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58 episodes

Leigh's Birthday Special featuring Hollywood Royalty
30/04/2026 | 18 mins.
“I think I might die soon…”
Leigh Francis celebrates his birthday on Unlikely Friends, with Emma Bunton, Jade Jones and Jill Francis joined by very special guest Eric Stoltz for a brilliantly strange birthday episode.
Leigh may be the birthday boy, but things get weird almost immediately as he reflects on getting older, becoming older than his dad ever was, and why every year now feels like a bonus.
He’s cheered up quickly though, as Eric Stoltz is inside the pineapple this week - until Eric starts asking some surprisingly uncheery birthday questions about reincarnation, the apocalypse and what animal everyone would come back as.
Also in this episode: why you should never wake Emma up, Emma’s fear of big things, and a surprisingly long detour into whales.
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.
Crashing Pamela Anderson’s House & Jade's Talent Show DISASTER
27/04/2026 | 33 mins.
This week on Unlikely Friends, the gang get into food shopping habits, Leigh’s alleged selfishness, his terrible parking, and the awkward art of being recognised in public — including how to answer the dreaded question: “Are you who I think you are?”
Pauline the Pineapple returns with questions all about loss, sparking tales of lost wallets, Jade and Emma’s ongoing battle with the same missing keys, and the story of how Damage first managed to get radio play — including pretending to be from Manchester to enter a talent competition.
Leigh looks back on his days in a call centre selling kitchens — or at least pretending to — while Emma reveals her first job on reception at a builder’s company. And, somehow, Leigh explains how he once got sand into Pamela Anderson’s bed.
Mallet's Mallet, Leigh's Treasured Star Wars Toys and Emma's Stolen Photos
23/04/2026 | 17 mins.
This week on Unlikely Friends, there’s a very special guest contributor in the mix: Timmy Mallett.
Inspired by his own treasured letters home from boarding school, Timmy asks the gang which possessions they could never give away. Leigh’s answer will surprise absolutely no one, Emma shares why her family photo albums mean so much after some very bad luck in the past, and everyone gets wonderfully nostalgic about the sentimental things they’d save forever.
There’s also a chaotic round of Mallet’s Mallet with Timmy himself, where poor Emma takes a fairly hefty whack to the head, plus plenty of seaside chat as the gang swap stories about their favourite coastal towns.
Jade and Leigh on I'm a Celeb?! Pope Spotting & Spice Girls Reunion Tea
20/04/2026 | 35 mins.
This week on Unlikely Friends, the pals are catching up and diving into the world of Coachella from a slightly more seasoned perspective — trying to work out what it is, why everyone’s obsessed, and whether they’re now under pressure from their children to go. From Justin Bieber and Sabrina Carpenter to a hilarious mix-up with Burning Man, there’s plenty of festival chat along the way.
The conversation then takes a nostalgic turn as they look back at the Brat Pack, the Rat Pack, and iconic supermodels including Naomi Campbell.
Plus, in the second half, it’s all about life updates: Emma and Jade share the story of their trip where they unexpectedly saw the Pope, while Jill and Leigh talk about their time in Amsterdam, plans for a future holiday, and in a moment of pure chaos, Leigh and Jade agree to go on I’m A Celebrity.
Love Island, Flirting FAILS & A STOLEN Spice Girls Dress?!
16/04/2026 | 23 mins.
This week on Unlikely Friends, the gang are joined by some brilliant guest questions from Iain Stirling — and one question in particular opens the floodgates: what’s the most memorable thing that’s ever been stolen from you? What follows is a surprisingly robbery-heavy chat, with stories involving houses, cars, and even Emma’s iconic Spice Girls dress.
There’s also, naturally, plenty of Love Island chat, as the gang imagine how they’d have fared in the villa back in their prime — and whether they’d have been coupling up, causing chaos, or getting dumped early.

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About Unlikely Friends

Welcome to Unlikely Friends, A brand new podcast from BAFTA winning comedian Leigh Francis, Spice Girl turned radio host Emma Bunton, Damage frontman Jade Jones, and Jill Francis - where anything can (and probably will) happen! Each week, they’ll be taking questions, topics and conundrums from listeners, diving headfirst into whatever you want to hear about. Nothing is off limits. From parenthood and fame to 90s fashion and cold wedding buffets, the conversation is driven solely by you brilliant lot! Unlikely Friends is all about laid-back chats that are funny, honest, insightful, and sometimes surprisingly deep - with a few shocking revelations and celebrity guests along the way. You can watch or listen to full episodes of Unlikely Friends on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts every Monday & Thursday. 💌 Get in touch at [email protected] 📱 Follow on socials: @unlikelypodfriends Unlikely Friends is a Global Production For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: [email protected] Director of Podcasts: Vicky Etchells Executive Producer: Adem Waterman Senior Producer: Ben Tulloh Creative Video Content Producer: Samson Falodun

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