The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Epizodai

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  Burnham’s big moment and the return of Musk – Weekly Wrap-Up with Alex von Tunzelmann 02.10.2026 30min

  Looking back at the past week... Burnham has set out his vision and was praised for delivering Labour’s “best conference speech since Tony Blair”. What did he actually announce – and can his ideas stick? Plus: Donald Trump gathers the tech billionaires at the White House and brings former “first buddy” Elon Musk back into the fold. And what’s the latest on the RAF Fairford incident? Alex von Tunzelmann and Jacob Jarvis look at the biggest, weirdest and most under-reported stories of the week. • Listen to American Friction here: https://linktr.ee/americanfriction• Listen to Oh God, What Now? here: https://linktr.ee/ohgodwhatnowpod• Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercastAdvertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist.) Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out more.Written and presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Burnham ‘channels Oprah’ and iced coffee outrage – Hot Take Time Machine with Miranda Sawyer and Jonn Elledge 01.10.2026 34min

  Paper Cuts survivors Miranda Sawyer, Jonn Elledge and Jacob Jarvis are back to pick apart the strangest takes from the op-edverse over the past month. This week: Andy Burnham has been accused of channelling his inner Oprah, and his Labour conference speech compared to a “Beatles granny song”. Sofa Socialism is on the rise, apparently, and iced coffee sparks an inter-generational rift. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis, with Jonn Elledge and Miranda Sawyer. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Europe's “firewall” against the far-right is holding. But for how long? 30.09.2026 42min

  The far-right is reshaping politics across Europe. So what is driving its rise? What do these movements have in common? How did we get here – and what might happen next? Steven Erlanger, The New York Times’ chief diplomatic correspondent for Europe, joins Rafael Behr to discuss whether Europe’s political firewall can hold. • Read Steven’s recent analysis in The New York Times • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Rafael Behr. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Two world wars and one long grudge — will Britain and Germany ever be pals? 29.09.2026 31min

  Once, Britain and Germany were the closest of friends. But over the course of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, relations spectacularly unravelled – culminating in two world wars fought on opposite sides. So how did two countries with so much in common become bitter enemies? How did they find their way back to a more cordial relationship? And with Britain outside the EU, what does the future hold for the two European powers? Professor of History at Birkbeck University Jan Rüger joins Alex von Tunzelmann to untangle their turbulent history – and where things might be heading. • Pre-order Jan’s book Great Powers: A History of Britain and Germany from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.• Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Sabotage at RAF Fairford, Labour’s second chance – Start Your Week with Ros Taylor 28.09.2026 29min

  Setting out the stories of the next seven days… Five men are arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack on RAF Fairford. It has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored action – who would escalate their conflict with the UK so seriously? Plus: Labour seizes its second chance with promises on social care, first-time buyers and devolution in Liverpool. Manchester City at the centre of the biggest scandal in football history. And don’t forget your Glastonbury tickets. Ros Taylor and Andrew Harrison break down the stories that will dominate the week ahead. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Burnham takes on Putin’s lie machine — Weekly Wrap-Up with Rafael Behr 25.09.2026 34min

  Looking back at the big stories from the past seven days… Andy Burnham has vowed to crack down on Russia’s “poisonous” slopaganda campaign. Can he really stop the Kremlin meddling in Britain’s affairs? Plus: Trump meets Xi (again) this time in Washington, D.C., a super El Niño is underway and could kill 450,000 by February and far-right yob Daniel Thomas has been arrested after he was filmed slashing a dinghy in the Channel. Rafael Behr and Andrew Harrison recap the biggest, weirdest and most under-reported stories of the week. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Group Editor: Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Crime is down – so why is everyone terrified in "Lawless Britain?" 24.09.2026 31min

  Is Britain really the crime-ridden hellhole the right says it is? Well… no, not really. Crime has actually fallen over the past decade for most offences – ranging from phone snatching to murder. So why do people think it’s getting worse? Why are Reform voters particularly likely to buy some myths around crime? And what’s the knock-on effect for wider society? Bobby Duffy, Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute at King's College London, joins Zing Tsjeng to explain why public crime perceptions are wildly out of step with the facts. • Read Bobby’s research in full• Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Zing Tsjeng. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The Amazing Spider-Myth – From Arachne to Spider-Man, how arachnids rule our imagination 23.09.2026 24min

  Some people fear spiders so much they can barely stand to read the word. For others, these secretive eight-legged hunters are a source of fascination and mythic wonder. Why do some cultures loathe spiders and others love and revere them, even crediting them with creating the world? Harvard language professor and folklore and mythology expert Maria Tatar dives into the Spider-Verse with her book Arachnomania: Spiders and the Cultural Work They Do for Us.She tells confirmed arachnophile Andrew Harrison how Arachne, the original main spider-character, got a raw deal; what spider stars like Charlotte, Shelob and the one who discomfited Miss Muffet mean; and why Peter Parker is oddly detached from the great web of spider-stories. “Are spiders our significant others,” she asks, “our second selves or sworn enemies?”• Buy Arachnomania through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Producer: Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Yes, your phone IS listening to you – with Alexis Conran 22.09.2026 31min

  Alexis Conran, the broadcaster and consumer champion, gets asked one question more than any other: “Is my phone listening to me?” We’ve all had a conversation about a new duvet set or a kettle, only to be served an advert for exactly that moments later. Big Tech insists it isn’t listening in most of the time… So is this all a coincidence? Or is something more nefarious at play? Alexis joins Emma Kennedy to explain what’s really going on.  • Read Alexis’ full article on his blog, Scam Proof Your Life• Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Emma Kennedy. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Burnham’s Trump meet: Can he handle the heat? – Start Your Week with Alex von Tunzelmann 21.09.2026 28min

  Andy Burnham is meeting Trump this week – how will he handle the increasingly erratic US president? Plus, more issues for the UN, Labour conference and more news to look out for, with author and historian Alex von Tunzelmann and Jacob Jarvis.   www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out moreWritten and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Farage’s fight back, A.I. fallout and a 'referendum' – Weekly Wrap-Up with Jonn Elledge 18.09.2026 30min

  Farage is bracing for legal war over a potential challenge to Reform’s mega money donations. But is his brand terminally damaged already? Plus, A.I. is being debated again, a village has chosen to leave the UK, and a lot of people are mad at Ed Sheeran. Jonn Elledge joins Jacob Jarvis to pull together the biggest news stories from the last week. Back us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out moreWritten and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Jonn Elledge. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Design by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Sex, secrets and the KGB – How a Cold War spy accidentally saved the world 17.09.2026 34min

  Vladimir Kuzichkin may have changed the course of the Cold War – and it was all down to a very personal problem. The KGB agent was stationed in Tehran in 1981, less than two years after the Iranian Revolution, when he made the decision to defect to the British. Known to MI6 as “Redwood”, Kuzichkin demanded that the secret service smuggle him out of Iran in exchange for his secrets. But what intel did he provide MI6 and the CIA that was so explosive? And why was he so desperate to escape? Pre-eminent chronicler of espionage Ben Macintyre joins Alex von Tunzelmann to reveal how the Soviet spy may have saved the world.  • Buy Ben’s book Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.• Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Depraved new world – How billionaires’ sci-fi dreams are wrecking the future 16.09.2026 26min

  The future has arrived, and it’s starting to look suspiciously like something Elon Musk and his fellow tech billionaires dreamt about as nine-year-olds. Silicon Valley’s rulers promise a world run by artificial superintelligence where scientists and engineers replace politicians – or humans disappear from government altogether. So, are they really the superheroes of the modern age they claim to be? Will AI deliver the technological marvel they promise or is their vision of techno-utopia about as real as, er, Iron Man? Harvard historian and author Jill Lepore joins Emma Kennedy to discuss where we’re headed.   • Buy Jill’s book The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Emma Kennedy. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Is AOC really America's next president? 15.09.2026 24min

  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is constantly tipped as a potential Democratic contender for 2028. She is beloved by the left and loathed by Republicans with equal vigour for her progressive ideals. So, does she even want the White House – and if she does, could she defeat Gavin Newsom and other Democratic front-runners at the primaries? Is AOC really the antidote to Trump? And is America finally ready to accept a woman as president? The Guardian’s Washington Bureau Chief David Smith joins Jacob Jarvis to unpick what might happen.  • Read David’s full article in The Guardian• Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Farage’s crackpot jackpot – Start Your Week with Gavin Esler 14.09.2026 29min

  Reform and Farage have raked in mega donations the likes of which British politics has never seen before. What does this money mean for democracy? Gavin Esler joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the fallout and other news to look out for this week. www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out moreWritten and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Gavin Esler. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Trump’s ‘bribe’, Miliband’s sanctions, Met investigates Reform – Weekly Wrap-Up with Rafael Behr and Zoë Grünewald 11.09.2026 36min

  Looking back at the big stories of the past seven days… Nigel Farage faces yet another headache after the Met launched a criminal investigation into whether Reform broke party donation rules. Will he weather the storm? Plus: Ed Miliband denounces “settler terrorists” in Occupied Palestinian Territory. Trump pledges $5,000 to every adult American at his bizarre midterm convention. And an Anthropic staffer offers a cheery warning that AI will destroy humanity before the decade’s done. Zoë Grünewald and Rafael Behr recap the biggest, strangest and under-reported stories of the week. • Find out if you’re owed on car finance at refundclub.co.uk/bunker  • Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. refundclub.co.uk/bunker• Listen to Terror Century, our three-part mini-series marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11 linktr.ee/bunker_pod• Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercastWritten and presented by Zoë Grünewald. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Terror Century – How the trauma of 9/11 made Trump and MAGA inevitable 10.09.2026 35min

  A three-part mini-series from The Bunker… The horror of the 9/11 terror attacks 25 years ago this week led America into massive retaliation and ultimately national humiliation in Afghanistan and Iraq. In years to come, these failures and the lies used to sell them would breed a paranoid, isolationist, racist strain that ultimately took over American politics. Did 9/11 ultimately create Trump and Trumpism? National security journalist Spencer Ackerman has reported from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay and he’s the author of Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump. He talks to Andrew Harrison about the long road from Ground Zero to Mar-a-Lago. • Worn out by the War on Terror? Buy Spencer Ackerman’s Iron Man books – there’s two! – through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.• Find out if you’re owed on car finance at refundclub.co.uk/bunker • Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. refundclub.co.uk/bunker www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Tom taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Terror Century – Did the War on Terror become a war on freedom? 09.09.2026 29min

  A three-part mini-series from The Bunker… In the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks 25 years ago, an enraged America stumbled into the quagmires of Afghanistan and Iraq. At home the Bush Administration created a new security culture which began to erode freedoms in America and around the world. Are we still living with the compromises Americans made during that feverish decade? On this episode David Cole, author of Less Safe, Less Free: Why America Is Losing the War on Terror, explains how the USA PATRIOT Act and other measures ran out of control… what 9/11-era surveillance means in the age of Big Tech… and whether the freedoms Americans temporarily suspended ever fully came back. • Find out if you’re owed on car finance at refundclub.co.uk/bunker• Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. refundclub.co.uk/bunkerwww.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Simon Williams and Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Terror Century – Are we living in the world that 9/11 created? 08.09.2026 32min

  A new three-part mini-series from The Bunker… When terrorists murdered 2,977 people in the 9/11 attacks 25 years ago this week, al-Qaeda set America on a dark path which ultimately led to torture, brutal repression and finally national humiliation in Afghanistan and Iraq. But the War on Terror produced something else too: an anti-politics culture of fear and mistrust of leaders which proved fertile ground for the vicious populism of Donald Trump. Are we still living in the world that 9/11 created? In our first episode, terror and insurgency expert Bruce Hoffman of the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University, Washington explains the fevered atmosphere that created the War on Terror… why the US system failed to prevent the attacks in the first place… and how 9/11 still shapes our world. • Buy God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America by Bruce Hoffmanthrough our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.• Find out if you’re owed on car finance at refundclub.co.uk/bunker• Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. refundclub.co.uk/bunkerwww.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production: Simon Williams and Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Farage: It wasn’t me! — Start Your Week with Alex von Tunzelmann 07.09.2026 30min

  Nigel Farage is doing everything he can to deny having been in the wrong in those disastrous sting videos. Can his excuses work? Plus, Trump is going wild with AI slop, Kushner has visited Putin and the far-right are blocking ports in Kent… Alex von Tunzelmann joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss what to look out for this week.www.patreon.com/bunkercast     Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Alex von Tunzelmann. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.