• A Mostly F***ING BLEAK-Free Bugle!
    May 28 2025

    🎧 Support The Bugle! Become a Team Bugle subscriber for bonus episodes, exclusive merch, and the unmatched pleasure of elite-tier status: https://thebuglepodcast.com


    This week, Andy Zaltzman is joined by 'quibbling sibling' Helen Zaltzman and Josh Gondelman for a mostly F***ING BLEAK-free episode full of satire, jigsaw news and punctuation puns.


    🇨🇦 In Canada news:


    🧩 US-Canada trade war means jigsaw business owners are left picking up the pieces

    👑 King Charles visits the colonies with promises of arming an ordinarily placid country


    🇺🇸 In USA news:


    ☎️ Big Beautiful Bill resolute in bid to reach Trump's desk

    🤑 Food 'sucked' at Trump's $148m meme coin dinner


    📖 In Books and Language news:


    🤖 AI-generated summer reading list published in newspapers

    ;Semicolon usage on the decline


    ⛅️ In Light in the Darkness news:


    ☀️ Solar panels in space to transmit electricity to Earth

    🧠 Feeling awe helps mental health


    🎧 Listen to our sci-fi and fantasy comedy show Realms Unknown hosted by Bugle favourite Alice Fraser, and pick up her book A Passion for Passion here: http://uk.bookshop.org/shop/RealmsUnknown


    Produced by Ped Hunter and Chris Skinner.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    51 mins
  • Donald Loves Big Guns
    May 20 2025

    🎧 Support The Bugle! Become a Team Bugle subscriber for bonus episodes, exclusive merch, and the unmatched pleasure of elite-tier status: thebuglepodcast.com


    This week, Andy Zaltzman is joined by Tiff Stevenson, Hari Kondabolu, and elite-tier producer Chad for a power-packed episode full of satire, absurdity, and deeply unnecessary sequels.


    🇺🇸 In American news:


    Trump gets weirdly complimentary about muscly men in the Middle East

    James Comey—aspiring hitman or maître d’? And we ask: who will save the poor, struggling... private jet-owning white South Africans?


    💼 The team reveals their old jobs—the cash-grabs, the chaos, and the character-building.

    🦝 Wildlife news returns with animals doing very animal things.

    📚 In The Bin: books, including a baffling follow-up to The Joy of Sex. Spoiler: not joyful.


    📺 Watch our fantasy-comedy series Realms Unknown on this channel and pick up A Passion for Passion here: http://uk.bookshop.org/shop/RealmsUnknown


    Produced by Chad, along with Laura Turner and Chris Skinner.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    46 mins
  • MAGA Pope: Make America Guilty Again
    May 13 2025

    This week, Andy Zaltzman is joined by elite-tier Bugler and guest producer Belinda (as well as Nish Kumar and Tom Ballard) delivering a show so saucy it might get you banned from the Vatican gift shop.


    🔹 Support The Bugle! Get bonus episodes, exclusive video editions, and the moral superiority of a Team Bugle subscription: thebuglepodcast.com


    🏏 Top Story: India v Pakistan — More than just a cricket match, it’s a boiling cauldron of nationalism, sport obsession, and a few pesky borders. What does this frenzy say about both countries—and how does it compare to how Russia does fun (spoiler: poorly)?


    💸 Who will step in to sponsor the IPL extended break? We’re imagining a bidding war between detergent brands and authoritarian regimes.


    🇬🇧🇮🇳 Plus, we dive into the UK–India post-Brexit trade deal: will it involve actual trade, or just ceremonial handshakes and whisky?


    🕊️ Also in the news: a Ukraine ceasefire, which may or may not hold longer than a political promise, and Woke Pope News—has the Vatican gone vegan?


    🎤 And in literary slander: Is Andy Zaltzman truly “the Wordsworth of anal filth”? We may never know, but we’ll speculate wildly.


    ⚖️ Also, we remember the Witch Trials—a time when women were persecuted for floating, speaking, or simply existing—and toss some flaming audio cocktails into the bin for good measure.


    🎧 Watch our fantasy-meets-satire show Realms Unknown on YouTube, and check out A Passion for Passion here: http://uk.bookshop.org/shop/RealmsUnknown


    🔔 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for weekly satire on sport, politics, religion, and righteous nonsense.


    Produced by Belinda Copeland, with support from Chris Skinner and Laura Turner.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    55 mins
  • 25 years of Stalin Cosplay
    May 7 2025

    📯 Support The Bugle! Get exclusive video editions, bonus shows, and the right to feel a little superior: thebuglepodcast.com


    This week, Andy Zaltzman is joined by David O’Doherty and Alice Fraser to deliver your weekly fix of democracy despair, snake news, and historical nonsense.


    🗳️ Top Story: Global Democracy Update — The world is somehow both leaning towards and veering away from Donald Trump. We check in on:


    • Australia, where going viral now involves saying racist things in chip shops 🍟
    • The UK, where a party that is definitely not far-right (and will sue you if you say otherwise) made gains 🏴
    • And Ireland, where we mark the first hundred days of government with a sigh, a shrug, and mild confusion ☘️


    🌍 Also this week: Remember when Net Zero was an actual goal and not just a vague eco-dream whispered into the wind? Good times.


    🐍 In Snake News: one man basically conquers snakes by letting them bite him. Yes, this is a real story. Yes, he’s probably not okay.


    📚 Plus, we look back at Tennessee banning the teaching of evolution (because that could never happen again, right?), and the thrill of the first four-minute mile.


    🎧 Check out Realms Unknown, our fully visualised YouTube show, and grab your copy of A Passion for Passion here: Bookshop.org


    🔔 LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for satirical takes on politics, history, science, and slippery reptiles.


    Produced by Tom Wright, Chris Skinner, and Laura Turner.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    49 mins
  • Carney Trumps MAGA, and we explain Pete Hegseth
    Apr 30 2025

    Support The Bugle! Get exclusive video editions, bonus episodes, and fine smugness: thebuglepodcast.com


    This week, Andy Zaltzman is joined by Hari Kondabolu and Anuvab Pal for a turbo-charged tour through history, politics, and questionable phone etiquette.


    🍁 In Canada, Trump somehow manages to swing the election against him—was trying to make just one extra state the fatal flaw? We dig into North America's weirdest geopolitical fantasy.


    📱 Pete Hegseth’s phone game is all over the place—so naturally, we guess what might explain his behaviour. We're probably wrong.


    🧵 The Bayeux Tapestry—beautiful, historic, and possibly the result of an 11th-century frat house? We count the danglers (yes, actual danglers), and ask: was this the first ever meme thread?


    🔔 Hit LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for your weekly dose of international satire, ancient art mockery, and unfiltered Bugle nonsense.


    Produced by Chris Skinner and Laura Turner.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    49 mins
  • The Pope, The Wrestler and The Terrorist
    Apr 23 2025

    Support The Bugle, we only exist because you make it happen: http://thebuglepodcast.com/donate. Our first Elite Tier Buglers will be co-producing episodes in the next month!


    This week we look back at the arrival of Pope Francis, and the end of Osama Bin Laden - as revealed by John Cena.


    Includes a clip from Realms Unknown, which is in your pod feed now!


    A new Bugle is in your feed next week.


    This episode was produced by Chris Skinner and Laura Turner.


    Presented by Andy Zaltzman, with John Oliver, Alice Fraser and James Colley.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    38 mins
  • Dr Evil Set To Impose Million Percent Tariffs!
    Apr 14 2025

    This week on The Bugle, Andy is joined by Josie Long and Nato Green for a chaotic cruise through the week’s weirdest news.


    💰 Top Story: Tariffs (ugh, again) — but this time, we’re talking a million percent tariffs. Are we heading toward a financial apocalypse, or just another Tuesday in global trade?


    🗞️ America is drifting away from reality, and the news is... not helping. Meanwhile, US university funding takes another hit. Spoiler: it’s not looking good for future rocket scientists.


    🐀 And in Rat News from Birmingham: the rats are multiplying, they’re confident, and some may now speak English. Yes, really.


    🔹 Support The Bugle! Get bonus episodes, exclusive merch & warm smugness: www.thebuglepodcast.com/donate


    🎧 Check out our new show Realms Unknown, now fully visualized on YouTube! And if you’re passionate about passion, don’t miss A Passion for Passion – grab your copy here: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/RealmsUnknown


    🔔 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for your weekly dose of satirical news, politics, and comedy chaos.


    Produced by Chris Skinner and Laura Turner

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    38 mins
  • Liberation Day: Weird, at best
    Apr 6 2025

    🔹 Support The Bugle! Become a Team Bugle subscriber for bonus shows, exclusive merch, and the warm glow of self-satisfaction: www.thebuglepodcast.com/donate.


    This week, Andy is joined by Alice and Tiff as we toss useless kitchen gadgets into the bin and declare it Liberation Day— the world is free… or at least pretending to be!


    📰 Top Story: Global economic weight-loss plans, penguin-based trade analysis, and a surprise appearance from Norfolk Island.


    🎺 Trump news (still a thing): Why is he firing national security staff? And what does Laura Loomer have to do with it?


    👀 Cory Booker makes headlines for not peeing.


    ⚔️ Women in war: Who would have thought a very bad man would have a very bad take.


    🗿 In archaeology news: A 3-year-old makes a big discovery. Has she already peaked?


    And finally, a reminder from earlier: Fascism—still bad.


    🎧 Check out our new show, Realms Unknown! Now fully visualized on YouTube. And if you love passion, you’ll love A Passion for Passion—grab your copy here: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/RealmsUnknown.


    Produced by Laura Turner and Chris Skinner

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    44 mins
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