When It Hits the Fan

Could PR have helped Liam Payne?, Thomas Tuchel and the Trump biopic

In the wake of the death of the One Direction star Liam Payne, David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the role of protection in PR. Advisers are often the first people to know about a problem, and the first to try to fix it. Could celebrity publicists learn something about duty of care from the world of corporate PR? David and Simon talk fame, addiction and the importance of creating private space. Also, the FA has walked into an apparent PR own goal appointing a German head coach to manage the England men’s football team. Why is leaning into a short-term tabloid burial sometimes the smartest move?And, following the release of the new Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice – how to manage your client’s PR when Hollywood comes knocking.Producer: Eve Streeter 
Editor: Sarah Teasdale 
Executive Producer: William Miller 
Music by Eclectic Sounds 
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4

Inside the world of crisis managers and spin doctors as David Yelland and Simon Lewis watch the week's biggest PR disasters unfold. In each episode our hosts go behind the scenes of the latest news stories and find out how, where and when it all began to hit the fan. When It Hits The Fan is hosted by two of the most influential and experienced people in the game; David Yelland is the former editor of the Sun and alongside him is Simon Lewis, former trouble-shooter for the Queen and Gordon Brown, as well as for major corporations like the Nat West, Vodafone and British Gas. Together they bring decades of experience in both creating and managing crises. They'll share all they know about what's keeping those big stories in and out of the news.