Download News: Is this chaos worth it?
We’re doing a new thing on Ready to Talk: News – a short series of three episodes where we find the news stories that really pique your interest and get us talking.
On this episode - what the hell is going on in our politics - have we all become addicted to the psychodrama of leadership battles? As headlines ring out about 'basketcase Britain', one of those calling for Sir Keir Starmer to go tells us why the chaos of the week is all worth it. And there's a new TV trend we don't seem to be able to look away from - why smut is everywhere and will it help a sex-starved nation? Emma speaks to the writers behind the TV remake of Jilly Cooper's bonkbuster Rivals.
With, as you might expect, some explicit language.
Ready to Talk News is a Long Form Audio production for BBC Sounds.
Published on Thursday, 14th May 2026.
Available Podcasts from Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett
Subscribe to Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett
We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett webpage.