How do you PR the future? That's the question David Yelland and Simon Lewis are wrestling with this week. As Uber says it's 'ready to go' with driverless cabs, can the British public be persuaded to jump in? How do you sell a vision? Also, in the extended edition on BBC Sounds, they look at Gary Lineker's departure from the BBC and the PR rules around staying silent or speaking out. And when is a gift not just a gift? Possibly when it's a $400m plane. David and Simon pull back the covers on the world of freebies.Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
21/5/2025
31:20
The Spy Who Leaked Me
Spying tends to be a fairly secretive game, for obvious reasons. So eyebrows have been quizzically raised (a bit like Roger Moore's 007) following the naming of the woman apparently favourite to become the new chief of MI6. This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis explore the murky world of leaks. Who benefits from them, why are they done and just how damaging can they be?They'll explain why leaking is far from victimless and reveal their own experiences of turning on the news and realising someone is out to get you.And in the extended episode on BBC Sounds, have the Beckham's lost control of their PR? With pages of newspaper coverage devoted to their supposed family rift, David and Simon look at when two PR tribes go to war.Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
14/5/2025
23:46
Prince Harry's bombshell interview
As far as royal interviews go, it'll take some beating. This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis sift through Prince Harry's BBC interview - and discuss whether it's a PR disaster. They discuss what sort of advice Harry is being given and why, when it comes to doing a big interview, the golden rule is 'never go in hot'.Listen to the full extended version on BBC Sounds, where David and Simon also look at how Marks & Spencer responded to a cyber attack - and why saying nothing can sometimes be the best policy. Plus, what everyone in PR could learn from two of the great master communicators, Michelle Obama and Sir David Attenborough.Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
07/5/2025
24:02
PR is a virus
What if your profession is to blame for almost everything? This week, David Yelland is joined from Washington by PR guru Phil Elwood - who thinks the industry needs to take a long hard look at itself.Accusing PR of being like a virus, Phil says the tricks of the trade that have been used for decades to influence, mislead and cajole have been co-opted by both the media and by governments. And the results aren't pretty.Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
30/4/2025
24:35
China's meme warfare, rats and rockets
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the global battle for hearts, minds and reputations between the US and China. Following JD Vance calling the people of China peasants, how far is China's retaliatory social media PR strategy seeking to embarrass America, or is the United States damaging its own reputation all by itself? Plus - Birmingham's rat problem, Signal chat leaks and what's been dubbed 'the biggest PR disaster in the universe' - it's Jeff Bezos's rocket launch and why all great PR crises are self-made.Producers: Eve Streeter and Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
Inside the world of crisis managers and spin doctors as David Yelland and Simon Lewis watch the week's biggest PR disasters unfold. In each episode our hosts go behind the scenes of the latest news stories and find out how, where and when it all began to hit the fan. When It Hits The Fan is hosted by two of the most influential and experienced people in the game; David Yelland is the former editor of the Sun and alongside him is Simon Lewis, former trouble-shooter for the Queen and Gordon Brown, as well as for major corporations like the Nat West, Vodafone and British Gas. Together they bring decades of experience in both creating and managing crises. They'll share all they know about what's keeping those big stories in and out of the news.
Ireland