The Standard

As celebrities glammed up for New York’s Met Gala, there was a stand-out star - Marilyn Monroe’s 1962 dress with six thousand crystals, which is worth nearly $5 million and was given a new lease of life by reality star Kim Kardashian.Would you rent out your clothes instead of buying new? Meet the London-based technology companies hoping to save the planet and your bank balance.We speak with Sacha Newall, founder of My Wardrobe HQ, and Eshita Kabra, founder of By Rotation.The CEOs tell us what’s hot on their designer clothes rental platforms - and how to make the most of what you already own. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fans of the Crawleys, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ is officially out in UK cinemas. The second film of the franchise sees the aristocratic family go on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess's newly inherited villa. Also, this time around the family find themselves dealing with financial difficulties and need to find a way to make money. Creator Julian Fellowes who wrote the script for the previous installments returned to pen this outing too. Charlotte O’Sullivan is the Chief Film Critic for The Evening Standard and went to the movie’s  premiere in London. She gives her review and explains whether in the changing world of costume dramas there’s still a place for Downton Abbey. Today we talk about:Charlotte’s review of the film (02:17)The secret to Downton Abbey’s success (03:30)Whether there’s still a place for Downton Abbey in the changing world of costume dramas (04:47)For the latest news follow us on Twitter @EveningStandard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Russian energy giant Gazprom suspends gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, the Standard’s Consumer Business Editor Jonathan Prynn discusses whether there will be knock-on effects for UK homes.Also, how will Russia’s invasion of Ukraine impact the cost-of-living crisis and what’s the risk of a recession later in 2022?While the UK relies on just four per cent of its liquefied natural gas from Russia, the interlinked complexities of Europe’s energy market means prices can be influenced by what happens on the Continent.Gazprom halted gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland after they failed to pay in roubles.In a statement, the firm said it had “completely suspended gas supplies” to the countries, which both border Ukraine.The decision followed Poland’s announcement that it was imposing sanctions on 50 individuals and companies, that included Gazprom.Russian President Vladimir Putin last month warned the world’s largest natural gas producer would require what he called “unfriendly” countries to pay for fuel in roubles via special bank accounts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Her Majesty’s Passport Office is suffering huge delays following Brexit and the pandemic.Now amid the cost-of-living squeeze, the prime minister is threatening to privatise the service if bosses can’t get a grip on the backlog.Passport Office phone lines are jammed, and even its £142-a-go fast-track website has crashed - so holidaymakers are understandably getting very nervous their travel documents will be returned in time.So what is the solution for getting the service back on an even keel?The Evening Standard’s deputy political editor, David Bond, joins the Leader to discuss the latest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twitter has a new boss… none other than the richest man on the planet, Elon Musk.With the $44 billion takeover confirmed, it has many people concerned about the ethical issues involved with a man of Musks’ power owning such an influential platform. Also, there are worries about the Tesla and SpaceX founder being a self proclaimed ‘free speech absolutist’ and what that could mean moving forward. Professor Charlie Beckett, Director of Polis, the independent journalism think tank at the London School of Economics explains what the future of Twitter could look like. Today we talk about:Should the richest man in the world be able to own one of the most influential social media platforms (01:44)What are some of the biggest ethical issues involving this takeover (03:04)What does the future of Twitter look like? (07:25)For the latest news follow us on Twitter @EveningStandard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Misogyny in Parliament… it's still happening. An anonymous Tory MP has made an outrageously offensive allegation to the Mail on Sunday that Labour front bencher Angela Rayner ‘crossed and uncrossed her legs’ during PMQs, in an attempt to ‘distract’ the Prime Minister. The PM himself has written to Rayner and posted on social media condemning the outrageous allegation and showing his support for her. Claire Reynolds, Director of the Labour Women’s Network, gives her reaction and tells us exactly what women are still dealing with in Westminster. Today we talk about:Claire’s reaction to the allegation in the Mail on Sunday article (00:58)What the Labour Women’s Network did to help prepare Angela Rayner for public life and the training it offers members (03:26)How often are there reports of misogyny in Westminster? (04:23)How should the situation be handled now (07:20)For the latest news follow us on Twitter @EveningStandard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we talk to Andy Shovel, co-founder of vegan food brand THIS about his business, and how he swapped a burger brand for his new plant-based venture.THIS has become one of the fastest-growing vegan brands in the UK, and this year it’s targeting £20 million pounds in annual revenue and launching what a “huge” range of products.Andy discusses why he swapped a beef burger business for a plant-based brand, what life is like going up against other plant-based food brands, and the future of vegan food.You can listen to the full interview in our An Invitation To Meet series here.For more business news, interviews and analysis go to standard.co.uk/business Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show online shopping has taken a hit, as the cost of living crisis worsens.Online sales dropped by 7.9% in March according to the ONS, following on from a 6.9% fall in February.Meanwhile fuel sales volumes fell by 3.8% as petrol and diesel prices remain high.Rachael Burford, the Evening Standard’s political reporter discusses the drop in online shopping sales, how the cost of living crisis is changing people's behaviours, and what impact it will have on the economy.In this episode:Why figures are worse than some had expected (0.47)Are people cutting down on trips in the car? (1.50)Cost of living crisis impacting all business (2.42)Will people give up their subscriptions? (3.51)How will the economy cope? (5.02)Inflation rising and risk of energy price gap rising (5.56)How can the government ease the crisis even further? (7.13)Follow us on Twitter for more news, features and interviews @EveningStandard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has accused Piers Morgan of “doctoring” footage from their latest interview, to make it look like he stormed out.The TV presenter posted a dramatic trailer for his interview with Mr Trump, which is part of a new talk show called Piers Morgan Uncensored.In a statement, Mr Trump alleged the clip was doctored to make him look bad, which Piers denied.The row caused quite a stir in the press and on social media.The Evening Standard’s Arts Correspondent Robert Dex discusses the ‘beef’ between Piers Morgan and Donald Trump, and explains why the publicity is only a good thing for both parties.In this episode:How the Piers/Trump row started (0.50)What to expect from the full interview (2.15)How will this row impact Trump's re-election hopes? (3.01)Who got the better deal out of the interview? (4.07)Nigel Farage's role in the row (5.20)How will Piers be received by the UK on his return to TV? (6.52)Will people continue to buy into publicity stunts in future? (8.08)Follow us on Twitter for more news, interviews and features @EveningStandard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Netflix has lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of the year, sending the company’s shares plummeting.The streaming giant reported a drop in subscribers for the first time in a decade, causing shares to plunge 27% in pre-market trading. Market research firm Kantar claims it’s partly down to the cost of living crisis in the UK, as people try to save money by cutting out subscription services.The Evening Standard's Consumer Business Editor Jonathan Prynn discusses the drop in subscribers, how big a part the cost of living crisis has played in that drop, and what other factors are at play.In this episode:Why has Netflix suffered this loss in subscribers? (0.57)How the cost of living crisis has impacted the streaming service (1.45)How volatile the market is for streaming giants (2.47)Has the Netflix price hike caused people to unsubscribe? (4.07)Will this boost the competition between streaming giants? (5.01)Could streaming services drop their prices to claw back customers? (6.11)Follow us on Twitter for more news @EveningStandard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.