Animal Nonsense
Kids & Family
About
The real world is full of the most remarkable, exciting, bizarre, ferocious and occasionally adorable animals - relax and enter their realm alongside real best friends the actor Jess Blake and the musician David Robinson.
Episodes
- David Attenborough's 100th Birthday
Jess and David commemorate David Attenborough's 100th birthday. They honor his impactful career in broadcasting by reminiscing about his work.
- Game Of Thrones: The Wolves Of Westeros
This episode of Animal Nonsense features Jess discussing Game of Thrones' Wolves of Westeros, super predators, direwolves, and Dolly the Sheep, alongside David's insights on Scooby Doo.
- Judge Jess
This episode of Animal Nonsense features David retracting a giraffe remark and exonerating Jess. It includes anecdotes about Blue Peter hosts, Valerie Singleton's shopping trip with a lion, a segment called 'Judge Jess', and a poem for lis…
- Meeting the Boomtown Rat... Bob Geldof
David recounts his experience meeting hero Bob Geldof and attending a Boomtown Rats concert where the audience wore latex rat masks. The episode also includes listener advice on removing geckos.
- Animals of Disney
Jess shares her experiences from Disneyland Paris, focusing on early Disney animal creations and how their depiction in cartoons often disregards real-world physics regarding size.
- Happy Easter
In this episode of Animal Nonsense, David prepares an Easter basket for Jess' dog, addresses a listener question, discusses rediscovered extinct animals, and performs a song about George Formby.
- April Fool
This Animal Nonsense episode covers an April Fool's theme, including a story about a dog outsmarting people and a look at notable animal escapes from zoos.
- Red Nose Day
This episode discusses Red Nose Day for Podcastathon, a global charity event for podcasts. It includes a game called 'How well do they smell?' and facts about baby elephants' trunks and reindeers' red noses.
- Mother's Day Special
Jess highlights remarkable mothers in the animal kingdom, such as orangutans, elephants, burying beetles, octopuses, polar bears, and hummingbirds in this Mother's Day episode.
- Mystery Animal 1
In this episode of Animal Nonsense, David attempts to identify a toy animal belonging to Jess' daughter. While David struggles, Jess correctly identifies the animal, leading to a discussion about its obscurity.
- The Remarkable Brain of the Pigeon
This episode delves into the surprising capabilities of the pigeon brain. Host David discusses their historical use in espionage, their potential as art connoisseurs, and their ability to recognize themselves in a mirror.
- Valentines Special: Part 2
In this episode, Jess details oxytocin levels in cats and dogs, while also noting the sociability of meerkats. David explains the unique courtship methods of giraffes.
- Valentines Special: Part 1
This Valentine
- Superbowl vs Puppybowl
The episode discusses the Super Bowl and the Puppy Bowl, featuring a segment recalling a 1990s animal quiz show and a new game called 'Attack and Defence'.
- Bonus. The Return of The Muppet Show
This bonus episode of Animal Nonsense covers the return of The Muppet Show, Jim Henson's concerns about the MGM lion, the creation of Kermit the Frog, and details about the show's production in England.
- Jurassic Park: Casting The T-Rex Sounds
In this episode of Animal Nonsense, Jess investigates the creation of the dinosaur roars in Jurassic Park. The sounds were derived from recordings of actual animals, and listeners are invited to guess which ones were used.
- The Immortal Jellyfish
The episode covers the immortal jellyfish and a rumour about snails and post boxes. The hosts also mention their show's email address and a peculiar dream involving Gromit.
- Happy Birthday Jess
In this birthday episode of Animal Nonsense, host David shares anecdotes about unusual animal gifts and presents Jess with a hen.
- Reporting On New Year and Christmas
Jess recounts making a pom pom rabbit and a BBC radio interview. David talks about looking after Jess's dog and finally remembering the podcast's email address: animalnonsensepodcast@gmail.com.
- The 12 Animals of Christmas Part 2
In the first episode of 2026, Animal Nonsense continues its exploration of the '12 Animals of Christmas,' focusing on animals 7 through 12.
- The 12 Animals of Christmas Part 1
Animal Nonsense covers the first six of the '12 Animals of Christmas', drawing inspiration from the popular holiday song.
- The Real Mystery of the Nativity Animals
This episode of Animal Nonsense investigates which animals were present at the Nativity. Hosts David and Jess recall Christmas carol lyrics and creatively depict the events of that night.
- Lights, Camera, Reindeer
Jess discusses her role in the Christmas movie 'Prancer', offering behind-the-scenes details about the filming process and the reindeer actor's experience.
- The Relationship Between Music and the Animal Kingdom
This episode of Animal Nonsense features David explaining the creation of the show's music, while Jess plays a sound round identifying animal muses of classical composers. They also discuss Jess's time at Battersea Dogs Home and investigat…
- How do you give a personal name to an Andean Bear, a Desert Locust and a Great Green Macaw
In this episode of Animal Nonsense, hosts Jess and David explore the process of naming animals. They play a game where they guess the names of an Andean Bear, a Desert Locust, and a Great Green Macaw.
- Otter Nonsense
This episode discusses animals in captivity, using sea otters as a focus. Learn about their incredibly fluffy fur, daily food intake, and unique floating behavior.
- Children In Need. The Bear Essentials
This episode of Animal Nonsense discusses the BBC's Children In Need mascot Pudsey Bear and the original Sooty. It also explores the history of teddy bears, including President Theodore Roosevelt's connection and a priest's unusual concern…
- How the dogs rescued Hollywood
Episode 4 discusses the relationship with Jess' dog, early encounters with dogs and Blue Peter, and explores how dogs played a role in rescuing Hollywood.
- Halloween. Vampire Disco Squid From Hell
On the Halloween special, Jess introduces the Vampire Disco Squid From Hell (Vampyroteuthis Infernalis). The episode covers the creature's defense mechanisms and its contribution to the deep ocean's colorfulness.
- Halloween. Mice, spiders and bird noises.
This episode of Animal Nonsense focuses on Halloween encounters with frightening animals such as mice and spiders. It also includes a segment featuring unsettling bird noises.
- Halloween. The Stuff of Nightmares
This Halloween episode of Animal Nonsense features vulture bees, butcher birds, and the spotted ragged-toothed shark, exploring creatures that evoke fear.