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.
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- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 33 minutes
- Episodes
- 2368
- Years Active
- 2016 - 2025
The Book Club: Nathan Thrall
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 …
00:35:19 |
Wed 07 Aug 2024
Chinese Whispers: how oil became the latest food scandal
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…
00:52:55 |
Mon 05 Aug 2024
Americano: How long will Kamalamania last?
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…
00:26:20 |
Sun 04 Aug 2024
Spectator Out Loud: James Heale, Lara Prendergast, Patrick Marnham, Laura Gascoigne and Michael Simmons
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…
00:32:03 |
Sat 03 Aug 2024
Women With Balls: Rachel Reeves, from the archives
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 …
On the podcast, she talks to Katy about being a …
00:39:58 |
Fri 02 Aug 2024
The Edition: Keir Starmer’s plan to soften Brexit
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…
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…
00:41:56 |
Thu 01 Aug 2024
The Book Club: David Baddiel
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 ho…
00:41:15 |
Wed 31 Jul 2024
Table Talk: with Fred Smith
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 t…
On t…
00:30:44 |
Tue 30 Jul 2024
Spectator Out Loud: Damian Thompson, Paola Romero, Stuart Jeffries, Ysenda Maxtone Graham, and Nicholas Farrell
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 C…
00:34:55 |
Sat 27 Jul 2024
Americano: Will Kamala's campaign implode?
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 …
00:35:34 |
Fri 26 Jul 2024
The Edition: the curious rise of Kamala Harris
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 unexpec…
00:47:51 |
Thu 25 Jul 2024
Book Club: Neil Jordan
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 f…
00:43:06 |
Wed 24 Jul 2024
Chinese Whispers: why China loves Taylor Swift
‘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 diffe…
00:46:45 |
Mon 22 Jul 2024
Spectator Out Loud: Kate Andrews, Adam Frank, David Hempleman-Adams, Svitlana Morenets and Michael Beloff
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 mig…
00:39:28 |
Sat 20 Jul 2024
Holy Smoke: A Habsburg Archduke explains how not to be nasty on Twitter
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 …
00:24:25 |
Fri 19 Jul 2024
The Edition: is Donald Trump now unstoppable?
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…
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…
00:37:02 |
Thu 18 Jul 2024
The Book Club: Collected Poems of Roger McGough
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 w…
00:34:59 |
Wed 17 Jul 2024
Americano: Will JD Vance bridge America's class divide?
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…
00:26:36 |
Tue 16 Jul 2024
Americano: Why did the Secret Service fail Donald Trump?
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. Th…
00:20:37 |
Mon 15 Jul 2024
Americano: Trump shot – what next?
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 a…
00:21:10 |
Sun 14 Jul 2024
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