Radio Oldie

The Oldie magazine’s podcast featuring discussion and debate around the lead features in the latest magazine, plus live recordings from our famous Literary Lunches. Presented by Harry Mount.

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494 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes494

Newest first

February 11 · 4 min
434: Anita Lasker-Walfisch at the 2025 Oldie of the Year Awards
Anita Lasker-Walfisch, 100 – Oldie Maestra Anita Lasker Wallfisch, 100, a German-British cellist, was a member of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz. After the war, she co-founded ensembles including the English Chamber Orchestra and has been honoured for her contributions to music and Holocaust remembrance. Introduced by Gyles Brandreth
February 11 · 5 min
433: Susan Hampshire at the 2025 Oldie of the Year Awards
Susan Hampshire, 88 – Oldie Comeback Kid Susan Hampshire starred in The Forsyte Saga as Fleur in the late 1960s. Then, last year, she returned as Lady Carteret in the prequel, The Forsytes. Introduced by Gyles Brandreth.
February 2 · 26 min
432: Stephen Frears in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Stephen Frears is one of Britain’s most prolific and successful film and television directors. His 1985 film My Beautiful Laundrette made his name and launched the careers of Daniel Day-Lewis and Tim Bevan of Working Title. Stephen talks to Charlotte Metcalf about his phenomenal career, from directing Dangerous Liaisons, written by Christopher Hampton in 1988 and starring John Malkovich, Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer, to working with Martin Scorsese on Grifters and with Stephen Knight on Dirty Pretty Things (2002). He also talks about his admiration for Hugh Grant who played Jeremy Thorpe in his 2018 mini-series A Very English Scandal and his enduring friendship Hanif Kureshi, who wrote the screenplay for My Beautiful Laundrette.
January 26 · 29 min
431: Jeremy King in conversation with Harry Mount
Jeremy King, the greatest restaurateur of the age, tells Harry Mount how he set up the Caprice, the Ivy and the Wolseley. He explains how he trains his waiters, how he spots when a diner is about to hit him and why he wrote his new book, Without Reservation - Lessons from a Life in Restaurants.
January 21 · 13 min
430: Mary Berry at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Mary Berry speaking about her new book, Mary 90: My Very Best Recipes, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on January 20th 2026.
January 21 · 16 min
429: Jeremy King at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Jeremy King speaking about his new book, Without Reservation: Lessons from a Life in Restaurants, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on January 20th 2026.
January 20 · 13 min
428: John Davie at the Oldie Literary Lunch
John Davie speaking about his new book, Greek to Us: the Fascinating Ancient Greek that Shapes our World, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on January 20th 2026.
January 19 · 30 min
427: Helen Macdonald in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Charlotte Metcalf talks to Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk - the best-selling story of how she dealt with the grief over her father's death by bringing up a goshawk in Cambridge. The book has just been made into a film, starring Claire Foy (pictured) as Helen - it comes out this Friday, January 23rd.
January 12 · 49 min
426: Hunter Davies in conversation with Harry Mount
As he turns 90, Hunter Davies tells Harry Mount about being the Beatles' only official biographer – the priceless, hand-written lyrics he picked up off the floor of Abbey Road Studios, John Lennon's disapproving Aunt Mimi and the swimming trunks Paul McCartney left at his Portugal house.
Dec 17, 2025 · 36 min
425: Michael Palin in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Beyond being one of the Pythons in Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Michael Palin has had a varied career as an actor, writer and television presenter and is now known for his popular books and travel documentaries. He was knighted in 2019 for services to travel, culture and geography. He talks to Charlotte Metcalf about his love of travel and art, how he began in comedy, stammering, as he did in a A Fish Called Wanda, his ‘harmonious’ temperament and much more.
Dec 16, 2025 · 21 min
424: Anne Glenconner in conversation with Harry Mount
Lady Glenconner tells Harry Mount about life as Princess Margaret's lady-in-waiting: how Fergie told her how much the Queen liked her book; and the royal waves, from the Queen's crisp wave to the Queen Mother's - like 'stirring a pudding'.
Dec 15, 2025 · 29 min
423: Matthew Bourne in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Matthew Bourne is widely hailed as Britain’s most popular and successful choreographer with a record number of prestigious awards. He talks to Charlotte Metcalf about Red Shoes, currently playing at Sadlers Wells, and much more. His 1995 Swan Lake, replacing female swans with male dancers, is the world’s longest running full-length dance classic in the West End and on Broadway. He was knighted in 2016 for his outstanding contribution to the art of ballet.
Dec 10, 2025 · 15 min
422: Gyles Brandreth at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Gyles Brandreth speaking about his new book, Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on December 9th 2025.
Dec 10, 2025 · 16 min
421: Anne Glenconner at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Lady Anne Glenconner speaking about her new book, Mischief & Manners, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on December 9th 2025.
Dec 9, 2025 · 14 min
420: Adam Sisman at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Adam Sisman speaking about his new book, The Indefatigable Asa Briggs, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on December 9th 2025.
Dec 8, 2025 · 32 min
419: Pam Ayres in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Pam Ayres is a much-loved poet, comedian, songwriter and broadcaster, particularly famous for her poem ‘I Wish I’d Looked After my Teeth’. She was awarded an MBE in 2004 for services to literature and entertainment. She talks to Charlotte Metcalf about her life, including performing for the Queen, and performs her most recent poem ‘I’ll Have to Send it Back’.
Dec 1, 2025 · 30 min
418: Henry Marsh in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Henry Marsh is a neurosurgeon who became well-known when his best-selling book, Do No Harm was published in 2014. Since then, he’s written two more books, Admissions: A Life in Brain Surgery, followed by And Finally in 2022. He’s had three BBC documentaries made about him and remains a frequent visitor to Ukraine, where he has been a volunteer surgeon and is now a popular lecturer.
Nov 26, 2025 · 10 min
417: Andrew Lownie at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Andrew Lownie speaking about his new book, Entitled: Prince Andrew, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on November 25th 2025.
Nov 26, 2025 · 12 min
416: Ferdinand Mount at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Ferdinand Mount speaking about his new book, Soft: A Brief History of Sentimentality, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on November 25th 2025.
Nov 25, 2025 · 8 min
415: Roger Moorhouse at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Roger Moorhouse speaking about his new book, Wolfpack: The Gripping New World War Two History Taking Us Inside Hitler's U-Boat War, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on November 25th 2025.