The Unbelievable Truth
- Radio panel show
- BBC Radio 4
- 2006 - 2024
- 183 episodes (30 series)
David Mitchell hosts this Radio 4 panel game built on truth and lies. Contestants must try and smuggle truths into lie-filled speeches.
- Series 27, Episode 2 repeated Friday at 2pm on Radio 4 Extra
Episode menu
Series 2, Episode 4
The Truths
Tony Hawks - Skateboards
- Half of all skateboarders live in California. Found by Alan.
- 21st June is a national holiday for skateboarding. Found by Simon.
- Skateboarding was banned in Norway between 1978-89. Found by Alan.
- When skateboarders push with their front foot rather than their back the term "mongo" is used. Successfully smuggled.
- When skateboarders simulate an image of Jesus Christ while in midair it is known as "Christair". Successfully smuggled.
Simon Evans - William Shakespeare
- There are twelve different signatures by Shakespeare, all of which are spelt differently. Found by Tony.
- Shakespeare was born in 1564 to illiterate parents. Found by Tony.
- In digital form, the size of all of Shakespeare's plays is the size of five megabytes, containing less information than a few album tracks. Found by Tony.
- Among the anachronisms in Shakespeare's plays is a chiming clock in Julius Caesar. Successfully smuggled.
- The cosmetics company Avon was originally established to sell Shakespeare's works door-to-door and gave cosmetics as a freebie. Later, they just went for cosmetics. Successfully smuggled.
Alan Davies - Frogs
- There are plagues of rats in Vietnamese jungles. Found by Simon. Accidentally included by Alan.
- More people have a phobia of frogs than rats. Found by Tony.
- It is possible to freeze and thaw certain frogs and they will remain alive. Found by Simon.
- When Escoffier first served frogs legs he called them "The Thighs of the Dawn Nymphs". Found by Phill.
- Frogs vomit by throwing up their stomachs and then cleaning them out with their arms. Found by Phill.
- The collective term for a group of frogs is an "army". Successfully smuggled.
Phill Jupitus - Bananas
- If you eat too many bananas you can attract mosquitoes. Found by Simon.
- The banana is a type of berry. Found by Alan.
- Bananas are a reindeer's favourite fruit. Successfully smuggled.
- The first bananas sold in the UK were sold in 1633. Successfully smuggled.
- At the World Banana Eating Championships in Estonia the winner ate 10 bananas in three minutes. Successfully smuggled.
Scores
- Simon Evans: 5 points
- Phill Jupitus: 3 points
- Alan Davies: 0 points
- Tony Hawks: -2 points
Notes
During Simon's lecture Mitchell claims that cricket did not exist in Shakespeare's time, but it did. This was corrected in an episode of QI.
Broadcast details
- Date
- Monday 26th May 2008
- Time
- 6:30pm
- Channel
- BBC Radio 4
- Length
- 30 minutes
Cast & crew
David Mitchell | Host / Presenter |
Tony Hawks | Guest |
Alan Davies | Guest |
Phill Jupitus | Guest |
Simon Evans | Guest |
Iain Pattinson | Writer |
Jon Naismith | Producer |