Day One of The Podcast Show

For the third year in a row, The Boar was given press access to The Podcast Show held in London’s Business Design Centre. With over 350 speakers and 130 sessions, this was by far the biggest one yet. Featuring the likes of Emily Maitlis, Russell Howard, Bradley Wiggins, Anthony Scaramucci, and Warwick alumnus Frank Skinner (whom I got a short interview with), this year’s lineup was nothing short of spectacular.

Day One of The Podcast Show started out with a panel by The Telegraph‘s podcasting team consisting of Cara McGoogan and Sarah Peters, where they discussed the crafting of their hit investigative podcast Bed of Lies. During this session, the two discussed the behind the scenes of the latest season of the podcast, an investigation into the shooting of a taxi driver during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The pair discussed the difficult nature of reporting this story, given the sensitive historical context and the ongoing impact on the communities involved. They emphasized the importance of thorough fact-checking and approaching survivors and families with care and respect.

Following this, I attended a talk by Armando Iannucci on the role radio played in developing his writing talent, leading him to write successful TV series such as Veep, The Thick of It, as well as The Death of Stalin. He also spoke about the connections he made in his early days at BBC Radio Scotland, leading to the creation of the character of Alan Partridge. The talk, chaired by BBC Director of Audio Rich Knight, was definitely one of the highlights of the day, providing fascinating behind-the-scenes stories about the evolution of British comedy.

The panellists went into great detail about the intricate nature of their investigations, chronicling how they built up leads from tip-offs to, in some cases, convictions

On the Creator Stage, a panel titled “Why True Crime Will Never Die” delved into the versatility of the genre through four very successful yet very different approaches. The panel consisted of Carole Cadwalladr (famous for exposing the Cambridge Analytica Scandal), the host of Stalked; Mark Horgan of Stakeknife; Ryan Nile, producer of Murder She Wrote; Sue Mitchell, producer of Intrigue; and Dylan Haskins, Chair of BBC Sounds. The panellists went into great detail about the intricate nature of their investigations, chronicling how they built up leads from tip-offs to, in some cases, convictions. Sue spoke candidly about the process of producing her podcast, as well as the eventual capture of human trafficker Barzan Majeed through a lead that she and her team uncovered, highlighting the impact that podcasts like these can have.

Behind every successful podcast is a human story – hence why the medium resonates so powerfully with listeners, and explains the continued growth and success of an industry that shows no signs of slowing down

Finally, I attended the “Why Comedians Make Great Podcasters” panel hosted by Russell Howard and Warwick alumnus Frank Skinner. The two spoke candidly about how they adapt their performance techniques for an audio-only audience, discussing the challenges of maintaining comedic momentum for over an hour. Throughout the panel, both comedians demonstrated why they are among the nation’s most celebrated comedians, cracking jokes and making spontaneous quips throughout. I was also lucky enough to get a quick interview with Frank Skinner after the panel, asking him what his best and worst memories were of Warwick, with him responding:

“My best memory from Warwick University was [when] I was in a play at the Arts Centre where I played Don Quixote. Yeah, and that was very exciting and very communal. My worst memory was, I think, the first six weeks there. I felt desperately lonely because I was doing an MA and you don’t get the same community that you do with a first degree. And yeah, I used to sit despairing in the kitchen of my halls at Tocil, hoping that someone would come out of their room and talk to me, but it passed.”

This frank reflection (no pun intended) was the perfect way to wrap up Day One at The 2025 Podcast Show. Whether it was Frank Skinner’s reflection on university loneliness, Sue Mitchell’s team uncovering crucial leads leading to convictions, or Armando Iannucci reflecting on his formative years at BBC Radio Scotland, these stories show that behind every successful podcast is a human story – hence why the medium resonates so powerfully with listeners, and why the industry’s continued growth and success shows no signs of slowing down.