Hammersmith Apollo date: 7 Nov
Laura Smyth is headlining the Hammersmith Apollo on 7 November as part of her 'Born Aggy' national tour.
Snapshot · Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe
S12 EP46: Laura Smyth (The Return)
Explore episode
Jun 12, 2026
Where this was said
Lidl Sponsor Read
At 25:42 · chapter starts 25:40
The episode's mid-point sponsor read uses the show's established 'loose neck vs stiff neck' running joke as its hook. Rob explains the archetypes for newer listeners — loose necks are carefree and loud, stiff necks are anxious and buttoned-up — before Josh confesses that he's so concerned about ultra-processed food that he has decaf tea with breakfast to avoid a caffeine comedown. Rob, meanwhile, smashes three espressos and loves life. The Lidl read argues that the supermarket serves both camps: Josh gets no-sugar oat milk and veggie bits from the deluxe range; Rob gets Lurpak rustic baguettes and fruit for the kids. The read ends with the Lidl strapline 'More to Value'.
Similar snapshots
AI novel 'Call Me, I'll Hide the Body' sold for $2.4M
A novel called 'Call Me, I'll Hide the Body' triggered a 14-publisher bidding war and sold for $2.4 million before critics alleged it was predominantly written by AI.
John Mulaney cold-texted Robby
John Mulaney cold-texted Robby Hoffman out of nowhere to offer to produce her Netflix special, which became Wake Up.
Posed as a courier to pitch HBO Canada
Robby Hoffman posed as a courier to hand-deliver her spec script directly to the president of HBO Canada early in her career.
Two Netflix specials filmed in one night
Robby and Mulaney filmed two shows in one night for the Netflix special; after the first they knew they had it, so the second was a victory lap.
250–300 shows per year
Jimmy Carr performs up to 300 shows a year, often doing two shows per night, which he says reduces nerves rather than increasing them.
Comedy optimal speech: 92 BPM
Jimmy Carr says that speaking at roughly 92 beats per minute is the optimal cadence for comedy and public speaking, including political speeches like Obama's.
The oldest joke is ~4,000 years old
The oldest recorded joke appears in a Roman book called 'The Lover of Laughter' and is still funny — a barber asking how a man wants his haircut, who replies 'in silence'.
Overton window expanded by comedians
Jimmy Carr argues that comedians like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Dave Chappelle have permanently expanded the conversational Overton window on sex, politics, and taboo topics.
Lion King musical: $11B lifetime gross
The Lion King musical has grossed over $11 billion in its 30-year run, making it the single highest-grossing piece of entertainment in history across any medium.
