Grab a Cuppa: The Poet Laureate is Back in His Shed

If there is anything more quintessentially British than the Poet Laureate hosting a podcast from a garden shed while drinking Yorkshire Tea, I have yet to find it.

Simon Armitage, the UK’s Poet Laureate, has officially revived his beloved audio series, now simply titled The Shed. If you’re looking for a break from high-octane news or over-produced studio interviews, this might just be the “art form of concentration” you need.

Fans of Armitage might remember his previous BBC show, The Poet Laureate Has Gone To His Shed. It ran for three series beginning in 2020, offering a cosy escape during some tumultuous years. When the BBC didn’t recommission it, Armitage admitted he was annoyed—and he wasn’t alone.

After posting about the cancellation on Instagram, he received a massive wave of support from listeners who missed the intimacy of the show. That public outcry helped spark a revival. Now, thanks to sponsorship from Yorkshire Tea (a fitting partner for a West Yorkshire native), the podcast is back on platforms like Spotify and Apple or podbean

What makes The Shed different from the usual celebrity interview circuit? Armitage has a strict rule: No sales pitches.

“I try to avoid people who are flogging things,” Armitage says. “We see enough of that on chat shows.”

Instead of actors pushing their latest blockbuster or authors reading their press release, Armitage invites creative people into his shed—lawnmower and all—to talk about their actual lives and working processes.

The new line up includes:

Richard Hawley : singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer out of the Longpigs

Self Esteem (Rebecca Lucy Taylor): Who bonded with Armitage over the “highs and lows” of the music industry and their shared childhoods as “cricket orphans.”

Frank Skinner: The legendary comedian.

Susie Dent: The dictionary corner icon and lexicographer.

The magic of the show lies in the setting. Without the “trappings and formalities of the studio,” guests let their guard down. It leads to intimate, genuine conversations that feel like eavesdropping on two friends having a natter in the garden.

The new format also leans into its sponsorship, Each episode features a “tea-break” where guests choose their favourite biscuits, followed by Armitage reading a selection from his translation of the ancient poem Gilgamesh.

At its heart, the podcast is an extension of Armitage’s philosophy on poetry. He describes poetry as a “democratic art form” that is waiting with open arms for anyone interested.

“If you’re upset about something… it’s difficult to go and produce an opera or throw a pot, but you can write a poem,” he says. “You don’t need much to get going.”

The Shed podcast by Simon Armitage is available now. So, put the kettle on, grab a biscuit, and tune in.

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