This week’s pop culture review: Untold tales of British metal, the star of the National Theatre’s astonishing Wuthering Heights, new Johnny Marr and more. Journalist and author of Denim And Leather : The Rise And Fall Of The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal Michael Hann tells untold tales of rock’s most unfairly despised genre. Actor and cabaret phenomenon Lucy McCormick on her stunning role as Emily Brontë’s original riot grrrl of the moors Cathy in Wuthering Heights . And what’s Johnny Marr ’s ...
Feb 26, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 530
We live in a world of chaos, with Western democracies facing overlapping geopolitical, economic, and political crises. How did we get here? Professor Helen Thompson is co-host of the Talking Politics podcast – and she was Ahir Shah ’s Director of Studies at University. They unpack her new book Disorder , how the fault lines in the Sino-American relationship, NATO, and the EU have all been decades in the making, and the “crisi-tunities” for years to come. “Most of the commentary on Brexit and Tru...
Feb 24, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 529
Beijing 2022 was the first Winter Olympics to rely almost exclusively on fake snow – at great cost to the environment. But is it possible to make sports more sustainable, and will we even be able to have the Winter Olympics in the future? Dr. Madeleine Orr is a sports ecologist at Loughborough University London, and the founder of The Sport Ecology Group. She tells Jelena Sofronijevic about why pollution impacts competition, how international organisations exercise total control over local laws ...
Feb 23, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 528
This edition recorded before Putin’s speech and the Russian incursion into Ukraine. “Levelling up” is a mantra for Boris Johnson, but what is his government actually doing about it? Our special guest Tracy Brabin , the Mayor of West Yorkshire and former MP, joins us to discuss tackling inequalities between regions. Plus, we discuss moves to tackle “legal but harmful” content online. What does that mean? And what career best prepares you for politics? Spoiler alert: it isn’t being a Telegraph col...
Feb 22, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 527
The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine is still looming. Can further diplomacy prevent war? There are reports of a summit between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden. What could it achieve? Plus, COVID restrictions are due to be ditched in England, and MPs return to Parliament after a recess. Where will their focus be? Alex Andreou is joined by Yasmeen Serhan to discuss the week ahead. “It feels like we’re waiting for someone to blink. There’s a lot of mixed narratives.” – Yasmeen Serhan “Any dipl...
Feb 21, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 526
What will China do in 2022? Cindy Yu , The Spectator’s broadcast editor and host of the Chinese Whispers podcast, joins Alex Andreou to take a look at the direction of travel for the world’s most populous nation. What does a policy of ‘zero-covid’ mean for China? How will relations with America and Russia turn out? And is Xi Jinping lumbering up for conflict with Taiwan? “Sport has always been a good way for a controversial government in China to build bridges.” “Zero-covid is another barrier be...
Feb 20, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 525
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist : https://bit.ly/CultBunk Lakeland poets of “high church rock’n’roll” Sea Power play songs from their magnificent new album Everything Was Forever and explain how it felt when they dropped the word “British” from their name, to the ire of GB News. And Mojo magazine’s Ian Harrison joins us to discuss new waxings from Half Man Half Biscuit and Metronomy plus new Apple TV+ series Severance – what The Office would be like if created by Aldous Huxley. “Peopl...
Feb 19, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 524
How did a Christian movement, founded at the turn of the century, become the fastest growing religion today? Pentecostal Christianity has 600 million followers, with 35,000 new adherents a day. So what’s behind the remarkable rise of this religious movement? Elle Hardy , author of Beyond Belief, tells Arthur Snell about her mission to report its rise across twelve different countries, from South America to Africa and Australia, how Pentecostalism provides community to the rootless and marginalis...
Feb 17, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 523
A strong accent can lead us to make many assumptions about a person. We ask why, and the impact of these judgements. Linguistics experts Dr. Alex Baratta and Dr. Dominic Watt join Jelena Sofronijevic to explore whether RP has been replaced with a new “standard” accent, why some professions are still demanding flat accents…and if the Queen’s English is really dead. “Your accent is a flag or badge of your social standing." - Dominic Watt "We exist in an accentist society." - Dominic Watt “Right at...
Feb 16, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 522
Russia’s threatening moves on the borders of Ukraine have led to a frantic diplomacy blitz. Can Vladimir Putin be urged back from the brink? Plus, as COVID rules are due to be ditched in England, is that the right call? Or simply a distraction for Boris Johnson? And, with Futurama returning to and Neighbours leaving our screens, we choose the TV shows we’d like to resurrect and others to scrap. Financial Times journalist and author of Britain Alone: The Path from Suez to Brexit Philip Stephens j...
Feb 15, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 521
Following Cressida Dick’s resignation, we look at the looming clashes over who will become the next Met police chief. What are the priorities for whoever gets the role? Plus, the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine persists. Is war imminent? And after Boris Johnson was handed a police questionnaire over Partygate, what can we expect next? Justin Quirk is joined by Naomi Smith to discuss the week ahead. “The fish rots from the head and a bad leader… is one that will mean that awful culture pe...
Feb 14, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 520
We all want control over our lives. But as we make more decisions digitally, the impact of algorithms on our choices grows. They help to sort the information presented to us and limit the options we see – shaping the products we buy, films we watch and even the partners we end up with. Andrew Harrison discusses the future of such technology with Kartik Hosanagar , author of A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence: How Algorithms Are Shaping Our Lives and How We Can Stay in Control. “Many people ...
Feb 13, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 519
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist : https://bit.ly/CultBunk Writer, director, actor, singer, dancer - THE NOTORIOUS RBB Rikki Beadle-Blair joins us to talk Riot Act, LGBT+ History Month, and a lifetime of activist art. Jelena, Alex, and Siân don their scrubs for This is Going to Hurt , the BBC’s new med-drama with Ben Wishaw. And the meat goes on with Pam and Tommy on Disney, and two new mega-shows - Francis Bacon and Louise Bourgeois – for this week’s Art Corner special on BEASTS. “Equ...
Feb 12, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 518
With environmental destruction threatening our oceans, what might a fresh plan to protect them look like? Chris Armstrong , political theory professor at the University of Southampton, joins Ros Taylor to discuss his new book A Blue New Deal , which outlines a manifesto for protecting our seas. “Our reliance on the ocean has diminished, before air travel we had to use it to get to the other side of the world.” “Although the ocean absorbs most the carbon we emit, it has limits and we are reaching...
Feb 10, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 517
Christine Lee’s recent designation as a Chinese agent of influence by MI5 has breathed new life into calls to reassess the country’s influence in Westminster. Yet as the world’s second-largest economy, China is widening its reach across the globe – and democratic nations are complicit. Journalist Joanna Chiu , author of China Unbound, tells Arthur Snell about its murky “United Front” and New Silk Road projects, whether Western ignorance equals wilful involvement in China’s authoritarian regime…a...
Feb 09, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 516
Amid a profound and worsening cost of living crisis, we discuss whether the Government is rising to the challenge. Is the public being shortchanged? Plus, with the COVID-19 pandemic leading to a huge courts backlog, Evening Standard courts correspondent Tristan Kirk joins us to talk about the pressures on the justice system. And after Facebook reported its first ever drop in daily users, what’s next for the social media giant? “It feels like the Chancellor, with all his riches, hasn’t understood...
Feb 08, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 515
With Boris Johnson’s senior team in chaos, we discuss what comes next as we brace for yet another calamity-packed week. Letters of no confidence continue to be sent – but will the number hit the 54 needed to spur a vote? Meanwhile, ongoing border check disagreements are causing turmoil in Northern Ireland. And on her Platinum Jubilee, the Queen kept busy, declaring her wish for Camilla to become Queen consort. Andrew Harrison is joined by Alex Andreou to forecast the days ahead. "February 2022 t...
Feb 07, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 514
Northern Ireland has been plunged into political turmoil following DUP first minister Paul Givan’s resignation over Brexit border controls. What does this mean for Stormont? And how will it affect May’s assembly elections? Belfast-based journalist Amanda Ferguson joins Naomi Smith to explain the crisis, and what could happen next. “The DUP will say this is about the protocol, the other parties will say this is about the election.” “The only way Northern Ireland’s position in the UK can be change...
Feb 06, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 513
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist : https://bit.ly/CultBunk EMMY, BRIT and BAFTA award winning composer Howard Goodall tells us about his new remembrance cantata ‘Unconditional Love’, a career of composing pretty much every memorable British comedy theme tune ever, Brexit’s effect on musicians and much more. Howard joins guest Sophie Harris plus Alex and Jelena (for the first time) to explore the many folds of Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir Part II – a movie about a movie within a movie abo...
Feb 05, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 512
The car is one of history’s most important inventions, but with changing ownership patterns and the climate crisis, will the vehicle we’ve all grown up with survive the next few decades? The FT’s Motor Industry Correspondent Peter Campbell and futurist Rohit Talwar join Andrew Harrison to discuss the direction of travel for cars, from electric vehicles, to ones that drive themselves, and maybe even some that are capable of flying… “We’re dealing with completely new technologies, and there’s no g...
Feb 03, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 511
With the global population set to hit 8 billion in 2022, are we really in the midst of a new population crisis? Or do climate change and migration mean the problem today is underpopulation, not overpopulation? Jelena Sofronijevic talks to anthropologist Anna Walnycki and Bryan Walsh of Vox’s Future Perfect about the dark, discriminatory debates over birth rates, why governments are cutting migration just when we need more people than ever before…and how pro-natal policies are curbing human right...
Feb 02, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 510
Boris Johnson’s apology after Sue Gray’s “update” on Downing Street parties was followed by a shameful bout of obfuscation from the Prime Minister. While he dithers and delays, something he’s bemoaned in the past, can his crumbling defences hold? And with the Winter Olympics due to start in Beijing, amid suggestions the event may serve as a “sportswashing” exercise, we look at the collision between the games and politics. Andrew Harrison is joined by Ahir Shah, Justin Quirk and Yasmeen Serhan fo...
Feb 01, 2022•58 min•Season 1Ep. 509
The wait for the Sue Gray report goes on–with the word “imminent” having been redefined of late. If it is finally released, what impact might it have? As Boris Johnson faces consistent pressure and splits within his party, the government wants to shift focus with pledges for so-called “Brexit freedoms.” What’s the reality, compared to the rhetoric? Meanwhile, Russia-Ukraine tensions persist, with further interventions due from the Prime Minister and foreign secretary Liz Truss. What can we expec...
Jan 31, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 508
Conservative minister Lord Agnew’s dramatic resignation due to his dissatisfaction over efforts to tackle COVID loan fraud drew stark focus to the issue last week. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been forced to defend his handling of pandemic support schemes, amid mounting criticism. Financial journalist and executive director of TaxWatch, George Turner, joins Alex Andreou to explain the problem, the consequences for the Government, and why such concerns need to be taken more seriously. “HMRC has alw...
Jan 30, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 507
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist : https://bit.ly/CultBunk A mash-up of Burt Bacharach, Scott Walker and Michael Nyman for the modern day, Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy tells us about his new best of album Charmed Life, 30 years in pop, and lovely horses. Neil joins guest Hannah Verdier plus Sîan and Andrew to discuss Guillermo del Toro’s grand guignol fable Nightmare Alley , the joy of angst on the new Eels album , and low-key suspense movie Framed on Amazon Prime. And comedy write...
Jan 29, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 506
From drone pilots and prison guards, to the undocumented migrants who man industrial slaughterhouses, it takes an army of workers to carry out modern society’s most morally problematic jobs. But where are these hard-to-access workplaces, and who are the people toiling within it? Eyal Press , author of Dirty Work, joins Justin Quirk to discuss his meetings with prison guards from America and Abu Ghraib, why big tech won’t necessarily make the world a more equal place…and the awful conditions faci...
Jan 27, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 505
Despite Dishy Rishi’s best intentions, restaurant culture has been hit hard by COVID. Lockdowns and cancelled reservations, social distancing and staff absences, have stirred up a toxic cocktail for many businesses - one garnished with post-Brexit labour and supply chain shortages. So has our relationship with restaurants changed forever, and what’s next on the menu? Corey Mintz , author of The Next Supper, and Eater London’s Adam Coghlan join Jelena Sofronijevic to chew on why haute cuisine is ...
Jan 26, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 504
As we await Sue Gray’s report, the scandals continue to pile up for the Government. With allegations of blackmail and Islamophobia over the weekend, how will this play out for Number 10? Also, as Russian troops amass on the Ukrainian border, are we about to see the first ground war in Europe since 1945? And with Jeff Bezos ploughing money into a new anti-ageing start up, does our panel really want to be forever young? “Nadine Dorries, who has eaten ostrich anus on TV, has accused Wragg of attent...
Jan 25, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 503
As Russia is accused of plotting to install a pro-Kremlin government in Ukraine, what will NATO’s next move be amid the ongoing standoff? And with the results of Sue Gray’s inquiry looming, will Boris Johnson face a tangible reckoning over the myriad scandals surrounding Downing Street? Or will he persist in clinging on? Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell set up the week ahead. "No NATO alliance, even the most hawkish, wants to get into Ukraine." "The EU still has some sanctions on Russia. The question...
Jan 24, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 502
If you’ve been on Twitter in the past month, you might have heard of ‘Wordle’, the new Mastermind meets Scrabble game taking the world by storm. Over 300,000 now play everyday, but how did it become such a phenomenon? C. Thi Nguyen , philosophy professor at the University of Utah and author of Games: Agency as Art, talks Alex Andreou about why Wordle has proven such a hit, from its simple design to the joy of shareability. “A lot of the most interesting games are confined.” “The thing that makes...
Jan 23, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 501
