Josh Widdicombe – författare

A childhood memoir about growing up in the middle of nowhere and watching too much TV, from beloved comedian, Josh Widdicombe

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'A wonderful blend of nostalgia, hilarity and personal anecdotes that only Josh Widdicombe could deliver' James Acaster'Brilliantly observed' Romesh Ranganathan'Beautifully written, cleverly crafted and charmingly funny' Adam Hills'Retro heaven' Alan Carr'A '90s TV throwback dream' Katherine Ryan Watching Neighbours Twice a Day... is part-childhood memoir, part-comic history of '90s television and culture. Using a different TV show of the time as its starting point for each chapter, it discusses everything from Josh's strange, rural childhood, to the BBC convincing him that Michael Parkinson had been possessed by a ghost, to Josh's belief that Mr Blobby is one of the great comic characters, to what it's like being the only vegetarian child west of Bristol.It tells the story of the end of an era, the last time when watching television was a shared experience for the family and the nation, before the internet meant everyone watched different things at different times on different devices, headphones on to make absolutely sure no one else could watch it with them.'Annoyingly very funny'Sean Walsh 'Warmth, wit and Widdicombe - with big laughs and pure nostalgia at its heart'Danny Wallace'Brilliantly funny and nostalgic'Russel Kane'If you read only one book by Josh Widdicombe this year, make it this one'Jack Dee

''A wonderful blend of nostalgia, hilarity and personal anecdotes that only Josh Widdicombe could deliver'' James Acaster''If you read only one book by Josh Widdicombe this year, make it this one'' Jack Dee''Beautifully written, cleverly crafted and charmingly funny'' Adam Hills''This is a book about growing up in the ''90s told through the thing that mattered most to me, the television programmes I watched. For my generation television was the one thing that united everyone. There were kids at my school who liked bands, kids who liked football and one weird kid who liked the French sport of petanque, however, we all loved Gladiators, Neighbours and Pebble Mill with Alan Titchmarsh (possibly not the third of these).''In his first memoir, Josh Widdicombe tells the story of a strange rural childhood, the kind of childhood he only realised was weird when he left home and started telling people about it. From only having four people in his year at school, to living in a family home where they didn''t just not bother to lock the front door, they didn''t even have a key.Using a different television show of the time as its starting point for each chapter Watching Neighbours Twice a Day... is part-childhood memoir, part-comic history of ''90s television and culture. It will discuss everything from the BBC convincing him that Michael Parkinson had been possessed by a ghost, to Josh''s belief that Mr Blobby is one of the great comic characters, to what it''s like being the only vegetarian child west of Bristol.It tells the story of the end of an era, the last time when watching television was a shared experience for the family and the nation, before the internet meant everyone watched different things at different times on different devices, headphones on to make absolutely sure no one else could watch it with them.

THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER THE MADNESS, ABSURDITY, AND UTTER CHAOS OF BEING A PARENT FROM THE HOSTS OF THE NO.1 SMASH HIT PODCAST.What's it really like to be a parent? And how come no one ever warned Rob or Josh of the sheer mind-bending, world-altering, sleep-depriving, sick-covering, tear-inducing, snot-wiping, bore-inspiring, 4am-relationship-straining brutality of it all? And if they did, why can't they remember it (or remember anything else, for that matter)?And just when they thought it couldn't get any harder, why didn't anyone warn them about the slices of unmatched euphoric joy and pride that occasionally come piercing through, drenching you in unbridled happiness in much the same way a badly burped baby drenches you in milk-sick?Join Josh and Rob as they share the challenges and madness of their parenting journeys with lashings of empathy and extra helpings of laughs. Filled with all the things they never tell you at antenatal classes, Parenting Hell is a beguiling mixture of humour, rumination and conversation for prospective parents, new parents, old parents and never-to-be parents alike.READERS LOVE PARENTING HELL:'Best laugh out loud book on parenting''I laughed and cried! Not being a parent I can now appreciate everything my friends do a lot more!''Every parent needs to read this''Every parent or parent-to-be or parent-adjacent needs to read this! It's also surprisingly empowering for women - the way they include the wives perspectives is beautiful''An honest account of parenting with a welcome twist/dose of humour. Buy it! Gift it.''I laughed out loud many times and once had to go into another room because I thought I might wake my sleeping husband.'

THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'I wanted this to be bad, but Josh and Rob have written an incredibly funny book about parenting' - Romesh Ranganathan'Exactly why I'm glad I don't have kids' - Tom Allen'This is the story of two blokes who thought life was really easy and then they had two kids each and realised it was absolutely impossible...'What's it really like to be a parent? And how come no one ever warned Rob or Josh of the sleep depriving, sick-covering, tear-inducing, snot-wiping, 4am-relationship-straining brutality of it all?Filled with all the things they never tell you at antenatal classes, Parenting Hell is a beguiling mixture of humour and conversation from the hosts of the no.1 smash hit podcast (but this time, their wives andparents get a say too).Unlike those who might pretend to have it all together, Rob and Josh comfortably discuss the highs and lows of parenting. Whether it's moments of unmatched euphoric joy or realising you took going to the toilet in peace for granted, this book is a reminder that everyone figures it out along the way.This edition is updated with bonus parenting 'tips' from Rob and Josh.READERS LOVE PARENTING HELL:'Best laugh out loud book on parenting''I laughed and cried! Not being a parent I can now appreciate everything my friends do a lot more!''Every parent needs to read this''Every parent or parent-to-be or parent-adjacent needs to read this! It's also surprisingly empowering for women - the way they include the wives perspectives is beautiful''An honest account of parenting with a welcome twist/dose of humour. Buy it! Gift it.''I laughed out loud many times and once had to go into another room because I thought I might wake my sleeping husband.'