Best Spectator Out Loud Podcasts (2025)

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Best of Notes on... 28:58

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11h ago28:58

28:58

The Best of Notes on... gathers the funniest, sharpest and most wonderfully random pieces from The Spectator’s beloved miscellany column. For more than a decade, these short, sharp essays have uncovered the intrigue in the everyday and the delight in digression. To purchase the book, go to spectator.co.uk/shop On this special episode of Spectator O…

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Spectator Out Loud: Best of Notes on... 28:58

11h ago28:58

28:58

The Best of Notes on... gathers the funniest, sharpest and most wonderfully random pieces from The Spectator’s beloved miscellany column. For more than a decade, these short, sharp essays have uncovered the intrigue in the everyday and the delight in digression. To purchase the book, go to spectator.co.uk/shop On this special episode of Spectator O…

1
Americano: is Trump on a roll? 37:15

1d ago37:15

37:15

Was this Donald Trump's most phenomenal week yet? Freddy Gray and Kate Andrews discuss the President's success in orchestrating a Gaza peace plan, his 'Mean Girls style' of dealing with world leaders, and how to interpret his comments about not being 'heaven bound'. They also talk about how Trump might bailout Argentina - but only if Javier Milei w…

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Table Talk: Gyles Brandreth 35:12

2d ago35:12

35:12

Broadcaster, writer, actor – and former MP – Gyles Brandreth joins Lara Prendergast on this episode of Table Talk to discuss his memories of food, from hating dates and loving 'bread sandwiches' to his signature dish of fish fingers and his love of eating baked beans cold from a can. Gyles also tells Lara about getting permission to eat swan, his e…

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Coffee House Shots: Thatcher & Reagan's special relationship 40:15

4d ago40:15

40:15

To mark the centenary of Thatcher’s birth, Michael Gove is joined by Charles Moore, her biographer, and Peggy Noonan, speechwriter to Ronald Reagan, to reflect on the chemistry that bound the two conservative leaders. Both outsiders turned reformers, they shared not only ideology but temperament – ‘They were partners in crime,’ says Peggy. Yet it w…

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Spectator Out Loud: Nick Boles, James Ball, Andrew Rosenheim, Arabella Byrne & Rory Sutherland 27:03

5d ago27:03

27:03

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Nick Boles says that Ukraine must stand as a fortress of European freedom; James Ball reviews If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: The Case Against Superintelligent AI, by Eliezer Yudowsky and Nate Sores; Andrew Rosenheim examines the treasure trove of John Le Carre’s papers at the Bodleian; Arabella Byrne provides…

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Nick Boles, James Ball, Andrew Rosenheim, Arabella Byrne & Rory Sutherland 27:03

5d ago27:03

27:03

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Nick Boles says that Ukraine must stand as a fortress of European freedom; James Ball reviews If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: The Case Against Superintelligent AI, by Eliezer Yudowsky and Nate Sores; Andrew Rosenheim examines the treasure trove of John Le Carre’s papers at the Bodleian; Arabella Byrne provides…

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The Edition: Chinese spies, Vance’s rise & is French parenting supreme? 30:00

6d ago30:00

30:00

‘Here be dragons’ declares the Spectator’s cover story this week, as it looks at the continuing fallout over the collapse of the trial of two political aides accused of spying for China in Westminster. Tim Shipman reveals that – under the last Conservative government – a data hub was sold to the Chinese that included highly classified information; …

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Quite right!: was Cameron wrong about China? 22:43

7d ago22:43

22:43

Listeners on the Best of Spectator playlist can enjoy a section of the latest episode of Quite right! but for the full thing please seek out the Quite right! channel. Just search ‘Quite right!’ wherever you are listening now. This week on Quite right! Michael and Maddie turn their sights to Westminster’s latest espionage scandal – and the collapse …

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Holy Smoke: what does it mean 'to forgive'? 33:17

7d ago33:17

33:17

The announcement by Erika Kirk – the widow of assassinated political activist Charlie Kirk – that she forgave her husband's killer, has led many to question the nature of Christian forgiveness. Granting forgiveness can seem hard for the smallest of crimes, let alone the murder of a close family member, so how can other people follow Erika's example…

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Americano: Trump's war on the cartels 37:34

8d ago37:34

37:34

Donald Trump has launched a new ‘war on drugs’ – this time targeting Mexico’s cartels. Ben Domenech joins Freddy Gray to explain why MAGA has embraced the fight, what it means for US–Mexico relations, and how it could shape Trump’s foreign policy in his second term. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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Coffee House Shots: who is the greatest ever conservative? 39:25

10d ago39:25

39:25

From wartime leadership to economic revolutions, Conservative figures have shaped Britain’s past and present. But who stands out as the greatest of them all? In this conversation, recorded live at Conservative Party Conference: Katie Lam makes the case for William Pitt the Younger, Camilla Tominay nominates Margaret Thatcher, William Atkinson point…

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Spectator Out Loud: Tim Shipman, Ian Williams, Theo Hobson, Lara Prendergast & Lisa Haseldine 34:01

11d ago34:01

34:01

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Tim Shipman says that the real war for the right is yet to come; Ian Williams examines the farce over the collapses China espionage case; Theo Hobson argues that the Church of England is muddled over sex and marriage; Lara Prendergast reads her letter from America; and, Lisa Haseldine goes on manoeuvres with the G…

1
Tim Shipman, Ian Williams, Theo Hobson, Lara Prendergast & Lisa Haseldine 34:01

11d ago34:01

34:01

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Tim Shipman says that the real war for the right is yet to come; Ian Williams examines the farce over the collapses China espionage case; Theo Hobson argues that the Church of England is muddled over sex and marriage; Lara Prendergast reads her letter from America; and, Lisa Haseldine goes on manoeuvres with the G…

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Coffee House Shots Live: can the Tories turn it around? 40:13

11d ago40:13

40:13

Recorded live in Manchester, during the Conservative Party conference, Michael Gove sits down with Tim Shipman, Madeline Grant and Tim Montgomerie to discuss how the Tories can turn their fortunes around. Do the Tories need to show contrition for their record in government? Has the party basically been split ever since the Coalition years? And does…

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The Edition: Jewish fear, 'the elimination of motherhood' & remembering Jilly Cooper 25:17

12d ago25:17

25:17

The Spectator’s cover story this week looks at ‘the fear’ gripping Jewish people amidst rising antisemitism. Reflecting on last week’s attack in Manchester, Douglas Murray says that ‘no-one in the Jewish community was surprised’ – a damning inditement on Britain today. How do we tackle religious intolerance? And is there room for nuance in the deba…

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The Book Club: An Unexpectedly Essential Guide to Language 38:20

13d ago38:20

38:20

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Ben Schott. The author of the world- (or downstairs-loo-) conquering Schott’s Original Miscellany returns with Schott’s Significa, a deeply reported and constantly surprising book in which he uses the private languages of various communities – from gondoliers to graffiti writers and from Swifties to somm…

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Quite right! live: Kemi Badenoch's last conference? 20:05

14d ago20:05

20:05

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Coffee House Shots live: who's listening to the Tories? 38:10

14d ago38:10

38:10

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Spectator Out Loud: James Heale, William Atkinson, David Shipley, Angus Colwell and Aidan Hartley 24:09

16d ago24:09

24:09

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale says that, for Labour, party conference was a ‘holiday from reality’; William Atkinson argues that the ‘cult of Thatcher’ needs to die; David Shipley examines the luxury of French prisons; Angus Colwell provides his notes on swan eating; and, Aidan Hartley takes listeners on a paleoanthropological tour…

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Speaker series: Jeffrey Archer – End Game 50:41

16d ago50:41

50:41

Michael Gove speaks to Jeffrey Archer about his life, career and his new novel End Game, which marks the gripping finale of the William Warwick series. This discussion was part of the Spectator's speaker series. To see more on our upcoming events – including with Charles Moore and with Bernard Cornwell – go to events.spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast…

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Coffee House Shots: what next for the British right? 29:19

18d ago29:19

29:19

The general election result of 2024 reflected – among other things – a collapse of trust among British voters in the Conservatives. How can the British right evolve so it learns lessons from the past and from across the pond, in order to win back its base? This is an excerpt from an event hosted by The Spectator and American Compass; a leading US t…

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Holy Smoke: the first female Archbishop of Canterbury 18:21

18d ago18:21

18:21

Dame Sarah Mullally has been announced as the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Previously the Bishop of London, she becomes the first woman to lead the Church in its almost 500 year history. She also had a 40 year career as a professional nurse, rising to be the most senior nurse in England and Wales. The Rev'd Marcus Walker, rector at St Bartholemew …

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James Heale, William Atkinson, David Shipley, Angus Colwell and Aidan Hartley 24:09

19d ago24:09

24:09

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale says that, for Labour, party conference was a ‘holiday from reality’; William Atkinson argues that the ‘cult of Thatcher’ needs to die; David Shipley examines the luxury of French prisons; Angus Colwell provides his notes on swan eating; and, Aidan Hartley takes listeners on a paleoanthropological tour…

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Book Club: Philippa Gregory 39:17

19d ago39:17

39:17

Sam Leith's guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the historical novelist Philippa Gregory. In her gripping new book Boleyn Traitor, Philippa seeks to rescue Jane Boleyn from the vast condescension of history. She tells Sam how fiction allows her to make plausible speculations about the gaps in the record, how she works to make the Tudors speak…

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The Edition: Kemi's fightback, the cult of Thatcher & debunking British myths 37:31

20d ago37:31

37:31

The Spectator’s cover story this week is an interview with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch ahead of the Tory party conference. Reflecting on the criticism she received for being seen as slow on policy announcements, she says that the position the Conservatives were in was ‘more perilous than people realise’ and compares herself to the CEO of an a…

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Quite right!: is Labour 'racist' too? 25:15

21d ago25:15

25:15

Listeners on the Best of Spectator playlist can enjoy a section of the latest episode of Quite right! but for the full thing please seek out the Quite right! channel. Just search ‘Quite right!’ wherever you are listening now. This week, Michael and Maddie report from the Labour party conference in Liverpool and unpick Keir Starmer’s big speech. Was…

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Americano: Prof Mearsheimer on why Trump’s ‘deal of the century’ won’t work 21:45

21d ago21:45

21:45

Donald Trump has unveiled his “peace plan” for Gaza with Benjamin Netanyahu – but is it realistic? Professor John Mearsheimer joins Freddy Gray to assess Trump’s foreign policy instincts, the role of Tony Blair on the Board of Peace, the use (and misuse) of the term “genocide,” and what chance there is of a Saudi-Israeli accord emerging from the co…

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Coffee House Shots: Shabana Mahmood in conversation with Michael Gove 49:06

22d ago49:06

49:06

Whilst a certain noisy northern mayor has positioned himself as the problem child of conference 2025, The Spectator finds another Labour politician far more interesting. All around Liverpool the newsstands are decorated by the image of the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, dubbed the ‘Terminator’ by Tim Shipman in the most recent issue of The Spectat…

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Americano: is James Comey going to jail? 27:53

22d ago27:53

27:53

Freddy Gray speaks to Jacob Heilbrunn, a longstanding friend of Americano to discuss James Comey, violence in Washington and Tucker Carlson’s new series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Spectator Out Loud: Matthew Parris, Stephen J. Shaw, Henry Jeffreys, Tessa Dunlop and Angus Colwell 30:34

23d ago30:34

30:34

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Matthew Parris reflects on the gay rights movement in the UK; faced with Britain’s demographic declines, Stephen J. Shaw argues that Britain needs to recover a sense of ‘futurehood’; Henry Jeffreys makes the case for disposing of wine lists; Tessa Dunlop reviews Valentine Low’s Power and the Palace: The Inside Sto…

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Reparations: the tyranny of imaginary guilt, with Nigel Biggar & Katie Lam 18:53

24d ago18:53

18:53

The past few years have seen growing calls for countries in the global west to pay reparations to former colonies for their role in the transatlantic slave trade. The debate over reparations was already part of the so-called ‘culture wars’, but became louder following the Black Lives Matter movement, as many groups sought to re-examine their histor…

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Coffee House Shots: Michael Gove interviews Steve Reed 28:52

25d ago28:52

28:52

On the eve of Labour’s party conference, the Spectator's editor Michael Gove sits down with Steve Reed MP, the new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government. The government has announced an historic £5 billion package of funding for 'national renewal' – designed to revive high streets, parks and public spaces. Reed explains …

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Matthew Parris, Stephen J. Shaw, Henry Jeffreys, Tessa Dunlop and Angus Colwell 30:34

26d ago30:34

30:34

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Matthew Parris reflects on the gay rights movement in the UK; faced with Britain’s demographic declines, Stephen J. Shaw argues that Britain needs to recover a sense of ‘futurehood’; Henry Jeffreys makes the case for disposing of wine lists; Tessa Dunlop reviews Valentine Low’s Power and the Palace: The Inside Sto…

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The Edition: Labour’s Terminator, Silicon Valley’s ‘Antichrist’ obsession & can charity shops survive? 36:40

26d ago36:40

36:40

First: who has the Home Secretary got in her sights? Political editor Tim Shipman profiles Shabana Mahmood in the Spectator’s cover article this week. Given Keir Starmer’s dismal approval ratings, politicos are consumed by gossip about who could be his heir-apparent – even more so, following Angela Rayner’s defenestration a few weeks ago. Mahmood m…

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The Book Club: Rebellion and Resistance of the Enslaved in the Atlantic World 43:15

27d ago43:15

43:15

Sam's guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is the historian Sudhir Hazareesingh, whose new book Daring to Be Free: Rebellion and Resistance of the Enslaved in the Atlantic World reframes the story of Atlantic slavery. He explains why the familiar tale of enlightened Europeans bringing about abolition leaves out the most important voices of all – …

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Quite right!: Blair's ID card dystopia & the 'hell' of conference season 27:32

28d ago27:32

27:32

Listeners on the Best of Spectator playlist can enjoy a section of the latest episode of Quite right! but for the full thing please seek out the Quite right! channel. Just search ‘Quite right!’ wherever you are listening now. This week, Michael and Maddie lift the lid on the strange rituals of party conference season and why the ‘goldfish bowl’ rea…

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Americano: how scary is China's military? 19:53

29d ago19:53

19:53

Freddy Gray is joined by Harry Kazianis, editor in chief of the National Security Journal, to assess China’s military rise. He argues Beijing aims to dominate the Indo-Pacific with missiles, drones and naval power, posing a growing threat to U.S. influence and Taiwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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Spectator Out Loud: John Power, Nick Carter, Elisabeth Dampier, Maggie Fergusson & Mark Mason 25:36

30d ago25:36

25:36

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: John Power argues the Oxford Union has a ‘lynch-mob mindset’; Elisabeth Dampier explains why she would never date a German; Nick Carter makes the case for licensing MDMA to treat veterans with PTSD; Maggie Fergusson reviews Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island by Mike Pitts; and,…

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Holy Smoke: 800 years on, why is Aquinas Gen Z’s favourite philosopher? 25:28

1M ago25:28

25:28

This year marks 800 years since the birth of the theologian St Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas, best known for his theory of natural law and his magnum opus the Summa Theologia, argued for the existence of God through faith-based reason. The influence of the 13th Century theologian on the philosophy of religion is unquestionable, but what is curious is his…

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Coffee House Shots: should Britain recognise Palestine? 17:29

1M ago17:29

17:29

The government is expected to press ahead with recognition of Palestinian statehood, before a formal declaration at the United Nations. Prime Minister Keir Starmer set out plans earlier this year to recognise Palestine – but what does this actually mean? And what does the move actually achieve; is it driven by principle, by politics – or by pressur…

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John Power, Nick Carter, Elisabeth Dampier, Maggie Fergusson & Mark Mason 25:36

1M ago25:36

25:36

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: John Power argues the Oxford Union has a ‘lynch-mob mindset’; Elisabeth Dampier explains why she would never date a German; Nick Carter makes the case for licensing MDMA to treat veterans with PTSD; Maggie Fergusson reviews Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island by Mike Pitts; and,…

1
The Edition: Weimar Britain, the war on science & are you a competitive reader? 35:42

1M ago35:42

35:42

First: a warning from history Politics moving increasingly from the corridors of power into the streets, economic insecurity exacerbating tensions and the centre of politics failing to hold; these are just some of the echoes from Weimar Germany that the Spectator’s editor Michael Gove sees when looking at present-day Britain. But, he says, ‘there a…

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Book Club: Roger Lewis on Peter Sellers 37:31

1M ago37:31

37:31

Sam Leith's guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Roger Lewis, whose book The Life and Death of Peter Sellers has been republished to mark 100 years since the comedian's birth. Roger tells Sam about the difference between Sellers's public persona and private life, plus his influence on comedy today. They also discuss how Roger reinvented the wa…

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Quite right!: Why Danny Kruger's defection changes everything & could Boris Johnson be next? 53:59

1M ago53:59

53:59

This week Michael and Madeline unpick the shock defection of Danny Kruger to Reform UK’s ‘pirate ship’ – as described by Michael – and ask whether this coup could mark the beginning of the end for the Conservative party. They also dive into Westminster’s most charged moral debates: the assisted dying bill in the Lords and the quiet decriminalisatio…

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Table Talk: Raymond Blanc 39:19

1M ago39:19

39:19

In a bumper episode, the legend that is Raymond Blanc joins Olivia Potts and Lara Prendergast. The self-taught chef heads up the double Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, has trained chefs from Heston Blumenthal to Marco Pierre White, and received an honorary OBE in 2008. His new book Simply Raymond Kitchen Garden is out now. The chef te…

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Spectator Out Loud: James Heale, Robert Hardman, Francis Pike, Henrietta Harding & Mary Wakefield 31:21

1M ago31:21

31:21

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale reports on the battle for the north; Robert Hardman provides his royal notebook; who’s really in charge of China, asks Francis Pike; Henrietta Harding goes on Ozempic safari; and, Mary Wakefield explains how to raise a patriot. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p…

1
James Heale, Robert Hardman, Francis Pike, Henrietta Harding & Mary Wakefield 31:21

1M ago31:21

31:21

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale reports on the battle for the north; Robert Hardman provides his royal notebook; who’s really in charge of China, asks Francis Pike; Henrietta Harding goes on Ozempic safari; and, Mary Wakefield explains how to raise a patriot. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Become a Spectator subscriber to…

1
Americano: what’s driving political violence? 17:30

1M ago17:30

17:30

Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from south-west Utah, has been detained over the shooting of Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of Donald Trump. Author and anthropologist Max Horder joins Freddy Gray to discuss the cocktail of online hate and tribal divisions that's fuelling America's new era of political violence. Hosted on Acast. See acas…

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Holy Smoke: the next Archbishop of Canterbury 21:47

1M ago21:47

21:47

It is 10 months since the resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury. Now, finally, the Crown Nominations Commission is believed to have drawn up a shortlist of candidates, and a successor to Welby could be approved by October. Theologian and author Andrew Graystone joins Damian Thompson to talk through what he calls ‘a weak list’ of p…