The Hodgecast

In part two of My Corona Podcast's deep dive into the NHSX app saga, Hodgeythehack is rejoined by CEO of Open UK, Amanda Brock, whilst Paul Bernal, Associate Professor of Law at the University of East Anglia, joins the podcast for the first time. 

The trio assess the impact of the government's decision to abandon the development of its own contract tracing app and where that leaves the UK in terms of technology helping in the fight against COVID-19. The wide-ranging debate ranges from explaining the true difference between geeks and nerds, to looking at how the media reported these matters and what not just the government but all key stakeholders and public at large can learn from it. 

In this podcast recorded before the UK government ditched the idea of developing its own NHSX track-and-trace app, three experts join Hodgeythehack to chat about how the state of play was a month ago – when the government was going full steam ahead with developing the technology.

Digital Bulletin CEO Romily Broad explains how it would've worked, whilst OpenUK CEO, Amanda Brock, and Jonathan Martin, partner director at cybersecurity firm Anomali, debate the positives and negatives, the potential benefits and the major concerns around the NHSX app. Part two, coming later this week, will feature reaction to the decision to stop development.

Norwich City Sporting Director Stuart Webber joins the podcast for an exclusive chat. With he and Hodgeythehack having got to know each other well over the years, the host is able to ask questions from a different and more challenging perspective than most journalists would and he takes him to task on all the big topics.

It's the league everyone is now talking about! So Hodgeythehack caught up with commentator Dan O'Hagan – who has covered the Bundesliga on a weekly basis for years now – to deliver a comprehensive guide on the league and all of its teams.

Author, broadcaster and hip hop artist Darren McGarvey – who won the 2018 Orwell Prize for his groundbreaking book Poverty Safari – has become one of the most important social commentators around and joins Hodgeythehack to talk about the chasm which has been created between society and politics in the UK and how the media has been complicit in causing it. We also get a world exclusive acapella from the rapper's new album!

What a blether between Tragic O'Hara and Hodgeythehack! The pair come together to share tales of adolescence in Ayrshire during the skateboarding boom and the impact growing up as "yikkits" has had on their respective careers, particularly Tragic's outstanding repertoire of artistic pursuits.

Psychotherapist and mental health expert Noel McDermott as well as Spark Academy founder and award-winning teacher Mital Thanki join host Hodgeythehack to discuss how the coronavirus crisis will affect children in terms of both their learning and psychological and mental development.