
Two former Westminster insiders reveal how politics and power really work.
Ever wondered what goes on behind closed doors at No 10? Or who’s the first person on the phone when a Prime Minister lands themselves in hot water?
Each week former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson, former political advisor to Theresa May and Boris Johnson, dissect the week’s biggest news, reveali... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 7 | Founded | 2 months ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | PoliticsNewsGovernment | |||

This week, as Blackrock big boss Larry Fink warned we could be heading for a global recession if the US Iran war continues, we discuss whether people should be prepping for what’s to come. From whether you should have a jerry can of fuel in your gara... more
This week, as the war in the Middle East escalated, energy prices were soaring while the government scrambled to provide emergency support. Some £53million was announced by Ed Milliband, but is it really enough to help families who are struggling wit... more
Last month, Parliament demanded the government release the Mandelson files. What followed was five long weeks of waiting.
This week, the Prime Minister’s Chief Secretary, Darren Jones, finally stepped up to announce their release. So, what’s inside?... more
A week is a long time in politics. After a crushing by-election defeat last week, the Prime Minister was hoping for a quiet week to recalibrate. Instead, he got a new war. The US and Israel’s joint attack on Iran has set in motion a whole new set of ... more
People also subscribe to these shows.





As a Westminster civil servant who has long given up on political podcasts this has been the perfect fresh take to get me listening and thinking again. I’ve admired Helen and Cleo from close-ish proximity so am so glad they’ve brought their kindness, empathy and humour to the (crowded) podcasting space. I particularly love that the theme of the show goes into the day-to-day impacts on women and how the environment in Downing St can turn into a boys club (e.g the female urge to sort lunch breaks ... more
Love this - Helen and Cleo are great to listen to and this insight into the reality of being in the room during moments of high drama and crises is compelling listening.
What an amazing podcast it shows my point of view but in a much better way.It also shows me a new and perfect point of view.It is definitely my favourite podcasts I have and will ever listen to.I don’t think they could make any better because it is the best thing I have ever heard.I also have obviously told all my friends to listen now.
The best podcasts for me, someone who has never been anywhere near the room, are hosted by those who have been there at the highest level but who also have great chemistry and the ability to make me laugh as well as learn!! These Ladies have all those qualities in abundance !! Well done brilliant first episode!!
Delightful to hear snippets of insider goss delivered by such cheery and indeed plummy presenters.
It remains to be seen to what extent any genuine apercus can eventuate, given statutory constraints, but we wait and see with keen interest!
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #59 | |
Apple Podcasts | #123 | |
Apple Podcasts | #122 |
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | Gender Skew | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interests | Professions | Age Range | |||
| Household Income | Social Media Reach | ||||
Insiders-turned-analysts unpack how power actually operates in UK politics, offering insider perspectives on decision-making, crisis management, and the mechanics behind government actions. Episodes mix practical anecdotes from Westminster with sharp analysis of leadership, policy, and the forces shaping public messaging, often interlaced with humor. The show tends to appeal to listeners who want a clearer picture of how rooms in No.10 and Whitehall function, not just what happened in the headlines. A standout is the duo's rare access coupled with candid, experience-led commentary that adds nuance to coverage of crises, leadership challenges, and strategic governance.
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for In The Room. 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 In The Room and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for In The Room, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for In The Room, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
To see how many followers or subscribers In The Room 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.
These podcasts share a similar audience with In The Room:
1. Political Currency
2. How To Win An Election
3. Electoral Dysfunction
4. Westminster Insider
5. Not Another One
In The Room launched 2 months ago and published 7 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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.
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for In The Room from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of In The Room. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
Recent guests on In The Room include:
1. Robert Jenrick
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.