When It Hits the Fan

By BBC Radio 4

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Category: Politics

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Episodes: 155

Description

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