Best Spectator Out Loud Podcasts (2026)

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Cosmo Landesman, Alex Diggins, Lucy Dunn & Richard Bratby 23:52

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2h ago23:52

23:52

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Cosmo Landesman says life is too short to watch boring shows; Alex Diggins reports back from the Bukhara art biennial; Lucy Dunn provides her notes on BuzzBallz – which featured at the Spectator’s Christmas party; and, Richard Bratby reviews L’amour des trois oranges at the Royal Northern College of Music and Ario…

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Spectator Out Loud: Slipshod – by Sarah Perry 34:22

19m ago34:22

34:22

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…

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Americano: what is the Donroe Doctrine's plan for Venezuela? 27:24

10h ago27:24

27:24

The US launched a military operation in Venezuela, targeting the regime in Caracas and detaining President Nicolás Maduro, who has been transferred to New York where he faces charges of narcoterrorism. Donald Trump has described the move as a decisive defence of American interests, but critics point point to the double standards when it come to Tru…

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Coffee House Shots: John Curtice – what to expect in 2026 20:28

1d ago20:28

20:28

James Heale sits down with Sir John Curtice, the doyen of British polling, to take stock of an extraordinary year in UK politics and to look ahead to what 2026 might hold. Curtice explains why the rise of Reform UK during the spring local elections marked a historic turning point – establishing the longest period in polling history where a party ou…

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The Edition: 'Boring twenties', population decline & happy new year 33:55

2d ago33:55

33:55

A far cry from the ‘roaring twenties' of the early 20th Century, the 2020s can be characterised as the ‘boring twenties’, argue Gus Carter and Rupert Hawksley in our new year edition of the Spectator. Record numbers of young people are out of work but even those with jobs face such a dire cost-of-living situation that they have no money left over t…

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Quite right!: Dominic Cummings – part two 13:58

3d ago13:58

13:58

For the full episode, search 'Quite right!' wherever you are listening now. This is an extract from the second of a two-part discussion with Dominic Cummings, in which he reflects on his time in government – what he got right and what he regrets – and what he believes must change for the country to thrive. In part two, Dominic diagnoses the ‘pre-re…

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The Book Club: Books of the Year 2025 34:54

15m ago34:54

34:54

Sam Leith is joined by Philip Hensher to pick over their books of the year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Quite right!: Dominic Cummings interview – part one out now 2:16

5d ago2:16

2:16

Dominic Cummings joins Michael and Maddie to reflect on his time in government – what he got right and what he regrets – and what he believes must change for the country to thrive. Part one: 30 December 2025 (9am GMT) Part two: 1 January 2026 (9am GMT) Search 'Quite right!' wherever you are listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more…

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Coffee House Shots Live: Year in Review 2025 32:57

20m ago32:57

32:57

From scandals and cabinet chaos to Trumpian antics and the ‘special’ relationship that some say is anything but, The Spectator presents The Year in Review – a look back at the funniest and most tragic political moments of 2025. Join The Spectator’s editor Michael Gove, deputy editor Freddy Gray, political editor Tim Shipman, deputy political editor…

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Reality Check: 2025 – tears, tariffs & taxes 33:30

13m ago33:30

33:30

Reality Check host and the Spectator's economics editor Michael Simmons reflects on some of the economic highs and lows of 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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From Porn Britannia to Political Chaos: The Spectator’s Year in Review 30:13

8d ago30:13

30:13

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…

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Slipshod – a short story by Sarah Perry 34:22

9d ago34:22

34:22

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…

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Holy Smoke: how transformative has 2025 been for Christianity? 20:56

11d ago20:56

20:56

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 …

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Coffee House Shots: Stephen Flynn on Reform, Sturgeon & a second referendum 26:26

13d ago26:26

26:26

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 H…

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Table Talk: Michael Gove 30:48

3d ago30:48

30:48

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 sh…

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Christmas II: Dominic Sandbrook, Philip Hensher, Steve Morris, Christopher Howse, Michael Hann & Mary Killen 40:43

14d ago40:43

40:43

On this week’s special Christmas edition of Spectator 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 the Spe…

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Christmas Out Loud II: Dominic Sandbrook, Philip Hensher, Steve Morris, Christopher Howse, Michael Hann & Mary Killen 40:43

14d ago40:43

40:43

On this week’s special Christmas edition of Spectator 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 the Spe…

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Coffee House Shots: who won 2025? with Quentin Letts 24:43

16d ago24:43

24:43

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 p…

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Americano: why did Susie Wiles talk to Vanity Fair? 29:14

16d ago29:14

29:14

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 inform…

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Speaker series: Bernard Cornwell – Sharpe's Storm 1:04:09

17d ago1:04:09

1:04:09

The Spectator’s associate editor Toby Young sits down with master storyteller Bernard Cornwell, author of more than 50 international bestselling novels, including The Last Kingdom and much-loved Sharpe series. They delve into Cornwell’s life and career, discuss the real history behind his riveting tales of war and heroism and explore the enduring a…

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Quite right!: where does Islamism come from? 23:54

18d ago23:54

23:54

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 t…

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Holy Smoke: why religious societies succeed – with Rory Sutherland 35:06

19d ago35:06

35:06

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 af…

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Americano: how is Trump's counter revolution going? 41:26

10d ago41:26

41:26

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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Christmas Out Loud I: James Heale, Gyles Brandreth, Avi Loeb, Melanie McDonagh, Mary Wakefield, Richard Bratby & Rupert Hawksley 44:15

21d ago44:15

44:15

On this week’s special Christmas edition of Spectator Out Loud – part one: James Heale wonders if Keir Starmer will really have a happy new 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…

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Coffee House Shots: will Scotland switch course in 2026? with Gordon McKee 17:30

22d ago17:30

17:30

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 stab…

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Christmas I: James Heale, Gyles Brandreth, Avi Loeb, Melanie McDonagh, Mary Wakefield, Richard Bratby & Rupert Hawksley 44:15

22d ago44:15

44:15

On this week’s special Christmas edition of Spectator Out Loud – part one: James Heale wonders if Keir Starmer will really have a happy new 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…

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The Christmas Edition: From The Queen to Bonnie Blue 40:22

23d ago40:22

40:22

The Spectator’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 Christmas Edition, host Lara Prendergast is joined by deputy political editor James Heale, associate edi…

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The Book Club: The Journey to Save the Siberian Tiger 49:24

25d ago49:24

49:24

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 Acas…

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Post-Budget briefing: what will it mean for your finances? 36:17

26d ago36:17

36:17

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 eve…

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Table Talk: Tom Gilbey 30:25

16d ago30:25

30:25

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 stretch…

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Americano: will anyone miss the Boomers? 30:11

17d ago30:11

30:11

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 e…

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Spectator Out Loud: what's the greatest artwork of the century so far? 14:12

28d ago14:12

14:12

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 Wal…

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What's the greatest artwork of the century so far? 14:12

29d ago14:12

14:12

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 Wal…

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Coffee House Shots: who really runs No.10? 23:42

30d ago23:42

23:42

This weekend’s Coffee House Shots digs into the growing debate over whether Keir Starmer should tack left on the economy as voters peel away to the Greens and Lib Dems – and why some in Labour think its migration stance is now more popular with their own voters than ever. Are Labour tacking left? But beyond policy, a deeper question looms: is Westm…

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The Edition: Benefits Britain, mental health & what’s the greatest artwork of the 21st Century? 22:26

1M ago22:26

22:26

‘Labour is now the party of welfare, not work’ argues Michael Simmons in the Spectator’s cover article this week. The question ‘why should I bother with work?’ is becoming harder to answer, following last week’s Budget which could come to define this Labour government. A smaller and smaller cohort of people are being asked to shoulder the burden – …

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The Book Club: A Brief History of the Aphorism 43:29

22d ago43:29

43:29

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is James Geary, talking about the new edition of his classic The World in a Phrase: A Brief History of the Aphorism. He tells me about what separates an aphorism from a proverb, a maxim or a quip; about the long history of the form and his own lifelong infatuation with it; and about whether – given our dwin…

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Quite right!: should Rachel Reeves go? 20:42

1M ago20:42

20:42

This week: Rachel Reeves reels as Labour’s Budget unravels – and a far-left Life of Brian sequel plays out in Liverpool. After a bruising seven days for the Chancellor, Michael and Maddie ask whether Reeves’s position is now beyond repair. Did Keir Starmer’s bizarre nursery press conference steady the ship – or simply confirm that the government is…

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Americano: why is the US obsessed with British 'decline'? 29:46

1M ago29:46

29:46

Why are Americans so interested in Britain's decline? While visiting London, Tucker Carlson has said that the country has ‘shrunken’ and its culture ‘destroyed’, particularly because of mass immigration. Freddy Gray is joined by Tim Stanley and Ed West to discuss whether Britain has become ‘ground zero in the decline of western civilisation’ and if…

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Nicotine pouches: solution or smokescreen? 28:51

25d ago28:51

28:51

There has been a renewed focus on tobacco and nicotine products across Europe. Just as countries seek to speed up the process to a smoke-free future, through measures like generational smoking bans and increased regulations on packaging and advertising, there has been a sharp increase in young people using alternative nicotine products like vapes a…

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Holy Smoke: Trump highlights the persecution of Christians in Nigeria 19:21

1M ago19:21

19:21

Fr Benedict Kiely, founder of nasarean.org, and Freddy Gray join Damian Thompson to discuss the persecution of Christians which has reached new and terrifying levels. Since this podcast was recorded last Friday, we have had the further news that over 300 children and staff were abducted from a Christian school – while around 50 of the children have…

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Coffee House Shots: Budget booze from Disraeli to Reeves 33:54

1M ago33:54

33:54

Throughout the years, the only person permitted to drink inside the House of Commons is the Chancellor, so what has been the tipple of choice for each resident of Number 11 dating back to Benjamin Disraeli? Following Rachel Reeves Budget this week, Michael Simmons and James Heale drink their way through the ages, discuss the historical context of e…

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Lara Brown, James Heale, Sam Olsen & Toby Young 18:52

1M ago18:52

18:52

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Lara Brown reports on how young women are saying ’no’ to marriage; James Heale takes us through the history of the Budgets via drink; Sam Olsen reviews Ruthless by Edmond Smith and looks at Britain’s history of innovation and exploitation; and, Toby Young questions the burdensome regulation over Politically Expose…

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The Edition: defending marriage, broken Budgets & the 'original sin’ of industrialisation 35:37

1M ago35:37

35:37

'Marriage is the real rebellion’ argues Madeline Grant in the Spectator’s cover article this week. The Office for National Statistics predicts that by 2050 only 30 per cent of adults will be married. This amounts to a ‘relationship recession’ where singleness is ‘more in vogue now than it has been since the dissolution of the monastries’. With a ri…

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The Book Club: The Decadence 29:39

29d ago29:39

29:39

On this week’s Book Club podcast I’m joined by debut author Leon Craig to talk about her novel The Decadence – a story of millennial debauchery in a haunted house which uses a knowing patchwork of literary influences from Boccaccio and Shirley Jackson to Martin Amis and Mark Z. Danielewski to make an old form fresh. She discusses how and why it too…

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Quite right!: the 'wickedness' of Labour's gender war 22:05

1M ago22:05

22:05

This week: After leaked EHRC guidance threw Labour’s position on biological sex into disarray, Michael and Maddie ask whether Bridget Phillipson is deliberately delaying clarity on the law – and why Wes Streeting appears to be retreating from his once ‘gender-critical’ stance. Is Labour quietly preparing to water down long-awaited guidance? And has…

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Spectator Out Loud: William Atkinson, Andreas Roth, Philip Womack, Mary Wakefield & Muriel Zagha 33:08

1M ago33:08

33:08

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: William Atkinson reveals his teenage brush with a micropenis; Andreas Roth bemoans the dumbing down of German education; Philip Womack wonders how the hyphen turned political; Mary Wakefield questions the latest AI horror story – digitising dead relatives; and, Muriel Zagha celebrates Powell & Pressburger’s I Know…

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William Atkinson, Andreas Roth, Philip Womack, Mary Wakefield & Muriel Zagha 33:08

1M ago33:08

33:08

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: William Atkinson reveals his teenage brush with a micropenis; Andreas Roth bemoans the dumbing down of German education; Philip Womack wonders how the hyphen turned political; Mary Wakefield questions the latest AI horror story – digitising dead relatives; and, Muriel Zagha celebrates Powell & Pressburger’s I Know…

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Quite right!: Is it time to abolish the Treasury? – Q&A 36:12

1M ago36:12

36:12

To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to: spectator.co.uk/quiteright This week on Quite right! Q&A: Is the Treasury still fit for purpose – or has ‘Treasury brain’ taken over Whitehall? Michael and Maddie dig into the culture and power of Britain’s most influential department, from the Oxbridge-heavy ‘Treasury boys’ to a ‘vision…

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Holy Smoke: is the Anglican Communion dead? 26:25

1M ago26:25

26:25

In the space of a month, the Church of England acquired its first female Archbishop of Canterbury, a majority of the world’s Anglicans have left the Anglican Communion in protest at the mother Church’s willingness to bless same-sex relationships – and the House of Bishops has suddenly backed away from introducing stand-alone gay blessings. The situ…

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Coffee House Shots: why Britain needs more Yimbys 21:09

1M ago21:09

21:09

Chris Curtis and Maxwell Marlow may have different political ideologies, but they agree on one key diagnosis: Britain is broken. Their solution can be found on baseball caps and bucket hats across social media and SW1: ‘Build Baby Build’. Less than a week before the Budget, Chris – MP for Milton Keynes and chair of the Labour Growth Group – and Max…