Russell T Davies enjoys a taste of home with our smoky seafood paella

A new culinary adventure for Angela, with no regeneration required.

Screenwriter, producer and television creator Russell T Davies joins us following the release of his latest work, The Queerest of Folk: A Life in Television, a memoir that looks back on a career spent creating some of British television’s most recognisable shows.

Russell’s love of food traces back to his childhood in Swansea, where his mum’s cooking and the local ice cream shop left a lasting impression. From hearty home-cooked favourites like osso buco and Sunday roasts to a good paella, there’s plenty of inspiration to draw on. 

Angela's answer? A smoky seafood paella with prawns & clams, a first time appearance for the Spanish classic on the show. It’s paired with a bottle of Waitrose Blueprint Verdejo, selected by the Waitrose wine experts. And because Russell is never one to turn down an ice cream, we finish with a few scoops of No.1 Vanilla & British Blackcurrant Ripple Ice Cream.

While Russell might not have inherited his mum’s love of cooking, he certainly has some strong opinions on the perfect cup of tea, sharing his very particular recipe and preferred mug with us. Over a brew, we revisit some of the stories from his new memoir, including how his childhood love of Doctor Who took him from devoted fan to show runner and eventually writer on the show, to the legacy of Queer as Folk and It’s a Sin, two series that helped bring LGBTQ+ stories to the forefront of British television. 

It’s no surprise that Russell’s work has earned him many fans along the way, even Kate Bush. While we can’t quite arrange a visit from her today, we may have the next best thing: a potential new Doctor Who in the studio…

You can watch full episodes of Dish on YouTube and on Spotify. 

All recipes from this podcast can be found at waitrose.com/dishrecipes

A transcript for this episode can be found at waitrose.com/dish

If you want to get in touch with us about anything at all, contact [email protected] 

Dish from Waitrose is made by Cold Glass Productions

00:00 - Coming up on Dish… 

00:45 - Welcome! 

02:00 - Not long until Dish Live! 

03:22 - Russell is here! 

05:04 - A tea to start

06:28 - The T in Russell T! 

07:31 - The key to the perfect cuppa

08:25 - Tea with Kate Bush

11:02 - A love for ice cream 

13:08 - Childhood surrounded by food 

15:32 - Russell’s dislikes 

16:48 - From cutlery to eight vegetables 

19:54 - Final paella preparation

20:39 - Paella is served! 

22:16 - Wine pairing 

23:29 - From his new memoir to writing and Queer as Folk 

33:19 - Doctor Who! 

35:20 - Ice cream is served

35:26 - A garden Dalek!

37:15 - Fast food quiz

38:53 - End of the show question

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