When It Hits the Fan

David Yelland and Simon Lewis assess the endgame around former CEO Alison Rose’s departure from NatWest. With a forensic PR eye they return to the scene of her fan-hitting moment at a charity dinner where she sat next to the BBC business editor Simon Jack. What tricks of the trade do communications people have up their sleeves to avoid a PR disaster like this one? And how will the debate around Alison Rose’s pay-out affect her reputation?

The consumer giant Unilever is in the news for apparently rolling back on its social purpose. Having spent years leading the way for sustainable business, was it all just PR, or was it real? How far are the culture wars derailing Unilever’s values?

And as speculation builds around the line-up for the next series of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, David and Simon discuss whether going into the jungle can ever be classed as good PR.

Producer: Eve Streeter

Following the release of Britney Spears’ autobiography David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the wisdom of the tell-all memoir. How does it measure up as a PR strategy?

Also, BT’s “blink and you may have missed it” rebranding to EE – will a customer backlash make the company regret downgrading this great British brand?

And finally, as Meryl Streep announces the end of her marriage… six years ago, they look at how timing is everything when it comes to making big announcements and how to make hot news not news at all.

Producer: Eve Streeter

In this episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the decision of Captain Tom’s family to enter the lion’s den in a TV interview with Piers Morgan in a bid to clear their name.

Also, they chat about the public relations problems at Barclays Bank, and a leaf straight out of the PR playbook from the Jockey Club.

A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

In this episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss “PR-ing the impossible” - the dirty business of representing the tobacco industry. Also, controlling the narrative – what the new Beckham Netflix documentary tells us about David and Victoria’s three decades of fame and how they’ve managed it. And they’ll be looking at an Eton Mess - and we don’t mean the pudding. What do you do when you're the new Eton provost and an interview from 1988 comes back to haunt you?

Producer: Eve Streeter

In this episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the soft power of one of the most influential people in the United States right now. It’s not a man, it’s not even a very old man. It’s a 33-year-old woman who seems to have Fox News, Donald Trump and the Republican Party running scared - Taylor Swift. With half a billion social media followers and a growing political influence among her fans, we look at how she might derail Donald Trump’s ambitions to return to the White House.

Turning to GB News after what must have been a week of crisis meetings, David and Simon spotlight the news channel's co-owner Paul Marshall, who may even be the next owner of The Telegraph newspaper and whose reputation is on the line following the disgrace of Lawrence Fox.

And, they’re talking Feargal Sharkey – why the pop star turned campaigner is a thorn in the side of Britain’s water industry.

Producer: Eve Streeter

In the wake of Rupert Murdoch's retirement, David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss a tale of two successions and how the fates of one of the world’s biggest media dynasties and the Royal Family became paradoxically intertwined.

They look at the latest fan-hitting moment for Britain’s HS2 project, which could mean the end of the line for northerners.

And “your old meter could catch fire” – why British Gas might be regretting its latest email to customers.

Producer: Eve Streeter

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss why parts of an ecosystem of powerful men right at the top of social media are supporting Russell Brand in the wake of the allegations of sexual assault against him.

They assess the departure of BP’s chief executive Bernard Looney and the implications for one of the UK's most iconic companies.

And Simon draws on his experience at Buckingham Palace and Number 10 to shed light on Britain's 'golden triangle' and the relationship between the top of the civil service and the palace.

Producer: Eve Streeter

David Yelland and Simon Lewis lift the bonnet on the world of crisis managers and spin doctors as they watch the week’s biggest PR disasters unfold. In each episode our hosts go behind the scenes of the latest news stories and find out how, where and when it all began to hit the fan.

In this episode, David and Simon discuss Elon Musk and how to manage the PR of the world’s most powerful people. What was the most unexpected “sorry not sorry” interview of the week - Liz Truss or Luis Rubiales? And what do you do if you’re the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and you get booed in front of 80,000 rugby fans?

Producer: Eve Streeter

David Yelland and Simon Lewis lift the bonnet on the world of crisis managers and spin doctors as they watch the week’s biggest PR disasters unfold.

In each episode, David and Simon go behind the scenes of the latest news stories and find out how, where and when it all began to hit the fan.

In this episode, they discuss what's going on at the government in the wake of the crumbling concrete crisis. Spanish football - what do you do when the boss just won't step down? And as Harry arrives in the UK for a fleeting visit on his way to the Invictus Games in Germany, they ask how long it will be before things hit the fan again.

Producer: Eve Streeter

Step inside the world of crisis managers and spin doctors, as David Yelland and Simon Lewis watch the week’s biggest PR disasters unfold.