Refreshing Podcast

Welcome in 2026 in style! The big boss behind Hogmanay Al Thompson (Unique Assembly director) guides Johnny through the world famous 'Midnight Moment' ... in essence what happens just before 12am, as one year ends, and another begins in Scotland later today. In this quick 5 minute extract, find out about the people behind the fireworks fuse, Al's memories from Hogmanay events over roughly 20 years & some vital travel information for New Years eve. Listen here 🎙⬇️ linktr.ee/refreshingpod 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

The Holidays Are Coming ... Johnny continues the festive feels with a behind the scenes look at @Edxmas 2025. Guaranteed festive fun for all the family (open now and running until 4th January 2026). 🎙🎄 linktr.ee/refreshingpod We’ve been blessed with having Dani Rae (nicknamed the chief Elf by Johnny) chatting Christmas, and how the wonderful city of Edinburgh celebrates it. Dani has spoken to Johnny every year since 2022, and as usual she lets you in on a few secrets for this year’s festivities! Edinburgh’s Christmas is the ultimate destination for festive family fun this winter. Edinburgh is transformed, the city centre has the usual festive fun, including traditional Christmas Markets, funfair rides, spectacular live outdoor events, the amazing Santa Stories, delicious food and drink, plus so much more. If you’ve been in the past you’ll know how good it is, and if not add it onto your bucket list. Get all the BTS gossip from the big boss (yes Dani is the person who can actually tell Santa what to do) ahead of your visit. Merry Christmas 🎅🏽🤶🏻 Find out more, and get involved this Christmas Online: edwinterfest.com/edinburgh-chri… #edinburghchristmasmarket #edinburghchristmas

@jamlang22 Brilliant!! 🏆

This is the best version 🤣🤣🤣🤣 SHOOT SHOOT. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

The Holidays Are Coming ... and Johnny has his Santa suit on to Refresh Christmas. First off Johnny talks Turkeys with @KellyBronze 🎅🏽👂 linktr.ee/refreshingpod Paul loves his Turkeys, and has decades of experience making Christmas extra special. Named for its unusual colour, the feathers of bronze turkeys are a shimmering green-bronze, often appearing metallic in sunlight. They are slower grown than white turkeys, and have a distinctive gamey flavour and moist meat with a firm texture. Each bird is grown to full maturity, wild in woodlands through three seasons until dry plucked and hung and prepared. Paul counts Jamie Oliver as a person who works for him, and a host of famous celebrity friends who love the meat he produces. In between a busy working life, Paul found time to claim two Guinness World records for both plucking (2008) and carving a turkey (2009) a record that still stands. The KellyBronze was the first ever turkey to receive 3 gold stars in the Great Taste Awards, dive in and find out more. Be warned this short interview will make you feel peckish. How to order your Turkey for this Christmas or Thanksgiving ⬇️ 💻 kellybronze.co.uk 📺 Watch Paul's carving masterclass on ITV's 'This Morning' last year ⬇️ youtube.com/watch?v=eShMUd… Paul's Thanksgiving 2025 Forbes interview: forbes.com/sites/chloesor…

@hipaulgorton Well done mate!! 👏

Boom

38 minutes after take-off, Pan Am Flight 103, on route from London to New York, explodes at 31,000 feet over Lockerbie, Scotland. 259 people on board the flight (243 passengers and 16 crew members) plus 11 people on the ground die as a result of the explosion. There were victims from 21 different countries. The Lockerbie Bombing was the biggest terrorist attack against the United States before September 11th 2001. The bomb blast broke the plane into thousands of pieces that landed in an area covering roughly 850 square miles. To this day, it’s the biggest crime scene in the UK, and the 2nd biggest to happen in Europe. Questions around the plane bombing, and justice for the 270 people who died as a result of the attack, have continued for the near-four decades since it occurred. Johnny speaks to Michelle Ciulla Lipkin & Kara Weitz who both lost family members that night. Michelle & Kara speak in depth sharing memories, love, grief, the vpaf 103 legacy award. Plus the actions taken (and still needed) to seek the truth about the tragedy and how they keep the memory of all the victims in connection with Pan Am 103 alive. 💻 victimsofpanamflight103.org Full interview ⬇️🕊️ linktr.ee/refreshingpod #Lockerbie #PanAm103 #Justice #Truth #VictimsOfPanAm103 #TheBombingOfPanAm103

Are you in love with all things connected with the Railway? ... like @geofftech @OnlyRightTrack @MrTimDunn @GLovesTrains #MichaelPortillo and many more? Officially this Saturday (27th Sep 2025) the UK celebrates the 200th anniversary of the modern railway via @railway200 Johnny welcomed Mike Lamport for a chat about the past, present, and future! Mike's family have worked in some capacity on the Railway for close to 200 years, so has some amazing stories to tell from right across the modern railway, from birth > now. Share in the celebrations ⬇️ 🚂 👂 linktr.ee/refreshingpod 💻 railway200.co.uk #Railway200 #Birthday #ModernRailway #SteamTrains #ModelRailway #Intercity #PullmanTrain #BritishRail #NetworkRail #MikeLamport #RailwayFamily #HistoryOfRail #RailwayMuseum #RailwayFamily

The 2025 Edinburgh Fringe is in full swing! So far .... @alandaviescomic @TapeFaceBoy Kate Owens @CMulliner @LilDavidElms have chatted to Johnny. Soon ... @TamsynKelly Alex Berr @FWMusical & @HenryNaylorUK will do the same! Listen & catch up 👂⬇️ linktr.ee/refreshingpod #EdinburghFringe runs until 24/08/25 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

On now, and ending Sunday! it’s something brilliant to do during half-term. Johnny recently caught up with Noel Jordan, who’s the director of Edinburgh Children's Festival (and has been for the last 10 years). 🎧 linktr.ee/refreshingpod ☀️ In 2025 the festival feature’s 13 productions from 7 countries with a Spotlight on Flanders, a small region with a big reputation for quality and risk taking in theatre for young audiences. Plus, two Scottish commissions from new and established artists. Noel gives some secrets to Johnny, chats about the last 10 years, and how it’s grown over a total of 35 years, and even how Taylor Swift caused a slight problem recently. Even @bills44th got a sneaky mention. From baby’s to young adults and everyone in between, see some of the world’s best theatre and dance for young people and their families right now! 🎫 imaginate.org.uk/festival #HalfTerm #edinburghchildrensfestival #halftermideas #Imaginate #daysout #theatre #arts #Scottisharts

Over the past month it’s been a Merry March, as the Refreshing Podcast hung out with some of the best comedians on the block. We end in style with @thisstuartlaws 🎧👂🏼linktr.ee/refreshingpod Stuart’s on tour right now with his latest hour ‘Has To Be Joking’, and you can watch ‘Is The Guy Still Going’ online today. ‘Is That Guy Still Going’ is directed by @MrNishKumar featuring both light and dark moments ... at the end you can literally hear a pin drop. The show features tales of having the snip, being very truthful, living #childfree, #grief and #marriage... He explains this and lots more to Johnny. Stuart is a comedian, and director (recently he directed James Acaster’s ‘Hecklers Welcome’ for HBO). In stand up, you’ll notice his trademark Gilet (and like unmasking Batman, Johnny finds out why it’s more than just wearing it in cold venue’s). Lately Stuart chats #autism, and his relationship (that was born out of the Fringe in 2023) with fellow comedian @chloebadcliffe ❤️ Johnny brings up the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe, plus how last year (nine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star reviews and national press attention all over) he started all kinds of rumours about other performers & on tells Johnny the one that went international ... honest it really did (think M&M’s). Stuart’s got so much going on, his website is the best place to get the full rundown. stuartlaws.com 📺 Watch ‘Is That Man Still Going’ via ... 800pgr.lnk.to/thatguy 🎤 Tour details below (Stuart is live in Edinburgh 19th April) linktr.ee/stuartlawscome… #StuartLaws #StandUpComedy #FringePreview #podcastrecommendations #comedy #merrymarch #rumours #hospitaltrip #hospitaloperations @800pgm @jamesacastor

Merry March continues ... Mr @Iansmithcomedy chats with Johnny, and Ian really is ‘crushing’ it! Listen 👂⬇️🎙 linktr.ee/refreshingpod Crushing is Ian’s 2023 Edinburgh Fringe show, that stand up hour was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award. The show features tales of love, stress, and driving a tank with his hairdresser! ... He explains this and lots more to Johnny. Plus, takes Johnny on a trip back in time to preforming with a certain #RichardGadd (before the whole baby reindeer thing). Plus tell’s Johnny the advice Richard gave him, and it’s blunt! Oh and he also let’s Johnny know where Goole is in the UK & why he hates Easter (ish) ... so don’t be close to him from the 18th - 21st April. Follow Ian online for more including his BBC Radio 4 series and podcast, plus details of what he has planned for the 2025 Fringe. 💻 linktr.ee/iansmithcomedy Watch ‘Crushing’ via the link below ⬇️ 📺 youtube.com/watch?v=XBEhy_… @800pgm @LilyMarriottPR #Crushing #youtubecomedy #IanSmith #standup #comedyclips #podcastclips #babyreindeer #blunt

Merry March is back for a second year, the Refreshing Podcast hangs out with some of the best comedians on the block. First up, it’s @derekscottmitch who is on tour with Two Smash-Hit debuts shows ‘Double Dutch’ and ‘Goblin’. 🎧🎭 ⬇️ (listen in full). linktr.ee/refreshingpod Derek had a highly successful solo run at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, to go alongside his 120 international gigs and the small matter of over half a billion views on social media posting all kinds of small comedy shorts online. Derek chats with Johnny about the origins of both shows, and how playing characters, or just being himself on stage is both enjoyable, and at times testing - but with the main aim of just bringing comedy to as many people as possible, and creating a great night. He also shares his love for the @BriTANicK & the #stamptown crew. Double Dutch plays on it’s meaning of ‘gibberish’ and how it’s used on each other. whereas, Goblin tells the story of Elliot, it’s a chance to jump back to 2007 and the emo phase! Derek’s full tour details ⬇️ 💻 linktr.ee/derekscottmitc… Tour info: linktr.ee/derekscottmitc… (selected dates on the road until early June 2025). #doubledutch #goblin #derekmitchell #merrymarch #comedypodcast

Harry Potter stunt actor #DavidHolmes shares the love for the vision & imagination of @jk_rowling & the legacy she created with the help of others. 🪄 📙 David's book 'The Boy Who Lived' is out now. 🎙 Listen again to his chat with Johnny ⬇️ linktr.ee/refreshingpod #TheBoyWhoLived #StuntActor #HarryPotter

The annual cost of fraud in the UK is roughly £190 billion, a staggering sum. Young people are the most confident they could spot a scam, but could you? listen 👂⬇️ linktr.ee/refreshingpod @staplenick is a superb journalist and broadcaster, who you’ll know from television shows such as the BAFTA winning Scam Interceptors, and BBC Morning Live. Johnny gets the lowdown from Nick on what to look out for regarding Scams, that can come in all shapes & sizes. including what he calls ‘Tells’ ... a tool to help identity what could be the start of a scam. Tomorrow Nick’s long awaited book is released. ‘How To Beat Scammers’ Nick is a firm believer, that there is a scam for everyone, if you haven’t been stung yet, it’s only because until now no one has used the right approach. His book is a comprehensive guide to arming yourself against scams. “If you think you’re too smart to be scammed, think again." Nick has written an empowering, empathetic and essential toolkit for the fight against scams @joelycett Scams affect all ages, not just the older population. Adults aged 18-34 are the most likely to be fooled by online scammers* (*research by @Airbnb) Plus, Nick lets Johnny know about what’s shocked him the most, and how scared he gets when he’s confronting the people behind a scam on a doorstep. #Scam #scamspotter #NickStapleton #bbcmorninglive #fraud #scammed #scaminterceptors #staysafeonline

Johnny's back for 2025 with a in-depth conversation around 'The Power Within' Listen in full ⬇️👂 linktr.ee/refreshingpod James Fleming (Cofounder & CEO) at @1thepowerwithin gives the secrets of success. Do you (or your business) need to unleash some potential? Have you heard of 'Motivational Intelligence’? James (who set up ’The Power Within Training’ in 2017) after years heading up some huge companies in his career, chats business, what makes one develop from idea to superpower, and how senior management can help the whole workplace thrive. Plus, James lets Johnny in on a few secrets of his success, and how James has been told off my his own team 😳 For more information on The Power Within Traning And Development visit ⬇️💻 thepowerwithintraining.com #ThePowerWithinTraining #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipChallenges #NewSeason #BusinessPodcast