Quick Wins: How to Get Ahead When You're Shy
David and Simon share their advice on how to get ahead when you're shy.
Aug 07, 2024•9 min
When It Hits the Fan
When It Hits The Fan takes you behind the headlines and into the high-stakes world of power, influence and reputation. Each week, it unpacks the PR playbook used by some of the world's most powerful people and asks how the hidden hand of the communications industry shapes what you see, hear and believe.
Hosts David Yelland and Farzana Baduel dive into the week's biggest media storms, scandals and corporate crises, revealing how PR disasters unfold in real time. From political controversies to celebrity missteps and brand meltdowns, they trace where the story began, how it spiralled, and who ended up in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Bringing sharp insight and insider knowledge.
David Yelland is the former editor of The Sun and Farzana Baduel is an award-winning communications strategist and crisis management specialist. Together, they draw on decades of frontline experience shaping narratives, handling reputational firestorms and understanding what really drives the news cycle.
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Episodes
Quick Wins: The Nine Circles of Media Hell
David Yelland and Simon Lewis share their tips on dealing with the media
Jul 31, 2024•11 min
Quick Wins: How to break unwelcome news
Quick Wins is a series of mini episodes from the When It Hits the Fan team to steer you through your own personal PR in your working life. In this episode, David and Simon answer listener Joe's question about how to deliver difficult information that people may not want to hear. Getting the tone right is crucial, tell it like it is and be visible. Producer: Eve Streeter Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4
Jul 23, 2024•7 min
Trump shooting, Biden and loser PR
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss an extraordinary and terrifying weekend of political drama in the US, with the attempted assassination of Donald Trump crowding out calls for Joe Biden to quit the presidential race. And they reflect on England losing out once more on the main prize at an international football tournament. How does the invisible industrial complex of spin that quietly hums along, shaping so much of what you see and hear, kick into action in these moments of high public drama...
Jul 16, 2024•28 min
Can Keir kill spin?
Just days after Sir Keir Starmer entered Downing Street, David Yelland and Simon Lewis take a special deep dive into what may prove to be a great communications reset at No 10 under the new Prime Minister, with greater transparency at its heart. But will Sir Keir be able to create the space to govern between the media and his administration? And if he plans to build, build, build, how is he going to manage being very unpopular in a populist era? Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Exec...
Jul 09, 2024•29 min
Positive campaigning, how to deal with disappointment and why PR loves Wimbledon
With the UK general election upon us, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at the two sides of campaigning of all kinds – positive PR and negative PR. Who decides whether to go for optimism or fear, and what works? In the great game of persuasion that is PR, connection is key. When Banksy’s migrant boat was carried across a sea of hands at Glastonbury it was a moment of powerful positive communication. But in the world of short-term political campaigning, negative PR can be an equal but opposite s...
Jul 02, 2024•28 min
When It Hits The Fan x The Today Podcast x Newscast
Three podcasts, one question: How influential is the media on the election? Newscast, The Today Podcast and When It Hits The Fan are coming together for a special election episode. Hosts from all three podcasts will discuss the role of the media in this summer's political campaign. Do newspapers still matter to political campaigns? Do the TV debates change people’s minds? And how much impact is social media really having? The episode features Adam Fleming, Amol Rajan, Alex Forsyth, Marianna Spri...
Jun 25, 2024•38 min
Taylor Swift’s PR stardust, the Putin effect and Southgate’s pundit problem
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss Taylor Swift’s 'magical air cover' and the power of having your photo taken backstage or anywhere inside the Eras tour, whether you’re the Royal family or Keir Starmer. But would every politician risk the Taylor test? And the latest political fan-hitters - why no-one wants to be a 'Putin ally', the Conservative’s 'Betgate' and how to get your message across if you're the SNP and you know most people listening can’t even vote for you. Also, how podcasts, soci...
Jun 25, 2024•28 min
Can Starmer do PR?, the Green Party and being Taylor Swift's ex
David Yelland and Simon Lewis administer the Fan Hitter PR slide rule to Sir Keir Starmer's election campaign. How has the Labour leader dealt with some of his stickier PR moments around his previous endorsement of Jeremy Corbyn, questions on tax and his dad's job as a toolmaker provoking laughter in Grimsby? Also, even though they are currently ahead in the polls, Labour - like the England football team - has to deal with the perennial PR problem of expectation management. Perhaps they could bo...
Jun 18, 2024•31 min
Sunak's D-Day blunder, is Farage using dog whistles?, and Mike Lynch
David and Simon analyse what is arguably the biggest PR moment in British electoral history - Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's decision to leave the D-Day celebrations in Normandy early. Simon takes us behind the scenes at Number 10 to try to work out exactly how things went so wrong for the PM. Nigel Farage - he's been accused of 'dog whistle' politics. What are they, and how do they work? And - the acquittal of tech tycoon Mike Lynch. What are the lessons to be learned from surviving the nine circ...
Jun 11, 2024•29 min
Private school PR, Lib Dem tactics and Trump's conviction
David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at why private schools seem to be losing the PR battle over their VAT exemption. A core principle of PR is to anticipate problems and mitigate them. This one has been coming down the track towards independent schools for years - why did they get it so wrong? Also, the Liberal Democrats' election strategy of "tactical disruption" - which mainly involves Sir Ed Davey getting wet and apparently having the most fun of all the leaders on the campaign trail. As David...
Jun 04, 2024•29 min
General Election PR strategy and the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry
David Yelland and Simon Lewis debate the first of a series of PR reviews into the up and coming general election. Starting with Rishi Sunak's announcement in the rain last week, they'll be looking at how the parties launched their campaigns, their use of campaign videos and slogans, and how and when the press decide to take sides. They also discuss how PR has been put on the stand at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. New to When It Hits The Fan, if you have a “Quick Wins” question for Simon an...
May 28, 2024•28 min
Quick Wins: How to say no
Quick Wins is a series of short episodes from the When It Hits the Fan team to help you navigate your own personal PR. In your professional life as well as your personal life, what you say no to can be more important than what you say yes to. In this episode David and Simon share their advice on how to do it the right way - to a boss who is asking you to overwork, to a job offer that's not the right fit or when you smell a rat. How to set the right boundaries? Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sara...
May 23, 2024•9 min
UK water crisis, the Rich List and PR wellbeing
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss South West Water’s handling of the Brixham water contamination and what this tells us about the fundamental problems in the UK water industry. Why were the people of South Devon told their water was safe when it was not? And when a crisis hits, who is the best person to speak on behalf of a company. Is it the 'chief customer officer'? Also, in the week The Sunday Times Rich List is published, Simon and David share some secrets about how the blue chip PR worl...
May 21, 2024•29 min
Quick Wins: How to say sorry
Quick Wins is a series of short episodes from the When It Hits the Fan team to help you navigate your own personal PR. In this episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the power of an apology. Professional - and personal - relationships are based on being able to say sorry at the right time. So how do you mark sure yours hits the mark? Do it before the sun goes down, do it the hard way and always mean it. Producer: Eve Streeter Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A ...
May 16, 2024•8 min
Apple’s ad backlash, 'I’m not your mum' and Zahawi’s exit strategy
This week, two of the world’s biggest tech companies have found themselves in PR crises of their own making. Why did Apple's new iPad Pro 'crush' advert misfire so badly? Meanwhile at Baidu - China’s biggest search engine - its PR boss has lost her job after videos of her promoting a toxic work culture went viral. David Yelland and Simon Lewis go to the heart of a secret and little understood reputational war and look at the real battle between the west coast of America and China’s Silicon Valle...
May 14, 2024•28 min
Co-op Live, political spin and inside the Trumpian bubble
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss Manchester’s Co-op Live arena opening delays – will these prove to cause long-term reputational damage to the great north-western institution, or will they be a blip that's soon forgotten? Also, why did so-called "well-placed sources" in Westminster seek to spin the London Mayoral Election result after the polls had closed? Was it good PR? And how’s it going for Donald Trump trying to spin from inside his Manhattan court room? David and Simon peak inside the...
May 07, 2024•28 min
Huw Edwards, PR speak and runaway horses
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the resignation of Huw Edwards and how the BBC has handled this ongoing crisis – its PR, its strategy and the enduring power of the tabloids in this country to throw an incendiary device into famous places. They also lift the lid on the art of euphemistic spin and how the language of PR was used in the Post Office IT Horizon scandal - or should we say “anomaly”? And, runaway horses - how the Army responded to the surreal and shocking Household Cavalry rampag...
Apr 30, 2024•28 min
Matthew Freud special
In a special episode of When It Hits the Fan, Simon Lewis and David Yelland talk to Matthew Freud about his 40-year career at the head of one of the most influential PR businesses in the world. Freud Communications has promoted and protected the reputations of the biggest names in Britain. Born into the famous Freud family, he married into a global media dynasty to become Rupert Murdoch's son-in-law. He has kept the secrets of the rich and the powerful as well as advising prime ministers and pop...
Apr 22, 2024•36 min
Dorothy Byrne special
On When It Hits the Fan, we often talk about crises as if they should be avoided at all costs. But Dorothy Byrne, the former head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 4, is living proof that walking towards the fan is often a hallmark of people that effect positive change. In this special deep-dive interview, David Yelland and Simon Lewis talk to Dorothy about the relationship between PR and journalism, being lobbied, and her fearless approach to reporting the truth – including her 2019 MacTag...
Apr 16, 2024•29 min
Mick Lynch special
In this special episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis talk to Mick Lynch, the leader of the RMT, about how to get your point across. We seem to be living through a time when words too often fail us. But there are some people in our body politic whose words cut through - regardless of our own thoughts on their views. Many of Mick Lynch's head-to-heads with journalists and politicians have gone viral. Like - when speaking directly to a government minister - “He’s lying… you are telling lies.” To ...
Apr 09, 2024•28 min
What can we learn from Kate?
In this episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the lessons learnt from the Princess of Wales’s video announcement that she is undergoing treatment for cancer. It raises some important issues for the Royal Family in a social media age. And for all of us. What is privacy in the online world? How can people in the public eye manage their privacy in the global village that is social media? And for the Royal Family going forward, what can the Palaces do to protect individual members while als...
Mar 26, 2024•28 min
TikTok and China, how to make a royal story go away and cybersecurity PR
In this episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis are talking TikTok. In the US, the social media platform is facing an existential threat. But behind it is a world of Chinese PR that’s not making the headlines. How does it work? And what are all the western PR agencies embedded in China doing there? Also, as the risk of IT system crashes and cyber attacks escalates, David and Simon lift the lid on the role of communications in the booming cybersecurity sector. And following the short video of the ...
Mar 19, 2024•28 min
The Palace in crisis
As a former editor of The Sun, and the late Queen’s first communications secretary, David Yelland and Simon Lewis used to be on opposing sides of a Royal PR disaster – David working to expose a story that Simon was trying to control. In this special episode, they bring everything they know about how Palace PR works to shed some light on the events surrounding Kate Middleton’s absence and the controversy surrounding her Mother’s Day family photo. What’s really going on behind the scenes? And does...
Mar 12, 2024•29 min
Christian Horner crisis continues, the Telegraph battle and Hancock’s Eton cockup
David Yelland and Simon Lewis return to Formula 1 and the latest instalment of the Christian Horner crisis. The alleged texts between the Red Bull boss and a female colleague have been leaked and the tabloids are feasting. Fighting a battle for your reputation in the red tops is a sure sign of a PR problem. Can using the star power of Horner’s wife, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, rescue the situation? David and Simon also go behind the scenes of one of the most controversial deals the British...
Mar 05, 2024•28 min
Talking crap, car crash interviews and Trident’s plop
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss when using the word crap is not a crap comms strategy at all. Bill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered, used it to describe the bank’s share price and the financial markets loved it. But crap probably wasn't signed off in the preparatory Q&A - David and Simon take us behind the scenes. Also, a fan-hitter par-excellence, a car-crash interview featuring Brad Banducci, the boss of Australia’s largest supermarket empire, who walked off during a TV interview f...
Feb 27, 2024•28 min
NatWest, the first 100 days and F1's Red Bull
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the coming PR tornado that is the apparent plan to sell the government's 38.6% of NatWest back to the public in a retail share sale. The communications challenge here is a big one - all while Nigel Farage is biting at the bank's heels. They also lift the bonnet on PR strategies for incoming CEOs – NatWest has one – and how an invitation to Wimbledon or the opera can be as important as your balance sheet when learning to navigate the elite highest reaches of ...
Feb 20, 2024•28 min
Quick Wins: How to deal with imposter syndrome
Quick Wins is a series of short guides from the When It Hits the Fan team that’ll help you manage your own personal PR so you can navigate the world of work like a pro. In this episode David Yelland and Simon Lewis share their tips on how to deal with imposter syndrome. It’s that feeling when you are performing well in your job but you still doubt your abilities and feel like a fraud. According to a recent study, around 70% of people will experience this at least once in their lives. So you’re n...
Feb 16, 2024•8 min
F1’s Christian Horner, Soho House and The National Trust
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss how it has hit the fan for two global, glamorous names this week – the first is F1 Red Bull boss Christian Horner, husband of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, who finds himself in the news for all the wrong reasons, and the second is the glitzy private members' club Soho House, under attack from the wolves of Wall Street. They also look at the culture wars pushback led by the communications director at the National Trust, and why bravery is so important in ...
Feb 13, 2024•29 min
Quick Wins: How to manage your reputation online
Quick Wins is a series from the When It Hits the Fan team that helps you navigate your own personal PR in just a few minutes. After all, if the rich and powerful have a personal PR guru to help them get to the top, why not you? In this episode – in our increasingly digital world, a couple of clicks can make or break a person’s reputation. The internet can be a great tool for building up your public image, but it can be a tricky business. David Yelland and Simon Lewis share their top tips on how ...
Feb 09, 2024•7 min
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