Best Spectator Out Loud Podcasts (2025)

1
Max Jeffery, Cosmo Landesman, Henry Blofeld, David Honigmann & Rachel Johnson 28:14

1d ago28:14

28:14

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Max Jeffery reports from court as the Spectator and Douglas Murray win the defamation cause brought against them by Mohammed Hijab; Cosmo Landesman defends those who stay silent over political issues; Henry Blofeld celebrates what has been a wonderful year for test cricket; David Honigmann reflects on the powder k…

1
Spectator Out Loud: Max Jeffery, Cosmo Landesman, Henry Blofeld, David Honigmann & Rachel Johnson 28:14

1d ago28:14

28:14

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Max Jeffery reports from court as the Spectator and Douglas Murray win the defamation cause brought against them by Mohammed Hijab; Cosmo Landesman defends those who stay silent over political issues; Henry Blofeld celebrates what has been a wonderful year for test cricket; David Honigmann reflects on the powder k…

1
Holy Smoke: how has John Henry Newman inspired Pope Leo XIV? 30:41

2h ago30:41

30:41

St John Henry Newman (1801-90) is perhaps the most influential theologian in the history of English Christianity. Yet, as Damian Thompson discusses with Fr Rod Strange – one of the world’s leading authorities on Newman – he was a divisive figure, though perhaps not in the way one might imagine. One of the founders of the Oxford Movement, Newman was…

1
Americano: Ann Coulter on why Trump wins & why Reform can win 30:34

8h ago30:34

30:34

Freddy Gray is joined by author Ann Coulter in London, to discuss why she backs the rise of Reform UK, how immigration main issue voters care about this election and why she's backing Trump in his second term. Ann Coulter's Substack can be found at: anncoulter.substack.com

1
The Edition: Reform’s motherland, Meloni’s Italian renaissance & the adults learning to swim 45:28

6h ago45:28

45:28

First: Nigel Farage is winning over women Does – or did – Nigel Farage have a woman problem? ‘Around me there’s always been a perception of a laddish culture,’ he tells political editor Tim Shipman. In last year’s election, 58 per cent of Reform voters were men. But, Shipman argues, ‘that has begun to change’. According to More in Common, Reform ha…

1
Coffee House Shots: what Douglas Murray’s court win means for press freedom 9:55

17h ago9:55

9:55

The Spectator and Douglas Murray have comprehensively won a defamation case brought by Mohammed Hegab. Hegab, a YouTuber who posts under the name Mohammed Hijab, claimed that an article about the Leicester riots, written by Douglas Murray and published by The Spectatorin September 2022, caused serious harm to his reputation and led to a loss of ear…

1
Book Club: Nicola Barker 26:34

1d ago26:34

26:34

Sam Leith's guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Nicola Barker, talking about her new book TonyInterruptor -- about how a man who interrupts a free jazz concert becomes a viral sensation on social media. Nicola tells Sam why some of her books are bouts of the flu and some are sneezes, how hard she works on her apparently spontaneous prose, why…

1
Americano: Trump, MAGA and US foreign policy 23:53

2d ago23:53

23:53

Trump, MAGA, and US foreign policy Kate Andrews speaks to Damir Marusic, assignment editor at The Washington Post and co-founder of Wisdom of Crowds. They examine Donald Trump’s surprising foreign policy moves in his second term: his position on the Israel-Gaza conflict, why he's armed Ukraine despite MAGA frustration, and whether his instincts are…

1
Coffee House Shots: why can't we agree on data? 11:13

3d ago11:13

11:13

John O’Neill and Sam McPhail, the Spectator’s research and data team, join economics editor Michael Simmons to re-introduce listeners to the Spectator’s data hub. They take us through the process between the data hub and how their work feeds into the weekly magazine. From crime to migration, which statistics are the most controversial? Why can’t we…

1
Spectator Out Loud: Michael Simmons, Kapil Komireddi, Margaret Mitchell, David Abulafia and Melissa Kite 26:30

3d ago26:30

26:30

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Michael Simmons argues that Trump is winning the tariff war with China; Kapil Komireddi reviews Robert Ivermee’s Glorious Failure: The Forgotten History of French Imperialism in India; Margaret Mitchell watches a Channel 4 documentary on Bonnie Blue and provides a warning to parents; David Abulafia provides his no…

1
Holy Smoke: Massacres in Syria and the Congo 27:25

6d ago27:25

27:25

Massacres in Syria and the Congo: why aren't Western elites, including the Churches, drawing attention to religious persecution? After the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, many people voiced fears that the religious minorities in the country could face increased persecution. This could be at the hands of the new government’s supporters, or simply…

1
Coffee House Shots: the Online Safety Act vs free speech 26:13

7d ago26:13

26:13

Is the Online Safety Act protecting children – or threatening free speech? Michael Simmons hosts John Power, who writes the Spectator's cover piece this week on how the Act has inadvertently created online censorship. Implemented and defended by the current Labour government, it is actually the result of legislation passed by the Conservatives in 2…

1
Michael Simmons, Kapil Komireddi, Margaret Mitchell, David Abulafia and Melissa Kite 26:30

9d ago26:30

26:30

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Michael Simmons argues that Trump is winning the tariff war with China; Kapil Komireddi reviews Robert Ivermee’s Glorious Failure: The Forgotten History of French Imperialism in India; Margaret Mitchell watches a Channel 4 documentary on Bonnie Blue and provides a warning to parents; David Abulafia provides his no…

1
Americano: Lionel Shriver on Trump’s second term 35:37

9d ago35:37

35:37

Lionel Shriver on Trump’s vendetta, Mamdani’s ‘stupid’ ideas & sentimental immigration Deputy US editor Kate Andrews is joined by author and Spectator columnist Lionel Shriver to assess Donald Trump’s turbulent second term. They discuss the rise of socialism in New York, why fairness is warping immigration policy, and whether Trump’s obsession with…

1
The Edition: Under CTRL, the Epping migrant protests & why is ‘romantasy’ so popular? 38:32

10d ago38:32

38:32

First: the new era of censorship A year ago, John Power notes, the UK was consumed by race riots precipitated by online rumours about the perpetrator of the Southport atrocity. This summer, there have been protests, but ‘something is different’. With the introduction of the Online Safety Act, ‘the government is exerting far greater control over wha…

1
Book Club: Gary Shteyngart 34:38

11d ago34:38

34:38

Sam Leith is joined for this week's Book Club podcast by Gary Shteyngart — whose new novel Vera, or Faith is set in a near-future America whose politics seems to be less science-fictional by the day. It tells the unexpectedly tender story of a bright but lonely ten-year-old girl contending with her parents' failing marriage and navigating the begin…

1
Americano: what should we make of Trump's trip to the UK? 26:30

12d ago26:30

26:30

Donald Trump is in Scotland, holding court at Turnberry. He's welcomed Sir Keir and Lady Victoria Starmer to his golf course, and had a long discussion with reporters at a wide ranging press conference, that covered Russia, Gaza, and his long running feud with London mayor Sadiq Khan. To unpack it all, Freddy is joined by political editor Tim Shipm…

1
Table Talk: Charlotte Ivers 34:26

12d ago34:26

34:26

Charlotte Ivers is the restaurant critic for the Sunday Times; most recently she reviewed Lupa, Fenix and Home SW15. Charlotte started her career as a media adviser in Theresa May’s Number 10, before she moved into the world of radio. She was a political correspondent at talkRADIO and Wireless Group before joining Times Radio. On the podcast, Charl…

1
Americano: Douglas Murray on conspiracy America, Epstein & the new age of suspicion 30:28

13d ago30:28

30:28

Douglas Murray on conspiracy America, lawfare & the new age of suspicion Donald Trump promised to release the Epstein files – so why hasn't he? Spectator columnist Douglas Murray joins Kate Andrews to discuss the scandal that won't go away, what it says about trust in institutions, and why even Trump’s most loyal supporters are starting to turn on …

1
Spectator Out Loud: Ian Thomson, Patrick Kidd, Mike Cormack, Ursula Buchan and Richard Bratby 35:54

14d ago35:54

35:54

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Ian Thomson on what the destruction of the Hotel Oloffson means for Haiti (00:54); Patrick Kidd analyses Donald Trump and the art of golf diplomacy (06:43); Mike Cormack reviews Irvine Welsh’s Men In Love (16:49); Ursula Buchan provides her notes on the Palm House at Kew (20:38); and, Richard Bratby argues that Jo…

1
Coffee House Shots: Katie Lam on immigration, benefits and the border 24:00

15d ago24:00

24:00

Katie Lam became an MP in 2024 after a career in finance. She's also an accomplished scriptwriter, having co-written five musicals. She's one of the most exciting new intake MPs, and she's ruffling feathers in Westminster and beyond. She joins political editor Tim Shipman to discuss everything from her vision for the country to the ECHR, and shares…

1
Americano: did Condé Nast shape the world? 34:33

16d ago34:33

34:33

Did Condé Nast shape the world? In this episode of Americano, Freddy Gray speaks with New York Times writer and debut author Michael Grynbaum about his new book Empire of the Elite, a sweeping history of Condé Nast – the media empire that once dictated American taste, fashion, and celebrity. From Anna Wintour’s carefully staged exit to the vanished…

1
Ian Thomson, Patrick Kidd, Mike Cormack, Ursula Buchan and Richard Bratby 35:54

16d ago35:54

35:54

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Ian Thomson on what the destruction of the Hotel Oloffson means for Haiti (00:54); Patrick Kidd analyses Donald Trump and the art of golf diplomacy (06:43); Mike Cormack reviews Irvine Welsh’s Men In Love (16:49); Ursula Buchan provides her notes on the Palm House at Kew (20:38); and, Richard Bratby argues that Jo…

1
The Edition: soul suckers of private equity, Douglas Murray on Epstein & are literary sequels ‘lazy’? 44:02

17d ago44:02

44:02

The soul suckers of private equity, Douglas Murray on Epstein and MAGA & are literary sequels ‘lazy’? First up: how private equity is ruining Britain Gus Carter writes in the magazine this week about how foreign private equity (PE) is hollowing out Britain – PE now owns everything from a Pret a Manger to a Dorset village, and even the number of chi…

1
Book Club: Frances Wilson 44:01

18d ago44:01

44:01

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is the biographer Frances Wilson, whose new book Electric Spark: The Enigma of Muriel Spark was recently lauded in these pages as "mesmerising" and "a revolutionary book". She tells me how she immersed herself in the spooky life and peerless art of the great novelist, and why a conventional biographical tre…

1
Coffee House Shots: what's left of the Tories? with Michael Gove and Tim Shipman 15:15

19d ago15:15

15:15

What's left of the Tories? The Commons is closing down for the summer, but Kemi Badenoch has treated us to a shadow cabinet reshuffle. At the beginning of the year, Badenoch’s team were keen to stress stability, dismissing talk of an early reshuffle. But, as so often in politics, events have forced her hand. Ed Argar, the shadow health secretary, h…

1
Americano: is Epstein the new Russiagate? 27:37

19d ago27:37

27:37

Is Epstein the new Russiagate? Freddy Gray is joined by Spectator writer Roger Kimball. They delve into the Epstein claims, the media's handling of the story, Trump’s economic agenda, and whether the MAGA movement is holding strong or starting to splinter.

1
Americano: will AI have rights? 17:51

20d ago17:51

17:51

Will AI have rights? Freddy Gray speaks to Spectator writer Paul Wood about his piece this the latest edition of Spectator World on AI and whether it will soon have rights. This first came about when Paul went to live in Rome and discovered some of the work the Vatican has been doing in AI.

1
Spectator Out Loud: Mark Mason, Mary Wakefield, Matthew Parris and Philip Patrick 25:05

21d ago25:05

25:05

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Mark Mason reminisces about old English bank notes (00:33), Philip Patrick wonders whether AI will replace politicians in Japan (04:04), Matthew Parris wonders why you would ever trust a travel writer (10:34) and Mary Wakefield looks at the weird world of cults (17:42).…

1
Mark Mason, Mary Wakefield, Matthew Parris and Philip Patrick 25:05

22d ago25:05

25:05

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Mark Mason reminisces about old English bank notes (00:33), Philip Patrick wonders whether AI will replace politicians in Japan (04:04), Matthew Parris wonders why you would ever trust a travel writer (10:34) and Mary Wakefield looks at the weird world of cults (17:42). Become a Spectator subscriber today to acces…

1
Coffee House Shots Live: are the Tories toast? 1:13:02

22d ago1:13:02

1:13:02

The strange death of Tory England has been predicted before. But never has the ‘natural party of government’ faced a greater challenge to survive. The Conservatives are facing attacks on all fronts from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK. Kemi Badenoch’s six-month anniversary as leader was marked by the loss of nearly 700 councillors, with…

1
Americano: Trump – the conventional foreign policy President? 27:49

23d ago27:49

27:49

Trump has said he's "very, very unhappy" with Russia, and threatened severe tariffs against them if there's no deal on Ukraine within 50 days. He's also sending more weapons to Ukraine in coordination with NATO. What's behind his change of heart on foreign policy, and how's his MAGA base responding? Freddy Gray is joined by deputy US editor Kate An…

1
The Edition: how the Bank broke Britain, Zelensky’s choice & the joys of mudlarking 49:07

24d ago49:07

49:07

First up: how the Bank of England wrecked the economy Britain’s economy is teetering on the brink of a deep fiscal hole, created by billions of pounds of unfunded spending – never-ending health promises, a spiralling welfare bill and a triple lock on the state pension, which will cost three times as much as originally estimated. Although politician…

1
The Book Club: Irvine Welsh on the new Trainspotting sequel 34:18

25d ago34:18

34:18

My guest this week is Irvine Welsh – who, three decades after his era-defining hit Trainspotting, returns with a direct sequel, Men In Love. Irvine tells me what Sick Boy, Renton, Spud and Begbie mean to him, why his new book hopes to encourage a new generation to discover Romantic verse and shagging, and why MDMA deserves more credit for the Good …

1
Table Talk: Candice Chung 32:11

25d ago32:11

32:11

Candice Chung is a food writer whose work has been featured in many publications, including the Guardian. Her first book, Chinese Parents Don’t Say I Love You, is out now. On the podcast, she tells Liv about her earliest memories of food growing up in Hong Kong, why trying lasagne for the first time was a magical experience, and how Chinese parents…

1
Holy Smoke Live: Recovering the Sacred 1:15:18

27d ago1:15:18

1:15:18

Last week The Spectator held a live event entitled ‘Recovering the Sacred’ in the glorious surroundings of St Bartholomew the Great, the oldest parish church in the City of London. The speakers included two London parish priests – one Anglican, one Catholic – who have contributed much to the growing interest among young people in traditional liturg…

1
Coffee House Shots: Amanda Spielman on the SEND row and Labour’s Ofsted blind spot 22:00

29d ago22:00

22:00

As Labour looks to get a grip on public spending, one rebellion gives way to another with the changes to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system threatening to become welfare round two. On this week’s Saturday edition of Coffee House Shots, Lucy Dunn is joined by The Spectator’s Michael Simmons and former Ofsted chief Amanda Sp…

1
Spectator Out Loud: Sophia Falkner, Roger Lewis, Olivia Potts, Aidan Hartley and Toby Young 26:38

30d ago26:38

26:38

This week: Sophia Falkner profiles some of the eccentric personalities we stand to lose when Keir Starmer purges the hereditary peers; Roger Lewis’s piece on the slow delight of an OAP coach tour is read by the actor Robert Bathurst; Olivia Potts reviews two books in the magazine that use food as a prism through which to discuss Ukrainian heritage …

1
Sophia Falkner, Roger Lewis, Olivia Potts, Aidan Hartley and Toby Young 26:38

30d ago26:38

26:38

This week: Sophia Falkner profiles some of the eccentric personalities we stand to lose when Keir Starmer purges the hereditary peers; Roger Lewis’s piece on the slow delight of an OAP coach tour is read by the actor Robert Bathurst; Olivia Potts reviews two books in the magazine that use food as a prism through which to discuss Ukrainian heritage …

1
The Edition: Keir's peer purge, how to pick an archbishop & is AI ruining sport? 44:28

1M ago44:28

44:28

This week: Peerless – the purge of the hereditary peers For this week’s cover, Charles Moore declares that the hereditary principle in Parliament is dead. Even though he lacks ‘a New Model Army’ to enforce the chamber’s full abolition, Keir Starmer is removing the hereditary peers. In doing so, he creates more room, reduces the Conservatives’ numer…

1
The Book Club: M. John Harrison 34:30

1M ago34:30

34:30

My guest this week is the writer M. John Harrison, who joins me to talk about the rerelease of his 1992 novel The Course of the Heart – a deeply strange and riddling story of grief, friendship, memory and occult magic. We talk about why this book is so personal to him, what he learned from Charles Williams and Arthur Machen, turning his back on sci…

1
Coffee House Shots: can Keir defrost the 'entente glaciale'? 13:27

1M ago13:27

13:27

Zut alors! The French are in town. Emmanuel Macron is on his state visit this week, spending time today with the King and tomorrow with the Prime Minister. His itinerary includes a state dinner and an address to both Houses of Parliament this afternoon. All the pageantry, of course, is for a reason: to defrost what Tim Shipman calls the ‘entente gl…

1
Americano: Victor Davis Hanson on left-wing rage, Musk’s grudge, & America’s identity crisis 47:00

1M ago47:00

47:00

Victor Davis Hanson, classicist, historian, and author of The End of Everything, joins Freddy Gray to discuss Zoran Mamdani’s shock candidacy win, the future of the Democratic Party, and rising class tensions in American politics. They also explore third-party prospects, Trump’s economic policies, and shifting global dynamics.…

1
Coffee House Shots: Labour’s first year (in review) with Tim Shipman & Quentin Letts 22:00

1M ago22:00

22:00

Cast your mind back a year. Labour had just won a storming majority, promising ‘change’ to a stale Tory party that was struggling to govern. But have things got any better? In the magazine this week, Tim Shipman writes the cover piece to mark the occasion of Labour’s first year in government. He takes readers through three chapters: from Sue Gray (…

1
Spectator Out Loud: John Connolly, Gavin Mortimer, Dorian Lynskey, Steve Morris and Lloyd Evans 26:03

1M ago26:03

26:03

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: John Connolly argues that Labour should look to Andy Burnham for inspiration (1:51); Gavin Mortimer asks if Britain is ready for France’s most controversial novel – Jean Raspail’s The Camp of the Saints (4:55); Dorian Lynskey looks at the race to build the first nuclear weapons, as he reviews Frank Close’s Destroy…

1
John Connolly, Gavin Mortimer, Dorian Lynskey, Steve Morris and Lloyd Evans 26:03

1M ago26:03

26:03

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: John Connolly argues that Labour should look to Andy Burnham for inspiration (1:51); Gavin Mortimer asks if Britain is ready for France’s most controversial novel – Jean Raspail’s The Camp of the Saints (4:55); Dorian Lynskey looks at the race to build the first nuclear weapons, as he reviews Frank Close’s Destroy…

1
The Edition: Claws out for Keir, Mamdani’s poisoned apple & are most wedding toasts awful? 45:36

1M ago45:36

45:36

This week: one year of Labour – the verdict In the magazine this week Tim Shipman declares his verdict on Keir Starmer’s Labour government as we approach the first anniversary of their election victory. One year on, some of Labour’s most notable policies have been completely changed – from the u-turn over winter fuel allowance to the embarrassing c…

1
Book Club: Karin Slaughter 35:43

1M ago35:43

35:43

Sam Leith's guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is one of the most popular living thriller writers. Karin Slaughter has made her native Georgia her fictional territory, and she joins Sam as she launches a new series set in a whole new county, with the book We Are All Guilty Here. They talk 'planning versus pantsing', what it means to write viole…

1
Holy Smoke: it’s time for Pope Leo XIV to make some tough decisions 12:50

1M ago12:50

12:50

Nearly everyone loves Robert Prevost, the unassuming baseball fan from Chicago who unexpectedly became Pope Leo XIV this year. But as he prepares to spend his summer in Castel Gandolfo he has some difficult decisions to make. Is he prepared to clear up all the doctrinal confusion created by his predecessor Pope Francis? And will he allow liberal bi…

1
Table Talk: Thomasina Miers, co-founder of Wahaca 17:54

1M ago17:54

17:54

Thomasina Miers is a chef, writer and restaurateur who co-founded Wahaca – the award-winning restaurant group that brought bold, sustainable Mexican street food to the UK. Her new book, Mexican Table, is out in August. On the podcast, Thomasina tells Lara about early memories of stirring onion with her mother, why she moved her family across the wo…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Spectator Out Loud Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide