Electioncast. Brexitcast. Newscast. Coronavirus Newscast. Newscast.
You'd be forgiven for losing track. There have been so many enormous stories in recent years that the BBC has to continuously re-brand its daily news podcast! But thank goodness it's so reactive because this is the place for informed, impartial and lighthearted chat about the biggest stories and why they matter. Mixed with behind-the-scenes insights about reporting on the front line and speaking with those making headlines. The golden nuggets are often anecdotes from Laura Kuenssberg and Chris Mason chasing down politicians at Westminster or Katya Adler and Adam Fleming running after European leaders in Brussels...
It's spontaneous, funny and very laid back. Often recorded at 'silly o'clock' - when frankly you don't know how they're still standing - it has the air of four friends chatting away about the day's events after they've taken the mics off their lapels and the cameras have stopped rolling. Swapping stories while guiding us expertly through key points of interest and the main protagonists.
The podcast launched in 2017 to cover the general election and quickly morphed into Brexitcast. What initially seemed like a niche idea with a potentially narrow fan base soon soared to the top of the charts. It turns out there was an enormous appetite for dissecting the minutiae of Withdrawal Agreements and Free Trade Deals in an up beat and good humoured way. We shouldn't have been surprised. Brexit nerds around the world had found their long-lost home and everyone else flocked to discover what on earth was going on. They filled a gaping hole in a market dominated by deathly dull commentary on Brexit.
But the podcast didn't lose its unique-ness in its rise to stardom. Adam's ring binders are infamous in this community...
Brexit chat has since given way to the pandemic and world beyond. Schengen and the backstop have been overtaken by PPE, Russia and Huawei. But it's not doom and gloom. You come away having learned something and had a laugh (or quiet chuckle), and if that isn't enough, you can listen *and* watch on the telly. That's right. It's now a TV show too. The kind of popularity to which every podcast aspires.
If you've not tuned in before, this week is a fun place to start as guest presenters were let loose in the studio and so to whet your appetite, here's a quick week-in-the-life of Newscast.
Monday: Vaccine Breakthrough
The first guest presenter in the hot seat was 5 Live's Rachel Burden who guided us through the results of the initial stage of the Oxford vaccine. On hand for expert analysis was the BBC's Medical Correspondent Fergus Walsh and Professor Andrew Pollard from the Oxford research group. Amazingly, the normal seven year vaccine development time-scale has accelerated to around seven weeks! Not compromising on safety but speeding up bureaucratic processes. I think we all felt exhausted hearing Andrew's typical day spans from 6am till midnight. time-Walsh and Professor Andrew Pollard from the Oxford research group.
Tuesday: The Russia Report
Clive Myrie took the reins and for one day only ditched the 6 o'clock news for the Newscast HQ. Dialling in from Moscow was the BBC's Steve Rosenberg standing in front of the Kremlin to give us his verdict on the hotly anticipated Russia Report. Further insight was provided by financier Bill Browder who's spent the last decade seeking justice for his tax advisor Sergei Magnitsky. Clive then rolled back the years with a former journalist colleague in Los Angeles and brought us up to speed with the protests in Portland, Oregon. But of course the key exclusive was Clive presenting in a onesie and slippers. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we all hope this was true...
Wednesday: Under New Management
Next up was BBC Breakfast's Naga Munchetty who I'm pretty sure is a keen golfer and therefore gets an instant 10/10 from me! She guided us expertly through the rumbling saga of antisemitism in the Labour Party and brought us the latest on the Labour Party agreeing to pay damages to seven former employees. Laura gave us a first-hand account of the action in court while BBC investigative journalist John Ware shared his thoughts on the Panorama expose. The highlight for me, however, was hearing from award-winning novelist Elif Shafak who spoke about the power of fiction to foster empathy and connection in politics and to overcome differences with others.
Thursday: Boris Johnson - Year One
Can anyone believe the PM has been in No.10 for a year already? I couldn't - and Newscast ensured we had a full run down of the highs and lows of Johnson's 365 days in office. Providing the juicy gossip was Will Walden, Boris' former Director of Communications, and previous editor Max Hastings. We got the inside track on the Night of the Long Knives and heard that more than one minister cried at losing their job. But the jury's still out on who Walden chivvied out of Number Ten with his crutches...
Friday: Jane Garvey and Greg James
The title says it all really. You know you're in for a treat when the episode is named after the guest presenter. Woman's Hour meets Radio 1 as Greg James tells us about his latest stunt to say, "up yours!" to Coronavirus. We get a first-hand account of mask wearing in a local chip shop and a really interesting chat with a self-described reformed anti-vaxxer.
There's a cracking pun in Friday's episode notes too: "Fortunately for Newscast, Jane Garvey's in the hot seat". If you're none the wiser, hop over to the Fortunately pod with Fi and Jane. It's a crime and surprise to anyone who knows me that it hasn't yet appeared on my blog. I bang on about it enough in everyday conversation. All I can say is, watch this space...
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