Best Spectator Out Loud Podcasts (2024)

1
William Cash, Marcus Nevitt, Nina Power, Christopher Howse and Olivia Potts 30:44

17m ago30:44

30:44

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: William Cash reveals the dark side of Hollywood assistants (1:12); Marcus Nevitt reviews Ronald Hutton’s new book on Oliver Cromwell (7:57); Nina Power visits the Museum of Neoliberalism (13:51); Christopher Howse proves his notes on matchboxes (21:35); and, Olivia Potts finds positives in Americans’ maximalist at…

1
Spectator Out Loud: William Cash, Marcus Nevitt, Nina Power, Christopher Howse and Olivia Potts 30:44

1d ago30:44

30:44

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: William Cash reveals the dark side of Hollywood assistants (1:12); Marcus Nevitt reviews Ronald Hutton’s new book on Oliver Cromwell (7:57); Nina Power visits the Museum of Neoliberalism (13:51); Christopher Howse proves his notes on matchboxes (21:35); and, Olivia Potts finds positives in Americans’ maximalist at…

1
Table Talk: Will Beckett 29:04

20m ago29:04

29:04

Will Beckett, CEO of Hawksmoor, founded the steakhouse chain with his childhood best friend Huw Gott in 2006. It has since expanded to 13 locations, including three outside the UK, and consistently been ranked one of the best steak restaurants in the world. On the podcast, Will tells Olivia Potts and Lara Prendergast about his journey from working …

1
Americano: Mearsheimer on Ukraine, Israel-Gaza and the US election 43:33

1h ago43:33

43:33

Professor John Mearsheimer joins Freddy Gray to discuss the wars in Ukraine and in Gaza, and the influence of both on the US election. The Israel-Gaza conflict has led to internal divisions within the democratic party, how will Kamala Harris deal with this? And as the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows no signs of ebbing, what does he see as the west’s …

1
Americano: Live from the DNC 42:38

1h ago42:38

42:38

The Americano podcast has been in Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention, as Kamala Harris is officially nominated to be their presidential candidate. Has the convention gone to plan? How united are the Democrats? And can their strategy sustain until November? In this compilation episode, Freddy Gray is joined by Labour MPs Lucy R…

1
The Edition: All hail Harris! 35:47

5d ago35:47

35:47

This week: All hail Harris! As the Democratic National Convention approaches its climax, The Spectator’s deputy editor Freddy Gray explores vice president Kamala Harris’s remarkable rise to the top of the democratic ticket in his cover article this week. Freddy joins the podcast from Chicago (1:30). Next: live from the DNC. Freddy and Natasha Feroz…

1
Book Club: Carlo Rovelli, from the archives 48:28

5d ago48:28

48:28

The Book Club has taken a short summer break and will return in September with new episodes. Until then, here’s an episode from the archives with the theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli. Carlo joined Sam in March 2023 to discuss his book Anaximander and the Nature of Science and explain how a radical thinker two and a half millennia ago was the fir…

1
Americano: Douglas Murray on free speech in the UK and US 29:07

3h ago29:07

29:07

Douglas Murray joins Freddy Gray on the Americano podcast to discuss free speech in Britain following the sentences handed down after the riots, how different free speech is in America, and how Douglas himself became a victim of online hate.By The Spectator

1
Chinese Whispers: what would a second Trump presidency bring for China? 30:23

8d ago30:23

30:23

Trump is tough on China, but what really motivates his hawkishness? Does he care at all about China's human rights abuses? Or is he fundamentally a foreign policy disentangler, hoping to rein back America's overseas commitments? How much does the China policy of a second Trump presidency depend on which advisors the president surrounds himself with…

1
Women With Balls: Kemi Badenoch, from the archives 39:11

2h ago39:11

39:11

Women with Balls has taken a summer break and will be back in September with a new series. Until then, here's an episode from the archives, with current Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch MP. Widely seen as one of the Conservative Party’s rising stars upon her election to Parliament in 2017, her star has only continued to rise. Serving under suc…

1
Spectator Out Loud: Richard Madeley, Cindy Yu, Lara Prendergast, Pen Vogler and James Delingpole 29:48

13m ago29:48

29:48

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Richard Madeley reads his diary for the week (1:01); Cindy Yu explores the growing trend for all things nostalgic in China (6:00); Lara Prendergast declares that bankers are hot again (11:26); Pen Vogler reviews Sally Coulthard’s book The Apple (17:18); and, James Delingpole argues that Joe Rogan is ‘as edgy as Ba…

1
Richard Madeley, Cindy Yu, Lara Prendergast, Pen Vogler and James Delingpole 29:48

15m ago29:48

29:48

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Richard Madeley reads his diary for the week (1:01); Cindy Yu explores the growing trend for all things nostalgic in China (6:00); Lara Prendergast declares that bankers are hot again (11:26); Pen Vogler reviews Sally Coulthard’s book The Apple (17:18); and, James Delingpole argues that Joe Rogan is ‘as edgy as Ba…

1
Americano: is Elon Musk a great man of history? 34:09

36m ago34:09

34:09

Freddy Gray sits down with journalist and Spectator author Ed West who writes the Substack Wrong Side of History and Richard Hanania who writes the Richard Hanania Newsletter to discuss Elon Musk's interview with Donald Trump on Twitter (X), how much influence Twitter has both in the UK and America, and whether the right-wing men are 'weird'.…

1
The Edition: Power play 40:12

2h ago40:12

40:12

This week: Power play. The Spectator’s Svitlana Morenets writes the cover article in this week’s magazine exploring Zelensky’s plan for his Russian conquests. What’s his aim? And how could Putin respond? Svitlana joins the podcast alongside historian and author Mark Galeotti (02:10). Next: Will and Gus discuss their favourite pieces from the magazi…

1
Book Club: Adam Higginbotham 49:47

28m ago49:47

49:47

Sam's guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Adam Higginbotham, whose new book Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space describes the 1986 space shuttle disaster that took the lives of seven astronauts and, arguably, inflicted America's greatest psychic scar since the assassination of JFK. He tells Sam about the extr…

1
Table Talk: Romy Gill 31:37

22m ago31:37

31:37

Romy Gill is a British-Indian chef, food-writer and broadcaster who was awarded an MBE in 2016 for her services to hospitality. She is the author of three cookbooks including her newest, Romy Gill's India, which will be published on 12th September. On the podcast, she tells Liv and Lara about the joys of long train journeys across India, the state …

1
Gus Carter, Paul Wood, Jonathan Aitken, Laura Gascoigne and Flora Watkins 35:07

11d ago35:07

35:07

This week: Gus Carter reports from Rotherham (01:10), Paul Wood asks whether anything can stop full-scale conflict in the Middle East (05:55), Jonathan Aitken takes us inside Nixon's resignation melodrama (16:55), Laura Gascoigne reviews Revealing Nature: The Art of Cedric Morris and Lett-Haines (26:08), and Flora Watkins reads her notes on ragwort…

51
Spectator Out Loud: Gus Carter, Paul Wood, Jonathan Aitken, Laura Gascoigne and Flora Watkins 35:07

3d ago35:07

35:07

This week: Gus Carter reports from Rotherham (01:10), Paul Wood asks whether anything can stop full-scale conflict in the Middle East (05:55), Jonathan Aitken takes us inside Nixon's resignation melodrama (16:55), Laura Gascoigne reviews Revealing Nature: The Art of Cedric Morris and Lett-Haines (26:08), and Flora Watkins reads her notes on ragwort…

1
The Edition: why Britain riots 33:00

20d ago33:00

33:00

This week: The Spectator’s Gus Carter was in Rotherham and Birmingham in the days after the riots. Locals tell Gus that ‘violent disorder isn’t acceptable but people from down south don’t know what it’s like up here’. A retired policeman in Birmingham adds that ‘it’s just yobs looking for an excuse – and yobbos come in all sorts of colours’. You ca…

151
The Book Club: Nathan Thrall 35:19

6d ago35:19

35:19

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Nathan Thrall, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning book A Day In The Life of Abed Salama – which uses the story of a terrible bus crash in the West Bank to describe in ground-up detail the day-to-day lives of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. Speaking to me from Jerusalem, Nathan tells me wh…

1
Chinese Whispers: how oil became the latest food scandal 52:55

23d ago52:55

52:55

The Chinese middle class can now be very discerning about the food that they eat, and who can blame them? In the last twenty years, there seems to have been a steady stream of food safety and hygiene scandals – most infamously melamine-laced milk powder in 2008, which poisoned tens of thousands of babies. Since then, we’ve heard about pesticides be…

1
Americano: How long will Kamalamania last? 26:20

9d ago26:20

26:20

In the short time since Joe Biden has stepped aside for Kamala Harris's candidacy, the Democratic party has totally switched on the gears for 'Kamalamania'. On this episode, Freddy Gray talks to Kate Andrews about the disingenuousness of the hype, how social media drives it (and in particular, TikTok), and whether the enthusiasm for Kamala really h…

1
James Heale, Lara Prendergast, Patrick Marnham, Laura Gascoigne and Michael Simmons 32:03

20d ago32:03

32:03

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale interviews Woody Johnson, the former American Ambassador to the UK, about a possible second Trump term (1:19); Lara Prendergast reflects on the issue of smartphones for children and what lessons we could learn from Keir Starmer’s approach to privacy (6:35); reviewing Patrick Bishop’s book ‘Paris ’44: T…

1
Spectator Out Loud: James Heale, Lara Prendergast, Patrick Marnham, Laura Gascoigne and Michael Simmons 32:03

23d ago32:03

32:03

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale interviews Woody Johnson, the former American Ambassador to the UK, about a possible second Trump term (1:19); Lara Prendergast reflects on the issue of smartphones for children and what lessons we could learn from Keir Starmer’s approach to privacy (6:35); reviewing Patrick Bishop’s book ‘Paris ’44: T…

1
Women With Balls: Rachel Reeves, from the archives 39:58

26d ago39:58

39:58

Women with Balls will be back in the Autumn with a new series. Until then, here's an episode from the archives, with the new Chancellor Rachel Reeves. On the podcast, she talks to Katy about being a teen chess champion, going to a school where her mum worked and what Labour needed to do to turn its losing streak.…

1
The Edition: Keir Starmer’s plan to soften Brexit 41:56

12d ago41:56

41:56

This week: Keir Starmer’s plan to soften Brexit Katy Balls writes this week’s cover piece on Labour’s plans to establish close ties with the EU. Every member of Starmer’s cabinet voted Remain, and the government is trying to ‘reset EU relations through a charm offensive’. Brussels figures are hopeful: ‘There was no real goodwill for the Conservativ…

1
The Book Club: David Baddiel 41:15

13d ago41:15

41:15

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is the writer and comedian David Baddiel, talking about his new book My Family: the Memoir. He talks about childhood trauma, what made him a comedian, and how describing in minute detail his mother’s decades long affair with a slightly crooked golfing memorabilia salesman is an act not of betrayal but of lo…

1
Table Talk: with Fred Smith 30:44

29d ago30:44

30:44

Fred Smith is Head of Beef at Flat Iron. Having trained at several of London's top restaurants, he later became Head of Food at Byron. He then joined the Flat Iron series of restaurants in 2017. On the podcast, he tells Lara and Liv about how his love of steak developed, how he got into cooking, and what his comfort food is. His passion for the wor…

1
Tom Chivers | Probability & Bayes Theorem 1:21:19

25d ago1:21:19

1:21:19

✍︎: The Curious Worldview Newsletter - the ultimate compliment to the podcast... Other episode of the podcast that suit this episode... Brian Klaas – Fluke & Randomness Russ Roberts – EconTalk Luca Dellanna – Ergodicity All The Way Down Scott Patterson – Chaos Kings Nassim Taleb & Incerto Podcast Follow me on Instagram – @ryanfhogg Everything Is Pr…

1
Damian Thompson, Paola Romero, Stuart Jeffries, Ysenda Maxtone Graham, and Nicholas Farrell 34:55

17d ago34:55

34:55

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Damian Thompson argues that Papal succession plotting is a case of life mirroring art (1:26); Paola Romero reports on Venezuela’s mix of Evita and Thatcher, Maria Corina Machado, and her chances of bringing down Nicolas Maduro (11:39); reviewing Richard Overy’s book ‘Why war?’, Stuart Jeffries reflects that war ha…

1
Spectator Out Loud: Damian Thompson, Paola Romero, Stuart Jeffries, Ysenda Maxtone Graham, and Nicholas Farrell 34:55

24d ago34:55

34:55

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Damian Thompson argues that Papal succession plotting is a case of life mirroring art (1:26); Paola Romero reports on Venezuela’s mix of Evita and Thatcher, Maria Corina Machado, and her chances of bringing down Nicolas Maduro (11:39); reviewing Richard Overy’s book ‘Why war?’, Stuart Jeffries reflects that war ha…

1
Americano: Will Kamala's campaign implode? 35:34

26d ago35:34

35:34

Freddy Gray is joined by political consultant Alex Castellanos to discuss the candidacy of Kamala Harris as the Democrats' nominee for President and why, at this moment, she is the biggest threat to Donald Trump – but how long will that last? This was originally recorded for Spectator TV. Produced by Natasha Feroze and Patrick Gibbons.…

1
The Edition: the curious rise of Kamala Harris 47:51

19d ago47:51

47:51

This week: Kamala takes charge. Our cover piece discusses the rise of Kamala Harris, who has only one man standing in her way to the most powerful position in the world. Her's is certainly an unexpected ascent, given Harris’ generally poor public-speaking performances and mixed bag of radical left and right-wing politics. Does she really have what …

1
Book Club: Neil Jordan 43:06

1M ago43:06

43:06

Sam Leith's guest on this week's Book Club is the writer and film director Neil Jordan, who joins the podcast to discuss his new book Amnesiac: A Memoir. He talks, among other things, about writing for the page and the screen, the uses of myth, putting words into the mouths of historical figures, seeing ghosts in aeroplanes, being ripped off by Har…

1
Chinese Whispers: why China loves Taylor Swift 46:45

22d ago46:45

46:45

‘Swifties’, as Taylor Swift’s fans are known across the world, are extremely dedicated to the cause, and often estimated to drive up local economies wherever they flock, and Chinese fans are no different. Swift didn’t perform in China on the latest global tour, but that didn’t stop more wealthy fans flying to Singapore to see her; or the less wealt…

1
Kate Andrews, Adam Frank, David Hempleman-Adams, Svitlana Morenets and Michael Beloff 39:28

1M ago39:28

39:28

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Kate Andrews argues vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance is more MAGA than Trump (1:27); Adam Frank explains how super-earths could help us understand what life might look like on another planet (5:15); David Hempleman-Adams recounts his attempt to cross the Atlantic on a hydrogen ballon (14:31); from Ukraine, Svi…

1
Spectator Out Loud: Kate Andrews, Adam Frank, David Hempleman-Adams, Svitlana Morenets and Michael Beloff 39:28

24d ago39:28

39:28

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Kate Andrews argues vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance is more MAGA than Trump (1:27); Adam Frank explains how super-earths could help us understand what life might look like on another planet (5:15); David Hempleman-Adams recounts his attempt to cross the Atlantic on a hydrogen ballon (14:31); from Ukraine, Svi…

1
Holy Smoke: A Habsburg Archduke explains how not to be nasty on Twitter 24:25

25d ago24:25

24:25

In this week's Holy Smoke episode Damian Thompson welcomes back Eduard Habsburg, Hungary's Ambassador to the Holy See and also, to give him his family title, Archduke Eduard of Austria. Last year he published The Habsburg Way: 7 Rules for Turbulent Times, which offered advice on how to live a good life based on the panoramic history of his dynasty.…

1
The Edition: is Donald Trump now unstoppable? 37:02

1M ago37:02

37:02

This week: bulletproof Trump. The failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump means that his supporters, more than ever, view him as America’s Chosen One. Joe Biden’s candidacy has been falling apart since his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate last month. Trump is now ahead in the polls in all the battleground states. The whi…

1
The Book Club: Collected Poems of Roger McGough 34:59

1M ago34:59

34:59

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Roger McGough, whose new The Collected Poems: 1959-2024 anthologises a poetic career 65 years long and counting. Roger tells me about revisiting his old work and making it new, why he's 'not being serious' about the future of Poetry Please, and how he narrowly missed being on the Pyramid Stage at Glaston…

1
Americano: Will JD Vance bridge America's class divide? 26:36

1M ago26:36

26:36

Journalist Christopher Caldwell joins Freddy Gray to discuss Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance. Once 'never Trump', now a close ally of the former president; what's JD Vance's route into Trumpian politics? Freddy and Christopher also ask who is JD Vance, what's Hillbilly Elegy, and what's the strategy behind Donald Trump's choice?…

1
Americano: Why did the Secret Service fail Donald Trump? 20:37

1M ago20:37

20:37

Freddy Gray is joined by writer Roger Kimball. With the dust beginning to settle from the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, they look at how this could have happened, and what's gone wrong. They also take a look at how important Donald Trump's Vice President pick will be, and who might be in the running.…

1
Americano: Trump shot – what next? 21:10

1M ago21:10

21:10

Former US President Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt while speaking at a Republican rally in Pennsylvania. Freddy Gray speaks to The Spectator's economics editor Kate Andrews about what we know so far, and where the Presidential campaign goes from here.By The Spectator

1
Spectator Out Loud: James Heale, Svitlana Morenets, Philip Hensher, Francis Beckett and Rupert Christiansen 37:57

2M ago37:57

37:57

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale analyses the state of the Conservative leadership race (1:09); Svitlana Morenets reports from the site of the Kyiv children’s hospital bombed this week (5:56); Philip Hensher examines the ‘Cool Queer Life’ of Thom Gunn (12:13); Francis Beckett reviews ‘The Assault on the State’ arguing in favour of bur…

1
James Heale, Svitlana Morenets, Philip Hensher, Francis Beckett and Rupert Christiansen 37:57

2M ago37:57

37:57

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale analyses the state of the Conservative leadership race (1:09); Svitlana Morenets reports from the site of the Kyiv children’s hospital bombed this week (5:56); Philip Hensher examines the ‘Cool Queer Life’ of Thom Gunn (12:13); Francis Beckett reviews ‘The Assault on the State’ arguing in favour of bur…

1
Americano: Eric Kaufmann on DEI, the contagion effect and free speech 52:19

2M ago52:19

52:19

The Spectator’s Freddy Gray sits down with author and professor of politics Eric Kaufmann. They discuss the dangers of DEI, why Eric blames the bleeding heart liberals for the woke contagion and why it is possible much worst than originally thought. You can also watch this episode on SpectatorTV.By The Spectator

1
The Edition: Keir's reformation 48:21

2M ago48:21

48:21

This week: Keir’s reformation. A week on from Labour’s victory in the UK general election, our cover piece looks ahead to the urgent issues facing Keir Starmer. If he acts fast, he can take advantage of having both a large majority and a unified party. The NHS, prisons, planning… the list goes on. But what challenges could he face and how should he…

1
The Book Club: Thom Gunn's Cool Queer Life 29:02

2M ago29:02

29:02

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Michael Nott, author of the new biography Thom Gunn: A Cool Queer Life. He tells me about the poet's early trauma, his transatlantic identity, his unconventional family and his compartmentalised life, part teaching and writing, part sex, drugs and rock and roll.…

1
Chinese Whispers: How China's electric cars dominated the world 34:00

2M ago34:00

34:00

The EU and US are turning up the pressure on Chinese made electric cars, as Cindy Yu discussed with her guest Finbarr Bermingham on the last episode. This episode is a closer look at how China has come to dominate the global electric car market. Chinese EVs make up 60 per cent of worldwide sales, and a third of global exports. Its leading brand, BY…

1
Americano: Elbridge Colby on why America must pivot from Ukraine to Taiwan 29:23

2M ago29:23

29:23

The war in Ukraine is only bogging America down, says Elbridge Colby, a former national security adviser to the Trump administration. On this episode of Americano, Colby tells host Freddy Gray why the US should – and likely will – reduce its support to Ukraine and Europe, to focus on the increasing threat China poses over Taiwan. Europe, he says, c…

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