Comedy writer Armando Iannucci decodes the utterly baffling world of political language.
5th June 2025
This week, Helen Lewis is away, so comedian and writer Stewart Lee joins Armando to look at Robert Jenrick’s flashy video in which he takes aim at ‘weird Turkish barber shops’, among other things. They discuss how the way politicians, entertainers and journalists are changing and overlapping, and Armando recalls the time he read politician’s jokes in a comedy club (spoiler alert, it was a disaster).
25th September 2025
Stewart Lee returns to the show, to join Armando in discussing ‘hurty words’.
With Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, and in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, free speech is in the spotlight again. Those who railed against ‘cancel culture’ are now getting into ‘consequence culture’. We also discuss how Marvel’s superheroes might respond to the actions of their new owners, and whether you can pray in your own homes in this country anymore (spoiler alert, you can).
16th October 2025
One one hand, the world is going to hell, on the other, the age of terror and death has ended, so which is it? Stewart Lee joins Armando to take a look at this maximal approach to political language.
How do you do moderate politics with caps lock on? What’s the smart way to diffuse complex arguments about politics? And given the details still to be worked out in the Isreal Gaza peace process, is this week’s Peace Summit Trump’s ‘Mission Accomplished’ moment?
30th October 2025
This week, Armando is joined again by Stewart Lee to look at how political actors use language.
Wes Streeting says there is a ‘deep disillusionment in this country’, and says there is a “growing sense of despair about whether anyone is capable of turning this country round”. Why is that? And does politicians speaking in that way confound our misery? We look at Sarah Pochin’s comments about black and asian people in adverts, and the responses across parliament to that. We also look at how much news is just speculation, and how politicians use speculation to further their arguments.
We also look at how we get our news – is it exhausting to have to keep fact checking things ourselves? Is it preferable to the alternative?
Armando shares his confusion at Immersive experiences, and Stewart invents a new word, and we hear about Starmer’s charm offensive.
27th November 2025
It’s budget week, Armando is joined by two members of the Strong Message Here commune, Natalie Haynes and Stewart Lee. How do markets get ‘spooked’? Who has the broadest shoulders? And what does ‘a Labour Budget with Labour values’ actually mean? We discuss how taxes get their nicknames, why we know so much about the budget ahead of time these days, and whether Rachel Reeves could’ve taken inspiration from Taylor Swift to make the budget more exciting. In the longer edition, we also look at ‘the banter defence’, and decide a new name for ‘the markets’ that feels more apt for the way they behave.
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Sidsings000, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Shit Crit, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Spursguy, Youtube
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Dan McCaid, Twitter
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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World Without End, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Bosco239, youtube
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Stuart, Chortle
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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XPIJONpsY, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk