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Artwork for Front Row

Front Row

BBC Radio 4
Mental Health
Booker Prize
BBC National Short Story Award
Documentary Filmmaking
Brigitte Bardot
David Hockney
Andy Goldsworthy
Alien Earth
A House Of Dynamite
Character Development
One Battle After Another
Ukraine
Catherine Bigelow
Blue Moon
Second World War
David Bowie
John Bishop
Marty Supreme
Heated Rivalry
Exhibition

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

PublishesDailyEpisodes2001Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureArts

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Artwork for Front Row

Latest Episodes

Rhianna Dhillon and Sarfraz Manzoor join Tom Sutcliffe to review:

Childhood in War, an exhibition at the Imperial War Musuem exploring how children have experienced conflict from 1914 to the present day.

Ish, the debut feature film from multimedia... more

Composer Missy Mazzoli discusses her opera The Galloping Cure, which fuses a live orchestra with electronic beats and features a charismatic antihero and talking dogs. An allegory for a crisis which has become a worldwide epidemic, the production by ... more

Professor Dame Mary Beard reveals the 2026 Booker longlist and how she has found the process of being Chair of the judges.

British contemporary pop artist Philip Colbert’s latest installation has just been unveiled amidst the historic ruins of Pompe... more

Graeme Garden remembers his friend and Goodies colleague, Bill Oddie.

Frank Miller reimagined Batman as a tougher, grittier sort of comic book hero: The Dark Knight. He has written a memoir and a guide for fans.

The new Children's Laureate, writer ... more

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Recent Guests

Dame Mary Beard
Chair of Judges for the Booker Prize longlist; classicist, writer, and broadcaster
University of Cambridge (as context)
Episode: Mary Beard reveals the Booker Prize longlist, plus Bill Pullman on taking on Chekhov
Philip Colbert
Artist behind Pop Mythology installation in Pompeii
Artist/Pop Mythology
Episode: Mary Beard reveals the Booker Prize longlist, plus Bill Pullman on taking on Chekhov
Bill Pullman
Actor known for Independence Day; performing in The Cherry Orchard with the RSC
Actor
Episode: Mary Beard reveals the Booker Prize longlist, plus Bill Pullman on taking on Chekhov
Graeme Garden
Friend of Bill Oddie, long-time collaborator
The Goodies, BBC
Episode: Bill Oddie, remembered by his friend Graeme Garden
Kate Mosse
Best-selling novelist invited to discuss AI copyright settlement and its implications
Author (writer)
Episode: Review Show: Trainspotting the Musical, Colson Whitehead's new novel
Edith Hall
Referenced as a classicist guest from the Odyssey discussion on the previous episode
Classicist
Episode: Review Show: Trainspotting the Musical, Colson Whitehead's new novel
Andrew Ridgeley
Member of Wham!, interviewee
Wham!
Episode: Andrew Ridgeley on Wham in China
Naomi Pohl
General Secretary, Musicians' Union
Musicians' Union
Episode: Ruth Madeley on new TV drama The Rapture, Nadine Shah on her BBC Prom
Ruth Madeley
Star and executive producer of The Rapture (Gab/Dr Gabs Fox)
BBC One, The Rapture
Episode: Ruth Madeley on new TV drama The Rapture, Nadine Shah on her BBC Prom

Hosts

Tom Sutcliffe
Host with long-running involvement in arts criticism and broadcasting
Kirsty Wark
Presenter and journalist contributing literary and arts commentary
Samira Ahmed
Seasoned arts journalist and interview presence

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 669 ratings
  • 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 Kingdom3 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 Kingdom5 months ago
  • Front Row

    Love this podcast! Varied and up to date.

    All presenters very well prepared! ☺️

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Izzyissi
    United Kingdoma year 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 Kingdoma year ago
  • Pretty impressive

    Despite a recent drift into the lowbrow with 80s pop nostalgia segments, this is a really useful and enjoyable listen. And the Friday review show takes me back to those happy years when Saturday Review was still being commissioned.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    MarkoB1111
    United Kingdom2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

The show's breadth sometimes invites polarized reactions to individual reviews or presenter style.
High-quality guests across literature, film, and visual arts are a strong draw for fans.
Hosts are well prepared and knowledgeable, though some listeners feel interruptions can detract from interviews.
Varied guests and topics keep the show fresh and culturally relevant.
Broad mix of criticism, interviews, and live festival coverage is praised for depth and breadth.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ruth Madeley on new TV drama The Rapture, Nadine Shah on her BBC Prom
Q: What was it like preparing to perform with an orchestra for the BBC Prom, and how did you select the songs?
Nadine talks about choosing songs that suit orchestration, collaborating with arrangers, and the emotional impact of reworking her older material for strings, coupled with the hometown significance of performing in the Northeast.
Diane Morgan on playing a robot in TV comedy Ann Droid.
Q: How did you approach the balance between comedy and emotion in the show?
Morgan describes wanting the show to be funny while also revealing real grief and a thoughtful look at technology's role in care and family dynamics.
Diane Morgan on playing a robot in TV comedy Ann Droid.
Q: What discussions did you have about the voice for the robot?
She discusses concerns about sustaining a robot voice, opting for an old-fashioned, slightly humorous voice rather than the typical Siri-like tone, to fit the character's aging, reconditioned model.
Diane Morgan on playing a robot in TV comedy Ann Droid.
Q: So at what point did you stop being the person being fed soup by the robot, and become the robot?
Morgan explains she didn't initially realize she would be playing a robot and had to learn to embody robotic behavior, including the challenge of not blinking and maintaining a controlled physical presence.
Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman
Q: What prompted Alice Oseman to write Heartstopper as a graphic novel rather than a prose novel?
She felt the episodic nature of Nick and Charlie's story lent itself to a sequential, visual format, and she had always enjoyed drawing, which made the graphic novel approach a natural fit for the emotional and narrative pacing she wanted to achieve.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Front Row

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

A live arts-and-cculture magazine that covers literature, film, music, theatre, visual arts, and related media. Episodes center on reviews, author and artist interviews, and in-depth looks at exhibitions, books, and cultural trends, often pairing critical discussion with insider industry context. Notable are long-form conversations with writers, critics, and curators, live festival coverage, and cross-disciplinary segments that blend storytelling with arts history. The show stands out for its breadth across high and popular culture, its guest diversity, and a tendency to connect creative work to broader social and cultural questions. This makes it useful for potential listeners who want thoughtful, well-researched cultural critique and behi... more

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How many subscribers and views does Front Row have?

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Which podcasts are similar to Front Row?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Front Row:

1. This Cultural Life
2. A Good Read
3. Take Four Books
4. Bookclub
5. Start the Week

How many episodes of Front Row are there?

Front Row launched 20 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.

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What guests have appeared on Front Row?

Recent guests on Front Row include:

1. Dame Mary Beard
2. Philip Colbert
3. Bill Pullman
4. Graeme Garden
5. Kate Mosse
6. Edith Hall
7. Andrew Ridgeley
8. Naomi Pohl

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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