FHM was the men's magazine that sold vastly more copies than any of its competitors but still ended up toast. So, why did its publishers stop printing it while other men's magazines survived? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, charts its highs and lows in the company of four of FHM's former editors. Alongside them is the entrepreneur, Sam White, who has to use her business acumen to reach her own conclusions based upon what she has heard. Featuring in the show are: - Eric Musgrave - t...
Jun 26, 2025•28 min
Nike's FuelBand was among the first fitness trackers to be launched and was worn by sports stars including the tennis player, Serena Williams. So, why did Nike give up on it so soon after its launch? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, is joined by Nike's former Vice President of Digital Sport, Stefan Olander, to get the inside story on what happened to the successful product. Alongside them is the entrepreneur, Sam White, who at the end of the show, based only upon what she has heard ...
Jun 19, 2025•25 min
Freeserve rapidly became the UK's number one internet service provider within months of its launch in 1998, yet the brand disappeared almost as quickly. So, what happened? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates. Alongside him is the entrepreneur, Sam White, who at the end of the show has to reach her own conclusions, based only on what she has heard and her own business acumen. Sean and Sam hear from expert guests including: - Rory Cellan-Jones OBE - the BBC's former technolo...
Jun 12, 2025•25 min
Woolworths was once a family favourite with well over 1,000 UK stores selling everything from kitchenware to pick and mix. So, why did the business collapse when other general retailers were on the rise? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, charts the company's highs and lows before asking 'what went wrong at Woolies?'. Alongside him is the entrepreneur, Sam White, who at the end of the show has to reach her own conclusions, based only on what she has heard and her own business acumen. ...
Jun 05, 2025•27 min
Can supplements claiming to make menopause symptoms more bearable, really help? Going through menopause can result in a myriad of symptoms, leaving women stressed, exhausted, and desperate for anything that might make it easier to deal with. In recent years, a huge range of products have become available in supermarkets, pharmacies and online, all promising to help alleviate some of these symptoms – for a price. So listener Susie, who said she felt she was experiencing some of these symptoms, go...
May 29, 2025•31 min
Do Vagus Nerve Stimulators help your mental health? The vagus nerve could be one of the most important body parts you might never have heard of. It's a large nerve that connects major organs like the heart and lungs to the brain and studies have found that stimulating it with electrical pulses can lead to dramatic improvements in some people with depression and other mental health conditions. Those trials were for medical devices implanted into the chest, but listener Karin has seen commercially...
May 22, 2025•31 min
When staring at shelves full of sticks, tubs and tubes all promising us the perfect pout, how do you know which Lip Balms will really help keep chapped lips at bay? Listener Kiran is a regular lip balm applier - saying she often suffers with dry or cracked lips, and recently splashed out on an expensive lip balm after seeing celebrity endorsed adverts for it online. But she isn?t sure it?s any better than her trusty tub of Vaseline. To find out, Greg Foot speaks to Consultant Dermatologist and D...
May 15, 2025•25 min
Which products are best for bedtime listening? According to a YouGov poll nearly half of us listen to music or podcasts to help us get to sleep and there are a range of products designed to do just that. Listener Nick has seen wearable sleep headbands with speakers woven in to the fabric which he hopes will stop him waking up in the middle of the night with headphones or earbuds digging into his ears. And listener David says his social media is promoting sleep bars that go under the pillow and c...
May 08, 2025•33 min
You may have heard health warnings around too much red or processed meat, and considered trying a plant based meat alternative as one of your midweek meals instead. But after looking at the ingredients on the packet and spotting salt, additives and flavourings, wondered if they really are the healthier choice? That?s exactly what listener Graham did, as he hunted for an alternative to his beloved sausage ? and found that the plant based versions all seemed to be heavily processed. He's asking, a...
May 01, 2025•25 min
Are there products that can help you avoid or ease jet lag? If you've travelled long-haul you'll know the feeling; your body feels completely out of sync with the new time zone, leaving you tired, disorientated and quite possibly a tad irritated! So is there anything you can do? Listener Moira suffered the effects of jet lag on a recent work trip to India and with another one coming up to the USA, she's keen to know more about the products that claim to help. She's heard about apps that help you...
Apr 24, 2025•29 min
Artificial sweeteners appeal to anyone with a sweet tooth looking to cut down on their sugar intake. They?re not only for use in our cups of tea or coffee, but they?re also in fizzy drinks, low calorie products, sweets and baked goods. But are they really a better alternative? Greg is joined by a leading scientist from the World Health Organisation, as well as a Professor of Gastroenterology who has researched the impact of sweeteners to ?spill the tea? on this topic. Can using them as an altern...
Apr 17, 2025•32 min
Can home tests tell you if you have an allergy or a food intolerance? We're back with a new batch of investigations and kicking off this series is one of our most popular requests: home allergy tests. The companies that make them claim they can help you work out if you have an allergy or intolerance to certain foods. The idea is the information can help you decide what to eliminate from your diet. But do they work? Greg is joined by consultant allergist Professor Adam Fox to do a deep-dive and s...
Apr 10, 2025•36 min
What is keeping the traditional watch industry ticking over? The entrepreneur, Sam White, hosts Dough - the BBC Radio 4 series which looks at the business behind profitable everyday products and where the smart money might take them next. In each episode, Sam, and the futurist, Tom Cheesewright, are joined by product manufacturers and industry experts whose inside knowledge gives a new appreciation for the everyday things that we often take for granted. Together they look back on a product?s ear...
Apr 03, 2025•25 min
Could the next generation of lawn mowers create any image you like on your lawn? The entrepreneur, Sam White, hosts Dough - the BBC Radio 4 series which looks at the business behind profitable everyday products and where the smart money might take them next. In each episode, Sam, and the futurist, Tom Cheesewright, are joined by product manufacturers and industry experts whose inside knowledge gives a new appreciation for the everyday things that we often take for granted. Together they look bac...
Mar 27, 2025•25 min
How can the bicycle industry recover from sales that plummeted after the pandemic? The entrepreneur, Sam White, hosts Dough - the BBC Radio 4 series which looks at the business behind profitable everyday products and where the smart money might take them next. In each episode, Sam, and the futurist, Tom Cheesewright, are joined by product manufacturers and industry experts whose inside knowledge gives a new appreciation for the everyday things that we often take for granted. Together they look b...
Mar 20, 2025•25 min
Could washing machines soon be cleaning our clothes without using any water? The entrepreneur, Sam White, hosts Dough - the BBC Radio 4 series which looks at the business behind profitable everyday products and where the smart money might take them next. In each episode, Sam, and the futurist, Tom Cheesewright, are joined by product manufacturers and industry experts whose inside knowledge gives a new appreciation for the everyday things that we often take for granted. Together they look back on...
Mar 13, 2025•25 min
Game consoles have come a long way since the 1970s but could their days now be numbered? The entrepreneur, Sam White, returns with a new series of Dough - the BBC Radio 4 show which looks at the business behind profitable everyday products and where the smart money might take them next. In each episode, Sam, and the futurist, Tom Cheesewright, are joined by product manufacturers and industry experts whose inside knowledge gives a new appreciation for the everyday things that we often take for gr...
Mar 06, 2025•25 min
Listener Angela is a musician, and long-time wearer of Hearing Aids ? but as her parents and friends have started reaching an age where they might need them, she?s wondering what advice to give them - and whether paying more for a hearing aid, and potentially going private ? would really help? There?s no question ? Hearing Aids are Sliced Bread ? but can the top end products really deliver on claims they can improve sound, reduce background noise, stream directly from phones or tables, and chang...
Feb 27, 2025•29 min
Edinburgh gardener Alan got in touch with Sliced Bread, to ask if he really needs to be spending money on buying and applying plant food or fish, blood and bone meal to his roses and woody perennials? He was keen to know what is in these commercial plant foods that come as a solid, liquid or granule, how often he is supposed to use them, whether they make as much of a difference as they claim, and if he can save money by making his own ?mulch? out of fallen leaves? Greg Foot investigates with th...
Feb 20, 2025•25 min
Do Boiling Water Taps save you money? They're often seen in offices but boiling water taps are increasingly popular for the home kitchen too. They hold hot water at a constant temperature in a tank under your sink and claim to save you money compared to boiling a regular kettle. But does the evidence back up the marketing hype? Listener Jenny got in touch with Sliced Bread because she's upgrading her kitchen and is thinking about investing in a boiling water tap. She's keen to know how the figur...
Feb 13, 2025•30 min
Grounding Sheets - do they really work? It's perhaps the most-requested product in Sliced Bread history but is there any real science behind grounding (or 'earthing') sheets? The claims made for them are wide and varied - from reducing inflammation and pain, to helping with sleep. How do they do this? Proponents say grounding sheets connect you to the Earth's own electrical field and dissipate electrical charges in your body, built up though everyday activities like wearing rubber-soled trainers...
Feb 06, 2025•30 min
Which cooking oils are best for your health? Listener Sarah got in touch after seeing claims on social media that more expensive oils are better for you than regular vegetable, or rapeseed oil. And listener Kamal sent us a voicenote asking about coconut and avocado oil - both touted as healthier alternatives to other types of oil. Are they worth the extra cost? And what about health concerns if certain oils are overheated? To get the answers Greg is joined by Professor of Population Health and N...
Jan 30, 2025•32 min
Listener Helen from Manchester got in touch to ask about Protein Powders, as she considered replenishing her supply that she?s been taking after long distance runs. She wanted to know if Whey or Plant-based protein really can help her build and repair muscle, whether there?s a set amount she should be having, if one type is better than the other, or if she could just get the protein she needs from her food ? and save on buying another bag? Greg Foot brings back Professor of Human Physiology, Spo...
Jan 23, 2025•26 min
Listener Steve got in touch with us after trying out a set of Smart Scales himself. He wanted to keep an eye on his protein levels ? which his scales claimed to do ? for health reasons, and because he?d heard that we need more protein as we get older. His scales also promised to show him his body fat, muscle mass, and bone mass via a corresponding app on his phone. However, some of those readings didn?t seem quite right ? making him question how accurate his scales are, and if they can REALLY te...
Jan 16, 2025•25 min
Can you insulate your home for less than ?100? With winter setting in listener Robin got in touch with Sliced Bread to find out if there's a way he can insulate his very old, very cold Victorian house on a budget. He's seen plastic films that go over the windows and silver foil-type backings that go behind the radiators. Do any of them work to keep the cold out and more of that precious heat in? And what about other solutions like thick curtains or blinds - can they be effective? Greg is joined ...
Dec 26, 2024•27 min
The team has gone through over 100 episodes of Sliced Bread, and carved out five popular products that may well be heading down a chimney to you this Christmas. Greg Foot will share with you the key points from experts we?ve spoken to on Air Fryers, Mascara, Perfume, Running Shoes, and DNA Ancestry Tests - as well as their conclusions in one handy festive slice! We?ve also updated some of the topics too. (The information in this episode was correct at the time of recording.) And as always, all o...
Dec 16, 2024•42 min
Can wonder products halt hair loss and grow back luscious locks? We're back with a new series of Sliced Bread and a fresh batch of investigations into your suggested wonder products. First up this time are lotions and pills that promise to stop hair loss - and even grow it back. For this episode Greg is joined at our Salford studios by two listeners, Ian and Kimberley. Ian got in touch about two products he's seen - Minoxidil and Finasteride - which he hopes can help with male pattern baldness. ...
Dec 12, 2024•36 min
The mobile phone retailer, Phones 4u, was hugely profitable, so why did it have to close all of its 700+ shops? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington and the entrepreneur, Sam White discover how Phones 4u ended up toast with help from expert guests including: John Caudwell - Phones 4u founder Nikki Barrow & Chris Papageorgiou - former Phones 4u staff members Ian White - editor of Mobile News magazine Produced by Jon Douglas. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BB...
Dec 05, 2024•25 min
Dan-Air was one of Britain's biggest airlines and took millions of people on their first package holidays. So, why did such a successful business end up 'toast'? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, and the entrepreneur, Sam White look into it. They are joined by: -Graham Simons - Dan-Air historian and author of the book 'The Spirit of Dan-Air' -Jackie Stacey & James Hoffmeister - former Dan-Air cabin crew Produced by Jon Douglas. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio ...
Nov 28, 2024•25 min
Our Price Records was one of Britain's biggest music retailers offering cut-price albums at over 300 local high street stores. So, why did the chain disappear even before the internet transformed the music industry? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, and the entrepreneur, Sam White, examine the retailer's fortunes. How did it manage to become so successful? And why did it end up 'toast'? The pair are joined by expert guests including: -Neil Boote - former commercial director at Virgin...
Nov 21, 2024•25 min
