Nick joins Amol from the border between Bulgaria and Turkey, which is also the border between the EU and rest of the world. What happens here has a direct impact on what happens in the English Channel, so in this special episode he reports on the migration routes into Europe - where people are coming from, why they're coming and what, if anything, can be done to stop the people smugglers. Along the way he meets people hoping to make the crossing into Europe and some who ultimately want to come t...
Nov 18, 2024•25 min
Ahead of a planned protest by farmers who are angry about the Budget, Amol and Nick talk to farmer and best-selling author James Rebanks. Plus, as Donald Trump's top team takes shape and he hires Elon Musk to jointly lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency”, they discuss what his appointments tell us about his approach to China and the war in Ukraine. The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s m...
Nov 14, 2024•41 min
In this bonus live episode Amol and Nick are joined by fellow Today presenter Justin Webb who is in Washington DC. Together they answer questions about what Trump does next, why the pollsters got it so wrong, what they would ask Donald Trump if he came on the podcast and when Justin gets some sleep after presenting the Today programme overnight from America. The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s me...
Nov 07, 2024•46 min
In this episode we look forward and discuss what a second Trump presidency could mean for the world with Lord Sedwill who was the UK’s most senior civil servant and national security adviser when Trump was last in the White House. Amol and Nick also speak to Mike Gonzalez who is a senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington DC about what we can expect from Donald Trump this time round. The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of ...
Nov 06, 2024•56 min
How will the first Budget by a female chancellor and the first from a Labour government since 2010 be remembered? Nick is joined by Stephanie Flanders, head of economics and politics at Bloomberg, and Professor Tim Leunig from the London School of Economics, who advised two Conservative chancellors. Together they dig deeper into the Budget following Nick’s interview with Rachel Reeves on the Today programme. Plus Amol takes a break from half term childcare to give us his reflections. The Today P...
Oct 31, 2024•36 min
In this episode we bring you Nick’s full interview with the Chancellor after she delivered the first Labour Budget since 2010. Later Nick will be joined by former BBC economics editor Stephanie Flanders and economist Tim Leunig to unpick what was in the Budget and what she said in the interview. That will be available on Thursday afternoon. To make sure you don’t miss it subscribe to The Today Podcast on BBC Sounds so you get an alert every time we release a new episode. You can also listen any ...
Oct 31, 2024•16 min
In this bonus episode, Nick and Amol answer more of your questions. How much power does a political spin doctor have? How do journalists look after their mental health? And what happens if a guest swears on air? If you have a question you’d like to Nick and Amol to answer, get in touch by sending us a message or a voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email us on today@bbc.co.uk Subscribe to The Today Podcast on BBC Sounds so you don’t miss an episode. You can also listen any time on yo...
Oct 26, 2024•22 min
In this exclusive interview Kate Bush talks to Today presenter Emma Barnett about a new short film she has made for the charity War Child, her music reaching a whole new audience through the TV series Stranger Things and her plans for the future. Plus, Emma tells Amol how she got such a rare interview with the music legend. The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson, both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former...
Oct 25, 2024•19 min
The billionaire boss of X, Tesla and SpaceX is backing Donald Trump in the US election, so what are his motivations and how should politicians deal with him? Amol and Nick talk to Ryan Mac, a reporter at the New York Times and author of ‘Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter’. Plus, they’re joined in the studio by Kirsty Young to talk about the new series of Young Again, the art of the long-form interview and her poignant speech as the coverage of the Queen's funeral drew to a close. ...
Oct 24, 2024•57 min
After two decades in politics, including 10 cabinet positions under four prime ministers, Michael Gove is no stranger to the heat of a Conservative leadership contest. With Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick now going head-to-head in the final stage of the race to choose the party’s next leader, the Tory veteran joins Nick and Amol to give his assessment of the two candidates. What are their strengths and weaknesses? And what is the future - not just of the Conservative party - but the right more ...
Oct 17, 2024•55 min
This week marks 100 days of Keir Starmer’s government. But the new Prime Minister has already faced several setbacks, with stories swirling of freebies, party infighting, and anger at the scrapping of the winter fuel payments scheme. Nick and Amol sit down with Thangam Debbonaire, the former Labour MP and Shadow Culture Secretary, who lost her seat in the 2024 election. Is the negative media coverage of the new government unfair? Does Starmer have a ‘politics problem’? And what is it like to wat...
Oct 10, 2024•54 min
In the week that Israel invaded Lebanon and Iran attacked Israel with missiles, Nick and Amol take a step back to ask how we got here. They’re joined in the studio by Sir Simon Gass, one of the UK’s most experienced Iran watchers who was the UK ambassador to Tehran and political director at the Foreign Office. How powerful is Iran? What might happen now both Hezbollah and Hamas appear to have been weakened? And what are his hopes and fears for the wider Middle East? Plus, newsreader and Radio 4 ...
Oct 03, 2024•57 min
Ruby Wax began her career as a classically trained actor. She’s also starred in sitcoms, made documentaries and done celebrity interviews. Now she’s best known as a mental health campaigner. In this bonus episode she opens up to Amol about her difficult upbringing, the highs and lows of her career and the art of the celebrity interview. Details of support with mental health are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Regular episodes of The Today Podcast with Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson drop on Thur...
Sep 28, 2024•31 min
Amol and Nick with their take on Keir Starmer’s first Today interview since becoming PM and behind the scenes insights about what it’s like doing big political interviews. Plus, Ruby Wax drops in for Moment of the Week. You can hear more of Amol’s conversation with Ruby Wax in a bonus episode that will drop on Saturday morning. Subscribe to The Today Podcast on BBC Sounds so you don’t miss an episode. You can also listen any time on your smart speaker by saying “Smart Speaker, ask BBC Sounds to ...
Sep 25, 2024•41 min
In this bonus episode, Nick talks to Keir Starmer after his first Labour conference speech as prime minister. Check back later to get Amol and Nick’s take on the interview and make sure you subscribe to The Today Podcast on BBC Sounds so you don’t miss an episode. You can also listen any time on your smart speaker by saying “Smart Speaker, ask BBC Sounds to play The Today Podcast.” The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson, both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol...
Sep 25, 2024•23 min
Pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah have exploded across Lebanon killing several people and injuring thousands more. Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant says the country is "opening a new phase in the war" - and the "centre of gravity is shifting to the north through the diversion of resources and forces". Sir Alex Younger, a former head of MI6, talks to Amol and Nick about the significance of the attacks, which were reportedly carried out by the Israeli spy agency Mossad. They’re also...
Sep 18, 2024•48 min
How do independent MPs work together to hold the government to account? What do the producers behind Today do? And why does the programme mark the end of each hour with the pips? Amol and Nick return with answers to more listener questions. You too can put a question to Amol and Nick. Get in touch by sending us a message or voice note to WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or you can email Today@bbc.co.uk Episodes of The Today Podcast with Amol and Nick land first on BBC Sounds. Get Amol and Nick's tak...
Sep 16, 2024•30 min
As Lord Darzi’s report on the state of the NHS is released, Nick and Amol take a look at what needs to be done to bring about real change. They speak to Professor Sir John Bell - one of the country's most decorated doctors and an adviser to government during the Covid-19 pandemic - who believes that more funding is not the only way of improving the NHS. Plus, the nation's favourite pub landlord Al Murray drops in with his moment of the week. If you have a question you’d like to Amol and Nick to ...
Sep 12, 2024•57 min
A scathing report from the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire has concluded that all 72 deaths were avoidable – but were the result of a chain of failures by governments, "dishonest" companies and a lack of strategy by the fire service. Nick assesses whether anyone will now be held accountable – and whether this might be the moment that substandard social housing becomes a major political issue. He’s joined by Emma Dent Coad, the former Labour MP for Kensington who had just been elected...
Sep 04, 2024•55 min
“Things will get worse before they get better.” That was the gloomy warning given by Keir Starmer this week, in his first major speech since becoming prime minister. Labour have previously blamed the Tories for the ‘economic black hole’ they say they’ve found in the public finances since taking office. But what did Starmer mean when he referred to a ‘societal black hole’ left by his predecessors? And if there are cracks in British society, how does the government fix them? Amol and Nick are join...
Aug 29, 2024•56 min
What tips would you give a government minister ahead of a Today programme interview? What was the best advice you got when you first became a Today presenter? And how do you get up so early? In this special summer edition of The Today Podcast, Amol and Nick take on questions from some invited guests and friends of the podcast, including the queen of the high street Mary Portas, historian Greg Jenner, TV’s Kirstie Allsopp, Peaky Blinders creator Stephen Knight, journalist Helen Lewis and comedian...
Aug 22, 2024•26 min
Amol and Nick use their decades of experience as journalists to discuss the future of news in this special episode of The Today Podcast. Joining them are Sun editor David Yelland and former No10 communications director Simon Lewis – the duo behind Radio 4’s When It Hits The Fan – to look at what’s happening in journalism, where the future lies for the profession... and why it really matters for us all. If you have a question you’d like to Amol and Nick to answer, get in touch by sending us a mes...
Aug 15, 2024•45 min
Elon Musk has repeatedly attacked Sir Keir Starmer on his platform ‘X’ this week over the handling of riots in England and Northern Ireland. The disorder follows the fatal stabbing last week of three young girls in Southport and has been fuelled by misinformation online, the far-right and anti-immigration sentiment. This week Amol looks at whether social media companies should be forced to go further in stopping the spread of misinformation online. He is joined by David Wilding, a former directo...
Aug 08, 2024•46 min
Every week on The Today Podcast Amol and Nick share something significant that’s happened to them that week and they call it their ‘moment of the week’. But as Nick’s on holiday, Amol invited one of Britain’s best known comedians, Frank Skinner, to The Today Podcast studio to help him out. And they ended up talking for so long about faith, class, parenthood, grief - and, of course, poetry, we’ve made it into a bonus podcast. Frank Skinner has been a stand-up comedian for 30 years. He presented F...
Aug 01, 2024•39 min
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner have been championing growth this week. But will their plans actually work? Amol has assembled an expert panel to provide their take on how to generate more wealth in the UK – Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson and venture capitalist and co-founder of Lovecrafts, Cherry Freeman. And comedian Frank Skinner joins Amol with his moment of the week – watch out for a bonus episode with much more of their chat coming to th...
Jul 31, 2024•40 min
Amol and Nick take on more questions from listeners – such as whether having younger MPs will lead to a change in policies and why do politicians sound more sensible when ejected from office? Plus they answer questions on the state of political journalism and whether podcasting makes it easier or more difficult to maintain impartiality. If you have a question you’d like to Amol, Nick and the Pod Squad to answer get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 o...
Jul 29, 2024•25 min
This week Keir Starmer dealt with a Labour rebellion on the two-child benefit cap that saw the whip removed from seven of his MPs. Meanwhile in America, Kamala Harris has moved quickly to mobilise her campaign and define her Republican rival. To make sense of it all, Nick and Amol turn to Prof Mary Beard for a classical perspective on power, succession, and rebellions. What was Cicero’s advice for winning elections? Which Latin quote did John F Kennedy incorrectly use in a famous speech? And why...
Jul 25, 2024•39 min
Joe Biden is out and has endorsed his vice president. But will Kamala Harris win the Democratic nomination – and can she beat Donald Trump in November? Amol and Nick are joined by fellow Today presenter and Americast host Justin Webb for his take on the big news. Who might Harris pick as her running mate? How will she frame Trump in the contest? And why might it all come down to the voters of Omaha, Nebraska? If you have a question you’d like to Amol and Nick to answer get in touch by sending us...
Jul 22, 2024•35 min
Sir Keir Starmer has been quick to meet with a host of world leaders since entering Downing Street. After his in-person meeting with Joe Biden, and a personal phone call to Donald Trump, Amol and Nick dissect how the new PM will navigate ‘the special relationship’ in turbulent times. And closer to home, European leaders are meeting this week in Blenheim Palace. Baroness Cathy Ashton, the EU’s former foreign policy chief, joins Nick and Amol in the studio to give insight on Starmer’s strategy. Ho...
Jul 18, 2024•50 min
Amol and Nick look at whether the language of politics might now grow less heated after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump – and what effect the shooting will have on the US election. Keir Starmer will put the disappointment of the European Championships result behind him and look forward to this week’s King’s Speech – but will he face his own problem from the left wing? Plus, pollster and friend of the podcast James Kanagasooriam joins Amol to get into the data and dispel the myths surro...
Jul 15, 2024•35 min
