Talking Features

In this week’s Talking Money, Kieran discusses where the money flows when you buy something stamped “Made in China”. China is the world’s biggest toymaker, but the factory’s share of what you pay is smaller than you might think. He looks at who gets paid in the production pipeline between the factory floor and the shop shelf.

In this week’s Talking Travel, Rory talks about the UK’s “Green Belt”. As a term mostly used when we’re talking about housing developments, what do these rural environments add to their local areas, and what kinds of tourist destinations benefit from it? 

In this week's Talking Life, Kieran discusses the ongoing obsession with nostalgia: where it comes from, why it's so prevalent, and what it really says about the state of modern pop culture in the digital age.

In this week’s Talking Tech, Rory talks about the sharp rise in the price of semiconductor chips, what they are and how the price rise of this one product has pushed up the price of every piece of technology that you buy. 

In this week's Talking Health, Kieran talks to Claire Balas, the Head of Education working for skincare experts NAOS-group. They discuss the problems many Eczema sufferers face when they try to solve their skin issues: from self-treatment, to irregular skin routines.

In this week's Talking Money, Kieran is joined by Rob Thomson, Head of Tax and Planning at Affinia. They discuss the problems many sole traders and landlords have been experiencing with Making Tax Digital. Rob comments on how people are feeling about the new system and can advise on how to prepare for the next deadline.

In this week’s Talking Travel, Rory talks about tourist taxes - how do they work, where they're implemented, and how much revenue do they generate for a local community? 

In this week's Talking Life, Kieran is joined by TV vet and veterinary surgeon Cat Henstridge. They discuss new research revealing the extent of cat owners' deep and human relationship with their pets. From full-blown conversations with them to throwing them literal birthday parties. However, the study also found some serious gaps in how well people understand what their cats actually need. Kieran and Cat discuss the minutiae of these often overlooked needs.

In this week's Talking Tech, Rory speaks to Lorna Wallace-Smith, an energy expert from the outlet EcoFlow, to talk about how people are feeling about the rising energy price cap, and the idea of people generating their own power through solar panels and external batteries is taking hold in the UK.

In this week's Talking Health Kieran pulls-apart the 10k step myth: its origins, uptake, and falsities. He looks at what a healthy step count actually looks like in 2026 compared to past calculations, and how we can best reach a number that works to keep us healthy in our busy, contemporary lives.