Episodes
Trump’s war on the media has been deepening for decades - whether it’s been litigation, doxxing, intimidation or simply a ban on access - we kind of feel like we’ve seen it all before. But today one thing happened that changed all that - the broadcast media joined ranks and fought back.After three major outlets - CNN, MS Now and Politico - were shut out of the White House, other outlets pulled their participation from the pool team. They're refusing to cover his visit to New York. So has Trump’s move spectacularly backfired?Later, why is the German chancellor calling his own ejection result...
Opinion polls are supposed to tell us what the public thinks. But what happens when the people commissioning, funding and promoting those polls have a political interest in the results?The latest controversy surrounding Reform UK has put the polling industry under an uncomfortable spotlight. Allegations that polling commissioned by Reform was funded through an overseas company and that the party's involvement was not disclosed when the results were published have prompted investigations. Reform denies any wrongdoing, while two senior party officials have stepped down.This Friday, Luke Tryl ...
The story of Hull City owner Acun Ilicali is one of the most extraordinary in the Premier League...TV star turned media mogul turned football club owner, Acun is a force of nature — and in this special episode of The Sports Agents, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman meet the man himself, live and direct from Istanbul.This is the story of a man who lost his parents in a tragic car accident, saw his marriage collapse, faced financial ruin in his early twenties — and somehow emerged to create a global media empire.Acun tells us about the energy of the people which drew him to Hull City, how he inher...
Buckingham Palace has said it doesn't comment on book releases as a matter of principle. And yet it has commented on a new book - from Princess Diana's brother - in a way that has sparked off a news cycle.Earl Spencer claims in his new book that in a heated row with Charles in the preparation for Diana's funeral, the then Prince spat out "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough". The Palace's response: "His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss."Why has the...
Six weeks out from the budget some of the critics are already circling - warning the new Prime Minister not to play it safe as “a traditional tax and spend PM with better TikTok". Is Burnham in control of events? Or is the economy being thrown further off course by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea closing off?Later, pussycat impersonator, and leader of the Workers Party George Galloway, is back and standing in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. Will this split the Green vote?The News Agents is a Global Production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
It's referendum day in Piddington. A symbolic gesture that would see it "ceding from the UK" over their frustration with the setting up of of an asylum centre on their doorstep. They’ve argued that 1250 single foreign men is too much for their modest village of 350 to handle. But now - guess who’s coming to the rescue? Danny Tommo and his masked Patriot Platform - seemingly backed by Reform's Sarah Pochin, who's said protestors would "not be unwelcome" in the village. Is this what the people of Piddington wanted?Later, Donald Trump has told us all not to worry about the myriad warnings comi...
£36m donations are like busses for Reform - you wait ages for one and then two come along at once. Reform's £72m haul this weekend dwarfs the money raised by all the other parties - it is a simply unprecedented level of funding for British politics. There are complications. Are the donations within the rules? Could Labour change the rules to prevent them? And most importantly - can it actually make a difference? Could two crypto billionaires potentially swing an election for Nigel Farage?Later, Anthony Scaramucci on how Trump is raking it in from crypto - and where American democracy has go...
Is 9/11 the most consequential event of our lifetimes? It's hard to think of another moment that so completely turned the world on its axis and rewired the assumptions that a generation had come to take for granted.The immediate human toll was unfathomably tragic - this was the most deadly terrorist attack in history, leaving thousands dead. But what came next - and how profoundly it changed politics, American foreign policy, global warfare, and civil liberties - has radically reshaped our world.In this episode, 25 years on from that fatal morning in New York, Jon and Emily, along with Mile...
Conor Benn’s super fight against Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas has brought the issue of Performance Enhancing Drugs in sport back into the spotlight.While both boxers deny ever having taken PEDs, both have failed drugs tests and it remains a complex and emotive issue, particularly in potentially lethal sports such as boxing.On this episode of The Sports Agents we have the whole conversation and not just the convenient parts of it...Larry Olubamiwo was a British heavyweight contender before he failed a drugs test and he became a pariah. Larry joins Mark & Nedum to talk about why he chose to use P...
“If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000”. That's what Donald Trump told an audience of Republicans in Dallas last night. The 'Trump dividend' would cost America more than a trillion dollars. Critics are already announcing that the offer is illegal, And Democrats are bragging that this is a sign of just how desperate Donald Trump is ahead of the midterms which are looking bleak. So why's he done it? Could it work? Or will Americans see through such a naked attempt to buy their voters?Later, Nigel Farage has created the mother of all headaches for his hard right allies in ...
It’s easy to paint Britain as a post-industrial nation in decline, plagued by crime and high taxes. Indeed, many do. But there’s a new power to Britain’s role on the world stage as America abandons its former allies. Whether it’s Ukraine, security, or now sanctions against West Bank settlers, Britain is in the ascendance - and not overly concerned about moving in a different direction to the US.Have we decided that Trump is no longer important to our big decisions? Are we living in a post-American world? We speak to former foreign office SpAd Ben Judah who's arguing exactly that.Later, what...
The Israeli government has reacted with anger to the British foreign secretary’s planned ban on products from Israeli settlements.Ed Miliband described himself in the commons as a proud British Jew, but one unafraid to criticise the heinous behaviour of Netanyahu's government towards Palestinian communities in the West Bank.Has the UK government gone too far? Or not far enough? And what will it do to relations with Israel’s closest ally, Donald Trump?Later - why were Harry and Meghan hearing from the King's sources at the same time we were? Why can’t the royal family just text each other. A...
"Boo hoo". That was the reaction from Robert Jenrick, who wants to be Reform's Chancellor, to the videos showing a female heckler having her hair pulled and being beaten with a stick by Reform delegates at the party's conference in Birmingham. Lee Anderson has suggested a whip round for a new walking stick for one of the supporters involved.Reform is quick to point to the deluge of threats Nigel Farage faces - so why won't the party condemn political violence when it is carried out by its own supporters?Later, a new group - Patriot Platform - caused chaos in Dover and Portsmouth this weeken...
Reform conference in Birmingham was supposed to revivify Nigel Farage and his party. After unrelenting scrutiny over his undeclared £5m gift from Christopher Harborne, a parliamentary standards investigation, and a Clacton by-election which descended into farce, Farage needed this moment to get back on the front foot, set the terms of the media coverage, and show the country what Reform would look like in power.But a Channel 4 News investigation has changed all that. Undercover filming captured two party officials trying to facilitate foreign donations - a potential criminal offence. Reform...
Not long ago, women’s boxing was a different sport.Banned in most countries and ridiculed in the rest, female fighters fought in the shadows.Until one night in 1996.That night Deirdre Gogarty, a painfully shy Irish woman and Christy Martin, a raging knockout artist from the coalfields of West Virginia spent 12 unforgettable minutes in each other's company and changed everything.Their fight put women’s boxing on the map and it was the fight that inspired boxing icon Katie Taylor to pursue her dream.As Katie Taylor prepares to bring the curtain down on her incredible career, Gabby & Mark are ...
After a bit of will he won't he, Zack Polanski has thrown his hat into the ring and announced he will stand in Keir Starmer's old seat of Holborn and St Pancras (subject to the approval of the local Green party).It's a high stakes move for the Green leader. If he wins, in what should normally be a relatively safe Labour seat, he'll puncture Andy Burnham's argument that he can persuade Left voters to stick with Labour. But if he loses, it's Polanski's authority that will come under the spotlight. He's already been hit by a string of negative stories and plummeting poll ratings - could the no...
Andy Burnham faced Kemi Badenoch for his first PMQs and while she chose to open the session with some innuendo, the hard questions soon came. Burnham has shown himself adept at diagnosis but less quick to nail his solutions to the mast. How long does he have to NOT answer questions when debt is rising and the economic headwinds are moving against him? Is he prepared to spell out - in this summer of optimism - where the pain might fall and trade offs might be made? And why are some commentators comparing him to Liz Truss? Is he being unfairly blamed for a wider global trend not of his making...
It's the first day back at school - and Keir Starmer suddenly announces he’s out. He'd sad he'd stay as an MP just a few weeks ago - so why the change of heart? Is it a cheeky bid to wrestle the headlines from his successor? Or is he just trying to get out of Burnham's way? And what happens now to his Camden seat - will Zack Polanski try and win it for the Greens? And if he can’t - or won’t - where does that leave his party? It’s only day one of term and yup it’s all kicking off.Later, why has America's Army Secretary just left the job complaining about Pete Hegseth? Well we can probably gu...
In this special Q&A edition of the show, Jon and Lewis answer your questions.They discuss how long the Burnham bounce will last, whether Trump will attempt to cancel the midterms, and if Harry and Meghan's return will complete reshape the Royal Family (and even make Lewis a monarchist in the process)?Plus, is there any chance Nigel Farage calls ANOTHER by-election in Clacton?The News Agents is a Global production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/
An explosive statement from Atletico Madrid described themselves as the "only victims" in the ongoing transfer saga surrounding their wantaway striker Julian Alvarez. Ian Wright has publicly criticised the way Arsenal have handled Gabriel Martinelli's reported exit this summer... but does every transfer saga NEED to cast someone as the villain?British football Agent Saif Rubie, who handled Yoane Wissa's controversial transfer to Newcastle last summer, joins Gabby and Nedum to discuss the narratives that are spun and where the blame lies in reality.And later, we're joined by Frank Warren to ...
The last two years has seen a meteoric rise for Labour's Miatta Fahnbulleh. From backbench MP, she has just joined Burnham's cabinet as the new Energy Secretary, taking over from Ed Miliband. Today, she joined us in the studio to talk about why she quit Starmer's government, the changes Labour needs, and her return as a front bench MP.And, with a Labour leadership contest always somewhere on the horizon, we ask could Miatta Fahnbulleh one day make history and be the first woman to lead the Labour party?The News Agents is a Global production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - htt...
Dolly Parton always avoided talking politics. She said you could find her opinions in her songs. She wrote about abortion, female rights, heartbreak, and wandering eyes. And yet, across America today Democrats have expressed their adoration whilst Republican president Trump lowered the flags to half-mast.How did Dolly Parton unite people across the political divide? What is it about her that captured the hearts of a deeply polarised America? And is there a lesson that progressive politicians can learn from how she did politics?The News Agents is a Global Production.The News Agents is brough...
Rupert Lowe has a lot to be grateful to Elon Musk for. Last month, on Joe Rogan’s podcast, he credited Musk with helping to restore free speech on X. And it was Musk who publicly backed Lowe and promoted him as a political alternative to Nigel Farage - paving the path for Restore Britain. But it would appear that Musk has also been helping to line the Restore Britain leader’s pockets. This year, Lowe is on course to earn as much from the social media platform X as he does from his salary as an MP for Great Yarmouth, after a surge in income from posts that include demands for mass deportati...
It’s happening again. Six years after Harry and Meghan fled Britain for California, citing the relentlessness of the British press, the reaction to their homecoming has been fevered. Why can’t we leave them alone? And do they really want to be? What does it mean for the House of Windsor? And why is Harry the only senior figure in public life seemingly without state backed security these days? Jon and Lewis dissect.AND the US and Canada are at war - sort of. Why have the latest tariff talks collapsed and what does it tell us about how Donald Trump sees the world?Oh - and why Andy Burnham doe...
How has a Trump family luxury development sparked a protest movement so large that it is threatening to bring down a European Prime Minister? Well that's exactly what has happened in Albania. A proposed 4 billion euro resort complex in on of the country's most cherished nature spots has led to the largest demonstrations seen there in over three decades.Dubbed the 'Flamingo Revolution' because of the threat to Albania's birds, the capital Tirana is seeing nightly marches - sometimes attracting hundreds of thousands of people. What started off as an environmental cause has become something mu...
It’s almost upon us.A mere month after the World Cup Final, we are staring down the barrel of a brand new Premier League football season and Gabby, Mark & Nedum are as excited as a bunch of rowdy kids on Christmas eve.Join the guys as they break down the most unpredictable Premier League season ever. We are talking about the Big 6 - who will be Mikel Arteta’s rival this season, how can Maresca replace Pep and how are Spurs part of the Big 6 after narrowly avoiding relegation…twice?!It is the first time a Premier League season will kick off without a Klopp, Fergie, Wenger or Pep as an unprec...
It's nearly a week on from the death of Jason Arday, the Cambridge professor who came under scrutiny after allegations of plagiarism were levelled against him. Even after his resignation, media coverage scrutinised his work, personal achievements and medical conditions. Former students and class mates were chased for interviews and the story continued to grow. At a vigil for Arday on Monday, Lord Simon Woolley told how just days before his death Arday had told him that he was being 'hounded to death.'In the immediate aftermath of his death there was a question over whether there might be a ...
Borrowing costs have hit new highs in some of the world's biggest economies. While Trump's war with Iran is behind some of rise, it's the AI effect that is spooking some market analysts. A huge surge in corporate borrowing for AI development and data centre building has led to fears that there are risks involved in betting on an artificial intelligence boom - and investors are demanding higher returns on their lending as a result.Data centres have become increasingly under the political spotlight too. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro - a recent cheerleader of AI - has changed tack and is ...
A leading Democrat was mid stump speech which he suddenly sent the crowd wild. It wasn’t his mention of Trump's failed Iran war. It wasn't an attack on his tariffs, or his failed cost of living policies. It was the moment he let slip that the only thing Trump is interested in is his ballroom and his "travel with Natalie". So who is Natalie Harp? Why have Democrats been pushing unsubstantiated innuendo about the President and his aide? And could this turn into a real political headache for Trump? Or have the Democrats just turned a bit... Trumpian?Later, was Reform's Tim Montgomerie too outs...
The chancellor of Cambridge University today has condemned the "racist feeding frenzy" around Jason Arday. Arday was found dead on Friday after a relentless slew of articles querying the veracity of his academic work and life story. Was it really in the public interest to scrutinise every aspect of his life - even after he'd resigned from his post? Or did the controversy around Jason Arday's appointment become a bloodsport for the British media? Would he have faced anything like the same level of hostility if he had been white?Later, why are Albanians taking to the street every night in suc...