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Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice
All four episodes of Tom Allen's brilliant BBC Radio 4 show - plus two series of The Correspondent
Award-winning comedian Tom Allen is one of Britain's best and brightest stand-ups. He's appeared on Mock the Week, The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice and Live at the Apollo, toured several sell-out solo shows, starred in his own TV pilot and even written an autobiography.
He's always seemed pleasant and polite on the surface: but the truth is, he's a monster - or so he says. In Tom Allen's Actually Not Very Nice, he stages a stand-up intervention to find out what turned him from sweet to naughty, and how he can get back on the straight and narrow. With help from his friend Gabby Best, and the studio audience, Tom works out how best to navigate some tricky social situations - like sacking your personal trainer, dealing with other people's children, sitting through an entire play and being set up on a date. Can he learn how to keep a lid on his fury in the face of life's small injustices?
Also included in this collection are Series 1 and 2 of The Correspondent - eight bittersweet comic monologues charting Tom's professional and domestic misadventures. From handling the frustrations of his horrible job to coping with his family at Aunt Leslie's funeral, Tom's life is just one long round of miserable mundanity. But there are welcome distractions with the discovery of a new mystery friend in the workplace, and the possibility of finding love online.
Award-winning comedian Tom Allen is one of Britain's best and brightest stand-ups. He's appeared on Mock the Week, The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice and Live at the Apollo, toured several sell-out solo shows, starred in his own TV pilot and even written an autobiography.
He's always seemed pleasant and polite on the surface: but the truth is, he's a monster - or so he says. In Tom Allen's Actually Not Very Nice, he stages a stand-up intervention to find out what turned him from sweet to naughty, and how he can get back on the straight and narrow. With help from his friend Gabby Best, and the studio audience, Tom works out how best to navigate some tricky social situations - like sacking your personal trainer, dealing with other people's children, sitting through an entire play and being set up on a date. Can he learn how to keep a lid on his fury in the face of life's small injustices?
Also included in this collection are Series 1 and 2 of The Correspondent - eight bittersweet comic monologues charting Tom's professional and domestic misadventures. From handling the frustrations of his horrible job to coping with his family at Aunt Leslie's funeral, Tom's life is just one long round of miserable mundanity. But there are welcome distractions with the discovery of a new mystery friend in the workplace, and the possibility of finding love online.
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Audiobook
First published December 26, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 2, 2021
I was attracted to this audiobook because I have enjoyed Tom Allen on various TV programs but have never seen him in his own show.
This is not a novel or memoir but a collection of his projects.
The first group of episodes was from the titular live Radio show, where Allen asks the audience to help him be nicer. This was funny, very much the Tom Allen I am familiar with and I loved his interaction with the audience.
The second section are episodes of a comic monologue - The Correspondent. The style is a modern form of the epistolary novel and it took an episode or so to get into the rhythm but when I did I enjoyed it, though as a wry commentary on life rather than laugh out loud funny of the live show.
It was also surprisingly dated.
The last section was the most enjoyable. It was an interview with Nihal Arthanayake and it was simply a pleasure listening to them discussing different aspects of Tom Allen’s life including his memoir ‘No Shame’ – a book that has now been added to my ‘must have’ list.
Highly recommended for anyone who is, or thinks they mght be, a fan of Tom Allen.
I received this book from Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review.
This is not a novel or memoir but a collection of his projects.
The first group of episodes was from the titular live Radio show, where Allen asks the audience to help him be nicer. This was funny, very much the Tom Allen I am familiar with and I loved his interaction with the audience.
The second section are episodes of a comic monologue - The Correspondent. The style is a modern form of the epistolary novel and it took an episode or so to get into the rhythm but when I did I enjoyed it, though as a wry commentary on life rather than laugh out loud funny of the live show.
It was also surprisingly dated.
The last section was the most enjoyable. It was an interview with Nihal Arthanayake and it was simply a pleasure listening to them discussing different aspects of Tom Allen’s life including his memoir ‘No Shame’ – a book that has now been added to my ‘must have’ list.
Highly recommended for anyone who is, or thinks they mght be, a fan of Tom Allen.
I received this book from Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review.
April 18, 2021
I have enjoyed watching Tom Allen whenever I have seen him on the television, and was really looking forward to this audio book.
The book was divided into three main sections: the first a selection from Tom Allen’s stand-up routine, where he is interacting with the audience; the second a diary of his ‘day-job’ (plus extras) of working in the complaints department of Brooks furniture store; and thirdly an interview with Nihal Arthanayake about his life and his autobiography “No Shame”.
I have never actually seen a full set of Tom’s stand-up routine – I usually see him as part of someone else’s show – so the first section in this book was something new to me. Some of the topics really hit a sweet spot: like Tom I have no children, and do get a bit bored when friends talk non-stop about their little darlings; and I have a lot of difficulty remembering names, and even more remembering faces. But some of the topics I found more of a miss than a hit. It is a very personal thing – and I guess many people would feel differently to me, given their own particular circumstances. For some of the topics, the banter with the audience really added to the humour – for others it was a (for me) damp squib. This section as a whole I would rate about 3 stars. From then on, the book got so much better.
The second section, I found excellent – where Tom relates the trials and tribulations of his life in his new job dealing with customer complaints at Brooks furniture store, whilst trying to stop his best friend setting him up with unsuitable random gay men (whom he must fall in love with – because they are gay, and he absolutely needs to have a partner), and coping with his mother, and dead Aunt’s funeral.
His immediate boss, Georgia, was the type of annoying, officious jobsworth, that nearly every large company has at least one of. His phone and computer seldom worked, he was stuck in a windowless basement, and his ‘secret friend’ (or stalker?!) keeps leaving him notes, and customers write in with complaints ranging from the justifiable to the patently ridiculous. Throughout (almost all) the slings and arrows, Tom retains his trademark politeness, but you can feel the smothered (and quite understandable) frustration seeping through.
His mother constantly phoning and texting him at work, was something I thankfully never had to deal with. When I left home to go to university, it was about 1000 kilometres away (I now live half the planet away) – so a toll call. My father used to always preface any conversation with: “this is costing me money!” (even if I was paying) so calls were rare and short (we are a close family – but keep our distance). Still, I found Tom’s family interactions very amusing – if not relatable.
The third section – the interview with Nihal Arthanayake was probably the best section. Tom was amazed that the Nihal had actually read his autobiography (apparently not all interviewers do), and was able to ask very interesting questions. It spiked my interest in now reading “No Shame”.
Over all, I have rated this audio book as 5 stars. Despite a (for me) hit and miss beginning – it went on from strength to strength, and was a very, very enjoyable book to listen to. It could obviously not have been narrated by anyone but Tom Allen – and he did an excellent job. Definitely recommended.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by either the author or publisher.
The book was divided into three main sections: the first a selection from Tom Allen’s stand-up routine, where he is interacting with the audience; the second a diary of his ‘day-job’ (plus extras) of working in the complaints department of Brooks furniture store; and thirdly an interview with Nihal Arthanayake about his life and his autobiography “No Shame”.
I have never actually seen a full set of Tom’s stand-up routine – I usually see him as part of someone else’s show – so the first section in this book was something new to me. Some of the topics really hit a sweet spot: like Tom I have no children, and do get a bit bored when friends talk non-stop about their little darlings; and I have a lot of difficulty remembering names, and even more remembering faces. But some of the topics I found more of a miss than a hit. It is a very personal thing – and I guess many people would feel differently to me, given their own particular circumstances. For some of the topics, the banter with the audience really added to the humour – for others it was a (for me) damp squib. This section as a whole I would rate about 3 stars. From then on, the book got so much better.
The second section, I found excellent – where Tom relates the trials and tribulations of his life in his new job dealing with customer complaints at Brooks furniture store, whilst trying to stop his best friend setting him up with unsuitable random gay men (whom he must fall in love with – because they are gay, and he absolutely needs to have a partner), and coping with his mother, and dead Aunt’s funeral.
His immediate boss, Georgia, was the type of annoying, officious jobsworth, that nearly every large company has at least one of. His phone and computer seldom worked, he was stuck in a windowless basement, and his ‘secret friend’ (or stalker?!) keeps leaving him notes, and customers write in with complaints ranging from the justifiable to the patently ridiculous. Throughout (almost all) the slings and arrows, Tom retains his trademark politeness, but you can feel the smothered (and quite understandable) frustration seeping through.
His mother constantly phoning and texting him at work, was something I thankfully never had to deal with. When I left home to go to university, it was about 1000 kilometres away (I now live half the planet away) – so a toll call. My father used to always preface any conversation with: “this is costing me money!” (even if I was paying) so calls were rare and short (we are a close family – but keep our distance). Still, I found Tom’s family interactions very amusing – if not relatable.
The third section – the interview with Nihal Arthanayake was probably the best section. Tom was amazed that the Nihal had actually read his autobiography (apparently not all interviewers do), and was able to ask very interesting questions. It spiked my interest in now reading “No Shame”.
Over all, I have rated this audio book as 5 stars. Despite a (for me) hit and miss beginning – it went on from strength to strength, and was a very, very enjoyable book to listen to. It could obviously not have been narrated by anyone but Tom Allen – and he did an excellent job. Definitely recommended.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by either the author or publisher.
April 16, 2021
I love Tom Allen, but was new to his radio work so this was a great audio collection for me, great new to me work of his and as much as ever, I absolutely loved it. Funny, sharp and an intelligent quick wit , what’s not to love. His interaction with his audience sets him apart for me, if you like decent entertainment, definitely give this a chance
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
March 27, 2021
I absolutely adore Tom Allen!!!
I have seen his stand up, and I loved his book that was released earlier this year too.
I was so excited for this audio!!
However, I absolutely hated this!!
The Tom Allen is not very nice episodes were random, and didn't work for radio as there were little sketches with these over the top characters, the audience in the background clearly found this hilarious but I just couldn't understand what was so funny - assuming that you had to be there in person rather than listening to the audio to fully get it.
So, the first part of this audiobook was a huge miss!
So, the next part of the audio is 'The Correspondent' - thought I would prefer this as it would be more like Tom Allen's stand up anecdotes. I was wrong. Really didn't enjoy this section either!! Didn't find it funny, and the music was quite eery! Just didn't work for me.
The best part of this audiobook was the bonus interview at the end. This is where Tom Allen was his funniest - when he is just himself in a more relaxed situation than the forced sections previous.
I would 100% call myself a Tom Allen fan, which is why Im so gutted that i didn't enjoy this!
I have seen his stand up, and I loved his book that was released earlier this year too.
I was so excited for this audio!!
However, I absolutely hated this!!
The Tom Allen is not very nice episodes were random, and didn't work for radio as there were little sketches with these over the top characters, the audience in the background clearly found this hilarious but I just couldn't understand what was so funny - assuming that you had to be there in person rather than listening to the audio to fully get it.
So, the first part of this audiobook was a huge miss!
So, the next part of the audio is 'The Correspondent' - thought I would prefer this as it would be more like Tom Allen's stand up anecdotes. I was wrong. Really didn't enjoy this section either!! Didn't find it funny, and the music was quite eery! Just didn't work for me.
The best part of this audiobook was the bonus interview at the end. This is where Tom Allen was his funniest - when he is just himself in a more relaxed situation than the forced sections previous.
I would 100% call myself a Tom Allen fan, which is why Im so gutted that i didn't enjoy this!
December 27, 2024
I really enjoyed this fun audiobook with Tom Allen’s brilliant brand of humour! ‘Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice’ is made up of three different shows: Tom Allen is Not Actually Very nice, The Correspondent and Headliners, the last which is an interview with Tom Allen.
The first part of the audiobook contains the show which the audiobook is named after and is a radio show that Tom Allen presented in front of an audience with fellow presenter Gabby Best. I found myself enjoying this radio show, as each episode features Allen as he speaks about a certain situation in life where he hasn’t acted very nice, recreating the incident with Gabby Best pretending to be in different roles and then asking the audience how they would respond in such a situation or for any of their stories to do with these situations. I found this show increasingly funny with each episode, especially with the audience interaction which made each episode feel so fresh and brilliant. While the humour from Allen about his past encounters is funny, it’s definitely the anecdotes that come from the studio audience and Allen’s reactions to them that made me enjoy this first part of the audiobook so much.
The second part of the audiobook is The Correspondent, a short set of episodes with Tom Allen narrating solo throughout. At first I wasn’t sure what to make of this as I haven’t listened to a lot of comedy fiction radio shows before, but this was actually so very funny, especially as the episodes go on and you get used to just how silly this is! Allen narrates his day, as he makes his way to work and then spends the day at his place of work, as the sole person corresponding wit hcustomers at a compaints department for a furniture company. From his terrible little office to his annoying boss and the silly different complaints customers send, and how Allen responds to them, just made me laugh so much! There are about ten episodes of this, each one charting a different day of work and I love how things progress to be worse and worse for Allen until that eventual ending. The correspondent made me laugh so much, it has some funny sound effects, music and just feels so silly that I’m glad it was included on this audiobook as I am sorry to have missed it when it originally aired on the radio.
The final part of the audiobok features an interview conducted by Nihal Arthanayake, and although not as funny as the first two comedy shows, this interview was surprisingly interesting, especially as Allen talks about his past, growing up in his home town of Bromley and some other aspects of his life too. The interview felt like an interesting conversation between the interviewer and interviewee, and I enjoyed learning more about Allen while he injected some of his classic humour into the chat.
Overall I have really enjoyed listening to this audiobook and would recommend it for anyone who loves Tom Allen’s sense of humour. There’s nothing too rude in this audiobook but there is a lot of brilliant humour and it made me laugh so much, especially The Correspondent! I’ll definitely look into buying this for myself and a few others who I know love Allen’s humour too.
-Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for a free copy.
The first part of the audiobook contains the show which the audiobook is named after and is a radio show that Tom Allen presented in front of an audience with fellow presenter Gabby Best. I found myself enjoying this radio show, as each episode features Allen as he speaks about a certain situation in life where he hasn’t acted very nice, recreating the incident with Gabby Best pretending to be in different roles and then asking the audience how they would respond in such a situation or for any of their stories to do with these situations. I found this show increasingly funny with each episode, especially with the audience interaction which made each episode feel so fresh and brilliant. While the humour from Allen about his past encounters is funny, it’s definitely the anecdotes that come from the studio audience and Allen’s reactions to them that made me enjoy this first part of the audiobook so much.
The second part of the audiobook is The Correspondent, a short set of episodes with Tom Allen narrating solo throughout. At first I wasn’t sure what to make of this as I haven’t listened to a lot of comedy fiction radio shows before, but this was actually so very funny, especially as the episodes go on and you get used to just how silly this is! Allen narrates his day, as he makes his way to work and then spends the day at his place of work, as the sole person corresponding wit hcustomers at a compaints department for a furniture company. From his terrible little office to his annoying boss and the silly different complaints customers send, and how Allen responds to them, just made me laugh so much! There are about ten episodes of this, each one charting a different day of work and I love how things progress to be worse and worse for Allen until that eventual ending. The correspondent made me laugh so much, it has some funny sound effects, music and just feels so silly that I’m glad it was included on this audiobook as I am sorry to have missed it when it originally aired on the radio.
The final part of the audiobok features an interview conducted by Nihal Arthanayake, and although not as funny as the first two comedy shows, this interview was surprisingly interesting, especially as Allen talks about his past, growing up in his home town of Bromley and some other aspects of his life too. The interview felt like an interesting conversation between the interviewer and interviewee, and I enjoyed learning more about Allen while he injected some of his classic humour into the chat.
Overall I have really enjoyed listening to this audiobook and would recommend it for anyone who loves Tom Allen’s sense of humour. There’s nothing too rude in this audiobook but there is a lot of brilliant humour and it made me laugh so much, especially The Correspondent! I’ll definitely look into buying this for myself and a few others who I know love Allen’s humour too.
-Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for a free copy.
April 15, 2021
Tom Allen’s audiobook is an utter joy to listen to.
The format is a bit of a mishmash of different projects he seems to have been involved in, but this doesn’t matter in the least - all are easy to listen to, humorous and can be dipped in and out if without worrying about losing track of any story!
The title ‘Tom Allen is actually not very nice’, seems to relate to the first section of the book. Filmed with an audience, Tom and a female comedian act out a scenario that shows Tom acting in a ‘not very nice’ fashion, and interviewing audience members to help Tom act in a ‘nicer’ way in a future similar scenarios. This format does work and is a light hearted take on scenarios I’m sure we can all relate to.
The next section, my personal favourite, is ‘episodes’ over a month or so of Toms life where he works in a complaints department and narrates entirely through various communications he experiences- I LOVED this section - his emails to and from boss Georgia are particularly hilarious.
The audiobook concludes with an interview which is a really nice way to finish and give a bit of inside into Tom’s early experiences and personality.
Overall a great listen that just made me feel happy!
My thanks to NetGalley, author/narrator and publisher for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
The format is a bit of a mishmash of different projects he seems to have been involved in, but this doesn’t matter in the least - all are easy to listen to, humorous and can be dipped in and out if without worrying about losing track of any story!
The title ‘Tom Allen is actually not very nice’, seems to relate to the first section of the book. Filmed with an audience, Tom and a female comedian act out a scenario that shows Tom acting in a ‘not very nice’ fashion, and interviewing audience members to help Tom act in a ‘nicer’ way in a future similar scenarios. This format does work and is a light hearted take on scenarios I’m sure we can all relate to.
The next section, my personal favourite, is ‘episodes’ over a month or so of Toms life where he works in a complaints department and narrates entirely through various communications he experiences- I LOVED this section - his emails to and from boss Georgia are particularly hilarious.
The audiobook concludes with an interview which is a really nice way to finish and give a bit of inside into Tom’s early experiences and personality.
Overall a great listen that just made me feel happy!
My thanks to NetGalley, author/narrator and publisher for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2021
Tom Allen Is Actually Not Very Nice is a very jolly compilation of (some of) Tom Allen’s appearances on BBC radio.
It includes the title series, Tom Allen Is Actually Not Very Nice, where those who regard Tom as a nice and polite man, will be disavowed of that notion. Tom takes us through 3 irritations per episode, with the help of a studio audience, including telling off other people’s children and only being invited to the ‘night-do’ of a wedding. Tom is sharp and funny but I thought there was a little too much input from the studio audience.
The Correspondent is an 8 part series, which finds Tom starting a new job at Brookes Furniture; responding to customer complaints. Condemned to a windowless basement office, with a phone that doesn’t work and a gurgling water cooler, each episode is a day of interactions with his boss, the ‘logistics department’, his mum and friends. It’s a delight, particularly the interactions with his mum, who is busy organising a funeral and hosting relatives.
Finally, there is an interview with Tom. Throughly entertaining and engaging.
This is well worth a listen and was a great accompaniment to both walking and pottering around the house. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Audio UK for the advance copy.
It includes the title series, Tom Allen Is Actually Not Very Nice, where those who regard Tom as a nice and polite man, will be disavowed of that notion. Tom takes us through 3 irritations per episode, with the help of a studio audience, including telling off other people’s children and only being invited to the ‘night-do’ of a wedding. Tom is sharp and funny but I thought there was a little too much input from the studio audience.
The Correspondent is an 8 part series, which finds Tom starting a new job at Brookes Furniture; responding to customer complaints. Condemned to a windowless basement office, with a phone that doesn’t work and a gurgling water cooler, each episode is a day of interactions with his boss, the ‘logistics department’, his mum and friends. It’s a delight, particularly the interactions with his mum, who is busy organising a funeral and hosting relatives.
Finally, there is an interview with Tom. Throughly entertaining and engaging.
This is well worth a listen and was a great accompaniment to both walking and pottering around the house. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Audio UK for the advance copy.
April 26, 2021
Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice comprises of 3 sections: a radio stand up show, a sketch comedy show following Tom working at a furniture shop, and an interview with Nihil Arthanayake.
The stand up show had a rather interesting format with a blend of audience interaction, standard stand up routine and mini skits with Gabby Best at the end. Personally I found it to be rather heavy on audience interaction, although I admire the quick wit needed to facilitate such conversations. Then we have series 1 and 2 of The Correspondent. Unfortunately this was where the audiobook fell a bit flat for me. I wasn't overly interested and didn't find it particularly funny either. Finally, the best part. I appreciated the extra insight we got into Tom on a personal level through this bonus interview at the end.
As someone who's only encountered Tom Allen through the panel show and baking show format, I was pleasantly surprised with his own version of stand up. However, I do think the version of Tom Allen I prefer is the panel/baking show version and that's why I found the interview the most enjoyable segment.
**Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House Audio for providing this arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are subjective but my own.**
The stand up show had a rather interesting format with a blend of audience interaction, standard stand up routine and mini skits with Gabby Best at the end. Personally I found it to be rather heavy on audience interaction, although I admire the quick wit needed to facilitate such conversations. Then we have series 1 and 2 of The Correspondent. Unfortunately this was where the audiobook fell a bit flat for me. I wasn't overly interested and didn't find it particularly funny either. Finally, the best part. I appreciated the extra insight we got into Tom on a personal level through this bonus interview at the end.
As someone who's only encountered Tom Allen through the panel show and baking show format, I was pleasantly surprised with his own version of stand up. However, I do think the version of Tom Allen I prefer is the panel/baking show version and that's why I found the interview the most enjoyable segment.
**Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House Audio for providing this arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are subjective but my own.**
April 16, 2021
I absolutely love Tom Allen, he never fails to have me in stitches when watching him on TV, so of course when the opportunity came up to listen to this audio book I jumped at the chance!
I did make the horrendous mistake of listening too the audio book on my bus journeys to work and found myself trying to disguise my random laughs and the Cheshire cat grin on my face. I found this audio book a great listen , the first part is his stand up , which even though you can't see him on the stage, you can certainly picture him and his mannerisms that we love about him!
The second part is the correspondent, which details his daily life as a temp with the job of responding to complaint letters , these were hilarious to listen to and very relatable , I could remember times when similar things had happened in my life.
The last part is an interview which gives you an insight into his life, what he has gone through and also an insight into his book. If I could give this more than a 5 star review I would do ! I'm certainly off to purchase his book!
I received a copy of this audiobook for free in return for my honest review via Netgalley
I did make the horrendous mistake of listening too the audio book on my bus journeys to work and found myself trying to disguise my random laughs and the Cheshire cat grin on my face. I found this audio book a great listen , the first part is his stand up , which even though you can't see him on the stage, you can certainly picture him and his mannerisms that we love about him!
The second part is the correspondent, which details his daily life as a temp with the job of responding to complaint letters , these were hilarious to listen to and very relatable , I could remember times when similar things had happened in my life.
The last part is an interview which gives you an insight into his life, what he has gone through and also an insight into his book. If I could give this more than a 5 star review I would do ! I'm certainly off to purchase his book!
I received a copy of this audiobook for free in return for my honest review via Netgalley
May 17, 2021
Many people know Tom Allen through his TV appearances on The Great British Bake Off & Bake Off: The professionals. His own comedy act is less well known.
Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice is not an audiobook, but a collection of Tom Allen’s work, some comedy/standup shows, a series of monologues and an interview. I hadn’t heard these before and the advantage of being a collection of bite-sized pieces made it easy to listen to whilst driving or doing other things. It is a bit of a mish-mash of content & "The Correspondent" is a bit dated, but overall if you enjoy Tom Allen’s humour you will probably like this collection of sketch comedy, humerous interludes and observations.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own.
#TomAllenisActuallyNotVeryNice #NetGalley
Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice is not an audiobook, but a collection of Tom Allen’s work, some comedy/standup shows, a series of monologues and an interview. I hadn’t heard these before and the advantage of being a collection of bite-sized pieces made it easy to listen to whilst driving or doing other things. It is a bit of a mish-mash of content & "The Correspondent" is a bit dated, but overall if you enjoy Tom Allen’s humour you will probably like this collection of sketch comedy, humerous interludes and observations.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own.
#TomAllenisActuallyNotVeryNice #NetGalley
April 13, 2021
This audio book is a series of live comedy followed by a short radio play and then an interview of the comedian Tom Allen. I was new to Tom Allen's work before, so I did not have any expectations. Mr. Allen demonstrates quick wit and makes himself relatable with the audience on some common themes. The short story seems to be constructed in the time of MySpace in the early 2000s and a young man's first job...things keep going wrong for him. I found this sketch to be a slice of life story, similar to how 'Peep Show' is. The interview at the end explains more about the life of the comedian, challenges, and what is ahead. Overall, it was fairly a good story although there were bits of the audio in the live stand up that were a little difficult to follow.
May 16, 2021
I really like Tom Allen, but I found this audiobook was a very odd collection of his work.
I mostly enjoyed the 'Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice' BBC radio episodes at the beginning of this audiobook - a show with a studio audience, it works quite well, though it's not his best work.
But they're followed on by The Correspondent ('bittersweet comic monologues'), and then an interview. To me, The Correspondent in particular didn't fit well with the other sections. It was 'okay' but not something I'd seek out or even look to buy. It was quite hard work getting through it.
Then the interview was interesting, but felt like audiobook filler.
I'd much rather have a whole audiobook of 'Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice' than this strange mix of TA-related things.
I mostly enjoyed the 'Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice' BBC radio episodes at the beginning of this audiobook - a show with a studio audience, it works quite well, though it's not his best work.
But they're followed on by The Correspondent ('bittersweet comic monologues'), and then an interview. To me, The Correspondent in particular didn't fit well with the other sections. It was 'okay' but not something I'd seek out or even look to buy. It was quite hard work getting through it.
Then the interview was interesting, but felt like audiobook filler.
I'd much rather have a whole audiobook of 'Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice' than this strange mix of TA-related things.
April 6, 2021
This collection of radio shows is quite a tricky one to review.
the first show "Tom Allen is actually not very nice" was a very good show and Tom's humour was very clever especially with the audience interaction and the way he responded to it. I really liked this show and would definitely suggest this show to people.
On the other hand "the correspondent" was not exactly my taste as It seemed a lot more dry and not obvious humour. The story itself was interesting but not my taste.
Overall I think this collection of stories was very fun and I am thankful to have listened to this early.
the first show "Tom Allen is actually not very nice" was a very good show and Tom's humour was very clever especially with the audience interaction and the way he responded to it. I really liked this show and would definitely suggest this show to people.
On the other hand "the correspondent" was not exactly my taste as It seemed a lot more dry and not obvious humour. The story itself was interesting but not my taste.
Overall I think this collection of stories was very fun and I am thankful to have listened to this early.
May 14, 2021
Thank you Netgalley/ Penguin Random House UK Audio
The first is the collection of episodes from the BBC radio show; The Tom Allen is not very nice. Hence the title of the book. I hadn’t heard these before and they were fun.
I’m not sure that this collection of different things really works together as a “book”. After the ‘Tom Allen is not very nice’ episodes you have The Correspondent (comic monologues) followed by and interview.
I enjoyed the first part the most but as a whole collection felt disconnected.
The first is the collection of episodes from the BBC radio show; The Tom Allen is not very nice. Hence the title of the book. I hadn’t heard these before and they were fun.
I’m not sure that this collection of different things really works together as a “book”. After the ‘Tom Allen is not very nice’ episodes you have The Correspondent (comic monologues) followed by and interview.
I enjoyed the first part the most but as a whole collection felt disconnected.
May 25, 2021
I shouldn’t really review this because honestly, I think Tom Allen could read a bereavement section of a newspaper and still have me in hysterics. His delivery is so assured and convincing that he doesn’t actually need good material which is fortunate because you can’t prepare for what an audience will come up with when you are riffing off them.
I couldn’t listen to this on my walks because I was getting some VERY strange looks, giggling my head off.
Just what you need to cheer you up during a pandemic ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I couldn’t listen to this on my walks because I was getting some VERY strange looks, giggling my head off.
Just what you need to cheer you up during a pandemic ❤️❤️❤️❤️
December 11, 2023
The audiobook is split in three parts, recordings of a show, something that I'll call a short story, and an interview.
It was all quite nice, and I particularly enjoyed the story in the middle part, and its mix of impossible characters and quite nice people, all blended in together. I had some nice laughs, and despite the overall 'short'* length of the audiobook, it kept me entertained for several days.
*I may have picked it in a last spring to hit my Goodreads goal for the year. No judgement accepted 😅
It was all quite nice, and I particularly enjoyed the story in the middle part, and its mix of impossible characters and quite nice people, all blended in together. I had some nice laughs, and despite the overall 'short'* length of the audiobook, it kept me entertained for several days.
*I may have picked it in a last spring to hit my Goodreads goal for the year. No judgement accepted 😅
March 31, 2021
I was so happy to receive this audiobook as I was having Tom Allen withdrawals after finishing his very funny book No Shame. This is a selection of audience interactive standup and some scenarios. I loved the standup Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice episodes. Laugh out loud moments! The correspondent was different but funny. The interview at the end was pure Tom Allen at his best. I really enjoyed this and the dogs got a few extra long walks as i listened to it.
April 14, 2021
Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice
This audiobook is a selection of live performance recordings and an interview with Tom Allen. I listened to this whilst getting certain jobs around the house done, and it was perfect for lifting the mood. It had me laughing out loud in certain places and I loved the comedians interaction with his audience members.
This audiobook is a selection of live performance recordings and an interview with Tom Allen. I listened to this whilst getting certain jobs around the house done, and it was perfect for lifting the mood. It had me laughing out loud in certain places and I loved the comedians interaction with his audience members.
April 22, 2021
If you love Tom Allen, as I do then I think I can promise you that you will enjoy this audiobook. The first part contains recordings of Tom's stage performances and the interaction with the audience caused me to laugh out loud as I listened on my daily walk. The sketches which are performed withoutout an audience are cleverly written and very amusing.
October 5, 2021
I like Tom and have seen him on other programs but not one of his own. This is a nice mixture as you get him interacting with the audience, then you get the correspondent where he’s doing a job dealing with customer complaints letters and lastly his interview. I enjoyed this audiobook and he definitely gave me laugh out loud moments.
April 14, 2021
I listened to this on audible and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is e a toy what is says on the tin. Tome Allen telling stories of times that he is not exactly very nice to people. Some very funny moments and great distraction from reality.
April 21, 2021
Not so much a book as a collection. I enjoyed the first collection of radio shows more than the later collection. It is a little intense to listen to continuously. I love Tom Allen, don't misunderstand me, but bitesize pieces are perfection.
April 22, 2021
I love Tom Allen and this audiobook does not disappoint. It includes some of his stand up as well as radio plays and an interview and are all filled with the warmth and humour we all love from Tom. I hope he makes more audios.
May 4, 2021
Initially I didnt warm to Tom's sense of humour when I first starting seeing him on tv. Now I really do get his humour and so when I had the opportunity to listen to this I took it. It really did not disappoint. He is so caustically funny and his office emails really did ring true.
I was given an advance copy by the publisher and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.
I was given an advance copy by the publisher and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.
April 20, 2022
An audience interaction and a serial radio show and an interview. I like Tom's comedy and have only seen him on panel shows before. I enjoyed his comedy being the centre of attention. It was a bit weird at times, but in a good way.
Prompt:
Prompt:
May 21, 2025
An audio book compiled of Tom’s radio shows.
Some funny interactions with the stage audience which had me laughing out loud.
A couple of monologues from The Correspondent and a radio interview.
Some funny interactions with the stage audience which had me laughing out loud.
A couple of monologues from The Correspondent and a radio interview.
April 27, 2021
Just didn't find this particularly entertaining
July 1, 2021
I am already a fan of Tom Allen, being an avid listener of his podcast 'Like Minded Friends'.
This audiobook is split into 2 sections: the first being recording of love stand up and the second being a radio play.
I enjoyed both, but I found the radio play a surprise as I wasn't expecting it. It was well written, believable and relatable, as Tom muddles through starting a new job with nightmare awkward situations that anyone who has worked in an office environment will relate to.
The stand up was classic Tom Allen, my favorite being the gym segment which still has me laughing.
This audiobook is split into 2 sections: the first being recording of love stand up and the second being a radio play.
I enjoyed both, but I found the radio play a surprise as I wasn't expecting it. It was well written, believable and relatable, as Tom muddles through starting a new job with nightmare awkward situations that anyone who has worked in an office environment will relate to.
The stand up was classic Tom Allen, my favorite being the gym segment which still has me laughing.
August 12, 2021
I would like to thank netgalley and Penguin Random House UK Audio for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The main component of the book, 4 episodes of 'Tom Allen is actually not very nice' was funny, but took up less than 50% of the book. I skipped the add ons.
The main component of the book, 4 episodes of 'Tom Allen is actually not very nice' was funny, but took up less than 50% of the book. I skipped the add ons.
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