Planet Normal

63

The podcast that speaks your language. News and views from beyond the bubble with Telegraph columnists, Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan, every Thursday.


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Recent Episodes
  • Talking tough on tariffs
    Apr 9, 2025 – 1:04:17
  • Rachel’s bottomless bucket of woe
    Apr 2, 2025 – 1:16:41
  • Spring Statement Special
    Mar 27, 2025 – 1:02:12
  • The Burgeoning Benefits Bill
    Mar 20, 2025 – 1:13:40
  • Ructions in Reform
    Mar 13, 2025 – 1:13:33
  • The Lockdown Legacy of Covid
    Mar 6, 2025 – 1:15:38
  • Allison Pearson defends free speech against police
    Feb 27, 2025 – 1:14:32
  • Reeves’ nation inflation
    Feb 20, 2025 – 1:23:26
  • The final nail in the agricultural coffin
    Feb 13, 2025 – 1:10:51
  • The Rise and Rise of the Reform Polls
    Feb 6, 2025 – 1:10:36
  • Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen on Reform and the future of the Conservative Party
    Jan 30, 2025 – 1:01:17
  • Labour’s Marxist attack on education
    Jan 23, 2025 – 1:06:52
  • Is the UK's grooming gang shame just the tip of worldwide iceberg?
    Jan 16, 2025 – 1:47:10
  • Liz Truss Threatens Starmer with Legal Action
    Jan 9, 2025 – 1:25:04
  • Christmas Special 2024 P2
    Jan 2, 2025 – 1:30:15
  • Christmas Special 2024 P1
    Dec 26, 2024 – 45:12
  • No brainer with ‘Angela Rayner’
    Dec 19, 2024 – 1:24:21
  • Cultural Sensitivities Can Cost Lives
    Dec 12, 2024 – 1:05:01
  • Labour Cleared For Re-Launch
    Dec 5, 2024 – 1:12:00
  • Fixing the foundations
    Nov 28, 2024 – 1:16:35
  • A helluva week on the rocket
    Nov 21, 2024 – 1:12:06
  • You have the freedom to be silenced
    Nov 13, 2024 – 1:16:37
  • US Election 2024
    Nov 7, 2024 – 56:42
  • Labour’s big budget
    Oct 31, 2024 – 1:00:46
  • Planet Normal Live Special at the Battle of Ideas
    Oct 23, 2024 – 1:22:05
  • Rachel and the blackhole
    Oct 16, 2024 – 57:06
  • The two Tory horse race
    Oct 9, 2024 – 1:01:07
  • Robert Jenrick on his Tory leadership bid
    Oct 2, 2024 – 1:07:59
  • Conference season chaos
    Sep 25, 2024 – 1:03:08
  • Tom Tugendhat on his bid for Tory leadership
    Sep 18, 2024 – 1:16:50
  • Winter fuel woes
    Sep 11, 2024 – 1:04:54
  • It’s a (Tory leadership) knockout!
    Sep 4, 2024 – 56:49
  • Is he two tier Keir?
    Aug 28, 2024 – 59:53
  • The rocket returns
    Aug 21, 2024 – 1:05:19
  • Best Voyages from the Rocket 2024 P3
    Aug 14, 2024 – 39:04
  • Best Voyages from the Rocket 2024 P2
    Aug 7, 2024 – 37:04
  • Kemi Badenoch on her Conservative Party leadership bid
    Aug 2, 2024 – 51:53
  • Best Voyages from the Rocket 2024 P1
    Jul 31, 2024 – 57:45
  • Silly Season Kicks Off
    Jul 24, 2024 – 59:45
  • The King’s (Labour) Speech
    Jul 17, 2024 – 57:01
  • Labour and their Starmtroopers
    Jul 10, 2024 – 1:03:21
  • To the Polls!
    Jul 3, 2024 – 46:51
  • Heat Wave of Politics
    Jun 26, 2024 – 58:46
  • The Anti-incumbency trend
    Jun 19, 2024 – 57:41
  • Co-pilots barrage Nigel Farage
    Jun 12, 2024 – 1:33:14
  • Debating the debate
    Jun 5, 2024 – 1:00:01
  • The 200th voyage on the rocket
    May 29, 2024 – 1:38:07
  • A cacophony of woe
    May 22, 2024 – 59:30
  • How long before Kevin Spacey is allowed to be uncancelled?
    May 15, 2024 – 1:04:57
  • A Tory hammering
    May 8, 2024 – 55:47
Recent Reviews
  • The S.K.P. Machine
    Immoral
    The aged should be killed (“assisted dying”) in order to save money? Monstrous!
  • Kevin Leary
    Very insightful. Thank you.
    Always interesting, and especially so today, approaching the election with Peter Hitchens as a guest.
  • Em Boddy
    Sanity saving
    Thank God for Pearson and Halligan over the last three years. They brought nuance to the fore, and spoke for those of us who didn’t have a platform. I continue to look forward to their weekly podcast.
  • lechienquimord
    The Frenchman with the American Passport
    As a longtime listener and avid fan of the U.K. culture and politics I have to give a resounding “Bravo” “Hoorah” and “Je ne sais quoi” to Allison and Liam. Listening to a clearer perspicacious view of U.K. current affairs by non establishment types like yourselves makes me less want to chunder in the loo and more wish to visit the last great refuge of territory outside the U.K. mainland but still a British Overseas Territory, Gibraltar and pal around with the locals. I’ll probably be listening to Planet Normal on my way there.
  • Gingerlicious
    Wonderful breath of sanity
    As a Brit living abroad this in a wonderful way to catch up on current affairs in the UK and hear a sane, rational and well reasoned common sense view that is sadly lacking from the ubiquitous BBC. It blows my mind that most media companies have been captured by a woke intelligentsia who are so out of touch with everyday people but foist condescending views on us daily over Brexit, the Climate, Gender and everything else. This podcast is the perfect antidote.
  • CommunityGadfly
    Hilarious…give a listen
    This American enjoys the witty political coverage. Humorless people are the worst.
  • J. A. Woodruff
    Not Just For Brits
    Planet Normal is the best podcast I’ve found for keeping up with politics and culture in the UK. But the “sweet realm of reason” is not exclusively populated by citizens of the “sceptered isle”. Allison and Liam cover topics such as woke ideology and the COVID pandemic which impact Britain and the US equally.
  • DS4769
    A breath of fresh air in a world of insanity
    An entertaining and thought provoking dose of normalcy!
  • StanleyFer
    Great podcast even if you aren’t a Brit
    This is an insightful, witty podcast that articulates and advocates for common sense. I’m not British but really enjoy their skewering of the appalling restrictions imposed by the British government. Pearson is my favorite columnist, and she’s brilliant on this podcast. I’m not as familiar with Liam Halligan but he is also excellent.
  • gooletownboy
    living in florida
    as an expat i constantly listen to news and as a telegraph subscriber i truly am impressed by your podcast.. We thankfully have. governor here who understand what the economy and what the population require.. We have effectively had little or no shutdown.. Schools are open beaches restaurants museum etc.. plus Florida is laughingly described as Gods waiting room... So if we are wide open what in Gods name are the conservatives doing to my old country.. waiting to visit sometime soon.. I am 65 and get my second jab next week your guys are brilliant David W
  • O_rly65
    fantastic common sense views
    cutting through the cynisism an insanity of mainstream mis conceptions
  • YankInSlough
    Brilliant! I miss this British forthrightness!
    Lived in England for 8 years. Love British journalism, left, right, and center. I especially love the approach of Planet Normal, which combines intelligent critical commentary with a great sense of humour. So glad I found this. Cheers!
  • pdc11
    Facts....?
    I feel that opinions should be based on facts or at the very least should not be based on demonstrable falsehoods when espoused by journalists. Arguing that teenagers should get COVID to act as a shield for grandparents is frankly astounding. We certainly do not know the long term impacts of even asymptomatic infection but more herd immunity only kicks in at a minimum of 50% (a minimum). Teenagers/young adults make up a substantially smaller % than that in UK. So actually rave parties would only serve to increase community spread and kill more people. Furthermore, teachers have absolutely contracted COVID from students and died. This does no favors for the Telegraph or journalism. Shame. Started out good but the irreverence for life and facts means unsubscribing. Suggest others do the same.
  • Michelle from LI
    Been recommending you to all my friends - globally!
    My friend Chris, who lives in Toronto, is originally from the UK. He recommended I listen to your podcast. We often discuss, with varying degrees of disgust, the quality of elected officials globally (every country has varying degrees of ineptitude). While I live in NYC I find your podcasts very apt and often can close my eyes and substitute NY for London and the US for the UK. I have recommended your podcast to friends here in the US, in Canada, South Africa and Australia. Keep up the good work! Michelle
  • Jayne D.
    A Breath of Fresh Air
    I'm so glad to have found this podcast. As an American, I am fed up with the elitist, one-sided reporting we get from most of our mainstream media, and it seems as though these British hosts are, too. They discuss current affairs from the viewpoint of more-average people, and I enjoy their memories of childhood and youth in a simpler time, and their commentary on current government excesses supposedly keeping citizens safe, but at the cost of freedom. Also, I've been impressed with their fascinating interviews with guests knowledgeable in fields from national security to domestic commerce.
  • Jay UKUSA
    Excellent and refreshing.
    Finally! A voice with normal views that I suspect the quiet majority hold. It’s so important to challenge the madness and groupthink of woke mainstream mainstream media and this does it. Bravo!
  • Danielle - USA
    A complete tonic - excellent listening
    It’s so refreshing to hear people with other similar views on the world amidst this coronavirus madness. Keep up the good work!
  • Blackaye!
    Not A Great Guardian Supporter, but...
    I’m not a great supporter of Guardian politics, but so far, these Podcasts are absolutely excellent. The guests are spellbinding and subjects well presented. I do hope the presenters try and maintain an unbiased approach because frankly, while we suffer to delusions of COVID, we need balanced arguments. Thank you!!
  • Joesao
    Excellent! Must listen
    This is a must-listen podcast from UK journalists. To an American it is especially refreshing as the voices are candid, not restrained by faux political correctness, willing to tackle tough topics and have open conversations. The British Empire clearly remains great.
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