Crisis What Crisis with Andy Coulson

Afleveringen

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  ERIN BAKER: “I'm sick and tired of being resilient” 18.08.2026 1u 10min

  This is a very unusual episode. It is rare that we would choose to have someone join us on the podcast so close to their crisis – usually our guests come to these conversations with the clarity that a few years' distance can bring. Erin Baker is just weeks on from the death of her partner, James, and still very much living in it. What she offers instead of distance is something rarer: the raw, unfiltered honesty of someone grieving out loud, in real time. A warning – this conversation is powerful and at times very difficult, and some of the themes may be upsetting.Erin Baker is one of the most respected motoring journalists in the country – the youngest and only female motoring editor on Fleet Street in her day. But in the autumn of last year, her life came apart. Her partner of thirteen years, James, was diagnosed with an aggressive, terminal brain tumour, and the blows kept coming: her father died, one of her sons was rushed to hospital, the family dog was put down, and a car was written off in a collision with a deer. Wave after wave, all at once. Then, this year, James died. He was 53.Rather than retreat, Erin made the conscious decision to grieve in public, writing for The Times and keeping a diary on Substack called Postcards from Grief, documenting James's dying, the days since, and the unexpected things his death has taught her. She joins Andy for a conversation about resilience and its limits, about loss and control, about black humour and love, and about what actually carries us through the very worst of it. She is, without a shadow of a doubt, someone we can all learn from.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEYKingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on. Visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FOUR LESSONS FROM ERINBeing "strong" can be a trap. If people decide you're resilient, they assume you're coping – and leave you to it. Sometimes the bravest thing is to admit you're not fine, and to ask for the help you need.Honesty is what makes people feel less alone. It's not the tidy, theory-shaped version of grief that helps others but the messy, unguarded truth. Say the thing that feels too close to the bone; it's often the thing someone else desperately needs to hear.You can't control the future, because it doesn't exist yet. Make your plans, but hold them loosely, they're only ideas of what you'd like to happen. Learning to live a day at a time is the only way through.Find your release. For Erin it was writing, walking in nature, even paint-by-numbers – something meditative to pour the fear and grief into. When you can't carry it all in your head, give it somewhere to go.CHAPTERS03:37 – “I'm sick and tired of being resilient”: the exhaustion of always being the strong07:52 – Grieving out loud: the decision to write through it11:55 – The formidable mother, and a childhood that built the muscle13:55 – Keep buggering on15:20 – Fighting her way to Cambridge, and up a male-dominated newsroom20:23 – Meeting James23:05 – The life that looked perfect from the outside – and wasn't25:08 – The Amazon night shift: the proudest she ever was of him30:30 – The diagnosis39:49 – When the blows kept coming47:02 – Her son's seizure: the worst thing she's ever seen51:02 – Learning to hold your plans loosely53:22 – The last night, and a hug she'll never forget57:04 – The chaos of loss1:06:05 – The stranger by the roadside who knew exactly what to sayFOLLOW ERIN'S WRITINGPostcards from Grief – https://erinbaker1001.substack.com/FOLLOW ERIN BAKERInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/erinbakerauto/?hl=enLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-baker-58901a48/FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodThis was a Crisis What Crisis Production – Rex Fisher (producer), Ioana Barbu (studio manager), Fred Sharp (research), Johnny Seifert (audio), Jasper Cullen (video)
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  JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER'S CRISIS COMPASS 11.08.2026 5min

  Julian Lloyd Webber spent half a century as one of the world's great cellists — and then had to discover who he was without the instrument that had defined his existence. In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, Andy sits down with Julian to discuss his Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation that he turns to in order to help survive a crisis – a person, a habit, a comfort and a piece of advice. If you haven't heard the full conversation yet, go back and find it in the feed. It's well worth your time.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.CHAPTERS:00:58 A Person – His wife Jiaxin, and why he's not sure he'd have got through it without her01:20 A Habit – A couple of pints of lager every night 02:49 A Comfort – Leyton Orient03:25 A Piece of Advice – "Don't waste a second."BUY JULIAN'S BOOKBows & Arrows – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bows-Arrows-Julian-Lloyd-Webber/dp/1837360588SEE JULIAN LIVEJulian's Irish tour with his wife, Jiaxin – https://julianlloydwebber.com/events/FOLLOW JULIAN LLOYD WEBBERInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/julian.lloydwebber/FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodThis was a Crisis What Crisis Production – Rex Fisher (producer), Ioana Barbu (studio manager), Fred Sharp (research), Johnny Seifert (audio), Jasper Cullen (video)
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  JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER: The Day the Music Stopped 04.08.2026 53min

  Julian Lloyd Webber is undoubtedly one of the country's greatest living musicians – the man who, perhaps more than anyone of his generation, took classical music out of the concert hall and into the mainstream. But in October 2013, ten minutes into a recital in a Suffolk seaside town, the power drained from his right arm and he found he could barely draw the bow across his cello.Within six months, at 63, he was forced to retire – unemployed overnight and stripped of the thing that had defined him since he was a boy of thirteen.For half a century, the cello had been Julian's whole life. He toured the world, playing with everyone from Yehudi Menuhin to Elton John, took an Elgar recording to a Brit Award and his brother's Variations to number two in the pop charts. He was the first officially licensed busker on the London Underground and the only classical soloist at the London Olympics closing ceremony.Then, at 64, he sat the first job interview of his life and went on to lead the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire into a £57 million new home, winning it royal status along the way. On his 75th birthday – and while quietly managing a prostate cancer diagnosis – he walked back onto the Wigmore Hall stage and played again. And now, twelve years after the power drained from his arm, Julian is touring – a full run across Ireland this autumn with his cellist wife, Jiaxin.His memoir, Bows & Arrows, is out now, and this conversation is about the abuse he survived as a boy, the instrument he loved and lost, and how you rebuild an identity when the thing that made you who you are is taken away.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEYI know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing a crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on. This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley.Visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FOUR LESSONS FROM JULIANTalent and hard work aren't enough on their own – you need passion, because that's the only thing that gets you up to do it all again after a bad night.A second string to your bow can end up saving your life. When you lose the thing that defined you, throw yourself into whatever else genuinely moves you – even if it's nothing like what you did before. Find something that truly absorbs you, and the healing takes care of itself.When a setback knocks you down, picture the alternative. For Julian, the fear of ending up disappointed with his life was the fuel that kept him going.Healing is not forgetting; it's reaching the point where the trauma you carry doesn't drag you down.CHAPTERS04:01 – Growing up in a chaotic, bohemian home09:12 – The day on the Tube that took his childhood11:03 – Why some things you don't get over – and shouldn't have to15:21 – His father's warning that lit the fire17:39 – Fifty years at the top: how he kept the flame alive27:25 – The longest relationship of his life33:12 – A football bet, a number two record, and a gold disc35:01 – The night the power drained from his arm39:02 – Losing your job, your income and your identity overnight39:59 – The first job interview of his life, at 6444:22 – The daughter's remark that brought him back to the cello47:57 – Facing a cancer diagnosis51:32 – Why he refuses to slow down, even nowBUY JULIAN'S BOOKBows & Arrows – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bows-Arrows-Julian-Lloyd-Webber/dp/1837360588SEE JULIAN LIVEJulian's Irish tour with his wife, Jiaxin – https://julianlloydwebber.com/events/FOLLOW JULIAN LLOYD WEBBERInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/julian.lloydwebber/FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodThis was a Crisis What Crisis Production – Rex Fisher (producer), Ioana Barbu (studio manager), Fred Sharp (research), Johnny Seifert (audio), Jasper Cullen (video)
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  FRANK GARDNER'S CRISIS COMPASS 28.07.2026 4min

  Frank Gardner has lived, by his own description, two very different lives — and found a way to carry the best of the first into the second. Twenty years on from the attack in Riyadh that nearly killed him, the BBC Security Correspondent is still reporting from the places most of us wouldn't dare go.In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, Andy sits down with Frank to discuss his Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation that he turns to in order to help survive a crisis.Frank is the BBC's Security Correspondent and the author of a series of best-selling thrillers — the latest, Ballistic, is out now. If you haven't heard the full conversation yet, go back and find it in the feed. It's well worth your time.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.CHAPTERS:00:53 A Person – Himself01:21 A Habit – Lifting his eyes to the horizon, the birdwatcher's discipline of really looking02:23 A Comfort – Driving. 03:40 A Piece of Advice – Grieve it, deal with it, but don't keep defining yourself by what happenedBUY FRANK'S BOOKBallistic – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/178763549X?tag=prhmarketing2552-21FOLLOW FRANK GARDNERInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/frank.gardner/?hl=enX – https://x.com/FrankRGardnerFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodThis was a Crisis What Crisis Production – Rex Fisher (producer), Ioana Barbu (studio manager), Fred Sharp (research), Johnny Seifert (audio), Jasper Cullen (video)
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  FRANK GARDNER: The day I should have died 21.07.2026 1u 2min

  On June 6th 2004, Frank Gardner was in Riyadh filming what was meant to be a routine piece of background footage when an Al-Qaeda cell opened fire. His cameraman, Simon Cumbers, was killed. Frank was shot six times and left for dead. One surgeon later told him he'd arrived at hospital the colour of a lab coat, bleeding from every wound faster than they could pour the plasma in. It was, in the truest sense, the day Frank should have died.That day split his life in two. Before it, he was a restless Arabist who'd hitchhiked across the Middle East with nothing in his pocket, spent a decade in banking, turned down MI6, and talked his way into the BBC in his mid-30s to become its first ever security correspondent. After it, he was partially paralysed and in daily pain – yet back at work within ten months, and has spent the twenty years since reporting from the very places that nearly killed him. He describes crossing an invisible bridge to a new version of himself, this conversation is about what that crossing actually cost.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEYI know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing a crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley. Visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FOUR LESSONS FROM FRANKDon't waste your energy mourning what you can no longer change. Pour it into what you still can. When crisis hits, there's a fork in the road. One path is self-pity – and it's entirely justifiable. The other is deciding to make the most of what you've got left. Choosing the second is a daily struggle.Look outwards, not inwards. Fill your life with the things that make you feel useful and alive. Fixating on your own troubles is a trap – curiosity about the world around you is the way out.Volunteer for the work no one else wants – the weekends, the bank holidays, the night shifts. It's how you make yourself indispensable, and how you get your shot when it finally comes.CHAPTERS 05:18 – The daily indignities most people never see 08:57 – Why he refuses to let it define him 11:33 – Where his grit really came from: two extraordinary parents 14:19 – The bold early decisions that shaped a life 20:38 – Turning down MI6 – and the self-awareness to know why 27:45 – How to break into a career when there's no job at the end of it 30:27 – The attack: what actually happened that day 31:02 – Seven months in hospital, and living with the what-ifs 39:45 – The one thing he's still bitter about 42:15 – Losing Simon, and finding a way through the grief 44:37 – "You'll never walk again" – the second hammer blow 48:05 – The letter from the BBC that gave him something to aim for 50:42 – Going back to Saudi Arabia to face it down 53:52 – Why he doesn't spend his life grievingBUY FRANK'S BOOKBallistic – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/178763549X?tag=prhmarketing2552-21FOLLOW FRANK GARDNERInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/frank.gardner/?hl=en X – https://x.com/FrankRGardnerFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast TikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodThis was a Crisis What Crisis Production – Rex Fisher (producer), Ioana Barbu (studio manager), Fred Sharp (research), Johnny Seifert (audio), Jasper Cullen (video)
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  UNDERSTANDING SHOCK: The body's crisis handbreak 14.07.2026 24min

  Shock is a fundamental part of almost any crisis. It's a state of complete operating system override which, when left unacknowledged, can turn into something far more damaging.In this special compilation episode, Andy Coulson revisits five past guests who each experienced shock in very different ways, and found very different routes through it.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEYI know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on. This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley. Visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FULL EPISODES:Johnny Mercer: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000482235919Rupert Soames: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000700198554Dr Richard Shepherd: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000533310865Jill Halfpenny: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000661591052Kate Bowler: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000762523544FOLLOW THE GUESTS:Johnny Mercer: https://www.instagram.com/johnnymercermp/?hl=enDr Richard Shepherd: https://www.instagram.com/drrichardshepherd/?hl=enJill Halfpenny: https://www.instagram.com/jillhalfpenny/?hl=enKate Bowler: https://www.instagram.com/katecbowler/?hl=en
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  JEREMY KING'S CRISIS COMPASS 07.07.2026 5min

  Jeremy King is the legendary restaurateur behind Le Caprice, The Ivy, The Wolseley and Simpson's on the Strand. His is a story of extraordinary gambles, of rooms that became London institutions, and of losing the company that carried his own name — and choosing to build all over again in his 70s.In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, I sit down with Jeremy to discuss his Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation that he turns to in order to help survive a crisis – a person, a habit, a comfort and a piece of advice. If you haven't heard the full conversation yet, go back and find it in the feed. It's well worth your time.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.CHAPTERS:00:59 A Person – Himself. The only person he can absolutely trust in a crisis.02:43 A Habit – Up at 5am, every day, it's the ritual that stabilises him before the world wakes up03:44 A Comfort – His children, and the different perspective they bring04:26 A Piece of Advice – Why get inordinately upset about something you'll forget about in future?BUY JEREMY'S BOOKWithout Reservation: Lessons from a Life in Restaurants – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Without-Reservation-Lessons-Life-Restaurants/dp/0008599025FOLLOW JEREMY KINGInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/jeremyrbking/?hl=enFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodThis was a Crisis What Crisis Production – Rex Fisher (producer), Ioana Barbu (studio manager), Fred Sharp (research), Johnny Seifert (audio), Jasper Cullen (video)
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  JEREMY KING: “Let them take your money but never your soul” 30.06.2026 1u 13min

  In April 2022, after a bruising auction battle with his own investors, Jeremy King lost the company that carried his name. He walked back into the Wolseley – the restaurant he had built into the highest grossing restaurant in Britain – to find his staff in tears and the new owners already arriving. His phone and laptop were taken from him, he felt, as he puts it, like a criminal – stripped of all his possessions and then cast out onto the street.But that was just the latest chapter in a career defined again and again by gambles, diligence, loss, and extraordinary success. Jeremy once handed the biggest decisions of his life to the roll of a dice. He built and sold an empire, built another, and now, at 72, is rebuilding for a third time – with Simpson's in the Strand, London’s most talked about restaurant of the moment and a venue he first tried to buy 26 years ago.Across the last forty-five years Jeremy has revived or built from scratch some of London’s most loved restaurants: Le Caprice, The Ivy, J Sheekey, The Wolseley and The Delaunay. His patrons have ranged from royalty to the greatest artists of the age, yet his gift has always been to make anyone who walks through his doors feel like they are the most important person in the room.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEYI know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing a crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley. Visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FOUR LESSONS FROM JEREMYLook for the good before the crisis has even hit. Whatever's going wrong, there's almost always something to salvage.Let them take your money. Never let them take your soul. You'll always find another way to make money.Don't act fast just to feel in control. People panic and make the wrong moves because they think a crisis demands speed. Often the bravest, smartest thing you can do is wait and see.Do the job better than it's ever been done – even sweeping a floor. Pride is yours to keep. That standard, once set, never leaves you.CHAPTERS04:54 – Why the best operators watch before they speak08:04 – How an early knock to your confidence can shape a whole career25:00 – Where a true standard of excellence actually comes from30:08 – What it really feels like to lose the company with your name on it39:26 – Why selling too early can be the smartest deal you ever do45:00 – Holding your nerve on the worst day of your business life49:16 – Protecting your reputation when the story's out of your hands51:44 – What five years with Lucian Freud taught him about risk and danger57:18 – Why integrity is simply never trying to get away with anything58:32 – The art of defusing a crisis before it becomes one01:03:20 – Keeping perspective: why every crisis is relative01:07:09 – Starting over at 72BUY JEREMY'S BOOKWithout Reservation: Lessons from a Life in Restaurants https://www.amazon.co.uk/Without-Reservation-Lessons-Life-Restaurants/dp/0008599025FOLLOW JEREMY KINGInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/jeremyrbking/?hl=enFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodThis was a Crisis What Crisis Production – Rex Fisher (producer), Ioana Barbu (studio manager), Fred Sharp (research), Johnny Seifert (audio), Jasper Cullen (video)
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  JEREMY HUNT'S CRISIS COMPASS 23.06.2026 2min

  Over 20 years in frontline politics, Sir Jeremy Hunt held three of the great offices of state – Health Secretary, Foreign Secretary, and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He survived some of the most bruising political battles of his generation, and grieved, throughout, the loss of his father, his mother, and his brother.In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, I sit down with Jeremy to discuss his Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation he turns to on his darker days – a person, a habit, a comfort and a piece of advice.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.CHAPTERS:01:02 A Person — the one who'll still be there when the job, the title, and the headlines are long gone01:21 A Habit — the cross-country team he was forced into at school, and why he still hasn't stopped01:55 A Comfort — six and a half weeks of Lent torture, and why Easter makes it worth it02:15 A Piece of Advice — why criticism only hurts when it comes from someone you knowBUY JEREMY'S BOOK:Can We Be Rich Again? The Surprising Potential of Britain's Economy – https://shorturl.at/4Kv0DFOLLOW JEREMY:Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/jeremyhuntmp/TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyrshuntmpX — https://x.com/Jeremy_HuntLinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyhuntuk/FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram — www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok — www.tiktok.com/@crisispodThis was a Crisis What Crisis Production — Rex Fisher (producer), Ioana Barbu (studio manager), Fred Sharp (research), Johnny Seifert (audio), Jasper Cullen (video)
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  JEREMY HUNT: Frontline politics is poisonous and I'll never go back 16.06.2026 47min

  In October 2022, the British economy was in freefall. Liz Truss's mini-budget had sent the pound into a nosedive, mortgage rates were climbing at a terrifying speed, and the IMF had issued a public warning to the government to reverse course. It was, by any measure, a national crisis.Into that emergency stepped Sir Jeremy Hunt who, over a single weekend, dismantled almost the entirety of the economic programme he'd inherited.But that was just the latest chapter in a political career defined again and again by an extraordinary capacity to absorb difficulty and get on with the job. All while managing a private grief that would have broken most people in any role, let alone one of the most demanding in the country. The loss of his father, mother, and brother, all lost to cancer.His new book, Can We Be Rich Again? The Surprising Potential of Britain's Economy, is an act of deliberate optimism in a country that has largely forgotten how to be optimistic. Sir Jeremy Hunt joins Andy Coulson for a conversation about loss, resilience, reputation, and what it really takes to keep your nerve when everything is falling apart.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEYI know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing a crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley. Visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FOUR LESSONS FROM JEREMY:Start a business in your 20s if you possibly can. You've got no mortgage, no kids, no dependents – it doesn't matter if things go wrong, and you'll learn more from failure than you ever will from success.You can cope with one thing going wrong. It's when two or three things go wrong at once that life gets really hard – so close down the smaller crisis as fast as you can, even if that means caving in.The most important thing any leader can build is a team that will tell you when you're wrong. If people are afraid to speak truth to power, you will make bad decisions.Grief gives you something a successful career can't: a sense of what actually matters.CHAPTERS03:34 – Why naive goals are sometimes the most powerful ones05:20 – His father's greatest lesson07:50 – The tragedy his family never spoke about10:35 – What unconditional belief from a parent actually does to a child13:37 – Why failure in your 20s is an asset, not a setback17:07 – Why business and politics require completely different skills22:11 – Starting a business with your best friend26:43 – The junior doctors dispute30:09 – How to survive being the most unpopular politician in the country33:01 – Losing his brother Charlie: what grief teaches you that success never can36:56 – Walking into the eye of the storm as Chancellor40:59 – How to restore trust when trust is the only thing that matters44:20 – Why knowing who you are is the foundation of every crisis skill worth having44:59 – Why Britain thinks far worse of itself than the rest of the world doesBUY JEREMY'S BOOKCan We Be Rich Again? The Surprising Potential of Britain's Economy – pick up a copy here: https://shorturl.at/DfIZaFOLLOW JEREMY HUNTInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/jeremyhuntmp/TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyrshuntmpX – https://x.com/Jeremy_HuntLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyhuntuk/FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodThis was a Crisis What Crisis Production – Rex Fisher (producer), Ioana Barbu (studio manager), James Quinn (research), Johnny Seifert (audio), Jasper Cullen (video)
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  LESSONS ON CONTROL: How to manage a crisis 09.06.2026 17min

  What is the single most important concept in crisis management? Andy Coulson believes it's control — a lesson he first learned sitting on a plastic mattress in a Glasgow police cell, with nothing to focus on but his own breathing.In this special compilation episode, he revisits four past guests who each arrived at the same conclusion through very different routes.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEYI know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on. This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley. Visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FEATURINGRyan Holiday — bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and The Daily Stoic, on why Stoicism is history's greatest crisis management framework, and the remarkable story of Admiral James Stockdale tapping Epictetus through a prison wall in Vietnam.Alix Popham — former Welsh international rugby player, diagnosed with early-onset dementia and probable CTE, on how the athlete's instinct for discipline becomes a survival strategy when the stakes are as high as they get.Natasha Silver Bell — international model turned recovery coach, on the moment she stopped blaming her external circumstances and took control of her internal state.Cally Beaton — comedian, writer, and former Viacom CBS executive, on surrender, mayhem, and why she refuses to call herself a stoic — despite sounding exactly like one.Control the controllables. It sounds simple. It isn't. But as every guest in this episode shows, it is learnable — and it might just be the most important lesson crisis has to offer.FULL EPISODES:Ryan Holiday: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000755722247 Alix Popham: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000712166764 Natasha Silver Bell: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000722574377 Cally Beaton: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crisis-what-crisis-with-andy-coulson/id1517015748?i=1000717250391FOLLOW THE GUESTS:Ryan Holiday: https://www.instagram.com/ryanholiday/ Alix Popham: https://www.instagram.com/alix_popham/ Natasha Silver Bell: https://www.instagram.com/natashasilverbell/ Cally Beaton: https://www.instagram.com/callybeatoncomedian/
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  HOMESERVE FOUNDER: Going from broke to billions | Sir Richard Harpin 02.06.2026 45min

  Sir Richard Harpin wanted to be an entrepreneur since before he knew the word. He sold conkers in the playground, bred and sold rabbits in his garden, ran a tuck shop from his school locker, and by 15 was bunking off chemistry to cash cheques with the bank manager.In this special episode of Crisis What Crisis – recorded in front of a live audience at the Walbrook Club in the City of London – Andy sits down with the founder of HomeServe, the company Richard built over 30 years and sold in 2023 for £4.1 billion. Richard was knighted in the 2024 New Year Honours. His Sunday Times bestselling book, How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps, is out now.This episode is for anyone who has ever wanted to start something, scale something, or is simply looking for guidance on how to manage the day-to-day crises of running a business.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEYI know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on. This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley. Visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FIVE BUSINESS LESSONS FROM SIR RICHARD HARPIN1) Copy. Richard didn't invent the HomeServe model – he openly admits that he copied it (and then did it better). If someone else is doing it and it works, the risk is lower. 2) Prove the model before you scale it. HomeServe burned through half a million pounds trying to grow a loss-making business. With modern technology, Richard says, you really don't have to do that.3) The best time to build is when conditions are hardest. Comfortable conditions produce cautious thinking. The best businesses are built with their backs against the wall.4) Admitting the mistake is often the fastest route out of it. Richard told the stock market he'd wasted £130 million, wrote off the assets, and said sorry. The share price went up £250 million the same day. The market doesn't punish honesty. It punishes opacity.5) Not taking a risk is itself a risk. Staying still has a cost that compounds invisibly. The test isn't whether the risk is scary. It's whether you can live with not taking it.CHAPTERS04:52 – Why Richard wanted to be an entrepreneur 10:35 – His first businesses13:28 – What working at P&G taught him 19:22 – How HomeServe started 19:22 – Running out of money at Christmas 21:07 – Taking investment at the wrong terms 22:00 – The moment he nearly quit 23:00 – The £50 letter that saved the business 24:43 – The importance of copying 25:34 – Why he hired someone to replace himself 27:06 – Breaking America30:01 – The £100m mistake he made publicly 30:59 – How he structures his day 36:10 – Negotiating a £4.1bn exit 37:37 – What selling actually feels like 38:55 – Why he's still working 42:25 – His advice on AI and careers 44:46 – Starting over with nothingBUY SIR RICHARD'S BOOKHow to Make a Billion in Nine Steps – Sunday Times Bestseller https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Make-Billion-Nine-Steps/dp/034944644XFOLLOW SIR RICHARD HARPINLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rharpin/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/richard_harpin/ TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@richard.harpinFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISISInstagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodFOLLOW THE WALBROOK CLUBThis episode was recorded live at the Walbrook Club, London. Special thanks to Philip Palumbo and his team for hosting us.Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thewalbrookclub/
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  ANYA HINDMARCH'S CRISIS COMPASS 26.05.2026 4min

  Dame Anya Hindmarch started her global fashion business on a gap year trip to Italy aged just 18. Four decades on, she is the founder of one of Britain's most recognisable brands – worn by the Princess of Wales and a new holder of a royal warrant from Queen Camilla.In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, I sit down with Anya to discuss her Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation that she turns on her darker days – a person, a habit, a comfort and a piece of advice.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.CHAPTERS:01:00 A Person01:36 A Habit03:01 A Comfort03:45 A Piece of AdviceBUY ANYA'S BOOKIf In Doubt Wash Your Hair – https://www.anyahindmarch.com/products/if-in-doubt-wash-your-hair-paperback-book-in-paper-off-whiteFOLLOW ANYA:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/anyahindmarch/TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@anyahindmarchFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod
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  ANYA HINDMARCH: “Everyday is a crisis when you’re running a business” 20.05.2026 56min

  Dame Anya Hindmarch started her global fashion business on a gap year trip to Italy aged just 18. Four decades on, she is the founder of one of Britain's most recognisable brands – worn by the Princess of Wales and a new holder of a royal warrant from Queen Camilla. Anya joins Andy for a candid conversation about courage, control and how treating fear and excitement as the same emotion has proved to be her superpower.This is a masterclass in resilience from a founder who has dealt with the ‘daily stomach punches’ of being an entrepreneurPOWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on. This episode is powered by @kingsleynapley – visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FOUR BUSINESS LESSONS:Doubt is your friend. Don't try to silence it. The moment you stop being scared is the moment things will go wrong.Cling on to your equity. Getting investment isn't winning a prize. When you do it the hard way, you stay in control.Be honest about the journey. Admitting what you've got it wrong buys you more credit than pretending you've got it right.Sometimes you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelette. You will get things wrong. Get them wrong, correct, and learn.CHAPTERS:03:09 – Learning to accept that in life you’ll never be fully satisfied06:47 – How Thatcher's Britain created a generation of founders08:19 – Dyslexia and the entrepreneur's brain15:55 – Starting at 18 with no network, no internet, no clue18:09 – "Stupid determination" – the trait every founder shares20:09 – The lonely years of building a business21:17 – Anxiety vs stress24:07 – Why imposter syndrome is healthy24:58 – I'm Not A Plastic Bag: changing national behaviour with a £5 product27:35 – Honesty as a brand strategy30:10 – Building a blended family without dropping the business35:06 – The mistake of stepping away as CEO40:16 – Buying it back: how to turn a crisis into a restructure41:32 – Localising in a global business44:20 – Her creative process46:30 – Outside investment: why she'd tell founders to wait48:08 – Perspective: what a child's illness teaches a CEO52:06 – Brand Britain – what we're selling and what we're missing54:41 – AI: "Stop moaning and get really good at it"BUY ANYA'S BOOK If In Doubt Wash Your Hair – https://www.anyahindmarch.com/products/if-in-doubt-wash-your-hair-paperback-book-in-paper-off-whiteFOLLOW ANYA:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/anyahindmarch/TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@anyahindmarchFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod
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  ESTHER GHEY'S CRISIS COMPASS 12.05.2026 4min

  Esther Ghey's 16-year-old daughter Brianna was murdered in a park near their home in Warrington in February 2023. What followed — the campaigning, the memoir, the forgiveness, the compassion — has made her one of the most consequential reform voices in contemporary British life.In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, I sit down with Esther to discuss her Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation that she turns on her darker days – a person, a habit, a comfort and a piece of advice.Esther is the founder of the Brianna Ghey Legacy Project and Peace in Mind UK, a social enterprise focused on mental health in schools. She launched the Phone Free Education campaign, has campaigned in parliament, and last month received an honorary doctorate from the University of Chester. She was named The Independent's Most Influential Woman of 2024. Her memoir Under a Pink Sky, published by Penguin, is out now in paperback.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.CHAPTERS:01:16 A Person02:04 A Habit03:10 A Comfort03:39 A Piece of AdviceFOLLOW ESTHER GHEY:Instagram – www.instagram.com/esther.ghey/Peace in Mind UK – www.peaceinminduk.comUnder a Pink Sky – available now in paperbackFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod
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  ESTHER GHEY: The fight to free children from their phones 05.05.2026 56min

  In February 2023, Esther Ghey's 16-year-old daughter Brianna was murdered in a park near their home in Warrington, in a premeditated attack by two 15-year-olds. Today, Esther is a bereaved mother, but she is also one of the most significant voices for social reform in contemporary British life.She founded the Brianna Ghey Legacy Project, co-launched the Phone-Free Education campaign with Kate Winslet, and has helped force a national reckoning on children, smartphones and social media. She was named the Independent's Most Influential Woman of 2024 and a GQ Hero.Her bestselling memoir Under a Pink Sky - now available in paperback - is a searing and hopeful account of love, loss and rebuilding. It is one of the most breathtaking tales of resilience I have ever read.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FIVE LESSONS FROM ESTHER:Grief doesn't get easier – you learn to build your life around the hole the person left.Don't blame other people for your own decisions.Perception is everything: You can walk the same street looking down at the dog mess or up at the blossom – the choice is yours.Mindfulness isn't a wellness trend. It's a tool that rewires how you respond to stress.Compassion costs nothing.CHAPTERS:03:56 – The cherry blossom and the sign05:20 – Growing up with mum07:55 – Leaving school with no GCSEs, becoming a mum at 1809:13 – The sludge-green walls and the addiction12:17 – Why she refuses to blame anyone but herself15:43 – Going back to school in her 30s16:07 – Discovering mindfulness17:51 – When Brett became Brianna21:17 – The phone, the bedroom, the 3am email27:24 – The day it happened30:16 – The dream that became acceptance32:47 – What she'd say to anyone in early grief34:35 – Grieving in public36:33 – Why she won't name the killers37:55 – Meeting Emma43:23 – Building Brianna's legacy48:05 – Could I have done more?51:16 – Phones don't build resilience54:26 – Where the campaign goes nextFOLLOW ESTHER GHEY:Instagram – www.instagram.com/esther.ghey/Brianna Ghey Legacy Project – www.instagram.com/briannagheylegacyproject/Phone-Free Education – www.instagram.com/phonefreeeducation/BUY ESTHER'S BOOK:Under a Pink Sky – www.amazon.co.uk/Under-Pink-Sky-Esther-Ghey/dp/0241738733FOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod
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  KATE BOWLER'S CRISIS COMPASS: 4 points of navigation for when life flips upside down 28.04.2026 4min

  Kate Bowler is one of the most thought-provoking voices on pain and suffering you'll ever encounter. Living her dream life – married to her high school sweetheart, a baby boy, and her dream job – she was diagnosed with stage four cancer just as everything fell into place.In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, I sit down with Kate to discuss her Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation that she turns to in order to help survive a crisis – a person, a habit, a comfort and a piece of advice. We'd love to know yours, let us know in the reviews...Kate is a four-time New York Times bestseller, professor at Duke University, host of the Everything Happens podcast, and author of an exceptional Substack. Her latest book, Joyful Anyway, hit the shelves this month.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.CHAPTERS:00:49 A Person – Be a Roger: the quiet librarian who showed her what service really looks like01:47 A Habit – Praying with her son every night02:27 A Comfort – Roadside America, a 40-foot ceramic turtle, and how she befriended Tom Holland03:49 A Piece of Advice – "It comes undone though, so don't skip to the end"BUY KATE'S NEW BOOK:Joyful Anyway – www.amazon.co.uk/Joyful-Anyway-Finding-Delight-Impossible/dp/1037202562FOLLOW KATE BOWLER:Instagram – www.instagram.com/katecbowler/YouTube – www.youtube.com/@katecbowlerTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@katecbowlerSubstack – https://katebowler.substack.com/Podcast – Everything HappensFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod
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  KATE BOWLER: Everything DOES NOT happen for a reason 21.04.2026 1u

  At 35, Kate Bowler had the life she'd always wanted: she was a Duke University professor, married to her high school sweetheart, with a one-year-old son. Then she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.Today, Kate is a five time New York Times bestselling author, host of the Everything Happens podcast and one of the most inspiring and unique voices on the subject of suffering, the myth of the prosperity gospel and the reality of the human condition.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY: I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on. This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FIVE LESSONS FROM KATE:Don't trust your 2 am self. Your 2 a.m. self is despairing and terrified.People want to help. Give them small, specific ways to show they love you.Put an expiry date on bitterness.Saying yes opens up untold opportunities – often it’s worth it.Happiness is cheap. Meaning isn't. A happy person isn't necessarily living a meaningful life – they're often just extremely lucky.CHAPTERS: 04:42 – Defining resilience10:49 – Growing up with depressed person14:46 – The prosperity gospel16:48 – When it all came apart20:33 – The diagnosis22:07 – Performing gratitude35:23 – Rules for surviving cancer43:33 – The reality of being cured45:12 – Joyful Anyway48:19 – The happiness industry51:23 – On stoicism55:35 – Fear, sharks and risk58:18 – Tasked with loveBUY KATE'S NEW BOOK:Joyful Anyway – www.amazon.co.uk/Joyful-Anyway-Finding-Delight-Impossible/dp/1037202562FOLLOW KATE BOWLER: Instagram – www.instagram.com/katecbowler/YouTube – www.youtube.com/@katecbowlerTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@katecbowlerSubstack – https://katebowler.substack.com/Podcast – Everything HappensFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS? Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod
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  NICK WHEELER'S CRISIS COMPASS: 4 tools for navigating crisis 14.04.2026 4min

  Charles Tyrwhitt founder, Nick Wheeler, started the business with just £99, a Morris Minor (with a hole rusted through the floor), and zero understanding of how you make a shirt. Today, it’s a £400m global empire – but his story is one not short of tragedy.In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, I sit down with Nick to discuss his Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation that he turns to in order to help survive a crisis – a person, a habit, a comfort and a piece of advice. We’d love to know yours, let us know in the reviews...POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.CHAPTERS:00:49 A Person – Learning from your children's fresh perspective01:33 A Habit – 474 days of Duolingo (and still can't speak Italian)02:32 A Comfort – Singing on a Brompton around London03:12 A Piece of Advice – Stop stressing about what you can't changeFOLLOW CHARLES TYRWHITT:‪@charlestyrwhitt‬Instagram – www.instagram.com/charlestyrwhitt/YouTube – www.youtube.com/c/charlestyrwhittTikTok – www.tiktok.com/discover/charles-tyrwhittWebsite – https://www.charlestyrwhitt.com/uk/homeFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast TikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod
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  CHARLES TYRWHITT FOUNDER: The uni bedroom business that now does £400 million in sales | Nick Wheeler 07.04.2026 52min

  Nick Wheeler founded Charles Tyrwhitt with just £99 and a Morris Minor with a hole rusted through the floor (and zero understanding of how you make a shirt!). Today, it’s a £400m global empire – but his story is one not short of tragedy, with the loss of his mother aged just five years old, bankruptcy, and a catalogue of mistakes which meant he nearly lost everything.In this episode of Crisis What Crisis, I sit down with the man who revolutionised British menswear. Nick Wheeler shares the raw, unfiltered reality of building a world-class brand.If you want to learn about entrepreneurial resilience, business scaling, and the power of dogged self belief, this masterclass is for you.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.SIX BUSINESS LESSONS: 1) Build to be loved. Nick's motivation has always been simple: to be loved. By his team. By his customers. It's made him £400 million.2) Never give away a share of your business. The minute you do, someone else has the right to tell you what to do.3) Be the best in the world at one thing. Not two things. One. Going bust taught him that.4) Cut early. If something isn't working, be brutally honest with yourself about why. Don't wait.5) The only real job of an entrepreneur is choosing the right person to run your business.6) Be a tortoise, not a hare. Grow 10% every year. It's boring for the first 20 years. Then it becomes extraordinary.CHAPTERS:01:19 – Introduction02:54 – The entrepreneurial gene15:29 – From failed shoes to Charles Tyrwhitt23:31 – Mistake one31:07 – Mistake two36:15 – The hardest lesson39:31 – The pandemic44:04 – Cracking America50:37 – Building a brand people loveFOLLOW CHARLES TYRWHITT:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/charlestyrwhitt/YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRD_t-tXUDpidmNKqg4kayQTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/discover/charles-tyrwhittWebsite – https://www.charlestyrwhitt.com/uk/homeFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispod