Two Mr Ps in a Pod(Cast)

n this special episode, Mr P sits down with the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson.

A few weeks ago I asked you one simple question: if you could ask the Education Secretary anything, what would it be? Over 1000 of you replied. Teachers, TAs, SENCOs, SEND parents, school leaders, the response was overwhelming. So I took your most liked questions directly to Bridget Phillipson. From the vital role of support staff to the ongoing SEND crisis and the recent SATs marking debacle, we tried to cover as many topics in the short time available and reflect on the two years she’s been in the role.

Here’s where you can catch the show 👇

🎭 October 2026

25th October - Norwich, Epic Studios 🏰

26th October - London, Soho Walthamstow 🎤

27th October - Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre 🌳

28th October - Eastbourne, Devonshire Park 🌊

29th October - Colchester, Charter Hall 🏺

30th October - Southampton, O2 Guildhall ⚓

31st October - High Wycombe, Swan 🎶

🎭 February 2027

14th February - Blackpool, Grand Theatre 🎡

15th February - Carlisle, The Sands Centre 🏞️

16th February - Chester, Storyhouse 🐎

17th February - Crewe, Lyceum Theatre 🚂

18th February - Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall 🏹

19th February - Stoke, Victoria Hall 🏺

20th February - Stockton, Globe Theatre 🌐

🎟️ Tickets at 2mrpspodcast.com/live

See you on the road again soon 👏🎤
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, the lads are counting down the final days until the summer holidays, with another hot week in school and England's World Cup semi final dominating absolutely everything. Adam admits the tournament has been the perfect distraction from a difficult few months at home, while both share their hopes, nerves and excitement ahead of England's biggest match in years.

The conversation also turns to Jude Bellingham, with Lee sharing a message from one of Jude's former primary school teachers that perfectly sums up why he's become such a respected figure on and off the pitch.

There's plenty of light hearted discussion too, including a thread celebrating the tiny everyday moments that somehow make life better. The blind ranking returns with a debate over the best ways to celebrate the end of the school year. From quiz nights and bottomless brunches to Jacob's Tables, themed evenings and simply heading to the pub after school, the lads reveal how they'd rank the perfect staff celebration.

As always, the listener stories don't disappoint. There are tales of disastrous staff parties, drunken mishaps, medieval tunnels, embarrassing job interviews, parents' evening confessions that leave teachers speechless, and enough awkward school moments to make every listener grateful they weren't involved.

Finally, the episode finishes with another collection of wonderfully ridiculous anonymous confessions. From Ofsted style bedroom performance reviews and bizarre acts of revenge over school attendance rewards, to fake DVDs being exposed by the police during a classroom visit, it's another reminder that teachers really do experience situations you simply couldn't make up.

​📬 Want your story or question featured on the pod? Submit it here:

👉 forms.gle/sWCUVURZjtn6GeN16

Here’s where you can catch the show 👇

🎭 October 2026

25th October - Norwich, Epic Studios 🏰

26th October - London, Soho Walthamstow 🎤

27th October - Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre 🌳

28th October - Eastbourne, Devonshire Park 🌊

29th October - Colchester, Charter Hall 🏺

30th October - Southampton, O2 Guildhall ⚓

31st October - High Wycombe, Swan 🎶

🎭 February 2027

14th February - Blackpool, Grand Theatre 🎡

15th February - Carlisle, The Sands Centre 🏞️

16th February - Chester, Storyhouse 🐎

17th February - Crewe, Lyceum Theatre 🚂

18th February - Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall 🏹

19th February - Stoke, Victoria Hall 🏺

20th February - Stockton, Globe Theatre 🌐

🎟️ Tickets at 2mrpspodcast.com/live

See you on the road again soon 👏🎤
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, the lads return still battling the heat as another sweltering week hits schools across the country. The episode features a fascinating behind the scenes look at Lee's visit to the Department for Education, where he took four pupils to Westminster and the DfE for a day they'll never forget. From private tours of the Houses of Parliament to interviewing the Education Secretary and seeing the famous red ministerial box up close, it's a brilliant reminder of what young people can achieve when given incredible opportunities. Lee reflects on just how proud he was of the children and why experiences like these restore your faith in education.

There's also discussion around a new national survey highlighting how much the public values teachers, why appreciation means more than expensive gifts and how a simple thank you can make all the difference as another busy school year draws to a close.

Football fans are in for a treat too, as the lads relive England's dramatic victory and discuss why this squad feels different. They celebrate the resilience, passion and togetherness shown by the team before taking on a brand new blind ranking challenge, deciding which England legends would make the best pupils in the classroom.

Elsewhere, the thread of the week looks back at things that happened in schools years ago that simply wouldn't be allowed today. From blackboard dusters flying across classrooms and teachers publicly humiliating pupils, to smoking demonstrations, terrifying swimming lessons and some truly unbelievable stories from the 1980s and 1990s, it's equal parts hilarious and horrifying.

Finally, the Sports Day stories continue with another collection of wonderfully chaotic tales. Expect over competitive parents, broken bones, collapsing gazebos, wardrobe malfunctions, beer hidden in backpacks, bribery attempts, cocaine discoveries, parents arriving in full athletics gear and enough sporting disasters to make any PE coordinator question why they ever agreed to organise Sports Day in the first place.

📬 Want your story or question featured on the pod? Submit it here:

👉 forms.gle/sWCUVURZjtn6GeN16

Here’s where you can catch the show 👇

🎭 October 2026

25th October - Norwich, Epic Studios 🏰

26th October - London, Soho Walthamstow 🎤

27th October - Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre 🌳

28th October - Eastbourne, Devonshire Park 🌊

29th October - Colchester, Charter Hall 🏺

30th October - Southampton, O2 Guildhall ⚓

31st October - High Wycombe, Swan 🎶

🎭 February 2027

14th February - Blackpool, Grand Theatre 🎡

15th February - Carlisle, The Sands Centre 🏞️

16th February - Chester, Storyhouse 🐎

17th February - Crewe, Lyceum Theatre 🚂

18th February - Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall 🏹

19th February - Stoke, Victoria Hall 🏺

20th February - Stockton, Globe Theatre 🌐

🎟️ Tickets at 2mrpspodcast.com/live

See you on the road again soon 👏🎤
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, the lads look back on one of the hottest teaching weeks in recent memory and the media backlash that followed as schools across the country battled impossible classroom temperatures. Lee shares his frustration with the criticism aimed at teachers, discusses why schools are constantly expected to solve society's problems and explains why the real conversation should be about supporting working families rather than blaming schools.

There's also plenty of discussion about misinformation online, viral parenting influencers, social media outrage and why so many education stories are designed to stir up anger rather than reflect the reality of life in schools.

Elsewhere, Adam suffers another brutal celebrity lookalike comparison, while Lee receives perhaps the greatest introduction of his career at a teacher conference. The conversation also revisits one of their old classroom resources, leading to one of the funniest pupil comments they've heard in years.

The blind ranking returns with a trip through television's most famous fictional teachers, sparking plenty of debate over who deserves top spot and who would be an absolute nightmare to work alongside.

As always, the listener stories are packed with glorious second hand embarrassment. Expect accidental public humiliation, unfortunate misunderstandings, awkward supermarket moments, train disasters, unfortunate autocorrects and enough cringe to leave you hiding behind your hands. Back in school, the lads also share some unforgettable sex education moments, featuring innocent misconceptions, brilliantly timed pupil comments and the sort of questions no teacher is ever truly prepared to answer.

Finally, sports day season is in full swing, bringing with it some of the funniest parent stories imaginable. From over competitive dads, ambitious mums, broken bones and prosthetic legs, to drunken spectators, police call outs and enough sporting chaos to convince anyone that parents' races might not be worth the risk after all.

​📬 Want your story or question featured on the pod? Submit it here:

👉 forms.gle/sWCUVURZjtn6GeN16

Here’s where you can catch the show 👇

🎭 October 2026

25th October - Norwich, Epic Studios 🏰

26th October - London, Soho Walthamstow 🎤

27th October - Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre 🌳

28th October - Eastbourne, Devonshire Park 🌊

29th October - Colchester, Charter Hall 🏺

30th October - Southampton, O2 Guildhall ⚓

31st October - High Wycombe, Swan 🎶

🎭 February 2027

14th February - Blackpool, Grand Theatre 🎡

15th February - Carlisle, The Sands Centre 🏞️

16th February - Chester, Storyhouse 🐎

17th February - Crewe, Lyceum Theatre 🚂

18th February - Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall 🏹

19th February - Stoke, Victoria Hall 🏺

20th February - Stockton, Globe Theatre 🌐

🎟️ Tickets at 2mrpspodcast.com/live

See you on the road again soon 👏🎤
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

LO: To wonder how anyone is supposed to teach in this weather!

This week, the lads are recording in the middle of a sweltering heatwave and wondering how on earth anyone is expected to teach thirty children in classrooms that feel more like greenhouses. With temperatures soaring, an England World Cup campaign underway and the ever-present threat of an Ofsted call, it's a survival guide for teachers trying to make it to the end of term with their sanity intact.

The conversation then takes an unexpected turn into politics as Lee shares his frustrations about the current state of government, leadership and public discourse. It's a passionate discussion about patience, accountability, social media, the pressures facing modern politicians and why meaningful change often feels impossible in a world that demands instant results.

Elsewhere, Mr P reports back from seeing Take That live, prompting a nostalgic trip through the glory days of boy bands. Naturally, this leads to a blind ranking packed with questionable decisions, strong opinions and the sort of debate that could end friendships.

There's also a discussion about one school's decision to remove teachers' desks and chairs entirely, sparking a wider conversation about trust, workload, classroom expectations and some of the stranger leadership decisions schools make in the name of improving teaching.

As always, the listener stories steal the show. Expect tales of public embarrassment, disastrous train journeys, awkward encounters with strangers, unfortunate wardrobe malfunctions and enough second-hand cringe to make you hide behind a cushion. Back in school, there are plenty more classic pupil moments too, including accidental oversharing, spectacular misunderstandings, brutally honest children and the sort of comments that leave teachers desperately trying not to laugh.

The episode finishes with a look at the strange habits that instantly give away anyone over thirty, from keeping boxes for everything and printing photos, to making phone calls, using proper punctuation and committing the ultimate Gen Z crime: sitting quietly with your own thoughts.

​📬 Want your story or question featured on the pod? Submit it here:

👉 forms.gle/sWCUVURZjtn6GeN16

Here’s where you can catch the show 👇

🎭 October 2026

25th October - Norwich, Epic Studios 🏰

26th October - London, Soho Walthamstow 🎤

27th October - Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre 🌳

28th October - Eastbourne, Devonshire Park 🌊

29th October - Colchester, Charter Hall 🏺

30th October - Southampton, O2 Guildhall ⚓

31st October - High Wycombe, Swan 🎶

🎭 February 2027

14th February - Blackpool, Grand Theatre 🎡

15th February - Carlisle, The Sands Centre 🏞️

16th February - Chester, Storyhouse 🐎

17th February - Crewe, Lyceum Theatre 🚂

18th February - Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall 🏹

19th February - Stoke, Victoria Hall 🏺

20th February - Stockton, Globe Theatre 🌐

🎟️ Tickets at 2mrpspodcast.com/live

See you on the road again soon 👏🎤
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices