Jessie Cave is sitting in her kitchen, flooded with bright London sunshine light, wearing the same enormous green-rimmed spectacles she does in the new ITV2 comedy, Buffering. Her long-time partner and fellow comic, Alfie Brown, potters in and out of shot with one of their three children in his arms, while another gurgles in the background.

With on-screen credits including Harry Potter, Call The Midwife, and Black Mirror to name just a few, Cave is a dab hand at interviews, diving straight into telling us about a lockdown full of recording podcasts with her sister Bebe, publishing her debut novel (Sunset), and having a baby. Now she’s part of an on-screen comic collective in the shape of ITV’s Buffering – written by and starring the voice behind Love Island, Iain Sterling.

“Working with Iain was really brilliant – he’s a true stand-up in that he’s never not trying to make someone laugh. He has this keen ability to make a whole room laugh just before a take” Jessie explains, “it was the most fun I've ever had on the job. I'm very lucky.”

Before you tune into the new show, which Jessie tells us is “…more than a sitcom about a group of friends living together – it’s got some tricky subject matter in there, too”, here’s one of everything from the entertainment world that she’s loving right now.

TV show: Together

Find it in Apps & Games > BBC iPlayer          

It was beautiful, and the performances are just brilliant – it really blew me away. And it was the first thing I’ve seen about the pandemic that moved me… I mean, James McAvoy – I think it’s the best I’ve ever seen him.

Film: Another Round

I went in thinking it was going to be a drama, but it definitely wasn’t – I thought it would be much more depressing. It's actually really funny, and emotional, and kind of silly. I just thought it was brilliant – I loved it. However, it’s not a film you should see if trying to make your boyfriend drink less.
 

Podcast: We Can’t Talk About That Right Now

I’m going to go with mine, We Can’t Talk About That Right Now – Louis Theroux doesn’t need a plug. We [Jessie and her sister, Bebe] were a bit hesitant, because everyone was doing a podcast, and a little scared because most podcasts have a theme, but we didn’t want something too gimmicky. We wanted to host a real conversation, demonstrating what it’s like to bicker and talk truthfully with your sister. We talk about all sorts of things, from how many calories are in a bag of peanuts, to really serious stuff, which we should probably pay a therapist for. It’s been incredibly cathartic and fun.

Documentary: Sudden Death: My Sister’s Silent Killer

Find it in Apps & Games > BBC iPlayer

Although it’s very sad, it’s really, really beautiful and moving. It follows Patrick and his family as they go to therapy, and they meet other siblings who’ve lost people [to Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome]. They want to find out if there are tests available, so people could be saved in the future. The boy [Patrick] is only 17 and he’s just so raw and exposed, but it’s so important for awareness.
 

Guilty pleasure: Love Island

Find series 1-7 in Apps & Games > ITV Hub

I do feel kind of dirty watching it sometimes, just because I feel like I should be doing something more productive... I go into a trance. I didn’t think I would watch it this year, but I've allowed myself, and I am really enjoying it. Were there a live feed, like there was with Big Brother, I probably would do that, too.
 

Book: Sunset

Out now, available to buy online and in-store. If you’d rather listen to it, Bebe has recorded the audiobook

It's about two sisters who go on holiday, and unfortunately, something bad happens. And it goes on to explore how one of the sisters gets through each day. I was grieving at the same time. So, I think that kind of propelled me to write – to feel like I was doing something meaningful. I'm really proud of it and I hope it helps some people.
 

When is Buffering on TV?

Buffering premieres with a double episode on Thursday 5 August on ITV2/HD (CH 115/176) at 10pm. The show is also available to watch in Apps & Games > ITV Hub.