, I think you're good. And then I'll sort of agonize for a second and go, actually, we do want the extra. I'll always order it. And occasionally they'll say, I'd stop there, you're enough. And they'll argue or they'll push back on my extra order. And then I will be vintage indicated every time. I always. Probably because I'm just trying to prove myself right. But I. Yeah, I will always, always add a couple for the table.
[21:56]
James Acaster
Sometimes they'll ask the question, how hungry are you?
[21:58]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[21:59]
James Acaster
You say, is that. Is that too much? Is that too well, how hungry are you? Yeah. And you're like, I don't know if that's going to help you. You don't know me. That.
[22:05]
Ed Gamble
Well, do you know what I say to that question? Ask me that question.
[22:08]
James Acaster
How hungry are you?
[22:09]
Ed Gamble
Hello. I made gamble.
[22:11]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[22:11]
Ed Gamble
And that works now.
[22:12]
James Acaster
Yeah. That's why I do it when I'm out for meal with you.
[22:16]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[22:17]
James Acaster
I go. Ed wants to try everyone else's anyway. If I say for the table, he won't be able to resist it.
[22:21]
James Norton
Exactly.
[22:22]
James Acaster
He will have it.
[22:23]
James Norton
Yeah. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how hungry I am. It's at the table.
[22:26]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[22:27]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[22:27]
James Norton
The table's hungry.
[22:28]
James Acaster
The table is hungry. How many oysters do you want for this?
[22:31]
Ed Gamble
A dozen. You said a dozen.
[22:32]
James Norton
I think it depends.
[22:33]
James Acaster
Whose.
[22:33]
James Norton
It depends.
[22:34]
James Acaster
It's for the table here, but it's for the table, yeah. Are they big oysters? Are they little? Are they creamy?
[22:39]
James Norton
They're from an island off the west coast of Scotland called Colonsay.
[22:43]
James Acaster
Well, great.
[22:43]
Ed Gamble
For someone who said he doesn't have.
[22:45]
James Norton
Specifics, that sounds bougie, doesn't it?
[22:47]
James Acaster
Look at this.
[22:47]
James Norton
Well, it's because I've been on Holly there a few times.
[22:48]
James Acaster
What's the name of the fisherman who caught him? I met him.
[22:51]
James Norton
There's a guy. There's an oyster man up there. Proper old Scottish guy, I think, but you'd think so. They are. You hope so.
[22:58]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[22:59]
James Norton
They're famous for their oysters, and I've eaten them on the beach, you know, cracking them, I think location is obviously key. And so sitting on the beach with friends on one New Year bucket of oysters. My friend who found out he had an allergy that night, throwing up deep down the beach. Wow. Awful. Yeah. That guy's never eaten an oyster since. But everyone else had an amazing night and the oysters were absolutely delicious.
[23:18]
Ed Gamble
Are you shucking them yourself that night?
[23:21]
James Norton
I was. I mean, in this restaurant. I'd appreciate it if you did it.
[23:23]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[23:24]
James Acaster
A guy bringing them back into shore, who haven't caught them going, they got a bunch of gunk on them tonight. I don't know why. Your friends there, directly into the sea.
[23:34]
James Norton
I also keep saying you guys, as if you're hosting me at this restaurant, but.
[23:37]
Ed Gamble
Well, that's up to you, really. I mean, I guess there is a genie waiter and, you know, I'm technically the. The maitre d. Are you.
[23:44]
James Norton
Yo. You're here as.
[23:45]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, I'm here, but I don't have to be. It's your dream. So whoever you're eating with is up to you.
[23:49]
James Acaster
We won't get offended.
[23:50]
James Norton
I was hoping maybe that you guys were eating with me and I would just Manipulate your orders so that I got to. That's also have your dream.
[23:57]
Ed Gamble
No one else that you'd prefer to join you at your dream meal.
[24:01]
James Acaster
Of all the people you know, who is the most easily manipulated?
[24:07]
James Norton
I can't say that on. On the podcast.
[24:09]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[24:09]
James Norton
Because I know that I'm manipulating.
[24:10]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[24:10]
James Acaster
Lancashire.
[24:12]
James Norton
In terms of people I've worked with.
[24:13]
James Acaster
Never try and manipulate like, I imagine that's impossible.
[24:16]
James Norton
She's not a manipulatable.
[24:17]
James Acaster
I imagine you can't affect. You can't affect her male choice.
[24:20]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[24:21]
James Norton
I think she manipulated me, probably without me knowing it. No, she's not manipulatable.
[24:26]
Ed Gamble
But you must have had plenty of meals with her.
[24:28]
James Norton
Not that many, because we didn't actually do that many scenes together.
[24:30]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[24:31]
James Norton
We would kind of come together occasionally in the series and have these very explosive scenes and then we were going to go away and talk about the scenes, but we would never really. I spent enough time to know that she's amazing and we had a really lovely time, particularly in the first series. Actually, we spent most of the time off camera just talking about house renovations because we're innovating a house at times. She loves flipping houses, so she gave me a lot of advice on what bathroom to buy and all that kind of stuff.
[24:58]
Ed Gamble
That's great. After a really intense scene as well.
[25:00]
James Norton
Yeah, I know that's what people think. People often ask me, oh, after the scenes, like, how did you decompress and were you sort of in the corner shaking with trauma? I'm like, nope, I was choosing my tiles.
[25:11]
James Acaster
One of the few characters who I've forgotten is, like, you know, not real. When I've been watching it, your character, I've been like, get that C. Get him.
[25:21]
Ed Gamble
That's acting, baby. That's acting.
[25:23]
James Acaster
I was like, absolute piece of.
[25:24]
James Norton
Yeah.
[25:26]
Ed Gamble
Why is he allowed in this drama?
[25:27]
James Acaster
Get himself Lancashire.
[25:29]
James Norton
Are you still feeling it right now?
[25:30]
James Acaster
Not right now. You're such a nice person. It's. It's quite disarming. I can't believe it, how nice you are.
[25:36]
Ed Gamble
What if this is the performance?
[25:40]
James Norton
I promise I'm not a psychopath, but I do get offered roles where I'm like, the guy. The seemingly nice guy with a heart of stone.
[25:47]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[25:48]
James Norton
I do sometimes think, what does that say about me? Like, when I walk in, they go, it's complete, you know, it's. Yeah, he's a disingenuous.
[25:55]
Ed Gamble
Are you walking and say, hi, guys, nice to meet you.
[25:56]
James Acaster
Go.
[25:57]
Ed Gamble
You got the part.
[25:57]
James Norton
Yeah, exactly. He's fraud.
[26:01]
James Acaster
So the oysters have all been shared. That's lovely. Is there another loophole before the starter?
[26:05]
James Norton
No, no, no, I'm good. I'm good, thank you. I mean I wouldn't mind some smoked almonds, but. No, let's stick with.
[26:09]
Ed Gamble
Well, they're in the snack section. We'll just bug them on.
[26:11]
James Norton
Oh, thanks guys.
[26:14]
James Acaster
§ Because he said.
[26:15]
James Norton
Yeah, this is my problem as well because I can't not eat everything now I'm getting stuffed. I'm kind of full.
[26:21]
James Acaster
Yeah, of course.
[26:22]
James Norton
Two baskets of bread, all the oysters and all the almonds. So this is where I'm getting nervous.
[26:25]
James Acaster
Okay.
[26:26]
Ed Gamble
And horny as fuck after all those oysters.
[26:28]
James Norton
Yeah.
[26:29]
James Acaster
Hey, how about that? How about if you had something like a monitor that would tell you how horny you were? Like so like on your phone. On your phone and it would like come up and let you know. Yeah, Would let you know. You're at 15.5.
[26:43]
James Norton
Oh, I'm sorry.
[26:44]
James Acaster
Be careful.
[26:48]
James Norton
Yeah, I mean, I guess we kind of do have the similar.
[26:51]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[26:51]
James Norton
Thing.
[26:52]
James Acaster
Oh yeah.
[26:52]
James Norton
Yeah, A little bit.
[26:53]
Ed Gamble
Yes. We've all got that.
[26:55]
James Norton
Have you not.
[26:57]
James Acaster
I know what you talk about.
[26:58]
Ed Gamble
That's nature's. Nature's Dexcom.
[27:00]
James Acaster
No idea what you told about the sex.
[27:02]
James Norton
Come.
[27:02]
James Acaster
I don't know what you guys told me.
[27:05]
James Norton
So the, the nerves kick in here because I've got lots of choice.
[27:09]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[27:09]
James Norton
And. And this is an interesting thing actually. Diabetic related is. I don't know about you if you've heard this, but apparently the reason Italians are very healthy and they eat a lot of carbs and they manage to maintain good glucose levels is because they start their meal with vegetable, with fiber.
[27:25]
Ed Gamble
Interesting.
[27:25]
James Norton
And fiber. If you start a meal and we've completely screwed up already because we've already had seven baskets of bread. So yeah, that's done. But if you start your meal every time with fiber, your glucose level should stay more level and you can have more carbs for your second pre. Whatever. You know, the second first course and then you have your potato and your fries for your third if you start with fiber. And since hearing this, I've really tried to start my meals with vegetables in my startup.
[27:51]
Ed Gamble
Have you noticed a difference?
[27:52]
James Norton
Well, I think I have. You know, I really do. But I know it's game changer.
[27:56]
Ed Gamble
I'm going to try. I'm going to try that.
[27:58]
James Norton
I read about it. There's some people who've started to talk about it more and more and when they told me the link to the Italian diet, it made complete sense that's why they're all so healthy. They live this. They lead this very long, happy, healthy life. But this Mediterranean diet, which is seemingly full of carbs.
[28:13]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, yeah. But you're saying this as if that's a fact, that that's how Italian people eat. I get all of that from Olivia adverts. Is it true? Or, you know, the Mediterranean diet. They love it.
[28:24]
James Norton
Yeah, that was the blue. The longevity, like the blue zones. Maybe they all live in the families.
[28:29]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, well, I'm gonna try that. I'm gonna have a one stalk of broccoli tonight before I eat a full fish and chips. Exactly.
[28:36]
James Norton
You have to. I mean, it's something fibrous. Something fun is to line your stomach anyway. And also, I know what my main course is going to be. So originally I was going to go for like a lobster beast or a child. I love, like, because I love the bread and I love with all my butter, there's nothing but my second basket of bread, which I've eaten probably half of. I'll then start, like loading it into a soup.
[28:55]
James Acaster
And I think the beast makes you feel sick.
[28:57]
James Norton
Does it?
[28:58]
Ed Gamble
Why?
[28:58]
James Acaster
Because I had a wisdom tooth out this year and. And I was like. I said to my girlfriend, go into the shops. I said, just get me some soup. And she. And she been to Ms. And she just went, I thought I'd get you this. And it was a lobster beast. And I was like, I can't be bothered to heat up. And I just drank it cold. And I was like, why don't I do that?
[29:17]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, 100. Your fault.
[29:19]
James Acaster
I was like, I feel sick now. I can't look at it. That's horrible.
[29:25]
James Norton
Yeah, I mean, that's. That would do that to you, I guess. Yeah.
[29:28]
James Acaster
I just thought. I thought maybe that'll be nice just to have it cold like gazpacho. But it wasn't.
[29:32]
James Norton
With the loads of cold lobster slipping down.
[29:35]
James Acaster
Yeah, yeah, it was, it was. It's actually not that lumpy, but it was. It was very, very fishy and lobstery and cold. Cold. Yeah. Yeah. So as soon as you said lobster beast goes like, do you still want that?
[29:45]
James Norton
Genie's the worst. Than a companion that loves the beef all over it. I. No. So then I thought maybe not because of. I knew that you being a diabetic, it'll be interesting to talk about the vegetables thing. And since I've recently started trying to. But then I was like, this is a dream menu. Why dream restaurant? Why am I trying to, you know, think about my glucose levels? Yeah. So it was originally lost. Beautiful chowder. I was resting in Newquay and there was a chowder in a restaurant right on the coast whose name I've forgotten. So that's probably a scrapple. But yeah, I love a soup. I think as a child I used to eat a celery soup a lot and I would put loads of cheddar cheese in it and melt it and then bread and toast and that was like. And I then drop the bread in and it would become this kind of kinjimas and bread and soup is just. But a good soup. Like a lobster beast with big lumps of lobster. I've just said all that. I'm gonna order the best asparagus in season asparagus in the world. Cooked like steamed with the best parmesan in the world with olive oil. And I've got a memory of a world best olive oil in the world. Yeah, yeah. Probably from this place I went to in, in Croatia called Istria, which has like four of the 10 best olive oils in the world.
[30:58]
Ed Gamble
Oh, wow.
[30:58]
James Norton
And it's really. If you're a foodie there, it's amazing. It's a little peninsula on the east coast of Croatia where it borders of Italy and it's very small, but they have the four, four of the ten best olive oils in the world.
[31:09]
James Acaster
And.
[31:09]
James Norton
And they're also like the truffle capital of the world. So I love the truffle butter.
[31:14]
Ed Gamble
So that's going to come from there.
[31:15]
James Norton
That's coming from there. And on top of my asparagus. And the best parmesan is there's just loads and loads of black truffle shavings. And I have a vague memory of a delicious sort of very sophisticated starter with asparagus and a tiny scotch egg because I feel asparagus and egg and with a little.
[31:33]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[31:33]
James Norton
So I think that gives you that kind of slight meat sharpness when you.
[31:37]
James Acaster
Say tiny Scotch egg. It's like a quail.
[31:39]
Ed Gamble
Like a quail Scotch.
[31:39]
James Norton
Yeah. But not. Yeah, not dry. You know, runny.
[31:43]
Ed Gamble
Runny in the. Yeah, yeah.
[31:44]
James Norton
Indulgent Scotch egg. Yeah, that could be on the snacks list actually.
[31:49]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, yeah.
[31:50]
James Acaster
That could have easily been on the.
[31:51]
Ed Gamble
Fucking ever growing snacks.
[31:53]
James Acaster
A tiny Scotch egg. Scotch egg. It's on the scent.
[31:56]
James Norton
It's a delicious scotch egg with like just the most beautiful asparagus with parmesan and maybe some pine nuts.
[32:03]
Ed Gamble
I really like this hack that you've developed, which I don't think anyone's done before where you don't know where it's from or really what it is, but you just say the best in the world.
[32:12]
James Norton
Yeah.
[32:15]
Ed Gamble
Best partners out in the world. Where from? Just the best in the world, please. Based on current available data. Best one in the world.
[32:21]
James Norton
Just look at how I made this.
[32:24]
James Acaster
In the nicest way possible, James. It's like having a five year old on the floor. Best of the world.
[32:33]
James Norton
I think I was googling on the way here, like, best balsamic vinegar, best asparagus. Where is the best asparagus from?
[32:38]
James Acaster
I mean, that is great because it is something that we haven't really talked about much on the podcast because it hasn't come up.
[32:43]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[32:43]
James Acaster
But someone. But people saying like, I don't just want it to be a specific when I've had. I want it to be the best in the world.
[32:50]
James Norton
Well, this is the perfection thing again. This is like, you know, I want. I've only got one go at. Unless, you know, you have me back and I've only got one go.
[32:56]
Ed Gamble
Well, you're going to come back and change your order in a couple of months.
[32:59]
James Acaster
James grabbed us outside. We're about to go and record an episode with someone else. They're waiting outside now in the hall.
[33:04]
James Norton
Yeah.
[33:05]
Ed Gamble
He's asked to move tables.
[33:06]
James Norton
We've been recording this for weeks. Keep changing it. No, I, I think, yeah, like it's probably my personality. The perfection. The perfection project, whatever you want to call it. And I mean there are like, people talk about these kind of ranked things, don't they? So why not? I've got a genie here.
[33:22]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[33:23]
Ed Gamble
Buy what other people say about it. So if someone said this is the best restaurant in London, would you go and be like, yes, it was. And I'm glad I've been to the best restaurant in London. And same with Parmesan. If someone said this is the best Parmesan in the world, you'd be like, yes, it is. Well, do you eat it?
[33:37]
James Norton
I, I probably would.
[33:39]
James Acaster
Would.
[33:39]
James Norton
I would probably buy into it. I mean, I, I haven't eaten all the restaurants in London. I have definitely not in all the Parmesans.
[33:45]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[33:45]
James Norton
So I can't really kind of say whether or not it is or not. But I do enjoy like a ceremony around food as well. If someone. I, I don't know much about wine, but if someone says to me, this is a really nice wine, I'll like really enjoy it.
[33:58]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. Take your time.
[33:59]
James Norton
Take my time. And I like, I like the kind of. I like being with kind of the sort of what they called like the the leaders of a certain discipline. Yeah, the best.
[34:08]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, the best in the world.
[34:10]
James Acaster
Pioneers.
[34:10]
James Norton
The pioneers. The best in the world.
[34:12]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[34:12]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[34:13]
James Norton
The virtuosos, or wherever they are.
[34:14]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[34:16]
James Norton
And so if someone tells me it's the best palm of the world, I'll believe them and I'll enjoy it. And it's, you know, I've got a genie.
[34:21]
James Acaster
You've got a genie. I can make. I can make it all. Best asparagus, best Parmesan, best olive oil. Best truffle, best salt.
[34:27]
James Norton
I've sort of replaced God, haven't I? Omnipotent, omniscient, genie. Yeah.
[34:32]
James Acaster
I'm more of a, like. I don't know. What are the. What are the. The angels? The seraphim.
[34:39]
James Norton
Yeah. So. So. And I think in line with the vegetable starter and it's also linked to my main course because I was going to go beast and then I was going to go fish, but actually I'm sticking with my slightly. My Scotch egg and my asparagus.
[34:51]
Ed Gamble
I think that's nice. I think you've got that fiber now we can see if that works.
[34:54]
James Norton
Yeah.
[34:55]
Ed Gamble
Later in the meal.
[34:56]
James Norton
Yeah.
[34:56]
Ed Gamble
You've got a Scotch egg next to it as well. So, yeah, a bit more fun.
[34:59]
James Norton
But the reason I was saying I was dreading this is that I've been sitting on bisque for weeks. If you're. If you're.
[35:04]
James Acaster
If you're my friend, wash your butt.
[35:09]
James Norton
If you're my. If you're. People close to me will have. I've asked them. Can I just go over my menu and. And bisk has been on it for a long, long time. And now here I am and I was on the way here and I was thinking, I've made a mistake, so I have to go. So I flipped it and I changed to asparagus. The asparagus is completely roasted.
[35:28]
Ed Gamble
I love asparagus.
[35:29]
James Norton
Yeah, same.
[35:30]
Ed Gamble
Probably top. Top three veg for me.
[35:32]
James Acaster
I'd say that's fair. Absolutely. Love it.
[35:34]
Ed Gamble
I think at the moment. Tender stem. Brock's probably in there.
[35:37]
James Norton
Yes.
[35:37]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. And I love aubergine, but doesn't even feel like I should count it in veg.
[35:42]
James Norton
No. It's more of like a main course, isn't it? It's a sponge.
[35:45]
Ed Gamble
It's a sponge for sauce.
[35:46]
James Norton
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[35:48]
Ed Gamble
What's the other one? That's a good question. I like Rocket, but I'm not having it all the time because sometimes too peppery.
[35:53]
James Norton
AVO for me. Love an avoid.
[35:55]
James Acaster
It's a fruit after chokes. Fruit Sorry, Artichokes for me. Artichokes, yeah. Artichokes are currently number one.
[36:04]
Ed Gamble
Spinach.
[36:05]
James Norton
Steamed. What's your. How are you serving it?
[36:07]
Ed Gamble
However, I don't mind steamed. Probably sauteed is probably best if. If I can get it right and there's not too many liquid coming off it.
[36:13]
James Norton
Not cream.
[36:14]
James Acaster
Not too many liquid coming off it.
[36:15]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. You're not having that.
[36:17]
James Acaster
Yeah, no, that's a sentence.
[36:19]
James Norton
Do you not cream your spinach?
[36:20]
Ed Gamble
Not often.
[36:21]
James Norton
Not with a steak and some fries.
[36:22]
Ed Gamble
Cream spinach, I wouldn't probably.
[36:25]
James Acaster
That's the thing about this guy, and we've all had this with him. We all assume he'd like creamed spinach. And I remember discovering for the first time that he doesn't particularly love it as much as I thought he would. And I couldn't compute that. I was like, it doesn't add up to everything else about you and what you enjoy.
[36:41]
Ed Gamble
Well, I need something to. If I'm having a particularly, like, rich meal, which I really enjoy, I need some element that's sort of bitter, that it feels like it's cutting through the fat. So normal steamed spinach to me is perfect to go with. With like a big rib eye steak or something.
[36:59]
James Norton
Why do people call you Ed? Cream spinach scandal.
[37:02]
Ed Gamble
I don't know, man. Because I love spinach.
[37:04]
James Acaster
We can't broadcast that story.
[37:07]
Ed Gamble
If I see spinach, I cream, it's difficult to get mixed up.
[37:09]
James Acaster
Yeah. The horny alarms going off in his pocket.
[37:14]
Ed Gamble
Hawks more. Hawks more cream spinach.
[37:16]
James Acaster
I was gonna say, you do love the cream spinach from Hawksmoor.
[37:19]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[37:20]
James Acaster
So that is the exception that proves the rule.
[37:22]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. Thank you. So, the Jameses, it's worth mentioning that this week's episode of Off Menu is sponsored by Dexcom, who are all about helping you manage your type 1 and type 2 diabetes with real confidence, which is great timing. And a massive coincidence as it's Diabetes Awareness Week just around the corner. And a huge coincidence, James A. That we have James Norton in as our guest this week.
[37:45]
James Acaster
Yes. Who, massive coincidence.
[37:47]
Ed Gamble
Is a fellow type 1 diabetic.
[37:48]
James Norton
I am James A. You're not a diabetic. I see.
[37:50]
James Acaster
I'm not a diabetic, but I'm just happy to. I'm an ally. I'm happy to be part of the conversation here, you know.
[37:57]
James Norton
You're welcome.
[37:58]
Ed Gamble
Well, any questions you've got, as we discussed. Dexcom, a little bit more. Yeah, you go for it, man.
[38:03]
James Acaster
Okay, okay.
[38:03]
Ed Gamble
No question. Too stupid.
[38:05]
James Acaster
Thank you. We're friends.
[38:06]
Ed Gamble
Well, I'M going to tell you first of all what Dexcom is, James, because.
[38:09]
James Acaster
For you and a lot is my.
[38:11]
Ed Gamble
First question and a lot of other people listening, it might not mean much, but for myself and for James and, and many other people out there living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it's a massive thing, isn't it?
[38:22]
James Norton
It's a game changer. Yeah, it really is, yeah.
[38:24]
Ed Gamble
Continuous glucose monitoring, which is what Dexcom do, certainly has changed the life of myself and James. So we wear a Dexcom CGM and it's a small skin sensor that measures our glucose every few minutes via a tiny wire beneath the skin, sending readings to our phone through Bluetooth. Bit like Robocop.
[38:41]
James Acaster
Absolutely incredible.
[38:42]
James Norton
Yeah.
[38:43]
Ed Gamble
We are cyborgs and we can see our glucose levels when they're heading down or heading up fast, or whether we need to act on it, and able to set alerts to let us know whether we're going low or high. For me, absolute game changer when it comes to managing my diabetes.
[38:56]
James Norton
Yeah. For those like James A. Who are intrigued but ignorant about diabetes, the challenge is to keep good control of your glucose levels. And CGM is a new technology which has made that so much easier and as a result, we sleep better, we're less anxious, we can have a happier, more healthy life. So it's, it's pretty big.
[39:18]
Ed Gamble
It's absolutely massive. I mean, I remember when I was diagnosed, there certainly wasn't this technology as easily available as it is now.
[39:25]
James Norton
No. And now it's available on the nhs. You can buy it, but it is also available in the NHS for some diabetics, which is amazing. And more and more is being kind of rolled out and made accessible, which is great.
[39:34]
Ed Gamble
What it's really helped me do is understand how different things affect my glucose levels, like exercise and what I'm eating. And to a certain extent it's made me go. It's everything I ever suspected, but I've just been ignoring for eight years. Turns out if I eat more nutritionally and more balanced and do loads of exercise, then it's much, much easier to manage my diabetes.
[39:54]
James Acaster
Didn't you tell me once that you noticed that doing standup comedy caused a spike?
[39:58]
Ed Gamble
Yes.
[39:58]
James Norton
Adrenaline.
[39:59]
Ed Gamble
Adrenaline, yeah. Massive. I mean, performing with type 1 is an absolute pain sometimes.
[40:05]
James Norton
Yeah.
[40:05]
Ed Gamble
Like Dexcom has made it way easier. Cause I can just check my levels and then go on stage, do the show and that's fine. But I know you recently did a massive run of a play that was incredibly taxable.
[40:17]
James Norton
I did a four hour play And I didn't leave the stage once, apart from the interval. And I had my Dexcom on the whole time underneath a bandage. And yeah, I had the little. You can either. The readings can either be sent to your phone or they can send to like a little sort of pager device which was very small. And I kept my pocket and all.
[40:35]
James Acaster
The way through the play.
[40:35]
James Norton
Every so often I'd quickly have a look and then I would act accordingly. I would eat some sugar, I would inject and it kept my glucose levels so much better. I had one or two minor hypos. Is that me?
[40:47]
Ed Gamble
Is that yours going off?
[40:48]
James Norton
No, I think it might be.
[40:49]
Ed Gamble
This is. This is great.
[40:51]
James Norton
Thank you. When you're doing a four hour play, we're doing any play to know what your levels are doing. That's the key for dexcom as a diabetic. Awareness and knowledge about your glucose levels is power. And that's how you are less stressed and you can spend less time thinking about your diabetes and more time thinking about life.
[41:10]
Ed Gamble
Definitely.
[41:10]
James Norton
And that's what Dexcom gives you. It gives you power, it gives you freedom from the diabetes, which is kind of key.
[41:15]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. I mean, I found performing using Dexcom has meant that I don't have any issues on stage because I can see before I go on. I can literally have my phone side of stage. I can see if it's stable, it's going up, going down, act accordingly and then go on and do the show without worrying about it at all.
[41:29]
James Norton
Yeah.
[41:30]
Ed Gamble
I mean, there's so many brilliant features connected with the Dexcom. I mean, the alerts, even though I think the alert that I get of telling me I'm dropping low or going too high, lives in my nightmares, is very, very helpful.
[41:42]
James Norton
Yes, it is helpful.
[41:43]
Ed Gamble
Oh, my gosh.
[41:43]
James Norton
Because before we had cgm and Ed and I are old enough and have had diabetes long enough to know this. The. The only thing which would wake you up was a hypo if you were going low. And that is horrible. Sweaty, mess, discobolated, disorientated, scared. If you're with a. With a partner, it's quite scary for them because often you are, you know, hypos are serious things. You kind of lose your mind a bit. And now way before that happens, all the danger signs kicking in, we get a beep, which wakes us up. And since then my glucose is just more controlled and so I don't get as many alerts through the night and I sleep so much better. And then your whole life is improved. And that's why? You cannot underestimate how much difference Dexcom gives you in your life. It's huge.
[42:25]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, those beeps as well. Have you ever been in public and heard someone else you don't know in public? You find out they are using Dexcom as well because you hear the beep come from their phone.
[42:34]
James Norton
Yeah, yeah, of course. Well, I have the added fact that my sister and my mom are all on Dexcom.
[42:38]
Ed Gamble
Of course.
[42:39]
James Norton
Can you imagine my kitchen table, genuinely. It goes off and we're like, who is it? Who is it?
[42:45]
Ed Gamble
Grab the phones.
[42:46]
James Norton
But yet again, it's just for all three of us. Once we've established who it is who's being beeped at, it's. Yeah, it's just our whole family, whole family life. We get more sleep, we argue less.
[42:55]
Ed Gamble
I had to interview someone recently at a corporate. A founder of a company who has also given a lot of money to diabetes research because his stepson is diabetic. And we were on stage and I had my phone in my pocket, and then the alert went off, and I was like, oh, this is so embarrassing. My alert's just gone off. No, it's his phone. Because he uses the sharing feature.
[43:17]
James Norton
Yes.
[43:18]
Ed Gamble
On the app. So it means that parents of diabetics can also be hooked up to the sensor, so they know if they need to act on something as well now.
[43:26]
James Acaster
And I'm aware, Ed. I'm probably tearing myself up here to be absolutely roasted. Are there any stigmas or misconceptions around diabetes that get on both of your nerves? And I look at said, I've apologized for everything I've ever said.
[43:40]
Ed Gamble
You've done all of them. Everything you've ever asked. You can probably list them off, to be honest.
[43:45]
James Acaster
Yes. I think people thinking that you guys can't eat sugar or sweet things at all.
[43:50]
James Norton
Yes.
[43:51]
James Acaster
Is the. The number at number one? If this was Family Fortunes, that'd be the number one one that would come up.
[43:56]
James Norton
Do you know how many times I've said I'm on the off menu podcast? And they go, but can you even have dessert? How are you gonna do that course? I'm like, yes, I can. Thank you very much.
[44:04]
Ed Gamble
When it's really annoying for me is when I don't want to have dessert if I decide to not have dessert. So then everyone goes, of course you can't have dessert. It's like, no, I could if I wanted, but sometimes I just. It's too many calculations and I just want to eat a bit of cheese.
[44:18]
James Norton
Yeah. Yeah.
[44:18]
Ed Gamble
And then people get annoyed with You. If you order a cheese board, you know.
[44:21]
James Norton
Well, I mean, someone in particular.
[44:22]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[44:23]
James Norton
I think.
[44:23]
James Acaster
Yeah, I'm absolutely annoyed. I didn't know it was a hate crime until now. I got annoyed every single time. I would imagine that people not knowing that they're two different types is annoying as well. People just kind of, like, lump everyone together and don't, like, appreciate that everyone's got their own journey, their own story.
[44:40]
James Norton
Yeah. There's a slight confusion, I think, between type one and type two. And Ed and I are both type one. Type one is autoimmune and we don't produce any insulin. Type two is a more sliding scale.
[44:50]
Ed Gamble
They might be producing insulin, but the insulin sensitivity is way down. So it might not be doing its job.
[44:55]
James Norton
Yes, exactly.
[44:56]
James Acaster
But of course, people who have type one and type two can both benefit from Dexcom. Am I right, guys?
[45:00]
Ed Gamble
Absolutely.
[45:01]
James Acaster
Yeah. Dex comes waterproof.
[45:02]
James Norton
Yes.
[45:03]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. There you go.
[45:04]
James Norton
Oh, yeah. That's another misconception. The misconception that if you have these discs, your life is in some way limited. Things like swimming or running or exercise, you know, people are like, how do you live with that thing? But it's weird. You put it on every 10 days and it stays on there and you don't really think about it at all. And does it really hurt having something underneath your skin? It doesn't hurt. Not at all.
[45:24]
Ed Gamble
At all.
[45:24]
James Norton
I forget about it all the time.
[45:25]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. And it's rock solid as well. Mine doesn't move. Where are you rocking your sensor?
[45:29]
James Norton
I generally wear mine on my midriff, on my stomach. What about you? Where do you wear yours?
[45:34]
Ed Gamble
I'm back of arm. You're back of arm every single time? Yeah.
[45:37]
James Norton
Do you know what I found?
[45:38]
Ed Gamble
If I stick it sort of just below the tricep, it really pops those bad boys out.
[45:42]
James Norton
That's draws attention. Yeah. That's really good, actually.
[45:46]
Ed Gamble
So a big thanks to Dexcom for sponsoring this week's episode. But before we take a break, worth mentioning that Dexcom CGMs mean that you can see how your body responds to different food, exercise, and also medication at different times of the day. And that you're able to spot patterns without cgm. This can be difficult to understand, but with Dexcom, you'll learn what's right for your body, adapting only what's necessary. If you or someone you know is living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and you like the sound of Dexcom, we highly recommend you take a look online@dexcom.com. what a great website.
[46:14]
James Acaster
Wow.
[46:15]
Ed Gamble
And request a free Dexcom one plus sample Dexcom sensors are available on the NHS for some people living with diabetes and also are available to buy online. Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use apply. And we'll be right back.
[46:42]
James Acaster
So this dream main course that you've, you know, picked, so you teed yourself up with the asparagus.
[46:49]
James Norton
So this is where I flipped and flopped For a long time I couldn't think what I wanted in my dreams and then I realized what I wanted.
[46:55]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[46:55]
James Norton
But then it was like that throws beast into complete chaos. It was, it was fish. I want to fish. I knew I want to fish. And, and, and the, and the reason I was like veering away from this is because this is what I would. I cook for people a lot. When, when, Especially in the summer. I love barbecuing. I have a big grill. I have a big gas grill. I have a big wood grill as well. Next.
[47:13]
James Acaster
Exactly the same person.
[47:17]
Ed Gamble
Big time. Yeah.
[47:17]
James Norton
You should come around to my house.
[47:18]
Ed Gamble
Yes, please.
[47:19]
James Acaster
I love fun. Looks the same house. Walk in. Everything looks exactly the same. Charlie says hi to you. What?
[47:29]
James Norton
Alarms went off? Yeah, I, I love grilling, grilling, grilling, grilling. And I, and I, and I love flame grill stuff particularly. And I love in the summer grilling fish. So I'd love, if you're okay with this, to take me to a beach because I would like to be sitting on a beach for main course.
[47:46]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[47:46]
James Norton
And someone is grilling wood grill, wood flame fish. And it could. A halibut steak would be great. Some prawns, some big prawns, maybe some scallops. And it's like paper tablecloths. Sun setting and I'm just getting in there with my hands and I'm cracking the prawns and I'm, you know, like, that's my mate. You know, made with the salsa. Maybe like a mango or something. Some fruit based salsa. Lime and really well seasoned, but incredibly fresh.
[48:13]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. Yeah, I love this.
[48:14]
James Norton
Delicious.
[48:15]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. Really good.
[48:16]
James Acaster
Yeah, that's fantastic.
[48:17]
James Norton
Can't argue with that.
[48:17]
James Acaster
Halbert steak as well. I don't think we've had. Yeah, we've had that. Have we?
[48:21]
James Norton
Sorry. This is so ironic that we're doing a diabetic diet. Yeah, I need to sort that out. That's fine. It'll stop beeping a second.
[48:28]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, fish do feel free to take a pause to give you time to put in the thing that keeps you alive.
[48:34]
James Norton
It keeps, you know. Yeah, no, it'll be fine. It'll stop. Barbecued fish.
[48:41]
Ed Gamble
Yes.
[48:41]
James Norton
One of the best things in the world. And when people come around to my house in the summer with my. I've moved house recently, one of the big things for me was building an outdoor kitchen. So I've got like a sink, wood, wood barbecue, gas barbecue. It's pretty amazing. Yeah, you should come and see. And then I will barbecue various bits of fish with some halloumi. I'll do a. Right. This is what I would have you at my house. I do a rice with full of seeds, so lots of pumpkin and sunflowers. If I think if I had to choose one ingredient I use the most in my life, it's sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
[49:10]
Ed Gamble
Really?
[49:10]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[49:11]
James Norton
Everything, every meal, savory or sweet. Sweet porridge, puddings, starter soups, salads, everything I just eat. I love toasted seeds.
[49:19]
James Acaster
You got like a dispenser.
[49:21]
James Norton
I don't. I just do have, you know, in the spice drawer with your salt and pepper or like, you know, your sort of essentials in there. My pumpkin seeds and my sunflower seeds. So I have them in my rice with some like coriander. And then I'll have a mango salsa with like, you know, lime and avocado and tomatoes and a bit of chili and that with grilled fish, but just good fish don't do too much to it. Bit of lemon, salt, Pepper. Pepper.
[49:42]
Ed Gamble
I don't want to make this whole episode too diabetic, but how often you eating porridge and how do you handle it?
[49:47]
James Acaster
Oh, is that.
[49:48]
James Norton
I don't do it. I don't do it anymore.
[49:50]
Ed Gamble
I just can't do it.
[49:50]
James Norton
No, I. I start my breakfast again. Fiber.
[49:54]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[49:55]
James Norton
I do vegetables and eggs.
[49:56]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. I'm. I'm no carb in the morning because porridge, it's mad.
[50:01]
James Norton
And I think this is not just for us as well. This is people like. I think there's a misconception about porridge being really healthy. Yeah.
[50:08]
Ed Gamble
Straight up. Almost like I can see on my Dexcom like glucose levels straight up. No matter how much insulin I give for it can never stop that spike. And then almost an hour later, straight down.
[50:20]
James Norton
Oh, interesting.
[50:21]
Ed Gamble
Straight down the oblivion.
[50:23]
James Norton
Oh, okay. Yeah. I used to eat porridge when I was at drama school and I used to cycle like a crazy person from Green Lanes down to central London. And I used to have porridge every morning. Me and my then partner would really went to town on porridge. Like pomegranate seeds. Seeds, lots of seeds, all sorts. Fruit. And again I would shoot. But then on the cycle ride. Yeah, yeah, same thing plummet. I think the interesting. Because we talk a lot about GI index as diabetics. Well, we don't actually. We should, but we think about what is complex carbs and what isn't. And porridge is often sort of the ultimate complex carbohydrate where it is meant to be a very slow rise and then a slow. What's it called? Decline. And therefore it's healthy. I agree with you. It is kind of nonsense.
[51:08]
James Acaster
So what do you think of the three bears story? Realistically? Is she eating porridge and then having a nap in that bed?
[51:14]
James Norton
Probably, because that's what happens when you have the crash.
[51:16]
James Acaster
So that's okay. She's had the crash.
[51:18]
Ed Gamble
That makes total sense.
[51:19]
James Norton
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[51:20]
Ed Gamble
She might be type one Goldilocks.
[51:21]
James Norton
Well, whoever wrote it clearly knows about that.
[51:24]
James Acaster
We can finally understand what that story is about.
[51:26]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[51:27]
James Norton
Is she asleep or is she just hypo really badly?
[51:29]
Ed Gamble
It doesn't explain why the bears live in a house.
[51:31]
James Norton
Does she get eaten by the bears?
[51:33]
James Acaster
I think there's different endings.
[51:34]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[51:34]
James Acaster
Yeah. I think traditionally she just, like, legs it out the house because they scare her. But then there are other endings where they. Yeah, they eat.
[51:42]
James Norton
I'm just thinking if her glucose levels are high, I often think I get eaten by mosquitoes more readily because my.
[51:47]
Ed Gamble
Oh, really? Because you're like a delicious sweet treat.
[51:49]
James Norton
Do you think so?
[51:50]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, maybe. I very rarely get bitten by mosquitoes.
[51:52]
James Norton
Well, then let's disprove the rule. Your glucose levels.
[51:55]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, Maybe not on holiday, though, mate. It's all over the place.
[51:58]
James Norton
Yeah, it's true, actually.
[51:59]
Ed Gamble
They should be feasting on me.
[52:00]
James Norton
That's true. Instant doesn't work as well in holiday in hot countries. Nightmare. Nightmare.
[52:03]
James Acaster
Really?
[52:04]
James Norton
Oh, it's coming back from Jamaica nightmare.
[52:07]
James Acaster
I'm learning a lot.
[52:08]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. Clip up. You saying coming back from Jamaica nightmare.
[52:14]
James Norton
Please don't.
[52:17]
Ed Gamble
With no context.
[52:20]
James Norton
Please. I just. As I said it, I thought there I was worried about lobster beast being bougie.
[52:28]
Ed Gamble
Look, it's going well, man. Everything's going well.
[52:30]
James Acaster
Yeah, Good on you, man. All you had to do was kidnap that little girl or whatever it was. Well, that sounds delicious.
[52:37]
James Norton
That.
[52:38]
James Acaster
I think, like freshly barbecued fish on the beach. The best. Also, knowing you, best fish ever. Best fish ever, but best beach ever.
[52:45]
James Norton
Best beach ever.
[52:46]
James Acaster
Yeah. Have you got a best beach ever?
[52:48]
James Norton
Well, I was very, very, very fortunate to have gone to Jamaica recently. I was, you know, incredibly lucky. And it's very rare.
[52:56]
Ed Gamble
Very rare. It Was a dream. It was a real dream.
[52:58]
James Norton
Completely. Once in a lifetime.
[52:59]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[52:59]
James Norton
Never been, probably never going be to back. And that was pretty good. So maybe Jamaica.
[53:04]
James Acaster
Jamaica Beach.
[53:05]
James Norton
I'll take it. I'll take a beach in Jamaica. Goldeneye, run by Chris Blackwell, who I played in the. In a movie about Bob Marley. Oh, yeah. He has an incredible hotel called goldeneye, which is where Ian Fleming wrote all the Bond films and where masses of like, artists and musicians have been and still go because he ran. He founded Island Records and a lot of people would play music and go and record out there, including Bob Marley and Talking Hands, all these great, great artists. Anyway, that is a paradise. Food is amazing and he is a great man and a wonderful host and see, I'll take. I'll take that. I'll take a beach and go tonight. But can I just finish very quickly? Sorry. Make sure my meals.
[53:43]
James Acaster
Every time we go off on a jokey tangent.
[53:47]
Ed Gamble
But anyway, seriously, this isn't.
[53:49]
James Acaster
This isn't the best. Yeah, please.
[53:51]
James Norton
I know.
[53:52]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[53:52]
James Norton
I was suddenly really worried that we were going to jump to.
[53:55]
James Acaster
No, no, don't worry.
[53:55]
James Norton
Well, actually, no, actually. You're about to ask me about my side dish, are you?
[53:58]
James Acaster
No, I was about to say that I'll never get tired of the joke. Jamaica. No, she went of her own accord. Yeah, but you. You go and say what you make of her record. It's always funny. It was one of those old, old jokes that always makes me laugh. I went to Jamaica with my wife. Really? Jamaica. No, she went of her own accord. That is good, clean fun.
[54:18]
Ed Gamble
Did you just say I went to Jamaica with my wife? Jamaica? No, she went of her own accord. Because you've got that joke very wrong.
[54:23]
James Norton
Wrong.
[54:23]
James Acaster
Isn't that right?
[54:24]
James Norton
Yeah.
[54:24]
Ed Gamble
No, you can't say Jamaica twice in it.
[54:27]
James Norton
Someone else is answering.
[54:28]
James Acaster
There's not someone else answering it. I went to Jamaica with my wife.
[54:30]
James Norton
Jamaica.
[54:31]
Ed Gamble
It's not. I went to the Caribbean. I went to the Caribbean with my wife. Jamaica. No, she went of her own.
[54:35]
James Acaster
Of course, yes. That's better.
[54:36]
Ed Gamble
Because why would the person who's already said Jamaica, misunderstood, misunderstand. Jamaica.
[54:40]
James Acaster
No, it was that they were checking. They're going. Oh, really? Jamaica.
[54:43]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, yeah, Jamaica. That's how that conversation would go. I went to Jamaica with my wife. Yeah, Jamaica. The island in the Caribbean. We had a lovely time.
[54:52]
James Acaster
Why get so angry?
[54:55]
James Norton
Ruin the joke?
[54:55]
Ed Gamble
We can all be perfectionists, mate.
[54:57]
James Acaster
Check your phone. What's it saying?
[55:01]
Ed Gamble
I was going to ask was the hotel called goldeneye before or after Ian Fleming? Wrote the book.
[55:06]
James Norton
I think it was before. And I think he named goldeneye.
[55:09]
Ed Gamble
He just named it after. Yeah.
[55:11]
James Norton
And Chris's mum was the main influence behind Pussy Galore.
[55:15]
Ed Gamble
Wow.
[55:16]
James Acaster
What?
[55:17]
Ed Gamble
I just don't know. I was like, that's impressive. And then I was thinking, I don't know if I'd be all right with that.
[55:23]
James Norton
It's not great for the schoolyard, is it?
[55:26]
James Acaster
That's based on you.
[55:27]
James Norton
Yeah. What's her name? Yeah.
[55:31]
James Acaster
Oh, I don't want to spoil the surprise. Wait for the book to come out.
[55:35]
Ed Gamble
Well, in the book, she was called Fanny Everywhere, actually, in fair.
[55:40]
James Acaster
A more convincing name.
[55:41]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[55:42]
James Acaster
A more realistic name.
[55:43]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[55:44]
James Acaster
Galore. I can't say the first time I heard that that was someone. A character's name.
[55:50]
James Norton
I say it and I think, have I mixed up James Bond and Austin Powers?
[55:55]
James Acaster
That can't be what the character is.
[55:58]
James Norton
I know. It was, though.
[55:59]
James Acaster
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it was.
[56:00]
James Norton
Yeah. Yeah. I had one of the best meals I've had in Jamaica. Rio Grande go golden. I honestly, it's the best place in the world. Food's amazing, etc. But there's a. They, they. There's a river you can go called the Rio Grande nearby near Port Antonio. And halfway down, there's a lady called Belinda who has, like, a shack, and she cooks the best jerk chicken.
[56:17]
Ed Gamble
Oh, man.
[56:18]
James Norton
Rice peas is. And you're on the side of a river and you've just rafted down with someone on, like, a huge bamboo do thing, and you're having the best life. It's the best thing ever.
[56:28]
Ed Gamble
Amazing food was. Yeah, that sounds so good.
[56:30]
James Norton
I was almost just gonna regurgitate that meal, but then I thought, I've. I've had it, so don't regurgitate that meal.
[56:38]
Ed Gamble
We avoid the word regurgitate.
[56:39]
James Norton
Yes.
[56:40]
Ed Gamble
On the podcast in general.
[56:41]
James Acaster
Yeah, we say we do. A lot of disgusting things has come up on this podcast.
[56:45]
James Norton
Lobster beast.
[56:48]
James Acaster
Mainly my fault. So are you okay for us to move on to the side dish now?
[56:51]
James Norton
Yes, I am.
[56:52]
James Acaster
Are you sure?
[56:52]
Ed Gamble
Sure.
[56:52]
James Norton
Yes, I am. As long as my. Because my salsa is not part of the side dish, is it? Because it has to have fruit. Yeah, great, Great. You know, I'm not genuinely traumatized by this. I mean, I. You guys have turned it into.
[57:07]
Ed Gamble
You do keep. You do keep going.
[57:08]
James Norton
Just.
[57:09]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, this is. I'm having a lot of fun.
[57:10]
James Acaster
Yeah. We just get back to you very urgently.
[57:13]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[57:14]
James Acaster
Said, please don't move on. Please.
[57:16]
James Norton
No, I'm just fine.
[57:18]
James Acaster
Fine. It's good for us. It's good for us to have a guest who cares about their menu. In all. In all honesty, it's. It's when guests don't care about it that it's a bit harder. This is great.
[57:29]
James Norton
I care.
[57:36]
James Acaster
Your dream side dish, James.
[57:38]
James Norton
Okay, so I'm a big salads man. Again, fiber greens, but simple green lettuce. Bit of avo maybe. Maybe lots of seeds, some pine nuts. Probably toasted. All toasted and really well dressed. And that will be alongside fries. And with my fries, I want ketchup and vinegar. And I also. Sorry. Ketchup, mayonnaise, a little bit. Probably won't use the mayonnaise. We'll use all the ketchup. Mayonnaise has to be there just in case.
[58:01]
James Acaster
Okay.
[58:02]
James Norton
And the key thing for me in. In this whole meal is the vinegar on the fries.
[58:06]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[58:07]
James Norton
Because once you've got that, like salsary fishy juice at the bottom and there's fries are there and you've doused them. A vinegar. Vinegar or in general, all meals are improved by a little bit of vinegar. I think balsamic vinegar is probably my third most used ingredient. I'm not putting balsamic on my chips. Malt vinegar. But that for me is.
[58:24]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, you need the vinegar.
[58:26]
James Norton
I need the vinegar on my chips. And I've realized I was actually, I grew up in North Yorkshire. I was in the north recently. And I said to the table that, do you. I'm so sorry, do you mind if I have some vinegar on my chips? And they're like, are you fucking kidding me? You're in the north. Like, we all don't. That's absolutely fine. We love our vinegar. And I realized that it's because I grew up in North Yorkshire. I. I love vinegar on my chips. But I went to the hamyard today, had some fries with my lunch, said, can I have some vinegar, please? I think the guy went out and bought some. I think it was really, after about 10 minutes, he came out with an absolute fresh, you know, one of those kind of like lovely malt. Yeah.
[58:56]
Ed Gamble
So I guess vinegar on fries to me seems unusual.
[59:00]
James Acaster
I think chip shop chips, loads of vinegar.
[59:03]
James Norton
No, no salt.
[59:04]
James Acaster
Yeah, but like fries. Yeah. I wouldn't. Which is weird. Cause I love. I love salt and vinegar on my chips.
[59:09]
James Norton
But I think when you say fries, you're probably being very. You're being rightfully pedantic about the very thin kind of American fry. I think I'm thinking somewhere in between a sort of thin McDonald's fry and a chunky chip. What is That a chip Chip?
[59:25]
James Acaster
I guess, yeah. I can get a standard pub chip.
[59:28]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[59:28]
James Norton
But I don't want it to be thick.
[59:30]
Ed Gamble
But you don't want it to be too thin.
[59:31]
James Norton
Well, yeah, and if I don't get it right, I'm going to combust and run into the sea with the genie.
[59:38]
James Acaster
You would like the perfect chip, but we have. Yeah, best one in the world.
[59:42]
Ed Gamble
The most perfectly sized chip in the world for you.
[59:45]
James Norton
Lots of them.
[59:45]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, yeah, lots of them. With vinegar and salt and ketchup on the side and mayonnaise. But you probably won't use the mayonnaise. It's there just in case.
[59:52]
James Norton
Yes.
[59:52]
Ed Gamble
This is what I'm fascinated by.
[59:54]
James Norton
Please.
[59:54]
Ed Gamble
In what situation would you have to bring out, use the emergency mayonnaise?
[59:59]
James Norton
If the. This will not happen because this is the dream restaurant. But if there was an issue of, like, sauce and, and lubricants, then the mayonnaise is there as a sort of back. I think it's probably because generally what I do is when they say, do you want any condiments? I say, yes, please. Ketchup, mayonnaise and vinegar. And they go, oh, you like condiments? I say, yes, I do. I like all the condiments. And if it's me, I'll have mustard as well. So it's just I need to have all bases covered. Which, again, is probably a metaphor for my life in some weird way.
[60:24]
Ed Gamble
I love this. So it's more of a security condiment. The mayonnaise is there to make you feel comfortable.
[60:29]
James Norton
Yeah. And then. And then probably at the end of the meal, I'll go, oh, I didn't touch poor mayonnaise. And I'll probably just do one, one fry. Just to make it feel sorry for the mayonnaise. Well, I just want to, you know, it's completely left out and also feel a bit embarrassed. I ordered the mayonnaise and didn' and looks a bit, you know, titled.
[60:43]
Ed Gamble
I think this episode is the most we've ever had an insight into the way a guest thinks through their menu. Yeah, the perfection thing is huge. But just then, poor mayonnaise.
[60:56]
James Norton
Do you not talk to things?
[60:59]
James Acaster
Not to the condiments? And so, you know, I might speak to a holiday home when I'm leaving it for the last time. I might turn around and be like, thank you.
[61:09]
Ed Gamble
Thank you.
[61:09]
James Acaster
See you later.
[61:09]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, yeah.
[61:10]
James Norton
I, I, I. Mayonnaise is pro. Yeah, I just, I don't want it to be. I don't want to look too wasteful. And I'm also A real stickler for finishing my meal. So then there's a big. But I just want to. Yeah. Want the bases covered.
[61:21]
Ed Gamble
How do you deal with that in. With barbecues? Because I will. Even if I'm just barbecuing for me and my wife.
[61:26]
James Norton
Oh, yeah.
[61:26]
Ed Gamble
Which I will do regularly. Just like during COVID I've said this before. Same five times a week. Barbecuing, like every meal. Every meal.
[61:33]
James Norton
Yeah.
[61:34]
James Acaster
That just looked at me like.
[61:36]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[61:37]
James Acaster
Rolled his eyes.
[61:38]
Ed Gamble
And I always do two much.
[61:39]
James Norton
Oh. So yeah. The cut from the same cloth.
[61:42]
Ed Gamble
I will be like, if it's an evening barbecue at like 10 o' clock, my wife would be like, I'm gonna go and do something else now. Cause I'll just be like sat there in the dark outside eating a steak, just trying to finish the wine and eat all the meat.
[61:53]
James Norton
Did you have the problem over the lockdown? And just generally in life where I always over cater. I think I've said this to many friends. I think I have a previous life as like some prison chef. Cause I'm unable to cook for the quantity of people I'm having. You know, I always over cater. And then the next day when you're on a rolling Barb. Which I was also.
[62:11]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[62:12]
James Norton
Because me and my then partner had like the best lockdown because we didn't have kids. We had a garden. Our fishmonger was open. Butcher was open. We could get nice natural wine with it. And we would just like listen to albums.
[62:24]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[62:24]
James Norton
Front, you know, But. But barbecue, it was. It was. I sorry should caveat this with. I know that lockdown was horrendous for many.
[62:30]
James Acaster
Yes.
[62:31]
James Norton
But I was lucky enough to have a pretty good time. And a lot of it was to do with food. My problem was that I would always cook too much lunch. And then the following day you've got like the leftovers of the previous day. Or you can cook a new barbecue.
[62:42]
Ed Gamble
It's always a new barbecue.
[62:43]
James Norton
It's always a new barbecue.
[62:44]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[62:44]
James Norton
And then you are getting wasteful.
[62:45]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I probably still eat for lunch in a salad.
[62:51]
James Norton
Yeah, it's true.
[62:52]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[62:52]
James Acaster
That's good at doing that.
[62:54]
James Norton
Using up leftovers.
[62:55]
James Acaster
Yeah, he's resourceful. It'll be like, right, okay. If anything, I think you're delighted that it's like, great, now I've got another meal that I can suss out.
[63:02]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, yeah.
[63:03]
James Norton
I also do. Yeah, I'm good at. Yeah, it's true. Actually. I like leftovers for the. For the lunch or the little nibble. Like midnight nibble. And you got. Coming from barbecue.
[63:10]
Ed Gamble
I'm. I'm there. All right, I'm coming.
[63:11]
James Acaster
Sometimes when I order takeaways, I'll order like an extra thing that I don't need. And it will usually be the green thing.
[63:16]
James Norton
Yeah.
[63:16]
James Acaster
I won't eat it. And then over the days, I've stored those up for me to take away and then make a mega salad.
[63:22]
James Norton
Do you.
[63:22]
Ed Gamble
That's. Mega salad's a great idea.
[63:24]
James Acaster
Put them all in a thing idea. I did it the other day with broccoli from Sticks and Shoes. With the artichoke Caesar salad from Mildred's. And there's one other thing. I think if some asparagus.
[63:37]
Ed Gamble
Bam.
[63:37]
James Acaster
All together at once. Absolutely loved it.
[63:40]
James Norton
Gee, that's really interesting to me. I find it harder to keep leftovers on takeaways than I do leftovers of my own regularly. If I'm in London for a week and I know that I'm gonna be in a few nights, which is annoyingly rare at the moment. Cause I feel so busy. But when that has happened, I'll either make a massive soup at the beginning of the week or a massive salad. And it will accompany all meals for the rest of the week. Sometimes it'll be the whole meal. Salad, three, four, five days. You know, if it looks fine. Great. A leftover takeaway, I find, really, I think it's because I didn't cook it right. I don't like it. I have to eat the takeaway on the day. I keep it. And then, oh, I'll probably eat this tomorrow. And then I always throw it away.
[64:16]
Ed Gamble
I. I like it the day. The day after is good. The other day it had loads of leftovers from a really nice Chinese meal, actually. And had just had leftovers on toast the next day.
[64:26]
James Norton
Nice. Anything on taste?
[64:28]
James Acaster
Yeah, lovely. Just respect him. I respect him so much on the copter.
[64:36]
James Norton
That was so touching.
[64:37]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[64:38]
James Acaster
He just says some things. I'm like, what a great idea. Yeah, he's put it on toast and.
[64:42]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, let's rewind. That idea was putting something on toast.
[64:45]
James Acaster
Leftovers on toast.
[64:47]
James Norton
James has melted. You can't see this.
[64:49]
James Acaster
This is what I'm talking about.
[64:50]
Ed Gamble
Tell you something else I had on toast the other day.
[64:52]
James Norton
Yeah. Watch out.
[64:53]
Ed Gamble
Peanut butter. So far, so standard.
[64:56]
James Norton
Yeah.
[64:56]
Ed Gamble
And then laugan ma. Crispy chili oil drizzled on the top. It's just like having satay. Satay on toast. Essentially.
[65:03]
James Norton
This guy James has passed that crispy.
[65:06]
Ed Gamble
Chili oil is the best thing in the world. I don't know what that is, Laugan Ma. It's just a type of chili oil.
[65:10]
James Norton
But it's the sweet one.
[65:11]
Ed Gamble
It's. No, no, no. It's like in a big jar. The oil's great, but it's the crispy bits of chili and shallot and garlic in there, and I can eat that like yogurt. It's amazing.
[65:22]
James Norton
Again, something we share. I. I should have. I should have kicking myself.
[65:28]
Ed Gamble
Oh, no. Oh, no.
[65:30]
James Norton
James has run out Tabasco, chili sauce. Every restaurant, you've got any chili, you've got any hot. So with the fish, with the chips, it's got, you know, I've racking up my condiments, but chili and unless it was cooked, really. But spice. I love, love, love spice.
[65:44]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[65:45]
Ed Gamble
I feel like you're marinating some of that fish.
[65:46]
James Norton
I think you are.
[65:47]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. Yeah.
[65:47]
James Acaster
A bit of chili, having some tabasco on the table, but with that. Are you gonna. At the end if you haven't, you know, used any of it, you know. Oh, sorry. Tabasco. And then just glug it for the pot.
[66:00]
James Norton
Do you know, I. I carry tabasco everywhere I go.
[66:03]
James Acaster
I love it.
[66:03]
James Norton
Yeah, because. Because of. Because of work, filming, particularly. Food can be good. Fat can be. I'm sure you guys have experienced this on the road. It's like hit and miss. Tabasco will improve anything. And so I poached eggs in the morning with my vegetable eggs. 12. And then lunch. Yeah, I love it.
[66:18]
Ed Gamble
I used to do that with sriracha. I had one of the key ring bottles of sriracha. You could get a bottle of sriracha on a carabiner.
[66:26]
James Norton
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[66:27]
Ed Gamble
Sriracha on a carabiner. And then hook it on your keys, hook it on your belt. And then I burnt myself out on sriracha.
[66:31]
James Acaster
James went to the Caribbean recently.
[66:34]
Ed Gamble
Jamaica.
[66:36]
James Acaster
Yes.
[66:36]
James Norton
She went.
[66:38]
James Acaster
Yes, Jamaica.
[66:42]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, Sriracha. I just burnt myself out it, though.
[66:45]
James Norton
But you now can't have any more Sriracha.
[66:47]
Ed Gamble
Nah, I'm not a Sriracha guy anymore.
[66:49]
James Norton
Oh, sriracha. There's a word in there, isn't there?
[66:51]
James Acaster
She want a cord. Your dream drink, James.
[67:00]
Ed Gamble
So, Beast, is this the place for the beast?
[67:02]
James Acaster
Oh, the ultimate hack. But the lobster beast can drink.
[67:06]
James Norton
Drink cold mug of Ms. Beast, please. Regurgitated. No, I think what I would will. I, I. I don't know much about wine, but I love it. So I'll have a. I think I'm gonna have a natural white, but like with a little frizzante. You know, the kind of because with the fish is what I basically like. My lockdown. I had this a lot because I live. Lived in Peckham and there was lots of bougie. It's awful, isn't it? But that kind of live in that echo chamber. And there were natural wine shops.
[67:36]
Ed Gamble
Echo chamber.
[67:36]
James Norton
Echo chamber.
[67:37]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[67:37]
James Norton
Very good.
[67:38]
James Acaster
This is what I'm talking about.
[67:40]
James Norton
I know.
[67:42]
James Acaster
Just on all cylinders. She's got good idea. One second he's throwing out a good idea for how to do your leftovers. Then he's got an amazing pun up his sleeve.
[67:55]
James Norton
It's unreal.
[67:56]
James Acaster
Are you the best?
[67:56]
James Norton
What you guys can't see is that these two are holding hands right now.
[67:58]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[67:59]
James Norton
Really cute.
[68:01]
James Acaster
I wish he would.
[68:04]
James Norton
Yeah. There's a wine. It's called CAS or something. It's got like a spiral on the front. It's not that expensive. Expensive.
[68:10]
Ed Gamble
But I know the one you mean. I can't remember the name of it. I drank loads of it in lockdown as well.
[68:14]
James Norton
Everyone was doing it. It's along with the chin chin, but it's a bit more.
[68:17]
Ed Gamble
And the Calcarius was the other one that everyone was.
[68:20]
James Norton
Is that right? Yeah, yeah. One of those with it, I think. Really cold, crisp, natural.
[68:25]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. It's a pet nat, isn't it? Yeah.
[68:27]
James Norton
Bianco Frazanti.
[68:28]
James Acaster
Bianco Frazante.
[68:30]
Ed Gamble
The producer.
[68:31]
James Norton
Casa Belfi.
[68:32]
Ed Gamble
Casa Belfi. Bianco Frizante. Yeah. A lovely light pet nat. Delicious, crisp.
[68:38]
James Norton
Cuts through the. The oil of the fish.
[68:40]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[68:40]
James Norton
Just. Yeah. A bottle of that.
[68:41]
Ed Gamble
I think I did burn myself out on natural wine, though.
[68:44]
James Norton
Again.
[68:45]
Ed Gamble
I'm sound like a complete tosser here.
[68:47]
James Acaster
Go on.
[68:48]
Ed Gamble
Because of lockdown. Because we've got a really good shop near us that does just natural wine.
[68:52]
James Norton
Yeah.
[68:52]
Ed Gamble
And I was drinking a lot of it and what I found was you find a favorite with natural wine and you go and buy another bottle that's from like a different year or the next year. And it's completely different because they don't have any wine way of maintaining the taste of the wine. Because it's so different every year. Yeah, they're so at the right. Yeah. They're so at the mercy of the. The elements, which is.
[69:11]
James Norton
But I don't mind that because what I get really intimidated by with wine is not knowing anything and therefore going into a natural wine shop. I'm just like, what do you reckon's good?
[69:19]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, yeah.
[69:20]
James Norton
Around. This is my price point. Can you say, you know, I'm eating fish, I'm gonna be on the beach with a Genie.
[69:24]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[69:25]
James Norton
And then they give me whatever's good rather than what is, is what I know to be good.
[69:29]
Ed Gamble
I think that that sort of stuff, I think you can guarantee is going to be pretty much good across the board. But I was going into this natural wine shop and being like, what's the weirdest thing you've got?
[69:37]
James Norton
Oh, right.
[69:37]
Ed Gamble
And it was stuff that just basically tasted like a farmyard floor, the funk and loads of sediment at the bottom of it as well. If you pour more than two glasses, you got to just keep an eye on what's happening with the bottle because you just end up with a mouthful of gravel.
[69:49]
James Norton
Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I think we're on the same page. I'm sort of. Yeah. Recently, trying to be a little bit more traditional, but. But, yeah, as I say, don't know much about wine. Really like it, especially the natural one with this particular meal.
[70:00]
Ed Gamble
So do you want that? Do you want the Casa Belfi one?
[70:01]
James Norton
Yeah, why not?
[70:02]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, great.
[70:03]
James Norton
Please.
[70:03]
James Acaster
Casa Belfi is fun to say.
[70:05]
James Norton
I mean, there's part of me, the idiot in me going, well, that's not the best one in the world.
[70:09]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[70:12]
Ed Gamble
But we've got to chat about some stuff, James. You can't just say, best wine in the world, and we go, right, yeah, move on.
[70:18]
James Acaster
Best pudding in the world.
[70:19]
Ed Gamble
Thanks for coming on, James. We never done that before.
[70:25]
James Acaster
That's why. That's why you use Dexcom. Best in the world.
[70:28]
James Norton
Yes, it is.
[70:34]
James Acaster
So we arrive at your dream dessert.
[70:36]
James Norton
Oh, yeah.
[70:36]
James Acaster
It's going to be the best in the world. We know that. It's going to be perfect.
[70:39]
James Norton
It is.
[70:39]
James Acaster
This is like you're at the end of the meal now. You've had this perfect meal.
[70:44]
James Norton
Yeah.
[70:44]
James Acaster
So the perfect way to round it off. And.
[70:47]
James Norton
Well, I'm a diabetic, so unfortunately, I cannot have.
[70:50]
James Acaster
Yes.
[70:52]
Ed Gamble
And finally someone admits it.
[70:53]
James Acaster
I know it.
[70:55]
James Norton
Yeah. No, I've. I've looked at my Dexcom and I've realized that my glucose levels are level, actually, preferably they're going down a bit.
[71:03]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. This is the joy.
[71:05]
James Norton
That's the joy.
[71:05]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[71:06]
James Norton
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just times out perfect.
[71:08]
Ed Gamble
Not only am I going to have dessert, I need it.
[71:10]
James Norton
Yeah, exactly. I need it quick for about five minutes, please.
[71:14]
James Acaster
Oh, my gosh.
[71:15]
James Norton
This is funny. I went to the GQ Amount of the Year awards.
[71:18]
James Acaster
Congratulations. Did you win?
[71:20]
James Norton
I did not win. I'm not a Man of the Year. I was there to support the Men of the Year and the Women of the Year. Nicole Kidman was one of them.
[71:26]
James Acaster
I Don't.
[71:26]
James Norton
Yeah, I haven't quite got the sort of nuance that title quite yet. Nicole Kidman was honored. Who else? Cole Palmer, Jude Law, a few others. Anyway, and I went into the meal and the other thing about diabetics diabetes, which Ed you all know and we're all encouraged to do is, is administer our insulin via pump or injection, whichever way you choose, early, like 20 minutes before the meal is suggested.
[71:53]
Ed Gamble
Never done it.
[71:53]
James Norton
Never done it. Always on the meal. See, I, I.
[71:56]
Ed Gamble
Especially if you're out because you don't know when it's going to come. Right.
[71:58]
James Norton
So this is, this. I'm, I've been, I've been trying to do this more and more. I've been really, like, disciplined myself. Because it does help your glucose levels. It means you don't spike so much. I don't understand how non diabetics work. Like, you can't anticipate the food, can you bet? Yeah, we, we are, we encourage the do it early. I went into the G man, the awards, and I did my insulin, thinking that we're about to have a starter. It's a fashion dinner. The starters like smoked trout with no carbohydrate and no bread.
[72:20]
Ed Gamble
Oh, no.
[72:21]
James Norton
I know. I was fuming at that point. And also a little bit concerned because then they started these speeches and Jude, the speech. And then Nicole did a speech and the GQL cut to me.
[72:30]
Ed Gamble
My phone's going crazy.
[72:31]
James Norton
No, no, I'm worse. I'm like, dripping with sweat. I'm on the high table sitting opposite Nicole Kidman, and I'm like. And I. And there were cameras everywhere, and if I stand up, it's going to be, you know, it's really rude. Eventually I'm like, I'm going to pass out, so I have to go and, have to go and speak to someone. So I went to someone who's like running around, you know, one of the waiters, and said, I'm diabetic. You need to help me. I need some orange juice really quickly, please. Because I didn't have any sugar with me. For some stupid reason, they gave me some orange juice. I didn't realize that that then caused pandemonium to break loose. So then I went and sat, because.
[72:59]
Ed Gamble
Then they don't really know what that means. They just had someone say, I'm diabetic. And I, I need, I need sugar.
[73:04]
James Norton
But also, I think I was looking really ill at this point. And also I put the insulin in for the whole meal, so I needed a lot of carbs.
[73:09]
Ed Gamble
Oh, wow.
[73:09]
James Norton
So they were gonna bring. So anyway, then. Then they bring me a chocolate bar from pret. And then mid speeches, they bring me a huge bowl of steaming potatoes. Someone. Someone backstage has cooked me a bowl of potatoes. Which point everyone down, the table's going, why?
[73:24]
Ed Gamble
She had a chocolate bar and then a bowl of potatoes in the middle.
[73:28]
James Norton
Of the speech as well. It's like I just looked like a glutton potato loving a weird one.
[73:33]
Ed Gamble
A really weird one as well.
[73:35]
James Norton
And of course, you can't interrupt the speech. Go, sorry, excuse me, I'm a diabetic.
[73:38]
Ed Gamble
Explain tapping the side of the potato.
[73:40]
James Norton
Bowl, all you men of the year. So, yeah, it's a little fraught when you're eating acts you can't time the meal. Exactly.
[73:48]
Ed Gamble
So you didn't have any. You didn't have any dextrose or anything with you to.
[73:53]
James Norton
I did not. If I did, it wasn't going to be enough because I'd loaded up for the whole meal.
[73:57]
Ed Gamble
Was that as well? Because you were wearing a nice suit and you didn't want to ruin the line of your suit.
[74:02]
James Norton
You know it.
[74:02]
Ed Gamble
Because it's so annoying.
[74:03]
James Norton
It's so annoying.
[74:04]
Ed Gamble
I have to. Whenever. On the rare occasion that I have to wear something nice and fancy, which is very rare, I'm like, you look. You look quite nice, actually. And then I go, and I'm diabetic. I've got to bring a sack full of stuff with me.
[74:15]
James Norton
It's true.
[74:15]
Ed Gamble
Can't put it in my pocket because it looks weird. And then end up taking a little satchel with me.
[74:19]
James Norton
I know I have a little man bag for a long time. Having said that, with Dexcom, that has been made a hell of a lot easier because I used to have to carry around insane paraphernalia. We'd also have to carry around a pouch with. Which would. Was the more traditional form of testing your glucose levels. And that is no longer the case because I have my phone with me. Anyway, so Dexcom has genuinely made me more chic.
[74:39]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, there you go. You can't ask for more than that.
[74:43]
James Acaster
And I wasn't. It's nice to see Ed get into bond with someone over these.
[74:50]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[74:50]
James Acaster
I've never seen it before. Never got to see it. It's nice.
[74:54]
James Norton
It's a new man.
[74:55]
James Acaster
You both got these stories. You're like, yeah, I've been there.
[74:59]
Ed Gamble
When we first met, I don't think you were diagnosed yet, were you? No, because that would have been 2005, I think.
[75:04]
James Norton
And weirdly, for somebody who hasn't got a great memory. I remember exactly where we met. He obviously had a big impression on me.
[75:10]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[75:10]
James Norton
Oh, do you know where you were working? No, it was in the Mitre.
[75:13]
Ed Gamble
Oh, okay.
[75:14]
James Norton
In Cambridge.
[75:14]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. Yeah.
[75:15]
James Norton
And you had just done a show. And do you know the reason I remember is because someone told me that you were diabetic. And my sister.
[75:20]
Ed Gamble
Right, okay.
[75:21]
James Norton
And we had a conversation about it.
[75:23]
Ed Gamble
It was good. You got to see me at a time in life where I absolutely was not focusing on it at all.
[75:27]
James Norton
You. I do remember you. You had. When we met in the miter because it was the pre. The smoking ban. And Ed, I remember the conversation we had about my sister's diabetes and I was thinking, oh, it's great. Diabetics can lead a completely normal life. You had a pint of beer and a fag and a C. Yeah.
[75:43]
Ed Gamble
Oh, those were the days.
[75:45]
James Acaster
Entire birthday cake in the other hand.
[75:48]
James Norton
Yeah. You were living your best life. Yeah, yeah. Or not.
[75:51]
Ed Gamble
But, yeah, I feel lots better now. I do feel a lot better.
[75:56]
James Acaster
So this dessert.
[75:57]
Ed Gamble
Sorry, sorry. Sorry.
[75:57]
James Norton
So, yeah, my glucose levels are just dipping nicely.
[75:59]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[76:00]
James Norton
Genuinely don't love overly sweet things. Not because of the diabetes, but because I. I love more bitter things. I'm a chocolate fiend. I always have chocolate with me. It's usually 80, sometimes 90. I. I have a. A chocolate drawer in my house. My. My. We. I have a production company.
[76:18]
Ed Gamble
Is that Lancashire's idea or your idea?
[76:20]
James Norton
No, it's actually not.
[76:23]
Ed Gamble
You've got to get a chocolate drawer.
[76:24]
James Acaster
Yeah. Get yourself a chocolate drawer.
[76:26]
Ed Gamble
You set fire to yourself. Thanks, Lancashire.
[76:32]
James Norton
Any final words?
[76:33]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. Your bar of 80% melted in your pocket.
[76:39]
James Norton
Yeah. I have a chocolate drawer and I have all different types of chocolate in there. I have, like, the lighter dairy ones for the guests, but for ME it's like 80%, 85% or 85 or 90. And I have 99% there. I love it.
[76:50]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[76:51]
James Norton
So my dessert will be like a sort of chocolate mousse, but thick, not too much air in it, with 80 minimum cocoa and a little bit of chili. Chili flavor. Maybe even like a. Like those sort of husks. Chocolate, you know, like a sort of kernel or husk, whatever they're called.
[77:06]
Ed Gamble
Like the cacao nibs.
[77:07]
James Acaster
Yeah, the cacao, yeah.
[77:09]
James Norton
Gives a bit of texture, a bit of crunch, and then with it, a sweeter, like a vanilla gelato or ice cream. And then again like a kind of coulis, like a raspberry fruit. Sort of bit more bitter. Cuts through the. Yeah, sweetness.
[77:23]
Ed Gamble
This is good. Bitterness. A little bit of sweetness.
[77:25]
James Norton
A little bit of sweetness.
[77:26]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[77:26]
Ed Gamble
I went through a real cacao nib first days.
[77:27]
James Norton
Did you?
[77:28]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, big time. Bought a whole sack of them, basically.
[77:30]
James Norton
Did you eat the actual.
[77:31]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, straight on yogurt with raspberries. Really good.
[77:35]
James Norton
Is it?
[77:35]
Ed Gamble
That's interesting. Yeah.
[77:36]
James Acaster
You were eating them on their own as well?
[77:38]
Ed Gamble
Oh, yeah, that sounds. That sounds fantastic.
[77:39]
James Norton
Yeah, really dark and. And like big and you know, like somewhere between a moose and a. Yeah. I don't know. You know what I mean?
[77:47]
Ed Gamble
Yeah. Almost like. It's almost not a moose.
[77:49]
James Norton
It's almost like a kind of. Not ice cream. Ice cream.
[77:52]
Ed Gamble
It's almost like a cremer.
[77:53]
James Norton
Cremer. You guys are. This is what you are good at. It's not knowing the words and. Can I have. Can I have a coffee, please, with it?
[77:58]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[77:59]
James Norton
Yes. I'd love. I'd love an Americano with some extra hot oat milk, please.
[78:03]
Ed Gamble
Absolutely no problem.
[78:04]
James Norton
That's my coffee order.
[78:05]
Ed Gamble
I sometimes think I'm the guy who has a coffee at the end of a meal. And then I realized I'm a guy who has an espresso martini at the end of a meal.
[78:11]
James Norton
Well, I was gonna say, am I allowed a grappler as well?
[78:13]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, a little.
[78:14]
James Norton
Did you, Steve? I. I keep asking. I'm allowed. And you're like, yeah.
[78:19]
James Acaster
Lovely. Yeah, we love hearing this kind of stuff, to be honest.
[78:23]
James Norton
And also, I want something. There's something specific about the dessert, which is that if I'm ordering a coffee with the dessert, I have to specify often in the restaurant. So I'm going to specify. You guys, please. Can they come at the same time or the coffee just fractionally after the dessert to wash it out. But often you order the coffee and the dessert at the same time. They bring the coffee. It's either cold or you finished it. And then the dessert comes and then it's just like. It drives me insane. So.
[78:47]
Ed Gamble
Especially with the chocolate dessert, there's nothing I like more than.
[78:49]
James Norton
Than. Yes.
[78:50]
Ed Gamble
Eating some chocolate, chocolatey dessert and then a sip of coffee that like washes the inside of the mouth out. And then you're making mouth mocker.
[78:56]
James Norton
They were meant to be together.
[78:58]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[78:58]
James Norton
Like. Like James and Ed. They were meant to. Yeah, they are. They're meant to be. And then. And then the grappler after. As a deceive.
[79:06]
Ed Gamble
Lovely.
[79:06]
James Acaster
I'm in a big affogato phase at the minute.
[79:09]
James Norton
Are you?
[79:09]
James Acaster
If I say, if I see it on the menu, I'm like, well, that's that's my decision made. I don't have to decide on a dessert and a coffee. Yeah. I'll just have that and then worry.
[79:18]
James Norton
About the caffeine, though, because here I am saying a coffee and I'm on a beach.
[79:22]
James Acaster
But I really got on top. I've had, you know, big into coffee recently. It's a recent thing for me.
[79:28]
James Norton
Yeah.
[79:28]
James Acaster
Definitely was noticing the effects it was having on my system as the day went on. I was like, I feel like I'm vibrating. I need to get on top of this. About a month and a half ago, I just completely cut it out. Wasn't doing it at all for a few weeks.
[79:41]
James Norton
Weeks.
[79:41]
James Acaster
Went to America for a bit. Started having one every third day. Whatever. Got back from America had jet lag. Went well. I don't need to drink it all the time. And now I'm back just to. That's it. I'm not having two or three a day.
[79:51]
James Norton
Two or three a day.
[79:52]
James Acaster
And I need to. I need to rein it in again.
[79:54]
James Norton
Yeah.
[79:55]
James Acaster
But it's not the time for people listening. We're recording this in December. Absolutely the worst time to go. I am now going to get on top of anything.
[80:03]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[80:04]
James Acaster
Drinking too much caffeine, drinking in general, desserts, all that stuff. This is not the time to get on top of it.
[80:09]
Ed Gamble
No. It's the time to ramp it up.
[80:11]
James Acaster
I read your menu. Back to you now. See you feel about it. You like sparkling water. Definitely. You want steaming hot sourdough with salted butter, truffle butter and the genie's choice of butter. I'm choosing that Marmite butter that I had one's delicious triple butter. You would like a snacks hack. That is 12 oysters from Colonsay.
[80:28]
James Norton
Colonsay.
[80:29]
James Acaster
And you want some smoked almonds on the table as well. You want the best steamed asparagus in the world with the best parmesan in the world. Best olive oil in the world, best pine nuts in the world. And a tiny scotch head main course.
[80:43]
Ed Gamble
So weird. Such a weird addition.
[80:45]
James Acaster
A wood flame grilled halibut steak, prawn scallops and fruity salsa and lime. On the beach. On the best beach in Jamaica that you've ever been to.
[80:53]
James Norton
Thank you.
[80:54]
James Acaster
Side dish, you would like a salad with lettuce, avocado seeds, your favorite. Yeah, Pine nuts. And you would like fries with ketchup, mayo just in case. Vinegar and tabasco drink. You would like a Casa Belfi Bianco Frante. Your dessert, you would like chocolate mo. Well, kind of a mousse, but Maybe. What would you say? Maybe a cremer, maybe at least 80% cocoa with a chili, cacao nibs, vanilla gelato and raspberry. And you would like the coffee to come out at the same time and grapper as well.
[81:29]
James Norton
Yeah, I feel good about that.
[81:31]
Ed Gamble
Feel very good about that. Yeah.
[81:33]
James Acaster
When you go into. Back into the office and you talk to the people you've been talking about this podcast to, are you going to say, I did it, I nailed it, I feel great.
[81:40]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[81:40]
James Norton
I feel like I had my shot and, you know, I delivered. Well, that sounded.
[81:44]
James Acaster
Yeah.
[81:45]
Ed Gamble
On the way home. On the way home, I guarantee you you're not going to feel like that.
[81:48]
James Norton
No, of course. As soon as I step out of this restaurant, I'm going to be calling both of you. Frantic text saying, I can't have the.
[81:57]
James Acaster
Word beast go for over again. Texted to us.
[82:00]
Ed Gamble
Thanks for coming to the dream restaurant, James.
[82:02]
James Norton
It's been an absolute pleasure.
[82:03]
James Acaster
Thank you. Thank you for having me.
[82:10]
Ed Gamble
Well, there we are, James. A wonderful chat with James Norton.
[82:13]
James Acaster
I love that menu.
[82:13]
Ed Gamble
Yeah.
[82:14]
James Acaster
And he should be proud of that menu and happy with it. And I hope he's able to sleep tonight and isn't just thinking about what he should have had.
[82:21]
Ed Gamble
It was as close to perfection as one can get because, yes, we should always remember perfection is impossible.
[82:27]
James Acaster
Perfection is impossible. So do you always strive for perfection? Don't beat yourself up, guys.
[82:31]
Ed Gamble
Don't beat yourself up. Just do the best you can.
[82:33]
James Acaster
Just do the best you can. You don't have to be perfect. No one's perfect.
[82:36]
Ed Gamble
And it should also. That's genuinely a tenet that I have to remind myself of with glucose levels in diabetes. Yeah, perfection is impossible. Something will always come along. You just got to roll with the punches. And of course, today's episode was in partnership with DEC dexcom. And if you or someone you know is living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and you like the sound of Dexcom, you can take a look online at Dexcom.com and request a free Dexcom One plus sample. Dexcom sensors are available on the NHS for some people living with diabetes and also are available to buy online. Always read the user manual for important product aspects and limitations. Talk to your doctor for diabetes management terms and conditions and terms of use apply. And I always say, say that at the end of an episode.
[83:18]
James Acaster
Yes. Yeah, it's a common catchphrase of the podcast is what I get shouted at me in the street. It's not even my catchphrase, it's Ed's.
[83:24]
Ed Gamble
Terms And conditions in terms of you supply, they say.
[83:26]
James Acaster
Yeah, I'm like that said, that's Ed, not me.
[83:28]
Ed Gamble
Or bread.
[83:29]
James Acaster
Also, what we've been told to say by the people at Dexcom is that James Norton did not choose a Nature Valley bar.
[83:36]
Ed Gamble
Yes. Yeah.
[83:37]
James Acaster
So that means we are not going to kick him out of the best job.
[83:39]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, correct. Look, James Norton has a wonderful body of work which must all go and watch immediately.
[83:44]
James Acaster
Yes. Even though we kind of semi spoiled the end of Happy Valley for you. But just forget what we were riffing on, just watch it with a fresh.
[83:50]
Ed Gamble
Yeah, yeah.
[83:50]
James Acaster
Fresh mind.
[83:51]
Ed Gamble
Yes, absolutely.
[83:52]
James Acaster
See you next time, guys.
[83:54]
Ed Gamble
Bye bye.
[84:07]
James Acaster
Hello, I'm Harriet Kemsley. And I'm Amy Gledhill. You might remember us from our off menu episode episodes.
[84:13]
James Norton
For example, when I was on there.
[84:14]
James Acaster
I talked about seaweed in mash and.
[84:17]
James Norton
James and Ed rang my mom and.
[84:19]
James Acaster
I talked about how I had phobia.
[84:20]
Ed Gamble
Of bananas and somebody has added it.
[84:22]
James Acaster
To my Wikipedia page. Thank you.
[84:26]
James Norton
But we've not come on here to.
[84:27]
James Acaster
Tell you about bananas and seaweed.
[84:29]
Ed Gamble
We've come to tell you about our podcast, Single Ladies in your Area. Me and Amy found ourselves single in our 30s and had to go back into the dating.
[84:39]
James Acaster
And it's harder for Harriet because if anyone Googles her and finds her Wikipedia, then she's for Book of Bananas. They think, what a freak. It's even worse if they listen to the whole episode. People have described it as batshit. But in Single Ladies in youn Area, we get on experts to tell us.
[84:59]
James Norton
What we should be doing.
[85:00]
James Acaster
We're learning from experts, we're learning from.
[85:03]
Ed Gamble
Friends, we're learning from comedians and people.
[85:06]
James Norton
From all over the bloody shop that Single Ladies in your area out every.
[85:10]
Ed Gamble
Friday, wherever you get your podcasts.