Podcast

Spectator Out Loud

Each week, several of the Spectator’s writers read their magazine articles out loud.

Each week, several of the Spectator’s writers read their magazine articles out loud.

Spectator Out Loud

Peter Parker, Wayne Hunt, Nicholas Lezard, Mark Mason and Nicholas Farrell

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Peter Parker takes us through the history of guardsmen and homosexuality (1:12); Prof. Wayne Hunt explains what the Conservatives could learn from the 1993 Canadian election (9:10); Nicholas Lezard reflects on the diaries of Franz Kafka, on the eve of his centenary (16:06); Mark Mason provides his notes on Horse

Play 33 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Quentin Letts, Owen Matthews, Michael Hann, Laura Gascoigne, and Michael Simmons

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Quentin Letts takes us through his diary for the week (1:12); Owen Matthews details the shadow fleet helping Russia to evade sanctions (7:15); Michael Hann reports on the country music revival (15:05); Laura Gascoigne reviews exhibitions at the Tate Britain and at Studio Voltaire (21:20); and, Michael Simmons provides his

Play 31 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Max Jeffery, David Shipley, Patrick Kidd, Cindy Yu, and Hugh Thomson

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Max Jeffery interviews Afghan resistance leader Ahmad Massoud (1:13); former prisoner David Shipley ponders the power of restorative justice (8:23); Patrick Kidd argues that the Church should do more to encourage volunteers (14:15); Cindy Yu asks if the tiger mother is an endangered species (21:06); and, Hugh Thomson reviews Mick

Play 33 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Slavoj Zizek, Angus Colwell, Svitlana Morenets, Cindy Yu, and Philip Hensher

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Philosopher Slavoj Zizek takes us through his diary including his Britney Spears Theory of Action (1:08); Angus Colwell reports from the front line of the pro-Palestinian student protests (8:09); Svitlana Morenets provides an update on what’s going on in Georgia, where tensions between pro-EU and pro-Russian factions are heading to

Play 32 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Sean Thomas, Kara Kennedy, Philip Hensher, Damian Thompson and Toby Young

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Sean Thomas worries that Paris has lost some of its charm (1:21); Kara Kennedy reports on US-style opioids arriving in Britain (8:43); Philip Hensher describes how an affair which ruined one woman would be the making of another (15:32); Damian Thompson reflects on his sobriety and his battle with British

Play 35 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Douglas Murray, Lionel Shriver, Mark Mason and Graeme Thomson

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: reporting from St Helena, Douglas Murray reflects on the inhabitants he has met and the history of the British Overseas Territory (1:12); Lionel Shriver opines on the debate around transgender care (9:08); following a boyhood dream to visit the country to watch cricket, Mark Mason reads his letter from India

Play 29 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Svitlana Morenets, Mary Wakefield, Max Jeffery, Sam Leith and Richard Bratby

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: In light of the help Israel received, Svitlana Morenets issues a challenge to the West to help Ukraine (1:15); Mary Wakefield questions the slow response to the Ministry of Defence being daubed in paint (7:33);  Max Jeffery discusses the aims and tactics of the group responsible for the protest, Youth

Play 35 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Matthew Parris, Laurie Graham, Rachel Johnson, Laura Gascoigne and Angus Colwell

This week: Matthew Parris questions what’s left to say about the Tories (00:57), Laurie Graham discusses her struggle to see a GP (07:35), Rachel Johnson makes the case against women only clubs (13:38), Laura Gascoigne tells us the truth about Caravaggio’s last painting (19:21) and Angus Colwell reads his notes on wild garlic (28:58).  Produced by

Play 32 mins

Spectator Out Loud

James Heale, Madeleine Teahan, Tanya Gold and William Moore

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale suggests that the London mayoral race could be closer than we think (1:02); Madeleine Teahan argues that babies with down’s syndrome have a right to be born (6:15); Tanya Gold reports from Jerusalem as Israel’s war enters its seventh month (12:32); and William Moore reveals what he has

Play 23 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Sophie Winkleman, Svitlana Morenets, Candida Crewe and Ysenda Maxtone Graham

Embed Code This week: Sophie Winkleman tells us why she’s fighting to ban smartphones for children (01:01), Svitlana Morenets details how Ukraine plans to revive its birthrate (05:52), Candida Crewe laments the blight that is UHT milk (12:41), and Ysenda Maxtone Graham mourns the loss of the St John’s Voices choir (22:43).

Play 28 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Richard Madeley, Kate Andrews, Lloyd Evans, Sam McPhail and Graeme Thomson

This week: Richard Madeley reads his diary (01:06), Kate Andrews describes how Kate-gate gripped America (06:18), Lloyd Evans warns against meddling with Shakespeare (11:38), Sam McPhail details how Cruyff changed modern football (18:17), and Graeme Thomson reads his interview with Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera (25:23).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

Play 35 mins

Spectator Out Loud

William Moore, Sean Thomas, Matt Ridley, Lionel Shriver and Kate Andrews

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: William Moore questions if the Church of England is about the apologise for Christianity (1:19); Sean Thomas recounts his experience taking ayahuasca in Colombia (8:13); Matt Ridley argues that private landowners make better conservationists (16:40); Lionel Shriver warns against pathological niceness in the debate about immigration (28:37); and, Kate Andrews

Play 41 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Mary Wakefield, Hannah Tomes and Cosmo Landesman

On this episode of Spectator Out Loud, Mary Wakefield has a solution to smartphone addition (00:28), Hannah Tomes reviews the latest production of King Lear (07:27) and Cosmo Landesman gets high (11:13).

Play 17 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Lukas Degutis, Ysenda Maxtone Graham, Richard Bratby and Toby Young

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Lukas Degutis reports from Riga, exploring Latvia’s policy of expelling Russian speakers (01:16); Ysenda Maxtone Graham explains why she believes applause has no place at a funeral (10:03); paying homage to Christopher Gunning, Richard Bratby argues that composers of ads, film soundtracks and TV theme tunes should be taken more

Play 27 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Max Jeffery, Lisa Haseldine, Christopher Howse, Philip Hensher and Calvin Po

This week: Max Jeffery writes from Blackpool where he says you can see the welfare crisis at its worst (01:29); Lisa Haseldine reads her interview with the wife of Vladimir Kara-Murza, whose husband is languishing in a Siberian jail (06:26); Christopher Howse tells us about the ancient synagogue under threat from developers (13:02); Philip Hensher

Play 43 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Harry Mount, Lara Prendergast, Catriona Olding, Owen Matthews and Jeremy Hildreth

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud, Harry Mount reads his diary, in which he recounts a legendary face-off between Barry Humphries and John Lennon (00:45); Lara Prendergast gives her tips for male beauty (06:15); Owen Matthews reports from Kyiv about the Ukrainians’ unbroken spirit (12:40); Catriona Olding writes on the importance of choosing how to

Play 29 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Svitlana Morenets, Paul Mason, Robbie Mallett and Lloyd Evans

This week: Svitlana Morenets takes us inside Ukraine’s new plan for mass conscription (01:01); Paul Mason says that Labour is right to ditch its £28 billion green pledge (10:49); Robbie Mallett tells us about life as a scientist working in Antarctica (15:48); and Lloyd Evans reads his Life column (21:24).  Produced and presented by Oscar

Play 26 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Lionel Shriver, Angus Colwell and Toby Young

On this week’s episode, Lionel Shriver asks if Donald Trump can get a fair trial in America (00:39), Angus Colwell speaks to the Gen-Zers who would fight for Britain (08:25), Matthew Parris makes the case for assisted dying (13:15), Toby Young tells the story of the time he almost died on his gap year (20:43),

Play 32 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Richard Dawkins, Douglas Murray and Cindy Yu

On this episode, Richard Dawkins explains how to convert an atheist like him to a Christian (00:37), Lisa Haseldine says the German army is in a dire state (05:53), Douglas Murray looks at the return of the Trump show (12:44), Cindy Yu reviews a Chinese intelligence officers account of life under the CCP (20:14), and

Play 31 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Fraser Nelson, Robert Hardman & Michael Simmons

This week: Spectator editor Fraser Nelson on why the Emirati ownership of the magazine matters (00:30), Robert Hardman on the time the King could have poisoned Rishi Sunak (06:24) and Michael Simmons on why sobriety isn’t worth it (13:02).

Play 18 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Cindy Yu, Mary Wakefield and Natasha Feroze

This week: Cindy Yu reads her piece ahead of the Taiwanese elections (00:54), Mary Wakefield discusses the US opioid crisis which she fears has come to the UK (07:13), and Natasha Feroze tells us about the rise of relationship contracts (13:26).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

Play 18 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Svitlana Morenets, James Heale and Theo Hobson

This week: Svitlana Morenets explains why Ukrainians can’t trust Putin’s hollow promises (00:57), James Heale reads his politics column on Rishi’s January blues (05:42), and Theo Hobson describes the joys of middle-aged football (10:54).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

Play 17 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Peter Hitchens, Lionel Shriver, Mary Wellesley and more

On this week’s episode, Peter Hitchens remembers a Christmas in Bucharest, Lionel Shriver says people don’t care about Ukraine anymore, Ed West wonders if you can ‘meme’ yourself into believing in God, Mary Wellesley reads her ‘Notes On’ St Nicholas, and Melissa Kite says she had to move to Ireland to escape the EU‘s rules.

Play 31 mins

Spectator Out Loud

James Heale, Michael Simmons and Mary Wakefield

This week: James Heale reads his politics column on Sunak’s migration minefield (00:55), Michael Simmons says that Scotland’s ‘progressive’ teaching methods have badly backfired (05:53), and Mary Wakefield asks: why can’t I pray in Westminster Abbey? (11:40) Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.

Play 18 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Katy Balls, Lionel Shriver and Marcus Walker

This week: Katy Balls on what the Elgin Marbles row is really about (00:56); Lionel Shriver on feckless politicians when it comes to immigration (06:43) and Marcus Walker on his rage against multi-faith prayer rooms (15:37).

Play

Spectator Out Loud

David Swift, Mary Wakefield & Peter Hitchens

This week: David Swift looks at whether hope remains in Jaffa, Isreal (00:51); Mary Wakefield on the civil service’s ‘say my name’ campaign (06:49) and Peter Hitchens on his time in prison (13:17). 

Play 20 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Svitlana Morenets, Sean Thomas and Angus Colwell

This week, Svitlana Morenets says Ukraine’s counteroffensive is not living up to the hype (00:59), Sean Thomas says he likes travelling to crappy towns (10:27), and Angus Colwell defends London’s rickshaw drivers (17:38).  Presented and produced by Max Jeffery.

Play 21 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Michael Simmons, Christopher Howse and Melissa Kite

This week, Michael Simmons looks at the dodgy graph thats justified the second lockdown (00:55), Christopher Howse examines what happened to received pronunciation (05:56), and Melissa Kite wonders whether Surrey’s busybodies have followed her and her boyfriend to Cork (14:47). Presented and produced by Max Jeffery.

Play 19 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Katy Balls, Matthew Parris and Fabian Carstairs

This week: Katy Balls reads her politics column on Keir Starmer’s ceasefire predicament (00:54), Matthew Parris warns us of the dangers of righteous anger (06:48), and Fabian Carstairs tells us how he found himself on an internet dating blacklist (14:29).  Presented by Oscar Edmondson.  Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson. 

Play 20 mins

Spectator Out Loud

Peter Oborne, Kate Andrews and Jonathan Maitland

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud, Peter Oborne reads his letter from Jerusalem (00:55), Kate Andrews talks about why Rishi Sunak has made her take up smoking (07:20), and Jonathan Maitland explains his growing obsession with Martin Bashir (12:15). Presented by Cindy Yu. Produced by Cindy Yu and Natasha Feroze.

Play 18 mins