David Yelland and Simon Lewis return to Formula 1 and the latest instalment of the Christian Horner crisis. The alleged texts between the Red Bull boss and a female colleague have been leaked and the tabloids are feasting. Fighting a battle for your reputation in the red tops is a sure sign of a PR problem. Can using the star power of Horner’s wife, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, rescue the situation? David and Simon also go behind the scenes of one of the most controversial deals the British media has seen - the bidding war for the Telegraph Group - and lift the lid on the world of takeover PR.   Plus, what happened when Matt Hancock went to Eton and appeared to forget who might be in the room? Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Assistant Producer: Sophie Smith
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Christian Horner crisis continues, the Telegraph battle and Hancock’s Eton cockup

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.

News

Politics

David Yelland and Simon Lewis administer the Fan Hitter PR slide rule to Sir Keir Starmer's election campaign. How has the Labour leader dealt with some of his stickier PR moments around his previous endorsement of Jeremy Corbyn, questions on tax and his dad's job as a toolmaker provoking laughter in Grimsby? Also, even though they are currently ahead in the polls, Labour - like the England football team - has to deal with the perennial PR problem of expectation management. Perhaps they could both learn a thing or two from the Royal Family? Also, the Green Party's election campaign. How do you keep people listening when your core message - climate change - could be seen as alarmist? One solution is to focus your comms locally, which is what the Greens are doing. As is Nigel Farage... And finally, actor Joe Alwyn has spoken out about his previous relationship with Taylor Swift. What can we learn about being dragged into the media spotlight on account of who you love – and then break up with? How best to deal with the global glare of Swifty scrutiny? Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Can Starmer do PR?, the Green Party and being Taylor Swift's ex

David and Simon analyse what is arguably the biggest PR moment in British electoral history - Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's decision to leave the D-Day celebrations in Normandy early. Simon takes us behind the scenes at Number 10 to try to work out exactly how things went so wrong for the PM.  Nigel Farage - he's been accused of 'dog whistle' politics. What are they, and how do they work? And - the acquittal of tech tycoon Mike Lynch. What are the lessons to be learned from surviving the nine circles of media hell? Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Sunak's D-Day blunder, is Farage using dog whistles?, and Mike Lynch

David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at why private schools seem to be losing the PR battle over their VAT exemption. A core principle of PR is to anticipate problems and mitigate them. This one has been coming down the track towards independent schools for years - why did they get it so wrong? Also, the Liberal Democrats' election strategy of "tactical disruption" - which mainly involves Sir Ed Davey getting wet and apparently having the most fun of all the leaders on the campaign trail. As David and Simon continue to look at the use of PR by different political parties during the election campaign, they ask if the Liberal Democrats are adopting the PR tactics pioneered by disrupters like Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic and Airbnb in the US. It's winning the party precious press coverage, but is there a downside to the election stunts?  And what does it mean for the concept of a Fan Hitting crisis if being a convicted felon is not necessarily career ending? David and Simon are, of course, talking Donald Trump's guilty verdict in his hush-money trial. Does reputation matter in a post-shame world? Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Private school PR, Lib Dem tactics and Trump's conviction

David Yelland and Simon Lewis debate the first of a series of PR reviews into the up and coming general election. Starting with Rishi Sunak's announcement in the rain last week, they'll be looking at how the parties launched their campaigns, their use of campaign videos and slogans, and how and when the press decide to take sides.  They also discuss how PR has been put on the stand at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. New to When It Hits The Fan, if you have a “Quick Wins” question for Simon and David about managing your personal PR, send them a voice note on WhatsApp with the word “Fan” to +44 3700 100444 followed by your question. Producer: William Miller
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

General Election PR strategy and the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry

Quick Wins is a series of short episodes from the When It Hits the Fan team to help you navigate your own personal PR. In your professional life as well as your personal life, what you say no to can be more important than what you say yes to. In this episode David and Simon share their advice on how to do it the right way - to a boss who is asking you to overwork, to a job offer that's not the right fit or when you smell a rat. How to set the right boundaries? Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Christian Horner crisis continues, the Telegraph battle and Hancock’s Eton cockup

Download our free app to listen on your phone