Heart v Head PR

Heart v Head PR

Author: BBC Radio 4 February 18, 2026 Duration: 30:55

How do you fight a PR battle when everyone's already decided you're the bad guys?

That's the problem facing the water industry on the eve of a new Channel 4 factual drama called Dirty Business. The clue is in the title. It focuses on a 10-year investigation into sewage-polluted waters.

Sticking to the facts is a basic rule of PR - but when coming up against raw anger and emotion, do you need more than facts? How do you appeal to hearts as well as minds?

On the extended edition on BBC Sounds, PR itself is in the dock. Two firms have found themselves making rather than shaping the news in recent weeks - over the Epstein files and allegations of trying to journalists. Put mildly, the companies involved have a battle on their hands to protect their own reputations. David and Simon explain why.

And if you think Heathrow is too crowded, you're very much mistaken. According to the CEO of the airport, it's simply because people are 'walking in the wrong places'. He might have a point, but the problem is, if you say something that sounds ridiculous, it doesn't matter how right you are - you're wrong.

Producer: Duncan Middleton Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: Eve Streeter Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4


Tune in to When It Hits the Fan for a masterclass in reputation management, hosted by two insiders who have lived through the pressure of the headlines. David Yelland, former editor of The Sun, and communications expert Simon Lewis, bring their unparalleled experience to this BBC Radio 4 podcast. Each week, they dissect the most spectacular public relations meltdowns making news, offering a rare glimpse into the frantic world of crisis managers and spin doctors. You’ll hear them trace the origins of a scandal, pinpointing the exact moment strategies began to unravel and public perception shifted. This isn't just commentary; it's a forensic breakdown of how modern media storms are weathered or worsened by those in charge. The analysis is grounded in real-world stakes, exploring the political and personal consequences of every misstep and recovery attempt. For anyone fascinated by the intersection of media, power, and human error, this podcast provides an essential and gripping narrative. Listening feels like being in the room for a candid, post-mortem between two veterans who understand the game better than most. Their conversations reveal the mechanics behind the news cycle, making sense of how stories explode and what happens when control is lost.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

When It Hits the Fan
Podcast Episodes
Quick Wins: Office Parties [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:13
Quick Wins from the When It Hits the Fan team is our how-to guide to being better at your own PR and navigating the world of work like a pro. In these special short episodes, David Yelland and Simon Lewis give you lots o…
Jaguar’s rebrand, John Prescott and Meet the Rees-Moggs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:32
Jaguar’s rebrand video has sent the internet into meltdown, and the insults are piling up. The car manufacturer’s wildly uncharacteristic advert has even tempted Elon Musk into the conversation. David Yelland and Simon L…
Why Trump means boom times for PR, and a Rivals spat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:20
In his first presidency, Donald Trump vowed to “drain the swamp of Washington DC” - PR agents and all. So, how can a second Trump presidency possibly look promising for PR? David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss how chang…
Telling the truth, being on TV and the best PR comebacks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:22
In this special episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis let When It Hits the Fan listeners set the agenda and answer questions sent in to the Fan postbag.They discuss the truth - when to tell it, and when to hide it. If f…
Inside prestige PR, Starbucks and a cheese heist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:40
David Yelland and Simon Lewis lift the lid on the rarely talked about world of establishment PR and the great battle for influence happening behind the scenes in modern Britain. It’s why Peter Mandelson, William Hague an…
Could PR have helped Liam Payne?, Thomas Tuchel and the Trump biopic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:40
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…
Kamala Harris, Man City v the Premier League and LinkedIn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:29
David and Simon discuss Kamala Harris’s interview on the hit US podcast Call Her Daddy. What can British politicians and business leaders learn about the power of being three-dimensional and opening up?Also, it’s a game…