Unlikely Friends

“What happens at Sylvia Young Drama School stays at Sylvia Young Drama School.”
Emma Bunton, Leigh Francis, Jade Jones and Jill Francis are joined by EastEnders star Kelly Bright on Unlikely Friends, as she hops out of the pineapple with questions about Albert Square, dream soap roles and Emma’s mysterious first kiss.
This week, Kelly asks the gang which EastEnders character they would most like to play, or what they would want to do if they ever appeared in EastEnders. Jade reveals his own surprising connection to the soap, with his family hailing from the real square that Albert Square is based on.
Then Kelly really brings the tea, revealing that she knows who Emma’s first kiss was. Sadly, she refuses to name names, and Emma cannot help much either, because she can’t remember. The rest of the gang spill their own first-kiss stories, while Emma shares where and how hers happened, even if the mystery person remains unnamed.
Unlikely Friends is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Tell your Mum, don’t tell the Council.

“I can eat what I want, watch what I want… some sort of Housewives of somewhere…”
Leigh Francis, Emma Bunton, Jade Jones and Jill Francis are back from holiday on Unlikely Friends, showing off their glorious tans and catching up on sun, food, films and questionable wellness advice.
This week, the friends compare holiday tans, although if you are listening rather than watching, you will just have to trust that everyone is looking bronzed. Jill shares how badly she ate while she was away, Leigh explains why he was the only one not eating properly, and the conversation takes a very Unlikely Friends turn when Jill brings some highly questionable information about sunning your perineum.
Also in this episode: films the gang have seen, the films they are excited about, why Toy Story 5 is already on the watchlist, and how you might be able to get a certificate from Leigh.q
Then Pauline the Pineapple throws up the question: what do you wish you had known when you were 19? It leads to a surprisingly honest chat about youth, confidence, advice, and whether anyone at 19 is actually willing to listen anyway.
Unlikely Friends is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Tell your Mum, don’t tell the Council.

“Oh, it definitely was a full-blown argument...”
Ruby Wax joins Leigh Francis, Emma Bunton, Jade Jones and Jill Francis on Unlikely Friends, asking the questions and getting straight under the skin with a brilliantly awkward one: which celebrities have the gang most annoyed?
This week, Leigh has plenty to say as he looks back on some of the run-ins he had while making his biggest TV shows. But the conversation soon lands on the biggest celebrity he may have ever really annoyed: Emma Bunton. The friends revisit an argument that once got so heated they ended up sitting in separate rooms not talking, all sparked by a debate about Emma and Jade not being married at the time.
Thankfully, they have all moved on. Probably. The gang talk about friendship, arguing, debating properly, and why it should be possible to disagree with your mates without falling out.
Ruby’s second question is just as good: which celebrity would you most like to interview? Jade throws in a curveball with Emily Blunt, Jill picks Emma Stone and Cam from Modern Family, and Emma looks back on interviewing some true icons, including Taylor Swift and Mariah Carey.
Unlikely Friends is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Tell your Mum, don’t tell the Council.

"I do one dance move in the video, that all the girls take the piss out of me for now..."
Emma Bunton shares behind-the-scenes stories from the iconic Spice Girls Wannabe music video on Unlikely Friends, as Leigh Francis, Jade Jones and Jill Francis hear all about filming at St Pancras Hotel before it became the landmark fans know today.
This week, Emma reveals Easter eggs, behind-the-scenes details and unreleased stories from one of the most famous music videos in British pop culture. There’s also a roast dinner from Emma, more decorating updates from Jade, and a catch-up on Leigh and Emma’s recent trips to Leeds, including Emma visiting Mel B for a TV show she absolutely cannot talk about.
The conversation then takes a more reflective turn after a kind listener letter about a limited edition Spider-Man postcard from 2002, which was destroyed before publication because it featured an image of the Twin Towers. It leads the friends to discuss where they were when they heard the news of 9/11, and how moments like that stay with you.
Also in this episode: the gang talk about what made them think they would work well together, and Leigh rounds things off with a classic Unlikely Friends detour into aliens in the desert.
Unlikely Friends is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Tell your Mum, don’t tell the Council.

“I’d probably have a little feel of my boobs.”
Emma Bunton, Leigh Francis, Jade Jones and Jill Francis are joined by Paloma Faith on Unlikely Friends, as she hops out of the pineapple with a very pregnant, very surreal Freaky Friday question.
This week, Emma looks back on life on tour with the Spice Girls, including the specialist tattoo and piercing artist who travelled with them, and the eyebrow piercing that gave Jade his money’s worth, even if the story ended in a slightly less glamorous way.
Then, big pineapple points go to Paloma Faith, who recorded her question just one day before she was due to give birth. Leigh shares how long he has known Paloma, from before she was famous, before Paloma asks the gang who they would body swap with and what they would do first.
Emma has a very honest answer involving urinating standing up, Jade and Leigh are predictably immature, and Jill thinks she’d quite enjoy the freedom of the male form.
Unlikely Friends is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Tell your Mum, don’t tell the Council.