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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.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
|
PR's Rich Tapestry
|
Jul 15, 2026 |
|
Me Against the World
|
Jul 08, 2026 |
|
Just Answer the Question
|
Jul 01, 2026 |
|
King Charles, Tax and Transparency
|
Jun 24, 2026 |
|
Social Media Ban: Big Tech's 'Tobacco Moment'
|
Jun 17, 2026 |
|
Hunter Biden: Back from the Brink
|
Jun 10, 2026 |
|
BP v 'Shouty' Albert
|
Jun 03, 2026 |
|
Lower Value Humans
|
May 27, 2026 |
|
Did Swatch PR Backfire?
|
May 20, 2026 |
|
Knowing When To Quit
|
May 13, 2026 |
|
The King's Speech
|
May 06, 2026 |
|
Trouble at the FBI
|
Apr 29, 2026 |
|
Don't Panic!!!
|
Apr 01, 2026 |
|
When Poachers Turn Gatekeepers
|
Mar 25, 2026 |
|
Can You Spin ChatGPT?
|
Mar 18, 2026 |
|
A Gulf in Communications
|
Mar 11, 2026 |
|
The Generation Game
|
Mar 04, 2026 |
|
Friends: The One About PR
|
Feb 25, 2026 |
|
Heart v Head PR
|
Feb 18, 2026 |
|
Is the Office of PM Beyond PR?
|
Feb 11, 2026 |
|
Are Andrew and Mandelson Beyond the Fan?
|
Feb 04, 2026 |
|
Is the Beckham Brand in Jeopardy?
|
Jan 28, 2026 |
|
A New Blueprint for PR
|
Jan 21, 2026 |
|
Is the Worm Turning on 'Fat Jabs'?
|
Jan 14, 2026 |
|
3. Don't Break the Fourth Wall
|
Jan 07, 2026 |
|
2. Don't Delay PR
|
Dec 31, 2025 |
|
1. Rolling the Pitch
|
Dec 24, 2025 |
|
Why Optimism is a PR Superpower
|
Dec 17, 2025 |
|
Simon Cowell's PR: Judged!
|
Dec 10, 2025 |
|
Nuns on the Run
|
Dec 03, 2025 |
|
Power, PR and the 'Epstein Class'
|
Nov 26, 2025 |
|
The Secrets of the List: Putting Yourself in the Frame for a Top Job.
|
Nov 19, 2025 |
|
Is the BBC 'hopeless at PR'?
|
Nov 12, 2025 |
|
Two Weeks that Shook the Palace
|
Nov 05, 2025 |
|
The Strictly Bombshell
|
Oct 29, 2025 |
|
The Prince Andrew Crisis
|
Oct 22, 2025 |
|
What Victoria Beckham's revelation reveals about PR
|
Oct 15, 2025 |
|
Michelle Mone: Her PR Rise and Fall
|
Oct 08, 2025 |
|
Prince Harry and the Men in Grey Suits
|
Oct 01, 2025 |
|
Why the Macrons are willing to bare all
|
Sep 24, 2025 |
|
Prince Harry's PR Comeback
|
Sep 17, 2025 |
|
Alas WH Smith and Jones
|
Sep 10, 2025 |
|
7. Be Honest With Yourself
|
Sep 03, 2025 |
|
6. Never Over Promise
|
Aug 27, 2025 |
|
5. Know How To Go Off the Record
|
Aug 20, 2025 |
|
4. Prepare For A Crisis
|
Aug 13, 2025 |
|
3. The Media is Not Your Friend
|
Aug 06, 2025 |
|
2. Start Networking Now
|
Jul 30, 2025 |
|
1. Reputation is Everything
|
Jul 23, 2025 |
|
A Right Royal Whodunnit
|
Jul 16, 2025 |
|
The Crying Game
|
Jul 09, 2025 |
|
Dynasty PR: Can the Trumps learn from the Royals?
|
Jul 02, 2025 |
|
Faking It To Make It
|
Jun 25, 2025 |
|
Is Bezos blind to Venetians?
|
Jun 18, 2025 |
|
Sirs, Dames and the PR Game
|
Jun 11, 2025 |
|
'Humanity Deserves Better'
|
Jun 04, 2025 |
|
You're Banned!
|
May 28, 2025 |
|
Robotaxis: Look, no hands!
|
May 21, 2025 |
|
The Spy Who Leaked Me
|
May 14, 2025 |
|
Prince Harry's bombshell interview
|
May 07, 2025 |
|
PR is a virus
|
Apr 30, 2025 |
|
China's meme warfare, rats and rockets
|
Apr 23, 2025 |
|
Quick Wins: How to avoid being typecast
|
Apr 15, 2025 |
|
Quick Wins: How to deal with redundancies
|
Apr 08, 2025 |
|
The truth about ‘no comment,’ managing expectations and cost-effective PR
|
Apr 01, 2025 |
|
Heathrow special: inside the crisis
|
Mar 25, 2025 |
|
Thames Water’s PR gamble, Tesla backlash and William’s Villa in The Sun
|
Mar 18, 2025 |
|
Carney’s Canada v Trump, Abrdn’s U-turn and Ambassador Suzuki
|
Mar 11, 2025 |
|
Trump, Zelensky, the King and Mummy Pig
|
Mar 04, 2025 |
|
PR in the disinformation bubble, Mandelson’s doorstep and breaking cover
|
Feb 25, 2025 |
|
BP’s PR battle, Jamie Dimon’s rant, and two men and a baby
|
Feb 18, 2025 |
|
Inside the woke war room, puff quote PR and WhatsApp comms
|
Feb 11, 2025 |
|
Rachel Reeves’ PR pivot, how to talk to Trump and Bill Gates’ memoir
|
Feb 04, 2025 |
|
Inside the Sun's historic apology to Prince Harry
|
Jan 28, 2025 |
|
Power and influence in the (medieval) court of Trump
|
Jan 21, 2025 |
|
California in crisis and is the UK running out of gas?
|
Jan 14, 2025 |
|
Quick Wins: How to quit a new job
|
Jan 07, 2025 |
|
Quick Wins: How to use storytelling
|
Dec 31, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to recover from embarrassment
|
Dec 24, 2024 |
|
2024: the big ideas that shaped our year
|
Dec 17, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: Office Parties
|
Dec 13, 2024 |
|
Murdoch loses 'succession’ battle, killing of a US CEO and why tycoons get up at 4am
|
Dec 10, 2024 |
|
Gregg Wallace, ‘casting doubt’ PR and Ed Davey’s Christmas single
|
Dec 03, 2024 |
|
Jaguar’s rebrand, John Prescott and Meet the Rees-Moggs
|
Nov 26, 2024 |
|
Has business lost the argument? X versus Bluesky, and Coleen’s jungle PR
|
Nov 19, 2024 |
|
Why Trump means boom times for PR, and a Rivals spat
|
Nov 12, 2024 |
|
Telling the truth, being on TV and the best PR comebacks
|
Nov 05, 2024 |
|
Inside prestige PR, Starbucks and a cheese heist
|
Oct 29, 2024 |
|
Could PR have helped Liam Payne?, Thomas Tuchel and the Trump biopic
|
Oct 22, 2024 |
|
Kamala Harris, Man City v the Premier League and LinkedIn
|
Oct 15, 2024 |
|
Why Keir needs Bikeshed PR, Strictly’s tabloid battle and Undo Send!
|
Oct 08, 2024 |
|
Ozempic, Phillip Schofield and PR on screen
|
Oct 01, 2024 |
|
Al Fayed revelations, and the Murdoch succession battle
|
Sep 24, 2024 |
|
BBC in crisis, laughing at Trump and the elephant in the room
|
Sep 17, 2024 |
|
Kate’s video and Labour PR in power
|
Sep 10, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to Lead
|
Aug 28, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to Deal with Online Abuse
|
Aug 21, 2024 |
|
When It Hits The Fan x Today Podcast Summer special: Is journalism in crisis?
|
Aug 15, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to Deal with Backstabbers
|
Aug 14, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to Get Ahead When You're Shy
|
Aug 07, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: The Nine Circles of Media Hell
|
Jul 31, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to break unwelcome news
|
Jul 23, 2024 |
|
Trump shooting, Biden and loser PR
|
Jul 16, 2024 |
|
Can Keir kill spin?
|
Jul 09, 2024 |
|
Positive campaigning, how to deal with disappointment and why PR loves Wimbledon
|
Jul 02, 2024 |
|
When It Hits The Fan x The Today Podcast x Newscast
|
Jun 25, 2024 |
|
Taylor Swift’s PR stardust, the Putin effect and Southgate’s pundit problem
|
Jun 25, 2024 |
|
Can Starmer do PR?, the Green Party and being Taylor Swift's ex
|
Jun 18, 2024 |
|
Sunak's D-Day blunder, is Farage using dog whistles?, and Mike Lynch
|
Jun 11, 2024 |
|
Private school PR, Lib Dem tactics and Trump's conviction
|
Jun 04, 2024 |
|
General Election PR strategy and the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry
|
May 28, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to say no
|
May 23, 2024 |
|
UK water crisis, the Rich List and PR wellbeing
|
May 21, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to say sorry
|
May 16, 2024 |
|
Apple’s ad backlash, 'I’m not your mum' and Zahawi’s exit strategy
|
May 14, 2024 |
|
Co-op Live, political spin and inside the Trumpian bubble
|
May 07, 2024 |
|
Huw Edwards, PR speak and runaway horses
|
Apr 30, 2024 |
|
Matthew Freud special
|
Apr 22, 2024 |
|
Dorothy Byrne special
|
Apr 16, 2024 |
|
Mick Lynch special
|
Apr 09, 2024 |
|
What can we learn from Kate?
|
Mar 26, 2024 |
|
TikTok and China, how to make a royal story go away and cybersecurity PR
|
Mar 19, 2024 |
|
The Palace in crisis
|
Mar 12, 2024 |
|
Christian Horner crisis continues, the Telegraph battle and Hancock’s Eton cockup
|
Mar 05, 2024 |
|
Talking crap, car crash interviews and Trident’s plop
|
Feb 27, 2024 |
|
NatWest, the first 100 days and F1's Red Bull
|
Feb 20, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to deal with imposter syndrome
|
Feb 16, 2024 |
|
F1’s Christian Horner, Soho House and The National Trust
|
Feb 13, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to manage your reputation online
|
Feb 09, 2024 |
|
The King's cancer, Facebook PR and Greta Thunberg
|
Feb 06, 2024 |
|
Klopp’s reveal, vaping PR and Barbie’s disappointment
|
Jan 30, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to deal with a difficult boss
|
Jan 26, 2024 |
|
CEO salaries, Jordan Henderson and prostate PR
|
Jan 23, 2024 |
|
Post Office PR, Boeing and the King's new biography
|
Jan 16, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to ask for a pay rise
|
Jan 09, 2024 |
|
Quick Wins: How to quit your job
|
Jan 03, 2024 |
|
Gerald Ratner special
|
Dec 27, 2023 |
|
Harry's victory, Baroness Mone Part 2 and 2023's PR lessons
|
Dec 19, 2023 |
|
Baroness Mone, ITV and VIP PR
|
Dec 12, 2023 |
|
Quick Wins: Office parties
|
Dec 07, 2023 |
|
Omid Scobie Part 2, COP PR and Wilko
|
Dec 05, 2023 |
|
Omid Scobie, RIP PR and Ridley v the historians
|
Nov 28, 2023 |
|
You’re fired! Everton and political PR
|
Nov 21, 2023 |
|
The King’s PR, Shell and a million-dollar handbag
|
Nov 14, 2023 |
|
Rishi and Elon, Robert de Niro and that M&S ad
|
Nov 07, 2023 |
|
NatWest’s Alison Rose, Unilever and I’m a Celebrity...
|
Oct 31, 2023 |
|
Britney’s memoir, BT's rebrand and Meryl Streep
|
Oct 24, 2023 |
|
Captain Tom's family, Barclays and the Grand National
|
Oct 17, 2023 |
|
Tobacco, Beckham Inc and an Eton mess
|
Oct 10, 2023 |
|
The Taylor Swift effect, GB News and following Feargal
|
Oct 03, 2023 |
|
Murdoch, HS2 and British Gas
|
Sep 26, 2023 |
|
Russell Brand, BP and Britain's 'golden triangle'
|
Sep 19, 2023 |
|
Elon Musk, 'sorry not sorry' and being booed
|
Sep 12, 2023 |
|
Crumbling concrete, Harry returns and the Spanish FA
|
Sep 05, 2023 |
|
Introducing When It Hits the Fan
|
Sep 01, 2023 |