But could someone tell Sarah Vine that the BBC can’t just sell iPlayer round the world like Netflix due to significant complexities around rights restrictions. People at the BBC aren’t so stupid that they’ve just never thought of that….

Peter Hitchens legend. Doesn’t give a fig, wish there were more like him. Keep saying what is right Peter!

Centre left (ish) listener here. This podcast is wonderful. Funny, honest and witty - even when I disagree with Peter or Sarah, still love hearing their opinions and thoughts. Please make it 1 hour long. X x x

So entertaining, frequently intellectually fresh with many unique insights / scoops! Thanks

A must listen every week!

(And a refuge of sanity for many - of that I’m positive):

Fantastic podcast. I know some think Hitchens is arrogant or out of touch but he is unquestionably far more educated and wiser than most journalists or politicians today. Most importantly, he thinks for himself and if perhaps not always entirely right, that’s certainly a respectable quality.

A great podcast. Just wish it was longer!

A splendid podcast full of pomp and pomposity. However when they denigrate various food types for example I only wish they would discuss what they do in fact eat and what their favourite meals etc are. I would imagine Peter Hitchens has never eaten tomato sauce, a fruit smoothie or had a milkshake in his whole life but that’s possibly an inaccurate profile based on my perception!

I used to enjoy this in Reaction mode but unsubscribed to the relaunch. Hitchens doesnt have the voice for podcasts and is too set in his opinions for it to be a lively discussion.

I recently listened to Hitchens talk to Aaron Bastani and thought he gave a very good account of himself. I’m always looking to challenge my own biases to improve my understanding of the world & had had this recommended so dove in enthusiastically. I’m afraid my opinion has reverted back to my previous one, which is that Hitchens is a tiresome blowhard with an unrealistically high estimation of his own intelligence. This

is something quite natural with older journalists - particularly those surrounded by sycophants desperate to tell them how insightful they are, something I’m afraid Sarah Vine seems desperate to do. Hitchens is this free to weave elaborate (but stupid) theories presented like “eg if America lost the Cold War they would have lost California to Mexico” - all plausibly argued but also empty. A lot of his schtick is saying how stupid everyone is, except him of course, a classic guru technique to make you feel you, the listener, are the elect so able to see deeper. It’s a swindle frankly. I think this would work much better if he had an interlocutor who would push back at all but we all know he storms out of interviews when this happens (Cosmic Skeptic) so I guess that’s not an available option.

One final aside, I found the anecdote about how Hitchens used to avoid trouble when he frequented “public houses” very revealing. “Don’t provoke people” was the upshot. This betrays a level of abject physical cowardice that probably explains why he doesn’t go to pubs anymore, but hasn’t given him the insight that maybe one should stand up to bullies.

Hitchens is interesting but he continually talks over Sarah Vine ignoring every cue that it’s her turn to speak. This makes the podcast impossible to listen to.

Is this satire? On what planet would anyone want to listen to this pair?

Sarah & Andrew are terrific together and say things as they are, no spin

I can’t quite take to this one. I much preferred Sarah and Imogen. Now that was a classy duo.

Funny, poignant and relevant - love it.have downloaded several for those ‘spare moment’ Victoria Scarborough

I have only just started listening to this podcast and I love it. Short and to the point. Very easy listening.