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PODCAST

When It Hits the Fan

Inside the world of crisis managers and spin doctors as David Yelland and Simon Lewis watch the week"s biggest PR disasters unfold. In each episode our hosts go behind the scenes of the latest news stories and find out how, where and when it all began to hit the fan. When It Hits The Fan is hosted by two of the most influential and experienced people in the game; David Yelland is the former editor of the Sun and alongside him is Simon Lewis, former trouble-shooter for the Queen and Gordon Brown, as

news politics

All Episodes

28:14

Has business lost the argument? X versus Bluesky, and...

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/11/19

Is it time for the business world to enter the great public debates of our time - and is it bad PR if you don’t? Its absence has left a vacuum for misinformation to spread and CEOs like Greg Jackson from Octopus Energy are stepping up. David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss this, as well as a fascinating crisis at ice-cream makers Ben & Jerrys and big pharma in the wake of Robert Kennedy Jr's nomination as the next US health secretary.Also - what does the exodus from Elon Musk’s X to Bluesky mean

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28:20

Why Trump means boom times for PR, and a Rivals spat

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/11/12

In his first presidency, Donald Trump vowed to “drain the swamp of Washington DC” - PR agents and all. So, how can a second Trump presidency possibly look promising for PR? David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss how change can create opportunity. In this episode they explore how Trump’s return to office might impact business both in the US and abroad, how powerful players go about influencing the new president and what does money (lots of it) have to do with it all?Also, how condescending criticism

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28:22

Telling the truth, being on TV and the best PR comebacks

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/11/05

In this special episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis let When It Hits the Fan listeners set the agenda and answer questions sent in to the Fan postbag.They discuss the truth - when to tell it, and when to hide it. If fly-on-the-wall television comes calling will it always result in good publicity for you? And how far does PR drive the news agenda? Also, from Queen Camilla to Boy George, what are the best reputation comebacks? And, "as I was just saying to Bono...", does namedropping really oil the

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27:40

Inside prestige PR, Starbucks and a cheese heist

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/10/29

David Yelland and Simon Lewis lift the lid on the rarely talked about world of establishment PR and the great battle for influence happening behind the scenes in modern Britain. It’s why Peter Mandelson, William Hague and 36 other hopefuls are all vying to be the next Chancellor of Oxford University. Also, how the new CEO of Starbucks is trying to reverse a recent decline in sales with the help of some back-to-basics internal communications. And the great cheese heist… how taking the financial hit

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28:40

Could PR have helped Liam Payne?, Thomas Tuchel and...

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/10/22

In the wake of the death of the One Direction star Liam Payne, David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the role of protection in PR. Advisers are often the first people to know about a problem, and the first to try to fix it. Could celebrity publicists learn something about duty of care from the world of corporate PR? David and Simon talk fame, addiction and the importance of creating private space. Also, the FA has walked into an apparent PR own goal appointing a German head coach to manage the

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28:29

Kamala Harris, Man City v the Premier League and...

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/10/15

David and Simon discuss Kamala Harris’s interview on the hit US podcast Call Her Daddy. What can British politicians and business leaders learn about the power of being three-dimensional and opening up?Also, it’s a game of two halves – the PR behind the football civil war that is Manchester City versus the Premier League.And the LinkedIn job status update. To varnish, or not to varnish?Producer: Eve StreeterEditor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A

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28:16

Why Keir needs Bikeshed PR, Strictly’s tabloid battle...

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/10/08

Why does Keir Starmer need to start taking people behind the Number 10 bikesheds and having a quiet word? David Yelland and Simon Lewis explain 'bikeshed PR' and how to move a news story on. Also, knowing when to step back and call your PR battle a day is not always easy, as the ongoing Strictly Come Dancing fan-hitter shows. What can we learn from this and the returning saga of Wagatha Christie? And, the email you didn't mean to send.... David and Simon share tales of their personal gaffes and how

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28:30

Ozempic, Philip Schofield and PR on screen

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/10/01

Is there such a thing as too much good PR? It seems everyone is talking about the weight-loss drug Ozempic - David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at why might this be causing jitters in the company boardroom.Also, Phillip Schofield’s desert island TV return - will the "last roll of the dice” PR strategy work for him, or is Hillary Clinton's 1992 interview alongside her under-fire husband a cautionary tale?And with the release of the drama series A Very Royal Scandal, David and Simon look at how PR

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28:03

Al Fayed revelations, and the Murdoch succession battle

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/09/24

Following the BBC investigation into Mohamed Al Fayed, David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the circle of reputational protection that existed around the former Harrods boss and allowed him to commit serial sexual abuse for so long and get away with it. Also, inside the Murdoch family's succession feud and the importance the results could have on the political state of global media.Producer: Eve StreeterEditor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur

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28:24

BBC in crisis, laughing at Trump and the elephant in...

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/09/17

David and Simon discuss Huw Edwards, Strictly Come Dancing and the BBC in crisis. How is the corporation dealing with being in the news for all the wrong reasons? Plus, “They’re eating the dogs, they're eating the cats” - is the global mockery following Donald Trump’s pet-eating accusations in his TV debate with Kamala Harris a PR disaster for the former president? And what is the elephant in the room? Let’s talk about why the unmentionable is often at the heart of PR.Producer: Eve Streeter Editor:

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28:33

Kate’s video and Labour PR in power

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/09/10

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the Princess of Wales’ unprecedented video announcing the end of her chemotherapy treatment. There has been nothing like it in the history of the Royal Family's communications and it’s a move that rewrites how they speak to people. Does it come with risks?Also, what have we learnt about how the Labour government is handling its PR? We look at leaning into unpopularity in an age of populism, and moving Margaret Thatcher’s portrait, and reveal the secret tactics

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8:56

Quick Wins: How to Lead

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/08/28

David and Simon share their advice on how to lead

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7:08

Quick Wins: How to Deal with Online Abuse

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/08/21

David and Simon share their advice on how to deal with online abuse.

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45:54

When It Hits The Fan x Today Podcast Summer special:...

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/08/15

Amol and Nick use their decades of experience as journalists to discuss the future of news in this special episode of The Today Podcast. Joining them are Sun editor David Yelland and former No10 communications director Simon Lewis – the duo behind Radio 4’s When It Hits The Fan – to look at what’s happening in journalism, where the future lies for the profession... and why it really matters for us all.The senior producer is Tom Smithard, the producer is Hatty Nash, research and digital production

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8:57

Quick Wins: How to Deal with Backstabbers

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/08/14

David and Simon share their advice on how to deal with backstabbers.

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8:52

Quick Wins: How to Get Ahead When You're Shy

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/08/07

David and Simon share their advice on how to get ahead when you're shy.

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10:51

Quick Wins: The Nine Circles of Media Hell

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/07/31

David Yelland and Simon Lewis share their tips on dealing with the media

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7:05

Quick Wins: How to break unwelcome news

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/07/23

Quick Wins is a series of mini episodes from the When It Hits the Fan team to steer you through your own personal PR in your working life.In this episode, David and Simon answer listener Joe's question about how to deliver difficult information that people may not want to hear. Getting the tone right is crucial, tell it like it is and be visible.Producer: Eve StreeterExecutive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

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28:21

Trump shooting, Biden and loser PR

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/07/16

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss an extraordinary and terrifying weekend of political drama in the US, with the attempted assassination of Donald Trump crowding out calls for Joe Biden to quit the presidential race. And they reflect on England losing out once more on the main prize at an international football tournament.How does the invisible industrial complex of spin that quietly hums along, shaping so much of what you see and hear, kick into action in these moments of high public drama? How

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28:33

Can Keir kill spin?

When It Hits the Fan ·

2024/07/09

Just days after Sir Keir Starmer entered Downing Street, David Yelland and Simon Lewis take a special deep dive into what may prove to be a great communications reset at No 10 under the new Prime Minister, with greater transparency at its heart. But will Sir Keir be able to create the space to govern between the media and his administration? And if he plans to build, build, build, how is he going to manage being very unpopular in a populist era?Producer: Eve StreeterEditor: Sarah Teasdale Executive

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132 results

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