Alex Horne: The Giant Inflatable Duck

Summary

Podcast Summary: Sort Your Life Out Unpacked

Episode: Alex Horne: The Giant Inflatable Duck

Date: June 23, 2026
Host: Dilly Carter (BBC Sounds)
Guest: Alex Horne (Taskmaster creator and comedian)

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Episode Overview

In this lively and warm-hearted episode, organizational expert Dilly Carter sits down with Alex Horne, the creative mind behind Taskmaster, musician, and self-professed mediocre home organizer. Together, they "unpack" three mystery objects from Alex's home, each revealing quirky stories, personal history, and a window into how Alex thinks about possessions, sentimentality, and chaos. The discussion weaves between comedy, family, collecting, and practical advice for tackling clutter and keeping memories alive without drowning in stuff.

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Key Discussion Topics & Insights

Alex Horne’s Home Life and Organization

• New Home, New Chaos: Alex describes the challenge of settling into a new home filled with “builders and ladybirds” instead of the dream family space he aspires to.

  "It's a dream family home full of noise and colour and chaos. But right now it's full of builders and ladybirds. We have a ladybird infestation." (03:24)

• Collecting vs. Hoarding: Alex admits to owning many quirky items—seven broken Henry Hoovers repurposed as plant pots, and plenty of random items filling drawers and bedside tables.

  "My pockets are full of rubbish ... whatever is at the end of the day in my pocket goes in the bedside table." (05:20)
  “My children in their late 50s will clear that bedside table when I’m dead.” (05:49)

• Facing the Future of Stuff: Dilly shares her professional tip: have conversations with family about what possessions matter, to avoid leaving a guessing game for loved ones after passing.

  “Go through your home with your children and say, ‘What would you like me to keep?’ ... it might make that decision much easier for you and less heartbreaking.” (06:12)

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The Three Mystery Home Items

1. The Sock Parcel Collection

• Story: Alex brings in carefully (and not-so-carefully) folded socks from home, revealing his attachment to small items and routines.

• Sock Folding Masterclass: Dilly demonstrates how to make a perfectly neat "sock parcel," to which Alex responds with mild awe and skepticism:

  "You could do that on stage and people would pay." (08:20)

• Socks as Taskmaster Souvenirs: Socks play a special role as Alex and co-host Greg Davies wear new pairs for each episode, later auctioned to fans—sometimes unwashed!

  “People prefer it if they are worn and unwashed.” (08:49)

2. The Historic Stadium Seat

• Item: A wooden bench seat, numbered 190, salvaged from Liverpool FC’s Anfield stadium.

• Football Fandom and Identity: Alex, a lifelong Liverpool fan (and local Chesham United supporter), cherishes the seat as a link to footballing history and family.

  “It might be 50 years old... I am a Liverpool fan... but I am also a Chesham United fan and sort of work with them now.” (13:57)
  “The plan... I'm going to fix it so you can sit as if you were watching Liverpool.” (14:15)

• Organizing Scarves and Memorabilia: Soccer scarves multiply quickly in the Horne household, and Dilly recommends displaying them all together in a “sports bar” space for maximum effect.

  “If you’re going to create the sports bar, that’s where you want all your sports memorabilia hanging up.” (16:09)

3. The Horn Section’s Signature Horn

• Item: An ornate ram’s horn, mounted on wood, signed by comedians and musicians from Alex’s band quiz shows in Edinburgh.

  “This is the horn of the horn section... everyone who took part signed it...” (19:06)

• Sentimental Value: The horn holds unique personal meaning—memories of friendship, early career struggles, success at the Edinburgh Festival, and a tangible link to a golden era “before children.”

  “It’s just a sort of reminder of me, of the good times before children.” (19:53)

• Reflections on Legacy: Alex jokes about the inevitability of his kids “looking through their dead dad’s stuff,” but hopes they’ll be curious about the signed artifact and its stories.

  “I like to think they will find this and wonder about it...” (20:06)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Ladybirds:

  “We have so many ladybirds. Thousands. Do you know you can sell ladybirds?” (03:47)

• On Taskmaster’s Origin:

  “It wasn’t meant to be a TV show, it’s meant to be just an Edinburgh show, but it seemed to work straight away.” (10:11)

• On the Role of ‘Stuff’:

  “But I’ve done some really fun things that I don’t want to forget about.” (20:22)

• On Collecting vs. Organizing:

  “Collector, not hoarder. You would also be amazed how much I do throw out... but there’s just a lot of things in my life, I suppose, because of the shows and the tours.” (24:04)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Alex’s Introduction & Home Truths (01:10 – 06:39)
• Item 1: Socks and Sock Auction Stories (06:51 – 09:14)
• Taskmaster Origin Story (09:17 – 10:52)
• Item 2: Liverpool Stadium Seat & Football Fandom (13:12 – 16:36)
• Scarves and Home Display Tips (15:40 – 16:35)
• Item 3: The Band Horn and Signatures (17:54 – 21:04)
• Reflections on Possessions, Legacy, and Awards (21:04 – 24:04)
• Keep, Donate, Sell Game (23:01 – 24:39)
• Alex’s Happy Place at Home & Personal Touches (24:45 – 25:41)

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Organizational and Life Tips from Dilly

• On decluttering for the next generation:
  “Go through your home with your children and say, ‘What would you like me to keep?’” (06:12)

• Displaying Sentimental Items: Use designated spaces like a “sports bar” wall for memorabilia (16:09)

• Mounting Special Plates: Plate mounts are adjustable and easy to use—no professional needed! (25:20)

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Episode Takeaways

Alex Horne’s episode humorously and sincerely illustrates the tension between being a collector of stories and mementos, and the realities of organizing a family home. His relationship with memorabilia is rooted in love for family, football, music, and memories. Dilly’s gentle expertise balances practical advice with acceptance that some objects, no matter how odd, are worth keeping for the joy and meaning they bring.

The episode ends with a handshake and a laugh, a fitting close to a conversation about the importance of sorting, letting go, and cherishing the things that truly matter.

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For Listeners:

Interested in quirky home artifacts, sentimental decluttering, or behind-the-scenes Taskmaster tales? This warm, witty conversation is for you. Tune in for more organizational hacks and revealing stories on future episodes of Sort Your Life Out Unpacked.

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Transcript

[Alex Horne]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Dilly Carter]

So good, so good, so good.

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[Dilly Carter]

I'm Dilly Carter, the organized one, and this is Sort yout Life Out Unpacked. Get ready to unpack three boxes with my celebrity guest. Every box has an item from their own home, plus a load of stories and memories. And stand by for my tips on how to sort your own life out too. This episode guest might have the best job ever, getting comedians to do the most outrageous and random tasks for the sake of a good laugh. He's also a band leader of the horn section and lives on a farm with no animals. Between his wife and their three kids, he ranks himself as second to last when it comes to organization. So there are definitely things for us to unpack. In it is the genius mind and creator of Taskmaster, Alex Horn. Welcome.

[Alex Horne]

Hi, Billy. Hello. Thank you. Do we shake hands? Hello. Nice to meet you.

[Dilly Carter]

I've never shaken anyone's hands on this.

[Alex Horne]

Well, I'm very formal. You know that.

[Dilly Carter]

I love that.

[Alex Horne]

Thank you. You've got to start with a handshake. We'll shake at the end as well.

[Dilly Carter]

Did we not hug by the end?

[Alex Horne]

Nope.

[Dilly Carter]

No.

[Alex Horne]

Thank you.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, okay. Sorry. No physical ones.

[Alex Horne]

Strictly business.

[Dilly Carter]

Strictly business. Okay, so we'll shake hands at the end, too.

[Alex Horne]

And that'll be that. And we'll never look at each other again.

[Dilly Carter]

And that will be it.

[Alex Horne]

That's the plan.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, that's sad news. It's such a treat to have you here. Honestly, I'm so honored that you're sitting in front of me because you've gone 21 series of taskmasters. Is that correct?

[Alex Horne]

That is correct. Yeah. Yeah, it's a long time.

[Dilly Carter]

21 series 120. Do you remember back to when it was like series one to five, when you're at series six?

[Alex Horne]

I do. I mean, it's only 10. It's 10 years ago, which seems a long time.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Alex Horne]

But, you know, I definitely feel like the new boy still. And we all feel like children, don't we?

[Dilly Carter]

I would say you probably more than me because I am super serious, whereas I think you are very fun.

[Alex Horne]

Are you super serious? Well, you are quite serious.

[Dilly Carter]

I can be quite serious. I feel like I'm the more serious one. I'm not very good at thinking outside the box. Or maybe I am.

[Alex Horne]

You think inside the box. That's your job.

[Dilly Carter]

I like everything in a box.

[Alex Horne]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

That is my job. Before we start looking at your items, can I just ask you a few quick fire home truths?

[Alex Horne]

Yes, please.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay. How would you describe your home in a sentence?

[Alex Horne]

Okay. Well, I've just moved home, so it only recently feels like a home. It felt like we were living in someone else's home. For the first two months, it will be a dream family home full of noise and colour and chaos.

[Dilly Carter]

Nice.

[Alex Horne]

But right now it's full of builders and ladybirds. We have a ladybird infestation.

[Dilly Carter]

Ladybirds.

[Alex Horne]

We have so many ladybirds. Thousands. Do you know you can sell ladybirds?

[Dilly Carter]

No.

[Alex Horne]

You cannot guess how much one adult ladybird costs on the free market.

[Dilly Carter]

I'm gonna go for £50.

[Alex Horne]

For one ladybird?

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. No.

[Alex Horne]

Well, you know what ladybirds are. Yeah, yeah. No. 75 pence.

[Dilly Carter]

75 pence?

[Alex Horne]

But I thought that was a lot. 50 quid a ladybird. Oh.

[Dilly Carter]

I was just thinking, if they're like, maybe you don't box them up and you sell them. They're quite hard to catch.

[Alex Horne]

No, they're easy to. I don't think you know what a ladybird is.

[Dilly Carter]

How many ladybirds are there?

[Alex Horne]

I would say 500.

[Dilly Carter]

So have you been selling them by the hundreds?

[Alex Horne]

No, but what I'm saying is, would you like to buy some ladybirds?

[Dilly Carter]

I've got. I just. No.

[Alex Horne]

Okay.

[Dilly Carter]

I. I don't think I. I don't know what I'd do with them. I haven't got space. Everything is about whether you have space for it. Have I got space for the ladybirds? No, I don't.

[Alex Horne]

Okay.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay. Name one broken thing that you still have at home.

[Alex Horne]

Okay. I've got seven differently named Henry Hoovers. What? They're in the garden now.

[Dilly Carter]

You hid them.

[Alex Horne]

Now I'm growing flowers out of them as In.

[Dilly Carter]

You're using them for plant pots.

[Alex Horne]

Yes.

[Dilly Carter]

What a great use.

[Alex Horne]

I've got two Henry's.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Alex Horne]

I've got an Edward, a George, I've got a Hetty, obviously.

[Dilly Carter]

I love the idea that you've repurposed them as plant pots, though.

[Alex Horne]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

I mean, that is pretty genius.

[Alex Horne]

They don't look you in the eye.

[Dilly Carter]

And they're colourful.

[Alex Horne]

They're colourful. They're named after royalties. They're all British royal names.

[Dilly Carter]

I never knew that.

[Alex Horne]

And they don't have a Harry.

[Dilly Carter]

Ooh, complete the sentence. My bedside table is.

[Alex Horne]

It's a microcosm of me. I suppose it's like my pocket. My pockets are full of rubbish. They're just whatever is at the end of the day in my pocket goes in the bedside table. Cufflinks, loose change, foreign currency, wristbands from an event, Polaroid photos, just random stuff. Poster cards, old wallets, pictures of the children, probably pamphlets, all on your bedside table. Pencils, crayons, stones, rocks.

[Dilly Carter]

I mean, when are you gonna clear that bedside table?

[Alex Horne]

I'm not gonna clear that bedside table. My children in their late 50s will clear that bedside table when I'm dead.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, my gosh. Your poor children. You're gonna leave it to them to do. And is that what you're gonna do with the rest of your house? Leave everything for them?

[Alex Horne]

Yep.

[Dilly Carter]

Let's hope they're not listening. Thinking. Thanks, Alex.

[Alex Horne]

I think a lot of us think, oh, my children are going to have such a wonderful time foraging through my belongings and they're going to discover gold, but they're going to just put it in a bin liner and dump it.

[Dilly Carter]

I clear a lot of homes for a living and go into houses where, you know, people have very sadly passed away and the family are left with a house. And if I can give anyone any tip is to at some point go through your home with your children and say, what would you like me to keep? Because sometimes half of the battle is a guessing game. And if you'd have had those conversations with your parents before then, it might make that decision much easier for you and less heartbreaking.

[Alex Horne]

You're right. Some of it is just rubbish.

[Dilly Carter]

Do you think they're going to bin half of it? Of your possessions? Exactly half of it, I think exactly half of it, yeah.

[Alex Horne]

They'll keep the Hoovers.

[Dilly Carter]

Shall we look at your first box? Can you please hand it over?

[Alex Horne]

Okay, this is the smallest.

[Dilly Carter]

This is the smallest box first. Okay, let's have a look.

[Alex Horne]

I wonder if you'll recognize something about this.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay.

[Alex Horne]

Do you know what's coming?

[Dilly Carter]

No, I don't know what's coming. I like to not know.

[Alex Horne]

Oh.

[Dilly Carter]

So in this box, I mean, so there are four beautifully folded sock parcels and then there's one.

[Alex Horne]

Yeah, there's one normal one, but, you

[Dilly Carter]

know, it's fine because you've tucked it together, you've put the. You've taken the two socks and to be fair to you, they are the right way round. They, you know they're not inside out.

[Alex Horne]

Yes.

[Dilly Carter]

And you've put them together. So the tops. You haven't put one. One at the top, one at the bottom.

[Alex Horne]

No one does that.

[Dilly Carter]

Sure, some people do. Alex. I've seen it happen.

[Alex Horne]

You've seen some horrific things.

[Dilly Carter]

I can't even tell you how awful my job is at times.

[Alex Horne]

Oh, my word. One of the main reasons I brought this in, because I want to know how that goes to that.

[Dilly Carter]

Shall I show you?

[Alex Horne]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

Do you want me to show you how to do that?

[Alex Horne]

I will never do it, but I want to see you do it.

[Dilly Carter]

Your socks have to be inside out. So you take both socks, have them inside out, stretch them so that there's no lumps and bumps, lay them on top of each other so they're nice and flat. And then you're going to take the toe of the sock and you're going to fold it up once to the heel of the sock.

[Alex Horne]

Yes.

[Dilly Carter]

And then you're going to fold it up again twice.

[Alex Horne]

Two folds.

[Dilly Carter]

Twice two folds. And then you're going to take the top of the sock where you put your leg in both of them, and you're going to fold it back round over the rest of the socks. And then what you have is this lovely flat sock parcel.

[Alex Horne]

You could do that on stage and people would pay.

[Dilly Carter]

So, look, there you go. Now your sock parcels are all matching. Next time you come in, bring in the rest and I'll do them. Is this what you wanted to do? You just thought you should have bought all your clothes?

[Alex Horne]

Socks mean a lot to me. Every time I do a new episode of Taskmaster, I wear a different pair of socks. There's a man called Patrick who you would like very much, who's our costume person who gets us socks. So Greg and I have a new pair of socks and we auction them sometimes for charity. People prefer it if they are worn and unwashed.

[Dilly Carter]

Wow.

[Alex Horne]

I know.

[Dilly Carter]

Wow. Sorry, hold on a minute. People buy your worn socks after every episode of Taskmaster.

[Alex Horne]

I think it's the same people who are buying the Ladybirds Wow. Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

I think you've got a fan base, haven't you? A very different fan base.

[Alex Horne]

It might just be one person.

[Dilly Carter]

It could be one person, but, yeah,

[Alex Horne]

people buy the socks.

[Dilly Carter]

How many socks do you think you've got?

[Alex Horne]

Well, it'll be an even number. I know that. I think it's probably close to 100

[Dilly Carter]

socks, close to 100 pences.

[Alex Horne]

And I need probably four.

[Dilly Carter]

So tell me how you got into Taskmaster.

[Alex Horne]

I applied. No. Well, I came up with the idea, I suppose, when my first son was born, while I was at home with my wife and this tiny thing and all my friends were up at the Edinburgh Festival being successful and I was kind of chomping at the bit to get what they got. So I was doing Edinburgh for years before that and was knocking on the door and we had some success, but never enough to make any decent money. And luckily, I came up with this idea of setting comedians challenges, which hit a nerve straight away, because comedians are competitive and funny. Yeah, but they are really competitive and they didn't. There were a lot of panel shows around, but nothing with a sort of genuine competition element. So it just seemed to work. And it wasn't like a cynical. It wasn't meant to be a TV show, it's meant to be just an Edinburgh show, but it seemed to work straight away. So we. I mean, it took four or five years to get it on the telly.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Alex Horne]

And, yeah, just very, kind of feel very lucky and weird that it worked and that it's still going because it wasn't meant to be what it is now. Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

And how did it get on telly?

[Alex Horne]

Well, we pitched it to everyone. We pitched it to Channel four, who gave us some money to develop it and then said no. We pitched it to BBC and ITV and sky and everyone. And they all said no. And Dave, as was then. I think it's changed name now. Yeah, they were brilliant and they were the only ones who gave us the time of day, really. And we were there for nine series and then we moved over to Channel 4, which felt like breaking up with a girlfriend.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Alex Horne]

But it just felt time to move to a terrestrial channel.

[Dilly Carter]

Do you think of all the challenges?

[Alex Horne]

90%. Yeah. Yeah. That's my main job and I really, really love it. Yeah, it's my favorite bit.

[Dilly Carter]

And do your children. I mean, you must have been. I mean, you are obviously a great dad, but you must be a fun dad. Do you have, like, little tasks around the house for the kids to do or create games? You must be constantly Thinking of amazing things for them to do.

[Alex Horne]

You'd hope so, wouldn't you? You'd hope so. No, it's kind of. It's not quite the opposite. But there's that little thing of they don't want me to come home and be little Alex Horn from Taskmaster. They just want me to be dance. So they don't really want to do tasks all the time.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Alex Horne]

I also don't want to come home from work and carry on, of course. But I sneakily make them do things without them realizing it's for the show. And sometimes I steal things from their childhood. So they were on a camp, a summer camp once, and I was picking them up and there were 50 kids just running through a field screaming. And I asked the leader of the camp what they were up to and they said, oh, it's this game. You have to run as far as you can while screaming. Whoever gets the furthest while screaming wins. So I said, well, having that, that is now in Taskmaster. So we've done that.

[Dilly Carter]

Brilliant. Does Rachel get annoyed with you bringing home things from the taskmaster?

[Alex Horne]

Rachel is never annoyed with me.

[Dilly Carter]

The perfect marriage.

[Alex Horne]

Yeah, I don't think so. I've got a lockup where the spill goes. So there's things she doesn't know I've got.

[Dilly Carter]

She doesn't know I've got.

[Alex Horne]

Well, she doesn't. I've got two 3 meter high inflatable rubber ducks which I bought from China.

[Dilly Carter]

See, these are again, these aren't even things that you've just inherited. You've actually bought these things.

[Alex Horne]

Yeah, but they're useful. Weirdly, they are useful.

[Dilly Carter]

What are you going to do with that duck?

[Alex Horne]

Well, I run a charity football match every year at Cheshire United.

[Dilly Carter]

Yes.

[Alex Horne]

And we have a three metre duck in the middle of the pitch.

[Dilly Carter]

Is that the mascot causing?

[Alex Horne]

Well, I guess maybe, but it's just causing chaos. So I'm in charge of the rules because I think normal football is good, but can be boring. To rub a duck on the pitch. No, it's not a good idea.

[Dilly Carter]

No. For them to put you in charge of the rules.

[Alex Horne]

Oh, I see.

[Dilly Carter]

No, that also wasn't a good idea.

[Alex Horne]

No. But my theory is I can always use something at some point. This is why I don't throw things away. But then my job is sort of about doing things, collecting things.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, we're like the opposite. Shall we have a look at your second item? Okay, then, Deli, we've got the biggest box.

[Alex Horne]

Oh, I'm so strong. It's not that heavy.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay. What I've got in this big box, hold on. I mean, it's wooden and I think this is. Oh, my gosh. This is some sort of seat.

[Alex Horne]

Correct.

[Dilly Carter]

This to me looks like a football bench seat. Is it a football game?

[Alex Horne]

It's a football bench seat.

[Dilly Carter]

It's a football bench seat.

[Alex Horne]

That's a backrest. You sit on it like that and lean it back there.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Alex Horne]

And this is seat number 190.

[Dilly Carter]

Seat number 190. Tell me where this seat is from.

[Alex Horne]

It's from Anfield. It's from the main stand at Anfield, which has been changed over the years. And I don't know what year it's from. It's from somewhere between 1906 and 1996. So I like to think it's from 1907, but it's probably not. It's probably from the 70s, maybe.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay, but.

[Alex Horne]

So it might be 50 years old. I am a Liverpool fan, which is sort of to my shame because I'm not from Liverpool, but they were when I was 8 years old. They were the best team in Europe. But I'm also a Cheshire United fan and I sort of work with them now. I'm on the board of directors there. So I am a proper local Chesham fan as well.

[Dilly Carter]

And you bring lots of qualities, like your big duck.

[Alex Horne]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of my life is spent at Cheshire United and I love the history of football, but I am still a Liverpool fan and I, you know, care a lot about them, which is so stupid because it's a load of millionaires running around the pitch who are all half my age now. And I don't know which part of the stadium it's come from. But the plan is in the new house somewhere. I'm gonna fix it so that it does work and you can sit as if you were watching Liverpool, probably. There's a barn. There's a decrepit barn which we're bringing back to life.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, that would be great, wouldn't it?

[Alex Horne]

Yeah, but I just love it. I love the mechanism. I don't know how I need a talented man or woman to make that work because it is heavy. I don't think it's very comfortable. It's pretty flat.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. You might not want to sit there very long. Depends on how they're doing, I suppose.

[Alex Horne]

Would you drape a blanket over it?

[Dilly Carter]

I wouldn't.

[Alex Horne]

No. Nor would I.

[Dilly Carter]

Are you going to install something from Chesham in your barn?

[Alex Horne]

That's a good question. We do have a lot of Cheshire Memorabilia. A lot of Clarence and blue. That's our colour. So Cheshire United is a very old club as well and it's lots of the Uniteds. There's a bit of history for you. So there used to be two clubs and then in the war, the young men went off to fight and not enough came back to still have two clubs. So they united the Cheshire Athletic and the Chesham Town, I think. So they became Cheshire United. That's why it's called Cheshire United. There is lots of nice history about the club, but mainly I've got scarves.

[Dilly Carter]

Mainly you've got scarves. How many scarves have you got?

[Alex Horne]

I've got.

[Dilly Carter]

Is that another problem area?

[Alex Horne]

Yeah. Well, I've got maybe four Cheshire United scarves. My youngest son has, I would say, 30 Liverpool scarves.

[Dilly Carter]

Wow.

[Alex Horne]

Because my middle son's godfather, every time he goes to a game, sends us a scarf stuff, his godson isn't really into football, so he passes it on to the little one. So, yeah, we've got.

[Dilly Carter]

We've got a huge collection.

[Alex Horne]

Yeah. And I don't know what to do with them. He wants to hang them up. What would you do?

[Dilly Carter]

Well, I mean. I mean, if you. You could put them in your. I mean, I'd say put them in your sports bar. If you're going to create the sports bar, that's where you want all the sports.

[Alex Horne]

That's what we'll do. That'd look great, wouldn't it?

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. That's where you want all your sports memorabilia hanging up.

[Alex Horne]

Okay.

[Dilly Carter]

At least then that it's going to look nice and it's going to look colorful.

[Alex Horne]

Yeah. How do you display a scarf? Just two nails.

[Dilly Carter]

I mean, you can just hang them with a little hook, but, I mean, you don't want to damage them, do you? There's some nice ways of tying scarves, but I think because they're football scarves, actually just having them hung along the wall all in a beautiful line will look lovely. If you've got that space, then Absolutely.

[Alex Horne]

Okay.

[Dilly Carter]

You've got your chair, you've got your scarves, you've got your rubber duck. You're set.

[Alex Horne]

You're ready. Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay. Right, shall we move on to your last box?

[Alex Horne]

The last. The final box.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay, the final box.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Alex Horne]

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[Dilly Carter]

Visit your nearby Lowe's. Box.

[Alex Horne]

I don't think you're going to react well to this.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, gosh. I hope it's not going to embarrass me like the last.

[Alex Horne]

Well, it's quite dirty.

[Dilly Carter]

Wow. Okay, so in this box is a horn.

[Alex Horne]

It's very, very delicate.

[Dilly Carter]

Very, very delicate.

[Alex Horne]

Very, very expensive.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, gosh.

[Alex Horne]

Didn't say it's priceless. There it is.

[Dilly Carter]

So I had to get out of my seat to get the horn that is sat on a. Looks like a piece of wood which has got lots of signatures all around the base of the wood that the horn is sat on. So imagine a big like slice of tree trunk with some red velvet on top and then the horn is sat in the middle. And I presume that's glued. Yeah, it is glued.

[Alex Horne]

It's a big nail through it as well.

[Dilly Carter]

Completely nailed through. So tell me all about this horn and the signatures and yes, it's a ram's horn.

[Alex Horne]

Can I pick it up?

[Dilly Carter]

You can do whatever you want with it. It's your horn.

[Alex Horne]

It's heavy. It's homemade, but nicely done.

[Dilly Carter]

So it's a homemade horn?

[Alex Horne]

Not by me. I am completely useless. The drummer in the band called Ben made it. Yeah, Ben's my oldest friend. Ben and Joe from the band, we were at primary school together. We've known each other all our lives. 46, 47 years. And he's handy.

[Dilly Carter]

And what is the band called?

[Alex Horne]

It's called the horn Section.

[Dilly Carter]

The horn section.

[Alex Horne]

So this is the horn of the horn section.

[Dilly Carter]

The horn of the horn section.

[Alex Horne]

And in 2015 it was we did called the Horn Section Question sessions, which was a quiz in Edinburgh. And at the end of it the winner was gonna get this. But I think we forgot to give the winner this. So I've still got it and I can't remember who won and everyone who took part signed it. So you've got people Like Dara o' Breen got Ed Gamble, Alan Cochran, Matt Winning, Mike Wozniak's on the top. There are lots of my old friends Aisling Bees there. And this was on stage with us in Edinburgh. And it's just a sort of reminder of me, of the good times before children. Yeah, I don't mean that, but it's sort of. Edinburgh was something I did every single year. Yeah. I think it's a really weird thing. You can't put that in the bin, can you?

[Dilly Carter]

No, but where do you keep it? In your house?

[Alex Horne]

In my office.

[Dilly Carter]

Does it make you smile?

[Alex Horne]

It does a bit, yeah. And I think when we come to this inevitable moment where my children are looking through their dead dad stuff.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, gosh.

[Alex Horne]

I like to think they will find this and wonder about it and, you know, they'll see someone on it like. Like a Dar o' Brien and think he's that guy who's also dead now.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, look at all the dead comedians.

[Alex Horne]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

It's around this strange horn.

[Alex Horne]

I mean, you don't want to overblown your own horn. Yeah. You don't want to blow your horn too much in terms of what you've done with your career. But I've done some really fun things that I don't want to forget about.

[Dilly Carter]

No.

[Alex Horne]

And my memory is getting worse and worse. I don't know about yours, there's so many things I can't remember and I didn't have photos or videos from 2015 for some reason.

[Dilly Carter]

So this is a great reminder of that.

[Alex Horne]

And it's really stupid.

[Dilly Carter]

No, it's not stupid. It's nice and it's part of your history and I think if something means that much to you, it doesn't matter what it is. For some people it's a horn. Other people, it's, you know, an innate object of some sort. It's, you know, might be a pair of socks, it might be a football bench. I think if it means something to you, then it's worth keeping.

[Alex Horne]

Thank you, Dilly. That makes me feel better. But also my. The band, they are all my closest friends.

[Dilly Carter]

I suppose it's a good time.

[Alex Horne]

And when they come round to the barn and we've got all our scarves up, that may well live in the barn when it's eventually finished. But I think what this makes me realise, this whole process with you is,

[Dilly Carter]

why am I keeping all this random stuff?

[Alex Horne]

The reason why we moved houses. We're now within 200 metres of the best pub in Cheshire and it's Full of things including a Cheshire United shirt that Greg and I have signed. Which is weird to sit in a pub near your own Signature. But it's full of bits and bobs from Chesham.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Alex Horne]

There's a picture of Stephen Fry that he signed because he used to live in Cheshire.

[Dilly Carter]

Did he?

[Alex Horne]

And there's all this stuff. Yeah, there's all these. And old pictures of the pub from the 17th century. It's been going since. So I've tried to replicate the pub in my house and so things like this mean things to me and they've all hopefully got some stories around them.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. Well, I think it's a lovely thing to keep.

[Alex Horne]

Thanks, Dilly. Would you like it?

[Dilly Carter]

No, absolutely not. It's a very strange looking thing, but I'm glad it means something to you. What do you think's your biggest achievement in your career? What's the one award that you think that's the best thing that I've ever received?

[Alex Horne]

That's interesting. I mean, that's the thing I do. If I'd won that, I would treasure something like that. As in a, you know, a sort of stupid thing from the Edinburgh Festival rather than a telly.

[Dilly Carter]

A Telly Award.

[Alex Horne]

A Telly Award. I think awards I have quite a problem with.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Alex Horne]

Because it's all self congratulatory and in the arts it's no reason why, like the BAFTA should be on telly, but the Farmers Awards aren't. Having said that, I have got a BAFTA and I think it's really cool. But I wouldn't say that. I think. Probably. Probably. I'll tell you what I would put in. So I did get nominated for the Edinburgh Perrier Award years and years ago and that felt like a super achievement because that's what you strive for as a young comedian. And so I got a little horrible perspex plinth and so I had not at all got anywhere and was not making any money. But that felt like the first step on the ladder. So that's like something I would treasure.

[Dilly Carter]

Thank you for bringing in all of these.

[Alex Horne]

Pleasure.

[Dilly Carter]

Very different items. If you had to, which would you sell, donate or keep?

[Alex Horne]

Sell. Donate. Keep, Sell, Donate, keep. Well, I'll sell the socks because I've done that before. As long as the money goes to charity. So I do feel there's a lot of guilt involved, I think.

[Dilly Carter]

And there's lots of people that would love your worn socks.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yeah.

[Alex Horne]

So let's sell them immediately. I don't need them. And that's an easily done promise.

[Dilly Carter]

Easy Sell.

[Alex Horne]

Sell the socks. Donate. Keep.

[Dilly Carter]

Is it Donate and keep.

[Alex Horne]

Oh, okay. Well, I think I'll donate the. I think I'll. Oh, that's difficult. It depends where it's going. I wouldn't mind the horn going somewhere where it will be looked after and looked at.

[Dilly Carter]

Museum or somewhere like that.

[Alex Horne]

Museum of Music and Comedy. Yeah. That'll go to the British Museum of Comedy.

[Dilly Carter]

Yes.

[Alex Horne]

So that will go somewhere in a sort of glass cabinet.

[Dilly Carter]

Yes.

[Alex Horne]

And I'll keep the Liverpool Chair.

[Dilly Carter]

People will stare at that for years.

[Alex Horne]

The trouble with the chair is that I do know there's another 30,000 of these around the world that other people have bought.

[Dilly Carter]

And we don't know if Ian Rush sat on it.

[Alex Horne]

We don't know yet. But I've got the only 190 of whatever row that's from. So I'll keep the chair.

[Dilly Carter]

You are a collector.

[Alex Horne]

Collector, not hoarder. You would also be amazed how much I do throw out. I mean, I really do get rid of a lot of stuff, but there's just a lot of things in my life, I suppose, because of the shows and the tours and things.

[Dilly Carter]

Sometimes you can say no. Yeah.

[Alex Horne]

We're taught in comedy, the yes and thing. You just say yes and carry on.

[Dilly Carter]

Yes, no. But sometimes you can say no to things.

[Alex Horne]

Really?

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. So if you see something and you think, I need to buy that, you can think, no, I don't. Or someone says, why don't you, Alex, do you want to take this home from the set? That would look great in your house?

[Alex Horne]

Oh, that. I cannot say no.

[Dilly Carter]

You can say no.

[Alex Horne]

No. When people say, do you want to freeze things?

[Dilly Carter]

Just say no and run.

[Alex Horne]

I don't say no.

[Dilly Carter]

Or just don't look at people in the eye.

[Alex Horne]

Really?

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. My last question to you, where in your home is your happy place?

[Alex Horne]

Well, that is a good question. Where in my home is a happy place? It's probably the kitchen, I suppose you can have stuff in the kitchen. We've got lots of stuff.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Alex Horne]

What we're doing at the moment, we discovered three pictures, one of each of the kids, where she's holding one of them and each of them and parts of their feet or their hands are being painted and then put on a plate. You know, this thing to do with kids. So one was, like, six months old, one was one, one was two.

[Dilly Carter]

Yep.

[Alex Horne]

And we found the plate and we found the picture. So we're gonna put them up on one of the walls in the kitchen.

[Dilly Carter]

Nice.

[Alex Horne]

How do you mount a plate on a wall?

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, you have. There are actual plate mounts and they stretch so that you can put them on the wall. So whatever size plate you've got, they sort of just adjust.

[Alex Horne]

And can a basic person do that?

[Dilly Carter]

A basic person can do that.

[Commercial Announcer]

Really?

[Alex Horne]

I don't need a person. A proper person.

[Dilly Carter]

No, you don't need it. I think you can just drill that into the wall.

[Alex Horne]

Is it a Rawl plug situation?

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, it might be a wall plug situation.

[Alex Horne]

I'll get someone else.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, you might need someone else, actually. Alex, thank you so much. Thanks, Dilly, for coming in and talking to us about all your incredible things. It's been such an honour to sit opposite you and it's been an honour

[Alex Horne]

to sit up at you, Dilly.

[Dilly Carter]

Thank you so much.

[Alex Horne]

Thank.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. Let's shake hands.

[Alex Horne]

I'm worried that my hand was sweaty before.

[Dilly Carter]

It's sweatier now.

[Alex Horne]

Is it sweatier now?

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. That was yuck.

[Alex Horne]

That was yuck. That's a great end.

[Dilly Carter]

I can't wait to be back with you. For more revealing home truths, organizational hacks and celeb unboxings. Sort yout Life Out Unpacked is presented by me, Dilly Carter. You can watch us on iplayer and listen on BBC Sounds and don't forget to subscribe on BBC Sounds and have push notifications turned on to make sure you don't miss an episode. Episode.

[Alex Horne]

Political language can seem archaic.

[Dilly Carter]

It's like the light from one of those stars that actually died.

[Alex Horne]

Sometimes bamboozly, it's a theme park with

[Dilly Carter]

a five foot log flume. From one thought to another and very often beyond words.

[Alex Horne]

I don't know how to describe the language I use. I'm Amanda Yannucci. I'm all reset and turbocharged to stress test to destruction used and abused buzzwords and phrases from the world of politics. I come with a dazzling array of guest presenters and I'll be exploring the verbal tricks of the political trade, the intentions behind them and the effect they have on all of us. The new series of Strong Message. Here with me, Amanda Iannucci from BBC Radio 4. Listen now on BBC Signs. This July 4th at Lowe's. Get up to 45% off select major appliances plus save $80 on a select char broil performance series gas Grill now $299. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's. Lowe's. We help you save valid through 7, 8 while supplies last selection varies by location. See lowe's.com for more details.

[Dilly Carter]

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