Ash Atalla: The Office, The IT Crowd, and the Unlikely Road to Comedy Success

Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

Global

Society & Culture

4.6 • 3.5K Ratings

🗓️ 18 April 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ash Atalla, the creative mind behind some of the most beloved British comedies, sits down with James O'Brien to explore his incredible journey from a challenging childhood in Northern Ireland to becoming a powerhouse producer in television. From The Office to The IT Crowd, Big Boys and more, Ash shares the pivotal moments that shaped his career, including the unexpected path that led him to comedy and the challenges he faced along the way.

In this episode of Full Disclosure, Ash opens up about his early years, including contracting polio when he was just a baby, and how his parents decision to move from Egypt to Belfast in the 1970s impacted his life. He reflects on the lessons his father instilled in him, his rise from a failed stockbroker to a major figure in the TV industry, and how he helped bring The Office to life against all odds.

Thoughtful, candid, and full of wit, Ash discusses his work, his family, and what drives him to create stories that resonate deeply with audiences.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Special welcome to those few returning from our British Airways Club.
0:03.2	Spaghetti, Scooter, Stadium.
0:06.4	Huh.
0:07.2	My recent emojis are like a highlight store of my holiday.
0:11.2	Gelato, bird, sad face.
0:14.6	Just didn't see that sneaky seagull coming.
0:17.3	Free Wi-Fi messaging for British Airways Club members.
0:20.0	Another British Airways Travel Essential.
0:22.1	Available on selected British Airways aircrafts from Heathrow and Gatwick when you sign up for free as a British Airways Club member.
0:26.9	Data is limited to text only, images and videos are not included.
0:32.3	This is a Global Player Original Podcast.
0:36.4	Hello, James here.
0:40.9	Just before we get into the latest brilliant episode of full disclosure,
0:45.5	I wanted to give you a quick heads up about a brand new podcast I've been doing, James O'Brien Daily. It's a condensed 60-minute highlights reel of some of my favourite bits from the
0:51.3	Daily LBC show, some of my favourite calls, some of my favourite, there
0:55.4	I say, monologues and some of my favourite questions. There's a new episode every day, as you'd
0:59.6	expect, from a daily radio show. Just search James O'Brien Daily on Global Player or wherever
1:04.6	you get your podcasts. Or of course, just listen live to LBC every day from 10am. But for now, enjoy this episode of Full Disclosure.
1:20.4	Hello and welcome to Full Disclosure,
1:22.7	a podcast project conceived entirely
1:24.9	to let me spend more time with interesting people
1:26.9	than I would ever get on the radio.
	...

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