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Alexander Armstrong tests his friendship with Jamie Theakston
Oct 15, 2025
Alexander Armstrong joins Jamie and Amanda to talk about his new paperback book 'Evenfall: The Golden Linnet'. The Classic FM host also goes head to head with his long time friend Jamie to test who's the better friend... #AlexanderArmstrong #Book #pointless Subscribe for regular entertainment! http://bit.ly/1qyfc2T Watch videos in full + exclusives here: https://thisisheart.co/heartglobalplayer Honest Celebrity Interviews: https://thisisheart.co/honestinterviews Music Artists: https://thisisheart.co/3YVm8wN Film and TV Stars: https://thisisheart.co/filmandtv _ We're the UK's biggest commercial radio brand creating memorable moments with the most recognised names in entertainment!
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0:00
Are we against each other or
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Do you know what? At this point, bearing in mind your ages, I'm just going to go, this is just a health check for your memory
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It is Thursday morning, here on A Heart Breakfast with Jamie and Amanda
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And it gives me great pleasure to introduce our special guest, an old friend of mine
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Alexander Armstrong. AA is in the studio. Actor, comedian, presenter. What have I missed
0:26
Author. Author, of course. Because that's obviously what we've got him in for today
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Yes. Yes, so am I meant to fill in the blank? No, no, no. Landscape gardener
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Zahna's new book is now available in paperback. It's called Evenfall, The Golden Linnet
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Yes. Just very quickly, tell us a bit more about Sam and his adventure
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Sam and his adventure. Well, this was... I longed for a really gripping adventure story
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like a proper thriller. Thriller for kids. When I was little, I used to, this is my favourite thing about summer holidays
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was just going, taking all those Desmond Bagley's off the shelf, and Agatha Christie's and things like that
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I used to really love things that were proper, Wilbur Smith, of course. And occasionally for the thrilling elements, too
1:11
But a proper page turner, thing that you thought, every time you got to the end of a chapter, you thought
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no, I can't leave it there, I've got to, I've got to. So I wanted to write something for, because we've got four boys
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I wanted to write something for them, that I hope would be quite light-hearted and fun
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full of mystery, but also an absolute riveting thriller. And that was what inspired me to write this
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Which you absolutely have done. And give us an idea of what the story is about
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The story is about a boy. He's an only child. His mum died when he was five
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He lives with his dad. He kind of is the parent in his family. And he suddenly noticed, as he's sort of getting into his teens
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he notices all kinds of strange things starting to happen to him
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he inherited this extraordinary power from his mum And his mum it turns out was part of this ancient secret thing called the evening
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And it's, yeah, they're an old sect of storytellers. Storytellers, it turns out, are the most powerful people in the world
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Yeah. If you think about it. That's true. It's true. It's been such a hit that I'm presuming there'll be another one on the way
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There is another one on the way. I'm literally dotting I's and crossing T's. Don't get that wrong
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Don't mess that up. On that at the moment. So, yes, that comes out next spring
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Okay. And, Zander, often with the books that are hits, especially for children
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they turn it into stuff that goes on the screen. This is true. Is this something you would like this book to go to
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This is true. Yes, we've been through a sort of protracted period
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We had several bites from studios who were quite interested, which is very exciting to develop the script
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I've decided that I'm going to co-write the screenplay with another. And then we'll take it at that stage
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You can either sell a book or you can get the screenplay done and do that
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Do it for yourself, absolutely. You will be creating another Daniel Radcliffe, of course
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because any 12-year-old boy would give his right arm to play Sam
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I would hope so. It would be a lovely part. I think it's going to be tricky
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We're going to have to film them in... Because 12-year-old actors have a habit of growing between the plans
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Yeah, that annoying can happen. Book two literally follows on about a day after book one
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So like Harry Potter, you probably have to do them back to back. You have to do them all back to back. No bad thing
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An old friend of mine, of course, we go back a long way. Well, I was going to say, you go back an awful long way
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You're very good friends. But 30 years, I think, is this friendship
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Yeah, 30 years. Where did you actually first meet? I knew you were going to ask us that
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We never know the answer to that. I never know. I think with all your best friends you never quite know No They just come out of the steam I feel like they all been there You don know how it happens Yeah But then they just there Is Jamie Godfather to any of your boys He is Sure am
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Which ones? Paddy. Is he your favourite son then? Yeah, very much so
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Would you say he's your favourite? Has Jamie been... I'm the worst godparent you've known to know. I was going to say, has he been involved
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No, no, no. Because he barely remembers the birthdays of his own children. True. Yeah, he's..
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Look, there's a slight pause. Then, then, then, then. All right. Paddy is the owner of a very nice fountain pen
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I'll just say that. There you go. That is the envy of all his brothers. The envy of all his brothers
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Now, listen, based on your friendship of over 30 years, I have some questions for you both
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Only best friends should know about each other. But, Jamie, I just want to give a big shout-out
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to your lovely wife, Sophie, because she has obviously really helped me out with these questions
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So shall we see how you both get on? OK, go. Round one
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Xander, here's one for you. Yeah. You both attended J-Lo's engagement party in 2001
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Yes. Correct. Wow, I didn't know that. Oh, yeah. I don't know which engagement party it was
5:00
I can tell you who it was. Hang on, but I'm just going to ask you where it was held
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Whose question is that? Who's this? It's to you, Alexander. It was held in Donatella Versace's villa on the banks of Lake Como
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There you go. How did you get an invite to that? Because we're friends
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wangle our way. You didn't go out with J-Lo as well, did you? Not me. You have a long list of..
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No, it's up. Wow. Okay, so that was round one completed. Are we against each other or... Nah
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We're playing together or else? Do you know what? At this point, bearing in mind your ages, I'm just going to go
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this is just a health check for your memory. Okay. Okay, Jamie
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this is your question for round two. In the late 90s, early 2000s, you would go on
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an annual boys ski trip. Yes. Which comedian and hopeless skier would often come along Oh can it be one of two Okay Ben Miller or Another I got to give you a clue It another children author that often comes on this
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Yeah, David Walliams. There we are. David Walliams is a hopeless skier. Absolutely hopeless
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It doesn't surprise me. He's only there for the cheese, I would say. And finally, round three, give us one story of Jamie from his stag do
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There aren't any stories. I'm not sure there were any stories. It was just a delight from the beginning
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Wasn't it? Some wonderful art galleries. It was a very interesting... It was a sort of pub
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It did sell booze, but really we went there because it was like a sort of museum, wasn't it
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Do you remember that pub with all the things in it? Oh, yeah, there was. Oh, yes, there was
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It was an amazing pub. We spent a lot of time in there. With a lot more strange things on the walls. That's where we..
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Well, if you want to go with that, you go with that as the headline. Fine. Xander, you, of course, were best man at Jamie's wedding
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Can you remember the style that you did your speech in? I can't. This is great
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I remember this story. We did it on air. As it happens. My joint best man was Johnny Yeo as well
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another great friend of ours. An artist, yeah. And we did it in the style of the Heart Breakfast Show
6:57
Yeah. With jingles and everything. With everything, yeah. Brilliant. We repurposed the Simpsons for the Thiegsterns
7:04
Oh, my God. You created a studio in our marquee. Yeah. And the whole speech was done as much as we are doing now
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With headphones and microphones. Jingles. You can say muff on air. Okay
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Okay, Jamie. I'm not going to say it now. I'm going to keep that
7:22
That's my pink ticket. I'll do it on Classic FM later. This is no Classic FM, let me tell you
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Thank you for that. Thank you, Zander. Lots of fun. Thank you so much for coming on today
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Even for the Golden Linnet is out now in paperback. Zander Armstrong
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Thank you so much. Thank you. This is hot
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