Oh God, What Now?

Latest Episodes:

The Age of Trollitics Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

• This edition recorded before Trump cancelled livestreaming the execution of the Fort Hood killer.

Televised executions, machine-gunning illegal migrants in the Channel, renaming technology and water features as a loyalty/sycophancy test… why are the populists’ big ideas so dumb, performatively cruel and only made to wind up the liberals? We ask whether the era of Trolliticians will ever end. Plus: The crime! The immigrants! The wokeness! Everyone is desperate to leave Britain if you believe the Telegraph and Mail. But are they really? We dig into Exodus Propaganda (also the most popular baby name of 2027).

• Get your copy of 31 Inventions that Built Our World by Jonn Elledge – perfect Christmas present etc etc.

• Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk.

ESCAPE ROUTES

• Rachel recommends My Promised Land by Ari Shavit.

• Jason visited the Museum of Brands in London.

• Jonn “devoured” Robert Harris’s new ancient Rome blockbuster Agrippa

• Andrew raved over the Rogue Trooper movie, adapting a classic 2000AD comic strip and directed by Duncan Jones.

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Presented by Andrew Harrison with Rachel Cunliffe, Jason Hazeley and Jonn Elledge. Audio Production by Tom Taylor and Chris Jones. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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From Russia with Leave Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

Andy Burnham has finally said what we’ve all been thinking: Russia meddled in Brexit. Is this brave honesty – or the first step on the long road back to Brussels? Plus, the Greens are still in turmoil with Zack Polanski’s leadership now in doubt. What does it mean for everyone else on the left? Is a progressive alliance just a pipe dream now? Are the Tories back from the dead – and has anyone checked on Reform?

• Use the code OGWN at https://www.eightsleep.com/whatnow to get up to £200 off the Pod 6.

• Listen to Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, on the latest episode of American Friction

• And head on over to The Bunker for your daily news deep dive

• Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk.

ESCAPE ROUTES

• Ros has been watching De Gaulle: Part 2 – Liberté, the second instalment of Antonin Baudry's two-part biographical epic

• Raf has been reading Joan Didion’s memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking.

• Zoë has finished the audiobook of Touching the Void, the harrowing true mountaineering story.

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Written and presented by Zoë Grünewald, with Rafael Behr and Ros Taylor. Produced by James Liddell. Audio Production: Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune: Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

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BONUS: Is Zack Polanski sunk after Holborn & St Pancras? Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

Labour wins the Holborn & St Pancras handily – but the Greens had staked a lot on Zack Polanski winning and he failed. Is Polanski’s nightmare week over the Zionism vote a symptom of deeper weaknesses in his leadership? Is far-left entryism destroying the Greens? And why Labour’s victorious candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali symbolises the best of Britain. Steve Richards of Rock & Roll Politics joins Andrew Harrison for the Holborn postmortem.

• Hear Steve’s Rock & Roll Politics special on Polanski’s troubles and why Kemi Badenoch’s speech to the Tories was misreported.

• Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk.

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Audio Production by: Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

www.podmasters.co.uk

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Remainiacs Assemble? – Can Burnham end the Brexit Era? Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

Has Burnham really broken Britain’s bizarre, self-enforced silence around the disaster that is Brexit? What would a real pro-EU membership stance from Labour mean for British politics? And would killing off Brexit inadvertently give a flagging Farage his mojo back? Plus, in the week that Jeffrey Archer died we discuss why establishment Britain will give a pass to any charlatan, bullshitter and perjurer provided he’s amusing at parties. And our special guest Sebastian Salek – good news columnist at LabourList – explains why he fights the good fight on GBNews.

• Get the Bunker Deep Dives every day here

• Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk.

ESCAPE ROUTES

• Jonn has been enjoying the HBO legal drama War with Dominic West and Sienna Miller.

• Jason has been watching a 20-minute documentary about the invention of Hula-Hoops from 1972, and other things on BBC Archive.

• Sebastian Salek is off to see As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe.

• Seth recommends going to Italy. Just because.

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Seth Thévoz with Jason Hazeley and Jonn Elledge. Audio Production by Tom Taylor. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

www.podmasters.co.uk

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Badenoch to the bone – Are the Tories becoming a Kemi cult? Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

Kemi Badenoch has promised to revitalise the Tory party at the Conservatives' conference – but can she drag it out of the doldrums? Plus, the Green Party conference descended into acrimony after members voted to declare that “Zionism is racism” – can leader Zack Polanski withstand the fallout? And… Andy Burnham faces heavy scrutiny over historic ties to Manchester City’s owners, after the club was found guilty of serious financial rule breaches. Could Manchesterism come back to bite him? Dr Jan Zglinski, associate professor at LSE Law School who specialises in sports law, weighs in.

• Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk

• Listen to Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor discuss “End Times Fascism” on The Bunker: https://linktr.ee/bunker_pod

ESCAPE ROUTES

• Raf went to watch Kian Soltani perform Dvořák's Cello Concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Brighton Dome

• Matt saw an early screening of the new film Ghosts: The Possession of Button House

• Jan has been reading Injury Time: Football in a State of Emergency

• Zoë has started watching HBO’s legal drama, War (streaming on Now TV)

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Zoë Grünewald, Rafael Behr and Matt Green. Produced by James Liddell. Audio Production: Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

www.podmasters.co.uk

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Give ’em enough hope – Did Labour turn a corner in Liverpool? Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

Andy Burnham’s powerful and emotional speech at the Labour Conference left the Party full of righteous energy and its enemies scrabbling for attack lines. Has he succeeded in setting out a new direction for the Government? The OGWN Conference Away Team of Jonn Elledge and Hannah Fearn talk it over with Andrew Harrison and special guest Paul Richards – veteran Labour commentator, candidate and once chair, now treasurer of the Fabians.

(Yes, the Fabians, and yes we do ask him if they secretly control the world like all the nutters think. Spoiler: they don’t).

• Because of developments in the RAF Fairford story we had to re-record a small part of this show remotely. See if you can spot the join.

• Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk.

ESCAPE ROUTES

• Hannah has gone all-in on Strictly Come Dancing even though she doesn’t like the new format.

• Jonn has been watching the top-notch romcom Colin From Accounts on BBC iPlayer.

• Paul Richards has been watching the wartime simulation docu-drama The Wargame featuring our own Zoë Grünewald.

• Andrew went to see Saint Etienne for the very last time in Brighton and it was brilliant.

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison with Hannah Fearn and Jonn Elledge Audio Production by Chris Jones. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

www.podmasters.co.uk

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“The best political speech of the 21st century”? – Burnham inspires Liverpool – BONUS Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

BONUS EDITION: Well, we weren’t expecting THAT… Andy Burnham stuns and rouses Labour’s Liverpool conference with a bold, emotionally powerful speech that amounted to the promise of a new era. Will Britain respond to his open-hearted scally dad message of unity? Was there detail among the vibes? Have we just heard the ‘Wonderwall’ of political speeches? James Ball of The New World was there and he tells Andrew Harrison how Burnham’s speech gave even hardened, cynical journos actual goosebumps.

• Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk.

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio Production by Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

www.podmasters.co.uk

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Labour in Liverpool – Can Burnham make a second first impression? Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Andy Burnham's first Labour conference as PM is underway. So… will he and his government make a good impression on the party and voters? First the PM proposed an NHS-style social care system; a day later his chancellor John Healey promised a Budget that injects hope into Britain’s beleaguered economy. Ros Taylor, Rachel Cunliffe and James Ball discuss everything we know so far and what it all means.

• Questions for the panel? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk.

ESCAPE ROUTES

• Rachel has been rewatching the noughties sci-fi hit Heroes in memory of its star, Hayden Panettiere, who passed away last month

• James has been replaying Slay the Spire II

• Ros has been watching the new season of The Great British Bake Off

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Ros Taylor with James Ball and Rachel Cunliffe. Produced by James Liddell. Audio Production by Tom Taylor. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

www.podmasters.co.uk

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Burnham won’t confront Britain’s Blackshirts. Why? Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Actual blackshirts are blockading ports, doxxing lifeboat volunteers and intimidating people across the South Coast, and the most senior political figure to come out against them is… Rishi Sunak? We ask why Andy Burnham won’t make a full-throated condemnation of the new wave of far-right street thugs – and whether his new National Centre for Information Defence will work. Plus: With £72m of donations in the bank, are Reform UK now the political wing of the crypto industry? Special guest Peter Geoghegan of Democracy for Sale joins us to explore what happens if angry Britain votes for an anti-immigration party but gets a crypto government.

• Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk.

ESCAPE ROUTES

• Jason raved about Felled: The Killing at Sycamore Gap by Andrew Hankinson. (Available to pre-order)

• Marie flew through Guilty Pleasure: The Pornification of the Internet, the Economy, and Everything Else by Patricia Nilsson. (Also available to pre-order)

• Peter enjoyed The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley.

• Andrew loved counterfactual murder mystery Pagans by James Alistair Henry.

When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop you help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison with Marie le Conte and Jason Hazeley. Audio Production by Tom Taylor. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

www.podmasters.co.uk

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Burn in the USA – How did the PM's Trump meet go? Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

Bonus episode with James Ball and Jacob Jarvis… Andy Burnham finally meets Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly in New York. The pair hit it off, as Trump hails the PM as a “natural businessman” and claims he “gets it”. So what did we learn from the meeting? How long can Burnham keep the good vibes going? And can he avoid both bending the knee and picking a fight with the quick-tempered US president?

• Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk.

www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow

Presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis with James Ball. Produced by James Liddell. Audio Production by Tom Taylor. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.

www.podmasters.co.uk

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices