Tom Allen

Tom Allen

From The Travel Diaries by Holly Rubenstein

June 2, 2026 · 1h 1m · Season 16

About this episode

Holly Rubenstein interviews comedian Tom Allen about his travel experiences and his new novel.

Today’s guest is one of the country’s best-loved comedians and presenters - the wonderful Tom Allen. You’ll know him from Bake Off: An Extra Slice , The Apprentice: You’re Fired , QI , Would I Lie To You? , Live at the Apollo and of course his standup comedy. He’s also a brilliant writer, and his new novel, Common Decency , is out now. Tom’s travel diaries are full of glorious detail. We talk childhood holidays, package holidays, the etiquette of sunbeds, solo travel, America, Japan, Spain, the joy of a great hotel, and why food is so often the thing that makes a place unforgettable. Destination Recap:  Holly: Sani, Halkidiki, Greece  Tom: Gran Canaria, Spain Javea, Spain Alicante, Spain Benidorm, Spain San Francisco, USA New York, USA Philadelphia, USA Cherry Hill, USA Japan Tokyo, Japan Kyoto, Japan Osaka, Japan Hiroshima, Japan Nara, Japan Gran Canaria, Spain Maspalomas, Spain Menorca, Spain Wakefield, England Elgin, Scotland Banchory, Scotland Highlands and Islands, Scotland Beijing, China Forbidden City, China Great Wall of China, China Tom Allen’s hilarious debut novel Common Decency is out now  Today’s episode was filmed in the Westminster Suite at London…

People in this episode

Host: Holly Rubenstein

Guest: Tom Allen

Topics covered

  • comedy
  • travel
  • food
  • hotels
  • childhood holidays
  • solo travel
  • cultural experiences

Keywords

  • Tom Allen
  • Common Decency
  • travel diaries
  • comedy
  • food
  • hotels
  • childhood holidays
  • solo travel

Sponsors

Richard Haworth, Airbnb

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Common Decency

Places: Sani, Halkidiki, Greece, Gran Canaria, Spain, Javea, Spain, Alicante, Spain, Benidorm, Spain, San Francisco, USA, New York, USA, Philadelphia, USA, Cherry Hill, USA, Japan

More episodes of The Travel Diaries

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Travel Diaries podcast page.