Explore every episode of the podcast The Bunker – Your daily news Deep Dive
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life inside Putin’s empire of fear – Deep Dive with Åsne Seierstad | 29 oct. 2026 | 00:31:49 | |
What is daily life like inside Putin’s Russia? Censorship is rife, elections are rigged, the media serves the regime, protests are banned, and young men are dragged to the front lines in Ukraine – but how do ordinary Russians cope with everyday life? Is civil society dead or just “sleeping”? And can Russians ever really be free? Veteran journalist Åsne Seierstad – bestselling author of The Bookseller Of Kabul – has seen Russia before and under Putin. She talks to Seth Thévoz about her new book Never Say War: Life Inside Russia and the day-to-day reality of Putin’s Russia. • Buy Åsne Seierstad’s book Never Say War: Life Inside Russia from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. Back The Bunker on Patreon to help keep the podcast going – and get early, ad-free episodes, merch and more. Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| What happens if France goes fascist? – Deep Dive with Rafael Behr | 28 oct. 2026 | 00:35:13 | |
After near-miss second places in the Presidential run-off elections of 2017 and 2022, could France’s extreme right National Rally be about to take power? And what happens if they do? Over five decades the party has detoxified its image if not its vociferous racist nationalism, moving from a fringe far-right concern to a power in French politics. Now the centre is imploding and polls indicate that voters in 2027 will face a Hobson’s Choice of the National Rally’s Marine Le Pen or the extreme left Jean-Luc Mélenchon. How could it happen? And what would the National Rally’s France look like? Georgina Wright, senior fellow specialising in France at the German Marshall Fund, gives Rafael Behr a picture of Le Pen’s France. • Want more? Listen to Raf explain why far-right populism is sweeping Europe • Back The Bunker on Patreon to help keep the podcast going – and get early, ad-free episodes, merch and more. Written and presented by Rafael Behr. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Bad Fellers? Killing the Sycamore Gap tree – Deep Dive with author Andrew Hankinson | 27 oct. 2026 | 00:22:02 | |
The wanton destruction of the Sycamore Gap tree in 2023 provoked a wave of anger against two men accused and eventually convicted of the crime. There was a search for answers: was it a thrill-seeking stunt, a bid for notoriety or maybe just driven by a grudge against the National Trust? But as award-winning writer Andrew Hankinson found in his new book Felled: The Killing at the Sycamore Gap, the reality was stranger, sadder… and perhaps more about the disconnected, meaningless world of modern men. He tells Andrew Harrison how Sycamore Gap spiralled off into Captain Tom-Land. • Buy Andrew’s book Felled: The Killing at the Sycamore Gap from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Crunch time for the War on Populists – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor | 26 oct. 2026 | 00:28:52 | |
Setting out the stories of the week to come… A crunch week in the global battle against far-right populists gets off to a surprisingly encouraging start as Lula beats far-right nepo baby Flávio Bolsonaro to Brazil’s presidency, and Serbia’s corrupt authoritarian Aleksandar Vučić is ousted by student-led protestors. Will the Israeli elections and US mid-terms provide similar cheer? Plus: Budget week in Britain, Blue Planet III starts on the BBC… and have YOU done your emergency food stockpile? Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison look at the week ahead. • Back The Bunker on Patreon to keep the podcast in rude health – and get early, ad-free episodes, merch and more. Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by James Lidell. Audio production by Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Burnham drills, Putin the “humanitarian”, skeletons in Westminster? – Weekly Wrap-up with Seth and Zoë | 23 oct. 2026 | 00:24:41 | |
Looking back on the past seven days… Andy Burnham has finally given the Jackdaw gas field the green light – four years and six energy secretaries after it was first approved. Is the left right to call him a “climate vandal”? Or should he have sided with the right and gone further? Plus: Trump’s Ukraine envoy Steve Witkoff calls Putin a “humanitarian” despite Russia’s alleged war crimes, France’s protests spiral out of control and the King and Queen join emotional commemorations at Aberfan. Zoë Grünewald and Seth Thévoz recap the biggest, strangest and most under-reported stories of the week. • Listen to our Deep Dive about Trump’s midterm meddling. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Zoë Grünewald. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Can Trump rig the midterms? – Deep Dive with The Atlantic’s David Graham | 22 oct. 2026 | 00:30:24 | |
The stakes in the US midterm elections could not be higher – and Donald Trump has had six years to learn from his failure to overturn the 2020 presidential vote. Democrats are likely to take control of Congress but Trump has intensified his rhetoric, warning this week that the US will “burn” like France if the House and Senate flip on November 3. Can Trump do anything to stop the expected “blue wave”? Will the US collapse into chaos and accusations of voter fraud if the Republicans lose? Could Trump deploy the military? Will some Americans be prevented from voting at all? Atlantic Staff Writer David Graham joins Zing Tsjeng to explore all these terrifying scenarios – and what’s at stake. • Read David’s prescient midterm prediction piece from last October • Buy David’s book The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Listen to American Friction for the latest commentary on US politics • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The BIG wellness con – Deep Dive with Dr Xand van Tulleken | 21 oct. 2026 | 00:30:45 | |
We’re obsessed with health and wellness, from fixating on last night’s sleep score to swallowing a cocktail of supplements to stave off every ailment. But is there any real evidence behind the health hacks we’re sold? Are we being very professionally ripped off by Big Wellness – now four times larger than Big Pharma? British doctor and BBC broadcastert Dr Xand van Tulleken spent three years investigating the industry. He joins Emma Kennedy to separate the real science from the snake oil. • Buy Dr Xand van Tulleken’s book Make Me Well: A Quest to Understand the Confusing World of Wellness from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Emma Kennedy. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Was Rishi Sunak… not that bad? – Deep Dive with Sir Anthony Seldon | 20 oct. 2026 | 00:21:17 | |
Was Rishi Sunak not actually as bad as we remember? No, we haven’t hit our heads… Yes, he led the Conservatives to their worst ever defeat and pandered to the far right with the hopeless Rwanda detention scheme. But he also inherited the wreckage of Liz Truss’s 49 days in power. Was Sunak really doomed from the start? Could a better politician have steadied the ship? And might he be the last ever Tory prime minister? Sir Anthony Seldon, the leading political biographer, joins Seth Thévoz in an attempt to make the case for Sunak. • Buy Anthony’s book Sunak at 10: The Last Conservative Prime Minister? from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Paris is Burning, Again – Start Your Week with Rafael Behr | 19 oct. 2026 | 00:29:11 | |
Setting out the stories of the next seven days… France wakes to scenes of urban destruction straight out of wartime. Are the “cost of living protests” even protests any more, and can lame duck president Emmanuel Macron prevent them from running out of control? Also: Trump’s betrayal of Ukraine deepens, but he’s also supposed to be in court for his case against the BBC. Will he turn up? Plus: A decision on the Jackdaw gas field, Brazil on the verge of electing another Bolsonaro, and the iPhone Duo arrives. Rafael Behr looks at the week ahead with Andrew Harrison. Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Produced by James Lidell. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Trump fuels Putin’s war machine, Reform caught out again – Weekly Wrap-Up with Zoë Grünewald | 16 oct. 2026 | 00:27:16 | |
Looking back at the past seven days… Donald Trump pumps billions of dollars into Putin’s war chest by easing sanctions on Russian diesel. Is the world’s most hateful bromance back on, or is it a desperate attempt to sway America before the midterms? Plus: Reform sacks more councillors for making sickening remarks on camera. And Nigel Farage steps in as Robert Jenrick vows to use “lethal force” against small boats crossing the Channel. Zoë Grünewald and Jacob Jarvis recap the biggest, weirdest and most under-reported stories of the week. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| “Putin jailed me for 500 days. This is how I survived.” – Deep Dive with US journalist Evan Gershkovich | 15 oct. 2026 | 00:38:27 | |
Few people jailed in Russia on charges of spying for the CIA live to tell the tale. Evan Gershkovich is one of them. Just over two years after his release in a Cold War-style prisoner swap, the Wall Street Journal reporter tells his story for the first time: how moving to Russia “on a whim” led to him being snatched by the FSB and jailed in the first espionage conviction of a US journalist in Russia since the end of the Cold War. Evan tells Dorian Lynskey about the violence and interrogation during his 500 days behind bars, how he was freed, the lasting effects of his incarceration, and why despute his ordeal, he hopes to return to Russia one day. • Buy Evan’s book This Cursed Beautiful Land from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Margaret Hodge: “We need to be a LOT tougher on dirty money” – Deep Dive with Labour’s “battleaxe” | 14 oct. 2026 | 00:30:33 | |
Margaret Hodge has never been one to bite her tongue. The veteran Labour politician served as a minister under Blair then Brown, saw off the BNP in Barking, and told Jeremy Corbyn exactly what she thought of him. It’s why she’s a self-styled “Battleaxe” – and why it’s the title of her new memoir. She tells Zoë Grünewald what she’s learned about fighting the far-right and anti-semites; where Burnham is getting it right and wrong; and why the need to get dirty money out of politics is more urgent than ever. • Buy Margaret’s book Battleaxe: A Memoir from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Zoë Grünewald. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Nazi nightmares – The strange dream life of Hitler’s Germany – Deep Dive with Amanda Rubin and Andrew Harrison | 13 oct. 2026 | 00:28:06 | |
The hidden story of a nation sleepwalking into evil. After Adolf Hitler took power in 1933 the German Jewish journalist Charlotte Beradt found herself tormented by dreams of persecution and torture. Realising she could not be the only German who was processing Nazism through their dream life, she began secretly recording the dreams of her friends and neighbours, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Beradt escaped Germany and in the ’60s published The Third Reich Of Dreams, a collection “diaries of the night” now out in a new edition. Now film-maker Amanda Rubin is working on a dramatisation of this extraordinary story. She talks to Andrew Harrison about what Beradt discovered, the chilling psychological undercurrents of a traumatised nation, and how under a totalitarian regime even the dreamer is not free. • Buy The Third Reich Of Dreams through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. Written and presented by Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Produced by James Lidell. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Russia DID push Brexit, Trump sells out Ukraine – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor | 12 oct. 2026 | 00:28:34 | |
Setting out the stories that will shape the next seven days… Andy Burnham confirms what everyone suspected, that Russia interfered in the UK to push the Leave vote over the line. How will the revelations affect the reopened Brexit debate? Plus, Will Trump’s sordid diesel deal with Putin stave off a kicking in the mid-terms? The Houthis cause chaos in Saudi Arabia, and more. Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison look at the week ahead. Written and presented by Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Produced by James Lidell. Audio production by Simon WIlliams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Russian plague, death penalty horror, French riots – Weekly Wrap-Up with Seth Thévoz | 09 oct. 2026 | 00:32:10 | |
Looking back at the past seven days… After two botched attempts by the State of Tennessee to execute her by lethal injection, convicted murderer Christa Pike is now reportedly awake and able to walk. Will this horrorshow of cruel incompetence shift opinions on the Death Penalty? Plus: the Kremlin insists Russia hasn’t unleashed the plague on the world, riots engulf France over its crumbling schools, and party conference season is finally over – hurrah! Andrew Harrison and Seth Thévoz recap the biggest, strangest and most under-reported stories of the week. • Hear Andrew and Steve Richards’ fast take on the Holborn & St Pancras by-election on Oh God, What Now • And on Monday, American Friction’s Jacob Jarvis and Chris Jones speak to Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Seth Thévoz. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Simon Williams Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| How to survive “Information Armageddon” – Deep Dive with HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur | 07 oct. 2026 | 00:28:46 | |
We’re in an information crisis and in the battle with tech giants, fake news merchants and spreaders of hostile disinformation, legitimate journalism is coming off worst. How do we fight it? And does the BBC’s impartiality mean anything when journalism is drowning in disinformation? Stephen Sackur is the longtime host of the BBC’s HARDtalk strand and he says we can fight “information armageddon” – but only if journalists return to their roots and take on the tech oligarchs. With fellow BBC veteran Gavin Esler he talks about the most extraordinary stories of their careers, pulls back the curtain on the realities of investigative journalism, and explains what it takes to keep journalism alive and kicking. • Buy Stephen’s book Hard Truth: Investigations That Shook The World – And Why They Matter Now from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| “A.I. WILL destroy jobs and democracy will be next” – Deep Dive with Anthropic chief researcher Matthew Botvinick | 07 oct. 2026 | 00:26:15 | |
A.I. is already a five-alarm fire for job losses – but the consequences for democracy could be even worse, according to Matthew Botvinick, who leads Anthropic’s research on AI and the rule of law. If economic worthlessness makes us politically powerless, what happens to democracy when fewer people have a stake in the economy? And are the tech bros’ apocalyptic warnings really about public safety – or just a cunning way to sell AI? • Buy Matthew’s book AI and Political Freedom: The Risk to Democracy and How to Respond from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Trump, Musk and the ‘End Times Fascists’ – Deep Dive with Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor | 06 oct. 2026 | 00:35:28 | |
What unites radicalised techbros, religious fanatics and ethnonationalists? According to Naomi Klein of No Logo/Shock Doctrine fame and co-author Astra Taylor, it’s an apocalyptic worldview that’s bad news for the rest of us. The award-winning writers call this bizarre march of the far-right “End Times Fascism” – but is there anything we can do to counter their attempts at a man-made Armageddon? Naomi and Astra tell Dorian Lynskey yes, there is – and it might actually lead to better times. • Buy Naomi and Astra’s book End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leebrurn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| A Kemi for your thoughts? – Start Your Week with Rafael Behr | 05 oct. 2026 | 00:29:30 | |
The Conservative Party conference is here and Kemi Badenoch seems to think she can save the Tories single-handedly. Can she? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the news to look out for in the week ahead. Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more. Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Burnham’s big moment and the return of Musk – Weekly Wrap-Up with Alex von Tunzelmann | 02 oct. 2026 | 00:30:23 | |
Looking back at the past week... Burnham has set out his vision and was praised for delivering Labour’s “best conference speech since Tony Blair”. What did he actually announce – and can his ideas stick? Plus: Donald Trump gathers the tech billionaires at the White House and brings former “first buddy” Elon Musk back into the fold. And what’s the latest on the RAF Fairford incident? Alex von Tunzelmann and Jacob Jarvis look at the biggest, weirdest and most under-reported stories of the week. • Listen to American Friction here: https://linktr.ee/americanfriction • Listen to Oh God, What Now? here: https://linktr.ee/ohgodwhatnowpod • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist.) Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more. Written and presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Burnham ‘channels Oprah’ and iced coffee outrage – Hot Take Time Machine with Miranda Sawyer and Jonn Elledge | 01 oct. 2026 | 00:34:45 | |
Paper Cuts survivors Miranda Sawyer, Jonn Elledge and Jacob Jarvis are back to pick apart the strangest takes from the op-edverse over the past month. This week: Andy Burnham has been accused of channelling his inner Oprah, and his Labour conference speech compared to a “Beatles granny song”. Sofa Socialism is on the rise, apparently, and iced coffee sparks an inter-generational rift. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis, with Jonn Elledge and Miranda Sawyer. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Europe's “firewall” against the far-right is holding. But for how long? | 30 sept. 2026 | 00:42:52 | |
The far-right is reshaping politics across Europe. So what is driving its rise? What do these movements have in common? How did we get here – and what might happen next? Steven Erlanger, The New York Times’ chief diplomatic correspondent for Europe, joins Rafael Behr to discuss whether Europe’s political firewall can hold. • Read Steven’s recent analysis in The New York Times • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Rafael Behr. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Two world wars and one long grudge — will Britain and Germany ever be pals? | 29 sept. 2026 | 00:31:13 | |
Once, Britain and Germany were the closest of friends. But over the course of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, relations spectacularly unravelled – culminating in two world wars fought on opposite sides. So how did two countries with so much in common become bitter enemies? How did they find their way back to a more cordial relationship? And with Britain outside the EU, what does the future hold for the two European powers? Professor of History at Birkbeck University Jan Rüger joins Alex von Tunzelmann to untangle their turbulent history – and where things might be heading. • Pre-order Jan’s book Great Powers: A History of Britain and Germany from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Sabotage at RAF Fairford, Labour’s second chance – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor | 28 sept. 2026 | 00:29:09 | |
Setting out the stories of the next seven days… Five men are arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack on RAF Fairford. It has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored action – who would escalate their conflict with the UK so seriously? Plus: Labour seizes its second chance with promises on social care, first-time buyers and devolution in Liverpool. Manchester City at the centre of the biggest scandal in football history. And don’t forget your Glastonbury tickets. Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison break down the stories that will dominate the week ahead. Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Burnham takes on Putin’s lie machine — Weekly Wrap-Up with Rafael Behr | 25 sept. 2026 | 00:34:42 | |
Looking back at the big stories from the past seven days… Andy Burnham has vowed to crack down on Russia’s “poisonous” slopaganda campaign. Can he really stop the Kremlin meddling in Britain’s affairs? Plus: Trump meets Xi (again) this time in Washington, D.C., a super El Niño is underway and could kill 450,000 by February and far-right yob Daniel Thomas has been arrested after he was filmed slashing a dinghy in the Channel. Rafael Behr and Andrew Harrison recap the biggest, weirdest and most under-reported stories of the week. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Group Editor: Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Crime is down – so why is everyone terrified in "Lawless Britain?" | 24 sept. 2026 | 00:31:03 | |
Is Britain really the crime-ridden hellhole the right says it is? Well… no, not really. Crime has actually fallen over the past decade for most offences – ranging from phone snatching to murder. So why do people think it’s getting worse? Why are Reform voters particularly likely to buy some myths around crime? And what’s the knock-on effect for wider society? Bobby Duffy, Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute at King's College London, joins Zing Tsjeng to explain why public crime perceptions are wildly out of step with the facts. • Read Bobby’s research in full • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Amazing Spider-Myth – From Arachne to Spider-Man, how arachnids rule our imagination | 23 sept. 2026 | 00:24:47 | |
Some people fear spiders so much they can barely stand to read the word. For others, these secretive eight-legged hunters are a source of fascination and mythic wonder. Why do some cultures loathe spiders and others love and revere them, even crediting them with creating the world? Harvard language professor and folklore and mythology expert Maria Tatar dives into the Spider-Verse with her book Arachnomania: Spiders and the Cultural Work They Do for Us. She tells confirmed arachnophile Andrew Harrison how Arachne, the original main spider-character, got a raw deal; what spider stars like Charlotte, Shelob and the one who discomfited Miss Muffet mean; and why Peter Parker is oddly detached from the great web of spider-stories. “Are spiders our significant others,” she asks, “our second selves or sworn enemies?” • Buy Arachnomania through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. Written and presented by Producer: Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Yes, your phone IS listening to you – with Alexis Conran | 22 sept. 2026 | 00:31:52 | |
Alexis Conran, the broadcaster and consumer champion, gets asked one question more than any other: “Is my phone listening to me?” We’ve all had a conversation about a new duvet set or a kettle, only to be served an advert for exactly that moments later. Big Tech insists it isn’t listening in most of the time… So is this all a coincidence? Or is something more nefarious at play? Alexis joins Emma Kennedy to explain what’s really going on. • Read Alexis’ full article on his blog, Scam Proof Your Life • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Emma Kennedy. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Burnham’s Trump meet: Can he handle the heat? – Start Your Week with Alex von Tunzelmann | 21 sept. 2026 | 00:28:01 | |
Andy Burnham is meeting Trump this week – how will he handle the increasingly erratic US president? Plus, more issues for the UN, Labour conference and more news to look out for, with author and historian Alex von Tunzelmann and Jacob Jarvis.
Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Farage’s fight back, A.I. fallout and a 'referendum' – Weekly Wrap-Up with Jonn Elledge | 18 sept. 2026 | 00:30:00 | |
Farage is bracing for legal war over a potential challenge to Reform’s mega money donations. But is his brand terminally damaged already? Plus, A.I. is being debated again, a village has chosen to leave the UK, and a lot of people are mad at Ed Sheeran. Jonn Elledge joins Jacob Jarvis to pull together the biggest news stories from the last week. Back us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Jonn Elledge. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Design by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Sex, secrets and the KGB – How a Cold War spy accidentally saved the world | 17 sept. 2026 | 00:34:27 | |
Vladimir Kuzichkin may have changed the course of the Cold War – and it was all down to a very personal problem. The KGB agent was stationed in Tehran in 1981, less than two years after the Iranian Revolution, when he made the decision to defect to the British. Known to MI6 as “Redwood”, Kuzichkin demanded that the secret service smuggle him out of Iran in exchange for his secrets. But what intel did he provide MI6 and the CIA that was so explosive? And why was he so desperate to escape? Pre-eminent chronicler of espionage Ben Macintyre joins Alex von Tunzelmann to reveal how the Soviet spy may have saved the world. • Buy Ben’s book Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Depraved new world – How billionaires’ sci-fi dreams are wrecking the future | 16 sept. 2026 | 00:26:46 | |
The future has arrived, and it’s starting to look suspiciously like something Elon Musk and his fellow tech billionaires dreamt about as nine-year-olds. Silicon Valley’s rulers promise a world run by artificial superintelligence where scientists and engineers replace politicians – or humans disappear from government altogether. So, are they really the superheroes of the modern age they claim to be? Will AI deliver the technological marvel they promise or is their vision of techno-utopia about as real as, er, Iron Man? Harvard historian and author Jill Lepore joins Emma Kennedy to discuss where we’re headed. • Buy Jill’s book The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Emma Kennedy. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Is AOC really America's next president? | 15 sept. 2026 | 00:24:08 | |
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is constantly tipped as a potential Democratic contender for 2028. She is beloved by the left and loathed by Republicans with equal vigour for her progressive ideals. So, does she even want the White House – and if she does, could she defeat Gavin Newsom and other Democratic front-runners at the primaries? Is AOC really the antidote to Trump? And is America finally ready to accept a woman as president? The Guardian’s Washington Bureau Chief David Smith joins Jacob Jarvis to unpick what might happen. • Read David’s full article in The Guardian • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Farage’s crackpot jackpot – Start Your Week with Gavin Esler | 14 sept. 2026 | 00:29:40 | |
Reform and Farage have raked in mega donations the likes of which British politics has never seen before. What does this money mean for democracy? Gavin Esler joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the fallout and other news to look out for this week.
Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Trump’s ‘bribe’, Miliband’s sanctions, Met investigates Reform – Weekly Wrap-Up with Rafael Behr and Zoë Grünewald | 11 sept. 2026 | 00:36:26 | |
Looking back at the big stories of the past seven days… Nigel Farage faces yet another headache after the Met launched a criminal investigation into whether Reform broke party donation rules. Will he weather the storm? Plus: Ed Miliband denounces “settler terrorists” in Occupied Palestinian Territory. Trump pledges $5,000 to every adult American at his bizarre midterm convention. And an Anthropic staffer offers a cheery warning that AI will destroy humanity before the decade’s done. Zoë Grünewald and Rafael Behr recap the biggest, strangest and under-reported stories of the week. • Find out if you’re owed on car finance at refundclub.co.uk/bunker • Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. refundclub.co.uk/bunker • Listen to Terror Century, our three-part mini-series marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11 linktr.ee/bunker_pod • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Zoë Grünewald. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Terror Century – How the trauma of 9/11 made Trump and MAGA inevitable | 10 sept. 2026 | 00:35:39 | |
A three-part mini-series from The Bunker… The horror of the 9/11 terror attacks 25 years ago this week led America into massive retaliation and ultimately national humiliation in Afghanistan and Iraq. In years to come, these failures and the lies used to sell them would breed a paranoid, isolationist, racist strain that ultimately took over American politics. Did 9/11 ultimately create Trump and Trumpism? National security journalist Spencer Ackerman has reported from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay and he’s the author of Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump. He talks to Andrew Harrison about the long road from Ground Zero to Mar-a-Lago. • Worn out by the War on Terror? Buy Spencer Ackerman’s Iron Man books – there’s two! – through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Find out if you’re owed on car finance at refundclub.co.uk/bunker • Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. refundclub.co.uk/bunker Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Tom taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Terror Century – Did the War on Terror become a war on freedom? | 09 sept. 2026 | 00:29:37 | |
A three-part mini-series from The Bunker… In the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks 25 years ago, an enraged America stumbled into the quagmires of Afghanistan and Iraq. At home the Bush Administration created a new security culture which began to erode freedoms in America and around the world. Are we still living with the compromises Americans made during that feverish decade? On this episode David Cole, author of Less Safe, Less Free: Why America Is Losing the War on Terror, explains how the USA PATRIOT Act and other measures ran out of control… what 9/11-era surveillance means in the age of Big Tech… and whether the freedoms Americans temporarily suspended ever fully came back. • Find out if you’re owed on car finance at refundclub.co.uk/bunker • Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. refundclub.co.uk/bunker Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Simon Williams and Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Terror Century – Are we living in the world that 9/11 created? | 08 sept. 2026 | 00:32:24 | |
A new three-part mini-series from The Bunker… When terrorists murdered 2,977 people in the 9/11 attacks 25 years ago this week, al-Qaeda set America on a dark path which ultimately led to torture, brutal repression and finally national humiliation in Afghanistan and Iraq. But the War on Terror produced something else too: an anti-politics culture of fear and mistrust of leaders which proved fertile ground for the vicious populism of Donald Trump. Are we still living in the world that 9/11 created? In our first episode, terror and insurgency expert Bruce Hoffman of the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University, Washington explains the fevered atmosphere that created the War on Terror… why the US system failed to prevent the attacks in the first place… and how 9/11 still shapes our world. • Buy God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America by Bruce Hoffman through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Find out if you’re owed on car finance at refundclub.co.uk/bunker • Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. refundclub.co.uk/bunker Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Simon Williams and Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Farage: It wasn’t me! — Start Your Week with Alex von Tunzelmann | 07 sept. 2026 | 00:30:26 | |
Nigel Farage is doing everything he can to deny having been in the wrong in those disastrous sting videos. Can his excuses work? Plus, Trump is going wild with AI slop, Kushner has visited Putin and the far-right are blocking ports in Kent… Alex von Tunzelmann joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss what to look out for this week.
Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Farage's candid camera calamity — Emergencycast from Oh God, What Now? | 04 sept. 2026 | 00:23:15 | |
Quick-fire reaction with News Statesman’s associate political editor Rachel Cunliffe and Jacob Jarvis. Given the Farage fallout, we had to record something quickly, so we did an emergencycast! This was originally for Oh God, What Now?, but we thought you’d want to hear it too… The Reform conference is well underway and Nigel Farage is facing another huge crisis after two (now-ex) senior officials were filmed in an undercover investigation seemingly plotting how to bypass electoral law to bag a £500,000 foreign donation… Reform claims it’s all one big hoax, predictably… So can the party weather the storm? Is Farage absolutely done for? And what could happen next? • Find out if you’re owed on car finance at refundclub.co.uk/bunker • Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. refundclub.co.uk/bunker • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis with Rachel Cunliffe. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Burnham-Badenoch bust-up, Reform's griftfest, RIP Gloria Steinem – Weekly Wrap-Up with Seth Thévoz | 04 sept. 2026 | 00:29:02 | |
Looking back at the big stories of the past seven days… Burnham and Badenoch finally went head-to-head at PMQs. Who came out on top? Reform kicks off its conference, complete with £3,000 tickets for a champagne breakfast with Farage. Polanski eyes Starmer’s old seat in Holborn and St Pancras. And feminist icon Gloria Steinem dies aged 92. Seth Thévoz and Andrew Harrison round up the biggest, strangest and most under-reported stories of the week. • Find out if you’re owed on car finance at refundclub.co.uk/bunker • Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. refundclub.co.uk/bunker • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| What's really going on in Britain’s dodgy “vape shops” | 03 sept. 2026 | 00:26:36 | |
Is that mini-mart laundering money? Why have five barbershops opened on the same street? And how can suspiciously empty phone repair shops afford to run? For years, rumours have swirled about Britain’s high streets. Now Andy Burnham has decided he knows who the villain is. He’s declared war on “dodgy” vape shops, branding them a scourge of the high street that only his government can defeat. So… Why are our town centres filling up with vape shops, candy stores and phone-repair shops in the first place? Who’s profiting from them? And can anything spark a high street renaissance? Jim Waterson, founder and editor of the London Centric, joins Zoë Grünewald to unveil the murky world behind Britain’s high streets. • Read how London Centric’s investigation led to a Harry Potter gift shop raid. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Zoë Grünewald. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Roy Cohn – The monster who created Donald Trump | 02 sept. 2026 | 00:28:45 | |
Amoral attack dog for Senator Joe McCarthy during America’s Red Scare of the ’50s. Corrupt mob lawyer, cruel swindler and powerbroker. Racist. Closeted but extremely sexually active gay man who in public spouted homophobic slurs and backed anti-gay legislation. Infamous New York lawyer Roy Cohn was all these things. He was also the man who taught Donald Trump everything he knows. Kai Bird, co-author of riveting new biography American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn’s Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump explains how Cohen’s vicious, win-at-all-costs methods created a monster – and what both men say about the darkness in American culture. • Buy American Scoundrel by Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Burnham gets serious – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison | 01 sept. 2026 | 00:31:37 | |
Setting up the stories for the week ahead… The carefree summer of announcing fun policies is over for Andy Burnham as Parliament returns with tricky questions on defence funding, prisoner release and the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields. Plus: Reshuffle time as Badenoch rearranges the deckchairs on the Torytanic. It’s Reform conference week. And was the Bayeux Tapestry the first-ever comic book? Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison take you through the stories of the week ahead. Get tomorrow’s Bunker today when you back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Parton is such sweet sorrow – Weekly Wrap-Up with Zoë Grünewald | 28 août 2026 | 00:28:31 | |
Looking back at the big stories of the past seven days… Dolly Parton’s death leaves the world brokenhearted but reflecting on a true rarity: someone rich, famous and powerful who never stopped being a good human being. Plus: Meta caves in an $18bn settlement of claims that Facebook and Instagram harmed children. Andy Burnham visits Zelensky in Kyiv – and jams to The Smiths. And in Alaska… Dan Sullivan supports Dan Sullivan as he defeats Dan Sullivan in the Senate race. Zoë Grünewald and Andrew Harrison round up the biggest, strangest and most under-reported stories of the week. • Listen as Gavin Esler explores the breakneck evolution of military technology in This Is Not A Drill’s brand new four-part mini-series • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Inside the clickbait storm – Hot Take Time Machine with Jonn Elledge and Miranda Sawyer | 27 août 2026 | 00:37:53 | |
Hot Take Time Machine is back with Paper Cuts alumni Miranda Sawyer, Jonn Elledge and Jacob Jarvis sniffing out the strangest, worst – and occasionally best – opinions of the past month.
On this episode: Dolly Parton’s death shocks the world, Harry and Meghan’s media storm rages on, the treatment of Jason Arday comes under scrutiny and the Mail’s Liz Jones has another mega moan.
• Spotted a column we should talk about next time? Send it to info@bunkercast.co.uk • Buy Jonn’s book 31 Inventions that Built our World: The Making of Modern Life from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.
• Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis with Miranda Sawyer and Jonn Elledge. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Lightbulb moments – Jonn Elledge on the big ideas that created our world | 26 août 2026 | 00:27:57 | |
We’re living through another technological revolution, but it’s easy to take for granted how much of the world around us was once a radical new invention. Author, columnist and Oh God, What Now? regular Jonn Elledge joins Alex von Tunzelmann to reveal the 31 inventions that made modern life possible. They answer questions such as: Before windows, did people just live in stinking darkness? Are trees really the “most useful technology” a city can invest in? And are buses slowly morphing into… crabs? • Buy Jonn’s book 31 Inventions that Built our World: The Making of Modern Life from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. Get tickets for Origin Story Live! at Islington’s Union Chapel on Tuesday, September 1 • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Churchill, JFK, Mao, Alex Ferguson… The “great leader” is a myth, says Jared Diamond | 25 août 2026 | 00:28:02 | |
Do great leaders actually matter? Or are they just being carried along by bigger forces – from timing to sheer dumb luck? It’s the question that underpins almost every argument about politics, business and sport. And it’s one that Jared Diamond, the UCLA professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, has spent years trying to answer. He joins Emma Kennedy to reveal when leaders can – and cannot – bring about effective change. • Buy Jared’s book Profits, Prophets, Coaches and Kings: (When) Do Leaders Matter? from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Get tickets for Origin Story Live! at Islington’s Union Chapel on Tuesday, September 1 • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Emma Kennedy. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Burnham’s summer review – Start Your Week with Gavin Esler and Ros Taylor | 24 août 2026 | 00:21:16 | |
Burnham’s summer is coming to an end, how has his start in office gone? And what problems does he have to look forward to? Plus, there are new hacking concerns for the UK and Trump is back on another tariff tirade… Gavin Esler and Ros Taylor discuss this as they look at the key stories to look out for in the coming days.
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast
Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Trump’s emotional support dictator – Weekly Wrap-Up with Rafael Behr | 21 août 2026 | 00:39:29 | |
Looking back on the big stories of the past seven days… Donald Trump is once again cosying up to his dictator bestie Kim Jong Un – what’s he got up his sleeve? Plus: Burnham fleshes out plans to tackle homelessness and Zelenskyy’s former defence minister calls for Ukraine election… Rafael Behr and Jacob Jarvis discuss the biggest, strangest and most under-reported stories of the week.
• Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||