To stay updated on future episodes, follow us on:

TikTok

Instagram

YouTube

If you have any comments about the podcast or are a performer who wants advice please do email info@thevarietyshowpodcast.co.uk

Kevin Bishop is a veteran television producer and director whose career spans decades at the BBC. Starting behind the scenes in theatre and variety, he went on to work with some of Britain’s most iconic performers, directing and producing shows including French and Saunders, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, The Kenny Everett Show, Wogan, the Royal Variety Show, and the Eurovision Song Contest. Across his career, he has overseen hundreds of live broadcasts and worked closely with stars ranging from Victoria Wood and Elton John to Liza Minnelli, Terry Wogan, and Shirley Bassey.

In this episode of Variety, Adam Sternberg sits down with legendary TV producer and director Kevin Bishop for a rare behind-the-scenes look at British television history. Kevin reflects on his early love of theatre, his first backstage jobs, and the winding path that led him to the BBC, where he helped shape some of the most influential comedy and variety shows of the last 50 years.

The conversation covers Kevin’s experiences working with comedy greats like Victoria Wood, French and Saunders, Fry and Laurie, Roy Bremner, and Larry Grayson, as well as producing and directing ten Royal Variety Shows. Kevin breaks down how acts were chosen, how running orders were built, and why egos were rarely a problem. He also shares memorable moments involving Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Shirley Bassey, Rowan Atkinson, and Bob Monkhouse.

Adam and Kevin then turn to Eurovision, including the UK’s 1997 win, the challenge of hosting the contest in Birmingham in 1998, the last-ever Eurovision with a live orchestra, and the night Dana International won in a moment that helped redefine representation on the world stage. The episode wraps with reflections on the BBC, the meaning of variety entertainment, and Kevin’s question for a future guest.

00:00 Introduction and Kevin Bishop’s career overview

01:00 Working with comedy legends and spotting future stars

02:25 Early passion for theatre and first backstage jobs

04:00 Breaking into television and first producing roles

06:08 Queen Mother’s 90th birthday gala and Royal Variety Shows

07:56 Booking acts and running order decisions

10:07 Rehearsals, live orchestras, and handling big stars

11:31 Starstruck moments and working with Larry Grayson

13:54 Live TV pressure, mistakes, and editing fixes

15:37 Wogan, Eurovision, the BBC, and the meaning of variety

To stay updated on future episodes, follow us on:

TikTok

Instagram

YouTube

If you have any comments about the podcast or are a performer who wants advice please do email info@thevarietyshowpodcast.co.uk

Judge the Poet is a London-born spontaneous improvised poet who has been creating rhyming poems on the spot for over three decades. A performer and writer with a background in English literature, he has taken his act around the world, appearing on TV, performing at private and public events, and writing his own book of poetry. His work blends quick-thinking craft with audience-reading empathy, turning live moments into tailored poems that tell real stories.

For more on Judge the Poet visit:

https://www.instagram.com/judgethepoet/

In episode 2, Adam Sternberg welcomes Judge the Poet for a deep dive into the unusual art and business of improvised poetry. Judge opens by demonstrating his spontaneous poet skill, asking Adam for three random prompts, Christmas, entertainment, and pink, then instantly shaping them into a coherent rhyming poem.

From there, Judge shares how he has been making up poems since primary school, how he trained his craft like a musician or athlete, and how he built a career the hard way by knocking on doors, taking low-paid early gigs, and growing through word of mouth. They explore the two sides of performance, technical skill and stagecraft, plus the reality of resilience, instability, and why live entertainment matters, especially post-COVID.

The conversation also tackles poetry’s image problem in schools, why poetry should be felt like music rather than solved, and how rhyme and rhythm pull language into the heart. They also discuss AI, why it can imitate poems but cannot truly read the room. Judge closes by improvising a final poem that sums up the episode’s themes, poetry, variety, and AI.

00:00 Cold open poem and quick intro

00:45 Who Judge is and what a spontaneous poet does

01:50 Live demo setup and how the game works

02:12 Demo poem using Christmas, entertainment, and pink

03:32 What makes it more than a party trick, story and meaning

04:11 Judge’s background, London to Devon to English Lit in Yorkshire

06:00 Origins and practice, childhood poems and building the craft

09:00 Making a living, knocking on doors, sales, and word of mouth growth

11:40 Performing styles, close-up tables vs stage, tailoring to the room

13:28 Poetry, arts value, education, rhyme, and accessibility

30:31 Adam tries improv poetry, then AI vs human creativity, and closing poem

To stay updated on future episodes, follow us on:

TikTok

Instagram

YouTube

If you have any comments about the podcast or are a performer who wants advice please do email info@thevarietyshowpodcast.co.uk

Bounder & Cad are a London-based musical comedy duo known for sharp, lyrical satire set to classic crooner, jazz, and operatic styles. Formed at the University of Cambridge, the pair blend close harmony singing with original parody songs that skewer politics, power, culture, and modern absurdities—always punching up. Regular performers at venues including Crazy Coqs, they draw inspiration from Noël Coward, Flanders & Swann, Dudley Moore, and Kit & The Widow, combining musical virtuosity with wit, warmth, and theatrical flair.

In this episode of Variety, host Adam Sternberg welcomes musical comedy duo Bounder & Cad for a wide-ranging conversation following a bold opening performance skewering Vladimir Putin. The pair trace their origins from university choirboys and jazz crooners to becoming a fully-fledged satirical act, sharing stories of May Balls, their first original parody song about Prince Harry, and a last-minute, near-missed debut gig at 10 Downing Street.

They unpack their approach to satire—why they prefer timeless absurdity over partisan politics, how they balance provocation with kindness, and why comedy works best when it releases tension rather than fuels anger. The episode also dives into creative partnership, disagreement, privilege, performance mishaps, and the importance of humor as a coping mechanism. It wraps with a playful operatic finale: a comic English-language take on La donna è mobile, featuring Adam joining them on stage.

Don’t miss out on how we plan to bring this podcast to life with Variety Live shows.

🎵 Original title music written by Peter O'Donnell and produced by Chris Burgess.

Join Adam Sternberg next time for another captivating glimpse into the world of live entertainment.