The Explanation
BBC World ServiceWhere the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin. Exploring the important questions about long-running stories and the latest global news. An honest, unvarnished, explanation of the world.
Featuring new episodes of The President's Path, Unspun World with John Simpson, and The Media Show.
| Publishes | Daily | Episodes | 367 | Founded | 3 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | News CommentaryDocumentaryNewsSociety & Culture | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
Caitríona Perry, Sumi Somaskanda and Bernd Debusmann examine the role President Trump is playing in the race to November’s midterm elections. They discuss whether his endorsement is helping Republican candidates, look at the key battleground races, a... more
John Simpson, in discussion with the BBC’s unparalleled range of experts across the world, looks at the impact of intensifying Russian attacks on Ukraine, analyses the state of the relationship between China and the United States, and examines the po... more
The Premier League alleges that Manchester City arranged sham contracts with commercial partners to conceal more than £830 million in funding. BBC Sport’s Laura Scott, Der Spiegel journalist Christoph Winterbach, Nick Harris from Sporting Intelligenc... more
Caitríona Perry, Sumi Somaskanda and Bernd Debusmann discuss President Trump's big week on the international stage, from the United Nations General Assembly to hosting China's president at the White House. They examine how the US president is managin... more
Key Facts
Similar Podcasts
People also subscribe to these shows.
Recent Guests
Hosts
Reviews
- 4th of July
A level of ignorance by your team of the facts . The 4th of July relates to America choice for the continuation of slavery and discrimination . It is not a version .it is just a fact ..
Apple Podcasts1patricanthony9
United Kingdom3 months ago - Unspun World
I would look forward to hearing John Simpson’s rich timbre when speaking anytime day or night ! I do also happen to appreciate his considered , intelligent , sane reasoning. A must listen me
Apple Podcasts5Danish01
Australia6 months ago - Rightful
•SERIES: The President’s Path. Annoying Panellist Catchphrase: “Right?” (Even mid-sentence).
Apple Podcasts3(Gibberer)Australia10 months ago - Not so unvarnished
I want to hear both sides, but am finding their coverage more and more sympathetic to dark themes. For instance: describing people celebrating CK’s death as disgusting, and his ‘work’ as challenging opinions. Publicly, at least, this man was not a good person. Openly hateful talk is disgusting. Has the BBC entered the upside down world??
Apple Podcasts3Anneli Veronica
Canadaa year ago Superb podcast
Podcast Addict53 years agocougar
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #24 | United Kingdom/News/News Commentary |
Apple Podcasts | #81 | Canada/News/News Commentary |
Apple Podcasts | #240 | United Kingdom/News |
Apple Podcasts | #55 | Australia/News/News Commentary |
Apple Podcasts | #106 |  Germany/News/News Commentary |
Apple Podcasts | #144 |  Italy/News/News Commentary |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
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 Explanation
What is The Explanation about and what kind of topics does it cover?
A globally focused, politically informed show that explains big stories with a clear emphasis on media, politics, tech, and international affairs. Episodes often feature live analysis, interviews with seasoned journalists and industry insiders, and cross-border perspectives on policy, power, and public discourse. Noteworthy traits include a strong BBC World Service backbone, high-profile interviews, and deeply reported takeaways that aim to cut through spin. The format consistently blends on-the-ground reporting with media theory, shaping a thoughtful, debate-friendly listening experience for professionals who want context beyond headlines.
Where can I find podcast stats for The Explanation?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Explanation. 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 Explanation and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does The Explanation get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Explanation, 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 Explanation?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Explanation, 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 Explanation have?
To see how many followers or subscribers The Explanation 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 Explanation?
These podcasts share a similar audience with The Explanation:
1. The Documentary Podcast
2. The Inquiry
3. The Global Story
4. From Our Own Correspondent
5. More or Less
How many episodes of The Explanation are there?
The Explanation launched 3 years ago and published 367 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 Explanation?
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 Explanation?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Explanation 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 Explanation?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Explanation. 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 Explanation?
Recent guests on The Explanation include:
1. Kalkadhan Yibeltal
2. Celia Hatton
3. Laura Scott
4. Christoph Winterbach
5. Nick Harris
6. Rob Harris
7. Stef Alexander
8. Katja Adler
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.