When It Hits the Fan

In this episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis are talking TikTok. In the US, the social media platform is facing an existential threat. But behind it is a world of Chinese PR that’s not making the headlines. How does it work? And what are all the western PR agencies embedded in China doing there?Also, as the risk of IT system crashes and cyber attacks escalates, David and Simon lift the lid on the role of communications in the booming cybersecurity sector.And following the short video of the Princess of Wales released on The Sun’s website, they ask if this is a PR master stroke, or something else. What is going on?Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Assistant Producer: Sophie Smith Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

As a former editor of The Sun, and the late Queen’s first communications secretary, David Yelland and Simon Lewis used to be on opposing sides of a Royal PR disaster – David working to expose a story that Simon was trying to control. In this special episode, they bring everything they know about how Palace PR works to shed some light on the events surrounding Kate Middleton’s absence and the controversy surrounding her Mother’s Day family photo. What’s really going on behind the scenes? And does a failure to master 21st century communications pose a genuine, real danger to the Royal Family’s survival? Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Assistant Producer: Sophie Smith Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

David Yelland and Simon Lewis return to Formula 1 and the latest instalment of the Christian Horner crisis. The alleged texts between the Red Bull boss and a female colleague have been leaked and the tabloids are feasting. Fighting a battle for your reputation in the red tops is a sure sign of a PR problem. Can using the star power of Horner’s wife, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, rescue the situation?David and Simon also go behind the scenes of one of the most controversial deals the British media has seen - the bidding war for the Telegraph Group - and lift the lid on the world of takeover PR. Plus, what happened when Matt Hancock went to Eton and appeared to forget who might be in the room?Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Assistant Producer: Sophie Smith Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss when using the word crap is not a crap comms strategy at all. Bill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered, used it to describe the bank’s share price and the financial markets loved it. But crap probably wasn't signed off in the preparatory Q&A - David and Simon take us behind the scenes.Also, a fan-hitter par-excellence, a car-crash interview featuring Brad Banducci, the boss of Australia’s largest supermarket empire, who walked off during a TV interview for the biggest prime time documentary series in Sydney – and now he’s the ex-boss. What could he have done differently? Plus, how defence minister Grant Shapps and the MoD put a very positive spin on Trident’s second embarrassing test failure, and the military wives who forced a reverse ferret on the Army's new housing plans.Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Assistant producer: Sophie Smith Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the coming PR tornado that is the apparent plan to sell the government's 38.6% of NatWest back to the public in a retail share sale. The communications challenge here is a big one - all while Nigel Farage is biting at the bank's heels. They also lift the bonnet on PR strategies for incoming CEOs – NatWest has one – and how an invitation to Wimbledon or the opera can be as important as your balance sheet when learning to navigate the elite highest reaches of the executive world. And they return to Christian Horner, the embattled boss of the Red Bull Formula 1 team, and what it teaches us about how not to handle a fan-hitter. Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Researcher: Sophie Smith Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Quick Wins is a series of short guides from the When It Hits the Fan team that’ll help you manage your own personal PR so you can navigate the world of work like a pro.In this episode David Yelland and Simon Lewis share their tips on how to deal with imposter syndrome. It’s that feeling when you are performing well in your job but you still doubt your abilities and feel like a fraud. According to a recent study, around 70% of people will experience this at least once in their lives. So you’re not alone if you have it. How best to overcome feeling like a phoney?Producer: Sophie Smith Executive Producer: Eve Streeter Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss how it has hit the fan for two global, glamorous names this week – the first is F1 Red Bull boss Christian Horner, husband of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, who finds himself in the news for all the wrong reasons, and the second is the glitzy private members' club Soho House, under attack from the wolves of Wall Street. They also look at the culture wars pushback led by the communications director at the National Trust, and why bravery is so important in public relations.Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Researcher: Sophie Smith Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Quick Wins is a series from the When It Hits the Fan team that helps you navigate your own personal PR in just a few minutes. After all, if the rich and powerful have a personal PR guru to help them get to the top, why not you?In this episode – in our increasingly digital world, a couple of clicks can make or break a person’s reputation. The internet can be a great tool for building up your public image, but it can be a tricky business. David Yelland and Simon Lewis share their top tips on how to manage it.Producer: Sophie Smith Executive Producer: Eve Streeter Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss how the Palace is managing news of the King’s cancer diagnosis. How will the royal communications team be controlling the release of information in the coming weeks? Also, in the wake of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s apology to parents of children who have suffered on social media, David and Simon look at why real change is so hard in Silicon Valley when it comes to child safety, and the PR fallout. Is there a strategic communications plan that can stop tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s reputation from crumbling? Perhaps the PR industry can learn a thing or two from climate activist Greta Thunberg? Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Researcher: Sophie Smith Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

David Yelland and Simon Lewis enter into the secret world of secrets and discuss how it is still possible to keep big news under wraps – how Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp kept his departure from Anfield out of the press with the help of his "inner doughnut". As the UK government moves to ban disposable e-cigarettes, David and Simon look at how PR has helped the vaping market capture Britain. And following the controversy surrounding Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie failing to win Oscar nominations for best director and best actress respectively, how do you deal with bad news in the public glare? Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Researcher: Sophie Smith Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4