Strangers on a Bench
Tom Rosenthal talks to random strangers on park benches, often leading to surprising revelations.
Tom Rosenthal
Show overview
Strangers on a Bench has been publishing since 2024, and across the 2 years since has built a catalogue of 94 episodes. That works out to roughly 65 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 32 min and 51 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. Roughly 50% of episodes carry an explicit flag from the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Society & Culture show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed yesterday, with 26 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2025, with 52 episodes published. Published by Tom Rosenthal.
From the publisher
Have you ever walked past a mysterious stranger on a park bench and wondered about their lives? Tom Rosenthal (singer-songwriter by trade) has spent the past year walking through various parks across the UK and Ireland, approaching random bench-dwellers and asking if he can sit next to them and record their conversation. Every stranger remains anonymous, neither name or place of work is ever revealed (even to Tom himself), leading to greater openness, intimacy, and surprising revelations from the participants. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest Episodes
View all 94 episodesEPISODE 94: The Most Surreal Meeting
EPISODE 93: Branches Don't Grow Straight
EPISODE 92: Stand By Me
EPISODE 91: Lads, Crying, and David Attenborough
EPISODE 90: So Glad I Didn't Hide Away
EPISODE 89: I Am What I Am
EPISODE 88: Feels Like We're Untouchable
EPISODE 87: Charge It To The Game
EPISODE 86: Talking To Gina
EPISODE 85: Where All The Trouble Lies
EPISODE 84: Called To The Fanny
EPISODE 83: Maybe You Already Have It All
EPISODE 82: The Only Mussel Road in Cornwall
ETom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.This is what happened! Produced by Tom RosenthalEdited by Rose De LarrabeitiMixed by Mike WoolleyTheme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton Incidental music by Maddie AshmanEnd song: 'Mussel Shell Road' by Toby & Jen KessellStream it here: https://ffm.to/musselshellroadListen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist:https://ffm.to/soabendsongs————————————————————————————Instagram: @strangersonabench Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EPISODE 81: Down For Life
ETom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.This is what happened! Produced by Tom RosenthalEdited by Rose De LarrabeitiMixed by Mike WoolleyTheme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton Incidental music by Maddie AshmanEnd song : 'River Talk' by Adam MelchorStream it here : https://ffm.to/rivertalkListen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :https://ffm.to/soabendsongs————————————————————————————Instagram : @strangersonabench Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EPISODE 80: Pépito
E**Content Warning - abuse and sexual assault**. Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.This is what happened! Produced by Tom RosenthalEdited by Rose De LarrabeitiMixed by Mike WoolleyTheme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton Incidental music by Maddie AshmanEnd song : 'A Light' by Núria GrahamStream it here : https://ffm.to/alightListen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :https://ffm.to/soabendsongs————————————————————————————Instagram : @strangersonabench Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EPISODE 79: Cormorants and Lewis Hamilton
ETom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.This is what happened! Produced by Tom RosenthalEdited by Rose De LarrabeitiMixed by Mike WoolleyTheme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton Incidental music by Maddie AshmanEnd song : 'World's Best Kiss' by Toby SebastianStream it here : https://ffm.to/worldsbestkissListen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :https://ffm.to/soabendsongs————————————————————————————Instagram : @strangersonabench Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EPISODE 78: We Forget How To Play
ETom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.This is what happened! Produced by Tom RosenthalEdited by Rose De LarrabeitiMixed by Mike WoolleyTheme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton Incidental music by Maddie AshmanEnd song : 'As You Turn Another Page' by Morgan Harper-JonesStream it here : https://ffm.to/asyouturnanotherpageListen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :https://ffm.to/soabendsongs————————————————————————————Instagram : @strangersonabench Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EPISODE 77: I See Dead People
ETom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.This is what happened! Produced by Tom RosenthalEdited by Rose De LarrabeitiMixed by Mike WoolleyTheme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton Incidental music by Maddie AshmanEnd song : 'Spirit Comes to the Homewares Store' by Benny ProfoundStream it here : https://ffm.to/spiritcomestothehomewaresstoreListen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :https://ffm.to/soabendsongs————————————————————————————Instagram : @strangersonabench Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EPISODE 76: Success, Sex, and The Cause
ETom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.This is what happened! Produced by Tom RosenthalEdited by Rose De LarrabeitiMixed by Mike WoolleyTheme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton Incidental music by Maddie AshmanEnd song: 'paint dry' by Olive KlugStream it here: https://ffm.to/paintdryListen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :https://ffm.to/soabendsongs————————————————————————————Instagram : @strangersonabench Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EPISODE 75: Donna
ETom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.This is what happened! Produced by Tom RosenthalEdited by Rose De LarrabeitiMixed by Mike WoolleyTheme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton Incidental music by Maddie AshmanEnd song : 'Donna' by Father of FredStream it here : https://ffm.to/donna-soabListen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :https://ffm.to/soabendsongs————————————————————————————Instagram : @strangersonabench Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.