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Artwork for The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

BBC Radio 4
Entrepreneurship
Sustainability
Feedback
4-Day Work Week
Amazon
Mental Health
Work-Life Balance
Leadership
Trunki
Meat Industry
Meetings
Productivity
Parking Industry
Covid-19
Electric Vehicles
Private Schools
Career Development
Consumer Trends
Recruitment
Employee Engagement

Evan Davis hosts the business conversation show with people at the top giving insight into what matters

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes434Founded19 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CulturePersonal JournalsBusiness

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Bottom Line

Latest Episodes

From breakthrough products and inspiring leadership to marketing disasters and strategic own goals, a panel of business leaders choose the winners and losers from the last 12 months in business. Evan Davis hosts The Bottom Line's unofficial annual aw... more

The Bottom Line has been on BBC Radio 4 for twenty years. The programme was first broadcast in 2006. Back then smartphones weren't on sale, Facebook had only just gone public and people still went to Blockbuster to rent videos and DVDs. Tony Blair wa... more

Success doesn't always bring confidence. In fact, some of the most accomplished people privately worry they're not as capable as everyone believes. They live with a nagging fear that one day, they'll be exposed as a fraud. It’s often called imposter ... more

Few disagree we need business regulations to protect the rights of workers and consumers, ensure markets operate fairly and set standards for a whole host of industries. However, one thing some business owners get frustrated about is the amount of re... more

Key Facts

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

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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RadicalBBC Radio 4

Recent Guests

Nicola Horlick
Entrepreneur, former city fund manager, CEO of Money & Co
Money & Co
Episode: Twenty Years in Business
Robin Wight
Advertising executive, founder of WCRS
WCRS
Episode: Twenty Years in Business
Kim Winser
Luxury fashion executive, former CEO of Aquascutum, head of Winser London
Winser London
Episode: Twenty Years in Business
Alex Cheatle
Chief Executive of Ten Lifestyle Group
Ten Lifestyle Group
Episode: Twenty Years in Business
Andy Ransom
Former chief executive of Rentokil (12 years)
Rentokil
Episode: Imposter Syndrome
Katy Leeson
Managing director of Social Chain
Social Chain
Episode: Imposter Syndrome
Dr. Valerie Young
Co-founder of the Imposter Syndrome Institute, author
Imposter Syndrome Institute
Episode: Imposter Syndrome
John Fingleton
Former head of the Office of Fair Trading, now runs a regulatory consultancy
Fingleton
Episode: The Costs and Benefits of Business Regulation
Polly Dhaliwal
Chief Operating Officer, Enterprise Nation
Enterprise Nation
Episode: The Costs and Benefits of Business Regulation

Host

Evan Davis
Journalist and broadcaster; host of the show, guiding discussions with top-tier guests about business decisions, markets, and leadership.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 844 ratings
  • Gets me excited to work on my business

    We need more of these types of podcasts from the BBC. A podcast full of builders and doers, people who want to make things and build businesses instead of just “how to get rich” drivel and people who make money for its own sake rather than seeing it as a tool.

    When I hit a fallow period I put on an episode and I get inspired to get out there and make my projects happen.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    baklava surprise
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • A favourite

    One of my favourite podcasts, I always end up enjoying the conversations, how it evolves and discover new business, stories and viewpoints. Been listening to it for years, love it.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Patrislr
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Evan a very clever guy

    Always poses well thought out intelligent questions. Good guests. Keep it up.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Neilpodcast
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • At coal face of cyberattack

    Interesting understanding of the dynamics and issues around the impact of cyberattack. Some key case study insights of how to be prepared when happens to you!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    CliveP2
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Love this pod!

    Evan is so brill and the insight and info that him and the guests talk through every week is fab. I’d really recommend this podcast to anyone interested in business and how the world works! Thanks Evan..

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Burnsie Ted
    United Kingdom2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners praise the host's ability to extract actionable insights from complex topics.
Questions are thoughtful and guests are allowed to develop ideas without interruption.
Broad range of high-caliber guests and practical takeaways for business decision-makers.
Occasional criticisms note uneven guest diversity of thought, not just perspectives tied to branding or marketing.
Consistently informative with a strong emphasis on real-world applications in business and leadership.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#98
United Kingdom/Business
Apple Podcasts
#115
Indonesia/Business

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Entrepreneurs: Your Questions Answered
Q: What is the biggest risk in early-stage entrepreneurship and how should one handle it?
The biggest risk is assuming you must take on investment immediately; instead focus on sales and proof of concept, then bring in investment in a staged, controlled way to avoid dilution and misalignment.
Entrepreneurs: Your Questions Answered
Q: How can someone in a saturated market get noticed without large marketing budgets?
Leverage influencers, micro-influencers, and authentic storytelling; gift products to people with relevant audiences, use niche platforms to reach targeted communities, and scale with performance-driven ads only after initial traction.
Entrepreneurs: Your Questions Answered
Q: What would your advice be to an entrepreneur who doesn't want to profit but needs money to grow?
Bridge short-term cash flows with appropriate debt facilities or discounting while proving a viable income stream, and consider a blended model where for-profit revenue funds not-for-profit aims, so you can attract investors who care about impact.
Product Innovation: Better, Or Just New?
Q: Give me an example. Give me an example. Common brand names.
The guests discuss how brands refresh products with lines like Mars bars and Maltesers, sharing the balance between refreshing and overhauling, and how consumer insight guides those decisions.
Private Renting: Who Wants to Be a Landlord?
Q: How is it affecting the institutional investors?
Polly discusses that the removal of fixed tenancy terms has raised concerns for institutional investors.

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 The Bottom Line

What is The Bottom Line about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A business discussion program featuring high-profile guests from entrepreneurship, technology, finance, and policy, often discussing practical lessons from building and scaling brands, leading teams, and navigating market shifts. Episodes mix hands-on case studies with wider industry trends, covering topics such as fundraising, product innovation, workplace dynamics, housing markets, pricing strategies, and mergers. A standout trait is the breadth of guests—from founders and CEOs to academics and policy experts—paired with direct, skeptical questioning that aims to extract actionable takeaways for listeners who want to understand how big decisions play out in the real world.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Bottom Line?

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

How many listeners does The Bottom Line get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Bottom Line, 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 The Bottom Line?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Bottom Line, 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 The Bottom Line have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Bottom Line 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 The Bottom Line?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Bottom Line:

1. More or Less
2. The Briefing Room
3. Money Box
4. Radical
5. The Rest Is Money

How many episodes of The Bottom Line are there?

The Bottom Line launched 19 years ago and published 434 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 The Bottom Line?

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 The Bottom Line?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Bottom Line 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 The Bottom Line?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Bottom Line. 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 The Bottom Line?

Recent guests on The Bottom Line include:

1. Nicola Horlick
2. Robin Wight
3. Kim Winser
4. Alex Cheatle
5. Andy Ransom
6. Katy Leeson
7. Dr. Valerie Young
8. John Fingleton

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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