The Annabel Portcast: Recent Episodes
Absolute Radio
As an integral part of Geoff Lloyd's hometime show on Absolute Radio, Annabel brings you her take on this lovely and random world in which we all live. From 'Annabel's All-Star Postbag' to 'Annabel's Challenge' we think you'll love this daily of dose of gorgeousness.
All week Annabel has been attempting to make people happy at Christmas by making other people happy. That might not make sense when you read it though, but if you listen to this you'll understand. She also reads letters from her All Star Postbag, with correspondence from Nigel Farage, Queen, and Pope.
Annabel has spent the week trying to live by the advice of the Archbishop of Canterbury; to make Christmas less commercial and to instead spend her time helping others as a gift. Find out how she got on with that, and how Geoff feels about her early Christmas gift to him.
Annabel continues her assignment to spend less money on presents for people this Christmas and instead make the festive season better by doing good deeds for others, so far with mixed results...
Annabel starts her assignment to stop giving conventional gifts to those she loves, and instead make them feel happy vicariously, through her good deeds. However, it seems there may be a flaw in this plan, as nobody involved seems that happy.
Today being Monday, Annabel is set a new assignment, and she's going to be trying out an idea put forward by the Archbishop of Canterbury - to give people presents of emotional rather than monetary value. She also reads letters from Nigel Farage, Prince William, and Barack Obama.
Sometimes you hear about when films are being written and filmed and made and the whole process takes about three years, and that's silly, because Annabel drafted a plot for the sequel to Love Actually, got the cast and sorted a production team, all in just three days, and she still had time to read some very funny letters from her All Star Postbag.
Annabel finishes off her assignment in grand style, having gained entry to the building where the producer of Fraggle Rock lives, and having to display a level of cunning and vocal imitation that would shame the best spies and impressionists.
Annabel is going great guns with her assignment to make a sequel to Love Actually. Is "Going great guns" the right phrase even? I'm not sure, I basically mean she's doing really well at it. I'm pretty sure it's the right phrase. Who cares- why not distract yourself from that by having a little listen...
Annabel gets stuck into her assignment to write a sequel to Love Actually, and she's started by outlining the plot and characters needed, and it's all shaping up to be a hit. She also reads letters from her All Star Postbag, with correspondence from Nigel Farage, Prof Stephen Hawking, and Madonna.
Annabel returns from her holiday and is set a new assignment from Geoff - it's an easy one this week; to write a sequel to Love Actually, get in touch with the actors and get it all made. Simple as you like.
Despite Geoff being absent for two whole days this week, Annabel didn't shirk her responsibilities to the show, and completed a full assignment, as she is contractually obliged to do.
Annabel finishes off her assignment to conduct some social experiments on the British public- so far it seems we're eager to help, but have no morals. Who knows what today's survey will show up?
Annabel continues her assignment to test the moral fortitude of the nation. Yesterday she discovered that people aren't as bad as you might think, but today her findings are pointing in a different direction...
Geoff is ill today, but Annabel wasn't, so she was able to regale you with her assignment to conduct some social experiements, as well as reading letters from her All Star Postbag.
Annabel gets a new assignment for the week doing social experiments on us all, and reads letters from her All Star Postbag, including correspondance from Bono, Putin, and Arnie.
A slightly shorter assignment for Annabel this week, but despite its meagre length she faces a huge task- to get the forgotten members of Live Aid back together to re-record an alternate modern version of the song. She also reads letters from Putin, Michael Buerk, and Kate Middleton.
Annabel never shirks her responsibilities when it comes to her assignments, and she puts everything into every single one of them. However, there are times when she feels it might have gone a bit too well, and she ends up a bit more involved than was originally intended...
Annabel gets stuck into her assignment to do an alternative version of Band Aid, with only the members who are perhaps less well known. And success today, as she gets none other than one of Big Fun on board...
In the first Postbag of the week, Annabel has letters from Cheryl Fernandez Versini, Geri Halliwell and Madonna
All week Annabel has been striving to join two great European nations in harmony. Has she succeeded? Pretty much. She also reads letters from Brian May, Cheryl Fernandez Versini, and Queen.
Annabel finishes off her assignment to improve Anglo-German relations. She may not have the support of the German chancellor or the British royal family, but who needs them- she can make friends with Germans all by herself.
Annabel continues her assignment to improve Anglo-German relations. She had a bit of trouble getting Angela Merkel involved, but who needs the German chancellor, when you can get the British Royal (and German) family?
There aren't many radio shows that try and get in touch with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in order to give her a gift of amber to soften relationships between Britain and Germany, but this one does- mainly because that's the nature of Annabel's assignment this week.
Annabel starts the week with letters from Ed Miliband, Mick Hucknall, and Mel B in her All Star Postbag. She's also set a new assignment, to help improve relations between England and Germany.
All this week, Annabel has not only been braving the early starts, but also attempting to bring the wonderful game show You Bet back to screens across the UK. How did she do? Why not take a bet on it now, and then listen and find out, like a podcast version of You Bet.
As Annabel has sorted the return of You Bet, today's Portcast is slightly shorter than usual. However, with some outstanding correspondance from David Cameron, Ant or Dec and a fax from Phil Collins, there's still plenty to keep you happy.
Annabel completes her assignment to get You Bet back on the telly in the UK, and there's good news and bad news. To be honest, it depends on how you read the email she was sent. She also reads letters from Kim Jong Un, Pope and Nigel Farage.
Annabel continues her assignment to get You Bet back on the telly- she's discovered that it's come back in Spain, so surely it's only a matter of time before she can bring it back to our shores. She also reads letters from her All Star Postbag, including correspondence from David Cameron, Beyonce, and Robbie Williams.
Annabel and Geoff are covering the breakfast show all this week, but despite being all sleepy from getting up in the middle of the night, Annabel is putting her early starts to good use, and working hard to get You Bet back on the telly again.
The Hometime team had a short week this week as they were on the Breakfast Show on Friday, which is just as well because Annabel found this week's assignment particularly awkward...
It's been a challenging assignment for Annabel this week, having to either discourage or encourage public displays of affection, but she didn't shy away from the challenge, despite the difficulty.
Today, Annabel had a tricky assignment- to break up couples engaged in Public Displays of Affection, and it got pretty awkward for a while. Still, at least she got to go to the cinema for free, so that's something at least.
For various reasons, Annabel only has a couple of days to fulfil this week's assignment, which is probably a good thing, seeing as it has to do with public displays of affection.
All week Annabel has been busy debunking the myth that caterpillars turn into butterflies- I mean, look at the difference, it's obvious. Anyway, once you've finished listening to that myth being debunked, you can relax and listen to Annabel's All Star Postbag, today with correspondance from David Beckham, and more besides.
In her assignment of debunking scientific myths, Annabel finds herself at the doors of an important publication, ready to present her findings. However, there may be a problem, and it seems that perhaps her real identity has been discovered...
Annabel continues with her assignment to debunk the myth that catarpillars turn into butterflies. I mean, it's clearly nonsense- one's like a small worm thing with loads of legs and the other one is a flying thing that also has loads of legs, but not as many legs as the other. Simple.
Annabel gets started on her assignment to debunk some widely-held beliefs. Never one to shy away from a task, she's going to prove that the idea of catarpillars turning into butterflies is balderdash, piffle and whimsy.
Annabel is set a new assignment, inspired by Geoff's guest for Mind Expanding Mondays, Ben Goldacre, so she's going to spend the week debunking some myths. She also reads letters from David Cameron, Banksy, and Kim Jong-un.
Annabel has been busy all week getting her Kickstarter project started, but it was worth the effort, as it's very entertaining to listen to. She also reads letters from Nigel Farage, Angelina Jolie and...Nigel Farage.
Annabel finishes off her assignment to get a kickstarter...started. Being an independent lady, she goes her own way and starts her own real-life Kickstarter, and she's on course to achieve her goals, though she might need a little help from Geoff...
Annabel continues on her quest to get a kickstarter campaign kickstarted, and today sees a tumultuous chain of events, as she abandons her initial idea, only to discover that she might have to start from scratch all over again...
Annabel is trying to start her own kickstarter campaign this week and the postbag contains letters of note from Lord Sugar, Karren Brady and Putin
A new week brings a new assignment for Annabel, and this week she's going to launch a kickstarter campaign. She also reads letters from her All Star Postbag, with notes sent in from Richard Branson, Vince Cable, and Naomi Campbell.
This week, Annabel has turned her attention to becoming a self-help guru, but despite that, she's still had time to read letters from her All Star Postbag, with correspondance from Jeremy Clarkson, Courtney Love, and Sinitta.
Annabel continues her quest to become a self-help guru, and it's going well. She even meets another self-help person, though he seems a little odd, given that he goes to the busiest part of London to relax.
Annabel starts her assignment to establish a self-help movement. She's got it all; key points, a core philosophy and, most importantly, scientific evidence to prove all her points. It's going to be huge.
Annabel starts the week with some letters from George Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Alan Sugar. She's also set a new assignment for the week that promises to increase our wellbeing.
This week, Annabel has been working hard to become a vlogger, building up a loyal online fanbase for her videos and giving guidance to millions, and in this podcast you can hear the whole thing.
Annabel finishes off her assignment to become a vlogger and take over Youtube like all the kids are doing these days, and after a whole week of hard work, it looks like her place as a wise granny figure for the youth of today is assured.
Annabel continues her forray into the world of Youtubing. Today, amidst more extracts from her diary, Annabel gets her first video online so all that needs to be done is to wait patiently to go viral.
Annabel is never ashamed to bear her soul in the name of radio entertainment, but today there's some really secret detail as we hear her read from her teenage diaries...
Annabel starts the week by sharing some letters from her All Star Postbag, with correspondance from Hilary Mantel, Ed Balls, and Jennifer Aniston, plus she's set an exciting new assignment.
All week, Annabel has been working tirelessly to make her neighbourhood of Snaresbrook an independant country, and yet despite that, she still has the energy to read letters from her All Star Postbag, with correspondance from Queen, Pope and Nicolas Sarkozy.
Annabel finishes off her campaign to get her area of London (Snaresbrook) to become an independant country- she's (sort of) held a referendum, and taken the whole thing to the UN- turns out this sort of thing is really easy, (or maybe Annabel just makes it look easy- I don't mean to undermine her skills you understand).
Annabel continues her assignment to make her area of London an independant country. She's looking into important issues today such as borders and leaders, although there's also an interesting back story to do with her local Toby Carvery...
Annabel takes the first steps to make her area of London an independent state, with its own language, shops and customs. She's off to a good start, but can she learn the language in time?
Annabel is also back from her holidays, and needs an assignment to help her get back into work mode. And what better assignment than to make her area of Snaresbrook independant? Apart from the fact that there are no shops there, it sounds like a great idea..,.
Despite the shorter than normal week, Annabel still managed to get her assignment done- getting a couple of well-known reclusives to come out of their shells. She also reads letters from Mel B, and Anne Widdicombe.
Annabel completes her assignment by trying to lure Sade out of recluse-dom. She tracks her movements and asks strangers to announce her name over a tannoy. The she just hopes that Sade hears her on the radio- it's completely foolproof.
You know what they say- if you can't get hold of a recluse to try and persuade him to come out of hiding, then call their favourite local deli and trick them into giving away the recluse's address instead. And that's exactly what Annabel has done today.
Annabel is set a new assignment for the week- she's going to find a recluse (two actually), and tease them out of reclusedom, so they can do what they're supposed to do, and entertain us all again.
Annabel has been busy all week trying to become the next assistant to Dr.Who. Geoff did ask the current assistant Jenna Coleman if she was leaving, but she's being cryptic, so for all we know Annabel has succeeded...
Annabel polishes off her assignment to become the next Dr.Who assistant, which is a bit awkward as we've got the current one coming in for a chat tomorrow, but what we'll probably do is not mention it to her and then she'll never know that Annabel has done a marvellous job of stealing her role...
Annabel continues in her quest to become the next assistant to Dr.Who, and today she starts contacting all the previous doctors she can (some of them are dead, so not those ones), to try and garner their support.
What if the next Dr.Who assistant was a heroin addict dressed in animal skins? Well, if Annabel had her way, that's exactly what she would be, and once you listen to this podcast you'll understand exactly why that would be a great idea.
Annabel is back to read some more letters from her All Star Postbag, including ones from Bruce Forsyth, Judy Murray and Ian Botham, plus she is set a Dr.Who-related assignment for the week...
All week Annabel was trying to change her name to fit with brands and products, but they weren't really biting. Never mind, it's very entertaining nonetheless, so perhaps it's best not to think too much about the outcome- it's about the journey after all.
Annabel completes her assignment to change her name to help brands do a nice bit of advertising. How does she fare? Well, I don't want to give it away, but it was a big success.
Well, the aerospace companies didn't want to use her as a brand ambassador, but luckily Annabel's name is as versatile as she is, and she's moved on to a whole new area in which to use her name as a force for marketing good.
Annabel gets started on her assignment to become the next Donna Train. Who is Donna Train? Well, answers can be found in this episode of the Portcast, yesterday's Portcast, and Geoff's twitter feed.
As is the custom with the Hometime team, a new week sees not only new letters from Annabel's All Star Postbag, but also a new assignment set to her- to try and get her name afiliated with a cool transport brand.
As well as every part of Annabel's assignment this week, this Portcast contains some wonderful letters from Annabel's All Star Postbag, with correspondence from Karren Brady, Alex Jones, and George Osborne.
Annabel finishes off her assignment to discover what it would be like to live as a lady in 1914, and it seems that a lot of them were a racier bunch than you might expect...
In her quest to live as a lady from 1914, Annabel has been immersing herself in the culture of the time- she's got the music, she's got the lingo and, if she can lay her hands on some albino crows, she'll have the look...
Annabel starts off her assignment to live like a lady of 1914, and has made some good discoveries- namely that dark hair and pale skin was considered very attractive- she's a 1914 hottie! Despite being from 1914, she still manages to read letters from Sylvester Stallone, Bernie Ecclestone, and Victoria Beckham, and we're glad she did, because they're very funny.
Annabel is given a new assignment for the week, and it's going to be life-changing, (albeit temporarily), for she is to live like a woman from 1914. She also reads some jolly fine letters from her All Star Postbag, including notes from Ed Miliband, Beyonce, and Gary Lineker.
All week Annabel has been busy creating a new religion, made out of all the best bits from the relions that already exist, and what she's come up with is much greater than simply the sum of its parts. She also reads correspondance from her All Star Postbag, with letters from Tom Cruise, Barack Obama, and Michael Jackson.
Sometimes people struggle with their faith- what to believe in, what happens after we die and lots more besides. Luckily though, Annabel has collected all the best bits of religions and put them all together, so now you just have to listen to this and you'll find a religion that's sure to be perfect for you- the one she's created.
Annabel has been researching all the best bits of religions from around the world, and there are some great customs out there. Next, she's going to put them all together and craft her very own religion, and from the sound of it, it's going to be brilliant.
This week, Annabel is handpicking her favourite parts of loads of religions from across the world. Then she's going to weave them all together and create her very own religion, and from the sound of things, it's going to be brilliant.
Annabel gets stuck into her new theological assignment, to make a nice new religion made out of the best parts of all the other religions, and she's off to a good start...
Annabel returns to the airwaves (she's contractually obliged to), and reads a selection of letters from famous people- those people today being: Ben Affleck, William Shatner, and Aretha Franklin. She is also set a fun new assignment, which could see her amassing a huge number of new followers...
All week, Annabel has been attempting to become the new boss of Tesco. She's used all her cunning and intelligence, and because of that, I think she's just about pulled it off. There's a lesson there somewhere.
Annabel finishes off her assignment to become the boss of Tesco. Unfazed by the fact that they've already appointed a new CEO, she starts a good old smear campaign to have him ousted before the end of the week.
Often, when Annabel tries to get her assignments done, she meets an awful lot of opposition. Not today, however, as she finds that the staff of Tesco are more than happy to help her out.
Annabel reads letters from Kate Middleton, Selina Scott, and Susan Boyle today, but not content with simply relaying messages from the famous, she's also embarked on a campaign to become the new boss of Tesco- and do you know what? She's got some amazing ideas...
Annabel is set a new assignment, to become the new boss of Tesco, but this being the Portcast, she doesn't just get set an assignment- oh no; she also reads some wonderful letters from her bulging All Star postbag.
As news broke that the Synod backs women bishops, Geoff challenged Annabel to become that first female bishop..easy right?
Annabel is back at work, and not only did she manage to read letters from her All Star Postbag, she also became the first female bishop in the country- talk about bouncing back...
Annabel starts her historic assignment to become the UK's first female bishop. She's going to take the religious world by storm, and she's got some great ideas right off the bat. She also reads from her All Star Postbag, today featuring a letter from David Cameron, fresh from shuffling his cabinet.
Annabel reads letters from all manner of famous folk, including Cheryl Cole, Eminem, and David Cameron. She is also set a new challenge from Geoff- to become the UK's first female bishop.
This week the Tour de France was in England, but it's not really ours, it belongs to the French, so Annabel has been busy inventing a new Tour that we can have instead. She also found time to read letters from Pope, George Clooney and Dolly Parton.
Annabel reaches the end of her assignment to give this country a rival to the Tour De France, plus she reads letters from Brad Pitt, who's been spotted at Wimpey, and little Justin Beiber, who has been all naughty...
Sometimes when Annabel is doing her assignment, there's a general feeling that, although very funny to listen to, she's probably not going to get her task done totally in full. However, today was one of those days when you feel she might just achieve her aim, and we'll have a new Tour de France, but in England, and in canals rather than roads. And without bikes.
Annabel gets started on her mission to make a new event for Britain- like the Tour De France, but not about bikes or France and, like always, she's off to a cracking start...
So everyone's talking about the Tour De France, but what has this country got? Well, seemingly not a lot, but don't fret for Annabel is set a new assignment this week that shall give us a national event we can be similarly proud of.
Annabel completes her task of brining the sprit of Brazil to London and dips into her all-star postbag.
Annabel reads all-star letters from Bankst, Bruce Springsteen and Luis Suarez and contiunues on her quest to bring the sprit of Brazil to London.
Annabel contiues on her mission to bring the sprit of Brazil to London and recieves some letters from some all-star fans.
Annabel gets started on her assignment to bring the Brazilian spirit to the UK, starting by being all relaxed and carefree about public transport not running on time- they're a crazy bunch those Brazilians.