2. The Talent Show Boom: Pop Idol and The X F...

Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes look at how one of TV’s most popular shows became mired in tragedy and controversy. Where did it all go wrong? And is this the end for reality TV? Featuring interviews with Megan Barton-Hanson, Dr Alex George, Jake Cornish, Rachel Finni and many more. ...  Show more

Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale analyse how Love Island became a finishing school for influencers and a commercial juggernaut through its association with fast fashion. Featuring interviews with Megan Barton-Hanson, Dr Alex George, and many more. Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive P ...  Show more

We’re Talking TV TALENT SHOWS: Two of the most iconic contestants - Cher Lloyd and Calum Scott - open up about their unforgettable auditions and what really happened after the cameras stopped rolling. ◽️ Cher takes us back to The X Factor stage at just 16 - and the backlash that ...  Show more

Welcome to the era of the reboot. Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen doing up people’s living rooms, Ruby Wax interviewing Hollywood stars. New versions of Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Blankety Blank, Sex and the City. So why are there so many rebooted formats? Is it because the 90s and 00s w ...  Show more

Poet Fiona Sampson, conductor Alice Farnham, and broadcaster Tom Service join Ian McMillan to explore the maths, metaphors and musical terms that make up the language of conducting. Plus comedy writer Jack Bernhardt takes a sideways look at Hollywood's take on the tortured genius ...  Show more

This week on Fortunately Fi and Jane are joined by the journalists Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes, hosts of the podcast Unreal, a critical history of reality TV. Unreal looks back to the earliest days of the format and takes us all the way to today, featuring iconic shows and stars ...  Show more