Otto English, author of Fake History and Fake Heroes, and John Mitchinson, one of the creators of the hit BBC quiz show QI and cohost of the podcast Backlisted, pit their wits against AI Jo (played by the BAFTA award-winning actor Joanna Scanlan) in a quest to separate fact from fiction, truth from myth and urban legend, and find the holy grail of 'Utter Bollocks'. Produced by Marcos D'Cruze and Edd Hartwell. Music: Marriage Of Figaro Act 1 (Part 1) by Mozart
For the last of the current season, John has a tricky question for Otto; who is the worst British PM? While John has it a bit easier when Otto quizzes him on whether ghosts are real.
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1 Aug 2024
Carrots and Feral Children
Why were there so many stories in World War 2 about how carrots can help you see in the dark? And has any human actually been raised by animals? Otto and John continue their journey into utter bollocks, with the occasional dash of amazeballs.
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25 Jul 2024
Dolphins and Guillotines
Are dolphins more intelligent than humans? Was the inventor of the guillotine killed with his own invention? Otto and John on the hunt for tosh, piffle, balderdash - or the two extremes of utter bollocks and amazeballs
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18 Jul 2024
Bugger Bognor and Sex in 63
John and Otto investigate King George V's famous last words, and Larkin's contention that sex only really began in 1963
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11 Jul 2024
Saving Corporal Hitler and the Weirdness of Water
More mind-boggling conundrums from Otto and John as they explore the famous story of a British soldier saving the life of soon-to-be notorious Austrian corporal in World War One, and the universal strangeness of H20
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27 Jun 2024
Shakespeare and Saint George
John asks Otto why St George is a English icon, while John delves deep into that perennial mystery: did Shakespeare write all his own plays. AI Jo Scanlan sets the record straight, or does she?
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20 Jun 2024
Chinese Glass and North Korean Golf
This week Otto asks John whether the invention of glass gave the West a technological edge over China, while Otto reveals to John how the North Korean leader scored a perfect round of golf in 1994.
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13 Jun 2024
Losing Religion and Bad Politicians
Otto and John break the dinner party rule and challenge the large language model of AI Jo to some awkward questions about religion AND politics. Is the UK really a 'Christian' country. And who qualifies for Westminster's worst-ever MP?
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6 Jun 2024
Churchill and Mushrooms
While AI Jo tries to keep them in algorithmic order, John and Otto will be asking whether Winston Churchill is Britain’s greatest-ever political hero, and digging down in a dark and humid place to find out if mushrooms are really fungis to be with. With a surprise question from our followers. Will they find more low-hanging utter bollocks or the impossible amazeballs of truth?
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30 May 2024
Is Britain Full and Men Really from Mars?
Two corkers for Otto and John to unscrew this week. Are women really from Venus and men from Mars? And does this observation come from Uranus? Plus the belief behind the urgency need to Stop the Boats: is Britain full? Pish? Toffle. Baldercock or poppydash? You decide with the help of our team and AI Jo. Plus surprise questions from our followers
23 May 2024
Identifying as a Cat
Relying on their limited brain matter, John and Otto try to outwit AI Jo on two burning questions of the day. Did anyone actually identify as a cat in East Sussex? And as everyone off their faces with opiates in the 19th Century? Is this twaddle? Tosh? Piffle or Balderdash? Or have we hit a pure seam of Utter Bollocks? Plus a surprise audience question
16 May 2024
Elephants and the Internet
The first episode of the new podcast series pits the frail human brains of Otto and John against the fearsome machine learning of AI Jo on two big questions of our time. Are Elephants buried under British pub car parks? And has the internet got smaller? Is this twaddle? Tosh? Piffle or Balderdash? Or have we hit a pure seam of Utter Bollocks? Plus questions from our followers. Produced by Marcos D'Cruze and Edd Hartwell. Music: Marriage Of Figaro Act 1 (Part 1) by Mozart
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26 Apr 2024
Utter Bollocks - Trailer
Otto English, author of Fake History and Fake Heroes, and former head of research for the hit BBC quiz show QI and cohost of the podcast Backlisted, publisher John Mitchinson, pit their wits against AI Jo (played by the BAFTA award-winning actor Joanna Scanlan) in a quest to separate fact from fiction, and truth from myth and urban legend in a quest to find the holy grail of 'Utter Bollocks'
Reach and audience
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
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