The Best Bits of Newscast's Podcast-a-Thon (Part One)

Summary

Newscast: The Best Bits of Newscast's Podcast-a-Thon (Part One)

BBC News | December 20, 2025

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Overview

This special episode of Newscast highlights memorable segments from host Adam Fleming’s ambitious 25-hour Podcast-a-Thon, held to raise funds for Children in Need. The episode intertwines conversations with top journalists, podcasters, political satirists, former diplomats, and even a masterclass on reading the Shipping Forecast. Themes range from ghosts and cultural storytelling to the peculiarities of political language, behind-the-scenes diplomacy, and iconic broadcasting moments.

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Key Discussions & Insights

1. Ghosts, Memory, and Modern Hauntings

Guests: Danny Robbins (Uncanny), Tristan Redman (The Global Story/former paranormal podcaster)

• Why Are Most Ghosts Victorian? (01:59 – 04:23)

  • Adam asks why ghosts typically appear as Victorians rather than, say, iPhone-toting millennials.
  • Danny Robbins reflects that Victorian ghosts are common partly because so many live in Victorian houses, drawing a parallel: “What kind of ghosts did the Victorians see? Tudor ghosts, apparently.” (02:49)
  • Danny shares the story of a 'hoodie ghost' and a remarkable sighting of a Stone Age “caveman running across a football field”:
    “At the moment that she looked down at the caveman, he looked at her and their eyes connected and they both looked equally surprised.” (03:35)

• The Changing Conversation on Ghosts (05:20 – 06:28)

  • Danny on the legitimization of discussing ghost experiences:
    “For a long time they were quite pantomime entertainment... But actually we're now talking about them in a more grown up way.” (06:01)

• Why Aren’t Ghosts Naked? (06:28 – 08:15)

  • Addressing the 'ghost clothing paradox,' Danny discusses theories ranging from emotional energy to the ‘stone tape’ theory of psychic recordings.
  • “Maybe the main reason is that naked ghosts would just be a truly terrifying thing.” (08:08)

• Uncanny’s Christmas Special (08:15 – 08:58)

  • Danny announces: “There will be two Christmas specials, and we will very excitingly have Diane Morgan on one of them.” (08:23)

2. The Power and Peculiarities of Political Language

Guest: Armando Iannucci (Strong Message), with contributions from Tim Shipman

• Decoding Politicians' Euphemisms (09:55 – 11:08)

  • Discussion of phrases like “the manifesto currently stands” and “I am minded” – terms citizens would never use in real life.
  • Armando introduces “dysphemism” as the opposite of euphemism:
    “Dysphemism is the new trend of saying ‘Britain is broken’. This is a... you know, crime is on the increase. It’s that we want to...Oppositions in opposing parties would, that the society we're close to societal collapse.” (10:35)

• Media Briefings and ‘Cluster Briefs’ (11:10 – 12:17)

  • The phenomenon of ministers and aides leaking or briefing against each other, sometimes to chaotic effect.
  • Adam, explaining a term born from this mess:
    “A cluster brief is what, a briefing that goes out of control or a load of briefings together?” (11:39)

• The Evolution of Cabinet Secrecy (12:33 – 13:35)

  • Tim reminisces about the era of secrecy (Official Secrets Act) compared to today’s media-savvy government:
    “Now it's a case of people knowing that as soon as the meeting's over, X, Y and Z will go out and tell their press or their people or whatever.” (13:05)
  • Famous anecdote: leak-tracing by passing eight people subtly different versions, only for all eight stories to leak (14:43).

3. Behind the Scenes: Diplomacy, The Traitors, and Brexit

Guest: Alexander Dragonetti (former diplomat and Traitors contestant)

• Interviewing the Prime Minister (15:28 – 16:34)

  • Alexander describes his approach:
    “I try to give people a framework to make up their own minds...If we can give people a framework, let them make up their own minds…what [the PM] thinks matters.” (15:47)
  • Recent opportunity to question Keir Starmer on issues like Gaza, Ukraine, and his dynamic with Trump (16:34–16:52).

• Civil Servants Amid Political Battles (17:15 – 18:24)

  • Alexander on being apolitical in the Brexit department:
    “Generally, the game is to keep out of that as much as humanly possible. There is a civil service charter. We are independent.” (17:37)
  • Foreign affairs is “surprisingly apolitical…compared to domestics.”

• Brexit Negotiations Anecdotes (18:24 – 21:21)

  • Alexander held up a Eurostar train for four minutes while traveling with David Davis, referencing the infamous “no papers” incident.
  • Humorous “have your cake and eat it” anecdote with cakes for David Davis (19:27–20:11).
  • Reflects on Brexit era:
    “It was a really febrile time in British politics...I think that's still playing out...it's enormously important we get the best deal for the UK.” (20:28–21:21)

4. Broadcasting Tradition: The Shipping Forecast Masterclass

Guest: Lisa Costello (BBC Radio 4 newsreader, Shipping Forecast regular)

• How to Read the Shipping Forecast (21:50 – 25:24)

  • Lisa’s advice:
    “Just take it nice and steady. It's a marathon, not a sprint.” (21:50)
  • Adam is coached through reading his ‘marked’ copy, learning the structure and where to pause (23:24–25:24).
  • Explanation of its unique structure: area forecasts, general synopsis, coastal reports, and British Isles coverage.

• Historical Origins and Cultural Significance (26:15 – 27:50)

  • The tradition stems from a 19th-century disaster and the work of Vice Admiral Fitzroy, whose name is immortalized in the forecast.
  • Lisa shares:
    “This is the hundredth year—happy anniversary—of the shipping forecast in its modern format.” (27:38)
  • The Shipping Forecast’s unique status as a British radio icon; similar but distinct Irish broadcast exists.

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Notable Quotes

• Danny Robbins (on changing perceptions of ghosts):
  “We're now talking about them in a more grown up way... The fact that it's legitimized being able to talk about it and make sense of it, I think, you know, that's, you know, if I've achieved anything, I'm very proud of that.” (06:01)

• Armando Iannucci (on political language):
  “There are certain key phrases that politicians use... ‘the manifesto currently stands’... It’s almost like I want to put truth in a kind of holding pattern for the moment.” (10:14)

• Alexander Dragonetti (on diplomacy):
  “Politics is almost the opposite of being a government official. But of course, actually, in practice, it infects sort of everything you do.” (17:37)

• Lisa Costello (on the Shipping Forecast):
  “Just take it nice and steady. It's a marathon, not a sprint.” (21:50)
  “This is the hundredth year—happy anniversary—of the shipping forecast in its modern format.” (27:38)

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Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• Victorian vs Caveman Ghosts: (03:35)
• 'Naked Ghosts' Paradox: (06:58)
• Two Christmas Uncanny specials featuring Diane Morgan: (08:23)
• “Cluster brief” in political comms: (11:39)
• Eurostar held up for Brexit negotiations: (19:03)
• Shipping Forecast coaching: (22:42–25:24)
• Shipping Forecast’s centenary and historical roots: (27:38)

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Episode Flow & Tone

• The podcast is conversational, lively, and often humorous, maintaining the wit and accessibility BBC Newscast is known for.
• Guests often joke with each other and the hosts, sharing inside stories and giving the listener rare behind-the-scenes glimpses.
• The tone shifts seamlessly between spooky, serious, satirical, and sincerely informative, making for an engaging listen throughout.

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By gathering the best bits from a 25-hour live marathon, this episode delivers an eclectic and insightful blend of politics, pop culture, journalism, and British broadcasting tradition, perfect for both Newscast regulars and new listeners alike.

Transcript

[Adam Fleming]

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[Adam Fleming]

Hello, you asked for it and now we are delivering. Back in November, I recorded a 25 hour long live podcast, a thon in aid of children in need. And in case you weren't able to join all 25 hours of it, we thought that as an early Christmas present I could play you some of the best bits from the special guests who dropped in over the course of 25 hours to keep me company during our podcast a thon. And in the next episode, I'll bring you all the best bits from the newscast friends and family who dropped by. Newscast, newscast from the BBC Fat boy.

[Tim Shipman]

Sliver me in the classroom doing our violin lessons.

[Tristan Redman]

I was the tattletale in the classroom.

[Tim Shipman]

Can I have an apology please?

[Danny Robbins]

I trust almost nobody that Daddy has to sometimes use strong language.

[Lisa Costello]

Next time in Moscow I feel delulu with no Salulu.

[Tristan Redman]

Take me down to Downing Street.

[Adam Fleming]

Let's go have a tour.

[Tristan Redman]

Blimey.

[Adam Fleming]

First of all, you're going to hear the spooky conversation we had at Midnight Night where Danny Robbins from the Uncanny Podcast was chatting to me and my podcasting cousin Tristan Redman from the Global Story. Now Tristan, in a previous life, was also a paranormal podcaster. So I got those two brainstorming about why is it ghosts always seem to be from the Victorian era and not any others? Danny, here's a bit of a thought experiment and it's about how ghosts reflect the times when are we gonna get. Because when we're so used to the cliched of, like, the Victorian child or the person in old clothes, understandably. When are we gonna start seeing ghosts that have, like, iPhones and tablets?

[Danny Robbins]

This is a good question. A very good question. And, you know, we see a lot of Victorian ghosts. That. That's potentially because we live in Victorian houses, and we just assume that the, you know, if there are ghosts there, they will be Victorians. I mean, what kind of ghosts did the Victorians see? Tudor ghosts, apparently. And apparently they were reporting seeing a lot of Tudor ghosts. I was told a story about a hoodie ghost the other day when we were doing a live show. Someone said they'd seen a ghost in a hoodie tracksuit top. I mean, we do get quite a few stories coming in, actually, about quite modern ghosts and lots of really poignant ones, actually, just about very ordinary people in very ordinary situations where they just feel like the person who lived in their house before them won't go away. You know, wants to linger there, stay on. So I think, you know, obviously, the Victorian ghosts are the ones that get the headlines. There's nothing like a creepy Victorian child. You know, it's a sort of classic ghost story staple. But I do see quite a spectrum. And I say. When I say spectrum, I actually write back to cavemen ghosts as well. The other night, we were in a theater in Manchester, and someone told me a story about looking out of their bedroom window at a football field outside their house, and they saw a caveman running across that field chasing a deer, throwing a spear at a deer. And at the moment that she looked down at the caveman, he looked at her and their eyes connected and they both looked equally surprised. And it's a remarkable story. And you think, you know, is that a hallucination? Is that a ghost? Is that some sort of time slip where literally the past and the present are connecting? You know, what is that? But certainly a truly bizarre moment that she'd never got over.

[Adam Fleming]

And, Tristan, I mean, after the huge success of Ghost Story, I mean, you reverted back to classic journalism. You're on the Global Story now doing Sudan and Trump and whatever is happening in the world that fits your remit. Why revert that way rather than going more Danny's way? That's not that this is a job interview, because it turns out there's loads of other stories like that to tell. Well, I mean, come to the dark side, Tristan.

[Tristan Redman]

Join me.

[Adam Fleming]

Your words, not mine.

[Alexander Dragonetti]

That's a very good question. I mean, I. I've I've worked for 20 years in international journalism and I had never expected to branch off and go and make this thing about ghosts. And I guess, you know, my heart is also in traveling around the world and covering international news stories. So it's hard to get away, to get away from that. But, you know, I'd love to do something else in that, in that realm again.

[Tristan Redman]

I have a quick question also.

[Adam Fleming]

Danny's corner the market.

[Alexander Dragonetti]

Yeah, he has.

[Adam Fleming]

What's the point?

[Danny Robbins]

You know, what I do feel like sort of tangibly like, you know, coming out and doing uncanny things like this sort of changed the way that collectively we talk about ghosts. And I love seeing all the different kind of things, things now around about ghosts. You know, the plays about ghosts in the West End or, you know, like there's Paranormal Activity, the play is just opening. There was the Enfield Haunting last year. There's, you know, many, many more novels about ghosts coming out, many different programs. And I think just the fact, I think, you know, Uncanny and Battersea Poltergeist and things like that have been a part of it. But I think collectively as a society recently we've moved towards a situation where we're having a more intelligent conversation about ghosts. And I think for a long time they were quite pantomime entertainment. You know, there was a period where it was dominated by night vision and screaming and mediums channeling ghosts on demand. But actually we're now talking about them in a more grown up way. And I think there were so many people out there having experiences and sitting on them, not knowing how to articulate them because they felt they'd feel stupid. You know, they felt people would laugh or even question their mental health. And the fact that it's legitimized being able to talk about it and make sense of it, I think, you know, that's, you know, if I've achieved anything, I'm very proud of that, you know, it's nice.

[Alexander Dragonetti]

Well, Danny, can I ask you what may be potentially an unintelligent question about ghosts, specifically about ghost clothing? Because this one was asked of me a few times and I didn't really know what to make of it. And I'm sure you've thought about it, which is. Okay, so Adam was asking you about clothing that ghosts wear. And a few people said to me, well, clothes don't reincarnate or clothes don't have a spiritual life. So surely ghosts should be naked because their clothes don't go with them when they die. So what's your response to that?

[Danny Robbins]

No It's a very good question. I asked this question in my play, actually. There's a quiz about ghosts as part of my play with the characters quizzing each other. And this is one question. Why aren't ghosts naked? And. Yeah, I mean, it's a really interesting one, isn't it? I mean, I think there are so many different versions of what ghosts could be. You know, are they some sort of fragment of a memory? Are they some sort of, you know, replaying, almost like a videotape? There's this theory, stone tape theory, you know, of buildings recording things. You know, it's a kind of deep. You know, skeptics will dismiss it as pseudoscience, but it's a sort of very romantic idea that sort of feels, you know, like it captures many a haunting, you know, this idea of things seemingly replaying. There's a famous case about Roman soldiers marching through a cellar in York, only seen from the knee up. And then we later learned that there was a Roman road about sort of the distance between your knee and your foot below that, that cellar floor. And, you know, it does feel like they're walking on an ancient road. But I don't know. I mean, you know, are they emotions come to life? Are they things that we process? You know, is it paranormal energy that somehow we put our spin on and we interpret in certain ways? I don't know. I mean, we could talk into the very, very early hours on this, but. Yeah, I don't know, you know, but I mean, maybe the main reason is that naked ghosts would just be a truly terrifying thing.

[Adam Fleming]

No spoiling the rollout. But is there an uncanny Christmas special? Because we love a Christmas ghost, don't we?

[Danny Robbins]

There will be. We've got into a kind of nice little swing now of summer specials and Christmas specials. Yeah, no, definitely. The series runs up to 30 December, so there will be two Christmas specials, and we will very excitingly have Diane Morgan on one of them. Our special guest who's coming on and telling some of her ghost stories on. On one of our Christmas specials.

[Adam Fleming]

Oh, she's in your world, Diane Morgan.

[Danny Robbins]

Well, she's had a few experiences. Really? Yeah. So. So she's come on and told a few of her experiences and also explored a few new cases of us as well. So that. That is one of our Christmas specials. Yeah.

[Adam Fleming]

Oh, wow. I'll definitely be listening to. Because I love her. Although I always sometimes think, am I expecting Philomena Cunk? And actually, that's very unfair to her.

[Danny Robbins]

I know it's Very funny, very clever.

[Adam Fleming]

And very funny and not dumb at all. On the middle of the afternoon on the first day, we were joined by a broadcasting comedy, satirical legend. It was Armando Iannucci, who is the host of Strong Message here. And so me and Mariana had a chat with him about his specialist subject, which is what he covers on the podcast, which is the use and misuse of political language and how phrases are born. For example, a word to describe the fact that the budget had been incredibly heavily briefed in all sorts of different directions, some of which turned out to not be true. Are there particular phrases that have just really lodged in your mind that you've discussed that you're like, oh, yeah, that was really. I'm glad we did that one. That was.

[Tim Shipman]

Well, there are certain key phrases that politicians use. Like recently when they. Where there was discussion about whether or not the. The. The labor manifesto was going to be changed, whether it was going to. There was a spate of ministers going on the airwaves and talking about the. The current. That the manifesto currently stands.

[Adam Fleming]

Yes.

[Tim Shipman]

Which is a sort of. Not the sort of third person a normal person would say, as.

[Lisa Costello]

Imagine going down the pub.

[Tim Shipman]

Are you going to currently stand as it currently stands? Yes. I, you know, it's. It's almost like I want to put truth in a kind of holding pattern for the moment. So use this phrase. And. And it's. Pick phrases that no one else in. In real life would use. Like. Like I am minded.

[Danny Robbins]

That's a student.

[Tim Shipman]

He picked up on that. I am minded to do something about it. No one actually says that in real life. And, and I came across one, a word I hadn't heard before, which is dysphemism, which is the opposite of euphemism. So euphemism is all about saying how wonderful everything's going to be. Dysphemism is the new trend of saying Britain is broken. This is a, you know, crime is on the increase. You know, it's, it's that we want to. Obviously governments wouldn't do that, but oppositions in opposing parties would, that the society we're close to societal collapse, to quote Nigel Farage. So that's the dysphorism.

[Alexander Dragonetti]

Yeah.

[Adam Fleming]

It's quite hard to say, though.

[Tim Shipman]

Yes.

[Adam Fleming]

Dysphemism.

[Tim Shipman]

And I. I just recorded one where. Just picking up at all there who briefed about who in number 10 and wasn't the right place, was it? And now the theory is was it where Streeting actually briefing against himself a traitor style Trump. So they would look like he's come out of it, really. And everyone briefing against each other. So I know what to deem it. A cluster brief. I think that's her decision.

[Adam Fleming]

A reference to another word that's with cluster. And so a cluster brief is what, a briefing that goes out of control or a load of briefings together.

[Tim Shipman]

Lots of people brief against each other and the net result is. It's terrible for everyone.

[Adam Fleming]

Yeah, it's interesting.

[Tristan Redman]

Frenzy.

[Danny Robbins]

Yes.

[Adam Fleming]

Tom Baldwin was sat on that seat a little bit earlier on, you know who used to be Times journalist, used to be chief spinner Fred Miliband, that wrote Keir Starmo's biography. And he was saying, oh, all these briefers need to just stop. They've been doing it since day one of Keir Starmer becoming Prime Minister, to which the obvious follow on question is like, well, why didn't Keir Starmer try and stop it on day two or indeed day 362.

[Tim Shipman]

Yes, yes.

[Adam Fleming]

Is that. Do you think that was a fair question?

[Tim Shipman]

That is, yes. And is it because it's just now accepted as part of like the day to day today. I mean, this is the other thing. You won't remember this.

[Adam Fleming]

I'm much older than I am older than I look and I'll certainly look much older tomorrow morning at 9am I.

[Tim Shipman]

I grew up in a time when I think politicians had to sign some act and nothing. You know, you were the Official Secrets act, you and. And everything that happened in Cabinet was confidential. Even when you retired or left politics, you weren't allowed to talk. Saw that they had the security of knowing that what state. What was said in Cabinet stayed in Cabinet. But now it's a case of people knowing that as soon as the meeting's over, X, Y and Z will go out and tell their press or their people or. Or whatever.

[Adam Fleming]

Well, what's interesting though about. I've noticed this is. This is quite a niche observation.

[Danny Robbins]

Yeah.

[Adam Fleming]

But after they have the Cabinet meetings now, you get this readout from number 10, which is an email saying, here's what they discussed. And usually it's like they discussed the NHS and House building. Now Downing street have started making that sound a lot more kind of. Of propagandistic, some people might say. Right. And they put more detail in and more kind of messages. So they're now even just so this. Because. Because you've got to get your message out everywhere by any means possible. Even that very boring kind of like ritual thing has become.

[Tim Shipman]

Yeah.

[Adam Fleming]

Political communication.

[Tim Shipman]

Tim Shipman, a journalist who has, you Know, done a massive books about the last 10 years. Politics are very, very readable, though. I mean, it's was telling me how at one, when Boris Johnson was Prime Minister, Andrea Ledsome was a. Had got her team to brief that in the Cabinet meeting she was in, she was going to say X, Y and Z and then realized towards the end of the meeting that she hadn't said it. So I had to very quickly say it as she was leaving so that the brief and the leak that was come out was correct. And I do remember someone telling us when we were doing research into Veep and so on, somebody tell us when Bill Clinton was President, there's a lot of licking going on in the West Wing. And somebody told them, this is how you spot who's leaking. You know, it's one of these eight people. Speak to each one of them. Give them the same bit of. This is very traitorous. Give them each the same bit of information, but just change one of the numbers. So for person one, say one. For person two, say two. But. And then when the information is leaked, it will contain the number of the person who's leaked it. All eight came out and were leaked.

[Adam Fleming]

All right, everyone. So it's like Murder on the Orange.

[Lisa Costello]

Who is it not?

[Tim Shipman]

Yes.

[Adam Fleming]

Then to mark the success of the latest series of the Traitors, we were joined by the breakout star of the previous series, Alexander Dragonetti. Now, you might remember he was always billed as a former diplomat, but it wasn't clear exactly what he'd been working on. Well, it turns out he was in the Brexit department in the Theresa May Brexit era. So an amazing opportunity for him and me to walk down memory lane while also talking about the Traitors. Alexander, you interviewed Keir Starmer the other day.

[Tristan Redman]

Yeah.

[Adam Fleming]

How did that come about?

[Tristan Redman]

Yeah, I was at Chequers, where Keir Starmer and Trump obviously were. It's. I do a series of social media videos explaining foreign affairs, but without an angle. I'm trying. If you.

[Adam Fleming]

As a former diplomat.

[Tristan Redman]

As a former diplomat, you're almost what you'd expect.

[Adam Fleming]

Completely impartial civil service.

[Tristan Redman]

Weird. Where did you get that from? Yeah, and what I'm sort of keen to do is give people a framework to make up their own minds about these things. I think there's quite a lot of sort of. Quite angry. Be quite sort of loud voices and actually if we can give people a framework, let them make up their own minds. And the sort of opportunity came up a couple of times to interview the Prime Minister and ask him about questions which people were already asking me on the social media videos I do about the Middle east or about Sudan or, you know, Ukraine or whatever. And so the opportunity to ask him the questions people were asking me, but directly I thought was one I couldn't really turn down because ultimately he's the person who makes the decisions. I'm not party political, but, you know, what he thinks matters.

[Adam Fleming]

Yeah. And what. What things were you tackling with him? All of those. All of those issues.

[Tristan Redman]

Yeah. I mean, it ranges from the humanitarian situation in Gaza. What. What is Britain doing and why are we not doing more to alleviate suffering there, to sort of on Ukraine, where do we stand and what do we think, you know, next, his relationship with Trump. And that was quite an interesting conversation, actually, because I interviewed him literally as he'd exited the conversation with Trump.

[Adam Fleming]

Yeah.

[Tristan Redman]

I had the first conversation with him and I was like, what was the dynamic in the room? You're clearly quite different people, but they do have an element of romance. How does. How does that work? And interestingly, how does that personal relationship shape the wider relationship between our two countries? And it's an important relationship. These kind of questions, I think, are important and interesting. I would say that former diplomat. But. But I do think it's true.

[Adam Fleming]

We've seen briefing briefing wars going on around the Prime Minister this week. When you're a civil servant and a diplomat and they're your bosses, how does that impact on your work? How does it feel when you're in the same building as it all happening?

[Tristan Redman]

Sorry, you mean you're a civil servant.

[Adam Fleming]

And basically your political masters are involved in some kind of, like, briefing political battle?

[Tristan Redman]

Oh, yeah. I mean, generally, the game is to keep out of that as much as humanly possible. There is a civil service charter. We are independent. That politics is almost the opposite of being a government official. But of course, actually, in practice, it infects sort of everything you do because the politician calls the shots and a lot of what they do is political. One sort of caveat to that. Foreign affairs actually is surprisingly cross party. It's surprisingly apolitical, actually, compared to domestics. Part of that is that most people agree what we do overseas, not all. And part of it is that we don't have as many levers on it. We can't put on legislation, we can't put on taxation or money. It's all through negotiation, something for something or influence, just asking nicely. And therefore there's less. Less ability for politicians to shape it.

[Adam Fleming]

What were you doing during that? During the Brexit period. Because, of course, that's when this podcast was born, as Brexitcast in 2017.

[Tristan Redman]

Yeah, it's a good question. I was apolitical, but I was working for Number nine Downing street on Brexit. I was doing. I was leading for a Cabinet minister on EU negotiations. So I was back and forth between Brussels a lot. Again, stress. Apolitical, but it needed doing. And it was a. It was a hell of a time. There was that.

[Adam Fleming]

Weird to think we were probably on the same trains multiple times.

[Tristan Redman]

No doubt.

[Alexander Dragonetti]

As well.

[Adam Fleming]

I was. I probably tried to listen into your conversation. Yeah. Because you're a professional, you wouldn't have had them.

[Tristan Redman]

I don't think I've said this before. I actually held up a Eurostar for four minutes. I was on the train with the minister.

[Adam Fleming]

Which minister was that?

[Tristan Redman]

It was David Davis.

[Lisa Costello]

I love four minutes. Is really, really good detail.

[Danny Robbins]

Yeah.

[Tristan Redman]

It's not very long, is it? But it was long for a Eurostar because I went out the wrong door. I was collecting. I was collecting pa and I was like, we obviously can't put papers behind.

[Lisa Costello]

Ouch.

[Adam Fleming]

That's a reference to the famous meeting where David Davis didn't have any papers. And the other.

[Tristan Redman]

Yes, I know. Actually, that was quite a funny. Sorry, I'm jumping. Quite a funny anecdote because I was sitting with him on a train this long ago and I said, you know, Secretary of State, would you like lunch? Because it needs 4 o' clock or something like that, and. And I went and offered him a set of sandwiches and he said, I'll have this one. I said, well, they were quite small, Secretary of State. So I actually got you two sandwiches and this way. Oh, sorry. I got you two sandwiches and I also got you a couple of pieces of cake because they're very small. And I said, this way. And I put one piece of cake on top of the other cake. And I said, this way, Secretary State, you can both have your cake and also eat it. Yeah, quite reasonably.

[Adam Fleming]

I mean, that was just. I mean, was that quite an old reference, isn't it? Well, I mean, four people.

[Tristan Redman]

Oh, I think I remember that, yeah.

[Adam Fleming]

Again, you've made it to the right place. I mean, was that. Do you look back on that as like a stressful time or like an interesting challenge? Because it was like. There was a lot going on. It was quite chaotic. Future of the country felt was at stake. No, I'm not getting to comment on the pros or cons.

[Alexander Dragonetti]

No, no, no.

[Tristan Redman]

And again, you know, don't Take a position on that. But I. But it was a really febrile time in British politics. You remember the sort of, I don't know, seven or eight votes in Parliament about what we wanted to do. None of them came up with a. With a majority. Government was. Was intense at that period. And the reason that, you know, I was diplomat, the reason I was involved in. In negotiations is to try and shape it to be as good as it could be. And that was always my, sort of. My view that being inside the tent matters. Trying to shape it and being part of the solution matters and trying to make something as good as it can be really matters. And I think that's still playing out. It's not finished yet, is it? I mean, you know, we saw the. The current government do the deal with the EU only a few months ago, and I don't think the process is finished yet, but it's in whatever side of Brexit you're on, it's enormously important. We get the best deal for the uk.

[Adam Fleming]

And as the lights dimmed and the nation was going to bed, but I carried on podcasting, we had a real treat. We had a masterclass in how to read the shipping Forecast from Radio 4 newsreader and shipping forecast regular Lisa Costello, just as she was clocking off at the end of her shift. Do you have any hints for how to talk for a very long time?

[Lisa Costello]

Just take it nice and steady. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

[Adam Fleming]

Yes, and water rather than water. Although Tristan did bring me this cup of coffee, which is doing wonders for my energy levels. So we. I've built this as a shipping forecast masterclass. What time is the actual shipping forecast on?

[Lisa Costello]

So tonight's shipping forecast, which is the main big beast. Yeah, it's the long one that you get the full shipping bulletin, which includes all the shipping areas. And that will happen at 0048.

[Adam Fleming]

Okay. I think the plan is we're going to tune into it and listen to it. But in advance, I want you to give us a little bit of a masterclass, like deconstruct it for us here.

[Lisa Costello]

I have in my hand this evening's shipping forecast. And this one is marked Adam.

[Adam Fleming]

Okay.

[Lisa Costello]

Right, so that's for you.

[Tristan Redman]

Great.

[Lisa Costello]

Shall we. Shall we just hand it over? Okay. So there we go.

[Alexander Dragonetti]

Right.

[Adam Fleming]

Okay, thank you.

[Lisa Costello]

So seven sheets of deep joy, therefore.

[Adam Fleming]

Wow. It's seven pages.

[Lisa Costello]

So that's how we get it. We might have.

[Adam Fleming]

I'm getting my pan out so I.

[Lisa Costello]

Can annotate 10 minutes or so to. To analyze it and look at it and.

[Adam Fleming]

Yeah.

[Lisa Costello]

Decide where the pauses need to go. It is a big beast. It has all the, you know, things that you would expect it to have, but because it's the long forecast, it has the area forecast, the general synopsis, it then has the areas and then you have the coastal reports and the inshore waters. So it has all three parts of the full shipping bulletin. Whereas at some points of the day you would only get the shipping forecast.

[Adam Fleming]

Yeah.

[Lisa Costello]

Which is the first part.

[Adam Fleming]

Yes. I hadn't realized the difference.

[Lisa Costello]

There is a difference. But twice a day you do get the full shipping bulletin, but only once a day do you get the shipping area of Trafalgar. Broadcast only goes at this very special time at 0048, so worth doing. So taking you through it, you can see from the top there's a lot of stuff about where it's issued from. Issued by the Met Office on behalf of the Maritime Coast Guard Agency. You're going to give that a go?

[Tristan Redman]

Yeah.

[Adam Fleming]

Good morning. And now the shipping forecast issued by the Met Office on behalf of the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency. And do you say 0015 or midnight 15, double O.

[Lisa Costello]

15.

[Adam Fleming]

Of course you do. Double O15 on Friday 14th November 2025.

[Lisa Costello]

The man's a natural. The man is a natural. Okay.

[Adam Fleming]

25 years of broadcasting.

[Lisa Costello]

But if I do those sort of niceties, you wouldn't know that it was double O. Yeah.

[Adam Fleming]

Even though I've heard it a million times, you're like, oh, yeah. Which is.

[Tristan Redman]

Yeah.

[Lisa Costello]

So if you go through it, then you've got the general synopsis. And that again would be. Although it's written as in 18. Oh, we call that 1800.

[Tim Shipman]

Yeah.

[Lisa Costello]

And then you'd say new low expected, Fastnet 990.

[Tristan Redman]

Yeah.

[Lisa Costello]

By 1800 Friday.

[Adam Fleming]

Okay. So, right, there were warnings of gales in Tyne, Dogger, German Bites, Humber, Thames, Biscay, Trafalgar, Sol, Lundy, fastnet, Iris C, Shannon, Rockall and Malin. The general synopsis at. Oh, I've forgotten already. 18, of course, because that's a heading, isn't it? The general synopsis at 1800-NEW- LOW expected Fastnet 990 by 1800 Friday. And then you've got this introductory bit, which is the area forecasts for the next 24 hours. And then this is now where you're into the classic bits. What's a way of.

[Lisa Costello]

Well, you're doing so well.

[Tim Shipman]

Thank you.

[Lisa Costello]

It's brilliant. But just, just so you know what you're getting There in these bits. So you will, you're now into the main bit of the shipping forecast. So Viking north, Lutsira south of Sira. And then the bits that follow are just to make sense of it for you. Yeah, the wind speed and the direction and the precipitation and the visibility. So that's what you're actually giving the information on. And that helps you then to make sense of different bits you're reading out and then to pause in the correct areas.

[Adam Fleming]

Yeah, because you're, because if you were to just read this, it would actually be gobbledygook. But you have to insert like the, the, the vocal punctuation that splits it into those categories, don't you?

[Lisa Costello]

That's it.

[Tristan Redman]

Tristan.

[Adam Fleming]

I mean you live in France, grew up in France. Do they have this?

[Alexander Dragonetti]

Absolutely not. This is, this is quintessentially British. I'm not sure it exists anywhere else, does it?

[Lisa Costello]

I do know for, for instance that a version of the shipping forecast does exist on RTE in Ireland. So they have, they have a.

[Adam Fleming]

Similar names for the areas.

[Lisa Costello]

They have some, some names cross, they share because obviously we are looking at the waters of the British Isles. So obviously some of them will be shared at. And you know, obviously the Irish Sea and bits and bobs are shared but they then have their own and obviously they've got a fascinating different set of inshore waters that aren't shared with us at all. So, so that is quite interesting. But you know, this all started, this is the hundredth year Happy anniversary being forecast as we know, in its modern format. It was of course something that came from a terrible tragedy. You know, the, there was a great storm, A ship went, the charter ship went down in the 1800s. It was carrying gold and women and children. Four hundred and fifty lives were lost at sea and essentially somebody said, well we've got to do something about that. And that was Vice Admiral Fitzroy who started this and that's why at a later date that name was adopted into the shipping forecast to honor him. So.

[Adam Fleming]

And on the hundred years point, isn't this the longest running radio broadcast anywhere ever? I think I heard around about. I'm treating you like you're the archivist as well and the historian as well as reading it.

[Lisa Costello]

I, I wouldn't like to be accused of giving false information. It may well be. It's certainly of great standing.

[Danny Robbins]

It's up there.

[Adam Fleming]

And that is all for this helping of best bits from our podcast a thon the 25 hour long episode of newscast we did in aid of children in need Your next helping will be lots of the points at which I was joined by members of the Newscast family to keep me going through 25 long but happy hours of podcasting. Newscast, Newscast from the BBC from one.

[Newscast Outro Host]

Newscaster to another, thank you so much much for making it to the end of this episode. You clearly do, in the words of Chris Mason, ooze stamina. Can I also gently encourage you to subscribe to us on BBC Sounds? Tell everyone you know. And don't forget, you can email us [e-mail] or if you're that way inclined, send us a WhatsApp on [phone] be assured, I promise you listen to everyone.

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[Tristan Redman]

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