Rephonic
Artwork for Best of the Spectator

Best of the Spectator

The Spectator
Labour Party
Keir Starmer
Iran
Donald Trump
Conservative Party
United States
Andy Burnham
British Politics
United Kingdom
Nigel Farage
Peter Mandelson
Artificial Intelligence
Reform UK
Church Of England
Manchester
Morgan Mcsweeney
Immigration
China
Christianity
Britain

Home to the Spectator's best podcasts on everything from politics to religion, literature to food and drink, and more. A new podcast every day from writers worth listening to.

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

PublishesDailyEpisodes2703Founded13 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Daily NewsNews CommentaryNews

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Best of the Spectator

Latest Episodes

For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by The Spectator’s columnist Rory Sutherland, political editor Tim Shipman and drinks editor Jonathan Ray.

This week: What has been the damage of Labour’s punitive war on private education? Rory qu... more

Andy Burnham has launched a major push to overhaul adult social care in England, seeking cross-party consensus for a new National Care Service. He has refused to rule out tax rises to fund the reforms. Michael Simmons speaks to the author and journal... more

Freddy Gray is joined by David Weigel to discuss the Democratic primary battle taking place in Michigan between Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens. Freddy and David examine how the contest has become a proxy for the wider battle over the Democratic Par... more

Katharine Birbalsingh is the founder and headmistress of Michaela Community School in Wembley, and has been dubbed Britain’s strictest headteacher. Under her leadership, Michaela has become one of the country’s most successful state schools, while op... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Coffee House Shots
Coffee House ShotsThe Spectator
Americano
AmericanoThe Spectator
Quite right!
Quite right!The Spectator
The Edition
The EditionThe Spectator
The spiked podcast
The spiked podcastThe spiked podcast

Recent Guests

Rory Sutherland
Wikiman columnist
The Spectator
Episode: The Edition: Rory Sutherland on private schools, early election & death doulas
David Goodhart
Journalist and author of The Care Dilemma
Episode: Reality Check: how to reform social care – with David Goodhart
David Weigel
Politics reporter
Semaphore
Episode: Americano: Is the radical left taking over the Democratic Party?
Katharine Birbalsingh
Headteacher at Michaela Community School
Michaela Community School
Episode: Quite right!: Katharine Birbalsingh interview
Tom Scotston
Sun journalist who discussed Manchester homelessness observations
The Sun
Episode: Reality Check: Britain's homelessness & why Burnham won't fix it
Iona Bain
Spectator writer focusing on personal finance
Spectator
Episode: Spectator Out Loud: James Heale, Iona Bain, Tali Fraser & James Phillips
James Phillips
Spectator writer reviewing non-fiction/biography
Spectator
Episode: Spectator Out Loud: James Heale, Iona Bain, Tali Fraser & James Phillips
Freddie Gray
The Spectator American edition editor and journalist
The Spectator
Episode: The Edition: Burnham’s chaotic takeover
Peter Hitchens
Mail on Sunday columnist
Episode: The Edition: Burnham’s chaotic takeover

Host

Freddy Gray
Host of Americano Show; deputy and US editor for The Spectator

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 1.4k ratings
  • Etiquette

    Tim, please don’t interrupt you guests when they are speaking.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    AnotherWorker
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Disappointed

    Alarmed to hear an interview with antisemitic cartoonist - who was unchallenged when referring to Israel’s defensive war against 8 terrorist armies as “genocide”. Libellous insanity. Saco was touted as some kind of objective journalist. Expect a much higher standard from the Spectator.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    JJAADF
    Australia3 months ago
  • Not everyone translates from the written to the spoken word

    If you have a journalist who can read aloud properly, great. If not please get someone to read their copy for them . The review of Wuthering Heights which would have been entertaining was spoilt by the Robitic and at times inaccurate delivery, which made it hard to listen to.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    sjblondon
    United Kingdom6 months ago
  • Common & run-of-the-mill

    Conventional takes with little distinguished insight. Disappointing.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Bibliophenia
    United Kingdom6 months ago
  • A gang bang queen!

    No longer a serious magazine

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Cwycu
    United Kingdom7 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Balanced guest mix and insightful political analysis, though some critics push back on balance and tone.
The show earns praise for provocative takes and high-profile interviews, but some reviews call for clearer balance and delivery style.
Listeners appreciate deep dives with insider perspectives and historical context, especially on UK politics and leadership dynamics.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Americano: Is the radical left taking over the Democratic Party?
Q: First of all, do you think the betting markets are right and Abdul El-Sayed has a strong chance of winning?
David Weigel confirms he's been covering the race and notes El-Sayed's strong ground game, messaging as a communicator, and local ties, which together create real momentum despite being seen as not ideologically extreme.
Reality Check: how to reform social care – with David Goodhart
Q: David, thank you for joining Reality Check. Andy Burnham has said that if we don't fix social care, then the whole NHS could collapse. Is he right about the scale of the crisis?
David Goodhart argues that while the crisis is real, it is not as universally catastrophic as hyperbolic rhetoric suggests; the problem lies in the gaps in public subsidy and the difficulty of coordinating care packages, with the NHS often bearing the brunt of systemic inefficiencies rather than an imminent total collapse.
Reality Check: Fact checking Rupert Lowe on Joe Rogan
Q: Does he have a point there regarding the media coverage and whether there was a statutory inquiry into the rape gang allegations?
The analysis suggests there was debate over a statutory inquiry, with acknowledgement that initial claims and reporting were contested, and that a formal statutory inquiry was later established, indicating a point about media coverage and state response was valid, though not all specifics were settled at the time.
Reality Check: Fact checking Rupert Lowe on Joe Rogan
Q: So you and the team have been looking at this. And kind of the way the episode is going to work today is we're going to look at clips from the Joe Rogan podcast.
Yes, and we'll walk through the clips and then give Reality Check verdicts on whether the claims are true, false, or misleading, followed by context from parliamentary records and official reports to assess the accuracy.
Coffee House Shots: how we plan to beat Reform | Conservative chairman
Q: What about the rumor of Rupert Lowe and the Restore Party influencing the Tories?
That rumor isn't true; we work with people who share our values, but Nigel Farage's approach has been counterproductive, and we need to build a team and a plan rather than rely on external distractions.

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 Best of the Spectator

What is Best of the Spectator about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show features brisk, opinion-forward conversations on politics, media, history, and culture, with a strong emphasis on UK politics, international affairs, and thoughtful bookish analysis. Episodes frequently juxtapose insider perspectives with broader public policy, exploring leadership dynamics, party strategy, geopolitical tensions, and cultural institutions. A standout trait is its willingness to host high-profile political insiders and authors, offering controversial takes, strategic context, and long-form discussions that often blend history, current events, and policy critique. The format tends to favor lively banter, insider anecdotes, and sharp, sometimes polarizing, viewpoints aimed at listeners who enjoy policy, politics, and... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Best of the Spectator?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Best of the Spectator. 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 Best of the Spectator and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Best of the Spectator get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Best of the Spectator, 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.

What are the audience demographics for Best of the Spectator?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Best of the Spectator, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Best of the Spectator have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Best of the Spectator 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 Best of the Spectator?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Best of the Spectator:

1. Coffee House Shots
2. Americano
3. Quite right!
4. The Edition
5. The spiked podcast

How many episodes of Best of the Spectator are there?

Best of the Spectator launched 13 years ago and published 2703 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 Best of the Spectator?

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.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Best of the Spectator?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Best of the Spectator 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.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Best of the Spectator?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Best of the Spectator. 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.

What guests have appeared on Best of the Spectator?

Recent guests on Best of the Spectator include:

1. Rory Sutherland
2. David Goodhart
3. David Weigel
4. Katharine Birbalsingh
5. Tom Scotston
6. Iona Bain
7. James Phillips
8. Freddie Gray

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days