Best Bryan Atkinson Podcasts (2025)

1
The Book Club: Lucy Mangan 34:02

21m ago34:02

34:02

In this week’s Book Club podcast I am joined by Lucy Mangan, author of Bookish: How Reading Shapes Our Lives. She tells me what teenagers did before they had Young Adult books to read, the bizarre demise of the author of Goodnight Moon, and the wisdom of forsaking the busy world for an armchair and a good book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac…

1
Holy Smoke: a Jewish guide to arguing 51:50

6h ago51:50

51:50

Daniel Taub, former Israeli Ambassador to the UK, joins Damian Thompson to talk about his new book Beyond Dispute: Rediscovering the Jewish art of constructive disagreement. In a fast-moving interview, Daniel explains how the art of arguing has shaped Jewish humour and scholarship, and Damian asks him about keeping kosher, life after death – and th…

1
Americano: left-wing violence is being normalised 18:39

11h ago18:39

18:39

In the new edition of Spectator World, author and anthropologist Max Horder argues that the US is experiencing a change in its psyche, and left-wing violence is being normalised. He joins Freddy Gray on the Americano podcast to discuss the various examples attached to this, and what the dereliction of democratic disagreement means for us all. This …

1
Holy Smoke: finding spiritual treasure in César Franck 36:20

2d ago36:20

36:20

The Belgian composer César Franck – unfairly associated with kitsch and sentimentality by certain cultural sophisticates – wrote some of the most spiritually inspiring music of the late 19th century. In this episode of Holy Smoke, Damian Thompson talks to the British-Israeli pianist Ariel Lanyi, who has just recorded Franck’s late masterpiece Prélu…

1
Rupert Lowe on Reform turmoil, Chagos ‘treason’ and taking the Tory whip 48:37

3d ago48:37

48:37

The Spectator’s editor Michael Gove and assistant editor Madeline Grant interview Rupert Lowe, MP for Great Yarmouth and notorious Westminster provocateur. Earlier this year, Lowe was suspended from the Reform party amid claims of threats towards the party’s then-chairman Zia Yusuf, and a souring relationship with Nigel Farage. Following his politi…

1
Americano: did the swamp drain Elon Musk? 22:41

3d ago22:41

22:41

Billionaire Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump have had a very public falling out. Musk, whose time running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) came to an end last month, publicly criticised Trump’s spending bill (the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’). The row then erupted onto social media with Trump expressing his disappointment with …

1
Max Jeffery, Tanya Gold, Madeline Grant, Matthew Parris and Calvin Po 28:49

5d ago28:49

28:49

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Max Jeffery tracks down the Cambridge bike bandit (1:10); Tanya Gold says that selling bathwater is an easy way to exploit a sad male fetish (5:38); Madeline Grant examines the decline of period dramas (10:16); a visit to Lyon has Matthew Parris pondering what history doesn’t tell us (15:49); and, Calvin Po visits…

1
Spectator Out Loud: Max Jeffery, Tanya Gold, Madeline Grant, Matthew Parris and Calvin Po 28:49

26m ago28:49

28:49

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Max Jeffery tracks down the Cambridge bike bandit (1:10); Tanya Gold says that selling bathwater is an easy way to exploit a sad male fetish (5:38); Madeline Grant examines the decline of period dramas (10:16); a visit to Lyon has Matthew Parris pondering what history doesn’t tell us (15:49); and, Calvin Po visits…

1
The Edition: Nigel wants YOU, secularism vs spirituality & how novel is experimental fiction? 51:41

34m ago51:41

51:41

How Reform plans to win Just a year ago, Nigel Farage ended his self-imposed exile from politics and returned to lead Reform. Since then, Reform have won more MPs than the Green Party, two new mayoralties, a parliamentary by-election, and numerous councils. Now the party leads in every poll and, as our deputy political editor James Heale reveals in…

1
The Book Club: Alice Loxton 37:09

1d ago37:09

37:09

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is the historian Alice Loxton, whose new book Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives is just out in paperback. In it, she tells the story of the early lives of individuals as disparate as the Venerable Bede and Vivienne Westwood. On the podcast, Alice tells me about Geoffrey Chaucer’s racy past, w…

1
Table Talk: Jun Tanaka 22:25

13h ago22:25

22:25

Jun Tanaka is a Japanese-British chef with over 30 years’ experience in some of London’s most famous restaurants, including La Gavroche, Restaurant Marco Pierre White and The Square. In 2016 he opened the Ninth, which was awarded a Michelin star two years later. On the podcast, Jun tells Lara why the smell of baking brings back early food memories,…

1
Americano: America's white guilt hangover 35:43

1d ago35:43

35:43

From the decline of meritocracy to the rise of anti-Western ideology, author Heather Mac Donald joins Freddy Gray to discuss race, merit, and victim hierarchy. Why is the West so desperate to self-cancel? And is now a moment of reckoning considering we're five years on from the BLM protests? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati…

1
Holy Smoke: is God an Englishman? 31:52

10d ago31:52

31:52

Bijan Omrani joins Damian Thompson to talk about his new book God is an Englishman: Christianity and the Creation of England. They discuss the spiritual and cultural debt the country owes to Christianity. The central question of Bijan’s book is ‘does it matter that Christianity is dying in England?’. The faith has historically played a disproportio…

1
Coffee House Shots: should cannabis be decriminalised? 20:55

11d ago20:55

20:55

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has called for possession of small amounts of cannabis to be decriminalised following a report by the London Drugs Commission. The report has made 42 recommendations, which include removing natural cannabis from the Misuse of Drugs Act. Former cabinet minister, now Labour peer, Charlie Falconer and Tory MP Dr Neil Shastr…

1
Spectator Out Loud: Arabella Byrne, Sean Thomas, Mathew Lyons, Bryan Appleyard & Chas Newkey-Burden 28:07

12d ago28:07

28:07

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Arabella Byrne on the social minefield of private swimming pools (1:13); Sean Thomas says that not knowing where you are is one of the joys of travel (5:34); reviewing Helen Carr’s Sceptred Isle: A New History of the 14th Century, Mathew Lyons looks at the reality of a vivid century (11:34); reviewing Tim Gregory’…

1
Arabella Byrne, Sean Thomas, Mathew Lyons, Bryan Appleyard & Chas Newkey-Burden 28:07

12d ago28:07

28:07

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Arabella Byrne on the social minefield of private swimming pools (1:13); Sean Thomas says that not knowing where you are is one of the joys of travel (5:34); reviewing Helen Carr’s Sceptred Isle: A New History of the 14th Century, Mathew Lyons looks at the reality of a vivid century (11:34); reviewing Tim Gregory’…

1
The Edition: end of the rainbow, rising illiteracy & swimming pool etiquette 49:51

13d ago49:51

49:51

End of the rainbow: Pride’s fall What ‘started half a century ago as an afternoon’s little march for lesbians and gay men’, argues Gareth Roberts, became ‘a jamboree not only of boring homosexuality’ but ‘anything else that its purveyors consider unconventional’. Yet now Reform-led councils are taking down Pride flags, Pride events are being cancel…

1
Americano: what does Sam Altman want? 28:05

6d ago28:05

28:05

Freddy Gray speaks to writer and author Karen Hao, whose new book Empire of AI looks at a new, ominous age of empire with OpenAI. On the podcast they discuss the impacts of artificial intelligence on society and democracy and how Open AI founder Sam Altman has become a controversial figure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio…

1
Book Club: Robert Macfarlane 40:41

7d ago40:41

40:41

Sam Leith's guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is Robert Macfarlane. In his new book Is A River Alive? he travels from the cloud forests of Ecuador to the pollution-choked rivers of Chennai and the threatened waterways of eastern Canada. He tells Sam what he learned along the journey – and why we need to reconceptualise our relationship with th…

1
Holy Smoke: the mystifying process – and problems – behind choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury 38:54

8d ago38:54

38:54

After Pope Francis died, it took the Roman Catholic Church just 17 days to choose a successor in Pope Leo XIV. It has been well over 6 months since Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned and we are only just making sense of those chosen to sit on the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), that will recommend his successor. Even then, it’s unli…

1
Coffee House Shots: why is antisemitism so pervasive? Irving v Lipstadt 25 years on 30:28

9d ago30:28

30:28

This spring marks the 25th anniversary of the landmark judgment in the infamous Irving v Lipstadt Holocaust denial case. David Irving sued American academic Deborah Lipstadt after she had described him as a Holocaust denier in her 1994 book, for his claims that Jews had not been systematically exterminated by the Nazis. Given the burden of proof in…

1
Spectator Out Loud: James Heale, Angus Colwell, Alice Loxton, Lloyd Evans, Richard Bratby, Christopher Howse and Catriona Olding 37:41

10d ago37:41

37:41

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale analyses the splits in Labour over direction and policy (1:27); Angus Colwell asks if the ‘lanyard class’ are the new enemy (6:21); Alice Loxton explains why bize-sized histories have big appeal (9:58); Lloyd Evans reports on how Butlin’s is cashing in on nostalgia (15:00); Richard Bratby on Retrospect…

1
Women With Balls, from the archives: Jo Coburn 33:48

18d ago33:48

33:48

Broadcaster Jo Coburn stepped down from Politics Live this week and has left the BBC after 28 years. To mark the occasion, here’s a special edition of Women With Balls – from the archives – where Jo joined the Spectator's former political editor Katy Balls in 2019, shortly after launching Politics Live. On the podcast, Jo tells Katy about starting …

1
James Heale, Angus Colwell, Alice Loxton, Lloyd Evans, Richard Bratby, Christopher Howse and Catriona Olding 37:41

18d ago37:41

37:41

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale analyses the splits in Labour over direction and policy (1:27); Angus Colwell asks if the ‘lanyard class’ are the new enemy (6:21); Alice Loxton explains why bize-sized histories have big appeal (9:58); Lloyd Evans reports on how Butlin’s is cashing in on nostalgia (15:00); Richard Bratby on Retrospect…

1
Coffee House Shots: David Gauke on prisons, probation & the political reaction to his review 17:41

19d ago17:41

17:41

Former Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor David Gauke joins James Heale to talk about his review into prison sentencing. The former Tory minister was appointed by the current Labour Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, but says there is a clear centre-right argument for prison reform. He talks James through his policy proposals and the political r…

1
The Edition: the real Brexit betrayal, bite-sized history & is being a bridesmaid brutal? 43:58

20d ago43:58

43:58

The real Brexit betrayal: Starmer vs the workers ‘This week Starmer fell… into the embrace of Ursula von der Leyen’ writes Michael Gove in our cover article this week. He writes that this week’s agreement with the EU perpetuates the failure to understand Brexit’s opportunities, and that Labour ‘doesn’t, or at least shouldn’t exist to make the lives…

1
The Book Club: Geoff Dyer, the Proust of prog rock and Airfix 38:35

21d ago38:35

38:35

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Geoff Dyer, who’s talking about his memoir Homework, in which he describes growing up as an only child in suburban Cheltenham, and how the eleven-plus and the postwar settlement irrevocably changed his life – propelling him away from the timid and unfulfilled world of his working-class parents. Geoff, in…

1
Low Life: The Spectator columns of Jeremy Clarke 28:14

21d ago28:14

28:14

To mark the second anniversary of the death of Jeremy Clarke – one of the Spectator’s most loved writers – we’ve compiled some of his Low Life columns, as read by Jeremy in 2016, for this special episode of Spectator Out Loud. Included in this compilation are: New Man (00:42); Virgin (5:16); Debauchery Competition (9:32); Buddhism (14:12); The Beac…

1
Low Life: The Spectator columns of Jeremy Clarke 28:14

21d ago28:14

28:14

To mark the second anniversary of the death of Jeremy Clarke – one of the Spectator’s most loved writers – we’ve compiled some of his Low Life columns, as read by Jeremy in 2016, for this special episode of Spectator Out Loud. Included in this compilation are: New Man (00:42); Virgin (5:16); Debauchery Competition (9:32); Buddhism (14:12); The Beac…

1
Table Talk: Daria Lavelle, author of 'Aftertaste' 32:26

22d ago32:26

32:26

Daria Lavelle was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and raised in New York. Her work explores themes of identity and belonging and her short stories have appeared in The Deadlands, Dread Machine, and elsewhere. Daria is the author of the critically acclaimed new novel Aftertaste which explores food, grief and the uncanny. On the podcast she tells Liv about he…

1
Americano: was Zbigniew Brzezinski a Cold War prophet? 30:00

23d ago30:00

30:00

Polish émigré Zbigniew Brzezinski – known as ‘Zbig’ – rose to prominence in America during the Cold War as a key intellectual architect of US foreign policy. He was National Security Advisor to President Carter and was a trusted advisor to many US presidents from John F Kennedy onwards. Yet, despite helping to shape American foreign policy during c…

1
Spectator Out Loud: Michael Gove, Max Jeffery, Paul Wood, Susannah Jowitt and Leyla Sanai 37:26

24d ago37:26

37:26

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Michael Gove interviews Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood (1:17; Max Jeffery shadows the police as they search for the parents of three abandoned babies (14:41); Paul Wood asks if this is really the end of the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (20:57); Susannah Jowitt reports that death has come to the Chelsea Flo…

1
Michael Gove, Max Jeffery, Paul Wood, Susannah Jowitt and Leyla Sanai 37:26

25d ago37:26

37:26

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Michael Gove interviews Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood (1:17; Max Jeffery shadows the police as they search for the parents of three abandoned babies (14:41); Paul Wood asks if this is really the end of the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (20:57); Susannah Jowitt reports that death has come to the Chelsea Flo…

1
Coffee House Shots: should Kemi Badenoch go? 30:36

25d ago30:36

30:36

Kemi Badenoch has come in for criticism since becoming leader of the opposition – for her energy, her performances at PMQs and her inability to galvanise her shadow cabinet. On this podcast, James Heale hosts the trial of Kemi Badenoch and asks whether someone else might be better placed to take the Tories into the next election and – more importan…

1
Americano: what is Trump doing in the Middle East? 28:33

26d ago28:33

28:33

President Trump is an America Firster, but he has an undeniable affinity for the Arab world. He would have made a good sheik: he doesn’t drink, he loves developing flashy properties to show off his power and wealth, and he’s brutally realistic about the role of oil (and other commodities) in world politics. On his tour of the Middle East, he signed…

1
The Edition: Britain's billionaire exodus, Michael Gove interviews Shabana Mahmood & Hampstead's 'terf war' 41:53

27d ago41:53

41:53

The great escape: why the rich are fleeing Britain Keir Starmer worries about who is coming into Britain but, our economics editor Michael Simmons writes in the magazine this week, he should have ‘sleepless nights’ thinking about those leaving. Since 2016, nearly 30,000 millionaires have left – ‘an outflow unmatched in the developed world’. Tax cha…

1
The Book Club: Julie Bindel 47:59

28d ago47:59

47:59

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is the writer, activist and Spectator contributor Julie Bindel. In her new book Lesbians: Where Are We Now?, Julie asks why lesbian liberation seems – as she sees it – to have taken one step forward and two steps back. She traces the history of lesbian activism, explains why we’re wrong to assume that lesbi…

1
Americano: how to revive the American mind 32:39

29d ago32:39

32:39

Freddy Gray speaks to Spectator World's Editor-at-Large Ben Domenech about this month's issue, the Reviving of the American Mind, and Ben's interview with Christopher Rufo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.By The Spectator

1
Americano: is the trade deal a coup for Starmer? 26:20

1M ago26:20

26:20

Trump has announced a beautiful new deal with the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and President shared a phone call to congratulate one another. It is the first trade deal agreed after Mr Trump began his second presidential term in January, and after he imposed strict tariffs on countries around the world in April. Freddy Gray speaks to Sarah El…

1
Olenka Hamilton, Melanie McDonagh, Hannah Moore, James Delingpole and William Atkinson 30:24

1M ago30:24

30:24

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Olenka Hamilton ponders whether Poland’s revival is a mirage (1:24); Melanie McDonagh asks who killed the postal service (9:52); Hannah Moore argues that family cars aren’t built for families any more (14:35); James Delingpole reviews Careme from Apple TV and Chef’s Table from Netflix (21:15); and, William Atkinso…

1
Coffee House Shots Live: Zia Yusuf and Jacob Rees-Mogg 1:27:40

1M ago1:27:40

1:27:40

The post-mortem has begun on a historic set of local elections – but where does each party go from here? Is Reform unstoppable? Is Kemi the one to lead the Conservative rebuild? Do Labour really ‘get it’? Michael Gove, James Heale and Lucy Dunn are joined by special guests Zia Yusuf and Jacob Rees-Mogg to unpack these questions – as well as the bro…

1
Olenka Hamilton, Melanie McDonagh, Hannah Moore, James Delingpole and William Atkinson 30:24

1M ago30:24

30:24

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Olenka Hamilton ponders whether Poland’s revival is a mirage (1:24); Melanie McDonagh asks who killed the postal service (9:52); Hannah Moore argues that family cars aren’t built for families any more (14:35); James Delingpole reviews Careme from Apple TV and Chef’s Table from Netflix (21:15); and, William Atkinso…

1
Holy Smoke: Does Pope Leo XIV represent continuity or change? 19:45

1M ago19:45

19:45

From Rome Fr Benedict Kiely and Damian Thompson react to the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as the successor to Pope Francis. The first American Pope, Prevost is also a citizen of Peru, having spent years working as first a parish pastor and teacher, and later as a bishop. The 267th Bishop of Rome is also the first native English-speaking pope…

1
The Edition: Scuzz Nation, the death of English literature & are you a bad house guest? 40:39

1M ago40:39

40:39

Scuzz Nation: Britain’s slow and grubby decline If you want to understand why voters flocked to Reform last week, Gus Carter says, look no further than Goat Man. In one ward in Runcorn, ‘residents found that no one would listen when a neighbour filled his derelict house with goats and burned the animals’ manure in his garden’. This embodies Scuzz N…

1
The Book Club: The Making of William Shakespeare 50:09

1M ago50:09

50:09

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Daniel Swift. Daniel’s new book, The Dream Factory: London’s First Playhouse and the Making of William Shakespeare, tells the fascinating story of a theatrical innovation that transformed Elizabethan drama – and set the stage, as it were, for the rise of our greatest playwright. Hosted on Acast. See acas…

1
Table Talk: Mary-Ellen McTague 24:45

1M ago24:45

24:45

Mary-Ellen McTague is a chef based in Manchester. She is the culinary driving force behind Aunbury, 4244, the Creameries and her newest venture, Pip at the Treehouse Hotel. Mary-Ellen is also the co-founder of Eat Well MCR, which has delivered almost 100,000 meals across Greater Manchester since 2020 to those sidelined by poverty. On the podcast, s…

1
G3, Faith & The Future of Podcasting w/ Virgil Walker 39:22

1M ago39:22

39:22

In this can’t-miss episode of The BAR Podcast, Dawain sits down with his longtime friend Virgil Walker of G3 Ministries. From deep theological truths to the evolution of podcasting and cultural commentary, this is more than just an interview—it’s a masterclass in purpose, platform, and faith. They chop it up about the G3 Conference, cultural shifts…

1
A compilation of Chinese Whispers: understanding China 1:37:57

1M ago1:37:57

1:37:57

As Chinese Whispers comes to an end, here is a compilation of some of the best discussions Cindy Yu has had across the podcast to understand modern China and President Xi. On this episode you can hear from: journalist Bill Hayton on what it means to be Chinese (1:10); writer and actor Mark Kitto and author Alex Ash on being foreign in China (13:07)…

1
Holy Smoke: who is likely to succeed Francis? 40:39

1M ago40:39

40:39

The papal conclave is due to begin on Wednesday 7 May to elect a successor to Pope Francis. As host Damian Thompson says, Rome – and the entire Church – is in a state of ‘fevered excitement’. While this is to be expected, most commentators agree that this conclave will be one of the most consequential elections for centuries. At stake are both the …

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