Wake Up to Money

In a week that's seen the price of oil on a rollercoaster and Iran's new leader says it plans to keep a key shipping route effectively closed, Will Bain is joined by an expert panel to pick over what the consequences could be - and for how long.

The boss of Eurostar has called on the government to move quickly on a plan that would accommodate trains for both her company and Virgin at London's Temple Mill depot. Eurostar's chief executive Gwendoline Cazanave speaks to Wake Up to Money.

Plus, with Mothering Sunday just two days away, WUTM hears from one grower who's moving half a million flowers a day this week.

Sean Farrington hears about the IEA's release of 400 million barrels of oil reserves. Elsewhere, Sean discusses the largest withdrawal of mortgage products since Liz Truss' mini-Budget, and staff at John Lewis await an update on the reinstatement of their annual bonus payments.

Sean Farrington gets the latest on events in the Middle East and hears from the owner of a barber shop destroyed by the Glasgow fire.

Sean Farrington has the latest on market movements after a shift in the President's tone. And the Government finishes consulting on what it has called the biggest reform to the planning rules in a decade.

Felicity Hannah hears how surging oil and gas prices could affect the global economy, and how energy suppliers are positioned to deal with market volatility.

Felicity Hannah hears from the second-hand-clothes supplier behind Beyond Retro on why he believes a customs loophole for cheap international goods needs to be closed. And one week in, our panel of experts breaks down how the US-Israel war with Iran is affecting the UK and global economy. Also, we talk to the producer of the opening ceremony for the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympic games.

Sean Farrington hears from experts on how the US-Israeli war could hit UK electricity prices and speaks with travellers who have been stuck in Dubai. Elsewhere, we speak with the boss of Holland and Barrett about why the company has changed more than half of its range of wellness products in the last two years.

Sean Farrington examines how the US-Israeli war with Iran is hitting the UK economy, from the FTSE 100 to the pound.

And we also hear from some of the 250 thousand British expats in the UAE about their experience of the conflict – and whether it has changed their minds about life in the region.

Elsewhere, we digest the chancellor’s much-downplayed spring statement.

Sean Farrington examines how the US-Israeli war on Iran is impacting business globally and at home.

With a slate of experts, he'll take a look at how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will impact global shipping, oil prices and logistics

Elsewhere, he'll hear from those trying to do business in the Middle East and will find out how the Iranian economy has fared in recent months.

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Will Bain gets all the reaction to the US-Israeli operation against Iran. He'll hear from people across the region and also ask what this might mean for global trade and oil supplies.

Elsewhere, we’ll look ahead to the upcoming Spring statement get the low‑down on a newcomer to the boxing world who’s aiming to take on some of the industry’s biggest promoters.

Will Bain gets the latest from the Gorton and Denton by-election and hears about the build-up to the first ever BRIT Awards to be held in Manchester.

Sean Farrington looks into the prospect of robotaxis coming to the streets of London. We also hear from the UK boss of Volvo on what's next after more than 10,000 cars were recalled over a fire risk. And as the UK's first geothermal power plant is switched on in Cornwall, we hear from the man who runs it.

On Wake Up To Money, we talk a lot about jobs, wages and the labour market. And we often hear from the bosses of some of our biggest recruitment firms.

One of those is the Reed Group.

Sir Alec Reed started the company 65 years ago and made it into one of the UK's biggest private businesses. He was knighted for his services to business and charity in 2011.

He'd long stepped down as Chief Executive of Reed by then, handing over the reins to his son, James, in 1997.

Sean Farrington sat down with James to look back on the life of his Dad - and how they navigated being part of the same team at work as well as at home... something that will sound familiar to so many across the country.

Sean Farrington speaks to an investor and a cab driver about a major funding round for a British autonomous vehicles company, which could be carrying passengers on London's streets this year. And he discusses the significance of Trump's State of the Union address with finance and trade experts.

Sean Farrington reacts to the latest milestone in the Warner Bros mega deal. We reflect on the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion on Ukraine. As the British Retail Consortium's latest retail crime report's released, we speak to a shopkeeper on the frontline. And we hear from the president of the National Farmers' Union as they kick off their annual conference.

Felicity Hannah gets to the bottom of President Trump's new global tariffs. What will this mean for businesses and consumers in the US and elsewhere? We assess the fallout with a US business owner and an economist. And we find out why the warehouse and logistics sector is experiencing a fall in recruitment Also, we speak to one of the big homegrown UK winners at the Bafta awards to hear about what it takes to make a film in the UK.

Will Bain hears how thousands of investors risk losing their money if BrewDog is sold. The Scottish craft beer giant is up for sale after five consecutive years of losses.

With half-term week coming to an end, we'll be hearing from an independent cinema in Newcastle on whether the school holidays have provided the trade boost they hoped for.

And our Friday panel will be summing up the week, from the unemployment figures to how the winter weather has wreaked havoc with Britain's agriculture sector.

Will Bain hears from the designer shaking up London Fashion Week by turning the humble shopping trolley into something chic. We’ll also look to the US, where Meta’s owner has been in court for a landmark civil trial examining the impact of social media on young people, with reaction from an investor in Silicon Valley. And we’ll bring you the latest from New Delhi as tech bosses and world leaders gather for The Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit 2026.

Will Bain has the latest on another twist in the takeover tale of Warner Bros Discovery as talks with Paramount Skydance reopen. The boss of the UK's largest commercial property company Landsec tells us he is more confident about shopping centres than any other part of his business. Plus Carling's iconic Black Label brand is set for a UK revival.

Will Bain checks in with a UK house builder to see if we are building quickly enough to meet the government target of 1.5 million homes to be built over the next decade. Also we will be hearing from a UK chocolate maker on how they will adapt as the price of cocoa drops due to oversupply. Elsewhere we will hear about the Lunar New Year economy as we welcome the year of the Fire Horse.

Leanna Byrne finds out about the latest government online safety powers designed to keep children safe from illegal content created by AI. We hear from a tech journalist on what the measures will mean in practice. Also, farmers are facing bad weather and falling milk prices. We hear from the farming community on the toll it's all taking on their businesses. Elsewhere, we bring you the latest on the civil service pension scheme and hear what Royal Mail staff told the BBC about the service they deliver.

Sean Farrington has a look at the money behind sport - this week: mass-participation events.

It's big business - from the thousands of competitors that sign up to take part, to managing the event itself, to the fundraising.

Sean hears from Paul Foster, the Chief Executive of The Great Run Company - the company behind the Great North Run and many other events across the country. He'll also speak to Nick Tuppen, Chief Executive of Threshold Sports, one of the UK's fastest-growing active events agencies who coordinate more than 50 mass participation events per year.

Producers: Stefan Jajecznyk & Olivia Baron

Sean Farrington speaks to Andrew Georgiou, President & Managing Director of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe and Paul Barber, Chief Executive of Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion FC

Sean Farrington speaks to owner of Worcester City Women FC Nicole Allison and former Head of Women’s Football at The Football Association of Wales Lowri Roberts

Sean speaks to chief executive of British cycling brand Rapha, Fran Millar, and former World Cycling Road Race Champion and four-time British Road Race Champion Lizzie Deignan.

Sean takes a look at the rise of the use in technology in sport. From automated line-calling, VAR & AI data analytics - we ask how tech is shaping the future of sport.

Sean spoke to Padel boss Sam Kemp from R3 Sports, Women's football consultant Andrea Ekblad and sportswear company MandM Chairman Mike Tomkins

Will Bain presents a review of the business year with some of our best interviews from 2024, featuring the biggest stories in money and business this year.

Sean Farrington sits down with Superdry boss Julian Dunkerton, who doesn't hold back on Shein. Plus The Friedkin Group has agreed a deal to buy Premier League club Everton.

What do a football club, a media mogul and a social media giant all have in common?

Fresh from another victory, Manchester City faces the start of hearings into its 115 alleged financial fair play charges today - Sean Farrington finds out what's in play.

An American court will hear arguments on whether the US government can ban the Chinese social media giant TikTok from the country.

And the children of an ageing media mogul fight for their stake in his news empire - no, it's not a smash-hit TV drama, but a court case involving Rupert Murdoch that gets under way on Monday. We hear what it could mean for the future of News Corp.

Felicity Hannah finds out if the private sector should fund a new rail link. And, after the success of the first spacewalk, is the sky the limit when it comes to space tourism?

it’s just 8 weeks till the American Election and Trump and Harris go head to head in their first live TV debate. Plus the skills Olympics finally gets underway in Lyon, France.

Sean Farrington takes a look how Apple's latest gadgets will feature all things AI. Plus we find out why ASOS has been getting a lot of backlash online.

Will Bain looks at what has to change in construction following the Grenfell Inquiry.

Elsewhere, the Chief Executive of Mountain Warehouse speaks about the company's latest acquisition and broader plans for US expansion, and live music's contribution to the UK economy topped £6bn for the first time last year.

Will Bain looks back at some of the highlights from Wake Up To Money in 2023. There's the story of the takeover of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft including an interview with the Microsoft President Brad Smith which made headlines around the world. Former England and Manchester United footballer Gary Neville explained why he's investing in property and the UK boss of Google Debbie Weinstein told us how AI is changing the world.

He's most famous for his football career and more recently, his punditry, but Gary Neville is also hugely successful in the worlds of business and property developing.

In this interview, he tells Sean Farrington about his plans for a new £400 million project in the centre of Manchester.

They discuss how rising interest rates are affecting the building trade, why Gary feels the hospitality industry is paying the best wages it can afford to, and Gary’s new role on Dragons’ Den.

This is an extended version of an interview first broadcast on Wake Up To Money on July 6th, 2023.

The BBC's North America Technology Correspondent James Clayton talks exclusively to Elon Musk about Twitter. They discuss why he bought the social media site, controversy around tackling disinformation and the future for blue ticks.

Sir Ian Livingstone talks to Rahul Tandon about founding Games Workshop and the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons. He reveals his collection of hundreds of board games as well as discussing the development of Tomb Raider.

Timothy Armoo talks to Sean Farrington about his decision to sell the business he founded in a multi-million pound deal. He discusses why he decided to sell, what he's learnt and his plans for what he's going to do next.

Rahul Tandon looks at the money behind The Ashes. He discusses how important sponsorship is in cricket, how to grow the fanbase and get more people involved in the game. Rahul also speaks to Manoj Badale, one of the owners of the IPL team the Rajasthan Royal.

One of the biggest names in the world in private equity, Guy Hands, talks candidly about what he calls 'going from hero to zero'. Speaking with Felicity Hannah he shares his experience of growing his business Terra Firma Capital Partners which became one of the largest investment companies in the world. He discusses the controversy around his ownership of record label EMI and losing control of the care home company Four Seasons. He also talks about being dyslexic and how it's affected his life as well as the challenge of making business greener.

John Lyttle, chief executive of Boohoo, tells Sean Farrington about the company's massive growth and future expansion plans. He says the company doesn't make throwaway fashion and is taking measures to tackle climate change. He also discusses the recent controversy around allegations of mistreatment of staff at some of its suppliers in Leicester.

Felicity Hannah looks at how the Olympic games are financed and the competitors are funded.

She's joined by Sir Keith Mills, former Deputy Chair of London 2012 organising committee; Nigel Walker who's National Director of the English Institute of Sport; Marie Oldham, Executive chair of the advertising agency VCCP Media and Danny Downs of online sports retailer Fanatics.

Joe Foster, founder of Reebok talks with Sean Farrington and Reggie Nelson about creating one of the world's biggest brands. From the origins of a family business to breaking America and making trainers a must-have fashion item.

Roei Samuel talks to Sean Farrington about setting up e-sports business Real Sport which he sold in a multi-million pound deal and about how having ADHD affected his education and career choices.

Tom and Phil Beahon set up their sportswear brand Castore in Liverpool after their professional sporting careers came to an end. They chat with Sean about growing the brand, how their parents re-mortgaged their house to give them the money to get it off the ground and working with Sir Andy Murray and football clubs Rangers and Wolves.

CC Clarke talks to Sean Farrington talks about growing her fanbase to more than two million followers and setting up her make-up business. She discusses how she's carried on with her singing career and dealing with social media trolls.

After the collapse of plans for a European Super League, Sean Farrington discusses the future of football with current and former club bosses, fans and sport business experts.

Sean Farrington chats with Grace Beverley about how she built up a million followers on Instagram before going on to launch her own fitness brand Shreddy and sustainable style brand TALA. Photo courtesy: Andy Cuthbert

Sean Farrington chats with Chester Mojay-Sinclare who first got his business off the ground by launching a potato into space. Eleven years later, he has raised over £100 million for charities through his company Enthuse.

How Jenna Brown turned her passion for start-ups into a multi-million backed business.

Sean Farrington chats with Alex Lovén, who started selling cricket bats when he was 13 to his mates at school, graduated to selling the bats on eBay and made £1m in sales by 22 and now, aged 33, his sports equipment business makes £50m in turnover.

Kofi McCalla, a menswear fashion YouTuber, on how he hit over 100 million views. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast please visit the BBC Action Line website https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/

Sean Farrington interviews Liberty Foreman, who started up a cancer screening tech company DynamX Medical by spinning it out from her PhD. Since then she’s raised millions in investment all before the company has even turned a profit. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast please visit the BBC Action Line website https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/

Sean Farrington interviews Maciek Kacprzyk and Karina Sudenyte, the founders of Flawsome!, a food waste company that saves wonky fruit from landfill and makes them into cold pressed juice and sparkling fruit juice waters.

The story of how 26-year-old Timothy Armoo built a million-pound marketing business.

Sean Farrington chats with Adnan Ebrahim who sold his first website before he was 18. He then founded Car Throttle, which quickly reached millions of followers around the world. He sold it in his mid-20's and has since embarked on a new venture

Sean Farrington looks at the money behind the Rugby World Cup in Japan including how can smaller countries break into the top tier of the game.

It's a year until the Tokyo Olympics will be getting underway. The British Olympics Association has told us it could be one of the most expensive yet.

A number of sports will be making their debut at the games - one of them is competitive climbing. But who sponsors a brand new sport, and how do they get funding?

Sean and Mickey look at how sport is being reported off the pitch, from long reads to podcasts to social media.

The industry is worth over $1bn globally. Is it time to take gaming as a competitive activity a bit more seriously?

Danni Hewson talks with Sanjeev Gupta, boss of one of the world's largest steel producers Liberty Steel.

Chief Executive of the Co-Operative Group, Steve Murrells talks with Danni Hewson about supermarkets; funerals and schools and how it's recovered from a difficult period.

Lovehoney co-founders Neal Slateford and Richard Longhurst talk about developing their online sex toy company, meeting the Queen and adapting their business for international markets.

Wake Up To Money's Sean Farrington meets Paul Pomroy, the Chief Executive of McDonald's for the UK and Ireland to discuss the High Street crisis; plastic straws; Brexit; zero hours contracts and waste.

Linda Jackson, Chief Executive of Citroen talks about women in the car industry, electric cars and whether the 2CV could ever make a comeback.

Working with David Bowie on one of pop’s best kept secrets and how he won George Michael back after the star’s bitter split from Sony.

Humphrey Cobbold, boss of Pure Gym talks to Sean Farrington about how the chain has gone from zero to a million members in less than a decade.

Plus how the treadmill is falling out of fashion as workouts change with the times.

The boss of the company which owns some of the UK’s biggest shopping centres tells Wake Up To Money’s Mickey Clarke that retail is alive and kicking.

Marston's Chief Executive Ralph Findlay, Quality not quantity: How drinkers’ tastes have changed and why so many restaurants are struggling at the moment.

Terrorism, cyber crime, luxury cars and diamonds. Who says insurance is boring? Bronek Masojada boss of Hiscox talks insurance with Wake Up To Money’s Louise Cooper.

Why banks need more branches and "it was a miserable place to be”: Life at RBS during the bailout.

Domino's Pizza CEO David Wild on executive pay, The Simpsons and chanting.

David Duffy, Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks boss, talks Open Banking, drones and the rise of the robots.