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PODCAST

Best of the Spectator

Home to the Spectator"s best podcasts on everything from politics to religion, literature to food and drink, and more. A new podcast every day from writers worth listening to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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All Episodes

30:13

From Porn Britannia to Political Chaos: The...

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/27

The Spectator’s senior editorial team – Michael Gove, Freddy Gray, Lara Prendergast and William Moore – sit down to reflect on 2025. From Trump’s inauguration to the calamitous year for Labour, a new Pope and a new Archbishop of Canterbury, and the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the year has not been short of things to write about.The team take us through their favourite political and cultural topics highlighted in the magazine this year, from the Assisted Dying debate, the ongoing feud over Your

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34:22

Spectator Out Loud: Slipshod – by Sarah Perry

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/26

For this special Spectator Out Loud, Sarah Perry reads her short story Slipshod, from the Spectator's Christmas issue. The story follows an academic tasked with reconstructing a disturbing incident involving two long-standing colleagues whose close friendship unravels under the weight of envy, illness – and something harder to explain. What emerges from the investigation is a chilling reflection on rivalry, resentment and how buried histories can resurface with devastating consequences.Produced by

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20:56

Holy Smoke: how transformative has 2025 been for...

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/24

Anglican author The Rev'd Fergus Butler-Gallie, Catholic priest Fr Alexander Lucie-Smith and Evangelical commentator Fleur Meston join Damian Thompson to reflect on 2025. They discuss Pope Leo XIV's leadership so far, the choice of Dame Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury and why Christianity has been coopted by the far right. Plus, was the 'quiet revival' of Church-going the start of a trend – or just a blip?Produced by Patrick Gibbons.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

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26:26

Coffee House Shots: Stephen Flynn on Reform, Sturgeon...

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/23

The SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, MP for Aberdeen South, joins Lucy Dunn for a special episode to assess the place of the SNP in British politics as we approach the end of 2025. The SNP were ‘decimated’ to just nine MPs at the 2024 general election – yet, if polls are to be believed, they are on course for another record win in the 2026 Holyrood elections. But can the SNP really frame this election as a ‘fresh start’?Flynn explains what he made of the ‘bleak fallout’ of 2024, why he is

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30:48

Table Talk: Michael Gove

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/22

Surely needing no introduction to Spectator listeners, Michael Gove has been a staple of British politics for almost two decades. As a Christmas treat, he joins Lara Prendergast to talk about his memories of food including: the 'brain food' he grew up on in Aberdeen, his favourite Oxford pubs and the dining culture of 1980s Fleet Street. He also shares his memorable moments from his time in politics from dining with Elizabeth Hurley and Donald Trump's first state visit to his reflections on food

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40:43

Christmas Out Loud II: Dominic Sandbrook, Philip...

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/21

On this week’s special Christmas edition ofSpectator Out Loud – part two: Dominic Sandbrook reflects on whether Lady Emma Hamilton is the 18th century’s answer to Bonnie Blue; Philip Hensher celebrates the joy of a miserable literary Christmas; Steve Morris argues that an angel is for life, not just for Christmas; Christopher Howse ponders theSpectator’s enduring place in fiction; Michael Hann explains what links Jeffrey Dahmer to the Spice Girls; and,the Spectator’s agony aunt Mary Killen –Dear

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24:43

Coffee House Shots: who won 2025? with Quentin Letts

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/20

As is fast becoming a tradition on Coffee House Shots at this time of year, James Heale and Tim Shipman are joined by sketch writer Quentin Letts to go through the events of the past 12 months. From sackings to resignations, and Farage to Polanski, it is a year in which the centuries-old consensus has been challenged and Westminster is delicately poised ahead of a 2026 which will define politics for the remainder of this parliamentary term. On the podcast, they discuss who is up and who is down, why

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29:14

Americano: why did Susie Wiles talk to Vanity Fair?

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/19

Freddy Gray speaks to Vanity Fair's Washington correspondent Aidan McLaughlin about their latest two-part interview with one of Trump's closest allies Susie Wiles. As chief of staff to the White House, she has given some of the most candid quotes about what really happens inside Trump's regime.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1:04:09

Speaker series: Bernard Cornwell – Sharpe's Storm

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/18

The Spectator’s associate editor Toby Young sits down with master storyteller Bernard Cornwell, author of more than 50 international bestselling novels, includingThe Last Kingdomand much-lovedSharpeseries. They delve into Cornwell’s life and career, discuss the real history behind his riveting tales of war and heroism and explore the enduring appeal of historical fiction. This event marks the launch ofSharpe’s Storm, a bold new chapter in the saga of Richard Sharpe, set amid the chaos of 1813

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23:54

Quite right!: where does Islamism come from?

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/17

Michael Gove and Madeline Grant confront the horror of the Bondi Beach massacre and ask why anti-Semitic violence now provokes despair rather than shock. As Jewish communities are once again targeted on holy days, they examine the roots of Islamist ideology and the failure of political leaders to name it. Why has anti-Semitism metastasised across the radical left, the Islamist world, and the far right – and why does the West seem so reluctant to grapple with its causes?Then, on the 250th anniversary

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35:06

Holy Smoke: why religious societies succeed – with...

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/16

Advertising guru – and the Spectator's Wiki Man columnist – Rory Sutherland joins Damian Thompson for this episode of Holy Smoke. In a wide ranging discussion, from Sigmund Freud and Max Weber to Quakers and Mormons, they discuss how some religious communities seem to be predisposed to success by virtue of their beliefs. How do spiritual choices affect consumer choices? Between Android and Apple, which is more Protestant and which is more Catholic? And what can modern Churches learn from

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41:26

Americano: how is Trump's counter revolution going?

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/15

US historian and classicist Victor Davis Hanson joins Americano for a wide-ranging assessment of Donald Trump’s first year back in office, from the economy and immigration to Ukraine and the future of the West.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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44:15

Christmas Out Loud – part one: James Heale, Gyles...

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/14

On this week’s special Christmas edition ofSpectator Out Loud – part one: James Heale wonders if Keir Starmer will really have ahappynew year;Gyles Brandreth discusses Her Majesty The Queen’s love of reading, and reveals which books Her Majesty has personally recommended to give this Christmas; Avi Loeb explains why a comet could be a spaceship; Melanie McDonagh compares Protestant and Catholic ghosts; Mary Wakefield explains what England’s old folk songs can teach us; Richard Bratby says there is

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17:30

Coffee House Shots: will Scotland switch course in...

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/13

The Spectator heads into Christmas a little bit less Scottish as we bid farewell to our political correspondent Lucy Dunn. Before Lucy leaves for STV, she joins Coffee House Shots – with fellow Scots Michael Simmons and Labour MP Gordon McKee – for one final episode reflecting on the state of Scottish politics. They discuss whether the SNP has stabilised Scottish politics this year, make predictions for what could happen at the 2026 Holyrood elections and ponder whether the Scottish influence in

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39:23

The Christmas Edition: From The Queen to Bonnie Blue

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/12

TheSpectator’s bumper Christmas issue is a feast for all, with offerings from Nigel Farage, Matthew McConaughey and Andrew Strauss to Dominic Sandbrook, David Deutsch and Bonnie Blue – and even from Her Majesty The Queen.To take us through the ChristmasEdition, host Lara Prendergast is joined by deputy political editor James Heale, associate editor Damian Thompson and writer of theSpectator’s new morning newsletter,Morning Press, Angus Colwell.They discuss: the state of British politics as we leave

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49:24

The Book Club: The Journey to Save the Siberian Tiger

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/11

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is Jonathan C. Slaght, whose new book is Tigers Between Empires: The Journey to Save the Siberian Tiger from Extinction. He tells me about these remarkable animals, the remarkable people who studied them, and how their fates have been entwined with the shifting politics of post-Soviet Russia.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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36:17

Post-Budget briefing: what will it mean for your...

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/10

In the wake of an extraordinary Budget – leaked an hour before the Chancellor addressed Parliament – The Spectator brings clarity to a turbulent political and take stock of how the announcements will impact you.Michael Simmons speaks with John Porteous of Charles Stanley and James Nation, formerly of the Treasury and No. 10, to discuss how the events unfolded and the deeper implications for long-term financial planning, taxation and market confidence.The conversation explores whether the

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30:25

Table Talk: Tom Gilbey

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/09

Tom Gilbey, the internet’s most charismatic wine expert, sits down with Olivia Potts for Table Talk. Tom is a winemaker, merchant, educator – and also an author. His new book,Thirsty, is part-memoir, part guide to his life through wine in 100 bottles, and is available now.On the podcast, Tom discusses his family’s love for winemaking that stretches back to the nineteenth century, and how he became captivated by the trade thanksto Beaujolais and a pike’s head. He explains how a glass of pinot gris in

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30:11

Americano: will anyone miss the Boomers?

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/08

Christopher Caldwell joins Freddy Gray to discuss why the 'Boomer generation' – those born between 1946 and 1964 – became one of the most hated generations in recent history. Chris argues that the Boomers uniquely benefited from the resources of other generations, and were able to enjoy the benefits of leftist politics alongside the political and economic freedoms associated with the right; the apex of their power perhaps being the Clinton/Bush era. To what extent are the Boomers responsible for the

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14:12

Spectator Out Loud: what's the greatest artwork of...

Best of the Spectator ·

2025/12/07

For this week's Spectator Out Loud, we include a compilation of submissions by our writers for their greatest artwork of the 21st century so far. Following our arts editor Igor Toronyi-Lalic, you can hear from: Graeme Thomson, Lloyd Evans, Slavoj Zizek, Damian Thompson, Richard Bratby, Liz Anderson, Deborah Ross, Calvin Po, Tanjil Rashid, James Walton, Rupert Christiansen and Christopher Howse.Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

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2,501 results

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