What does 2022 have in store? It’s crunch year for three massive British institutions that have defined our lives: the BBC, the NHS and the Monarchy. Putin seems determined to exploit the West’s disarray to invade Ukraine. And if Donald Trump makes a comeback, could American democracy itself fall? Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler look ahead to a nerve-wracking year.

• “The challenge for BBC News is, how do you balance people who simply won’t tell the truth?”

• “Russia and Ukraine could mean a ground war in Europe for the first time since 1945.”

• “We’ve underestimated the way that Putinism and the lies have infected our own democracies… Trump and Trumpism are still here.”

Presented by Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Brace yourself for 2022 – Start Your Year with Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler