Pod Save the UK
4.8/5
Critic Rating
Pod Save the UK is your weekly fix of political news, big ideas and a shot of inspiration. Each week hosts, comedian Nish Kumar and journalist Coco Khan are joined by politicians, experts, and famous friends to unpick the latest news, look for solutions, and inspire action. From Crooked Media – the creators of Pod Save America – in partnership with Reduced Listening, tune in to new episodes of Pod Save the UK every Thursday wherever you pod.
Critic Reviews
Score: 4.5
Patricia Nicol • The Times UK • May 14, 2023
"Nish Kumar is a biggish star — more should be spent on getting guests into a recording studio and sound mixing. She(Coco Khan) has an attractive warmth as a presenter and had the best lines of the launch episode. The ideas and analysis are strong, but I craved more jokes and satire with edge."
Score: 5
Fiona Sturges • Financial Times • May 14, 2023
"The series kicks off with confidence...Much comic mileage comes from identifying the differences in the respective political systems of the UK and the US. Khan and Kumar have chemistry and an unruly energy, and the ratio of serious to funny is expertly judged...there is a gap in the market for a political series that understands what is annoying voters and treats its listeners as equals. Pod Save the UK fills that gap nicely."
Score: 4.5
Miranda Sawyer • The Guardian • May 13, 2023
"...comedian Nish Kumar and journalist Coco Khan. Neither, then, have the inside government info that the US version has, making this more of a straightforwardly funny-but-serious leftwing political show. Of the two hosts, Khan is much the better; quick-witted and well informed, though slightly too loud. Kumar is, sadly, just loud."
Score: 5
James Marriot • The Times UK • May 12, 2023
"I expected to bristle in a high-minded way at a dumbed-down jokes-first sort of politics podcast. In fact, it really works. Kumar and Khan are broadcasting pros — as I should probably have expected. Pod Save the UK is full of energy. The banterous chat works perfectly from the beginning and never feels forced. The left-wing perspective is refreshing in a podcasting landscape dominated by indignant centrists...Most podcasts take a while to find their feet but this is an impeccable debut."
Score: 5
PR Staff • PodcastReview.org • May 10, 2023
"...exactly what the island nation needs amidst stagnant economic growth and a beleaguered NHS. Hosts Nish Kumar and Coco Khan manage to put a light-hearted spin on such events. The choice of Kumar, a comedian, as a host seems fitting. Amid Brexit and Boris’s gang of conniving bozos, a majority of British voters appear resigned to their dire predicament. It requires an extraordinarily humorous host to transform that into entertainment."
Score: 5
Alexi Duggins • The Guardian • May 4, 2023
"Nish Kumar is one of our foremost political satirists and Guardian journalist Coco Khan is unfailingly witty about current affairs. It’s less a play for laughs than genuine analysis that’s full of withering putdowns on topics such as the immigration bill. "
