Heathrow special: inside the crisis

Heathrow special: inside the crisis

Author: BBC Radio 4 March 25, 2025 Duration: 26:26

In this special episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis unpick the PR levers being pulled behind the Heathrow airport shutdown caused by a fire at a local power substation – which left 300,000 passengers stranded, 1,300 flights cancelled and its CEO in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Was it wise to let it be known that CEO Thomas Woldbye was asleep when the decision was made to shut the airport? Or was it a leak?

In any crisis there is always a blame game - who are the winners and losers here?

Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller 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: How to use storytelling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:57
Quick Wins is a series of short episodes from the When It Hits the Fan team to help you navigate your own personal PR.In this episode, David and Simon answer a listener's question on how to use storytelling when presenti…
Quick Wins: How to recover from embarrassment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:35
Quick Wins is our how-to guide to personal PR from the When It Hits the Fan team. David Yelland and Simon Lewis share their expert advice on how to navigate the working world like a pro. In these special short episodes,…
2024: the big ideas that shaped our year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:15
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the use of 'royal sources' in Prince Andrew's China crises and reflect on the big ideas that have shaped our world in 2024. What are the common themes that might help us understand a…
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…