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Planet Normal

The Telegraph
Labour Party
Conservative Party
Immigration
Keir Starmer
UK Economy
Rishi Sunak
Brexit
Net Zero
Rachel Reeves
Reform Party
Donald Trump
NHS
Reform UK
Free Speech
Kemi Badenoch
Nigel Farage
UK Politics
Liz Truss
Labour Government
Covid-19

The podcast that speaks your language. News and views from beyond the bubble with Telegraph columnists, Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan, every Thursday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes330Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureNewsNews Commentary

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Artwork for Planet Normal

Latest Episodes

You can watch this episode in full on YouTube:

The rocket of right thinking is back for a crucial Budget Special as Chancellor John Healey delivers his low-key first budget amidst mounting economic pressure.

Joining the co-pilots to unpack the real... more

YouTube

You can watch this episode in full on YouTube:

Recorded live in front of a packed room at the Battle of Ideas Festival in Westminster, your co-pilots are joined by two special guests to help them tackle the week’s biggest cultural and economical fla... more

YouTube

You can watch this episode in full on YouTube: youtu.be/qiNe1Vw1fBY

With the October Budget looming larger on the horizon, your co-pilots are cutting through all the noise to deliver the big talking points this week and are joined on the Roc... more

YouTube

You can watch this episode in full on YouTube: youtu.be/4ZZZoH77k14

Another week, another conference and the October Budget looms but mere weeks away… however your co-pilots wade through the slurry to bring you the tasty news morsels.

Liam ... more

YouTube

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Roger Bootle
Telegraph columnist, founder of Capital Economics and former Treasury adviser
Capital Economics
Episode: Fiddling with Gherkins whilst the Grid Burns
Lucy Connolly
Author of A Tweet Too Far and former childminder
Episode: Planet Normal: Live Special at The Battle of Ideas 2026
Robert Tombs
Emeritus Professor of French History at the University of Cambridge and co-author of Our Island's Story
University of Cambridge
Episode: Planet Normal: Live Special at The Battle of Ideas 2026
Nigel Farage
Leader of Reform UK
Reform UK
Episode: Nigel Farage: Ignoring threats to my safety is ‘outright prejudice’
John Banerjee
Director of Ecocentric Group UK, CEO of Newman AI
Ecocentric Group / Newman AI
Episode: Labour’s energy insecurity intensifies
Suella Braverman
Former Home Secretary and author of Patriot, Empire Betrayal and Hope
Reform UK (former Conservative)
Episode: Burnham’s economics of empty promises
Richard Lyons
Electrical engineer and energy economist, author of The Energy Trap
Independent energy expert, Centre for Policy Studies (CAPEX interview)
Episode: The green blob is choking the life out of the UK
Russell Quirk
property and politics expert
Reform-led Essex County Council (Deputy Leader)
Episode: Piddington protest and the donation dispute
Ross Clark
Prominent journalist and author
The Spectator, Telegraph, The Mail
Episode: Boat-load of trouble: Channel fury, Israel sanctions & broke Britain

Hosts

Allison Pearson
Host of Planet Normal; Telegraph
Liam Halligan
Co-host on Planet Normal; Telegraph

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 4k ratings
  • Some Kind of a Summer

    After over 6 years, Planet Normal remains one of the most listenable and intelligent political podcasts. With warmth, humour and far more knowledge and understanding of economics, culture, defence and free speech than anyone in government. Thank you Allison and Liam for returning from holiday to pay tribute to Rod Liddle ( a twice former guest). We shall miss his incredible wit, honesty, originality and bravery. As Toby Young said ' Fighting the culture war will be a lot harder without him leadi... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bitter Lemming
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • One of my favourites

    Look forward to hearing your views each week. You always speak with great passion, but can you please avoid banging on the table in getting your point across.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Torbo22
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Brilliant truth-speaking

    I love this podcast. Thanks to both Liam and Alison for their devotion to the unfashionable cause of truth-speaking. Along with a small band of others like the Free Speech Union, Steve Baker’s Fighting for a Free Future, and the institute for Economic Affairs, they are holding the line against progressive nonsense and economically illiterate distributive politics and gradually moving the Overton window. There’s still work to be done and they need your support!

    Oh, just to say, on the the Layla C... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tomwoodhams
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • If they're normal my belly button fluff is a knight!

    Podchaser
    1
    Seyfert
    4 months ago
  • Awful podcast

    Totally biased and complete rubbish. Listen at your peril

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    deenoot
    United Kingdom4 months ago

Listeners Say

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

The show is seen as essential listening for insights into UK politics and policy.
Some reviews note strong bias; others praise candid, unapologetic discussion.
Listeners value the hosts' clear, forceful takes and guests who provide expert context.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Fiddling with Gherkins whilst the Grid Burns
Q: What do you make of that big reduction in growth next year from 1.6% to 1%?
Bootle said the downgrade was expected and emphasized that economic forecasts are unreliable. He warned that the government's plans assume a future squeeze on public spending that Labour may not implement, which could leave borrowing higher than projected.
Fiddling with Gherkins whilst the Grid Burns
Q: Roger, what was your initial impression of what John Healey had to say?
Bootle said he had covered nearly 50 budgets and struggled to recall one as dull, adding that the low-key statement was expected but offered little of substance.
Nigel Farage: Ignoring threats to my safety is ‘outright prejudice’
Q: What is your thinking on the economy and financial markets at the moment?
Farage says Britain must cut spending, increase growth, or do both, warning that rising interest rates and debt repayments leave the country living beyond its means and facing a major reckoning.
Nigel Farage: Ignoring threats to my safety is ‘outright prejudice’
Q: What do you say to people who are calling this dangerous, illegal and racist?
Farage says the greater danger is allowing potential terrorists into Britain. He describes the asylum proposal as a temporary suspension, not an end to asylum, and frames it as a national security measure.
Planet Normal: Live Special at The Battle of Ideas 2026
Q: Do you think it would have gone down, Robert Tombs? How would it have been seen historically, had we not actually legally brexited?
Tombs said history might have portrayed Brexit's failure as the last gasp of an effort to preserve independent British sovereignty, though he noted that historical judgments can be unpredictable.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Planet Normal

What is Planet Normal about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A sharp, opinionated current-events show hosted by two Telegraph columnists, tackling UK politics, policy, economics, and media narratives with a right-leaning, reform-minded bent. Episodes commonly feature one or more high-profile guests—from politicians and policymakers to journalists and experts—paired with brisk discussions, provocative takes, and practical implications for business and public life. Notable strengths include a candid, adversarial-friendly style that often challenges established narratives and a willingness to engage deeply with policy trade-offs, security concerns, and national identity. This combination makes it a compelling pick for listeners who want franks takes on governance, markets, and culture, delivered with wi... more

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How many subscribers and views does Planet Normal have?

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Which podcasts are similar to Planet Normal?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Planet Normal:

1. The Daily T
2. The spiked podcast
3. Quite right!
4. Last Orders - a spiked podcast
5. Coffee House Shots

How many episodes of Planet Normal are there?

Planet Normal launched 6 years ago and published 330 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 Planet Normal?

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 Planet Normal?

Recent guests on Planet Normal include:

1. Roger Bootle
2. Lucy Connolly
3. Robert Tombs
4. Nigel Farage
5. John Banerjee
6. Suella Braverman
7. Richard Lyons
8. Russell Quirk

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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