Wake Up to Money
News and views on business and the world of personal finance. Plus the very latest from the financial markets around the globe
Episodes
10/12/2024
News and insight from the business world. Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.
10/12/24•52m 31s
Syria: What next?
Sean Farrington has the latest after a historic weekend in the Middle East.Elsewhere, a think tank voices concerns about the impact of the Government's industrial strategy on regional inequality; and a rather special pair of ruby slippers fetches tens of millions of pounds at auction.
09/12/24•52m 12s
Is cash really king?
The total amount paid by retailers to banks and card schemes rose by over 25 per cent last year, at an extra cost of £380 million.Will Bain speaks to a panel of guests about this week's big economic stories.Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reiterated the key pledges that formed Labour's manifesto, including building affordable homes, reducing NHS waiting times and delivering clean power by 2030.
06/12/24•52m 10s
French Rejection
Will Bain examines the economic fall out from the collapse of the French Government. And what does Keir Starmer's 'plan for change' have in store? We find out.
05/12/24•51m 39s
Junk Food Ad Ban
Sean Farrington finds out how the government's ban on junk food advertising will work. And Christmas parties are changing - we hear what businesses are doing differently and why.
04/12/24•52m 10s
Charging Through
Sean Farrington hears the challenges facing the automotive industry both in the UK and abroad. Plus, PlayStation celebrates its 30th anniversary.
03/12/24•52m 52s
Stellantis Boss Steps Down
Sean Farrington finds out why Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has stepped down ahead of schedule. Plus we hear how big of a boost Black Friday was for retailers.
02/12/24•52m 15s
Discounting down to Christmas
Will Bain speaks to retail on what has become a major day in the sector's golden quarter.Elsewhere, Jurgen Klopp's house was the most-viewed listing in 2024; and M&A is back on the agenda with a couple of big potential deals hitting the headlines.
29/11/24•52m 51s
Last orders?
A dozen traditional British beers are disappearing from pubs and some tipplers are unhappy with the Danish brewer who's decided they should go. And Sean Farrington hears from an economist on what Irish businesses can expect from the elections.
28/11/24•52m 51s
Car Trouble?
Rules on electric vehicle sales could be changing, but as Vauxhall announces the closure of its Luton plant, Will Bain asks will it be enough to save UK car manufacturing?We've had more details on the government's plan to get more young people into work or training - we hear from one jobseeker about the difficulties of finding work.And find out why people are starting to use artificial intelligence to shop for Christmas presents.
27/11/24•51m 17s
Getting Britain Working?
As the government touts its new plan to "Get Britain Working" in the biggest employment reforms in a generation, Sean Farrington looks over the detail and finds out from business owners if it works for them.Residents and businesses across the UK continue to feel the impact of Storm Bert - we hear from one company which says that the near future is uncertain.And one of the UK's greatest cultural exports, the Premier League, is planning to change the way it shows matches overseas - could this be the start of a revolution in how football broadcasting rights are used?
26/11/24•52m 31s
Stormy Monday
After Storm Bert brought high winds and flooding costing lives and million in damages, Sean Farrington talks to a business owner at the heart of a region that's declared a major incident.The debate around changes to inheritance tax moves from farmers to family businesses - we hear how it could affect investment.And with the Observer potentially to be sold to the "slow news" media outlet Tortoise, what business impact could that have on all parties involved?
25/11/24•51m 55s
Lucky Beers and Wicked Witches
Will Bain hears from the boss of no-alcohol beer brand Lucky Saint about changing the social stigma of being teetotal, and the long-awaited movie Wicked hits the UK cinema market.
22/11/24•51m 25s
When the Chips Are Down
Will Bain looks at why Nvidia's share price has dropped, despite posting record revenues. Plus, Nissan hits out at the UK's EV mandate.
21/11/24•51m 6s
Northern Fail?
Will Bain hears from businesses using Northern Rail, ahead of its new turnaround plan. Plus, artists like Harry Styles help the music industry give record amounts to the economy.
20/11/24•52m 20s
Farmer fury
Sean Farrington chats to farmers and tax experts about inheritance tax as farmers march on Westminster.
19/11/24•53m 16s
Are carmakers running out of road?
Sean Farrington looks at calls from the UK's big carmakers to change rules on EV sales. Plus, defence stocks climb on the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency.
18/11/24•52m 42s
Degrees of discomfort
Felicity Hannah looks at a new report which shows that almost three quarters of universities in England will face financial problems next year, despite tuition fees going up.
15/11/24•53m 34s
14/11/2024
News and insight from the business world. Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.
14/11/24•51m 40s
Lesser spotted Jaguar
Will Bain speaks to a Jaguar boss as it presses pause on the sale of new cars in the UK.Elsewhere, toy retailers gear up for the golden quarter and the Post Office looks set to announce more closures.
13/11/24•52m 40s
Daycare dilemmas
Will Bain hears how nurseries are being affected by the tax changes in the budget.Elsewhere, the Post Office enquiry rumbles on as the new business secretary and leader of the opposition testify; and one of the most familiar faces in football broadcasting steps down.
12/11/24•53m 2s
Swiping right?
Will Bain hears from a dating app developer that is looking to break the mould.Elsewhere, hospitality rallies against the Government's budget; and we look into the trajectory for mortgage rates as global inflationary pressures are reassessed.
11/11/24•53m 0s
Shein Slammed
Sean Farrington sits down with Superdry boss Julian Dunkerton, who doesn't hold back on Shein. Plus The Friedkin Group has agreed a deal to buy Premier League club Everton.
24/09/24•53m 16s
Trials and Tribunals
What do a football club, a media mogul and a social media giant all have in common?Fresh from another victory, Manchester City faces the start of hearings into its 115 alleged financial fair play charges today - Sean Farrington finds out what's in play.An American court will hear arguments on whether the US government can ban the Chinese social media giant TikTok from the country.And the children of an ageing media mogul fight for their stake in his news empire - no, it's not a smash-hit TV drama, but a court case involving Rupert Murdoch that gets under way on Monday. We hear what it could mean for the future of News Corp.
16/09/24•53m 14s
Does rail funding need a revamp?
Felicity Hannah finds out if the private sector should fund a new rail link. And, after the success of the first spacewalk, is the sky the limit when it comes to space tourism?
13/09/24•52m 37s
Trump v Harris
it’s just 8 weeks till the American Election and Trump and Harris go head to head in their first live TV debate. Plus the skills Olympics finally gets underway in Lyon, France.
11/09/24•53m 10s
Apple: Intelligent Thinking?
Sean Farrington takes a look how Apple's latest gadgets will feature all things AI. Plus we find out why ASOS has been getting a lot of backlash online.
10/09/24•53m 1s
Building after Grenfell
Will Bain looks at what has to change in construction following the Grenfell Inquiry.Elsewhere, the Chief Executive of Mountain Warehouse speaks about the company's latest acquisition and broader plans for US expansion, and live music's contribution to the UK economy topped £6bn for the first time last year.
05/09/24•50m 53s
The best of Wake Up To Money 2023
Will Bain looks back at some of the highlights from Wake Up To Money in 2023. There's the story of the takeover of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft including an interview with the Microsoft President Brad Smith which made headlines around the world. Former England and Manchester United footballer Gary Neville explained why he's investing in property and the UK boss of Google Debbie Weinstein told us how AI is changing the world.
01/01/24•56m 11s
Wake Up To Money Special - Gary Neville
He's most famous for his football career and more recently, his punditry, but Gary Neville is also hugely successful in the worlds of business and property developing.In this interview, he tells Sean Farrington about his plans for a new £400 million project in the centre of Manchester.They discuss how rising interest rates are affecting the building trade, why Gary feels the hospitality industry is paying the best wages it can afford to, and Gary’s new role on Dragons’ Den. This is an extended version of an interview first broadcast on Wake Up To Money on July 6th, 2023.
06/07/23•35m 32s
Wake Up To Money - Elon Musk
The BBC's North America Technology Correspondent James Clayton talks exclusively to Elon Musk about Twitter. They discuss why he bought the social media site, controversy around tackling disinformation and the future for blue ticks.
12/04/23•48m 40s
Boardroom Stories: Sir Ian Livingston
Sir Ian Livingstone talks to Rahul Tandon about founding Games Workshop and the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons. He reveals his collection of hundreds of board games as well as discussing the development of Tomb Raider.
29/12/22•26m 30s
Million By 30: Timothy Armoo, part 2
Timothy Armoo talks to Sean Farrington about his decision to sell the business he founded in a multi-million pound deal. He discusses why he decided to sell, what he's learnt and his plans for what he's going to do next.
17/08/22•46m 35s
Business of Sport: The Ashes
Rahul Tandon looks at the money behind The Ashes. He discusses how important sponsorship is in cricket, how to grow the fanbase and get more people involved in the game. Rahul also speaks to Manoj Badale, one of the owners of the IPL team the Rajasthan Royal.
10/12/21•24m 42s
Boardroom Stories: Guy Hands, founder Terra Firma
One of the biggest names in the world in private equity, Guy Hands, talks candidly about what he calls 'going from hero to zero'.
Speaking with Felicity Hannah he shares his experience of growing his business Terra Firma Capital Partners which became one of the largest investment companies in the world.
He discusses the controversy around his ownership of record label EMI and losing control of the care home company Four Seasons.
He also talks about being dyslexic and how it's affected his life as well as the challenge of making business greener.
12/11/21•33m 12s
Boardroom Stories: John Lyttle, Chief Executive, Boohoo
John Lyttle, chief executive of Boohoo, tells Sean Farrington about the company's massive growth and future expansion plans. He says the company doesn't make throwaway fashion and is taking measures to tackle climate change. He also discusses the recent controversy around allegations of mistreatment of staff at some of its suppliers in Leicester.
11/08/21•37m 52s
Business of Sport: Tokyo Olympics
Felicity Hannah looks at how the Olympic games are financed and the competitors are funded. She's joined by Sir Keith Mills, former Deputy Chair of London 2012 organising committee; Nigel Walker who's National Director of the English Institute of Sport; Marie Oldham, Executive chair of the advertising agency VCCP Media and Danny Downs of online sports retailer Fanatics.
23/07/21•28m 35s
The Origins of Reebok
Joe Foster, founder of Reebok talks with Sean Farrington and Reggie Nelson about creating one of the world's biggest brands. From the origins of a family business to breaking America and making trainers a must-have fashion item.
15/06/21•33m 59s
Million By 30: Roei Samuel
Roei Samuel talks to Sean Farrington about setting up e-sports business Real Sport which he sold in a multi-million pound deal and about how having ADHD affected his education and career choices.
09/06/21•35m 29s
Million By 30: Tom Beahon, co-founder Castore
Tom and Phil Beahon set up their sportswear brand Castore in Liverpool after their professional sporting careers came to an end. They chat with Sean about growing the brand, how their parents re-mortgaged their house to give them the money to get it off the ground and working with Sir Andy Murray and football clubs Rangers and Wolves.
23/05/21•44m 26s
Million By 30: CC Clarke
CC Clarke talks to Sean Farrington talks about growing her fanbase to more than two million followers and setting up her make-up business. She discusses how she's carried on with her singing career and dealing with social media trolls.
25/04/21•32m 36s
Business of Sport: Future of Football
After the collapse of plans for a European Super League, Sean Farrington discusses the future of football with current and former club bosses, fans and sport business experts.
21/04/21•35m 5s
Million By 30: Grace Beverley, influencer and founder of sustainable style brand TALA
Sean Farrington chats with Grace Beverley about how she built up a million followers on Instagram before going on to launch her own fitness brand Shreddy and sustainable style brand TALA.
Photo courtesy: Andy Cuthbert
19/03/21•51m 9s
Million By 30: Chester Mojay-Sinclare, founder and chief executive of Enthuse
Sean Farrington chats with Chester Mojay-Sinclare who first got his business off the ground by launching a potato into space. Eleven years later, he has raised over £100 million for charities through his company Enthuse.
12/03/21•26m 17s
Million By 30: Jenna Brown, co-founder and chief executive of Shipamax
How Jenna Brown turned her passion for start-ups into a multi-million backed business.
26/02/21•33m 32s
Million By 30: Alex Lovén, founder of Net World Sports
Sean Farrington chats with Alex Lovén, who started selling cricket bats when he was 13 to his mates at school, graduated to selling the bats on eBay and made £1m in sales by 22 and now, aged 33, his sports equipment business makes £50m in turnover.
19/02/21•34m 27s
Million By 30: Kofi McCalla, The Unknown Vlogs
Kofi McCalla, a menswear fashion YouTuber, on how he hit over 100 million views. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast please visit the BBC Action Line website https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/
12/02/21•33m 12s
Million By 30: Liberty Foreman, CEO and founder of DynamXMedical
Sean Farrington interviews Liberty Foreman, who started up a cancer screening tech company DynamX Medical by spinning it out from her PhD. Since then she’s raised millions in investment all before the company has even turned a profit. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast please visit the BBC Action Line website https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/
18/01/21•33m 1s
Million By 30: Maciek Kacprzyk and Karina Sudenyte, founders of Flawsome!
Sean Farrington interviews Maciek Kacprzyk and Karina Sudenyte, the founders of Flawsome!, a food waste company that saves wonky fruit from landfill and makes them into cold pressed juice and sparkling fruit juice waters.
11/01/21•31m 30s
Million By 30: Timothy Armoo, chief executive of Fanbytes
The story of how 26-year-old Timothy Armoo built a million-pound marketing business.
01/12/20•32m 38s
Million By 30: Adnan Ebrahim, founder of Car Throttle
Sean Farrington chats with Adnan Ebrahim who sold his first website before he was 18. He then founded Car Throttle, which quickly reached millions of followers around the world. He sold it in his mid-20's and has since embarked on a new venture
20/11/20•33m 0s
Business of Sport: Rugby World Cup
Sean Farrington looks at the money behind the Rugby World Cup in Japan including how can smaller countries break into the top tier of the game.
11/10/19•57m 52s
Business of Sport: The Price of Gold
It's a year until the Tokyo Olympics will be getting underway. The British Olympics Association has told us it could be one of the most expensive yet.A number of sports will be making their debut at the games - one of them is competitive climbing. But who sponsors a brand new sport, and how do they get funding?
30/08/19•26m 30s
Business of Sport: Not just about the scores
Sean and Mickey look at how sport is being reported off the pitch, from long reads to podcasts to social media.
09/08/19•26m 21s
Business of Sport: eSports
The industry is worth over $1bn globally. Is it time to take gaming as a competitive activity a bit more seriously?
02/08/19•25m 14s
Boardroom Stories: Sanjeev Gupta, Liberty Steel
Danni Hewson talks with Sanjeev Gupta, boss of one of the world's largest steel producers Liberty Steel.
27/12/18•29m 10s
Boardroom Stories: Co-Op
Chief Executive of the Co-Operative Group, Steve Murrells talks with Danni Hewson about supermarkets; funerals and schools and how it's recovered from a difficult period.
03/12/18•30m 24s
Boardroom Stories: Lovehoney
Lovehoney co-founders Neal Slateford and Richard Longhurst talk about developing their online sex toy company, meeting the Queen and adapting their business for international markets.
20/11/18•27m 25s
Boardroom Stories: Paul Pomroy, McDonald's UK
Wake Up To Money's Sean Farrington meets Paul Pomroy, the Chief Executive of McDonald's for the UK and Ireland to discuss the High Street crisis; plastic straws; Brexit; zero hours contracts and waste.
31/07/18•33m 16s
Boardroom Stories: Linda Jackson, Citroen
Linda Jackson, Chief Executive of Citroen talks about women in the car industry, electric cars and whether the 2CV could ever make a comeback.
20/07/18•26m 16s
Boardroom Stories: Rob Stringer of Sony Music Entertainment
Working with David Bowie on one of pop’s best kept secrets and how he won George Michael back after the star’s bitter split from Sony.
05/07/18•40m 7s
Boardroom Stories: Pure Gym
Humphrey Cobbold, boss of Pure Gym talks to Sean Farrington about how the chain has gone from zero to a million members in less than a decade.Plus how the treadmill is falling out of fashion as workouts change with the times.
19/06/18•30m 33s
Boardroom Stories: Intu's David Fischel
The boss of the company which owns some of the UK’s biggest shopping centres tells Wake Up To Money’s Mickey Clarke that retail is alive and kicking.
09/04/18•28m 46s
Boardroom Stories: Marston's Ralph Findlay
Marston's Chief Executive Ralph Findlay, Quality not quantity: How drinkers’ tastes have changed and why so many restaurants are struggling at the moment.
02/03/18•29m 57s
Boardroom Stories: Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza CEO David Wild on executive pay, The Simpsons and chanting.
20/02/18•24m 56s
Boardroom Stories: Bronek Masojada, Hiscox
Terrorism, cyber crime, luxury cars and diamonds. Who says insurance is boring? Bronek Masojada boss of Hiscox talks insurance with Wake Up To Money’s Louise Cooper.
09/02/18•30m 18s
Boardroom Stories: Craig Donaldson
Why banks need more branches and "it was a miserable place to be”: Life at RBS during the bailout.
29/01/18•32m 18s
Boardroom Stories: David Duffy
David Duffy, Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks boss, talks Open Banking, drones and the rise of the robots.
02/01/18•21m 41s