• 27 minutes 8 seconds
    Is Taylor Swift’s wedding getting women into betting?

    How much money Donald Trump has made from cryptocurrency? Why have rumours about Taylor Swift’s wedding led to an online betting frenzy? Are Silicon Valley whistleblowers under greater threat than ever before?


    Jeevan Vasagar is joined by the Observer’s Technology Editor Patricia Clarke, Social Media Editor Caitlin Macdonald, and Reporter Jon Ungoed-Thomas as they battle it out to pitch the top story of the day. 


    **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 


    Follow us on Social Media: 

    • @ObserverUK on X 
    • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
    • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 


    Host: Jeevan Vasagar


    Producer: Poppy Bullard


    Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk 

    Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2 July 2026, 2:58 pm
  • 38 minutes 20 seconds
    Why does Andy Burnham want to move part of Downing Street?

    Why might Andy Burnham move part of the Downing Street operations to Manchester? What happened to maternity care across Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust? And can we adapt our cities to extreme heat?


    Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Ben Zaranko, Jessy Parker-Humphreys and Evan Moffitt as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. 


    **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 


    Follow us on Social Media: 

    • @ObserverUK on X 
    • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
    • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk 

    Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 June 2026, 3:40 pm
  • 31 minutes 20 seconds
    Why does the Putney Pusher remain anonymous?

    Why are UK voters so anti-establishment? Why can’t we name the Putney Pusher suspect? And why is the government banning teenagers from having AI relationships? 


    Jeevan Vasagar is joined by The Observer’s Sarah Dear, Stephen Armstrong and Cat Neilan as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. 


    **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 


    Follow us on Social Media: 

    • @ObserverUK on X 
    • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
    • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 


    Host: Jeevan Vasagar


    Producer: Amalie Sortland


    Executive Producer: Matt Russell


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk 

    Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 June 2026, 4:11 pm
  • 34 minutes 40 seconds
    What’s driving disorder in Belfast?

    Who's calling the shots when World Cup staff and fans are denied entry? Can the US-Iran ceasefire survive another exchange of strikes? And why has the Belfast knife attack become about the Irish border?  


    Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s John Simpson, Hannah Schuller and Evan Moffitt as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. 


    **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 


    Follow us on Social Media: 

    • @ObserverUK on X 
    • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
    • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 


    Host: Giles Whittell


    Producer: Amalie Sortland


    Executive Producer: Poppy Bullard


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk 

    Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 June 2026, 4:36 pm
  • 36 minutes 13 seconds
    Who can actually afford to go to the World Cup?

    This episode is a sports desk takeover ahead of the World Cup. What’s going to happen when Iran plays their first match on US soil? Why is FIFA facing allegations of trying to sell tickets using unofficial platforms? And could England win the World Cup? 


    Andrew Butler, is joined by George Simms, Jessica Hayden and Rory Smith - as they battle it out to pitch the top World Cup story of the day. 


    **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 


    Follow us on Social Media: 

    • @ObserverUK on X 
    • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
    • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 


    Host: Andrew Butler


    Producer: Amalie Sortland


    Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk 

    Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    4 June 2026, 4:53 pm
  • 32 minutes 28 seconds
    Why is Pope Leo against AI?

    Why has Pope Leo written 42,000 words warning about the dangers of AI? Why is Britain at risk of ‘losing’ a generation of young people? And what does the European heatwave have to do with the fairness of tennis? 


    Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s John Simpson, Jessy Parker Humphreys and Erica Wagner as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. 


    **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 


    Follow us on Social Media: 

    • @ObserverUK on X 
    • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
    • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 


    Host: Giles Whittell


    Producer: Amalie Sortland


    Executive Producer: Poppy Bullard


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk 

    Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    28 May 2026, 4:29 pm
  • 29 minutes 29 seconds
    Why has Married at First Sight UK been pulled off air?

    Married at First Sight UK has been pulled off air after allegations of rape during filming were made by former participants. What does this tell us about safeguarding in reality TV? Why might Rachel Reeves’s newly announced cuts on food tariffs negatively affect our health? And why has a football club admitted to spying?


    Jeevan Vasager is joined by The Observer’s James Tapper, Madeleine Parr and Andrew Butler as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. 


    Note: This episode contains mentions of sexual violence and suicide.


    **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 


    Follow us on Social Media: 

    • @ObserverUK on X 
    • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
    • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 


    Host: Jeevan Vasager


    Producer: Amalie Sortland


    Executive Producer: Poppy Bullard


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk 

    Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    21 May 2026, 4:51 pm
  • 37 minutes 35 seconds
    Who might challenge Keir Starmer’s leadership?

    Wes Streeting, the health secretary, announces he’s resigning from government in an attempt to force Sir Keir Starmer out of Downing Street. Has the Labour leadership contest officially started? What can we learn from US Donald Trump’s summit with China’s Xi Jinping? And why are young people facing a significant retirement crisis?


    Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Stephen Armstrong, Cat Neilan and Caitlin Macdonald as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. 


    **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 


    Follow us on Social Media: 

    • @ObserverUK on X 
    • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
    • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 


    Host: Giles Whittell


    Producer: Amalie Sortland


    Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk 

    Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    14 May 2026, 4:53 pm
  • 27 minutes 49 seconds
    How worried should we be about hantavirus?

    There are council elections in England and votes for the Welsh Senned and Scottish Parliament today. What could the results mean for Keir Starmer, Labour and for the future of politics in the UK? Where did the mysterious hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship come from, and what happens next? And has there been a coverup of Britain’s nuclear weapons testing programme in Australia and the Pacific during the 1950s?


    Jeevan Vasagar is joined by The Observer’s Jon Ungoed-Thomas, Poppy Bullard and Jess Hayden as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. 


    **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 


    Follow us on Social Media: 

    • @ObserverUK on X 
    • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
    • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 


    Host: Jeevan Vasagar


    Producer: Amalie Sortland


    Executive Producer: Gary Marshall


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk 

    Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    7 May 2026, 3:40 pm
  • 44 minutes
    How will Britain respond to a rise in anti-semitic terror attacks?

    In the wake of the terror attacks in Golders Green, what can Britain do to stop antisemitic violence? With a historic marathon record broken, how did Sabastian Sawe achieve his sub 2-hour time? And as the May elections approach, exactly how bad are Labour's prospects?


    Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Jeevan Vasagar, Jess Hayden and Andrew Rawnsley as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. 


    Live at The Royal Society of Arts!


    **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 


    Follow us on Social Media: 

    • @ObserverUK on X 
    • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
    • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 


    Host: Giles Whittell


    Producer: Ada Barumé


    Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett 


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk 

    Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 May 2026, 3:11 pm
  • 32 minutes 32 seconds
    Is this the worst hay fever season yet?

    What do the latest revelations about Peter Mandelson’s appointment tell us about Keir Starmer’s leadership? What are the long term implications of Iran and the US blocking the Strait of Hormuz? And is climate change’s impact on pollen the source of our hay fever problems? 


    Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer reporter James Tapper, producer and reporter Poppy Bullard and sports reporter Jessy Parker Humphreys, to decide the top story of the day.


    **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 


    Follow us on Social Media: 

    • @ObserverUK on X 
    • @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
    • @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky 


    Host: Giles Whittell 


    Producer: Casey Magloire 


    Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk 

    Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    23 April 2026, 4:04 pm
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