Unlikely Friends

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… and Unlikely Friends is getting fully festive 🎄 Welcome to the Unlikely Friends Christmas Special, packed with chaos, crackers and Christmas nonsense. There’s a Secret Santa exchange that genuinely does not disappoint, Leigh turns up with some top-tier merch, and Jade and Emma somehow convince Jill to voluntarily have fake poo lobbed at her head (yes, really). The Christmas crackers are stuffed with your festive topics and suggestions, along with some truly awful Christmas cracker jokes — expertly (and painfully) delivered by Emma. As ever, the chat wanders merrily off course, with detours into favourite meats, first Christmas memories, and a little forward planning for Emma’s 50th next year. It’s festive, it’s ridiculous, and it’s exactly the kind of Christmas catch-up you’d expect from four friends who can’t stay on topic for more than 30 seconds. Pop the kettle on, grab a mince pie, and enjoy. 🎁✨

It’s the ultimate festive interruption 🎄 On this Christmas week special of Unlikely Friends, the gang sit down to answer questions sent in by the brilliant Judy Love – starting with a big one: what were the standout moments of 2025? But before they can even get through the first answer, everything goes completely off the rails when Santa Claus himself crashes the episode. What follows is pure Christmas chaos, featuring unexpected singing, surprise presents, and some genuinely mind-blowing revelations – including where Leigh and Emma might be landing on the naughty list. A festive special that’s best experienced rather than explained. Just press play and enjoy. 🎅✨

Leigh, Emma, Jill and Jade are back to get well and truly into the festive spirit — with tangents, showbiz stories and a healthy dose of chaos along the way. The gang kick things off with Christmas tree chat, comparing notes on when (and how seriously) everyone decorates. Jade and Emma reveal they made a wholesome trip to a Christmas tree farm to choose the perfect tree — now proudly up and looking sensational, with thanks to Goose Hill Farm. From trees to trimmings, conversation quickly turns to Bunton’s baubles — and Emma’s ever-growing collection of quirky, slightly questionable Christmas decorations, many of which her mum definitely does not approve of. Naturally, things then spiral into a nostalgic detour via the MTV Awards, before Jill shares stories from her time working at Selfridges. Leigh rounds things off with a classic showbiz anecdote involving Dermot O’Leary and Johnny Vaughan. But peace doesn’t last long… The Pineapple is awakened 🍍 — and it demands chaos. The gang are forced into a deeply questionable game that sees them opening their phones and reading out their texts and notes, revealing things that absolutely should have stayed private. Festive, funny, and wildly oversharing — just how we like it. 🎅🍍

Bimini Bon Boulash popped in the pineapple and asked some brilliant questions and as a result we're introduced to the drag personas of the Unlikley Friends. All we'll say is you might want to keep an eye out for Caesar Fairlight at your local disco. Bimini joins us fresh from the Sahara Desert, where they took on a brutal 100km trek for CoppaFeel!, helping raise vital funds and awareness for the breast cancer charity and its life-saving message around early detection.

The Unlikely Friends discuss the phenomenon was Stranger Things with Emma Bunton almost having to lie to Millie Bobby Brown that she had seen it (Awkward!). The pineapple spits out the topic of circuses where the gang reveal their trips to see jugglers and clowns where the conversation moves on to fears and phobias. Leigh Francis and Jill Francis give us their biggest horrors. Plus they recount their childhood holidays and first romantic couples trips aways. AND what really happens on a Spice Girl tour and what's in their ryder? Emma reveals all - including how they get nervous as they walk to stage. Plus Jade reveals the excitement of a Damage tour. Subscribe and follow Unlikely Friends wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen on Global Player, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. 💌 Got a question or topic for the pineapple? Email unlikelyfriends@global.com

Actress Anna Friel is posing the questions to Leigh Francis, Emma Bunton, Jade Jones and Jill Francis in this episode of Unlikely Friends - and there's some shocking revelations! And they're taking a trip to A&E. How has Emma massively let down her husband after keyhole surgery? Why was Leigh hospitalised at the age of 9 because of poo and Jill discusses dealing with Crohn's disease and how important it is that we speak about it. The gang also get confused about the rise of Matcha tea, whilst they reveal their treat drink. Plus there's lots of belly button chat too. Just like Severance find out who is an innie or and outie. Subscribe and follow Unlikely Friends wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen on Global Player, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. 💌 Got a question or topic for the pineapple? Email unlikelyfriends@global.com

This week on Unlikely Friends, we don’t so much ease into the episode as dive head-first into hemorrhoids. Pauline kicks things off with a typically delicate question: “Do you give your dentist a Christmas present or—fuck that?” Naturally, this spirals into Emma suggesting Leigh should be gifting his hemorrhoid doctor, and Jill offering a frankly too-vivid description of the situation. From there, the gang take a scenic tour through arseholes in general (because of course they do). Jade shares the traumatic tale of being stung by a bee — apparently the worst pain he’s ever felt — before the conversation shifts to Christmas, where everyone realises that kids don’t want toys anymore. It’s all iPhones, tablets, and tech… the magic of Action Men and dollhouses is dead. More festive chat follows, including the now-infamous Leigh-Beat-Bunton Christmas ornament. Pauline then drops another cracker of a question: If someone owed you money, which member of the group would you actually ask for it back from? This sparks some eye-opening revelations about everyone’s spending habits — including the fact that Leigh is far more of a tough nut than anyone expected. There’s travel talk, too: how being a celebrity changes the way you move through airports, hotels, and life in general. And finally? A blockbuster discussion: Why don’t we have girl bands and boy bands like the 90s anymore? The friends dive into how music production and financing have changed, and why the era of endless pop groups might truly be over.

Alison Hammond and Joel Dommett are asking today’s big (and not-so-big) questions for the Unlikely Friends - and things get honest, a heartfelt and very, very real. Emma Bunton opens up about dealing with “mind load” and how overthinking can take over, while "shy" Jade Jones reminds us that we’re all a constant work in progress - and that’s actually something to celebrate. Jill Francis is talking about living in the moment… even when that moment is you worrying about your kids and Leigh Francis admits he cries more than people might think - he’s just a bit embarrassed to do it in front of others. Naturally, conversation seamlessly spirals into… HATS. Yep. What’s everyone’s favourite hat? And why is the humble beret threatening to tear the group apart? And of course, we couldn’t wrap up without chatting about Jack Osbourne - and why he seems to be everyone’s favourite I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! campmate. Subscribe and follow Unlikely Friends wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen on Global Player, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. 💌 Got a question or topic for the pineapple? Email unlikelyfriends@global.com

This week on Unlikely Friends, Leigh Francis, Emma Bunton, Jade Jones, and Jill Francis kick things off by asking: are they posh? Leigh launches into his best posh accent and admits he quite fancies talking like that permanently. This sparks a competitive (and slightly accusatory) debate about whose kids have the poshest accents — only for everyone to eventually admit that all their children sound a bit posh-with-a-London-twist. Emma shares a brilliant mishap from Heart Radio where she ended up with chocolate smeared across her face mid-show, and Jade reveals that whatever Emma eats inevitably ends up on her face too. Leigh joins in with a cinematic confession about finding popcorn buried in his chest hair after trips to the movies. Jade introduces her term “Kwengy” — those tiny white bits that gather in the corners of people’s mouths — which somehow leads them into a chat about the mysterious white stinky mouth-balls. (Unfortunately necessary.) They summon the ancient spirit of the pineapple, triggering a chaotic city-naming game in which Jill… really gives it a go. They follow it up with Andrew Garfield’s family Christmas favourite, the Giddy and Honest game, which sends the whole group into joyful chaos. The pineapple’s topic this week is laundry — prompting memories of laundrettes in Golders Green, childhood wash-days, and confessions about how useless the boys were with laundry when they first met Emma and Jill. Leigh even admits that he once phoned Jill while she was in hospital because he’d run out of pants. Classic romance. They wrap up with a chat about spiders, frogs, foxes, and some excellent anthropomorphising from Leigh, plus a spirited debate on the mysteries of secret socks. A wonderfully weird, cosy, and chaotic episode. See you on Monday.

Which of the Unlikely Friends have had run-ins with the police? We’ll give you a hint… it’s more than one! But what exactly happened? This week, the gang are grilled by none other than TV favourite Vicky McClure, who brings her Line of Duty interrogation skills to the table as she quizzes Emma Bunton, Jade Jones, Jill Francis, and Leigh Francis. Let's home her skills as a BBC detective does the trick! Emma shares memories of acting on EastEnders as a kid, Jade looks back on the day he became “rich” after finding £50, and Jill opens up about the diary she keeps. Meanwhile, Leigh dives into stories from his childhood - including a run-in with the school bully. Plus, who’s the shyest of the group? Being on TV or performing on stage doesn’t make you immune to wanting to disappear sometimes… even if you’re a Spice Girl or a member of Damage.

This week on Unlikely Friends, Leigh Francis has been out DJing in Manchester, while Jade Jones has been performing at Shoreditch House — much to Emma Bunton’s delight (she admits she was full-on fangirling him!). Then, the gang crack open the pineapple to reveal a classic Leigh-style question: 🕰️ If you could time travel back to any point in your life — or history — where would you go? Jill’s convinced she knows her husband’s answer, but Leigh surprises everyone by choosing 2015 — the peak of his Celebrity Juice and Through the Keyhole days. The conversation soon turns to whether anyone would revisit the birth of their children, leading to a hilarious and heartfelt dive into childbirth stories — from the magical to the mildly traumatic. The gang wrap things up on a lighter note, chatting about the big shop: Tesco trips, the toy aisle temptations, and whether there’s such a thing as “taking too long” in the supermarket.

It’s a mini Spice Girls reunion on Unlikely Friends this week as Emma Bunton is joined by the incredible Mel C — and Sporty Spice comes prepared with two big questions for the gang. First up: Which Olympic sport would each of the Unlikely Friends compete in? Leigh boldly claims breakdancing (inspired by Ray Gunn, even if it’s not actually in the Olympics anymore) before pivoting to skateboarding. Jill fancies herself a gymnast, Emma’s ready to dazzle in synchronized swimming, and Jade confidently chooses every sport because, well… he’s annoyingly good at all of them. Then Mel C’s second question gets the studio buzzing: Which song gets each of them on the dance floor? Expect nostalgia, bangers, and one choice from Emma Bunton that might NOT surprise Spice Girls fans. Tune in for laughs, stories, and a joyful dose of Mel C and Emma Bunton together again. It’s pure Unlikely Friends chaos — with a little extra Spice.

This week on Unlikely Friends, Emma Bunton and Jade Jones spill all about their big Traitors Experience adventure - joined by 14 mates (but not Leigh Francis and Jill Francis!). Meanwhile, Jade’s gearing up for a Damage gig, though Leigh’s skipping that one as he’s off to see Terence Trent D’Arby instead. There’s chat about Leigh nearly nodding off on the motorway, everyone’s morning routines (warning: Leigh’s involves a lot of toilet talk), and some strong opinions on the new film Bugonia Starring Emma Stone You’ll also hear the gang debate when it’s acceptable to start Christmas celebrations, before diving into the big question: What would your death row dinner be? Emma and Jade prove themselves to be the true foodies, while Jill and Leigh’s answers couldn’t be more different. 🎧 Quick note: we’re trying out some new podcast microphones this week — you might hear a bit of rustle here and there. Thanks for bearing with us while we find the perfect setup!

Olympic diver Tom Daley joins Emma Bunton, Leigh Francis, Jill Francis and Jade Jones for another celeb questions edition of unlikely Friends. Emma reveals her secret love of hand knitting and roller skating, while the group swap stories about boxing, career fears, and the scariest things they’ve ever done. Jade remembers performing at a very famous wedding in Lake Como as well as performing in front of Michael Jackson. And of course, Leigh can’t resist asking the big one: Will the Spice Girls ever play Glastonbury? Subscribe and follow Unlikely Friends wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen on Global Player, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. 💌 Got a question or topic for the pineapple? Email unlikelyfriends@global.com

This week on Unlikely Friends, Leigh Francis, Emma Bunton, Jade Jones, and Jill Francis catch up on everything from rollercoasters to Britpop. Jade admits he was nervous to go on a ride alone at Thorpe Park—but faced his fears in the end! Emma shares a classic “Baby Spice moment,” when she got recognised on a train thanks to her name badge, while Leigh talks about a lads’ trip to Whitby that took a disappointing turn when they couldn’t find ham and pineapple pizza. Jill and Emma also catch up about their “French crew” (not people learning French—just the ones they’ve been to France with). There’s chat about cooking, listener-sent topics like Ibiza (which only Jade has actually visited), and plenty of travel memories—including Disneyland tales. Then comes the big debate: Would you rather give up sex or sandwiches? Leigh’s answer is one for the ages. The gang also dive into which Friends character they most relate to, share their love of the Oasis vs Blur Britpop era, and wrap up with a chat about fame and what it really means.

This week, with Halloween still looming, Professor Brian Cox takes the reins of asking the questions for the Unlikely Friends! The gang dive into all things Aliens - with Jill Francis absolutely convinced that extraterrestrials are out there, and Leigh Francis predicting they’ll arrive on Earth this November! 👽 Emma Bunton and Jade Jones reminisce about the 90s, sharing what they miss most about the decade - and the embarrassing stories of how they both pretended to run away from home. Plus, the foursome chat about their shared love of the classic film E.T. (a childhood favourite for everyone) and their deep affection for London. Subscribe and follow Unlikely Friends wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen on Global Player, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. 💌 Got a question or topic for the pineapple? Email unlikelyfriends@global.com

🎃 Halloween Special: The Scooby Gang Returns! 👻 In this spooky (and slightly silly) Halloween edition of Unlikely Friends, Leigh Francis (aka Keith Lemon), Emma Bunton (aka Baby Spice), Jade Jones, and Jill Francis are back — and this time, they’ve gone full Scooby-Doo! Dressed as their old alter egos — with Leigh as Scrappy, Jade as Scooby, and the gals as Velma and Daphne — the gang dive into tales that are equal parts eerie and hilarious. From strange superstitions and spine-tingling premonitions to those haunting recurring dreams we can’t quite shake, the team share their own spooky stories and plenty of laughs along the way. And, to end on a lighter note, they rewind to their teenage bedrooms to reveal which posters once adorned their walls (spoiler: some are very of their time). Grab your Scooby Snacks and settle in for a frightfully fun episode that proves even the bravest of friends get the chills sometimes.

Singer and actress Glora Estefan asks the Unlikely Friends the questions where she digs into the horrible valentine's Day gifts Jade Jones has bought Emma Bunton. Plus there's awards chat with Jill Francis revealing her prestigious trophy win and Leigh Francis tells all about Jill's terrible cooking... Crab sticks and salad cream anyone? Chefs beware, you may be disgusted at this epispde! Subscribe and follow Unlikely Friends wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen on Global Player, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. 💌 Got a question or topic for the pineapple? Email unlikelyfriends@global.com

This week on Unlikely Friends, Emma Bunton has a fangirl moment with Taylor Swift as they bond over her love of the Spice Girls - and it all leads to a chat about everyone’s very first jobs (spoiler: one involves rotisserie chicken and Jill Francis). The crew also confess to what they have stole from TV shows and music tours, with one of them involving toilet tissue, Nelson Mandela, and long-lasting guilt that might just warrant a phone call to the police. Plus, Jade Jones and Leigh Francis open up about their celebrity crushes, the team give their perfect hangover cures and they finally settle one of life’s biggest debates - what is the best kind of potato? 🥔 Tune in for celebrity stories, nostalgic laughs, and the kind of chaos only these Unlikely Friends can deliver. Subscribe and follow Unlikely Friends wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen on Global Player, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music. 💌 Got a question or topic for the pineapple? Email unlikelyfriends@global.com

This week, Emma Bunton, Leigh Francis, Jade Jones and Jill Francis are joined by questions from none other than Rita Ora in the first star-studded Celebrity Edition! The besties spill their most memorable wardrobe malfunctions — from Emma’s tumble in Vegas to Leigh’s suppository disasters to Jade's on stage trouser tear - before diving into their shared love of fancy dress. Expect stories of wild Halloween parties, ridiculous costumes and a few surprises along the way. Things take a heartfelt turn as they open up about Crohn’s disease and how it’s affected Jill, in an unexpected but honest conversation. 🎧 Tune in to Unlikely Friends on Global Player, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music for laughs, real talk and a little celebrity sparkle.