Best of the Spectator

Latest Episodes:

The Spectator Podcast: how dangerous is China's ultimate surveillance state? Nov 15, 2018

Show notes

We’re bringing you this podcast from the midst of the Brexit omni-shambles, and this episode contains a special Brexit edition (15:05). But before that, something just as monumental is happening on the other side of the world. China is developing a social credit system to rate its own citizens and their social behaviour. Just how dangerous is this idea (00:40)?

With James O'Malley, Cindy Yu, James Forsyth, Tim Montgomerie, and Sienna Rodgers.

Presented by Katy Balls.

Produced by Cindy Yu and Alastair Thomas.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women with Balls: the Emma Barnett edition Nov 14, 2018

Show notes

Join Katy Balls on this new podcast from the Spectator - she talks to women at the top of their respective games about their passions, their battles, and what makes them tick. The first episode is with columnist and BBC Radio 5 Live broadcaster, Emma Barnett. Katy talks to Emma about stepping in for Andrew Marr, interviewing the Prime Minister, and how her granddad is her most loyal fan.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spectator Books: reconciling guilt and patriotism in post-war Germany Nov 13, 2018

Show notes

Sam talks to Nora Krug about her remarkable graphic work Heimat - in which this German born writer and artist discusses how it has felt to grow up in Germany and later the US with the shadow of her homeland’s war guilt, how that has issued in art, literature and humour, and about her risky attempt to discover her own family’s wartime past.

Presented by Sam Leith.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coffee House Shots: does Theresa May have the numbers in Parliament to pass her Brexit deal? Nov 12, 2018

Show notes

With James Forsyth and Katy Balls.

Presented by Cindy Yu.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coffee House Shots: has Theresa May betrayed the DUP? Nov 09, 2018

Show notes

With James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson.

Presented by Lara Prendergast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Spectator Podcast: Theresa May's Brexit deal is hard to stomach Nov 08, 2018

Show notes

As Theresa May prepares to unveil her Brexit deal, we ask: just how bad is it, and what happened to ‘no deal is better than a bad deal’ (00:50)? In the American midterms, the Blue Wave didn’t happen, but Democrats did take control of the House of Representatives – what next for Trump’s presidency (17:15)? And last, as we approach Remembrance Sunday, who are the lives we are remembering, and is it time to move on (28:10)?

With James Forsyth, Charles Grant, Kate Andrews, Leslie Vinjamuri, Liz Hunt, and Glyn Prysor.

Presented by Lara Prendergast.

Produced by Cindy Yu and Alastair Thomas.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spectator Books: Geoff Dyer and his love for Where Eagles Dare Nov 07, 2018

Show notes

With Geoff Dyer, one of our most wayward and wittiest writers, about his new book Broadsword Calling Danny Boy, a frame-by-frame discussion of the classic war movie Where Eagles Dare. Learn from Geoff about the importance of squinting in Clint Eastwood’s thespian toolbox, about the joy of snow-patrol Action Man, about why he shied away from plans for "Alistair MacLean: A Critical Reappraisal", and about why on earth Geoff would follow a learned book about Tarkovsky’s Stalker with a discussion of a piece of late-60s schlock. Plus: what happens when you get on the wrong side of Julian Barnes.

Presented by Sam Leith.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holy Smoke: an atheist goes on a Christian pilgrimage. What's the point? Nov 06, 2018

Show notes

The young atheist writer Guy Stagg threw in his job a few years ago to undertake a pilgrimage to Jerusalem via Rome - choosing a hazardous medieval route across the Alps. It nearly killed him: at one stage, trying to cross a broken bridge in Switzerland, he ended up partially submerged in the water, held up only by his rucksack.

On this week’s Holy Smoke podcast, Guy explains why his journey was a pilgrimage, not just travels. And Damian talks to Harry Mount, editor of The Oldie, why he’s irresistibly drawn to church buildings while remaining an unbeliever - albeit an agnostic rather than an atheist.

Presented by Damian Thompson.

Produced by Connor O'Hara and Cindy Yu.

This episode was first released in July this year.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coffee House Shots: is Theresa May's Brexit deal a disaster? Nov 05, 2018

Show notes

With Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.

Presented by Lara Prendergast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Table Talk: Prue Leith on her life through food and drink Nov 02, 2018

Show notes

Welcome to Spectator Radio's newest addition - Table Talk. Each episode, Olivia Potts and Lara Prendergast will be joined by a guest familiar to Spectator readers. Lara and Livvy will discuss their life story, through the food and drink that has come to define it.

For our inaugural episode, Livvy and Lara are joined by Prue Leith: chef, restaurateur, broadcaster, journalist, novelist and, of course, Great British Bake Off presenter. They chat about her time in South Africa and Paris, and how that helped shape her attitude to food. She comes clean about some of her cooking mishaps, making sandwiches for both toffs and builders, being the first woman to have a proper restaurant in London, why she hates washing up, and her first cookbook in 25 years, Prue: My All-time Favourite Recipes.

We do hope you’ll enjoy this new addition to Spectator Radio. We’ve got more episodes coming up, including interviews with Sophia Money-Coutts, Bryony Gordon and the Spectator’s editor, Fraser Nelson.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected