Weekend

Frock horror! The ludicrous spectacle of the Met Gala; reluctant star Josh O’Connor takes the lead in a new film, Challengers; Catherine Carr talks to boys about sex, pornography and feeling isolated and vulnerable; and Philippa Perry responds to a reader who is child-free.

Sofie Hagen loves sex – so why has it been 3,089 days since she’s had any? (1m27s); A flat white can now set you back up to £5.19 – but should we swallow it? (25m13s); and psychotherapist and Observer columnist Philippa Perry addresses a reader’s personal problem (43m51s).

Beware of ‘Tetchy Rishi’ – the prime minister struggles to control his anger during the Rwanda bill press briefing (1m24s); David Harewood on acting, racism and mental health (9m08s); Phil Daoust’s surprisingly simple solution to insomnia hell (24m33s); and Stuart Heritage examines the dangerous fallout from Netflix’s Baby Reindeer (42m29s)

Zoe Williams explores the greatest mystery of modern politics: Liz Truss’ self belief (1m15s), and Charlotte Edwardes delves into the extraordinary inside story of the biggest art fraud in American history (5m53s)

Marina Hyde with her take on Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s surreal US presidential bid (1m23s); Emine Saner meets the sociopath who learned to behave – and found happiness (8m05s); why Gen Z has fallen in love with Sex and the City (24m45s); and do our political opponents really hate us? (29m54s).

This week, Marina Hyde discusses the Thames Water crisis after a sewage-plagued boat race (01:27); Simon Hattenstone interviews Nick Cave, who is about to exhibit his ceramic figurines at the Xavier Hufkens gallery, about art, love, politics and the death of his two sons (08:59); and Rachel Dixon investigates bread in Britain and what it tells us about health, wealth and class (28:52)

This week, Marina Hyde discuss the Tories’ attack ad as they bid to unseat Sadiq Khan (01:54); Phil Daoust asks what can he change at 60 to make it to 100 (08:31); and Eva Wiseman interviews Gillian Anderson as she prepares to play Emily Maitlis in a drama about her interview with Prince Andrew (26:25)

If Labour gets into government, the deputy labour leader Angela Rayner will be one of the most powerful women in Britain. ‘Bring it on,’ she says (1m58s); and ‘I was having a much better time as a girl in that parallel life’: why author Lucy Sante transitioned (29m08s)

Should you blame yourself for your bad habits? (1m53s); author and teacher, Michael Donkor, on the dilemma of whether to come out to his pupils (7m50s); and missed connections: four extraordinary stories of couples who found love via small ads (26m05s)

It’s the Christian Horner paradox, according to Marina Hyde: F1 is now hideously dull, but it’s never been more dramatic (1m53s); if you kill someone in your sleep, is it murder? (9m33s); and ‘What a ridiculous question!’ How fawning, and inanity ruined the red carpet (23m02s)

We wanted to bring you this episode from our new series, Black Box. In it, Michael Safi explores seven stories and the thread that ties them together: artificial intelligence. In this prologue, Hannah (not her real name) has met Noah and he has changed her life for the better. So why does she have concerns about him? If you like what you hear, make sure to search and subscribe to Black Box, with new episodes every Monday and Thursday.

John Crace watches the Tories tie themselves in knots to avoid calling Lee Anderson the ‘R’ word (1m48s); a Ted Bundy survivor tells Anna Moore how the moment changed her life (8m59s); and Fergal Kinney looks at how Sex Lives of the Potato Men broke the British cinema industry (25m59s)

From Tucker Carlson to Johnny Depp, a celebrity bromance is the must-have accessory for modern dictators, says Marina Hyde (1m50); the Libertines on feuds, friendship and their tortured reunion by Simon Hattenstone (9m03); and how habituation, a simple behavioural trick, can help you experience less pain and more pleasure by Cass Sunstein and Tali Sharot (35m49).

John Crace on Rishi Sunak using his Big Break on GB News to remind us he can’t connect with people (1m27s); Annie Rice on burn out and exploitation – when yoga turns toxic (8m34s); and on the 10th anniversary of Hollie Gazzard’s murder, Anna Moore speaks to her father about how he has not let anger destroy him (28m20s)

Marina Hyde reviews ‘Liz Truss and the PopCons’, the Tory tribute act sounding a death knell for irony (1m28s); Catherine Shoard interviews Michael J Fox on pity, Parkinson’s – and a potential cure (9m40s); and Poor Things’ intimacy coordinator, Elle McAlpine, discusses consent, orgies and Emma Stone with Elle Hunt (25m27s)

Marina Hyde asks what now for Laurence Fox after the sad clown of the culture wars circus loses high court libel case (1m21s); Hugh Hefner’s wife on mind games in the Playboy Mansion (9m05s); and the difference between memory loss and dementia – and how to keep your brain sharp (28m20s)

Long live the Tory Fringe! John Crace reviews last week’s conservative ‘comedy hour’ (1m22s); Johannes Radebe on how he fought the bullies - and became a Strictly superstar (9m22s); and Zoe Williams reveals how to spot a liar in ten easy steps (26m14s)

So Prince Harry is a living legend of aviation? Why not, says Marina Hyde (1m21s); Bernie Sanders on what happens if Trump wins – and how to stop him (8m32s); and mushroom macchiato, anyone? Are the new boosted coffees worth the hype? (34m37s)

As the Post Office scandal continues to unfold, Marina Hyde urges us to keep watching and stay angry (1m24s); what one man learned after 30 days of rejection therapy (9m40s); and double Oscar-winner Jodie Foster on beauty, bravery and raising feminist sons (26m49s)

Weekend is taking a little break. So this week, we’ve picked some of our favourite pieces from the last few months, just in case you missed them… Two stories about secrets, lies, and what happens when the people we trust turn out to have hidden motives: first, Joe Gibson reveals a troubling affair he had with his teacher that changed his life (1m48s); and comedian Michelle Brasier explains why she befriended her scammer (41m46s)

For the next two weeks, we’re picking some of our favourite pieces from the last few months, just in case you missed them…Two tales of coming of age and finding out what matters most: in this episode, Heartstopper’s Kit Connor confronts the aftermath of being forced to come out under the gaze of millions (1m44s); and how food helped the Guardian’s restaurant critic Grace Dent create small, meaningful moments amid immense loss (25m20s)

Marina Hyde mulls over Lady Mone’s PPE farrago, car crash interview and fight with the PM (1m26s); Victoria Mary Clarke on the excess, addiction and love that bound her and Shane MacGowan together (10m20s); and Anita Chaudhuri on being shut out by loved ones for 40 years (27m46s)

Actor Toby Jones on class, character and the cost of fame (1m26s); John Crace on Rishi Sunak’s break from a feral Tory party with a spa day at the Covid inquiry (23m00s); and the weird world of celebrity training – how Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Madonna get in shape for their shows (30ms58)

Marina Hyde ponders the small slip that sent Omid Scobie’s Harry and Meghan book into orbit (1m18s); and an English couple, a Ukrainian surrogate and a baby: the extraordinary story of how war united two unlikely families (8m51s).

Rishi Sunak loses his marbles and causes a diplomatic spat in the process (1m18s); Gareth Gates on bullying, resilience and tabloid gossip (7m32s); and the nature cure: how time outdoors transforms our memory, imagination and logic (21m06s).

How The Crown went from prestige drama to TV disaster (1m26s); what happened when one man’s boat sank in the dead of night – and he had to save his seven-year-old son (11m19s); how discount supermarkets changed the way we shop (25m21); and Philippa Perry shares advice on how to overcome loneliness and isolation (40m08s)

Is Rishi Sunak rewarding failure? With David Cameron back it’s being celebrated like never before, says Marina Hyde (1m28s); Nicolas Cage on dreams, fame and his two-headed snake (10m25s); why one woman flew across the world to win back her ex (22m51s); and four cardiologists share 20 simple steps to a healthy heart (27m37s)

Marina Hyde asks: What’s in Nadine Dorries’s book? A pile of dead cats big enough to kill that phrase for good (1m18s); and writer Simon Hattenstone finds out what happened next after Harry Potter’s stunt double broke his neck on set, changing his life forever (8m18s).

Marina Hyde reports on the not-so-shocking incompetence laid bare by the Covid inquiry (1m20s); Zoe Williams turns the tables on avuncular interviewer Louis Theroux (9m58s); and Elle Hunt reflects on Matthew Perry’s troubled life and foreshadowed death (28m48s).

Marina Hyde wonders if anything will change, as GB News is found to have breached Ofcom rules yet again (1m26s); American writer Kenny Biddle, reveals how he became a full-time paranormal investigator…and sceptic…(10m03s); and Olympic champion Caster Semenya talks labels, leaked medical records and how lowering her hormones took its toll on her body (15m58s).

Marina Hyde is impressed by Princess Diana, the ‘hardest working spectre in showbiz’ (1m22s); Bella Ramsey talks football, rapping and why fame is ‘silly’ (9m44s); and Elle Hunt meets a woman who was crushed by an elephant (20m32s).

John Crace watches a glitter-covered Keir Starmer get down to business with a game-changing speech (1m21s); Dolly Parton on style, stardom and sexism (9m51s); plus one man’s leap of faith into the world of hair transplants (26m46s)

John Crace watches Rishi Sunak veer between dull and delusional in his conference speech (1m23s); actor Julia Fox unpacks abuse, fame, and dating Kanye (9m12s); plus the bizarre story of how an advert for a reality show led to a British TV mystery (35m01s)

Marina Hyde asks: who gains from Rishi’s ‘longterm’ thinking? (1m21s) ; and journalist Simon Hattenstone meets the illustrious Joan Collins to discuss love, loss and lust at 90 (8m43s).

Marina Hyde appeals for us all to do the right thing by the victims of Russell Brand’s misogyny (1m23s); and writer and professor David Runciman reveals what happened when he followed all the same Twitter accounts as Elon Musk to try to get inside his head (11m9s).

Marina Hyde ponders a government so tedious, even the ‘shocking’ revelation of an alleged spy can’t sex things up (1m20s); Grace Dent delves into ‘the great social leveller’, cheese, and what our love for this foodstuff says about us (8m8s); and a male escort reveals what women want when they pay for sex (34m56s).

Marina Hyde on why crumbling concrete is just the latest phase in Rishi’s doom loop (1m26s); Maggie Smith on why her marriage disintegrated as her career took off (10m01s); and Richard Osman reveals how he conquered both TV and publishing (25m24s)

Marina Hyde on Prince Andrew being chauffeured back into the royal fold by Prince William (1m24s); how Shallow Hal almost broke Gwyneth Paltrow’s body double (8m29s); and pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo contemplates overnight pop superstardom, plagiarism and growing up in public (21m17s)

The Weekend team are taking a break. So this week, we’re looking back at some of our favourite pieces of the year. Elle Hunt reveals the incredible story of one man’s struggle to rebuild his life after being struck by lightning (1m35s); Amelia Dimoldenberg recounts her journey from the Chicken Shop to Vanity Fair’s Oscars party (16m32s); and Chloë Hamilton describes navigating the heartbreak of fertility – shoulder to shoulder with her twin sister (33m56s).

The Weekend team are taking a break. So for the next two weeks, we’re looking back at some of our favourite pieces of the year. Michelle Obama reads an exclusive extract from her book The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times (2m05s); are you a stehpinkler or a sitzpinkler? Sam Wollaston extols the virtues of sitting down to pee (28m23s); and three decades on, the only survivor of a plane crash reflects on how the trauma changed her (41m23s).

Marina Hyde recoils at Matt Hancock’s latest cringeworthy attempt to boost his brand (1m24s); writer Joel Snape asks whether we should worry about snacking (7m55s); and journalist Simon Hattenstone sits down with author Jacqueline Wilson to discuss rivalry, censorship – and love (14m02).

Tyson Fury weighs in on marriage, mental health and life as a multimillionaire in Morecambe (23m57s); John Crace looks on as the PM gaslights the UK with his North Sea plan while the world burns (1m30s); and Michelle Brasier explains why she befriended her scammer (8m42s)

Viv Anderson: the phenomenal Black footballer who changed England for ever (11m39s), the chequered history of the TV makeover show (1m23s), and the slow running revolution: how to really enjoy the race (26m53s).

Charlotte Edwardes meets Kit Connor (11m12s); Marina Hyde implores us to stay angry about the Post Office scandal (1m32s); and Lily Scherlis explores the genesis of ‘boundaries’ in the world of therapy (35m25s)

Cillian Murphy on Oppenheimer, sex scenes and self-doubt; Marina Hyde asks what’s going on with the Captain Tom spa complex; and forget the blowout wedding, couples explain how they tied the knot on a budget.

We’re doing something a bit different this week and bringing you an extended extract from Joe Gibson’s memoir, Seventeen, about the troubling affair with a teacher that changed his life (10m53s); and after Rishi Sunak is quick to decry the Australian cricket team, Marina is quick to point out: well, that’s just not cricket…(1m27s).

Simon Pegg on joining the A-list elite and embracing home life in Blighty (1m32s); Marina Hyde implores us to ignore Lord Lebedev’s links to the KGB and just focus on his successes (16m46s); and writer Joel Snape reveals all you need to know about 2023’s hottest health topic: inflammation (24m48s) This podcast was amended on 2 July 2023. The wrong EP was uploaded. This audio has now been removed and has been replaced with the correct audio.

Marina Hyde unpacks the curse of the Harry and Meghan media empire (1m22s); in the age of AI, is it cheating if you’ve got a bot on the side? (8m16s); and award-winning actor and Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis on shifting the spotlight towards the deaf community (18m50s)

England footballer turned BBC pundit; sad, confused, deluded: Marina Hyde spares a thought for the friends of Boris Johnson at this difficult time; and science writer David Robson on why delayed gratification may not be worth waiting for.

Oscar-nominated Juno star and trans actor Elliot Page opens up about Hollywood, abuse and coming out (18m41s); Marina Hyde implores Holly Willoughby to lose the sanctimony as she returns to daytime TV (1m26s); and as he finally reveals his true identity, Henry Morris (aka The Secret Tory) tells Zoe Williams why it was time to come clean (8m31s)

The Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears reflects on the new wave of queer culture – and throwing the ultimate party (8m32s); Marina Hyde on how difficult it is being a philanthropist like Jeff Bezos (1m30s); and Joanna Biggs tries to find meaning in a post-divorce world (19m32s)

Succession creator, Jesse Armstrong, on why the show nearly didn’t happen (1m24s), Marina Hyde is amused by the idea of the home secretary being too famous to attend an online speed awareness course (15m15s), and a hostage negotiator reveals the secrets that could transform your life (23m32s).

Nothing is more important to the country right now than Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield’s alleged rift, and Marina Hyde is absolutely here for it (1m30s); in the wake of a racially-charged backlash, Halle Bailey talks about overcoming self-doubt and her soulmate sister Chlöe (8m15s); and author Kat Lister explores the stigma of grieving partners’ sexuality and the loss of sexual intimacy (25m56s).

Award-winning British actor Ruth Wilson considers #MeToo hypocrisy, the violence of cosmetic surgery and why she steers clear of social media (24m02s); Marina Hyde grapples with last week’s coronation protest power-play from the Met (1m32s); and Elle Hunt reveals the incredible story of one man’s struggle to rebuild his life after being struck by lightning (8m48s)

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Kesha discusses her most raw and confrontational album to date (9m31s); as the Post Office scandal continues to unfold, Marina Hyde asks why there is a deafening silence on social media (1m35s); and as the nation celebrates the new monarch, Caroline Davies considers the historic coronations that went awry (26m44s)

Amelia Dimoldenberg recounts her journey from the Chicken Shop to Vanity Fair’s Oscars party (1m19s). Artificial Intelligence keeps Google bosses up at night - so how worried should we be (18m36s)? And three decades on, the sole survivor of a plane crash reflects on how the trauma changed her (28m19s)

Champion javelin thrower Fatima Whitbread reveals how competitive sport saved her (1m34s); Marina Hyde asks why the coronation is being overshadowed by Meghan, Harry and a quiche (17m32s); and from the West End stage to care homes campaigner, Ruthie Henshall talks to Sam Wollaston (25m04s)

Marina Hyde asks why sell-by dates don’t apply to the world’s most powerful men; Rachael Healy explores the ugly new side of theatre audiences; and Canadian musician Feist reflects on the impact of adopting her daughter, and then losing her father, had on her songwriting.

Marina Hyde asks who really are the ‘people in the real world’ that politicians speak so highly of (1m54s), Rhik Sammader discovers what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person (10m14s), and actor Charles Dance reflects on his big break and humble beginnings (25m25s)

Marina Hyde confesses that she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the Gwyneth Paltrow trial (1m32s); from Camden council care worker to trailblazing icon, we revisit an interview with Paul O’Grady from 2017 (9m34s); and Zoe Williams laments the revival of the ‘men-are-trash’ narrative (24m15s).

With Partygate and the former PM back in the news, we ask if we’ve finally reached peak Boris (1m35s)? With one billion streams, what makes John Cooper Clarke’s I Wanna Be Yours possibly the world’s favourite poem (8m27s)? And Viv Groskop navigates the mixed messages of the women’s fiftysomethings clothing market (21m40s)

We are delighted to bring you the first episode in our second series of Pop Culture with Chanté Joseph. Awards season reached its climax with the Oscars this week. Despite the Academy Awards being the biggest event in Hollywood, are viewers really that bothered? Chanté speaks to Michael Schulman, the author of Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears. If you like what you hear, search “Pop Culture with Chanté Joseph” wherever you get your podcasts.

It-girl-turned-campaigner Paris Hilton speaks up about her stolen childhood, years of trauma, and taking down the ‘troubled teen industry’ (1m41s), Steve Rose investigates the mysterious case of the missing Academy Awards (30m35s), and the great serotonin debate: do depression treatments work by boosting the happy hormone? (43m14s)

Zoe Williams reacts to the news that Boris Johnson plans to nominate his father for a knighthood (1m28s), what Oscar-nominated film The Whale says about how society truly views fat people (7m), and how volunteering in a hospice changed Anna Tims’ perspective on life – and death (20m27s)

Costume designer Jenny Beavan reveals why fashion is usually the last thing on her mind (1m33s), writer Alaina Demopoulos dismantles the misconception that Gen Z are tech-savvy (15m28s), and actor Katy Wix recalls the near-death experience that changed her relationship with her father forever (23m16s)

Writer and actor Jamie Demetriou reveals how an admin mixup paved the way for an unconventional career trajectory (1m33s), the groups of women unmasking online cheats and ghosters (18m37s), and Sam Wollaston extols the virtues of sitting down to pee (27m45s)

Oscar nominee Cate Blanchett reflects on her life-changing role in Tár (1m25s), food writer Bee Wilson investigates the real impact of energy drinks on consumers (21m38s), and David Robson on what a ground-breaking study says about our power to shape our future selves (48m09s)

Model, activist and writer, Munroe Bergdorf on how she fell back in love with life (28m27s), Marina Hyde on the country’s worrying relationship with toxic ex-prime ministers (1m25s), and a Harvard professor’s lifelong work reveals the key to our health and happiness (9m46).

Tim Dowling mulls over the fragility of male friendships (10m06s), Marina Hyde on Prince Andrew’s latest run at the greasy pole of ‘justice’ (1m28s), and Amelia Tait methodically unpacks the world of the hyper-organised (17m49s)

Marina Hyde ponders Nadhim Zahawi’s career trajectory (1m26s), Sam Wollaston tries his hand at pickleball, one of the world’s fastest-growing sports (10m25s), and Michelle Williams discusses her Oscar-nominated performance as Steven Spielberg’s mother – and what it taught her about parenting (19m51s)

Marina Hyde on why women can no longer trust the Met (1m26s); extreme swimmer and ‘environmental diplomat’ Lewis Pugh braves the coldest waters on Earth (9m57s); and Tom Lamont discovers the pleasures and pitfalls of living somewhere with a silly name (25m19s).

Marina Hyde considers what Prince Harry’s memoir revelations say about us as a nation (1m26s); Kathleen Turner on navigating chronic illness and falling for Michael Douglas (10m19s); and Chloë Hamilton describes the heartbreak of fertility, shoulder to shoulder with her twin sister (25m20s)

A psychotherapist to the ultra-rich explains why money can’t buy us happiness, comedian Rhod Gilbert gives his first national newspaper interview since being diagnosed with cancer, and Elle Hunt discovers that arguments about technology and our dwindling attention spans aren’t as black and white as they may seem.

Weekend is taking a break. So this week, the team is picking out their favourite pieces from the last few months just in case you missed them. Writer Tom Lamont sits down with beloved British writer, actor and comedian, Lenny Henry (1m42s), journalist Jess Cartner-Morley looks at whether we’ve finally reached peak Whatsapp (25m03s), and finally, columnist Zoe Williams asks: Why has Britain fallen in love with Botox? (37m37s)

The Weekend team is taking a break. So for the next two weeks, we’re looking back at some of our favourite pieces of the year. This week, historian Lucy Worsley unravels the mystery disappearance of Agatha Christie (1m37s), fashion editor Jess Cartner-Morley talks to singer and actress Willow Smith about her complicated relationship with the limelight (18m45s), and Bronwyn Adcock gains a little insight from a radical Buddhist nun on the secret to happiness (38m31s)

Marina Hyde on the people obsessing over Meghan and Harry’s obsessing; columnist Annalisa Barbieri offers guidance on how to navigate tricky Christmas conversations; and journalist Kate Wyver explores the history (and future) of a beloved British seasonal character: the pantomime dame.

Marina Hyde discusses the latest revelations on justice secretary Dominic Raab, Amelia Tait gets to the bottom of Made.com’s dramatic downfall, and Sophie Heawood talks to director, actor and writer Kathy Burke about making it through her darkest period.

Marina Hyde looks at Balenciaga’s disturbing festive ad, and considers the moral responsibilities of brands (1m37s), Paula Cocozza interviews former scientologist Mike Rinder about abandoning his faith and his family (9m07s), and Rebecca Nicholson interviews Billie Piper about a life in showbiz (23m36s)

Marina Hyde on the hollow sound of the England football team’s ‘activism’ (1m37s), Jessica Rawnsley on the house-sitters living for free (9m20s), Lucy Knight meets Heartstopper writer and illustrator Alice Oseman (19m33s), and technology editor Alex Hern charts the rise – and epic fall – of FTX (34m15s)

Pop Culture With Chanté Joseph: a brand new 10-part series from the Guardian, out now. Each week, writer and broadcaster Chanté Joseph will look into the current pop and internet culture stories everyone is talking about. This podcast is for anyone who loves pop and internet culture, and wants to get into how it is shaping and impacting our lives. Listen to a new episode every Thursday - just search for Pop Culture With Chante Joseph wherever you get your podcasts.

Marina Hyde on the Amazon boss’s vice-like grip over his own money (1m25s); Stuart Heritage on the incredible new Netflix documentary Pepsi, Where’s My Jet? (9m18s); and Simon Hattenstone meets Letitia Wright as she reprises her starring role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (19m56s)

We’re delighted to bring you the second episode of our new series, Pop Culture with Chanté Joseph. The Crown season five has arrived, and with it a whole load of controversy. Politicians, actors and royal commentators have all thrown criticism at the Netflix series, accusing it of exploiting the royal family and sensationalising real-life events. This week, Chanté Joseph is joined by the writer of the Emmy award-winning TV series The Tudors, Michael Hirst, to find out if The Crown has lost its shine

This week, Marina Hyde on Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list (1m34s); Michelle Obama reads an extract from her new book, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times (11m18s); and Tom Lamont on why a night in with a board game is the only way he wants to party (38m39s).

We’re delighted to bring you the first episode of our new series, Pop Culture With Chanté Joseph. Rihanna fans have been waiting for this moment for six years. The singer has released Lift Me Up, a single from the soundtrack to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It’s her first release since she launched her Fenty Beauty empire, became a billionaire and a mother. As she storms back into our lives, we ask: what makes Rihanna such an icon?

This week, Marina Hyde on Matt Hancock’s career move into the jungle (1m35s); Joe Stone asks ‘Can a psychologist fix my diet – and transform my life?’ (10m15s); Zoe Williams talks to veteran LGTBQ+ and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell about his recent expulsion from Qatar (25m08s); and Louis Staples’ offers advice on how to have a healthy digital break up (40m48s)

In the defamation trial of the century, Australia’s most-decorated living soldier is seeking to defend his reputation against reports in three newspapers that he says falsely accuse him of being a war criminal. His lawyers argue Roberts-Smith has been unfairly targeted by envious comrades and assisted by credulous journalists. The newspapers’ lawyers say their reporting is true, and that Roberts-Smith broke the ‘moral and legal rules of military engagement’, something he denies outright. But who is Ben Roberts-Smith, and how did he earn the military’s highest honour, the Victoria Cross?

This week, Marina Hyde rattles through the PM’s first week (1m26s), the Guardian’s head rock and pop critic Alexis Petridis talks to singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi about staying grounded in the limelight (10m10s), columnist Guy Lodge dissects the history of queer horror (25m46s), and finally, technology editor Alex Hern explores the seemingly innocuous algorithm that pushed TikTok to the top of its game (36m27s).

This week, Marina Hyde on the political chaos of the last four days and counting (1m28s), columnist Zoe Williams meets Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, the woman who may have just changed the fortunes of Love Island (10m01s), and writer Amelia Tait reveals how our body clocks can improve the effectiveness of everything from our nutrition to Alzheimer’s (34m50s).

This week, Marina Hyde on the plight of a constantly aggrieved, and very particular, subsection of male “celebrity” (1m28s); Zoe Williams asks, why has Britain fallen in love with Botox? (8m38s); Gaby Hinsliff explores the big British Burnout (24m42s); and Ellen E Jones meets Oscar-winning actor Violas Davis to talk about her new film, The Woman King (40m12s).

This week, Marina Hyde picks over the rubble of this week’s decision-making by the Tories (1m25s), Sean Ingle delves into the wild world of chess (10m52s), and Tom Lamont sits down with comedian, writer and actor Lenny Henry (25m57s).

This week, columnist Marina Hyde examines how Kwasi Kwarteng responds to the chaos he creates (1:22), Aimee Levitt investigates why Americans like adding pumpkin spice to things (8:08), Emine Saner interviews Jayde Adams about her hopes for Strictly Come Dancing (19:00), and Will Coldwell looks back at the business of the smiley symbol (34:38)

This week, columnist Zoe Williams on the curious political role of the ‘First Bloke’, writer Tom Lamont meets the Oscar-winning actor and all-round ‘dude’ Jeff Bridges, and finally, journalist Bronwyn Adcock gains a little insight from a radical Buddhist nun on the secret to happiness.

In this new six-episode podcast, Guardian journalist Sirin Kale investigates the story of a cyberstalker who terrified people in his hometown and beyond for over a decade. Episode one begins in his hometown, Northwich, where Sirin meets some of his earliest victims - Andrea Yuile, Amber and Amy Bailey. They tell us how he infiltrated their lives and talk about the horrendous fallout of what he did

This week, columnist Marina Hyde on heckling the royal family and the fallacy of ‘free speech’, fashion editor Jess Cartner-Morley talks to Willow Smith about her complicated relationship with the limelight, film critic Peter Bradshaw reviews the many fictional iterations of the Queen, and, finally, writer Niloufar Haidari on why Kourtney Kardashian’s new sustainable fashion line will do far more harm than good.

This week, Yvonne Roberts on the importance of small talk, Emine Saner meets Nickelodeon actor Jennette McCurdy to discuss her explosive new memoir, and Hadley Freeman has an out of body experience with shoe designer-turned-psychedelic-guide Patrick Cox.

The Queen has died aged 96 at her Scottish home of Balmoral. In this episode of our Today in Focus podcast, Polly Toynbee joins Nosheen Iqbal to look back on her life

This week, Sirin Kale meets former Tory MP and hit podcaster Rory Stewart, columnist Eva Wiseman counts the clinical cost of heartbreak, and Ryan Gilbey sits down with the queen of Blaxploitation Pam Grier.

This week, columnist Marina Hyde asks why all the blame for the sewage dumping scandal is pointed towards politicians and not the water company bosses, writer Sam Parker on the Gen Z entrepreneurs who are turning their backs on office nine to fives and turning their personal passions into full-time jobs, historian Lucy Worsley on whether best-selling author, Agatha Christie, really did go into hiding to frame her husband for murder, and finally, neuroscientist and psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett asks: can we really tell what animals are feeling, or are we merely projecting?

This week, Marina Hyde on Brooklyn Beckham’s ever-evolving career path, comedian Nish Kumar is at the Edinburgh fringe, Jess Cartner-Morley investigates Whatsapp fatigue, and writer Daniel Dylan Wray asks why thirtysomethings are giving up on music.