Best of the Spectator

In this week’s Book Club podcast Sam's guest is Lauren Hough - author of an outstanding new collection of autobiographical essays called Leaving Isn’t The Hardest Thing which describe a life that took her from growing up in the Children Of God cult via being discharged from the US Air Force and jobs as a bouncer in a gay bar and a “cable guy” on the road to being a writer. She talks about not writing a misery memoir, what elites don’t know about working class life, “lesbian drama”, and the benefits of revising your work on magic mushrooms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is it like to be a journalist in China? There are obvious restrictions on freedom of speech, but, as Cindy Yu finds out on this episode, there are creative ways to navigate the strict system of censorship. The end result is a complex media landscape - some have to litter investigations with state propaganda; others continue to report on sensitive issues (like the Wuhan Covid cover up) and rely on editors for protection; while growing digitisation and a strongman President continue to threaten what little independence flourished at the beginning of the century.With political scientist Maria Repnikova, author of Media Politics in China, and former journalist Fang Kecheng, now an Associate Professor in Journalism at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, Lisa Bjurwald reports on the Swedish monarchy going woke (01:20); Douglas Murray argues that the culture wars fit the UK even less well than the US (07:00); and Stuart Jeffries interviews the world's first AI artist.Also on the podcast: a complaints letter to the Times after their March 2020 story that Carrie Symonds and Boris Johnson were considering giving their dog up for adoption. The letter, though never sent, was revealed on Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The past year has served as a reminder how quickly one's personal circumstances can change. In uncertain times such as these, financial resilience is more important than ever. But whilst savings for some Brits have surged in the pandemic, it's not been the case for everyone. 41pc of UK households could not last more than three months without their main source of income. If you are in a bad place, what are the best steps?Katy Balls is joined by Tracey Crouch, Conservative MP and former minister for sports, civil society and loneliness, who's also been a leading campaigner on gambling reform; Bridget Phillipson, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury; and Nicola Bannister, Lloyds Banking Group's Collections Effectiveness Director for Retail.Sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re still none the wiser about the origins of coronavirus, but has the lab leak theory just got more credible (00:55) Also on the podcast: are English tourists welcome in Scotland (15:25)? And is being rude the secret to success?With author Matt Ridley, virologist Dr Dennis Carroll, deputy political editor Katy Balls, hotelier Gordon Campbell Gray, journalists Harry Mount and Rebecca Reid.Presented by William Moore.Produced by Cindy Yu, Max Jeffery and Sam Russell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Leith's guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Julian Sancton, whose new book Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey Into the Dark Antarctic Night, documents the crew of men who were the first to experience an Antarctic winter trapped in the ice, in an attempt to reach the South Pole. Sancton speaks about the background of some of the eccentric characters that made up the Belgica - and the stomach turning cuisine that is penguin meat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Jephson is a consultant, journalist, broadcaster and New York Times best selling author. From 1988 to 1996, Patrick worked first as Princess Diana's equerry and then as her private secretary. He is also currently a historical consultant on Netfilx's The Crown.On the podcast, he talks to Lara and Olivia about bonding over mealtimes with his fellow seamen when in the Navy, having ambassadorial dinners and English Rail sandwiches with the royals, and being cooked for by Pavarotti's personal pasta chef. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the UK’s vaccine rollout provides a way out of the Covid pandemic, we are set to discover a host of new crises created from over a year spent in and out of lockdown. The cancer crisis is just starting to unfold, as it’s estimated around 3 million people missed cancer screenings between last April and August alone. How do we begin to catch-up, as NHS waiting lists grow? What could have been done differently? And what lessons can be learned to help cancer patients access faster, and better, care?Kate Andrews talks to Delyth Morgan, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now; Professor Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer at NHS England; Gordon Wishart, chief executive at Check4Cancer; and Neil Pumford, Asset Strategy Lead at Abbvie. This podcast is sponsored by Abbvie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Richard Dobbs reads his piece on why he's considering giving up his second vaccine for people more in need (00:55); Tanya Gold reports from her Kent road trip in a Ferrari (07:50); and Rory Sutherland on the unexpected joys of lockdown and why we may miss it when it's gone. (12:45) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the future of transport look like? From electric vehicles to driverless cars, a smarter way to get around the city may be just around the corner. The future of transport will be more efficient, more digital and greener - but what are the challenges that still stand in the way?Kate Andrews talks to Rachel Maclean, the Minister for Transport, Roger Hunter, VP for Electric Mobility at Shell, and Professor David Levinson, a civil engineer at the University of Sydney.This podcast is sponsored by Shell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.