#QueerlyLoves: Bake Off, The Wheel, Three Hours, Hanna Sillitoe
The latest book, TV and podcast recommendations from Rob & The GDC
Hello 👋
A little late on parade this week but #QueerlyLoves is finally here, nestling in your inbox between those Black Friday emails that are somehow still coming in.
We had a great show on Sunday which, among other things, covered the new tiered lockdown system (The GDC, not a fan), The Weeknd getting snubbed by the GRAMMYs and Cher rescuing the world’s loneliest elephant.
You can catch up or listen again in full on Spotify or hear just the talky bits on Brunchcast wherever you get your podcasts from.
Here are this week’s #QueerlyLoves recommendations…
Rob
📺 The Great British Bake Off: You’ve probably heard of this one but I’m mentioning it this week because the latest series brought me so much happiness, something that’s been in short supply for many of us this year. I have a huge amount of respect for everyone involved in making the show happen in conditions which I can imagine were incredibly challenging compared to the norm. Catch up or watch it again on All 4.
📚 Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton: Set in rural Somerset during a blizzard, the unthinkable happens when a school comes under siege from armed gunman. Students and teachers barricade themselves into classrooms, while a police psychiatrist works to understand what’s going on and bring it to an end. This intense thriller is one my favourite books of the year and has just come out in paperback. Perfect stocking filler.
📺 Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel: Seven celebrities sit in chairs attached to a wheel. Every so often a catchy theme tune plays and it spins. A normal person sits in the middle and somehow they win money. I had no idea what was going on and neither will you but this is just the sort of empty calories television we all need right now.
🎶 Rob’s Record of the Week | Steps - To The Beat Of My Heart: As I mentioned on the show, I’m not fully convinced by the umpteenth iteration of a Steps reunion but this song is an absolute bang.
📞 Request a song or leave us a message for this Sunday’s Bottomless Brunch - just head to hello.queerlyradio.com from your phone.
The GDC
🎧 In The Dark (Series 2): Maintaining my morning walking routine means I have been able to get through another whole entire series of this exceptional true crime podcast. This time the team from APN Reports investigate the case of Curtis Flowers, a Black man from Winona, Mississippi, who was tried six times for the same crime. Flowers spent more than 20 years fighting for his life while a white prosecutor spent that same time trying just as hard to execute him. Another must listen.
📚 Radiant by Hanna Sillitoe: For more than 20 years, Hanna Sillitoe suffered from severe psoriasis, eczema and acne. They dominated her life and shattered her confidence. When her doctor told her the only remaining treatment was chemotherapy, she started researching diet and skin, and ultimately changed her life. A very personal choice for me but one I feel is well worth sharing with you all.
📺 We Are Who We Are: Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino turns his hand to TV with this new HBO series which in now available on BBC iPlayer. A coming of age story focusing on a group of American teenagers growing up on a US army base in Italy as they discover drink and drugs and their true identities.
The GDC’s Random News: Fugging hell: tired of mockery, Austrian village changes name
That’s almost it but before we go, a little favour…
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Don’t forget to tune in to queerlyradio.com for more Bottomless Brunch and more #QueerlyLoves - Sunday morning from 10am 📻