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
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
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas?
As the UK gears up for the golden quarter, Felicity Hannah speaks to an advertising exec.Elsewhere, we take stock after a busy day of interest rate decisions; and Trump's coming back, but what will his second presidency mean for the global economy?
08/11/24•53m 12s
07/11/2024
News and insight from the business world. Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.
07/11/24•52m 24s
Side Hustle Success
Sean Farrington hears how Applied Nutrition's CEO turned a side hustle into a multi-million pound listed company. And voters get ready to head to the polls in the US election.
05/11/24•54m 31s
Man New
Manchester United has found a new manager. Sean Farrington hears how the new appointment has gone down and what fans want to see at the club?
04/11/24•52m 33s
Festival of Lights
Felicity Hannah finds out how businesses are celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Plus, is the car finance industry facing a showdown with consumers?
01/11/24•53m 3s
The Budget: trick or treat?
Will Bain unpicks the detail of the first Labour budget in 14 years with business leaders, workers and economists.
31/10/24•53m 2s
Budget Day 2024
As the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves unveils the new Labour government's tax and spending plans, Will Bain hears from people across the UK about what they'd like to see. As well as people's views from around the UK we get opinion from business voices in food production, manufacturing, hospitality, the financial sector, the UK's biggest theme park chain and not one but two former government advisors.
30/10/24•52m 23s
Volkswagen Hits The Brakes?
As trade unions says Volkswagen plans to close three factories, cut thousands of jobs and initiate pay cuts, Sean Farrington asks what how serious is this for the carmaker.The Chancellor will try to give NHS England a financial shot in the arm as part of the Budget, but how much money does she realistically have to play with? We find out.
And after Manchester United say goodbye to manager Erik Ten Hag, a football finance expert tells Wake Up to Money what the financial considerations behind it might've been.
29/10/24•51m 16s
Bake Up to Money
News and insight from the business world. Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.
28/10/24•52m 36s
25/10/2024
News and insight from the business world. Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.
25/10/24•53m 36s
Boeing back to work?
Will Bain has the latest as striking workers at Boeing vote on a new pay deal. Plus, the boss of the UK's biggest pub chain says its time for business rates reform.
24/10/24•52m 9s
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