Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Dara O'Briain and Shawn Mendes

Dara O'Briain, the comedian, writer and broadcaster chats to Zoe about his latest book. Also, Shawn Mendes talks about his new music, and the QI Elves are back.

Dara O'Briain, the comedian, writer, broadcaster and space expert chats to Zoe about his latest book 'Is There Anybody Out There?'. It's his first foray into children's literature about space and aliens. The book is full of crammed with jaw-dropping weird and wonderful facts about space and life on other planets. It includes how earth was created, whether aliens might exist in the solar system, the search for other planets like ours, how we could get there and… would we really meet aliens? Dara is best known for hosting Mock The Week, Robot Wars, Stargazing Live, Dara Ó Briain’s Science Club, and the documentary Dara Ó Briain Meets Stephen Hawking, all on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Television. Dara started his career in television as a children’s presenter on RTÉ whilst performing his first stand-up gigs on the Irish comedy circuit after studying at University College, Dublin, where he read Mathematical Physics.

Shawn Mendes, the Grammy nominated multi-Platinum singer/songwriter talks to Zoe about his new single 'Wonder', the first single and title track off his highly anticipated fourth studio album of the same name. 'Wonder' follows three consecutive number 1 album debuts, 3 platinum albums, and 11+ consecutive platinum and multi-platinum singles. Shawn's career began when he started posting cover videos on the social video app Vine in 2013 and picked up millions of followers in a matter of months, becoming well known for his six-second snippets of renditions of many popular songs. Andrew Gertler discovered Shawn online in January 2014, singing him to Island Records where he eventually signed and released his first single ‘Life of the Party’ in June 2014.

The Why Workshop returns with the QI Elves answering your questions on the weird and wonderful.

Along with Tina Daheley on news, Richie Anderson on travel and Mike Williams on sport, he and the team have the best start to your morning. With headlines, tunes chosen by listeners, and more music that you can shake a glitterball at!

There's also a daily Pause For Thought and listeners on the line, as Zoe entertains the nation with fun for the family!

2 hours, 59 minutes

Last on

Wed 7 Oct 2020 06:30
Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 2

More episodes

Previous

Claudia Winkleman and Jay Flynn

Next

Romesh Ranganathan

See all episodes from The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show

Music Played

  • Electric Light Orchestra

    Hold On Tight

    • Fantastic 80's Disc 1 (Various Artists).
    • Columbia.

  • David Guetta & Sia

    Let's Love

    • (CD Single).
    • Parlophone.

  • Electronic

    Getting Away With It...

    • (CD Single).
    • Factory Records.

  • Tina Turner

    Steamy Windows

    • Tina Turner - Simply The Best.
    • Capitol.

  • Cat Stevens

    (Remember The Days Of The) Old Schoolyard

    • The Very Best Of Cat Stevens.
    • Island.

  • Shalamar

    I Can Make You Feel Good

    • Friends - Deluxe Edition.
    • Big Break Records.
    • 4.

  • Alexander O’Neal

    Criticize

    • Hits Album 7 (Various Artists).
    • Hits.
    • 9.

  • The Vamps

    Married In Vegas

    • (CD Single).
    • EMI.

  • Jack Savoretti

    Watching The Wheels (Radio 2 House Music 2020)

  • The Boo Radleys

    Wake Up Boo!

    • Various Artists - Untitled.
    • Global Records & Tapes.

  • Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

    I Second That Emotion

    • Dancing In The Street (Various Artis.
    • Universal Music Tv.

  • Lisa Stansfield

    The Real Thing

    • Huge Hits 1997 (Various Artists).
    • Global Television.

  • Marshmello & Demi Lovato

    OK Not To Be OK

    • (CD Single).
    • Island Records.

  • Shawn Mendes

    Wonder

    • Wonder.
    • Virgin EMI.

  • Michael Bublé

    Everything

    • (CD Single).
    • Reprise.

  • AC/DC

    Shot In The Dark

    • Power Up.
    • Columbia.

  • The Beatles

    All My Loving

    • 1962-1966.
    • Apple.
    • 3.

  • Fleetwood Mac

    Little Lies

    • 50 Years - Don't Stop.
    • Warner Bros.
    • 007.

  • Sigala & James Arthur

    Lasting Lover

    • (CD Single).
    • Ministry Of Sound.

  • Cher

    The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)

    • The All Time Greatest Movie Songs.
    • Columbia/Sony Tv.

  • Prefab Sprout

    Cars And Girls

    • Top Gear 2 - Various Artists.
    • Columbia.

  • Billy Joel

    Uptown Girl

    • An Innocent Man.
    • CBS.

  • Paloma Faith

    Better Than This

    • (CD Single).
    • RCA.

  • Soul II Soul

    Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) (feat. Caron Wheeler)

    • NOW 100 Hits 80s No.1s (Various Artists).
    • NOW.

  • Joel Corry & MNEK

    Head & Heart

    • (CD Single).
    • Perfect Havoc.

  • Alessi

    Oh Lori

    • And Then She Kissed Me Vol.1 (Various.
    • Debutante.

  • The Mamas & the Papas

    California Dreamin'

    • The Best Of.
    • MCA.
    • 2.

  • Supertramp

    Give A Little Bit

    • The Very Best Of Supertramp.
    • Polygram Tv.

  • Carpenters

    Sing

    • The Carpenters - Yesterday Once More.
    • A&M.

  • Justin Bieber

    Holy

    • (CD Single).
    • Def Jam Recordings.

  • Van Halen

    Jump

    • The All Time Greatest Rock Songs ....
    • Columbia.

Pause For Thought

Pause For Thought
From Laura Marks, a campaigner for social action and interfaith relationships. 
The old joke asks how many Jewish husbands it take to change a lightbulb.  I don’t know, it’s never happened. Whilst many Jewish husbands are handy and useful, mine isn’t.  He can’t use the vacuum cleaner or the washing machine, though strangely he can electronically access England rugby matches anywhere in the world With the arrival of the festival of sukkot, this matters because, last week, all capable, handy Jewish families put up their sukkah, like a tent but less robust Sukkot celebrates the fruit harvest and the exodus from Egypt.  Its themes are homelessness and the instability of existence, which we experience by building and eating in this temporary and in our case, very unstable sukkah. The hardiest of families, actually live in it for a week, clearly not mine Rules govern Sukkah building, its height, shape, and distance from the ground.  
One problem, that surely can’t have been intended, is that whilst its roof must provide more shade than sun, easy, it must also let us see the majesty of the stars.  These may shine brightly in the middle east, but not here in North London.   In fact, this year, barely a glimmer of sun has penetrated my damp and dank sukkah. Most tents are fully water proof, our sukkah was, quite simply, water logged. Dan and I coaxed some friends with the promise of hot toddies and home cooking but imagine sitting under a waterfall trying to eat dinner, and you get the picture.  I realised something had to give and this week it was us, dashing back into the house after 30 seconds clutching soggy strudel and slopping the beetroot soup onto the tray.
In the warmth of the kitchen, we tucked into reheated bowls of now slightly watery soup which Dan carefully served,  ladled into bowls, with freshly baked challah bread, as we thawed out on solid steady chairs. Our dinner, and my hair, had been truly dampened but not our spirits nor the sunshine of friendship which shone resolutely through. A helpful handyman, John popped round at the end of the week, to deconstruct the sukkah and store it till next year when, with or without a Middle Eastern climate, we’ll willingly do it all over again.

Broadcast

  • Wed 7 Oct 2020 06:30
    Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 2