BP v 'Shouty' Albert

BP v 'Shouty' Albert

From When It Hits the Fan by BBC Radio 4

June 3, 2026 · 34 min

About this episode

The episode discusses BP's PR crisis following the Chairman's sacking and the evolving landscape of corporate redundancies.

When PR becomes the story, you know you're in trouble. And that's where BP finds itself right now - as the dust begins to settle after a tumultuous week for the company. David Yelland and Lauren Beeching unpick the drama - from the statement announcing the Chairman's shock sacking to the furious response from the man himself. They explain the PR mistakes made by both sides along the way - including creating a vacuum of information and, conversely, saying too much. And after all is said and done, who is the winner of this PR war? Also, on the extended edition on BBC Sounds, we're sticking with sacking. The world of redundancies has changed forever. Companies are now hiring crisis PR firms to manage the moment someone gets fired - because at a time where the person losing their job might have half a million TikTok followers, the old HR playbook just doesn't cut it anymore. And if you've been at the centre of a fan hitter, is it best to slink back to the shadows or try and stay firmly in the limelight? Rebekah Vardy's certainly taking the latter approach. Despite being publicly torn apart during the Wagatha Christie libel trial, she's now invited the cameras in for a new three-part…

People in this episode

Hosts: David Yelland, Lauren Beeching

Topics covered

  • public relations
  • corporate crisis
  • employment
  • media
  • reputation management

Keywords

  • BP
  • public relations
  • crisis management
  • Rebekah Vardy
  • Wagatha Christie
  • employment
  • media

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BP, ITV, BBC Sounds, Raconteur Studios

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