Rocket around the Christmas Tree!

Rocket around the Christmas Tree!

Author: The Telegraph December 25, 2025 Duration: 1:00:49

It’s a Merry Christmas from the Rocket of right thinking at Planet Normal to everyone stuck on Planet Earth


Your intrepid co-pilots reflect on a year of political thrills and economic spills, honouring the "citizens of Planet Normal" while handing out awards to the figures in public life who impressed - and those who most certainly did not. 


Amidst the Christmas cheer, your hosts offer a heartfelt thank you to their "intelligent and inspired" listeners for their tireless contributions throughout a tough year, before signing off with a promise of more wit, reason, and levity when the podcast returns in mid-January.


The festive spirit is bolstered by a special interview with British tennis star and Wimbledon doubles champion Henry Patten who straps in to tell us what a Wimbledon champion has for Christmas Dinner and shares his journey from the grass courts to the top of the sporting world. 


Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor |

Read Allison 'Non-crime hate incidents may be gone, but don’t expect the police to stop censoring you': https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/23/good-riddance-to-non-crime-hate-incidents/ |

Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/

Read Liam ‘Why I’m not cheering the pre-Christmas rate cut’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/12/21/why-im-not-cheering-the-pre-christmas-rate-cut/ |

Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |

Read Liam’s Substack: https://liamhalligan.substack.com/ |           

Read Tim Sigsworth ‘Father Christmas is ‘too white’’: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/21/santas-naughty-list-too-colonial-museum/

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Every Thursday, Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan step outside the daily noise to offer a different perspective on the week’s events. Planet Normal, from The Telegraph, is a conversation that often challenges the prevailing narratives found in mainstream media and political circles. This podcast digs into the stories shaping society, culture, and the news, focusing on the viewpoints and concerns that feel increasingly sidelined. Pearson and Halligan, both seasoned columnists, bring a blend of sharp analysis and relatable frustration to topics ranging from family life and economic pressures to broader cultural shifts. Their discussions feel like a break from a scripted debate, offering listeners a space where common sense and direct commentary take precedence. Tuning in provides a weekly reset-a chance to hear arguments grounded in everyday experience rather than abstract theory. It’s for anyone who feels the conventional discourse doesn’t quite reflect the reality they see. You’ll find the tone is more like a candid chat between two well-informed friends than a formal news broadcast, making complex issues accessible and engaging. This is the appeal of the Planet Normal podcast: a consistent, thoughtful alternative that speaks plainly about the forces shaping our world.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Planet Normal
Podcast Episodes
Tears of joy as Supreme Court rules on ‘women’ definition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Rachel’s bottomless bucket of woe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Duration: 1:02:12
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The Burgeoning Benefits Bill [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:40
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Ructions in Reform [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:33
As the internal ‘punch up’ in Reform UK rumbles on, your co-pilots give their take on the latest fumblings. But whose corner are they fighting for?Allison is unimpressed and thinks the last thing the country needs is to…
The Lockdown Legacy of Covid [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:38
It’s geopolitics stupid.The issue at the forefront of the rocket’s orbit today as there’s certainly no shortage of global madness to contend with.Both your co-pilots reflect on the explosive meeting between President’s,…
Allison  Pearson defends free speech against police [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:32
Co-pilot Pearson has a huge announcement this week as she launches legal action against Essex police after her traumatising experience last year. In this episode she explains what has led her to take a stand against such…
Reeves’ nation inflation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:26
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The final nail in the agricultural coffin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:51
Rule by law or rule by lawyers, that's the question your co-pilots are posing from the rocket today as they ponder the week’s events on Planet Earth, and there’s certainly no shortage of madness!Liam thinks the political…