The News Agents

Never write off a born racer: Sir Mark Cavendish had won 30 stages of the world's biggest cycling race, The Tour de France (even winning one makes a riders career) but he'd been out of the game for 5 years - so no one would give him a job. What happened next was one of the biggest comebacks of all time to put him among the sporting greats.

Sir Mark Cavendish joins us on today's show - how did it feel to be written off? Was it fair to call him a “dickhead” as a racer? And after childhood success in ballroom dancing - is Strictly next?

Plus the best bits from The Sports Agents this week - is ChatGPT running your team? And why risk staging Eubank v Benn 2?

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🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

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Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: Sophie Penney

Video Producer: Sam Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Calum Scotland

Guest Booker: Kirsty Giddings

Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network

Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

23,000 pages of documents from the “Epstein files” have been released by Congress. They reveal damning details, and suggest that Epstein and Trump were in contact long after the President has previously said.

In the emails Epstein said of Trump: "I am the one able to take him down".

So are Trump's connections to Epstein finally catching up to him? And do these emails really have the power to take down the President of the United States?

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Late last night came a crisis response from Downing Street responding to a story no one had even heard. The suggestion was a plot - to unseat the prime minister - supposedly by the Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

Streeting vehemently denied the plot. But a briefing went out from Downing Street suggesting Starmer was ready for the fight. What on earth is going on?

Later, Jon speaks to Christine Flack - Caroline Flack's mother - about her meetings with culture secretary Lisa Nandy to push for the second part of the cancelled Leveson Inquiry, and her new documentary into her daughter’s trial by media.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

The BBC has been set a deadline of Friday by Donald Trump's lawyer to apologise and "appropriately compensate" the US President for a Panorama edit of his January 6th speech.

If the broadcaster doesn't respond, the threat of a $1bn lawsuit looms. The outgoing head of the BBC Tim Davie today told staff to "fight for our journalism" - but it's not yet clear how it will respond to the unprecedented threat from Trump.

Should it have the courage to face down the threat and to challenge him in court? Many experts believe Trump's legal case is thin. So why are so many on the Right cheering on his campaign against the BBC?

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Over the last 48 hours, The News Agents have spoken to more than 30 people - insiders at the BBC - to try and work out the facts of what actually happened inside the corporation, and when. Both the Director General and the CEO of News resigned over the weekend, so why are some talking about a “right wing coup“? Why did the apology take so long to arrive? And why is Trump now threatening the state broadcaster with legal action?

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

This is the final episode of Coining It. If you'd like to catch up from the beginning, head to Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts and search for 'Coining It'. Or, if you've enjoyed the series, head to the Coining It feed where you can leave a rating and a review.

In this episode... Who was the real James Parker? Lewis pieces together the truth behind the would-be Robin Hood, as his friends face jail for their actions. Penniless and abandoned, James is still holding one last twist - while the police close in on his missing millions.

From Global and Free Turn, Lewis Goodall uncovers the true story of a man who found a crack in the system and pulled his whole world through it.

Coining It is a Global production

Is it time to rethink the British monarchy? Why has “Your Party” been such a spectacular flop? Is Starmer the biggest obstacle to a Labour second term? And what IS the Overton window?

This Friday, Jon, Lewis and Emily answer your questions.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

We've been Traitors mad so Clare Balding joined Gabby and Mark for a slightly different episode of The Sports Agents. Don't worry there's no spoilers from the final!

Is she bitter no one listened to her about Alan? Why did everyone underestimate Joe Marler? What did Claire tell the producers they should change about the game? And how did Claire know Celia was going to fart?

Plus we look back at two huge interviews on the podcast this week with former England manager Gareth Southgate and Euros winner Mary Earps.

📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6

🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/

X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod

📥 Email: [email protected]

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: Sophie Penney

Video Producer: Sam Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Calum Scotland

Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network

Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".

👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

13 years ago, a teenage education activist in Pakistan was attacked by the Taliban — catapulting her onto the global stage. Malala Yousafzai went on to become a global icon and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner.

This week, she joined Jon and Emily to discuss her powerful new book, reflecting on the journey from her early activism in Pakistan to becoming one of the world’s most influential advocates for girls’ education. She shares what has changed — and what hasn’t — for young women seeking their right to learn, the personal stories behind her latest writing, and why she believes global politics is failing the next generation.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Overnight, progressives in New York witnessed a political earthquake. A resounding win on a high turnout for the city’s first Muslim mayor - a democratic socialist with robust ideas about capitalism. Was it his youth? His clear cut policies? Or was it his authenticity that energised the city’s voters? And are there lessons to be learned for how politics should be done here in 2025?

Health Minister, Wes Streeting, joins us to talk about personality in politics, and what Labour could learn from Mamdani's example.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/