Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice

Is not a book but a collection of radio broadcasts followed by an interview. Some very funny sketches and quite entertaining. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook.

This is a great listen for fans of the radio comedy. I only recently came across Tom on Celeb Bake Off and thought he was brilliant so was keen to engage with more of his work.
It is very funny. There is audience interaction and then scripted skits. The skits are far funnier than the audience chat. Some of those are brilliant. Particularly when he runs into Tracey Bitchface from school.
It’s hard to be consistently funny over hours of content but he does a good job. Would recommend.

I really enjoyed this collection of Tom's comedy. He's one of my favourite comedians in the UK at the moment. I loved the interaction with audience members in the first section, and the quips on modern life in the second section were hilarious.

This is not a book but a collection of radio programmes. Whether or not you'll enjoy them depends on whether or not Tom Allen is your cup of tea. Personally, I like him and so I really enjoyed this!

A really yummy collection of Tom Allen's best work on radio, which means lots of new content for those of us who have primarily enjoyed him on television! "Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice" is a standout example of stand up done for radio, and Allen's talent for integrating his audience into his comedy gives this four-part series a really fresh energy. The Correspondent is also a really lighthearted diary-like programme, a really cosy accompaniment to a lockdown walk or day of chores. If you like podcasts, this is a great choice for you.

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.

I really enjoyed this audio book-it was a mixture of interviews,comedy show and a show put together in such a way that it continually piques ones interest.
I enjoyed every second of it and was only disappointed that it was shorter than other audio books and left me wanting more!

This is less of an audiobook and more of a collection of stand up and sketches, followed by an interview. It was light and amusing, and had me laughing throughout!

Not actually a book but instead a collection of radio stand up shows. Nevertheless completely hilarious, as with anything Tom Allen does. Quite honestly I will watch/read/listen to pretty much anything he does, so I was glad to get a chance to hear this.

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.

This is a compilation of perfectly serviceable radio comedy featuring Tom Allen, with the humour largely built around social interactions.

The first part, Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice is very interactive, with lots of audience involvement that allows Tom's talent for ad-libbing to shine.

The second part, an older show called Correspondence, is where this collection really comes to life. It is more subtle, showcasing Tom's clever observation of foibles in modern (pre-Covid) work and social life.

The final section, an interview of Tom by a radio talk show host, is best forgotten. It has surely only been included to assuage the guilt of putting out what would otherwise be a very short audiobook. It feels like what it is: padding.

This was a mixed experience for me, I really enjoyed all four episodes of Tom's BBC Radio 4 show but found the episodes of the The Correspondent really dragged and did not have quite the same level of humour. I would definitely recommend listening for the Radio 4 show alone.

I really enjoy watching Tom Allen on the tv and I thought the Radio 4 sections of this audio book were really funny and laughed out loud at some of his dialogue with the audience and some of the sketches. I didn’t enjoy the Correspondent sections I’m afraid. I just found it quite strange rather than funny. The interview at the end was really interesting to listen to though.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to listen to this audiobook. Very enjoyable.

This audiobook includes 4 episodes of Tom Allen's Actually Not Very Nice, as well as two series of The Correspondent and an interview with the man himself.

I knew Tom Allen only a little before listening to this, I'd seen him appear on a few things on TV and always thought he was funny so was interested to listen to this. The radio show was funny, the stand out bits for me being the interaction with the audience which for me was where Allen excelled and certainly where I laughed the most.

The interview was really interesting too, I realised that I am the same age as Tom and so a lot of the things he said made sense and it really made me want to pick up his book, No Shame.

The standout on here for me though, was The Correspondent. It was brilliant! Narrated by Tom as someone who has stumbled into a job dealing with complaints for a furniture company, he reads everything around him, adverts, emails, letters, post it notes, text messages. Its humorous, honest and relatable and I absolutely LOVED it!!

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.

Thank you Penguin Random House UK Audio and NetGalley for allowing me the chance to listen to/enjoy and review this audiobook.

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.

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.

The is not your usual audiobook as this is a series of episodes from a radio show (think more podcast than audiobook). If you are a fan of Tom Allen then this is ideal to listen to if you need some humour adding to your day.. I look forward to more of these shows as it was a nice change to a standard audiobook.

This is less of an audiobook as a compilation of radio broadcasts from Tom Allen. There are three distinctive sections

The first is Tom Allen Is Actually Not Very Nice when Tom, with his friend Gabby, use different scenarios to show his real personality. With a mixture of skits and audience participation this is a funny look at social situations. I thought they were funny, though I preferred the skits to the audience reaction. You can tell this was a radio show, as I felt as the listener an outside observer. With four short episodes they are easy to listen to.

The second section is The Correspondent, an earlier radio show of short monologues full of every day observations. I really enjoyed this section, And the different voices Tom Allen used for the characters made it an interesting listen. His relationship with Team Leader Georgia made me laugh, I’m sure a lot of people have had a boss like her.

The third section is an interview Tom Allen gave about his book. I found this really interesting as it gave me an insight into who he is. The interviewer asks intelligent questions, and Allen’s answers are thoughtful.

With three very different sections to this audio, it could be quite jarring. But for fans of Tom Allen it’s a great collection to show his comedy and how this has changed throughout the years.

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.

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.

There are three quite distinct sections to this audiobook (which isn't really an audiobook in the traditional sense but is a collection of radio shows and podcasts.) It is basically a deluge of Tom Allen.

The first part is several episodes of Tom Allen's radio show "Tom Allen Is Actually Not Very Nice" where he discusses social situations with a studio audience, interspersed with scripted sketches. Tom is witty and sharp and I found this extremely funny.

The second part is a radio drama "The Correspondent" following Tom as he works as a customer services advisor. It's amusing and well observed comedy, particularly for anyone who has worked in an office.

The final part is an interview with Tom Allen, which is interesting.

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.

This wasn’t an audiobook at all, but a collection of radio comedy shows. Apologies, but I feel a bit out of my depth reviewing this as I normally just review books. I enjoyed this, and it was of the quality I’d expect from BBC comedy. After that, I don’t really know how to critique it. Sorry! I’ve given it 5* as if this is the kind of thing you’re looking for, I sure it’s at the top of it’s game!

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

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

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.

This is a BBC radio series of 30 minute episodes followed by diary entries of Tom Allen's early working life.
Some very funny patches, makes you question your own morality and ethics!
Narrated by Tom Allen, this makes for a really entertaining listen.

Not an audiobook as such but a collection of Tom Allen’s work, a stand up show, a series and an interview. Fans of Tom Allen will love this funny and always sarcastic tone. An easy and enjoyable listen, I found myself laughing along while listening

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.

Tom Allen is just so entertaining. A treat to hear his Radio 4 show and The Correspondent.

Loved being entertained while decorating, thank you. I recommend you enjoy it too.

As a Tom Allen fan, this combinations of live comedy, radio sitcom and interviews was both interesting and hilarious. This is the comedy you come to love and expect from one of the countries most popular comedians.
Thanks to NetGallery for the chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review

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.**

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.

As a big fan of Tom Allen, I found this audiobook hilarious. Some reused jokes but overall very lighthearted and funny.

Listening to Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice was a joy. Recorded at his live shows, Tom Allen blends funny audience interaction with sketch comedy, satire and (sometimes) useful advice. If you're looking for something enjoyable and genuinely funny to listen to, then this is the answer.

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 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.