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When It Hits the Fan podcast artwork
News

When It Hits the Fan

by BBC Radio 4
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About the show

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.

Latest episodes

  • 'The Race We Can't Afford to Lose'

    October 7, 2026 · 28 min

    The stakes could not be higher. To the winner, global supremacy. To the loser, irreversible decline. That is how the battle for building more data centres is being fought by Amazon. This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel look at how…

  • I'm a Billionaire... Get Me Out of Here!!!

    September 30, 2026 · 31 min

    "That's it, I'm leaving." After which, there is often the sound of a door slamming. But in this case, it's more likely to be the sound of a private jet revving its engines. This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel look at why some of…

  • A Statement from the King

    September 23, 2026 · 29 min

    'Never complain, never explain.' Until recently, that could've been the unofficial motto for the Royal Family. Not anymore. David Yelland and Farzana Baduel discuss whether it was wise for Buckingham Palace to issue a statement in…

  • How to PR the End of the World

    September 16, 2026 · 32 min

    When an interviewer's first question is whether your product could kill all humans, you know it's serious. This week, David Yelland and Lauren Beeching look at how the boss of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, handled himself following insider…

  • The Power of Good Vibes

    September 9, 2026 · 33 min

    It's a feeling, it's something you can't quite put your finger on - but you know it when you see it. This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel are all about the vibes. The good ones. Whether it's at Downing Street or M&S, vibes have been…

  • PR's Rich Tapestry

    July 15, 2026 · 27 min

    If PR is all about weaving great stories, then the Bayeux Tapestry might just be the perfect example. This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel celebrate the comms coup that was 1000 years in the making. The tapestry's arrival back in…

  • Me Against the World

    July 8, 2026 · 25 min

    Whether you're a multimillionaire or the son of a King, sometimes it can still feel like everyone is out to get you. And so we turn to Nigel Farage and Prince Harry. Both are dealing with huge PR fallouts on which the dust is nowhere near…

  • Just Answer the Question

    July 1, 2026 · 33 min

    Public life would be an awful lot easier if you never had to answer questions from pesky journalists. Or would it? This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel look at Andy Burnham's decision to not take questions as he launched his vision…