BONUS: Annette Badland • Mae on Ted Lasso

Marisa  

Welcome back to the Crown and Anchor, greyhounds. This is a bonus episode of Richmond Til We Die, a conversation about the Apple TV plus show Ted laso where we explore the characters, their relationships to each other, how they're able to make us laugh until we can hardly breathe one moment and then feel what the deepest parts of our hearts the next. I'm Marissa and I had such a wonderful time meeting one of my birthday buddies while we recorded this episode.

Christian  

I'm Christian, and I'm insanely jealous of anyone who's ever gotten to do a project with Idris Elba.

Brett   

And I'm Brett and today we are excited to share with y'all our conversation with the owner of the crown and anchor herself and that badland has charmed her way into our hearts with her portrayal of may on Ted lasso. We love her character for the way she commands the pub while also keeping Jeremy Paul and Baz in line, at least when they're patronizing her establishment. Annette explained to us the May is seen by the cast and the production team as the matriarch of the show. She's not exactly a mother figure to Ted, but she does occasionally dispense wisdom to him and to beard and the lads and everyone who darkens the doors of the Richmond local. Marisa Christian and I had the pleasure of chatting with a net shortly after the release of season two episode six which means we were able to ask a question about her soggy bottom dance as well as reflect on her expert comedic use of inappropriate hand science on the show. In addition to Ted lasso, and has appeared on popular shows like Doctor Who, EastEnders, Outlander and Midsomer Murders, she has received an Olivier Award nomination for her work on stage and throughout her career, she has worked alongside some of the most famous actors, directors and writers in the business while telling stories through the mediums of television, film, radio and life theater.

Christian  

We connected with Annette on twitter and our schedules finally matched up to have this conversation. She was incredibly gracious with their time and as kind and thoughtful as you'd imagine.

Brett   

And speaking of nets, generosity, you'll want to make sure you stick around until after the credits of this particular episode. I don't want to spoil it but suffice it to say that we've got a great surprise for y'all that involves exclusive Annette badland content. All right, let's get it started. We hope that y'all enjoy our conversation with Annette. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to the pub owner of our favorite local, the legendary Mae herself,  Annette Badland!

Marisa  

We’re so glad to have you here.

Annette Badland  

Well, you having a pint? 

Brett   

Of course, we'll take the boots.

Christian  

So can you tell folks in the United States especially where most of our listeners are? What was your early life like? And how did that lead you to acting on stage and on screen?

Annette Badland  

Oh, well. There's absolutely no trace of an actor in my lineage before me. It was parents stay as it is for a great many actors. I felt the audience for the first time. I'm an only child and I got to sit and enact a character poem by john Keats called Meg's merrilees and I just felt the audience I could make them laugh and I could stop them laughing haha great alchemy there just to to have that power. So that was when I was about 10 and it just stayed with me and I was in the school and Graham's the local we have an institution called the Women's Institute which is women and they you know, they call Can they do drama it was it's was things to enliven women's lives and enable them. And they invited me into a play that they were entering into a festival, so I got to join them. And then I started to take classes, there was a drama school called lambda and you could take external exams just to see if I could do it if I didn't know if people liked me because they recognize me. So I had to test whether I actually could do it or not. So it was that and then on into drama school eventually, and I went to a place called ECE 15, which is very connected to the method. A lady called Joan Littlewood have a theatre company in the east of London, and it's where people like Barbara Windsor, I don't know if you would know her from the carry on films and very much improvised. Like your your method in America.

Christian  

In my mind, everybody in England would recognize you because you've been in so many iconic TV shows over there. And in the United States, there are probably a lot of people who are getting to meet you for the first time in your role in total. So if we could have a time machine and see you in one, it could be on stage or one thing you've been on on TV. One piece that was your favorite that you would want to introduce people to which one would it be?

Annette Badland  

And I think favorites are hard because you love things for different reasons. But as you said, Time Machine are plump on this occasion for Doctor Who, which I was part of the team that when it was regenerated with Chris Eccleston in England, and Russell T Davis was writing the scripts, I went on to do two episodes as part of a trio. And Russell liked so much what I was doing that he wrote an episode just for me. So I became I was always an alien as slitheen and my character's name was Margaret Blaine.

Brett   

Rolls off the tongue. Yeah.

Annette Badland 

And, as Margaret Blaine, she was the mayor of Cardiff and wanted to put her nuclear power station where Cardiff castle was and so the doctor had to stop and it was just a huge gift to me. It's got absolutely everything in it. There are lines like dinner in bondage works for me. Two very sad lonely moments and I just ran the gamut there's the script was such a delight when it arrived. It arrived around Christmas time. And as I say, it just has every possible emotion in it. So I guess I'll plump for that in the Time Machine, pop that in there.

Marisa  

Christian said a lot of Americans might not know your work, but I am a huge fan of British crime dramas. And I in fact, one of my favorites is I guess the reason you're in one of those episodes that I made while I didn't make I invited Brett to watch that episode last night because I said, you know, we love We love a net as made in Ted Lasso, but she's so scary. In this episode of Agatha raisin. So do you do you love to play I mean, you don't seem to have a type that seems like in all your work, you get to do kind of everything from the lovely pub owner to the scary murderous.

Annette Badland  

Yeah, I am lucky and I relish that I do play a lot of dark parts. I mean Margaret Blaine in Doctor Who is quite dark. But I it that's a great thing to relish really to, to involve yourself in that and find the dark corners of yourself or grow. You know, a small thing in you, that irritates you and you can grow it into something that can eventually make you feel murderous. And then I get things like Outlander, I think lots of American audience know Outland, too. So there I am. Mrs. Fitz, who runs Castle Lee is a great more main character. So I am very fortunate I, I haven't really been pigeon holed. So that's fantastic. And I, I avoided if I can anyway.

Brett   

Yes, yeah, absolutely. We should probably ask just one or two questions about about Ted lassos, since that's what our podcast is about. And the listeners may Riot if we don't. But this is a very general question, but how did you come to be involved with the project, I was

Annette Badland  

invited to audition and went to a casting director and went on tape. And Jason said he liked the tie, actually engaged with the people my icontact and things was something that he really picked up on from from that tape. So I very luckily got invited in which was fantastic. Obviously, Jason when he wrote this couldn't have possibly had any idea of COVID coming along. But it is so important and has been, you know, crucial to a lot of people and is just fabulous to have in the world at this moment in time, I think

Christian  

has the character of may changed or evolved at all since you first read the scripts and kind of the vision that you had in your head of what you thought you were getting into.

Annette Badland  

I like the truth and honesty of the performances. The delicacy of human beings connecting. And it could have been much fresher than that. And I think that's something to be relished. I enjoyed that very much. Mae hasn't changed enormously. Jason's always seen her as the matriarch and the diehard fan and, you know, so a lot of that hasn't altered. You see different aspects of it, but it's always sitting there underneath anyway.

Christian  

Yeah, and I love how you know, you may not appear in every episode, but there are so many important scenes that when I imagined them back in my head, you play a crucial role in and so I think about when the team is having the meeting about the haunted training room, and you're standing up there next to Jason, and you command that moment. And we've talked about on our podcast, the barbecue sauce scene with the darts, and your interaction there. With Rupert, and then again, when you like, ring the bell, when everybody gets their free drinks, when you see the scripts, and when you're filming, does it feel like you're centered in that moment? Or is that something that, you know, it plays out, and then when you see the show back, is a little bit of a surprise for you.

Annette Badland  

I don't ever feel like the most important person in the scene, if that's what you're asking I, she runs the pub, so therefore she has a command of her space. But it I know, it's a cliche, but we all do work together very well. And it's something that the producers and the directors want to so we all just work to tell the truth of that moment. So I don't ever feel particularly elevated as it as May. But she does run that pub, she owns it. She knows the people. So that gives her command naturally, unlike myself, who's a whimpering wreck in the corner of the room.

Marisa  

Well, that's one of the things that I think we talk a lot about on our podcast is just the role of women in the show Ted lasso, and how you know, a show about football could definitely just be a man's world. But we see so often that the women have power and the women are holding the truth and speaking truth into the others. And so yes, we get to see me as this wonderful pub owner who has all of her stuff together. She's You know, you're so great with the hospitality. But so so much of the time you're able to tell Ted the truth, the truth that he doesn't often hear very well from other people. So do you in those moments? Do you kind of, you know, lean into that and really take on like, Alright, here I am as the matriarch and here I'm going to shape sort of this person who needs to hear the truth.

Annette Badland  

Yes. And they're very, I feel very equal, you know, that me and Ted. You know, she has stuff she can tell him. She's that bit further on. She's probably been through a cell, she'll have staff, she has clients in the pub, you know, she's been there, and she's lived a colorful life, I think we probably had a few husbands and, you know, so the stuff she can tell him. And she is older than he is. You know, she's not, she's not a maternal figure for him. But certainly she is someone he can lean on a bit, you know, he can rely on I do think it's tremendous the amount of roles and the good quality of writing for women in the internet. So I think that's tremendous.

Christian  

One of the things that is becoming more clear to me or I guess, shapes, my evolving view of May is Jason's enthusiasm for the American sitcom Cheers. His uncle was in that played, Norm, George Wendt. And so then I think about your role, and especially as Jason says, a lot of amazing nice things about Ted Danson who played the bartender, and cheers and we see more references to cheers in season two. What was your exposure to cheers throughout the years and when did you start to put the pieces together that Jason was connected to that show and an enthusiast?

Annette Badland  

Well, when cheers was going out here it probably was a bit later than for you. And I know initially they almost canceled it, didn't they? They did the first series and thought they weren't going to make any more How foolish. Hi, I liked it because of the, again, the connection with people it's about human beings and maybe very strong. The drawn Rhea Perelman's character I love the the waitress, and you know, I was getting pregnant and has cynicism. And I didn't know in the foot because I don't Google, but I'm not very modern. So I don't Google and see who people are and what they've done. And so I didn't know that Jason was connected initially. And he hasn't really talked to us in the scenes about connecting with Cheers. But you do know a pub and bar is a place where human beings go through everything together and you can go in and be absolutely alone. And sit alone in a corner you just meet the bartender and go and sit and drink whatever you want. And people will leave you alone or you can connect with other human beings and share your story. So it's a brilliant environment to for storytelling and for showing how human beings interaction can connect with one another in really very fundamental ways. I did a bit on Gulliver's Travels, which Ted Danson made so I've only met I didn't work with him I only met him once I was actually Ned beatties I was Mrs. Ned Beatty for a couple of days but I think the heartwarming nature of it the care of humanity is very close to Ted Danson you know you had all of that those those characters supporting one another and knocking one another but very very realistic and and humane i think

Brett   

i think we have one more question that is related to both pub life and Ted lasso and that is at the time of this recording the most recent episode that has aired is season two episode six and there is a wonderful scene in the pub there are a couple actually were may and the the pub boys or the crown and anchor crew as we call them pretty sign language during the match and then before that even have a fun chant and some dancing during the British Bake Off scene and I was just wondering, how was that as fun to shoot as it looked like it was

Annette Badland  

it? Yeah, beat me dancing to soggy bottom was not in the script. I think you'd have a good time with me she'll tell you off, but she also is up for having a good time and the boys and I really get on it because it's our environments where we tend to be so we have a great laugh and they're just wonderful. But the three of them don't tell them that because me is not always so generous to them. But certainly yes those inventions happen on the moment depending on the mood of the scene so and then it's up to you don't know if they're ever going to make the Edit you know they might not but the director said oh you soggy bottoms in.

Marisa  

I'm so glad because I think Mae can now rival like Beyonce. I like your style.

Christian  

I should tell you, my wife loves you. Her name is Stacy. And she loves the character of Mae and the hardest that she has left whilst watching Ted lasso. And the most times we've had to go back and rewind even on rewatch was in season one when you gave Ted the sign language wanker. That piece of comedic genius is legendary in our household so thank you for that moment.

Annette Badland  

And you don't get to watch the football you want to reel forward to the football don't you but you have to be watching that. Yeah, I mean that was in the script. This stuff that's Go on, you know, just editing, just time, storytelling. So you know, but it may come back in another form, you know, that might get inserted somewhere else in another form. So yeah, it's so alive. And as we are, it's just it's terrific fun. And it's just glorious to be involved with something that cares about the world and other people and can make them laugh and make them happy.

Christian  

Season One, in regard to how people are experiencing it, was very different from what we're doing now with Season Two. With season one, a lot of people kind of came to it late when the series was partially aired or completely aired and so they were able to discover it all at once. And it was kind of a rolling thing of seeing people experienced the show for the first time whereas was season two. Now it is a lot of people experiencing the show at the same time. What's it been like to experience kind of that slow drip of people people discovering it, versus now the excitement week to week of everybody experiencing it together.

Annette Badland  

I love that it grew. It's like a beer fermenting or you know, it just was breathing and living and people capturing the idea and then desperate to tell other people which was wonderful, you know, they they really wanted to share the news. And now the anticipation of the next episode and the thrill that it's landing tonight and we can all join in his chest tremendous and such a thrill as as an actor to be involved with something that has just got a fire under it. It hasn't happened in England yet because I don't think that Apple TV has really taken off in the same way here. But I know those people who are late to the party will you know, I'm sure England will eventually catch up and join in. But I'm getting a great kick out of the way people are responding and it's just enhancing people's lives and we're having a great time

Brett   

It must be fun to to know a little bit about what's coming in the next several episodes.

Annette Badland  

I can't say too much thing No, no, not at all

Brett   

We are very anti spoiler, I was just saying it must be funny from from your perspective, knowing more of the script and what's to come to see some folks reactions and to know like oh, that's going to that thing will be resolved or it's not going to resolve in the way that you think that it will and so that's that appointment viewing really draws out some of those, those thoughts that you don't have when you binge the whole 10 episodes all at once. You know you don't you don't have time to wonder about things because you just press play.

Annette Badland  

I come from a time of course, where things were episodic and you waited a week for the next episode and I iraq I still like that because you have a whole buildup and whereas if you just gobble it all up, and I know people rewatch and everything but it seems to me to kind of that anticipation and you know, and I suppose it even goes even further back, you know, going to the cinema on a Saturday morning when I was so full so you wait you invest in that and it adds a great thrill to it. No spice to it. So I'm enjoying people go Oh, it's 206 tonight, you know, it's happening. Today it lands.

Brett   

I every time I remember that. It's coming out late Thursday night, I get so happy for it all week. But then when I have that conscious thought on Thursday,.

Christian  

Another legendary Thursday night comedy. Cheers.

Brett   

Gonna Say the office, but that was two. That's it? Yes, well, we're appreciative of that. Certainly. Switching gears just a little bit, we could probably spend hours talking about the characters you've portrayed on stage. But there's one that jumped out at me as I was kind of reading through your link the resume and you were nominated for an Olivier Award for your role, and Jim Cartwright's play the rise and fall of little voice. And for listeners who may not know the Olivier Awards are similar to the Tony Awards here in the States, it's kind of the West ends version of that award show. And this play, the rise and fall of Little Voice revolves around a character who has called little voice in the show. And it's a really shy young lady who has this really big hidden talent where she can do, she can sing, and like mimic the voice of any, like major diva from opera to pop. And, at best, she only does it in the privacy of her bedroom. And of course, in the play, there are people who attempt to exploit that which leads to conflict, which then has to be overcome. But my question is, after all that rambling, if you could have that special ability, that little voice has an you could imitate any Shawn to use his voice, who would you choose? And why?

Annette Badland  

Probably Judy Garland, which

Brett   

That’s the right answer.

Annette Badland  

Did I say the right thing? I think because of the pain that's there. We've all felt the man who got away just for me is supreme. Yeah, Judy Garland for me every time I think the vulnerability, and the strength and the fighting back and because we know about her real life too, and what she went through Judy Garland,

Brett   

and speaking of your time on stage as well, like I said, You've done tons you've told so many stories and so many contexts, what is like character that you've portrayed and one of the shows that may be well known, maybe not that you was your favorite.

Annette Badland  

Again, I have not one favorite but a few because I love them for different reasons. That plays playing CD may in in the play rather than the film because it was made into a film with Michael Caine and Brenda blessing and Jane Horrocks who was in the play to originated it. She came into the she was in the film. But Jim wrote seeming reality that was poetry. And my character had very little to say she had about 12 bouquets and a couple of sentences. But I started the night with the audience laughing at me, and ended with them laughing with me, and understanding my journey. And that was tremendous. And that's Jim's writing. So I relish the play very much. The film script got, you know, how to inevitably have to be altered. So for me, it wasn't so satisfying as the play. But I adored being saidI me.

Marisa  

One of the things that we've been asking some of your other classmates is this question about the most embarrassing moments you've either had onstage or maybe filming something. And if you're willing to share what that might be.

Annette Badland  

I was off in a play in Brooklyn. I went over with the RSC and did a play called summer folk by Gorky. And I was off, I was down in the basement chatting and heard my cue and had to run hell for leather stay, and they had all carried on. And I had to sort of just sort of slot in where I could and join where I could. But I also have another story from from Brooklyn. As I say it was the art is a play with the RSC and we were on tour. And we started in Brooklyn, and then went across the states. For some reason I was alone one night going home, and I got to the subway. And this old lady came towards me with two bags and said, Excuse me, dear, could you tell me the way to the BMT? And I thought I was representing the RSC in my best posh boys. Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I'm afraid I don't know. And she just said, I'll go F—vyourself. Welcome. Welcome to Brooklyn..

Marisa  

Oh, that's not usually what you hear from our fellow Kansans. Thinking it looks even worse, because they're thinking it, but they'll just say, Oh, so nice to see, we really know what they're thinking.

Christian  

A slightly different aspect of your career is that you have done work in radio dramas, how do you approach and prep for that, those performances in ways that are different from TV or stage,

Annette Badland  

I don't think the process is really very different in any of the mediums, you have to start with the truth and the truth of your character. You have to research, you know, in the play what other people say about you, and consider whether that's the truth or not, and invest them with the history. And then you, I think, sort of naturally absorb the nature of the piece you're doing. So you, you know, you begin to change a little and adapt to that world. But the process towards it, I mean, in television, you have to think that, you know, you have to think more than do whereas on stage, you have to maybe illustrate a bit more, but you can't really not be truthful. In any of the media. You You just can't tell the audience smell it. So the approach for me is or is always the same and it's finding out the guts and the belly of the person you're playing and what's going on in their head and what's happened to them that makes them that way. And you do have Mike technique, you know, if you're suddenly becoming very murderous, you go into the mic, and you can just pop things in people's ears because you're popping them into the audience's ears. But then on stage, you might just go up to another character and do that you might be depositing your venom into just their ears so no one else can hear. So it isn't very different.

Marisa  

I love that. As someone who teaches young performers and actors and actresses, do you have any words of advice from someone who is still Working in a beautiful and long career, do you have any words of advice for our for my young actors and actresses,

Annette Badland  

variety? Don't I have lots of friends who wouldn't do television or wouldn't do a radio or wouldn't do a particular sort of television or wouldn't go into some sort of theater. And I was always attracted by the projects and the storytelling. So it meant I worked in a lot of different areas. So then those people in those areas keep you know, that general keeps generating. So I think that has a lot to do to do with it. I I, I didn't get stuck up and go oh, no, I don't, I won't do that. Sorry. No, I just tried absolutely everything. I'm always very pleased. If anybody asked me to do anything, I'm just thrilled and I just go Oh, they won't me how wonderful how wonderful. Rah, rah. So yeah, keep trying everything. I know. We all have things we love most and want to be involved with but just try different stuff. It's exciting.

Brett   

That's really great advice. And I think that attitude has led to you know, this very, again, long CV that you have, I mean, you've worked with so many people just a very short list would be in addition to the TED Lascaux cast who we all love, obviously, you have Jude Law, Angela Lansbury, Stephen Fry, Imelda Staunton, Mark Williams, Ewan McGregor, Tim Curry, Idris Elba, Andrew Garfield, not to mention all of the amazing writers, directors, producers for all of those things. Who is someone that you haven't worked with that you feel like you would really enjoy the opportunity to work with?

Annette Badland  

Al Paccino

Brett   

Make it happen, Interne..

Annette Badland  

At the moment, I'd love to work with Francis McDormand.

Christian  

One of the things that the cast of Ted Lasso doesso great at is social media, all of you cheer each other on and on Instagram and Twitter. Everybody has an authenticity and a positivity to them that kind of we see played out in the show, but then you see is also in real life. And one of the things that you share a lot on Twitter. Well, two things, one, beautiful pictures of flowers. And secondly, poetry. Do you have a poem that's particularly speaking to you at the moment.

Annette Badland  

And strangely, Keats again, I talked about Meg's mirrorless earlier and feeling the audience but of course, to autumn because we're just moving into it. I've just had my birthday about three days or three or four days ago. And I always feel very right in the autumn. I just feel this is the right place for me. And I did a long train journey last weekend, and suddenly, there was mist rising off the fields as we came back in the evening. And so that provoked to me the memory of to autumn because we are about to move into that seas. And I love apples, and it talks about apples and the countryside and things. So, bees, so yes, that's been in my head.

Brett   

I said you had a birthday just a few days ago.

Annette Badland  

Yeah. 26. Yes, August.

Marisa  

We're birthday buddies. My birthday is August 26, as well, no. Yes, yes. Well, we looked at when we looked at all of your info on Wikipedia and everything else like we're birthday buddies.

Christian  

You are an admitted list maker, do you have any good lists going on at the moment?

Annette Badland  

Well, I've got a few because I have to go away again next weekend. So it's all the things that have to go in the case and all the stuff that's needed for that. So that's and it's hard not to start to? Well, I can't I've had this list going for about a week and I don't go till next Friday night. And it's only a small Sonia small weekend case, but it still needs a list. And then there was some house things that needing so I'm doing a whole long list of you know, and of course they have sub headings. And if one item on the list gets achieved, then you have to refer to another little list somewhere else to see if you've crossed all those things off to it's very satisfying.

Brett   

I feel like we're going to see one of those like ads on Facebook for the master classes and it's going to be a net badland list making.

Annette Badland  

I'm going to give movement classes I think after soggy bottom and Yes, I'm in a series called Midsomer Murders as well I paid to play the pathologist in that and someone for my birthday put up another little bit I want to competition and I did a little dance there so I think I might do a whole compilation of them and do sort of a workout.

Brett   

That's great make sure you have Jeremy swift on as a guest he can move

Christian  

as May you are authentically convincing as a football fan. Have you been part of supporter culture in real life before starting this project?

Annette Badland  

No, I as a teenager was in love with Georgie Best who was a football player for Manchester United. So that was as close as I got. And in England when I was little, my dad used to on a Saturday you had Paul's coupons. And it was a you know, a lucky draw sort of thing. And he would sometimes it was, you know, not always allowed. But I would get to put my little cross in the box that I thought that you know, they you would have to say Did they who wins? Is it a drawer, how many goals does the one team win by and all of that. So he would occasionally allow me to put little crosses in boxes. But he was he always stood over me it was very sort of. I didn't get free rein with my crosses. So I had that memory. So he and he wasn't a big, I didn't grow up with him being a big football fan. He used to, of course take an interest and as I say do these football coupons to try and win, you know, 1000s of pounds. But so I didn't grow up with it. And then I fancy Georgie best. But I did work in Manchester for a while. And I also when I was growing up, the football culture was very violent. The fans were often very violent, and it was not a place I wanted to go and find out about but then I did this series up in Manchester and decided I had to go to the United Football Club and watch a match. And actually all the things that I thought would frighten me I relished I loved the gladiatorial aspect of it you know them all coming out of the tunnel it was just wonderful and the beauty of it and the chanting I just thought was so witty and made me laugh and I joined in and they were all the things that I thought you know, while the chanting I thought I would find all full and oppressive and it was just fantastic and the camaraderie all those human beings you know, fighting in their heads for one win one goes supporting one person I just found it tremendous. So I haven't carried on that I i've been several times since but I don't do it regularly but I just think it is the most glorious thing to be involved with as a spectator as well as a player.

Christian  

You channel it wonderfully in the show it's very convincing

Annette Badland  

KG who's one of the lads helps. And Bronson also knows about you know cares about footy  But Adam and I have to be tutored I do look up anything we are doing I do you know I research and so I do know what I'm talking about but kg and Adam kg and Bronson kind of give us a bit of extra

Christian  

kg is funny because in the show he's kind of that very reserved but then in real life he's not he has a Manchester United podcast and gets like very excited on the shows that he does about Manchester United so I always get a kick out of him being kind of the quote unquote quiet one in the show when in real life he's he's quite vocal about his football preferences.

Annette Badland  

Oh yes.

Christian  

You've done quite a bit of charity work and I read that one time to benefit the Birmingham Children's Hospital you did some abseiling which is like rock rappelling Did you

Annette Badland  

Repelling down the side of a tall building is what I do. And I was terrified I thought Oh, fine, you're given a helmet. And I got there and so I don't I don't know that I can do this and you know became a refuse Nick and had to be mightily reassured that it was all you know, really checked and, and I really was very, very safe. I had I've been in house spittle a few times when I was younger, I had a road accident. And I've had my tonsils out. And I've had my appendix out. And those things happened when I was young. So I want an I come from Birmingham. So I wanted to support them. And that was a way of, you know, really attracting attention to myself and then having to go through with it, Oh lordy. Last year, I did swim 22 for diabetes UK, which you swim 22 miles, it's the equivalent of the English Channel. And you can do it in just widths. And you could do a length of day, you know, I was I was doing about a half a mile a day. But that's much more my met here was I was happier in the water than I was dangling off the string at the side of the building, I have to say,

Brett   

that doesn't surprise me.

Marisa  

I get that.

Brett   

I think we have two final questions. You've been so generous with your time already. But we have curated a playlist called Ted lassos. Musical Theater playlist, we obviously took a lot of time thinking about the name. And the playlist feature songs that are directly referenced in the show, or that we sort of sub textually mined from the dialogue or different situations. And so do you have a favorite musical theater song or number that you would like to add just as your personal contribution? It doesn't have to be related to Ted lasso necessarily. Well, I

Annette Badland  

think the jet song from West Side Story?

Brett   

Yes.

Annette Badland  

You've probably got it already. Have you? I don't know. But you know, from your first cigarette to your last dying day. And I think if you're a big football fan, that's how you feel. And I love some time, I guess for me, it would be cabaret and velcome.

Brett   

Of course,

Annette Badland  

it may or may not be kick cat girls, I don't know. But yeah, I think she's a good hostess and great welcomes people. So, but they have to stay in line. So it's also an cabaret is a bit dangerous. It's not a cozy place to go. So I think that fits in with the feel of it, too.

Brett   

Absolutely. That's a great one. And then one other question we, we always end our episodes where we talk about the shows episodes with a quote that we find meaningful from the episode. But I'm wondering, is there a particular quote that is stuck with you either from May or from anybody on the show?

Annette Badland  

And I think be curious, not judgmental, is very important. From a personal message to me, I am I'm a big believer, you know, side of me is a police woman or, you know, you know, don't do that. Why are they doing that they should be doing this. And I just, it's a note to self, you know, be curious, why are they doing it. And they might need a bit of help. There was another quote, and I'm probably not going to remember it correctly. And it's sometimes attributed to rose Roosevelt, sometimes Mark Twain. And it's comparison is the thief of joy. And I was going to talk to Jason about that, because I think that also could be very much part of the show, you know, because you feel lesser than someone or you feel more important than they do. And I kind of I meant to talk to him about it and haven't yet.

Brett   

Those are both such great mantras that you can think of during the day and will literally like change your behavior on a dime. Yeah,

Annette Badland  

yeah. And it's not it's a quiet thing, isn't it? Just think about it, just step back for a second.

Brett   

And that's one of the things that Ted lasso the show challenges us all to do. And that's the reason we love it. And we like to talk about it and talk about the people who make it so I talked to them so

Annette Badland  

and it makes your life better, doesn't it? That's the great thing. If you do manage to do it, your life is enhanced. You are, you know, it's not that you're a better person, but you feel better about yourself, you feel better in the world. So what's wrong, there's nothing wrong with that.

Brett   

Completely agree. Well, in that thank you again, so much for your time. We have loved chatting with you been wonderful. I've enjoyed being here, buddy. Birthday, buddy.

Marisa  

I'm just so excited. Thank you so much for sharing with us and giving of your time and just everything you shared was just so beautiful, and I just want everyone to listen to it. Oh, thank you.

Okay, that's our show. We'll be back on the dog track in just one week with our conversation about Episode 10 titled, the hope that kills you. You can check out the show notes for links to learn more about the cool and interesting stuff we mentioned in this episode.

Marisa  

And you can keep the conversation going on Twitter and Instagram. Our handle is @TedLassoPod. It's a great way for us to connect with each other and for y'all to share your insights on the show.

Brett   

Richmond Til We Die is brought to you by Gin and Kerosine Productions. It was produced by me, Brett Callan, Marisa Calland and Christian Dashiell.

Brett Callan also had the pleasure of editing, mixing and composing the music for this episode. If you enjoyed our conversation, please take a moment to subscribe to Richmond Til We Die on whatever app you are using to listen to this episode.

Marisa  

One more quick reminder that if you have access to an Apple device, we'd love it. If you could head over to the Apple podcasts app and give us a quick five star review. It'll help more people find in here the show. I'm Marissa signing off for Christian and Brett. Thanks for listening. Until next time, cheers y'all

Transcribed by https://otter.ai