Podcast Summary: Economist Podcasts - "Years Ending: Notable Lives Lost in 2025"

Date: December 31, 2025
Host: Rosie Blore
Guests/Contributors: Anne Roe (Obituaries Editor), Adam Roberts (Digital Editor), John Fasman (Senior Culture Correspondent)

Overview

This special year-end episode of The Intelligence from The Economist pays tribute to influential figures who passed away in 2025. Through vivid storytelling, the show honors world leaders, cultural innovators, and unsung heroes whose lives left indelible marks on politics, science, music, film, and their communities. The tone is thoughtful, respectful, and rich with personality, showcasing both the accomplishments and humanity of each person remembered.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pope Francis: The Merciful Pontiff

Segment: 01:23–03:33

• Remembered by Anne Roe as a warm, gregarious, and reform-minded Pope.
• He sought to transform the Catholic Church from a remote institution to a "place of mercy for everybody."
• Pope Francis’ energy was sometimes seen as an effort to make amends for the controversial period as bishop of Buenos Aires during Argentina's Dirty War. However, Anne Roe concludes, “He wanted the church to be a merciful church, and he lived every day of his life in that ambition.” (Anne Roe, 02:14)
• Notable for surprise visits to prisons and hospitals, eschewing lavish papal traditions.

2. Dick Cheney: An Unprecedented Vice Presidency

Segment: 03:33–04:23

• Described as the “most powerful, the most divisive and most consequential veep of the modern age.”
• Cheney defied party orthodoxy, notably by criticizing Donald Trump and supporting same-sex marriage.
• Quote: “Freedom means freedom for everyone. … People ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish.” (Adam Roberts as Cheney, 04:05–04:10)

3. Charlie Kirk: Fiery Conservative Voice Gone Too Soon

Segment: 04:23–06:18

• Kirk, who led a combative brand of right-wing activism, was murdered in public, highlighting current American political violence.
• Began activism at 18, energized young hard-right voters, and was an aggressive opponent of “woke” culture and cancel culture.
• Adam Roberts notes: "The truth is that violence is much more tolerated in the US than it would ever be in Western Europe. … Charlie Kirk was killed apparently at a distance of hundreds of meters." (Adam Roberts, 05:37)
• His assassination serves as a sobering indictment of divisions and gun violence in America.

4. Jane Goodall: Humanity’s Advocate for Nature

Segment: 06:18–06:52

• Celebrated for redefining humanity’s relationship with animals, especially chimpanzees.
• Referenced past interview where she greeted host Jason Palmer “as a fellow primate” and often delighted audiences with her playful chimpanzee call.

5. Remembering the Stars: Icons of Cinema and Culture

Segment: 06:52–08:14

• Tribute to Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, Terence Stamp, Claudia Cardinale, and Brigitte Bardot, who left unforgettable marks on film and activism.
• Special mention for Rob Reiner’s "sparkling humor" and David Lynch’s creation of an “eponymous adjective”: Lynchian.
• Quote: “To try to do something to an audience is the wrong way around for me. It's the ideas that you fall in love with that dictate what follows. And they're always talking to you. It's a fantastic process and you're inside of it in love.” (David Lynch, 07:55–08:14)

6. Brian Wilson: Pop Genius with a Darker Edge

Segment: 08:14–09:10

• Described as the “creative mind behind the Beach Boys,” yet plagued by mental health struggles.
• John Fasman observes: “His music came from a darker place. … He pushed the boundaries of pop music in a way nobody had before and really nobody has since.” (Adam Roberts via John Fasman, 08:28)

7. Alice Tan Ridley: From Underground to Stardom

Segment: 10:38–17:39

• New York subway busker-turned-superstar, who “wanted to turn each frown into a smile.”
• Anne Roe paints a vibrant portrait: Ridley sang to commuters for three decades, carrying her gear and performing uplifting sets, making as much as $300 a day.
• After a brush with fame on America’s Got Talent, she eventually returned to busking, embracing the intimacy and community of subway performance.
• Quote: “She was giving New York something rather unexpected and always comforting and stirring, a real peal of joy.” (Anne Roe, 17:31)

8. Martin Graham: Building Art in the Cotswolds

Segment: 18:42–25:40

• Visionary behind the Longborough Festival Opera, Graham transformed a chicken shed and cow barn into a world-class opera house, painted bright pink and topped with statues.
• A builder by trade, he never sought profit; for him, the creation itself was a “religious enterprise.”
• Quote: “Some people in his position had got rich and had then collected Rolls Royces and Ferraris. His toy was an opera house.” (Anne Roe, 19:40)
• Pursued the goal of staging Wagner’s Ring cycle—against all odds—driven by the belief that “if you wanted something badly enough, then it could come to be.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Anne Roe, on Pope Francis (02:14):
  “He wanted the church to be a merciful church, and he lived every day of his life in that ambition.”

• Adam Roberts (as Dick Cheney, 04:05):
  “Freedom means freedom for everyone. … People ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish.”

• Adam Roberts, on Charlie Kirk (05:37):
  “The truth is that violence is much more tolerated in the US than it would ever be in Western Europe. … Charlie Kirk was killed apparently at a distance of hundreds of meters.”

• David Lynch (07:55):
  “To try to do something to an audience is the wrong way around for me. It's the ideas that you fall in love with that dictate what follows. And they're always talking to you. It's a fantastic process and you're inside of it in love.”

• Anne Roe, on Alice Tan Ridley (17:31):
  “She was giving New York something rather unexpected and always comforting and stirring, a real peal of joy.”

• Anne Roe, on Martin Graham (19:40):
  “Some people in his position had got rich and had then collected Rolls Royces and Ferraris. His toy was an opera house.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Pope Francis: 01:23–03:33
• Dick Cheney: 03:33–04:23
• Charlie Kirk: 04:23–06:18
• Jane Goodall: 06:18–06:52
• Cinema/Culture Figures: 06:52–08:14
• Brian Wilson: 08:14–09:10
• Alice Tan Ridley: 10:38–17:39
• Martin Graham: 18:42–25:40

Conclusion

This episode offers a moving, multi-dimensional remembrance of figures who shaped the world in 2025. Through storytelling and personal recollections, The Economist brings to life not just legacies and achievements, but the deeply human motivations, dreams, and connections behind each remarkable journey.