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Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball
Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball

90: The Jackie Annual and Bathing with Eels

May 06, 2026 • 49m

Summary

⏱️ 10 min read

Overview

Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball share a nostalgic journey through music, memories, and gardening. They discuss new music discoveries like Pigeon, reflect on their school days through old Jackie magazines, celebrate Paul Weller's BBC collection, and share personal stories about childhood, family, and life's unexpected moments. The conversation weaves between their love of music, gardening updates including their competitive tomato growing, and touching reflections on signs from lost loved ones.

Music Discovery: Pigeon in Session

Zoe enthusiastically shares her excitement about indie band Pigeon's session on Jo's radio show, describing them as phenomenal with incredible energy. The collective of musicians from Margate, who've worked with artists like Little Simms and Michael Kiwanuka, recorded their album 'Outer National' at The Libertines' studio. Their track 'Miami' particularly captured Zoe's attention, with the session generating massive listener response and introducing the band to entirely new audiences.

  • Pigeon performed an outstanding session on Jo's BBC Radio 2 show with incredible energy and multiple instruments
  • The band is a collective of musicians who've worked with Salt, Michael Kiwanuka, and Little Simms
  • They recorded their album 'Outer National' at The Libertines' studio in Margate/Ramsgate, using Carl Barat's guitar
  • The session generated one of the biggest listener reactions in years, with people blown away who'd never heard them before
" If Beastie Boys did a gardening show, it would look like this. And God damn it, it's so good. "
" When I hear sessions like that on your show, I'm like, God damn it, this woman's so good at what she does. And you find such gems and you enlighten our lives with your love of music. "

Childhood Phobias and Strange Foods

The conversation takes a humorous turn as they discuss their childhood fears and peculiar memories. Zoe reveals her aversion to creatures without legs like eels and snakes, while sharing a vivid childhood memory of her grandfather's eels in the bathtub and jellied eels. Jo discusses her dislike of pigeons at train stations, contrasting with the band Pigeon's explanation of their sacred significance in African culture. The discussion becomes increasingly comical as they explore various uncomfortable childhood food experiences.

  • Zoe has an aversion to creatures without legs, particularly eels and snakes, which give her 'the heebie-jeebies'
  • Her grandfather was a keen fisherman who kept eels in the bathtub, which her grandmother would cook into jellied eels
  • Jo dislikes pigeons, especially at Euston station where they 'dive bomb' passengers
  • The band Pigeon explained that pigeons are sacred in Africa, which gave context to their name
" I remember being accidentally caught when a friend came over. There were a few hands in certain places and my granddad walked in. It was like, oh my God, so humiliating. "
" I used to be bathed in eels every day. Eels up inside you. "

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