Toast

BBC business journalist Sean Farrington introduces the series that uncovers the stories of brands and products that soared to success yet somehow still ended up toast. What made them so special? Why did they disappear?

The series now has its very own feed which will be the new home of Toast on BBC Sounds.

All the previous episodes are available right now in the new Toast feed and the new series begins on BBC Radio 4 and on BBC Sounds on 19 November, 2026.

Orange was once one of the most recognisable brands in Britain — a mobile network with its iconic slogan “The future’s bright, the future’s Orange”, it helped turn mobile phones from elite business tools into everyday essentials.

But while the Orange name still exists globally, its mobile service disappeared from the UK. So what happened?

BBC Business journalist Sean Farrington investigates how Orange took the UK by storm in the 1990s telecoms boom — and why, at home, it ultimately gave way to a new brand: EE.

Joined by resident business expert and entrepreneur Sam White, Sean explores the bold brand thinking that set Orange apart, the rapid growth that made it a takeover target, and the strategic turning points that reshaped the company.

Along the way, they hear from the people who built the brand, including founding marketer Chris Moss, former executives Linda Kennedy and Stuart Jackson, and former EE CEO Olaf Swantee, to understand how Orange captured the public imagination — and why it couldn’t remain a standalone mobile network in the UK.

At the end, Sam draws her own conclusions: as the future stayed bright but less Orange, was the brand overtaken by change — or did it choose to evolve into something new?

If you have an idea for an interesting Toast topic, email [email protected].

This episode was produced by Linda Walker. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Izal medicated toilet paper was once a staple of British bathrooms - a curious cultural icon, remembered as much for its distinctive feel as for its antiseptic promise. Produced for decades by the Sheffield‑based company Newton, Chambers & Co., Izal became woven into the fabric of schools, hospitals and public buildings across the UK.

So how did a product that was everywhere for so long, end up disappearing from shelves, surviving only in nostalgia, and uncomfortable memories?

BBC Business journalist Sean Farrington investigates how Izal medicated toilet paper went from national widespread use to historical footnote, joined by resident business expert and entrepreneur Sam White.

To uncover the story, Sean and Sam dig into industrial archives, public‑health records and the memories of those who grew up with the unmistakable crinkle of Izal.

They hear from former Newton Chambers employees, alongside Dr Alice White - Digital Editor at English Heritage and Historian of Psychology and former Jeyes employees, Nicholas Goodwin and Jayne Howe- who followed the Izal brand closely after it changed hands in the 1980s.

At the end, Sam must draw her own conclusions about the fate of Izal medicated toilet paper - from changing hygiene standards to the rise of softer, more luxurious competitors - and decide whether its decline was inevitable or simply a failure to adapt?

If you have a good idea for an interesting Toast topic then tell us about it - email [email protected]

This episode was produced by Linda Walker. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Why did the popular stationery chain, Paperchase, end up closing all of its shops?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates in the company of resident entrepreneur, Sam White.

Paperchase was founded by two former art students in the late 1960s and went on to become the design darling of the high street, known for its charming greeting cards, wrapping paper, stationery, gifts and art materials.

It expanded across Britain and beyond to America, the Middle East and parts of Europe.

What made Paperchase so special? And how could decades of success slide into decline then shop closures?

Sean speaks to:

-Chris and Rebecca Pond whose father, Eddie Pond, was Paperchase's co-founder

At the end, Sam White has to come up with her own conclusions about the fate of Paperchase based on what she has just heard.

If you have a good idea for an interesting Toast topic then tell us about it - email [email protected]

Produced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

The EasyJet founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Iannou, tried to shake up the cinema industry by introducing low-cost movie theatres.

Tickets were priced as low as 20p for customers who booked in advance.

So, why didn't EasyCinema take off?

Stelios speaks to the BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, reflecting on his attempts in the early 2000s to bring to UK cinemas the same dynamic pricing that had revolutionized the aviation sector.

Sean also hears from Mark Batey (who was chief executive of the Film Distributors' Association when EasyCinema opened) and speaks to Stewart Niblock (who was Easy Group's Head of New Projects so was responsible for refurbishing and opening the cinema) and Angela Chan (who is now Professor of Creative Industries at Royal Holloway, University of London but in 2003 she was a BBC producer/director who was filming a TV documentary about EasyCinema).

At the end, the resident business expert and entrepreneur, Sam White, has to come up with her own conclusions about the fate of EasyCinema based on what she has just heard.

If you have a good idea for an interesting Toast topic then tell us about it - email [email protected]

Produced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Wilkinson - or Wilko as it became known - was a privately-owned family business that had been successful for decades, offering low-priced household products from its chain of high street stores.

So why did it falter during a cost-of-living crisis when people were looking for value?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates how its stores ended up toast, in the company of resident business expert and entrepreneur, Sam White.

To help explain what happened, Sean and Sam delve into the parliamentary archives and hear from expert guests including Gordon Brown who was Wilkinson's managing director for 15 years and Patrick O'Brien, Research Director at GlobalData who has followed the fortunes of high street names for over a decade.

If you have a good idea for an interesting Toast topic then tell us about it - email [email protected]

Produced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

What led to the collapse of the Christmas savings club Farepak?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates with the entrepreneur, Sam White, alongside him.

It's our Christmas special and we're turning the clock back to the mid 1960s…. and looking at a business which started from humble beginnings in a Peckham butcher's shop, and went on to change Christmas for tens of thousands of families all over the UK.

So, why did Farepak end up toast?

-David Goodhart - founder of Prospect Magazine, journalist, commentator and author. David tells us more about the man known as Farepak's founder, Bob Johnson and how his passion for philanthropy influenced the business.

-Suzy Hall - Former Farepak customer and agent who went on to become a national campaign coordinator for Unfairpak- a campaign set up in the wake of the Farepak collapse.

-Dermot Power - Former senior partner with the accountants BDO Stoy Hayward, Dermot was appointed as joint administrator to the Farepak business and can talk us through what happened and how he worked to help get customers' money back.

Produced by Linda Walker. A BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Contact: [email protected]

The fashion chain C&A continues to thrive elsewhere so why did it shut all its UK stores?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates how they ended up toast, in the company of resident business expert and entrepreneur, Sam White.

C&A used to be one of the biggest fashion retailers on the UK's high streets until a shock decision in 2000 led to the stores' sudden closure.

To help explain what happened, Sean and Sam delve into the BBC archives and hear from expert guests including Donna Bevan - fashion historian, lecturer and course leader at the School of Creative Industries at Southampton Solent University and Stephen McDermott who worked at C&A for 35 years.

Produced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

If you have a good idea for an interesting Toast topic then tell us about it - email [email protected]

Why did Skype fall out of favour in a world of global video calls?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates with the entrepreneur, Sam White, alongside him.

Sam never knows what's coming so, at the end of every episode of Toast, she gives her off-the-cuff and authentic professional opinions on why a brand disappeared based on what she has just heard and her own business knowhow.

In this episode, we learn how Skype worked by using Voice Over Internet Protocol to send audio and video data over the internet. It connected users through a centralized, cloud-based service which allowed free voice and video calls between Skype users.

It really changed the game when it came to keeping in touch with friends and family around the world. It helped grandparents meet their grandchildren for the first time without leaving the house and gave us a way of cutting our phone bills.

Sean interviews:

- Peter Raeburn - an award-winning composer who worked with Skype’s founders to create the iconic sounds that became the familiar sound track to Skype which, at its peak, was used by over 300 million people worldwide.

- Andrew Sinclair - a General Manager for Skype for Business who offers his insight into what happened after Skype was sold by Ebay, and snapped up by tech giant, Microsoft.

-Sam Shead - a journalist who witnessed how Skype changed the world of communication, soaring and then sinking and has taken an in depth look at the names behind the brand, so what did he uncover?

Produced by Linda Walker.

Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

You can email the programme at [email protected]

Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.

Dasani water, a bottled water from Coca-Cola, proved a big hit in the U.S.A so why did it last for less than 6 weeks in the UK?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates how it ended up toast, in the company of resident business expert and entrepreneur, Sam White.

In the early 2000s, Coca-Cola had entered the growing bottled water market and was hoping to turn its hit new brand in America into a global sensation.

But shortly after Dasani water was launched in the UK, things quickly went awry, derailing plans for expansion into Europe.

To help explain what happened, Sean and Sam delve into the BBC archives and hear from expert guests including Graham Hiscott, the journalist whose story shone a new light on to the brand, and Conor Carroll a lecturer and marketing expert who has written about the Dasani debacle.

They also hear from Toast listener, Chris Leversha, who remembers buying Dasani water and suggested we cover it on the show.

At the end, Sam has to come up with her own professional conclusions about the fate of Dasani UK based on what she has just heard.

If you have a good idea for an interesting Toast topic then tell us about it - email [email protected]

Produced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.