Every edition of Answer Us Back features your responses to/observations upon previous episodes of AMT, some of them many many years old – but today’s episode is packed to the rafters with what you had to say about our most recent episode, AMT419!
Detta has baked a version of the Tom Cruise coconut-white chocolate bundt cake – “A lot of faff, but worth it.” Here’s a recipe similar to the one Detta tried.
Anonymous from the Allusioverse has actually eaten a cake gifted by Tom Cruise! Not the coconut bundt though – a lemon one, strong enough to taste “remarkably like having your taste buds bashed out”. Mmm, great. Also, if you want to buy yourself the standard Olly Mann Baby Gift, here you go.
A different Anonymous writes about the practice of film stars buying end-of-shoot gifts for all the crewmembers. Also, if you want to get yourself some Olly Mann-endorsed Podcast Notes, here you go!
Alastair in Kilmarnock gives some fun Scottish examples of stadiums being corporately renamed…
…and Mark tells us some of the creative approaches that stadiums have taken to cover up their usual corporate logos during the World Cup.
Meagan in Oakland CA wonders when, if ever, it would be OK to wear her Houston Astros shirt from 25ish years ago which has the Enron logo on it?
On the topic of which fun British vegetables Dan in Pennsylvaniacould grow on his farm, Emily in Canada is screaming, “King Edward potatoes!!!”
Dan himself writes back, supplying the cuke pic below – no, I said ‘CUKE’ – and noting the ladybird fuckfest that was mentioned in AMT419.
As well as buying ladybirds to sort out her garden’s aphids, Isabel treats herself to a few praying mantis egg sacs, to enjoy a miniature horror show when they hatch.
And Erica responds to the previous Answer Us Back, where we mused upon the potential disappointment of seeing one of us audio podcasters in the flesh.
If AMTs 1-419 left you with lingering questions and opinions, share them with us for future episodes of Answer Us Back. And as always, send in your questions, in voicenote or written form, to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com. All new AMT420 will be in your podfeed on 30 July 2026.
Help keep AMT going by signing up at patreon.com/answermethis, where you can get an ad-free version of the show, monthly bonus bits, our video livestream Petty Problems, AND access to our ENTIRE back catalogue, including all our paywalled episodes, our special albums, and all the Retro AMT episodes.
Now, feast your eyes on Daniel in Pennsylvania’s white cucumber (not a euphemism):
AMT is sponsored by:
• Cozy Earth, luxurious bedding, sleepwear, loungewear, and towels for bath and beach. Shop at cozyearth.com and get 20% off using our code ANSWER. • Quooker, the the tap that does it all, from instant 100-degree boiling water to chilled, filtered, and sparkling water. Shop at quooker.co.uk and until the end of August, you can use our code ANSWER to get free installation and your free Quooker glassware set. • Taskrabbit, the online and mobile marketplace, available in the UK, that connects you with skilled, reliable local freelancers to help with everything from furniture assembly and home repairs to moving, gardening, and more. Get ahead of your to-do list with £10 off your first task at taskrabbit.co.uk or on the Taskrabbit app using our promo code ANSWER.
If this Christmas, one of us starts Instagramming pics of us smugly showing off a white chocolate coconut bundt cake sent by Tom Cruise, this episode is why. And the question is also why – why does Tom Cruise send cakes? Why does he send this cake? All is explained in AMT419, along with:
living statues growing mushrooms off a book/bath corporately-named stadiums after the sponsorship deal ends the spiky side of the cheese grater the Brixton Bovril building mangelwurzels joeys – the baby animals, not the Tribbiani koala vaginas Martin the Sound Man’s pet ladybirds shoes as gifts what happens to retired police cars the best Midlanders and Olly’s guide to the books of George Orwell.
Got questions for an episode, trivial troubles for our Patreon-exclusive Petty Problems, or feedback about an AMT old or new? Send them in writing or as voice notes to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com, or you can call 0208 123 5877 to leave us a message. AMT420 will be out 30 July 2026 and the next Answer Us Back will land on on 16 July.
Support AMT at patreon.com/answermethis, and in return you get an ad-free version of the show, you can join us for our video livestream Petty Problems – next happening 28 June, 10pm UK time – and the highest tier gets access to our ENTIRE back catalogue, including all our paywalled episodes, our special albums, the Bonus Bits of Crapp on the AMT App (RIP) and all the Retro AMT episodes.
Helen makes the entertainment podcast about language, The Allusionist, which pertinent to this AMT has episodes full of facts about ladybirds and unusual types of apple.
Martin makes the weird experimental podcast Neutrino Watch, where each episode is a little different each day you download it. He also has a new album coming out soon, so get hyped for that by digging into the back catalogue of his songs, available via his Bandcamp.
AMT is sponsored by:
• Quooker, the the tap that does it all, from instant 100-degree boiling water to chilled, filtered, and sparkling water. Shop at quooker.co.uk and until the end of August, you can use our code ANSWER to get free installation and your free Quooker glassware set. • Taskrabbit, the online and mobile marketplace, available in the UK, that connects you with skilled, reliable local freelancers to help with everything from furniture assembly and home repairs to moving, gardening, and more. Get ahead of your to-do list with £10 off your first task at taskrabbit.co.uk or on the Taskrabbit app using our promo code ANSWER. • Squarespace, the all in one platform for creating and running your online realm. Go to squarespace.com/answer, play around with the two-week free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code ANSWER.
Hello! Welcome to this month’s edition of Answer Us Back, featuring your responses to and observations upon past episodes of AMT. Today:
Responding to AMT417’s collection of lost teeth, Dan from Sydney makes us wonder why there is a tooth fairy but no toenail fairy. Which body part would you choose to be the fairy of?
Max in New Jersey responds to AMT418’s question about Jersey Shore filming in bars, having worked at a bar while Jersey Shore filmed in it. Also, have a care in this pivot-to-video era for we audiomakers, who do not wanna be on camera.
Also responding to the Jersey Shore filming in bars with music question, Matt the dialogue editor chips in with his insider knowledge about the reality of music use and shooting dancing scenes. And Olly completely forgot that he too has insider knowledge, having himself been a dancing extra in a film!
Dale in Truckee, California heard the AMT416 question about what to do with the suit from one’s wedding after the marriage has ended, and has an engagement ring to deal with post-breakup.
And Rob in Durham has a question arising from maybe every AMT ever: did either of us ever try a career in stand-up comedy?
If AMTs 1-418 left you with lingering questions and opinions, share them with us for future episodes of Answer Us Back. And as always, send in your questions, in voicenote or written form, to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com. All new AMT419 will be in your podfeed 25 June 2026.
Help keep AMT going by signing up at patreon.com/answermethis, where you can get an ad-free version of the show, you can join us for our video livestream Petty Problems – the next is 28 June, 10pm UK time – and the highest tier gets access to our ENTIRE back catalogue, including all our paywalled episodes, our special albums, the Bonus Bits of Crapp on the AMT App (RIP) and all the Retro AMT episodes.
AMT is sponsored by:
• Quooker, the the tap that does it all, from instant 100-degree boiling water to chilled, filtered, and sparkling water. Shop at quooker.co.uk and until the end of August, you can use our code ANSWER to get free installation and your free Quooker glassware set. • The London Review of Books, the twice-monthly literary mag full of essays, reviews and more by excellent writers. Get a 6 month print and digital subscription for just £12 at LRB.me/answer.
What would you do with a copy of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged? One questioneer needs any answer other than ‘read it’. AMT418 also contains:
Charlie Chaplin’s moustache Richard Herring’s moustache Adolf Hitler’s gold teeth the point of decanters condom machines what’s in prop cigarettes the time Martin held a microphone in front ofThe X Files‘s Cigarette Smoking Man your neighbour’s golf noise vs your ears ‘bumper’ editions and going to The Club on reality TV shows.
Send us your questions for new episodes, and your feedback on old ones for Answer Us Back, to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com in writing or voice note, or leave a voicemail at 0208 123 5877 like the old days. Remember to include the formula “Helen and/or Olly, answer me this”, and let us know a name (pseudonyms are fine) and pronouns to use for you. AMT419 will be out 25 June 2026 and the next Answer Us Back will land on on 11 June.
Become a patron at patreon.com/answermethis to get an ad-free version of AMT418 and a batch of Bonus Bits each month, plus our video livestreams Petty Problems – the next one of those will be 22:00 UK time on 28 June 2026.
If you sign up at one of the higher Patreon tiers, you get access to an RSS feed with ALL the AMT stuff EVER, including our entire back catalogue, our six themed albums, the retro AMTs, and every Bit of Crapp from the AMT App. AND you’re keeping this show going!
Helen makes the entertainment podcast about language, The Allusionist, where she is currently amid a miniseries about Dracula (original edition), Dracula (Icelandic adaptation) and Draculitz (Swedish adaptation). Listen to Draculae at theallusionist.org and in the podplaces.
Martin makes the weird experimental podcast Neutrino Watch, where each episode is a little different each day you download it. He also has a new album coming out soon, so get hyped for that by digging into the back catalogue of his songs, available via his Bandcamp.
This episode is sponsored by:
Saily, flexible eSIM data roaming plans for when you’re abroad. Download SAILY in your app store and use our code amt15 at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. For further details go to saily.com/amt15.
The London Review of Books, the twice-monthly literary mag full of essays, reviews and more by excellent writers. Get a 6 month print and digital subscription for just £12 at LRB.me/answer.
Squarespace, the all in one platform for creating and running your online empire. Go to squarespace.com/answer, play around with the two-week free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code ANSWER.
Hello! Welcome to this month’s edition of Answer Us Back, full of your feedback on AMTs old and new. Today:
Swiss Chris continues the AMT416 and AUB fondue discourse, explaining its role as a festive foodstuff, and the cheese-crust nun at the bottom of the pot. Yes, NUN. As in, nun. Cheese nun!
Julia in Dublin recounts a FONDUE FIRE! And Olly tells what happened the time he sought out the best ploughman’s lunch in England.
Rafael tells us what he did with the advice we doled out in AMT408 about the overly pushy patron of his art gallery.
Jane responds to AMT417’s discussion of shotgun weddings with some Classic Hollywood Musicals. Gosh, a wedding held by force is SUCH FUN, isn’t it, Old Hollywood.
Johnny hears AMT410’s sweet-taste-of-sexual-awakenings cherry wine in songs and raises you sweet-taste-of-sexual-awakenings strawberry wine. Is there a beverage that reminds you of the start of your sexual career?
Ari has a historical suggestion for why booze-free versions of alcoholic drinks tend to have blue branding, per AMT417.
If you’ve been haunted by thoughts about AMTs 1-417, exorcise them by sharing them with us for future episodes of Answer Us Back. And as always, send in your questions, in voicenote or written form, to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com. All new AMT418 will be in your podfeed 28 May 2026.
Help keep AMT going by signing up at patreon.com/answermethis, where highest tier gets access to our ENTIRE back catalogue, including the paywalled episodes, the special albums, the Bonus Bits of Crapp on the AMT App (RIP) and all the Retro AMT episodes.
AMT is sponsored by:
Saily, flexible eSIM data roaming plans for when you’re abroad. Download SAILY in your app store and use our code amt15 at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. For further details go to saily.com/amt15. The London Review of Books, the twice-monthly literary mag full of essays, reviews and more by excellent writers. Get a 6 month print and digital subscription for just £12 at LRB.me/answer.
AMT is sponsored by:
Saily, flexible eSIM data roaming plans for when you’re abroad. Download SAILY in your app store and use our code amt15 at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. For further details go to saily.com/amt15. The London Review of Books, the twice-monthly literary mag full of essays, reviews and more by excellent writers. Get a 6 month print and digital subscription for just £12 at LRB.me/answer.
Prepare yourself, because there’s a moment of extreme eldritch in AMT417. We weren’t ready. Can we truly be ready?
We also discuss:
massage products for bees fish-shaped soy sauce (here’s that 13-second vacuum video btw, comment if you find a full version) the oldest ballet dancers (hey listen to A Dancer Dies Twice) Stacey Solomon’s Sort Your Life Out shotgun knobstick weddings three line whips zero percent proof drinks what to do with 52 very similar baby photos what to do with 52 baby teeth?!?!!?* spuriously rebranding Bloomsbury our fave classic misbegotten hashtag and older names for AMT’s original home, the southeast London neighbourhood Crystal Palace.
That time we gussied up George Ezra’s song ‘Budapest’ was AMT373 by the way.
Send us your questions for new episodes, and your feedback on old ones for Answer Us Back, to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com in writing or voice note, or leave a voicemail at 0208 123 5877 like the old days. Remember to include the formula “Helen and/or Olly, answer me this”, and let us know a name (pseudonyms are fine) and pronouns to use for you. AMT418 will be out 28 May 2026 and Answer Us Back on 14 May.
Become a patron at patreon.com/answermethis to get an ad-free version of AMT417 and a batch of Bonus Bits each month, plus our video livestreams Petty Problems. If you sign up at one of the higher Patreon tiers, you get access to an RSS feed with ALL the AMT stuff EVER, including our entire back catalogue, our six themed albums, the retro AMTs, and every Bit of Crapp from the AMT App. AND you’re keeping this show going!
Helen makes the entertainment podcast about language, The Allusionist, and she just made an appearance on the episode Word Wrangling of the science fiction sitcom podcast We Fix Space Junk.
Martin makes the weird experimental podcast Neutrino Watch, where each episode is a little different each day you download it. He also has a new album coming out soon, so get hyped for that by digging into the back catalogue of his songs, available via his Bandcamp.
This episode is sponsored by:
Saily, flexible eSIM data roaming plans for when you’re abroad. Download SAILY in your app store and use our code amt15 at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. For further details go to saily.com/amt15.
The London Review of Books, the twice-monthly literary mag full of essays, reviews and more by excellent writers. Get a 6 month print and digital subscription for just £12 at LRB.me/answer.
Squarespace, the all in one platform for creating and running your online empire. Go to squarespace.com/answer, play around with the two-week free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code ANSWER.
Hello! Welcome to this month’s edition of Answer Us Back, full of your feedback on AMTs old and new. Today:
Following AMT416’s discussion of meat fondue, Amanda gives us meat fondue tips amassed from four generations of her family’s festive flesh fondue.
Also apropos of AMT416, Rebekah – and several other people! – notes the existence of a 9/11 musical: Come From Away.
AMT306 inspired Matt from Birmingham to try the chicken kyiv sandwich, which has comforted him during many major life events since.
Chris from New Zealand wants an update on AMT376’s message from the then 38-year-old Olly to his future fortysomething self ie present day Olly.
We heard from so many of you about World Book Day after AMT416! Katy has a clever way to keep your kid’s costume obligations extremely light..
Joe in Minnesota sees your World Book Day and raises you the Children Pretending To Be Historical Waxworks Day of his own childhood.
Neil from Staffordshire is haunted by an AMT jingle from 15+ years ago.
If you’ve been haunted by thoughts about AMTs 1-416, exorcise them by sharing them with us for future episodes of Answer Us Back. And as always, send in your questions, in voicenote or written form to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com. All new AMT417 will be in your podfeed 30 April 2026.
Help keep AMT going by signing up at patreon.com/answermethis, where highest tier gets access to our ENTIRE back catalogue, including the paywalled episodes, the special albums, the Bonus Bits of Crapp on the AMT App (RIP) and all the Retro AMT episodes.
AMT is sponsored by:
Saily, flexible eSIM data roaming plans for when you’re abroad. Download SAILY in your app store and use our code amt15 at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. For further details go to saily.com/amt15. The London Review of Books, the twice-monthly literary mag full of essays, reviews and more by excellent writers. Get a 6 month print and digital subscription for just £12 at LRB.me/answer.
Plus: Olly and his new massage gun are very happy together; Helen of course managed to find the absolute least cool way to rebel against a school custom; and Martin the Sound Man says he loves wearing suits, despite never actually wearing suits as they conflict with his self-image of someone who does a more physical job than sitting at a computer and occasionally twiddling knobs on an audio interface…
Now is a GREAT time to become a patron at patreon.com/answermethis if you haven’t already, because the next edition of our video livestream series Petty Problems is happening Sunday 29th March! Join us for that, and in return for your patronage, you also get the whole Petty Problems back catalogue, a batch of Bonus Bits each month, and an ad-free version of AMT416. If you sign up at one of the higher Patreon tiers, you get access to an RSS feed with ALL the AMT stuff EVER, including our entire back catalogue, our six themed albums, the retro AMTs, and every Bit of Crapp from the AMT App.
So send us your trivial unserious questions for Petty Problems, as well as questions of any other level of seriousness, in writing or voice note, to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com or leave a voicemail at 0208 123 5877 like the old days. Remember to include the formula “Helen and/or Olly, answer me this”, and let us know a name (pseudonyms are fine) and pronouns to use for you.
AMT417 will be out 30 April 2026. Mid-month, there will also be an episode of our new feature Answer Us Back, where you answer us back about questions from our recent and distant back catalogue. So send in your feedback about any question or answer from any episode ever.
Martin‘s song therein, ‘Daddy Really Cares’, is available to buy from his Bandcamp. All proceeds go to organisations helping trans youth in the UK and Canada.
This episode is sponsored by:
Saily, flexible eSIM data roaming plans for when you’re abroad. Download SAILY in your app store and use our code amt15 at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. For further details go to saily.com/amt15.
The London Review of Books, the twice-monthly literary mag full of essays, reviews and more by excellent writers. Get a 6 month print and digital subscription for just £12 at LRB.me/answer.
Squarespace, the all in one platform for creating and running your online empire. Go to squarespace.com/answer, play around with the two-week free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code ANSWER.
Hello! Welcome to this month’s edition of Answer Us Back, full of your feedback on AMTs old and new. Today:
Helen’s going to watch ice hockey this weekend, i.e. she’ll get to see zambonis in action, per AMT415!
Olly got sleb-spotted when out for breakfast (hi Simon!).
Pete in Bloomington, Indiana, wants to know whether Kyle from Bloomington, Indiana, is still stealing olives from the olive bars of Bloomington, Indiana like he was in AMT305 back in 2014. Well, Kyle, are you? ARE YOU???
Provoked byAMT402‘s discussion of proposals via book dedications, Emma in Canada has a real life example from her own parents of a proposal via printed text, in their case the local newspaper.
David from Glasgow heard us talking about the radio pip pip pips in AMT406 and explains how they use them in his work on cargo ships.
Amy has a tip for Olly, to end his despair from AMT402 about all the little plastic bottles containing his cholesterol-reducing Benecol.
We get a bit verklempt as Ricardito reminisces about what AMT meant to his late partner Stephen – including this excellent prank in AMT303 and response.
And along the way we learn about Olly’s greatest technological fear and pragmatic proposal, and Helen’s parents’ pugnacious proposal.
If you’ve been amassing thoughts about AMTs 1-415, send them to us for future episodes of Answer Us Back. And as always, send in your questions, in voicenote or written form to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com. All new AMT416 will be in your podfeed 26 March.
29 March is the next edition of our video livestream Petty Problems, so send us your unserious concerns and queries for that. To watch it and all the previous ones, sign up to patreonise the show at patreon.com/answermethis, where highest tier gets access to our ENTIRE back catalogue, including the paywalled episodes, the special albums, the Bonus Bits of Crapp on the AMT App, and all the Retro AMT episodes with our commentary reflecting upon them years later. AND by supporting the show on Patreon, you’re helping to fund new AMT.
Hold onto your butts, AMT415 contains some SHOCKING and EXTRAORDINARY facts about:
Wee Willie Winkie vs Wicked Willie Zambonis the Wingdings conspiracy theory the Clown Egg Registry the invention of Cluedo (translation: Clue) the green parakeets of London and beyond taking the London transport boats sandwiches that go by their initials BLT day BLT month mayonnaise and donating your organs to someone who turns out to be a wanker.
AMT416 will be out 26 March 2026, so send your questions in writing or voice note to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com or call 0208 123 5877 like the old days. Remember to include the formula “Helen and/or Olly, answer me this”, and let us know a name (pseudonyms are fine) and pronouns to use for you.
Mid-March, there will also be an episode of our new feature Answer Us Back, where you answer us back about questions from our recent and distant back catalogue.
Become a patron at patreon.com/answermethis and you not only help the continuing existence of AMT, you also receive an ad-free version of the episode, plus bonus material each month, and our live video series Petty Problems. If you sign up at one of the higher tiers, you get access to an RSS feed with ALL the AMT stuff EVER, including our entire back catalogue, our six themed albums, the retro AMTs, and every Bit of Crapp from the AMT App. So much AMT stuff!
Martin‘s song therein, ‘Daddy Really Cares’, is available to buy from his Bandcamp. All proceeds go to organisations helping trans youth in the UK and Canada. And we insist you check out the video he made, featuring the robot named Bobot he also made:
This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, the all in one platform for creating and running your online empire. Go to squarespace.com/answer, have a play around during the two-week free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code ANSWER.
Hello! Welcome to this month’s edition of Answer Us Back, full of your feedback on AMTs old and new. Today:
In response to AMT413‘s question about unusual food combos, Dan writes in about his sauerkraut spaghetti, which still doesn’t seem that deviant. Seriously, people, where are your truly perverse flavour combos, eh??
The Toby Carvery’s appearance in AMT403 was very illuminating for listeners outside of the Toby Carvery-producing regions, including Eric in Oregon, who in return teaches us about the Toby Carvery gold card. And in turn in turn, we learn about the new range of Tobywear. Plus, Olly recounts his new-found Costco fame.
In AMT413 we identified what species Wombles are. Amy and her sister are preparing to go on a Wombles-themed holiday in six different locations. Helen is familiar with an entertainment-themed itinerary, after Martin made her go on a tour of Aotearoa New Zealand based on locations from the 1985 post-apocalyptic science fiction film The Quiet Earth. Fun!! Almost as fun as the time in Australia he made her drive several hours to a decommissioned railway station mentioned in a Tom Waits song.
AMT361 prompted a fond memory in Sarah from Leeds of skipping to school with her dad, aw.
AMT206, featuring quite reluctant pod-guest Jackie Mason, is making Katie from Halifax, Nova Scotia feel better about her own awkward workplace atmosphere. Erm, you’re welcome, Katie?
If you’ve been storing thoughts about AMTs 1-414, send them to us for future episodes of Answer Us Back. And as always, send in your questions, in voicenote or written form to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com. All new AMT415 will be in your podfeed 26 February.
Keep AMT going by signing up at patreon.com/answermethis, where highest tier gets access to our ENTIRE back catalogue, including the paywalled episodes, the special albums, the Bonus Bits of Crapp on the AMT App (RIP) and all the Retro AMT episodes.
AMT415 will be out 26 February 2026, so send your questions in writing or voice note to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com or call 0208 123 5877 like the old days. Remember to include the formula “Helen and/or Olly, answer me this”, and let us know a name (pseudonyms are fine) and pronouns to use for you.
Mid-February, there will also be an episode of our new feature Answer Us Back, where you answer us back about questions from our recent and distant back catalogue.
Become a patron at patreon.com/answermethis and you not only help the continuing existence of AMT, you also receive an ad-free version of the episode, plus bonus material each month, and our live video series Petty Problems. If you sign up at one of the higher tiers, you get access to an RSS feed with ALL the AMT stuff EVER, including our entire back catalogue, our six themed albums, the retro AMTs, and every Bit of Crapp from the AMT App. It’s a lot!
This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, the all in one platform for creating and running your online empire. Go to squarespace.com/answer, have a play around during the two-week free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code ANSWER.
Answer Me This! Podcast 