Lentil Nightmare: Nigel Planer and the Man Who Was Young Once

We Can Be Weirdos

Global

Philosophy, Spirituality, Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 793 Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2025

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Nigel Planer has been a towering figure in British comedy since the late 1970s. From his anarchic exploits with The Comic Strip to his portrayal of the hapless student Neil in The Young Ones. Today Nigel takes us on a journey through comedy, literature, and the wonderfully weird corners of his life. He reveals the surprising real-life inspirations behind his most iconic characters, shares tales from the golden age of music and comedy, and gives us an insider’s look at his new book, Young Once.

Host: Dan Schreiber

Guest: Nigel Planer

Producer: Cassie Merritt

Senior Producer: Ben Tulloh

Head of Factual Podcasts: Al Riddell

Transcript

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0:00.0	At Amazon, over 50% of deliveries now come with less packaging or with no added packaging at all.
0:07.0	It's a difference you'll notice on your doorstep, where you chat with friends,
0:11.2	where your neighbour's daughter practices guitar, and where we deliver your new noise-canceling headphones in the manufacturer's packaging.
0:18.6	Ah, much better. Reduced packaging from Amazon.
0:22.5	We're delivering change where it matters on your doorstep,
0:26.2	based on 2024 UK and EU Amazon packaging data.
0:32.0	This is a Global Player Original podcast.
0:37.0	Warning!
0:38.3	The following podcast contains strong language, bizarre theories,
0:41.3	unexplainable experiences, and a heavy potato encounter.
0:45.3	It may not be suitable for younger weirdos.
0:50.3	She said, oh this blue-caped man, that's your guide who's coming to tell you, keep going, and it's not something to be frightened of.
1:01.3	He's from 500 years ago.
1:05.1	Oh, oh, oh, welcome to another episode of We Can Be Weirdos.
1:29.5	My name is Dan Schreiber and welcome to the show that believes that everyone, no matter how rational they think they are,
1:36.7	harbors a little bit of bat shit in them and that that is no bad thing.
1:41.2	Today I am very excited because I am joined by one of the funniest people living in the
1:47.7	UK, someone who was part of the boom of comedy in the 80s that absolutely altered the landscape
1:54.6	of all comedy, and he did it initially with a character that is almost a patron saint of the We Can Be Weirdo's
2:03.9	world. Certainly, the book that he produced is the absolute Bible to my show. Every, every cult
2:11.1	and weird thing has their own Bible, and sometimes it's by some interesting character like
2:16.8	Timothy Leary. Sometimes if you're into ancient aliens, it's a copy of chariots of the gods.
	...

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