Paul Kerensa
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paulkerensa.bsky.social
Paul Kerensa
@paulkerensa.bsky.social
Writer/Comedian/Broadcast Historian
Also posting BBC history things here as bbcentury.bsky.social, so follow that too, or don’t. And breathe.
paulkerensa.com/oldradio
Thanks, Beeb, for 103 years of informing, educating, entertaining... + occasional employment.
I'm sure that what the BBC could be is always > than what it is. Its goals are immense + often unachievable. But 1000s of staff do what they can to get it there.
And I've loved delving into how it began...
November 14, 2025 at 10:13 AM
The #CelebrityTraitors line-up we may have had:
These are celebs who've confirmed they were approached but turned it down...

Miriam Margolyes
Richard Osman
Alastair Campbell
Rory Stewart
Karren Brady
Lorraine Kelly
Daisy May Cooper
Charlie Cooper
Ricky Gervais
Martin Lewis
November 13, 2025 at 3:36 PM
For the whereabouts of my comedy shows this weekend, follow my face:
November 13, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Reposted by Paul Kerensa
So, happy 48th anniversary of That Lovely Diary Entry From Michael Palin
November 13, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Reposted by Paul Kerensa
This episode written (and recreated by @paulkerensa.bsky.social) directed and edited by me, all put together in just over a week! Have a listen, it’s lots of fun.
In a tough week for BBC present, there's a centenary of BBC past on Wed.
12 Nov 1925 saw a bizarre broadcast:
'Mass Telepathy: An Experiment in Thought Reading In which every listener will be invited to assist'
We're recreating it on the podcast.
Subscribe to get it, free:
podfollow.com/bbcentury
November 12, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Today is THE day to listen to this centenary re-enactment. Ideally tonight at 10:15pm. But why wait...
NEW PODCAST AHOY!
A dramatic centenary re-enactment of an odd lost broadcast...
On 12 Nov 1925, a celebrity panel tried to read the minds of BBC listeners. It was a disaster.
On 12 Nov 2025, we dramatise it, based on newspaper articles.
Enjoy! We did. Hic.
bbcentury.podbean.com/e/108-mass-t...
November 12, 2025 at 2:46 PM
The latest @bbcentury.bsky.social podcast is a centenary dramatisation of a lost BBC broadcast...

On 12 Nov 1925 a celeb panel in a fancy hotel enjoyed wine + a gothic parlour game. The Celebrity Traitors of 1925!

On 12 Nov 2025 we re-enact 'An Evening of Mass Telepathy'.

Enjoy!

pod.fo/e/350fce
November 12, 2025 at 10:26 AM
A nice little mention of the podcast on Chortle - the dramatisation will be out tomorrow on the centenary of this odd old broadcast...
www.chortle.co.uk/punching-ups....
When the BBC tried to read minds... : Punching Up 2025 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide
When the BBC tried to read minds... - Comedian's podcast recreates lost 'mass telepathy' experiment
www.chortle.co.uk
November 11, 2025 at 12:25 PM
New podcast episode late tonight - with a drama we've made with a fab cast, re-enacting a bizarre lost broadcast.
Subscribe here, and it'll be yours as soon as it lands...
podfollow.com/bbcentury
In a tough week for BBC present, there's a centenary of BBC past on Wed.
12 Nov 1925 saw a bizarre broadcast:
'Mass Telepathy: An Experiment in Thought Reading In which every listener will be invited to assist'
We're recreating it on the podcast.
Subscribe to get it, free:
podfollow.com/bbcentury
November 11, 2025 at 9:34 AM
My latest Substack...

Who Let the DGs Out? The 17 BBC Directors-General... (as Tim Davie prepares to regenerate into the 18th)

Including the role of Panorama in making/breaking DGs... and a GREAT joke about the only joint Directors-General.

Here for you:

open.substack.com/pub/paulkere...
Who let the DGs out? The 17 BBC Directors-General...
...as Tim Davie prepares to regenerate into the 18th
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:31 PM
£40k = reported fee for each Celebrity Traitors player
x 19 players = £760k total
£1.5m = Nigel Farage's reported fee for I'm a Celebrity 2023
so
£Balding+Beaumont+Bonnar+Burns+Carr+Church+Codd+Daley+Empson+Faith+Fry+Garraway+Imrie+Marler+Mohammed+Omilana+Olusoga+Ross+Wilkinson = 1/2 £Farage
November 7, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Next gigs...

This weekend (comedy clubs, with other acts):
Fri 7 - Southern Maltings, WARE
Sat 8 - Riverside Arts, SUNBURY

Next weekend (church solo shows):
Fri 14 - St Boniface, BUNBURY nr Chester
Sat 15 - ASHBOURNE Elim, Derbyshire

Do come out to play
paulkerensa.com/gigguide
November 7, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Long live terrestrial TV!
Mr Beast gives away $10m, no one’s really bothered.
Celia Imrie farts and us Brits go bananas for it.
An earned win on #celebritytraitors.
Roll on next series, hopefully starring Lorraine Kelly, Guy Goma and Bob Carolgees & Spit the Dog (as separate players)
a group of people are dancing in a field and one of them is wearing a pink jacket
ALT: a group of people are dancing in a field and one of them is wearing a pink jacket
media.tenor.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I did 2 radio spots this morn, both on #CelebrityTraitors:
- BBC Radio2: Pause for Thought with Scott Mills - see pic, or hear here from 50:30:
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
- PremierRadio: chat with Esther Higham on its biblical parallels & finale predictions: www.premier.plus/inspirationa...
November 6, 2025 at 1:29 PM
3 years ago, my predictions for #celebritytraitors
Maybe season 2?
November 6, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Reposted by Paul Kerensa
PODCAST AHOY!
Episode 107: On-Air Criticisms, Comedy, James Cary and Miranda Hart
Meet the BBC's first on-air critics: books, music, film, drama... plus more recent insights on Miranda, Only Fools and old BBC promo ads
Enjoy! If you like it, do share it.
Hear here:
pod.fo/e/349060
The British Broadcasting Century with Paul Kerensa: #107 On-Air Criticisms, Comedy, James Cary and Miranda Hart
October 1923: The BBC's on-air critics go national...These aren't critics OF the BBC (there were - and are - plenty of those), but critics ON the BBC - a literary critic, a music critic, a drama c...
pod.fo
November 2, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Tomorrow sums up my odd niche life:
7am: Broadcasting House, R2 Pause for Thought (theme: Celebrity Traitors. Do listen!)
am: bladder hospital (check-ups. TMI? Tough)
pm: Marconi House (site of the first BBC broadcast) to record a re-enactment
eve: Celebrity Traitors!
What a day
November 5, 2025 at 9:17 AM
I made this… have a listen!
PODCAST AHOY!
Episode 107: On-Air Criticisms, Comedy, James Cary and Miranda Hart
Meet the BBC's first on-air critics: books, music, film, drama... plus more recent insights on Miranda, Only Fools and old BBC promo ads
Enjoy! If you like it, do share it.
Hear here:
pod.fo/e/349060
The British Broadcasting Century with Paul Kerensa: #107 On-Air Criticisms, Comedy, James Cary and Miranda Hart
October 1923: The BBC's on-air critics go national...These aren't critics OF the BBC (there were - and are - plenty of those), but critics ON the BBC - a literary critic, a music critic, a drama c...
pod.fo
November 2, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Am I missing something?
Non-prince* Andrew will move from a house on the Windsor estate to a house on the Sandringham estate?
Could he just move to a house that’s NOT on a royal estate?
(*abbreviate if you must)
November 2, 2025 at 11:30 AM
I've been away, so I'm behind on The Celebrity Traitors. But thanks to the BBC News app and newspaper headlines, it feels like I'm right up to speed.
Thanks 'news' providers! What a service you're providing - both telling me about the bad stuff in the world AND taking away some of the good stuff.
October 31, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Just announced!
Leicester Comedy Festival
TWO shows from me…
Sat 7th Feb
2pm: NEW! Four Monarchs & A Mic: The BBC’s Royal Engineer
events.comedy-festival.co.uk/events/four-...
+
7pm: Good Clean Fun standup show
events.comedy-festival.co.uk/events/paul-...
…Come to either/both!
Four Monarchs and a Mic: The BBC’s Royal Engineer | Leicester Comedy Festival
events.comedy-festival.co.uk
October 29, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Reposted by Paul Kerensa
Next month on the podcast, something different: an audio drama.
Re-enacting the BBC’s bizarre mass telepathy experiment, 100 years on.
So next month’s £Patreon will help fund a guest producer.
Fancy helping fund it?
If goes well, may do more.
So now’s a good time to join us:
Patreon.com/paulkerensa
Get more from The British Broadcasting Century with Paul Kerensa on Patreon
creating podcasts, writing and videos
Patreon.com
October 21, 2025 at 7:52 PM
It’s the 10th anniversary of #BackToTheFuture 2 Day - and still no hoverboards.
In tribute, here’s my medley from an old Edinburgh show:
Retelling BTTF’s plot via its own music…
youtu.be/yfn7L0iRnzA?...
Back To The Future - Retelling the plot via its own music (Paul Kerensa)
YouTube video by Paul Kerensa
youtu.be
October 21, 2025 at 3:03 PM
“Andrew - you have been banished. Before you leave my castle forever, please tell the world: are you a faithful, or are you a…”
October 20, 2025 at 8:08 AM