Happy New Year from The Rest Is PR! In the first episode of 2025, Jacki and Lyle pick up where they left off in 2024, as Justin Baldoni fights back in his ongoing showdown with Blake Lively. The pair have now essentially exchanged lawsuits, albeit Baldoni's initial target is a somewhat surprising one. Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and his publicity team earlier this week, alleging sexual harassment on the set of the film and a scheme to 'destroy' her reputation. A legal complaint outlining the same allegations was filed last month. Baldoni, meanwhile, has fought back by filing a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, the publication which first reported Lively's legal complaint, accusing their journalists of working with the actress to damage his reputation and ignoring evidence which contradicted her claims. For their part, the New York Times has denied these allegations and said their original story was 'meticulously and responsibly reported'. Baldoni's lawsuit was filed alongside nine other plaintiffs, including his publicists Jennifer Abel and Melissa Nathan, whose text messages were obtained by Lively and allegedly contained a message from Nathan claiming 'we can bury anyone' in relation to Lively. In this episode, Jacki and Lyle read some of your comments from the previous episode, which rightly take the podcast to task over Lively's initial move being a legal complaint and not a lawsuit. Many of the comments continue to perceive Lively as a manipulator, with at least one making the excellent point that these suits have conveniently been filed at a time when the film that originated this feud, It Ends With Us, having recently been released on Netflix in the US and due for streaming release in the UK this month. There has even been speculation that the suit and prospective counter-suit by Lively and Baldoni respectively could lead to a battle over the film's rights, with Lyle arguing that the closest example he has ever seen to this situation is the continuing uncertainty surrounding the relationship between Harry Potter megastars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, and the character's creator J.K. Rowling due to the latter's incendiary views on trans rights. Jacki and Lyle analyse everything surrounding this latest development, such as Baldoni's bold move to take the New York Times to court, the public backing or otherwise of Lively by mainstream celebrities, with Jacki citing a lack of public support from the likes of Taylor Swift, and ultimately the skewed public perception of PR professionals as a result of this ongoing saga. We're back with a bang in 2025, and we're delighted to have you with us!

Artwork & music by Lyle Fulton

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This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss the latest instalment of a story that dominated the news agenda in the United States earlier this year - the saga that has evolved between movie stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Earlier this year, after the release of their film It Ends With Us based on the best-selling book by Colleen Hoover, reports emerged of a feud between the film's lead actors, Lively and Baldoni, with the controversy centring on their vastly different PR and press strategies and their relationship on set. Lively was heavily criticised in the aftermath of the film's release for appearing to make light of the film's sensitive subject during her press tour as she chose to promote her own businesses, those of her husband Ryan Reynolds, and Reynolds' own film Deadpool & Wolverine instead of discussing the topic of domestic violence that the film addresses. Baldoni, meanwhile, received praise for his sensitive approach to his press responsibilities, with Jacki, Lyle and Alis also applauding him on a previous episode of the podcast for his response to the speculation around his and Lively's working relationship. Fast-forward to this last week, and the saga has come full circle! Lively has now filed a legal complaint against Baldoni, in which she has accused him of sexual harassment. The complaint listed Wayfarer Studios, Mr Baldoni's production company which produced It Ends With Us, as a defendant, with the filing accusing Baldoni and Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath of 'repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behaviour'. The filing also alleges that Lively, Baldoni and other people involved in the development of the film attended a meeting in January to address 'the hostile work environment' on set. with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, attending the meeting alongside her. At this meeting, attendees agreed to a list of demands, including Baldoni and Heath making 'no more descriptions of their own genitalia', requiring an intimacy coordinator on set at all times when Lively was in scenes with Baldoni and no 'friends' of the producers and directors being on set during scenes when Lively was in a state of nudity. The list of demands also implied that Baldoni had asked Lively's trainer how much she weighed and alleged that Baldoni and Heath had spoken about their 'pornography addiction' to Lively. Jacki and Lyle discuss how this latest development has completely reframed the saga to those observing it, with Jacki in particular now analysing Lively's behaviour in the aftermath of the film's release in an entirely different light. Jacki also asks why this filing wasn't issued sooner, with Lyle's counter-argument being that Lively was perhaps gathering all the information she needed to compose the complaint before delivering it to Baldoni and his team. Jacki and Lyle both still agree that her behaviour on her press tour immediately after the film's release was unusual, with Lyle questioning why the creatives on the production were contractually obligated to deliver a 'hopeful' message about the film considering its sensitive subject matter. There is time for Jacki to urge anyone and everyone to 'be less Gregg', before both Jacki and Lyle wish you, the fantastic listeners, a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful festive period whatever you and yours celebrate at this time of year!

Artwork & music by Lyle Fulton

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This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss the excellent Sir Lewis Hamilton, and how he has conducted himself over the last few months as his time with Mercedes comes to a close and he embarks on a new chapter with arguably the most iconic Formula 1 team - Ferrari. The pair discuss how Hamilton himself, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff, and the entire Mercedes team have got their messaging and communications absolutely spot on since Hamilton's departure was announced earlier this year. Jacki outlines that this announcement could actually have had a negative effect on both the team and Hamilton had this messaging not been handled as well as it has, with accusations that Hamilton may not have given his all as the season unfolded always possible had he not conducted himself the way he has. Lyle and Jacki discuss how the likes of Netflix's 'Drive To Survive' alongside the increased media scrutiny drivers and teams find themselves under from the media, have led to Formula 1 professionals placing extra emphasis on how they handle their messaging and, ultimately, how they behave both on and off the track. Whilst Lyle believes this represents what he refers to as a 'good news story' given the scandals that F1 has faced this year, including feuds between champion Max Verstappen and pretty much everyone, and the allegations levelled at Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner, Jacki goes further by looking back at Hamilton's career so far. She analyses that, while this move from Mercedes to Ferrari represents a good news story for Hamilton and for the sport as a whole, Hamilton has actually adopted a very positive PR stance for a number of years now, always having time for fans and conducting himself immaculately in the face of some intense situations inside the car and out. One thing's for sure - Sir Lewis Hamilton remains one of the most famous drivers in the paddock, and his move to Ferrari represents a seismic move within Formula 1 ahead of next season, which promises to be one of the most competitive yet!

Artwork & music by Lyle Fulton

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This week, Jacki and Lyle are discussing a story that has dominated the news in the U.S. and all over the world - allegations levelled at Jay-Z that, along with Sean 'Diddy' Combs, he drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl at a VMA afterparty in 2000. In an incendiary and impassioned statement released earlier this week, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, dismissed the legal action taking by U.S. lawyer Tony Buzbee as a 'blackmail attempt'. Combs, who rose to fame as P Diddy and is currently in jail awaiting trial after being charged in September with sex-trafficking and other offences, has also denied the latest allegations. Jacki and Lyle analyse Jay-Z's statement in depth, with Jacki outlining that parallels can indeed be drawn between Carter's assertive response to these allegations and the statement released by Gregg Wallace over Instagram in the wake of allegations against him. In both cases, Jacki says, the accused should have kept their council and remained silent while taking advice on how to proceed. Jacki and Lyle are both keen to emphasise that they don't consider anyone guilty or innocent in these case at this stage as investigations need to take place, and Carter himself has a right of reply on the lawsuit filed against him. However, they also agree that someone's response in the face of these allegations does draw increased scrutiny and, by extension, suspicion surrounding their involvement. Lyle points to Jay-Z including his background - particularly referencing his rise from the project in Brooklyn to worldwide success - as an unusual step to have taken from a PR perspective considering this is a point he has used throughout his career as part of a positive PR campaign. Jacki also analyses whether the statement does, in fact, at any point deny Jay-Z's involvement in the alleged crimes, before both Lyle and Jacki also speculate as to whether Carter even wrote the statement himself! Finally, Jacki speculates that someone may well have now spoken to Jay-Z about his strategy moving forward given his silence over the last 72 hours, while she also points to speculation surrounding Jennifer Lopez being the unnamed female celebrity was in the room at the time of the alleged assault, and how Lopez herself has employed a measured response to these speculations by not responding to them in any way.

TW: this episode contains references to details that some listeners may find distressing, and listener discretion is advised.

Artwork & music by Lyle Fulton

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This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss the latest developments in the Gregg Wallace scandal. Wallace, who last week 'stepped aside' from his presenting duties on popular cooking programme Masterchef after a BBC News investigation revealed a string of allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and inappropriate behaviour against him, released a statement on Sunday where he hit back at the allegations, saying they had come from a 'handful of middle-class women of a certain age'. He apologised the following day, stating that he 'wasn't in a good head space' when he posted the statement. Fresh allegations have since emerged, with Melanie Sykes claiming an encounter with Wallace made her quit the TV industry, his former ghostwriter Shannon Kyle claiming he made 'revolting' and 'sickening' sexualised suggestions to her and touched her inappropriately, and other woman coming forward with their own allegations of Wallace having toucher or groped them during various altercations. Downing Street also responded to Wallace's statement on Sunday by stating that they found his comments to be 'inappropriate and misogynistic', and the BBC has sinced pulled its Masterchef Christmas specials as a result of the ongoing allegations against him. Jacki and Lyle get straight to it this week, with Jacki referencing the advice she offered during last week's episode as an example to Wallace and anyone else embroiled in a scandal such as this, later lamenting the fact that Wallace did the complete opposite of this by broadcasting not one but two statements within 24 hours of each other earlier this week. Jacki also outlines how dangerous it is that Wallace was allowed to get away with this sort of behaviour for as long as he did, before Lyle makes an impassioned point about people who defend Wallace by attacking what many refer to as 'woke' culture and commentary. He outlines that these individuals need to stop burying their heads in the sand and positing the belief that these circumstances are in any way 'new' or due to an increasingly 'woke' population, but that they have in fact been occurring for decades and it is only now that the victims of such behaviour feel confident and supported enough to speak out. Jacki and Lyle revel in being referred to as 'the youth of today' in what is a highly charged episode!

Artwork & music by Lyle Fulton

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This week, Jacki and Lyle respond to the disturbing allegations surrounding Masterchef presenter Gregg Wallace. Wallace, who the show's production company Banijay UK say has 'stepped away' from presenting the programme pending an investigation, received a letter from BBC News on Tuesday setting out allegations of inappropriate sexual comments by 13 people who worked with him across a range of shows over a 17-year period. Since these allegations were put to Wallace's representatives, Kirsty Wark, presenter of BBC Newsnight and former Celebrity MasterChef contestant in 2011, said Wallace had told 'sexualised' jokes during filming of the programme. Jacki and Lyle discuss the story itself, with both convinced that Wallace has in fact been suspended from presenting the programme despite the public story being that he has stepped away of his own accord. Jacki outlines what her advice would be if she was Wallace's PR, with a fairly immediate dressing down of the presenter being first on the agenda before advising he stop all public engagements and make no comment until all allegations have been made public, with Lyle agreeing this would ultimately avoid the need for repeat apologies and statements. Comparisons are drawn between Wallace's ongoing involvement in this scandal, and the likes of Phillip Schofield and Jermaine Jenas. The latter was also a BBC employee at the time of his particular issue, and both were decisive in how they dealt with their respective crises, making public statements that were apologetic, authentic, and immediate. Jacki discusses other examples where this messaging has been far less effective, such as the strategy conducted by comedian and former Strictly contestant Seann Walsh, who elected to try and make light of his cheating scandal at a stand-up gig, and was taking to task brutally by our very own Jacki Vause! The BBC and Banijay UK also come under fire from our hosts, who both agree the TV broadcaster and production company both have a duty of care to those accusing Wallace of using inappropriate sexual language, and to Wallace himself as he looks to navigate the coming days and weeks in the aftermath of this news story. Lyle and Jacki both comment that the BBC and Banijay UK have played with fire by allowing Wallace to get away with behaviour like this for the last 6 years, and that serious questions will now be asked as this investigation begins.

Artwork & music by Lyle Fulton

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This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss just how effective a tool reality TV can be when it comes to celebrities and public figures getting their message out there. This comes as another group of celebrities enter the jungle for this year's edition of 'I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!', with the likes of Coleen Rooney, Tulisa Contostavlos of N-Dubz, Danny Jones of McFly, former boxer Barry McGuigan and influencer and podcaster GK Barry flying out to Australia for the show. Jacki and Lyle focus primarily on Coleen's involvement in the show, with speculation rife about what she will reveal regarding the 'Wagatha Christie' scandal involving Rebekah Vardy. Jacki mentions recent examples of high profile public figures who have entered the jungle to convey their message, including former UKIP and current Reform leader Nigel Farage, who in many ways surprised certain audience members with his performance on the show, and former Health Secretary (including during the Covid outbreak) Matt Hancock, who Lyle in particular is not a fan of, believing he performed dreadfully in the jungle. Lyle and Jacki discuss the relative risks of appearing on the likes of I'm A Celebrity, with Lyle stating that Farage's risk was relatively low as public opinion of him was so divisive, and that as a result, for a short time at least, his appearance generally had a positive impact on his profile. Jacki mentions the example of Fred Sirieix as a counter to this, given that he went into the jungle with a positive reputation on the whole, but his performance didn't translate very well to some viewers, with Lyle outlining that for people in his position the risk of appearing on shows like this when it comes to profile and reputation can be considered relatively high. There is time to discuss which reality TV show our hosts would one day like to appear on if they could, with Lyle stating he would love to take part in Strictly Come Dancing should his profile rise high enough!

Artwork & music by Lyle Fulton

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This week, there really is only one place to start. Jacki and Lyle are discussing the election (or, indeed, re-election) of Donald Trump, who earlier this month became the 47th President of the United States. Trump had, of course, also been elected the 45th President of the United States before losing the next election to Joe Biden, a man who he in essence defeated along the way to his latest election victory. But it was Kamala Harris, who assumed the Democratic candidacy after a desperate performance from Biden in a televised debate, that Trump ultimately defeated in the election on the 5th November this year. And it is Trump who will be inaugurated in January next year, becoming President for the second time, in a comeback many have described as similar to the likes of Tiger Woods, who won The Masters out of nowhere in 2019. Jacki and Lyle discuss the differences between the communications strategies of Trump and Harris. Harris is said to have conducted an almost perfect campaign, and was praised for doing so, but both Jacki and Lyle agree that it was missing something when it came to competing with the timing and single-issue messaging of Trump's at times chaotic strategy. Issues that appeared to be dominating the nation's discussion in the run-up to the election were the economy, abortion rights and immigration, but Harris and her team at times ran a multi-issue strategy that ultimately failed to resonate with voters. Trump, meanwhile, maintained a steadfast commitment to these single issues and, as Jacki points out, was also able to turn apparent criticism from all sides into campaign-worthy moments that captured the attention of the electorate. Lyle outlines from the outset that he is very much NOT a Trump supporter, with Jacki agreeing, but both also agree that his garbage truck stunt as a response to Biden's assertion that 'the only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters' was strategically very astute, before Jacki also outlines the imagery that circulated after the assassination attempt on Trump's life earlier this year. Lyle takes us through some political trends that this most recent US election appears to have followed, such as Tony Blair's 'New Labour' win in 1997, Boris Johnson's 'Get Brexit Done' in 2019, and Ed Davey's success as Lib Dem leader throughout the most recent UK election. The Tony Hinchcliffe Puerto Rico incident is also mentioned, and Jacki raves about the podcast 'The Coming Storm' which had some fantastic coverage in the build up to the election itself. There is, as ever, time for a sporting analogy from Lyle, with this one being a pertinent one - Harris may have conducted a fine campaign, but that won't be being talked about in 6 months time. What will be, however, is that Donald J. Trump will be the next President of the United States, with Lyle asserting that history remembers those who win far longer than those who lose.

You can listen to The Coming Storm here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001324r

Artwork & music by Lyle Fulton

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This week, Jacki and Lyle are joined by the brilliant Bill Beutler! Bill is a PR consultant who has figured out how brands can update their own Wikipedia pages successfully (and stay out of trouble while doing it!) Bill is also the president of Beutler Ink, which has worked with Fortune 50 companies, Ivy League Universities, Members of Congress, and has built a whole digital agency with Wikipedia consulting as its core service. In an episode that leaves Lyle in particular absolutely mesmerised at the complexities of posting and editing on Wikipedia, Bill tells us a little about his career so far and how he came to found Beutler Ink and become an industry leader in Wikipedia consultancy. Jacki discusses her own history with Wikipedia and how she has on several occasions bowed to other people's better knowledge when asked to edit certain clients' Wikipedia pages! Jacki also asks what actors such as Lyle would need to do to establish their own Wikipedia page, with Bill taking the duo through the many rules, regulations and pitfalls that some professionals fall foul of when looking to post on Wikipedia. Bill also discusses some of the recent controversies involving Wikipedia, including how a city councillor and mayoral candidate in Portland, Oregon who, despite doing everything systematically above board when it comes to following due process in editing Wikipedia, has been found to have used taxpayer funds to do so resulting in a significant political scandal! Bill also mentions the ongoing legal battle between Wikipedia and India’s largest newswire service Asian News International (ANI), who said a paragraph in its description on Wikipedia falsely accuses it of being 'a propaganda tool for the incumbent [federal] government' and of 'distributing material from fake news websites'. ANI has now demanded the page be taken down and has filed a 20 million rupee suit against Wikipedia, with the story set to run and run! Lyle and Jacki don't quite have time to ask Bill about the impact of AI on Wikipedia, but he will definitely be appearing on an episode near you again very soon!

Head to www.beutlerink.com for more info on the brilliant work Bill and the team are getting up to!

Artwork & music by Lyle Fulton

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This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss some of the more prominent documentaries that have appeared on the likes of Netflix and other platforms in recent months. Most notably, the pair focus on two highly significant documentaries that may ultimately affect the lives of the suspects involved - 'American Murder: Laci Peterson' and 'The Menendez Brothers', both of which are currently available on Netflix. Jacki discusses how, having also seen the dramatised series 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story', her own perspective on the case of Lyle and Erik Menendez and the murder of their mother and father has continued to alter and shift. Lyle and Jacki both agree that we are now more compelled by documentaries of this kind than ever before. Lyle outlines the view that in the 90s and 2000s documentaries were seen as something to be afraid of when faced with a crisis or scandal due to their 'reality TV-style' nature, but we are now far more inclined to believe someone who delivers their story authentically directly to camera, and even if we remain sceptical we are still unerringly compelled by it! Lyle uses the example of Arsenal and their involvement with Amazon Prime's 'All Or Nothing' series, a behind the scenes look at the inner workings and relationships within the football club that yielded excellent results that have shaped the public's view of the club as a whole and, notably, its manager Mikel Arteta. Tottenham Hotspur also took part in this series with less impressive results for themselves and their then manager, José Mourinho, but Jacki goes further in mentioning the excellent of example of Netflix's 'Drive To Survive' which has again had a fantastic impact on the reputations of several Formula 1 drivers. Jacki analyses whether we must now consider the people-led art form that is 'the documentary' as arguably the most sought-after piece of PR media you can access, and discusses whether the likes of Phillip Schofield might have been better served involving himself with a documentary of his own rather than embarking on his ill-fated Cast Away experiment. There is time for Jacki to ask Lyle exactly how he has prepared previously for acting roles that depict real-life stories after the success experienced by Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez in particular.

Artwork & music by Lyle Fulton

Get in touch via [email protected]

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