Newscast
BBC News
The BBC's daily news podcast, Newscast dives into the day's biggest news stories so you're never out of your depth.Newscast picks the brains of BBC News experts so you're ready if someone picks yours, covering the latest news, developments in politics in Westminster and beyond.Newscast is hosted by trusted politics and news journalists including Adam Fleming, BBC Political Editor Chris Mason, Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O'Connell. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.Catch Newscast seven-days a week and watch on BBC One at 23:40 on Thursday night or later on BBC iPlayer. GET IN TOUCH:
You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord
Send us a message or voicenote via WhatsApp to 03301239480
Email Newscast@bbc.co.uk
Or use the hashtag #BBCNewscastYou can register for Castfest tickets here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/castfest-2026
You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord
Send us a message or voicenote via WhatsApp to 03301239480
Email Newscast@bbc.co.uk
Or use the hashtag #BBCNewscastYou can register for Castfest tickets here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/castfest-2026
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 25, 2022 • 30min
Down Grade
GCSE grades are out and they show a growing regional divide in England. Adam is joined by BBC Education correspondent Hazel Shearing, and Sam Freedman, senior fellow at the Institute for Government, to chew over the results.UK households will soon find out how much their bills will rise when the new energy price cap is announced on Friday. Claer Barrett, the consumer editor at the Financial Times, answers your questions on energy costs.And presenter Scott Mills hangs up his Radio 1 headphones for the last time.Today’s episode was produced by Clare Williamson with Natalie Ktena and Cordelia Hemming. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.
Aug 24, 2022 • 52min
Ukrainecast: Six Months On
Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko from Ukrainecast, mark the anniversary of Russia's war in Ukraine by following the stories of Max, Anna, Hussain, Maksym and Viktoria, none of whom will ever be the same again. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Chris Flynn, Arsenii Sokolov, Philip Marzouk, Louise Hidalgo and Clare Williamson. The technical producer and sound designer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.
Aug 23, 2022 • 35min
Not a Moment too Moon
NASA’s mega-rocket lunar mission is go for launch!The BBC's science editor Rebecca Morelle explains everything you need to know about the American space agency’s latest Moon mission. Also, Newsnight’s UK Editor Sima Kotecha and BBC Kent political reporter Michael Keohan discuss why a new 24-hour record has been set for migrant crossings on the English Channel. And Isabel Hilton from ChinaDialogue.net describes the repercussions of China’s most intense heat wave on record. Today’s episode was made by Tim Walklate with Clare Williamson and Natalie Ktena. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.
Aug 22, 2022 • 33min
Raising the Bar
Criminal barristers in England and Wales will take part in an indefinite strike. The BBC's Dom Casciani and barrister Rosalind Burgin explain what's going on. And at the end of an era... Chris Stark and Scott Mills prepare to leave Radio 1, by reflecting on their decade-long audio bromance.Today’s episode was made by Tim Walklate with Miranda Slade and Natalie Ktena. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.
Aug 19, 2022 • 29min
Rental Arithmetic
Are the under 30s facing a cost-of-renting crisis?New BBC research has found that four in 10 of this age group are now spending more than 30% of their pay on rent. Adam is joined by Victoria Spratt, author of Tenants, and Adam Shaw from Radio 4’s Money Box Live.Also, pollution warnings were put in place on 40 beaches across England and Wales this week, after flash flooding overwhelmed sewage systems. Friend of the pod Emma Vardy fills us in.Today’s episode was made by Tim Walklate with Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.
Aug 18, 2022 • 28min
University Challenges
The results are in! On the day that students receive their exam results, we also find out that the BBC’s Amol Rajan is the new host of University Challenge. Adam is joined by the iconic voice of the game show, Roger Tilling, to talk about outgoing presenter Jeremy Paxman’s legacy. We talk A-Levels, T-Levels and Btecs with Laura McInerney, co-founder of the Teacher Tapp survey app and Simon Beale, history and politics teacher at Vyners School in Uxbridge. And the Finnish Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, is facing a backlash after a video of her partying was shared on social media. Saska Saarikosi, editor of Finland’s largest subscription newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, takes us through the story.Today’s episode was produced by Tim Walklate with Alix Pickles and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.
Aug 17, 2022 • 40min
Who is Rishi Sunak?
Newscast profiles the Tory leadership candidate.How have his politics been shaped by his education and jobs? How is he viewed in his Yorkshire constituency? What does he like to eat and drink apart from Coca-Cola?
In this Newscast special Adam is joined by Rishi Sunak’s friend, and fellow Conservative MP in Yorkshire, Kevin Hollinrake, podcaster Jimmy McLoughlin, who has known him since he became an MP, and Charlotte Ivers, Political Correspondent at Times Radio, to profile the man who might be our next prime minister. Today’s episode was produced by Clare Williamson with Daniel Wittenberg and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.
Aug 16, 2022 • 38min
Who is Liz Truss?
Who is Liz Truss and what would she be like as leader? Are the comparisons with Margaret Thatcher accurate? What was going on with that cheese speech?
In this special episode of Newscast, Adam talks to her former special adviser Kirsty Buchanan, Institute for Economic Affairs director and university friend Mark Littlewood, and Charlotte Ivers, political correspondent at Times Radio, to profile the woman who could be our next prime minister.Today’s episode was produced by Tim Walklate with Cordelia Hemming, Danny Wittenberg and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.
Aug 15, 2022 • 34min
The Fall of Kabul: One Year On
What’s happened to Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover?Adam is joined by the BBC’s Lyse Doucet and Yalda Hakim to look back at the days and months that followed the fall of Kabul, and what challenges face the country going forward.Labour leader Keir Starmer has said his party would freeze the energy price cap at its current level until March, to help with the cost of living. Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, gives his assessment of the proposals.Today’s episode was produced by Tim Walklate with Alix Pickles and Cordelia Hemming. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.
Aug 12, 2022 • 38min
Salman Rushdie Attacked
The novelist is stabbed in New York state. The BBC's Katie Razzall, gives Adam the latest on the incident and the background to the author.On the day a drought is declared across parts of England, Gardener’s World and Gardener’s Question Time go head-to-head to give you the best tips for looking after your outside spaces.And seven UK cities are short-listed as potential hosts for next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. We chat with Guy Freeman, who produced the last British-based contest in 1998.Today’s episode was made by Beth Rose, Cordelia Hemming and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.
