Wake Up to Money

Will Bain looks at why the owners of Royal Mail rejected a takeover bid. Plus, inflation is coming down but is that enough to see interest rate cuts?

Economic inactivity is on the rise and Sean Farrington looks at why this trend is growing. Plus it's just 100 days until the Paris Olympics, so how are businesses in Paris feeling?

Sean Farrington finds out why there has been a sharp increase of companies leaving London’s junior market in the past year. Plus we take a closer look at the alcohol-free market.

Sean finds out why hotel insolvencies are on the rise. Plus, we hear from an analyst about what we can expect between Israel and Iran.

News and insight from the business world. Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.

Will Bain finds out why Rishi Sunak has apologised for wearing Adidas Samba trainers. Plus, we hear why electric vehicle sales are tanking in Europe.

Sean Farrington finds out if Britain's cost-of-living crisis is getting better. Plus, we look at plans to cap ticket resale prices.

Sean looks at the business behind Eid al-fitr, as Ramadan comes to an end. Plus, can the next chair of John Lewis turn the partnership's fortunes around?

Sean Farrington finds out more as nail technicians unite to increase their prices. Plus, rail drivers at 16 rail companies start a fresh wave of strikes.

Will Bain looks at the return of blue ticks to thousands of users on X. Plus, the government sets out first steps to crack down on "rogue" energy brokers.

As the fate of 1,300 jobs at Alstom's rail factory in Derby hangs in the balance, Will Bain speak to one of the employees with his job on the line.

The government reveals the charges that companies will have to pay on foods imported from Europe after Brexit - what impact could this have on food importers?

And as another Hollywood star comments on the gender pay gap in the film industry, we hear your stories of pay disparity in your workplace.

As a question mark hangs over 1,300 jobs at the UK's biggest rail assembly factory, owned by Alstom - Sean Farrington asks what's happening at the company.

Divisions at Disney will come to a head later as investors battle over the future of the company's strategy, so who could win and what difference would it make?

Plus, as a major bar chain suspends its shares, what could be hitting the UK's nightlife?

As the government's expansion of free childcare hours begins with an extension to two-year-olds, Sean Farrington speaks to the boss of one of the UK's biggest nursery chains about the impact it could have.

Inflation in shop prices has eased to its lowest level since December 2021, according to new data - is this a reason for optimism?

And now that the Easter Bank Holiday weekend is over, we hear from hospitality businesses on how trade has been.

News and insight from the business world. Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.

News and insight from the business world. Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.

It's been 30 years since the first Wake Up to Money travelled across the airwaves; Will Bain looks at what was being talked about in the business world back in March 1994.

A new semiconductor factory will give hundreds of new jobs in the North East of England - are the chips no longer down for the UK's industry?

And the competition regulator has told three of the UK's most recognisable brands that it has to change its messaging around sustainability in a greenwashing push.

News and insight from the business world. Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.

Sean Farrington on the clear-out at the top of aviation giant Boeing, a huge restructure at Nissan to make it fit for the EV era, advertising seeping into BBC content on Spotify and why your wax museum tickets might be going up

We hear from sportswear firm Castore about acquiring the rights to market the Umbro brand in the UK. And advertised salaries have hit a new high, what does it mean for jobseekers?

Will Bain finds out the latest as tech giant Apple is being sued by the Department of Justice.

And what next for Old Trafford?

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.