The long-running, good-natured rivalry between political broadcasting figures Alastair Campbell and Jon Sopel has once again come to the fore, following a recent industry awards ceremony. Sopel's podcast, 'The News Agents', emerged victorious in the Political Podcast of the Year category at the Society of Editors's News Podcast Awards, with Campbell's 'The Rest is Politics' receiving a 'highly commended' recognition.
Sopel wasted no time in playfully announcing his win on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday, 18th June, congratulating Campbell's podcast for its runner-up position. Campbell responded with characteristic humour, tweeting, "Oh damn ... did we forget to turn up or buy a table!?" This exchange is typical of their public interactions, which often see them teasing each other about their respective shows' performance in the UK podcast charts.
Both 'The Rest is Politics', co-hosted by Campbell and former Conservative MP Rory Stewart, and 'The News Agents', featuring Sopel alongside Emily Maitlis and Lewis Goodall, have quickly established themselves as leading political podcasts since their launches in 2022. They frequently top lists of the most-streamed news podcasts in the UK, indicating a significant audience engagement with their content.
Despite the competitive banter, the relationship between Campbell and Sopel appears to be one of mutual respect and friendship. Campbell has previously appeared as a guest on 'The News Agents', and an amusing anecdote from last year saw Campbell inadvertently interrupt one of Sopel's recordings with a phone call to invite him to a football match. These interactions suggest the public 'feud' is largely for entertainment.
The success of these podcasts highlights a growing appetite among UK audiences for in-depth political discussion and analysis, often delivered in a less formal style than traditional broadcast media. Their high listenership figures underscore the significant role that digital platforms now play in shaping public discourse and providing news and commentary to a broad demographic.