Harry Hill has featured poet, Salford legend and fellow doctor, John Cooper Clarke, on his new podcast.
Upholding the air of randomness in all of Hill’s episodes, the duo covered a range of varying topics on The Harry Hill Show, from John Cooper Clarke’s previous job history in Salford, poetry and music, to the theme of the day, ‘Flies’.
The unlikely pair discuss the Salford-born poet’s vast job history growing up in the city, after hearing from Hill’s comical mock-up AI bot, S.A.R.A.H, mentioning his technician job at Salford Tech.
In 2025, Cooper Clarke became the first poet to headline a major UK arena, performing a large scale ‘homecoming’ show in Manchester around World Poetry Day.
His recent performances blend established work such as Beasley Street – a poem dealing with poverty in inner-city Salford and inspired by Camp Street in Lower Broughton – with newer material from collections including WHAT.
The Bard of Salford’s contribution to poetry and performance was formally recognised in 2023 when he was granted the Freedom of Salford, while he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Salford in 2013.
John Cooper Clark continues to tour in 2026.
The Harry Hill Show, which started airing in January 2026, has so far featured other guests including Stewart Lee, Ed Gamble and CMAT.
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