Talking Features

In this week's Talking Tech, Poppy discusses Europe's reliance on foreign tech leaves it vulnerable to surveillance, digital sabotage, economic rent extraction, and external influence over politics and public discourse.

In this week's Talking Health, Jessica discusses the concerning rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

In this week's Talking Money, Daniel Clewlow is joined by Chris Butler, Finance Director at Ethex, to discuss the rise in ethical investing - and the positive impact it's having on local communities around the UK.

In this week's Talking Travel, Rory discusses Brit's most popular wedding destinations and uncovers the data behind why so many now travel to these places for the best day of their lives.

In this week's Talking Life, Jessica is joined by Jennifer White, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Associate Director of Media and Communications, to discuss Plant Wool Month.

In this week's Talking Tech, Poppy explains how Elon Musk sees Tesla's humanoid robot, Optimus, as central to the company's AI future - and how rising industry investment suggests humanoid robots could soon move from science fiction to everyday reality.

In this week's Talking Health, Jessica is joined by Dr Ahuja, Fertility Expert from London Egg Bank, and Sammy Rainbow Furnival, an egg donor, to discuss The London Egg Bank's Freeze and Share programme, and the need for more donors from ethnic minorities.

In this week's Talking Money Daniel was joined by Ray Coyle the CEO of Energise Africa for Talk Money Week to discuss how the organisation is helping bridge the climate finance gap by connecting everyday investors with impactful solar energy projects across Africa. They talked about how Energise Africa began, the difference it's made to communities and small businesses, and how it's empowering people to invest sustainably in the transition to clean energy.

In this week's Talking Travel, Rory talks about many of the world's most famous deserts - what makes a desert a desert, and why they contain more surprises than you might expect. 

In this week's Talking Life, Jessica is joined by Paul White, CEO of Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, and Maddi White, who has a non-visible disability, to discuss Hidden Disabilities Sunflower's launch of the Sunflower Extra - a new NFC-enabled card that lets wearers share personalised support information instantly and discreetly.

 In this week's Talking Tech, Poppy is joined by Simon Onyons from Kroll UK to explore why data has become the new currency. They discuss recent cyber-attacks on M&S, Co-op and Jaguar Land Rover, which reveal how criminals are exploiting customer information. Simon also explains how organisations can strengthen their defences to prevent hacks and data breaches.

In this week's Talking Health, Jessica is joined by Samantha Duffy, Senior Manager of Global Water Programs at NSF, to discuss how millions of UK homes could be fitted with illegal, non-compliant taps and plumbing.

In this week's Talking Money, Dan talks about a new report detailing the priorities of home buyers in 2025, and sits down with expert Karen Rodriguez from MFS to discuss why things like wifi connectivity and valuing property quality have become top priorities. 

In this week's Talking Travel, Rory talks about why school trips are so important for children and the most popular places teachers take children to so that they can learn something about the world around them.

In this week's Talking Life, Rory talks to a consultant Counselling Psychologist, Dr Ritz Birah, about some new research around how the clock changes effect our sleep. She dives into how the darker days affect our mental health, as well as giving listeners some of her best tips for getting to sleep after a busy day.

In this week's Talking Tech, Poppy is discussing new Vodafone research revealing that Sheffield is the UK's most AI-savvy city, with the highest "AIQ" score measuring confidence in using artificial intelligence.

In this week's Talking Health, Jessica is joined by Mark Rowland, Chief Executive at the Mental Health Foundation, to discuss improving our sleep for better physical and mental wellbeing.

In this week's Talking Money, Jessica is joined by Inheritance Tax Expert and CEO and Founder of Level, George Williamson, to discuss new research showing that many people are financially dependent on inheritance.

In this Talking Travel, Rory talks about why we have A and B roads and why they're numbered in the confusing way that they are.

In this week's Talking Life, Jessica discusses a pilot project, called Chrisp Street Community Cycles, a pop-up bike library in East London, launched by Hubbub, Poplar Harca, and Sustrans, helping residents build cycling confidence through free bike loans, repairs, and guided rides.

In this week's Talking Tech, Poppy discusses Human Rights Lawyer Amal Clooney's ground-breaking UK initiative that uses AI to improve access to justice for women and girls around the world. The programme explores how artificial intelligence can help support those too often left behind by the justice system.

In this week's Talking Health, Poppy is joined by Dr Alice Ashby, Consultant Psychiatrist and Associate Medical Director at the London Psychiatry Clinic, and Jennifer, who has ADHD and was treated by Dr Ashby. As October marks ADHD Awareness Month, with this year's theme "The Many Faces of ADHD," the episode explores how the condition affects people of all backgrounds, genders, and ages.

In this week's Talking Money, Daniel takes a look at some of the most costly mistakes ever made in movie history.

In this week's Talking Travel, Jessica is joined by TV Chef and Hong Kong Tourism Board Ambassador, Jeremy Pang, to discuss Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, which begins on the 23rd of October 2025.  

In this week's Talking Life, Jessica discusses the statue Mother Vérité – created by British artist Rayvenn Shaleigha D'Clark, in collaboration with Chelsea Hirschhorn (founder of Frida Mom), depicting a postpartum woman.

In this week's Talking Tech, Poppy highlights an IBM study showing rising public trust in AI, with 74% comfortable using AI assistants for decisions. The report points to growing opportunities for businesses to use adaptive “agentic AI” to improve customer experience and productivity.

In this week's Talking Health, Jessica discusses using headphones and ensuring good ear health.

In this week's Talking Money, Daniel explores why investors seem to flock to gold in times of economic uncertainty.

In this week's Talking Travel, Rory talks a trip to Florida to see what there is for UK tourists to do in the sunshine state. 

In this week's Talking Life, Jessica is joined by Dr Robert Metcalf to raise awareness of Salivary Gland Cancer, a rare form of cancer that often gets forgotten and is in desperate need of more funding and research.

In this week's Talking Tech, Poppy marks 15 years since The Social Network, reflecting on how its themes of power, connection, and control still define the digital age. She links the film's warnings to today's UK debates over the Online Safety Act, AI moderation, and free speech, noting how Zuckerberg's story foreshadowed our modern struggles with loneliness, digital dependency, and the true cost of living online.

In this week's Talking Health, Jessica is joined by Rebecca Reid, a marathon world record holder who lives with an arrhythmia, to discuss how cardiovascular disease is the world's biggest killer.  

In this week's Talking Money, Etty is joined by James Shore, Managing Director of iO Finance Partners, to discuss the challenges facing SMEs - with one of the biggest being the lack of lending available, which is stunting their growth.

In this week's Talking Travel, Rory talks about the statistics behind our commutes, and how varied the UK's commuter picture really is, talking about how long the average journey into work takes and what we use to get there.

In this week's Talking Life, Jessica is joined by Nick Sanderson, the CEO of the Audley Group, to discuss a new survey of people aged 55 and over conducted by Audley Group, which has found that being an explorer and a lifelong learner are among the most popular types of retirement lifestyles.

In this week's Talking Tech, Poppy explains how robots could be helping to save the housing crisis, as an Oxfordshire construction company has turned to robots in an effort to speed up housebuilding and help tackle the UK's housing shortage.

In this week's Talking Health, Jessica is joined by Dr Julie Greenfield from the charity Ataxia UK to discuss Ataxia, which is a collection of rare diseases that affects thousands of people in the UK, and Omaveloxolone (Omav), a new drug that has been approved in Scotland and is awaiting approval in the rest of the UK.

In this week's Talking Money, Jessica is joined by Jack Smith, the founder and CEO of Love Finance, to discuss how UK small businesses are struggling in the current economy and what they can do.

In this week's Talking Travel, Rory takes a trip to WA – Western Australia, and its capital city Perth, to see what's going on in the heart of Australia's largest state.

In this week's Talking Life, Etty is joined by Christina Bennett, from Start Network, to discuss the Start Network's new policy paper urging governments, the UN, and INGOs themselves to change their approach to humanitarian aid.

In this week's Talking Tech, Poppy explains that the Tech Prosperity Deal has brought major US investments from Nvidia, Microsoft and Google, which the government hopes will boost jobs and innovation. But concerns remain that the UK is becoming too dependent on US tech giants, with lighter regulation raising questions over control and protections. The investment brings optimism, yet Britain's bet on AI may lead to either revival or deeper reliance.

In this week's Talking Health, Jessica is joined by Dr Juho Jalkanen – Chief Executive Officer at Faron Pharmaceuticals, to discuss the clinical trials of bexmarilimab for blood cancer treatment.

In this week's Talking Money, Etholle explores how much Britons really spend on their furry (and feathered) friends - and what our pet spending habits reveal about love, lifestyle and loyalty.

In this week's Talking Travel, Rory talks about something that many areas of the UK see as a point of pride – cheese! How did this food item become something that so many regions cherish so dearly, and how many types of British cheese are there?

In this week's Talking Life, Jessica is joined by Dr Anand Patel, GP and men's health expert, to discuss a Lovehoney report showing that sexual anxieties are widespread among British men. 

In this week's Talking Tech, Etholle unpacks the rise of the “Blue Tick Economy” - exploring how online verification turned from a simple badge into a new kind of digital status symbol.

In this week's Talking Health, Etholle is joined by Gastroenterologist, Dr Alan Desmond, to discuss the nation's gut health. Are you really getting enough fibre? 

In this week's Talking Money, Jessica is joined by Chris Teasdale, the Chief Branch Officer from Handelsbanken, to discuss a new poll of the public, which revealed continued frustration and mistrust regarding automated customer service.

In this week's Talking Travel, Rory will be talking about the natural world. September is time where many different animals will begin migrating for the winter, so how far do some of them travel just to survive the winter?

In this week's Talking Life, Jessica discusses Dr. Qizong Yue, from Southwest University in China, team's research that suggests that cheerful music could help with motion sickness. 

In this week's Talking Tech, Etholle traces the surprising history of the 'computer bug',  from Edison's engineering quirks to the famous moth that stopped Harvard in its tracks.