Episodes

  • JEREMY HUNT: Frontline politics is poisonous and I'll never go back

    JEREMY HUNT: Frontline politics is poisonous and I'll never go back
    Jun 16 2026
    In October 2022, the British economy was in freefall. Liz Truss's mini-budget had sent the pound into a nosedive, mortgage rates were climbing at a terrifying speed, and the IMF had issued a public warning to the government to reverse course. It was, by any measure, a national crisis.Into that emergency stepped Sir Jeremy Hunt who, over a single weekend, dismantled almost the entirety of the economic programme he'd inherited.But that was just the latest chapter in a political career defined again and again by an extraordinary capacity to absorb difficulty and get on with the job. All while managing a private grief that would have broken most people in any role, let alone one of the most demanding in the country. The loss of his father, mother, and brother, all lost to cancer.His new book, Can We Be Rich Again? The Surprising Potential of Britain's Economy, is an act of deliberate optimism in a country that has largely forgotten how to be optimistic. Sir Jeremy Hunt joins Andy Coulson for a conversation about loss, resilience, reputation, and what it really takes to keep your nerve when everything is falling apart.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEYI know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing a crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley. Visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FOUR LESSONS FROM JEREMY:Start a business in your 20s if you possibly can. You've got no mortgage, no kids, no dependents – it doesn't matter if things go wrong, and you'll learn more from failure than you ever will from success.You can cope with one thing going wrong. It's when two or three things go wrong at once that life gets really hard – so close down the smaller crisis as fast as you can, even if that means caving in.The most important thing any leader can build is a team that will tell you when you're wrong. If people are afraid to speak truth to power, you will make bad decisions.Grief gives you something a successful career can't: a sense of what actually matters.CHAPTERS03:34 – Why naive goals are sometimes the most powerful ones05:20 – His father's greatest lesson07:50 – The tragedy his family never spoke about10:35 – What unconditional belief from a parent actually does to a child13:37 – Why failure in your 20s is an asset, not a setback17:07 – Why business and politics require completely different skills22:11 – Starting a business with your best friend26:43 – The junior doctors dispute30:09 – How to survive being the most unpopular politician in the country33:01 – Losing his brother Charlie: what grief teaches you that success never can36:56 – Walking into the eye of the storm as Chancellor40:59 – How to restore trust when trust is the only thing that matters44:20 – Why knowing who you are is the foundation of every crisis skill worth having44:59 – Why Britain thinks far worse of itself than the rest of the world doesBUY JEREMY'S BOOKCan We Be Rich Again? The Surprising Potential of Britain's Economy – pick up a copy here: https://shorturl.at/DfIZaFOLLOW JEREMY HUNTInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/jeremyhuntmp/TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyrshuntmpX – https://x.com/Jeremy_HuntLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyhuntuk/FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodThis was a Crisis What Crisis Production – Rex Fisher (producer), Ioana Barbu (studio manager), James Quinn (research), Johnny Seifert (audio), Jasper Cullen (video)
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    48 mins
  • LESSONS ON CONTROL: How to manage a crisis

    LESSONS ON CONTROL: How to manage a crisis
    Jun 9 2026

    What is the single most important concept in crisis management? Andy Coulson believes it's control — a lesson he first learned sitting on a plastic mattress in a Glasgow police cell, with nothing to focus on but his own breathing.

    In this special compilation episode, he revisits four past guests who each arrived at the same conclusion through very different routes.

    POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY

    I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on. This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley. Visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.

    FEATURING

    Ryan Holiday — bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and The Daily Stoic, on why Stoicism is history's greatest crisis management framework, and the remarkable story of Admiral James Stockdale tapping Epictetus through a prison wall in Vietnam.

    Alix Popham — former Welsh international rugby player, diagnosed with early-onset dementia and probable CTE, on how the athlete's instinct for discipline becomes a survival strategy when the stakes are as high as they get.

    Natasha Silver Bell — international model turned recovery coach, on the moment she stopped blaming her external circumstances and took control of her internal state.

    Cally Beaton — comedian, writer, and former Viacom CBS executive, on surrender, mayhem, and why she refuses to call herself a stoic — despite sounding exactly like one.

    Control the controllables. It sounds simple. It isn't. But as every guest in this episode shows, it is learnable — and it might just be the most important lesson crisis has to offer.

    FULL EPISODES:

    Ryan Holiday: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000755722247

    Alix Popham: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000712166764

    Natasha Silver Bell: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000722574377

    Cally Beaton: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000717250391

    FOLLOW THE GUESTS:

    Ryan Holiday: https://www.instagram.com/ryanholiday/

    Alix Popham: https://www.instagram.com/alix_popham/

    Natasha Silver Bell: https://www.instagram.com/natashasilverbell/

    Cally Beaton: https://www.instagram.com/callybeatoncomedian/
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    18 mins
  • HOMESERVE FOUNDER: Going from broke to billions | Sir Richard Harpin

    HOMESERVE FOUNDER: Going from broke to billions | Sir Richard Harpin
    Jun 2 2026
    Sir Richard Harpin wanted to be an entrepreneur since before he knew the word. He sold conkers in the playground, bred and sold rabbits in his garden, ran a tuck shop from his school locker, and by 15 was bunking off chemistry to cash cheques with the bank manager.In this special episode of Crisis What Crisis – recorded in front of a live audience at the Walbrook Club in the City of London – Andy sits down with the founder of HomeServe, the company Richard built over 30 years and sold in 2023 for £4.1 billion. Richard was knighted in the 2024 New Year Honours. His Sunday Times bestselling book, How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps, is out now.This episode is for anyone who has ever wanted to start something, scale something, or is simply looking for guidance on how to manage the day-to-day crises of running a business.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEYI know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on. This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley. Visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FIVE BUSINESS LESSONS FROM SIR RICHARD HARPIN1) Copy. Richard didn't invent the HomeServe model – he openly admits that he copied it (and then did it better). If someone else is doing it and it works, the risk is lower. 2) Prove the model before you scale it. HomeServe burned through half a million pounds trying to grow a loss-making business. With modern technology, Richard says, you really don't have to do that.3) The best time to build is when conditions are hardest. Comfortable conditions produce cautious thinking. The best businesses are built with their backs against the wall.4) Admitting the mistake is often the fastest route out of it. Richard told the stock market he'd wasted £130 million, wrote off the assets, and said sorry. The share price went up £250 million the same day. The market doesn't punish honesty. It punishes opacity.5) Not taking a risk is itself a risk. Staying still has a cost that compounds invisibly. The test isn't whether the risk is scary. It's whether you can live with not taking it.CHAPTERS04:52 – Why Richard wanted to be an entrepreneur 10:35 – His first businesses13:28 – What working at P&G taught him 19:22 – How HomeServe started 19:22 – Running out of money at Christmas 21:07 – Taking investment at the wrong terms 22:00 – The moment he nearly quit 23:00 – The £50 letter that saved the business 24:43 – The importance of copying 25:34 – Why he hired someone to replace himself 27:06 – Breaking America30:01 – The £100m mistake he made publicly 30:59 – How he structures his day 36:10 – Negotiating a £4.1bn exit 37:37 – What selling actually feels like 38:55 – Why he's still working 42:25 – His advice on AI and careers 44:46 – Starting over with nothingBUY SIR RICHARD'S BOOKHow to Make a Billion in Nine Steps – Sunday Times Bestseller https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Make-Billion-Nine-Steps/dp/034944644XFOLLOW SIR RICHARD HARPINLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rharpin/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/richard_harpin/ TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@richard.harpinFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISISInstagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodFOLLOW THE WALBROOK CLUBThis episode was recorded live at the Walbrook Club, London. Special thanks to Philip Palumbo and his team for hosting us.Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thewalbrookclub/
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    46 mins
  • ANYA HINDMARCH'S CRISIS COMPASS

    ANYA HINDMARCH'S CRISIS COMPASS
    May 26 2026

    Dame Anya Hindmarch started her global fashion business on a gap year trip to Italy aged just 18. Four decades on, she is the founder of one of Britain's most recognisable brands – worn by the Princess of Wales and a new holder of a royal warrant from Queen Camilla.

    In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, I sit down with Anya to discuss her Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation that she turns on her darker days – a person, a habit, a comfort and a piece of advice.

    POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:

    I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.

    This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.

    CHAPTERS:

    01:00 A Person

    01:36 A Habit

    03:01 A Comfort

    03:45 A Piece of Advice

    BUY ANYA'S BOOK

    If In Doubt Wash Your Hair – https://www.anyahindmarch.com/products/if-in-doubt-wash-your-hair-paperback-book-in-paper-off-white

    FOLLOW ANYA:

    Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/anyahindmarch/

    TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@anyahindmarch

    FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?

    Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast

    TikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod
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    4 mins
  • ANYA HINDMARCH: “Everyday is a crisis when you’re running a business”

    ANYA HINDMARCH: “Everyday is a crisis when you’re running a business”
    May 20 2026
    Dame Anya Hindmarch started her global fashion business on a gap year trip to Italy aged just 18. Four decades on, she is the founder of one of Britain's most recognisable brands – worn by the Princess of Wales and a new holder of a royal warrant from Queen Camilla. Anya joins Andy for a candid conversation about courage, control and how treating fear and excitement as the same emotion has proved to be her superpower.This is a masterclass in resilience from a founder who has dealt with the ‘daily stomach punches’ of being an entrepreneurPOWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on. This episode is powered by @kingsleynapley – visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FOUR BUSINESS LESSONS:Doubt is your friend. Don't try to silence it. The moment you stop being scared is the moment things will go wrong.Cling on to your equity. Getting investment isn't winning a prize. When you do it the hard way, you stay in control.Be honest about the journey. Admitting what you've got it wrong buys you more credit than pretending you've got it right.Sometimes you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelette. You will get things wrong. Get them wrong, correct, and learn.CHAPTERS:03:09 – Learning to accept that in life you’ll never be fully satisfied06:47 – How Thatcher's Britain created a generation of founders08:19 – Dyslexia and the entrepreneur's brain15:55 – Starting at 18 with no network, no internet, no clue18:09 – "Stupid determination" – the trait every founder shares20:09 – The lonely years of building a business21:17 – Anxiety vs stress24:07 – Why imposter syndrome is healthy24:58 – I'm Not A Plastic Bag: changing national behaviour with a £5 product27:35 – Honesty as a brand strategy30:10 – Building a blended family without dropping the business35:06 – The mistake of stepping away as CEO40:16 – Buying it back: how to turn a crisis into a restructure41:32 – Localising in a global business44:20 – Her creative process46:30 – Outside investment: why she'd tell founders to wait48:08 – Perspective: what a child's illness teaches a CEO52:06 – Brand Britain – what we're selling and what we're missing54:41 – AI: "Stop moaning and get really good at it"BUY ANYA'S BOOK If In Doubt Wash Your Hair – https://www.anyahindmarch.com/products/if-in-doubt-wash-your-hair-paperback-book-in-paper-off-whiteFOLLOW ANYA:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/anyahindmarch/TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@anyahindmarchFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod
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    57 mins
  • ESTHER GHEY'S CRISIS COMPASS

    ESTHER GHEY'S CRISIS COMPASS
    May 12 2026

    Esther Ghey's 16-year-old daughter Brianna was murdered in a park near their home in Warrington in February 2023. What followed — the campaigning, the memoir, the forgiveness, the compassion — has made her one of the most consequential reform voices in contemporary British life.

    In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, I sit down with Esther to discuss her Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation that she turns on her darker days – a person, a habit, a comfort and a piece of advice.

    Esther is the founder of the Brianna Ghey Legacy Project and Peace in Mind UK, a social enterprise focused on mental health in schools. She launched the Phone Free Education campaign, has campaigned in parliament, and last month received an honorary doctorate from the University of Chester. She was named The Independent's Most Influential Woman of 2024. Her memoir Under a Pink Sky, published by Penguin, is out now in paperback.

    POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:

    I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.

    This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.

    CHAPTERS:

    01:16 A Person

    02:04 A Habit

    03:10 A Comfort

    03:39 A Piece of Advice

    FOLLOW ESTHER GHEY:

    Instagram – www.instagram.com/esther.ghey/

    Peace in Mind UK – www.peaceinminduk.com

    Under a Pink Sky – available now in paperback

    FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?

    Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast

    TikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod
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    5 mins
  • ESTHER GHEY: The fight to free children from their phones

    ESTHER GHEY: The fight to free children from their phones
    May 5 2026
    In February 2023, Esther Ghey's 16-year-old daughter Brianna was murdered in a park near their home in Warrington, in a premeditated attack by two 15-year-olds. Today, Esther is a bereaved mother, but she is also one of the most significant voices for social reform in contemporary British life.She founded the Brianna Ghey Legacy Project, co-launched the Phone-Free Education campaign with Kate Winslet, and has helped force a national reckoning on children, smartphones and social media. She was named the Independent's Most Influential Woman of 2024 and a GQ Hero.Her bestselling memoir Under a Pink Sky - now available in paperback - is a searing and hopeful account of love, loss and rebuilding. It is one of the most breathtaking tales of resilience I have ever read.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FIVE LESSONS FROM ESTHER:Grief doesn't get easier – you learn to build your life around the hole the person left.Don't blame other people for your own decisions.Perception is everything: You can walk the same street looking down at the dog mess or up at the blossom – the choice is yours.Mindfulness isn't a wellness trend. It's a tool that rewires how you respond to stress.Compassion costs nothing.CHAPTERS:03:56 – The cherry blossom and the sign05:20 – Growing up with mum07:55 – Leaving school with no GCSEs, becoming a mum at 1809:13 – The sludge-green walls and the addiction12:17 – Why she refuses to blame anyone but herself15:43 – Going back to school in her 30s16:07 – Discovering mindfulness17:51 – When Brett became Brianna21:17 – The phone, the bedroom, the 3am email27:24 – The day it happened30:16 – The dream that became acceptance32:47 – What she'd say to anyone in early grief34:35 – Grieving in public36:33 – Why she won't name the killers37:55 – Meeting Emma43:23 – Building Brianna's legacy48:05 – Could I have done more?51:16 – Phones don't build resilience54:26 – Where the campaign goes nextFOLLOW ESTHER GHEY:Instagram – www.instagram.com/esther.ghey/Brianna Ghey Legacy Project – www.instagram.com/briannagheylegacyproject/Phone-Free Education – www.instagram.com/phonefreeeducation/BUY ESTHER'S BOOK:Under a Pink Sky – www.amazon.co.uk/Under-Pink-Sky-Esther-Ghey/dp/0241738733FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod
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    56 mins
  • KATE BOWLER'S CRISIS COMPASS: 4 points of navigation for when life flips upside down

    KATE BOWLER'S CRISIS COMPASS: 4 points of navigation for when life flips upside down
    Apr 28 2026

    Kate Bowler is one of the most thought-provoking voices on pain and suffering you'll ever encounter. Living her dream life – married to her high school sweetheart, a baby boy, and her dream job – she was diagnosed with stage four cancer just as everything fell into place.

    In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, I sit down with Kate to discuss her Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation that she turns to in order to help survive a crisis – a person, a habit, a comfort and a piece of advice. We'd love to know yours, let us know in the reviews...

    Kate is a four-time New York Times bestseller, professor at Duke University, host of the Everything Happens podcast, and author of an exceptional Substack. Her latest book, Joyful Anyway, hit the shelves this month.

    POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:

    I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.

    This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.

    CHAPTERS:

    00:49 A Person – Be a Roger: the quiet librarian who showed her what service really looks like

    01:47 A Habit – Praying with her son every night

    02:27 A Comfort – Roadside America, a 40-foot ceramic turtle, and how she befriended Tom Holland

    03:49 A Piece of Advice – "It comes undone though, so don't skip to the end"

    BUY KATE'S NEW BOOK:

    Joyful Anyway – www.amazon.co.uk/Joyful-Anyway-Finding-Delight-Impossible/dp/1037202562

    FOLLOW KATE BOWLER:

    Instagram – www.instagram.com/katecbowler/

    YouTube – www.youtube.com/@katecbowler

    TikTok – www.tiktok.com/@katecbowler

    Substack – https://katebowler.substack.com/

    Podcast – Everything Happens

    FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?

    Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast

    TikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod
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    5 mins