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Artwork for Front Row

Front Row

BBC Radio 4
Documentary Filmmaking
Brigitte Bardot
David Hockney
Character Development
Booker Prize
Edinburgh Festival
Netflix
Mental Health
Catherine Bigelow
Ukraine
Blue Moon
Jane Austen
David Bowie
Second World War
John Bishop
Marty Supreme
Heated Rivalry
Thrillers
Gambling
A House Of Dynamite

Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music

PublishesDailyEpisodes2001Founded21 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureArts

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Artwork for Front Row

Latest Episodes

Reviewers Alexander Larman and Bidisha consider two films: Fatherland, directed by Pawel Pawlikowski, starring Sandra Huller, it tells the story of novelist Thomas Mann's tour of war-ravaged Germany in 1949.

And Korean family drama Possible Love, di... more

Director Sofia Coppola on completing her mother Eleanor’s documentary about the making of Sofia’s feature Marie Antoinette, following her death. The film goes behind the scenes of the lavish 2006 biopic starring Kirsten Dunst - in spectacular locatio... more

As A A Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh, one of the most loved bears in children's literature reaches 100, Jane Riordan, author of the new Pooh books, and Hollie Piff, EH Shepard archivist at the University of Surrey discuss the appeal of the 'bear of very li... more

Academy Award-winning director Taika Waititi on his screen adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Klara and the Sun, in which 'artificial friends' have been created to provide companionship for lonely teenagers in a near-future dystopian world.

Theatr... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

David Benedict
Theatre critic
Episode: Review Show: Kristin Scott Thomas in Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard
Muriel Zagha
Journalist
Episode: Review Show: Kristin Scott Thomas in Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard
Franja Cooper
Specialist in publishing and intellectual property law
Episode: Review Show: Kristin Scott Thomas in Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard
James McNaught
Art advisor, former auctioneer and collection management specialist
Episode: Comedian Leo Reich on his Channel 4 sitcom It Gets Worse
Olivia Whitting
Representative of The Art Loss Register
The Art Loss Register
Episode: Comedian Leo Reich on his Channel 4 sitcom It Gets Worse
Leo Reich
Comedian, writer and creator of the Channel 4 sitcom It Gets Worse
Channel 4
Episode: Comedian Leo Reich on his Channel 4 sitcom It Gets Worse
Paulette Brooks
Founder and artistic director of Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage
Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage
Episode: Comedian Leo Reich on his Channel 4 sitcom It Gets Worse
Zoe Seaton
Co-writer and director, and artistic director of Big Telly Theatre Company
Big Telly Theatre Company
Episode: Comedian Leo Reich on his Channel 4 sitcom It Gets Worse
Mark Berry
Professor of music and intellectual history
Royal Holloway, University of London
Episode: Anne-Marie Duff, M John Harrison, Bayreuth 150th anniversary

Hosts

Samira Ahmed
BBC host of Front Row
Kirsty Wark
BBC host of Front Row
Tom Sutcliffe
Host of Front Row

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 678 ratings
  • Shame on you

    I am a dedicated Front Row listener in the states, but am seriously questioning the journalistic integrity and ethics of the show. The review of Jason Ardays memoir — with its snide insinuations that his life story was fabricated without VERY CLEAR proof is lazy and dangerous. The “reviewer” and the interviewer spent more time discussing the “controversy” instead of the merits of the memoir. The thinly veiled (racist) underpinning from the reviewer was her disbelief that Arday was able to ove... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NVNVNV72
    United States2 months ago
  • Take Kirsty Wark off the rota

    I have to turn the sound right down when Wark is presenting. She’s AWFUL on radio - constantly making noises. Often it seems she’s trying to move the guest along but actually I think she just isn’t aware of the microphone - shuffling papers, wet mouth noises, loud breathing, unhelpful gasps and groans and grunts. She’s got nothing to offer as an arts presenter anyway. Why is she on there?

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    jennygreensleeves
    United Kingdom5 months ago
  • Stop interrupting!

    I enjoy Front Row but the listening experience is unfortunately blighted by hosts like Tom Sutcliffe frequently interrupting guests

    - especially women. Just listen to an episode on the Tracey Emin show and I was aghast as his constant interruptions. I’m inclined think it’s quite gendered as he seems more likely to cut in mid-sentence when a female guest is speaking. Infuriating.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    London_lady
    United Kingdom8 months ago
  • Front Row

    Love this podcast! Varied and up to date.

    All presenters very well prepared! ☺️

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Izzyissi
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Let the guests speak

    It's got a good mix of guests on the show but some of the hosts are constantly interrupting the guests which is frustrating to listen to, they often can't finish a sentence without being interrupted by the host giving his answer to his own question. Despite this it's good to have a round up of new films & exhibitions.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Foxtrot Lightning
    United Kingdom2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Interruptions by hosts draw criticism for breaking the rhythm of conversations.
Many fans appreciate the varied guest mix and timely coverage of festivals and exhibitions.
Some listeners feel the coverage can be insular or overly UK-centric and critique perceived gatekeeping.
Listeners praise the show's breadth and preparation across arts and culture.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Christine Baranski and Richard E Grant on Hay Fever
Q: Did you ask him outright if he had used AI?
Ella Wakatama says she asked the winning author, who denied using AI. She describes the prize's internal investigation and says it requires writers to affirm their work is original and that AI-generated work is not allowed.
Christine Baranski and Richard E Grant on Hay Fever
Q: How did John of John emerge?
Douglas Stuart began writing the novel in 2019, before his first two novels were published. He travelled through the Western Isles, spoke with residents and found the story's setting on Harris.
Anne-Marie Duff, M John Harrison, Bayreuth 150th anniversary
Q: Why did Wagner found the Bayreuth Festival in this specially built venue? What was his whole vision?
Berry explains that Wagner wanted a new kind of theatre for his works, distinct from existing opera houses, with an amphitheatre-style audience layout, dimmed lights and an orchestra hidden beneath the stage.
Anne-Marie Duff, M John Harrison, Bayreuth 150th anniversary
Q: Can you tell us about that moment and how you and the playwright discussed this as a trigger point for Julie's life?
Duff describes the boy's abuse of Julie at the train station as a catalyst that makes her confront whether she will keep absorbing difficulties or stand up for herself.
Comedian Leo Reich on his Channel 4 sitcom It Gets Worse
Q: What does it tell us about the extent of the collections held by museums, that this number of items could go missing?
Whitting says museums have large collections, including works in storage, and face the challenge of caring for that cultural heritage with increasingly tight budgets.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Interests
Professions
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Frequently Asked Questions About Front Row

What is Front Row about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show consistently stitches together literature, cinema, theatre, and visual arts with timely cultural conversations. Recent episodes weave in high-profile authors, festival moments, and museum openings with thoughtful discussions on trust in information, the ethics of AI in culture, and accessibility in performance. Notable strengths include live festival coverage, interdisciplinary guests, and a willingness to tackle big-picture cultural questions, making it a strong fit for listeners who crave broad arts coverage and context-rich interviews. A standout trait is the mix of ambitious literary, film, and theatre discourse alongside regional heritage and contemporary culture, which keeps the content fresh for devoted fans and newcomers a... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Front Row?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Front Row. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Front Row and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Front Row get?

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How many subscribers and views does Front Row have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Front Row has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Front Row?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Front Row:

1. This Cultural Life
2. Bookclub
3. Take Four Books
4. A Good Read
5. Great Lives

How many episodes of Front Row are there?

Front Row launched 21 years ago and published 2001 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Front Row?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Front Row?

Recent guests on Front Row include:

1. David Benedict
2. Muriel Zagha
3. Franja Cooper
4. James McNaught
5. Olivia Whitting
6. Leo Reich
7. Paulette Brooks
8. Zoe Seaton

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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