Hal & Ronni In Pieces

12: Half-Cut: With Alex Horne (sort of)

Well, well, well, what do we have here? Are Hal and Ronni's Taskmaster aspirations actually about to be realised? Ronni has 'booked' Alex Horne for the final episode of S1 of Hal and Ronni in Pieces (or HARIP as the kids say), but he seems to be taking a rather long time to arrive, much to the added irritation of the already exasperated producer. As our hosts anticipate the arrival of our guest, it gives them some time to reflect on the series and all the people they've welcomed on the show - some of whom seem to have changed their phone numbers - very odd indeed. They also lament the lack of a sponsor, despite their best** efforts, which makes them realise that perhaps the adverts featured in the show weren't all they seemed, could sabotage be a foot? All that we DO know is that there needs to be a series two if there's any hope of getting that bloody puzzle done, so see you then! **embarrassing

11: Outies: With Sally Phillips

Welcome to the penultimate episode in this series of HARIP, and it's a goodie, as our hosts are joined by the incredible Sally Phillips! We find out how Sally maintains a level of calm despite being a close friend of Ronni's (Hal was actually taking notes at this point), why some childhood encounters with snakes have had a lasting effect on Sally's psyche, and how working on Partridge and Veep have shaped her life and career.  We also hear some familiar voices in a rather suspiciously tailor-made advert break, AND, has hell frozen over, or have Ronni and Hal actually managed to keep a producer for more than one episode?! Someone had better check they haven't locked her in the studio.

10: Gimmies: With Lucy Porter (Live from Edinburgh Fringe)

This week we're doing things a little bit differently as we take you back to the summer of 2025 when Hal and Ronni took 'In Pieces' to the stage at The Edinburgh Festival - yes, they actually did this IN PUBLIC!   Whose idea was it to take a podcast that hadn't yet launched to the stage? That's not important right now, but the audience laughter wasn't entirely directed at the IRL angst of our hosts, as special guest Lucy Porter was on hand to tell us why Arnie Schwarzenegger is a third wheel in her marriage and how she keeps her puzzles out of harm's way.  Don't worry though, Ronni and Hal don't let the live audience stop them from inappropriate attempts at show sponsorship and still fail to keep their producer for the duration of the recording.

9: Blanks: With Alistair McGowan

Hello and welcome back to the podcast you never knew you needed, but now weirdly can't live without, even if it is just Stockholm Syndrome. This week's guest makes a big impression on us all, it's Alistair McGowan! Keen listeners to the show may have noticed that this isn't Alistair's only appearance on the series but today is probably more like a session on the therapist's couch, as we find out what all the years of living, working, and writing with Ronni Ancona have done to him - Hal, take note! We also hear about Alistair's love for football and perils of TV panel shows, and why Ronni haunts the dreams of driving instructors. Plus, have Ronni and Hal actually got some real fan mail this week? Don't laugh, it could happen...

8: Anchoring: With Shaparak Khorsandi

Hello again! Thanks for joining us for today's episode, as our wonderful guest is the brilliant Shaparak Khorsandi! Even though Shappi loves a cheeky jigsaw, she only had the opportunity for the briefest of fiddles, as our hosts relentlessly distracted her with questions about her master’s degree in Psychotherapy... I wonder why that would appeal to them… But we also find out lots more about our guest, including why a stint as a life model helped her make the leap into stand up comedy, and why appearing on 'I'm a Celebrity' gave her a whole new perspective on her life and career. Plus, she shares some harrowing encounters she's had with Hal over the years, it's a miracle she agreed to come back for more. And it goes without saying that there's yet another new producer in the chair this week - perhaps they're all in a therapy support group lead by Shappi?