Shows / Strong Message Here
Strong Message Here
Armando Iannucci hosts the programme that gives you a cast-iron guarantee to be laser-focused on decoding the baffling world of political language.
Each week he'll be joined by a guest to crack open the political phrasebook and attempt to demystify the doublespeak. Why does everything now have to be 'turbo-charged'? What's the difference between a 'pledge' and a 'mission'? Why has my local MP been 'weaponised' and should I be worried?
You'll be treated to a crash course in the dark arts of…
Episodes
- Strong Message Here
Saddam Hussein's Cheesecake Factory (with Nish Kumar)
Armando is joined by comedian Nish Kumar to talk about petulance in politics. With Flavio Bolsonaro flouncing off, Trump accolytes baulking at Obama's joke…
- Strong Message Here
In a Surprise Announcement (with Beth Rigby)
Armando is joined by Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby to pore over the language surrounding the budget. Can you pre-trail a 'surprise announcement'? What…
- Strong Message Here
Don't Insult My Intelligence (with Chloe Petts and Marianna Spring)
Armando is joined by comedian Chloe Petts to look at whether we're getting more stupid, and whether we get the politicians we deserve. To get into the weeds of…
- Strong Message Here
Handcuffed to a Zombie (with Tom Peck)
Armando is joined by sketchwriter for the Times, Tom Peck, to look at the language of the schism on the British right Following on from party conference…
- Strong Message Here
Super Intelligence (with Stewart Lee and Carole Cadwalladr)
Armando is joined by Stewart Lee to look at the newly rebranded 'Super Intelligence'. To get into the linguistic weeds, they are also joined by founding member…
- Strong Message Here
Political Capital (with Pierre Novellie)
Armando is joined by comedian Pierre Novellie this week, and they’re going to have an honest conversation about political capital. Looking at some of the…
- Strong Message Here
We Care, We Fight! (with Stewart Lee)
Stewart Lee returns to the show after a summer judging dog shows with Charlotte Church. He and Armando look at the Lib Dem conference, and why the 'word cloud'…
- Strong Message Here
I Wasn't Even Listening (with Natalie Haynes)
Armando is back from a summer break to look at the use and abuse of political language. Joined by friend of the show, Natalie Haynes, they mournfully fell the…
Strong Message HereYour Next Listen: The People Have Spoken
While Armando is still on his summer break, Ian Smith introduces his Friday Night Comedy series, The People Have Spoken.It's time for the people to speak. In…
Strong Message HereYour Next Listen: Top Comment
While Armando takes a well-earned break, former Strong Message Here guest and BBC social media investigations correspondent Marianna Spring introduces her…
- Strong Message Here
Doing Politics Differently (with Phil Wang and Pierre Novellie)
This week, Phil Wang steps in for Armando, and is joined by comedian Pierre Novellie to discuss 'doing politics differently'. Digging into the language of…
- Strong Message Here
A Swift Transition (with Matt Forde and Ria Lina)
Armando is under the weather this week, so in true World Cup style, we have called up a super sub. Matt Forde steps in to host, and Ria Lina joins him to…
- Strong Message Here
It's All Signed (with Stewart Lee)
Stewart Lee joins Armando to look at the detail, or lack thereof in the US and Iran deal. What is a memorandum of understanding? Does the language of UFC apply…
- Strong Message Here
Fanning the Flames (with Hugo Rifkind)
Hugo Rifkind joins Armando, fresh from interviewing a highland cow, to discuss the phrase 'fanning the flames'. Can a politician ever avoid politicising an…
- Strong Message Here
There's Been An Under-Discussion (with Natalie Haynes)
Natalie Haynes joins Armando to look at the differing language used when discussing the benefits and risks of the AI revolution. Is it just 'a thing' which is…
- Strong Message Here
That's Not for Me to Say (with Munya Chawawa)
Fresh from a trip to America, Munya Chawawa joins Armando to discuss the political art of saying nothing. Munya recently looked at the parallels between Trump…
- Strong Message Here
A Febrile Atmosphere (with Tom Peck)
How do you capture the atmosphere of the commons? Parliamentary sketch writer for The Times, Tom Peck, joins Armando to discuss his most detested political…
- Strong Message Here
We Can't Go On Like This (with Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ayesha Hazarika)
This week, we look at the language of embattled leaders, and some triumphant ones. Joined by Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ayesha Hazarika, we pore over the speech…
- Strong Message Here
Technological Republic (with Stewart Lee and Carole Cadwalladr)
What is the Technological Republic? Armando, Stewart and founder of The Nerve, Carole Cadwalladr, discuss the language and posture of the manifesto released by…
- Strong Message Here
Game On (with Natalie Haynes)
Ready Player One? Natalie Haynes joins Armando once again to talk about the rise of prediction markets, and how they might affect political language. We also…
- Strong Message Here
The Process Was Followed (with Tim Shipman)
Tim Shipman steps out of a busy week in Westminster to talk Armando through the language of political crises. Whether "time will tell", or "the matter has been…
- Strong Message Here
Only the Fake News Would Come Up with This (with Amol Rajan)
Politicians have their own podcasts, the Government has launched a YouTube channel. It seems our political class want to bypass traditional media to get their…
- Strong Message Here
Righteous Targets for Violence (with Hugo Rifkind)
Hugo Rifkind joins Armando for a chat about the religious language in politics. After a quick detour round the far side of the moon, we find out Trump's…
- Strong Message Here
Deep Disillusionment in This Country (with Stewart Lee)
This week, Armando is joined again by Stewart Lee to look at how political actors use language. Wes Streeting says there is a 'deep disillusionment in this…
- Strong Message Here
That's a Great Question (with Stewart Lee in Laugharne)
Stewart Lee joins Armando at the Millennium Hall in Laugharne. Is AI too sycophantic? Should we worry about how military-grade AI is being sold in start-up…
- Strong Message Here
We're Here to Listen (with Stewart Lee in Laugharne)
Armando is joined by Stewart Lee at the Millennium Hall in Laugharne. Taking the audience's most loathed political soundbites, we discuss 'existential…
- Strong Message Here
You Don't Have to Worry (with Marina Hyde)
Marina Hyde returns to join Armando for a positive look at some positive language. Pete Hegseth tells us not to worry about the Strait of Hormuz, Trump tells…
- Strong Message Here
I Understand the Anxiety (with Ria Lina and Coco Khan)
Armando is joined by Ria Lina and host of Pod Save the UK, Coco Khan, to look at the political language around anxiety. How do we engage with difficult…
- Strong Message Here
Get Real (with Hugo Rifkind)
Journalist and Times Radio presenter Hugo Rifkind joins Armando this week. In another breakneck week, we look at the language of reality in politics. Are…
- Strong Message Here
History Will Judge You (with Stewart Lee)
Stewart Lee joins Armando again this week. With a by-election on, we look away from the present day and think about how history will judge politicians. Some of…
- Strong Message Here
For the Sake of Transparency (with Natalie Haynes and Michael Gove)
Armando is joined by Natalie Haynes and Michael Gove to discuss the true meaning of transparency. With his experience as both a politician and a journalist…
- Strong Message Here
Psychodrama (with Stewart Lee)
Stewart Lee joins Armando to examine the language around political pyschodramas. We've discussed political language becoming maximalist, but it also gone into…
- Strong Message Here
You've Let Your Country Down (with Emily Maitlis)
Has a man once described as 'teflon' finally run out of spin? Peter Mandelson suggests he needs to run an investigation into himself, but to do an…
- Strong Message Here
Are You a Stupid Person? (with Natalie Haynes)
Was Andy Burnham blocked from running in the Gorton and Denton by-election because Labour need to save resources for elections they ‘must have’? Was the Tory…
- Strong Message Here
U-Turns and Turncoats (with Stewart Lee)
With the backdrop of tariffs and territorial land grabs, Stewart and Armando look at the political language of U-turns and turncoats. With politicians having…
- Strong Message Here
Elections Aren't Won on Twitter (with Phil Wang and Marianna Spring)
Is Keir Starmer stuck in 2016? BBC's Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent Marianna Spring joins Phil Wang and Armando to look at the evolving…
- Strong Message Here
Regime Change (with Natalie Haynes)
New Year, and Venezuela is under new management. The fallout from the "extraction" of Maduro has thrown up some interesting political language. Why aren't the…
- Strong Message Here
Listeners' Strong Messages (with Stewart Lee)
It's New Year's day, so Armando and Stewart are dipping into the very real, physical listeners' mailbag. In a loose and end-of-term episode, with some adult…
- Strong Message Here
Words of the Year (with Natalie Haynes)
As the year comes to a close, Natalie Haynes joins Armando to discuss and dissect the words of 2025. Looking at official lists, and conjuring up some of their…
- Strong Message Here
Civilisational Erasure (with Stewart Lee)
Is 'Civilisational Erasure' upon us? This week, Armando is joined again by Stewart Lee to look at this phrase, and others from the US' new National Security…
- Strong Message Here
AI Hallucinations (with Stewart Lee and Sarah Wynn-Williams)
This week, Armando is joined again by Stewart Lee to discuss the language around AI. They are also joined by public policy expert and author of Careless…
- Strong Message Here
Spooking the Markets (with Natalie Haynes and Stewart Lee)
It's budget week, Armando is joined by two members of the Strong Message Here commune, Natalie Haynes and Stewart Lee. How do markets get 'spooked'? Who has…
- Strong Message Here
Moral Failure and Deadly Negligence (with Sara Pascoe and Matt Winning)
António Guterres has said that missing the 1.5 degree climate target is "a moral failure and deadly negligence". Is he right? Dr Matt Winning joins Sara Pascoe…
- Strong Message Here
The Buck Stops Here (with Ria Lina and Sophy Ridge)
This week, Armando is joined again by comedian Ria Lina, and Sky New's new breakfast host, Sophy Ridge. In the week with 2 big resignations at the BBC, news…
- Strong Message Here
Be Vigilant (with Phil Wang)
This week, Armando is joined by Phil Wang to look at the use and abuse of political language. Defence Secretary John Healy says we need to 'be vigilant', and…
- Strong Message Here
In Hindsight (with Ria Lina and Tim Shipman)
This week, Armando is joined again by comedian Ria Lina, and Political Editor of The Spectator, Tim Shipman. We're looking back at looking back. In a week…
- Strong Message Here
The End of the Age of Terror and Death (with Stewart Lee)
One one hand, the world is going to hell, on the other, the age of terror and death has ended, so which is it? Stewart Lee joins Armando to take a look at this…
- Strong Message Here
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition (with Natalie Haynes)
Did you know Keir Starmer's dad was a toolmaker? Of course you did, because he repeated it every time he was in front a microphone for years. Armando is joined…
- Strong Message Here
The Battle for the Soul of the Country (with Adam Fleming)
Armando is at the Labour Party conference (well, in a portakabin in a car park nearby - the glamour!), and is joined by Newscast's Adam Fleming to chat all…
- Strong Message Here
Hurty Words (with Stewart Lee)
Stewart Lee returns to the show, to join Armando in discussing 'hurty words'. With Jimmy Kimmel's suspension, and in the wake of Charlie Kirk's murder, free…
- Strong Message Here
Phase 2 (with Ria Lina)
In the first episode of the new series, Armando Iannucci and guest co-host, Ria Lina look at the use and abuse of political language. The political summer is…
Strong Message HereStrong Recommend: Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
In the last of our summer mini-series, Helen brings a book by Terry Pratchett. To Helen's surprise, this is a blind spot for Armando, who hasn't read any…
- Strong Message Here
Strong Recommend: Tehran (Apple TV+)
Armando has been watch Tehran on Apple TV. This multi-language show about spy agencies in Iran and Israel sheds gives you a glimpse in to life on the ground in…
- Strong Message Here
Strong Recommend: Elden Ring
If you're interested in fantasy, and fancy taking on a responsibility equivalent to a part-time job, Helen recommends Elden Ring. A wildly popular Japanese…
- Strong Message Here
Strong Recommend: The Contestant
In 1998, a Japanese man was filmed in solitary confinement for our entertainment. Naked as the day he was born, which led to his suggestive nickname, the…
- Strong Message Here
Strong Recommend: Shamanism, The Timeless Religion by Dr Manvir Singh
What is xenising? And why do authority figures do it? Can we trace Farage back to the shamans of the past? Helen recommends Dr Manvir Singh's book Shamanism…
- Strong Message Here
Strong Recommend: The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
Fancy trying a new author, but don't know where to start? Armando recommends a short novel by Penelope Fitzgerald, and Helen shares a tip on how to try on a…
- Strong Message Here
Strong Recommend: Evita at London Palladium
Helen has been to the theatre recently, so you don't have to! Jamie Lloyd's production of Evita has a moment in it which can be enjoyed by anyone who happens…
- Strong Message Here
Strong Recommend: Shakespeare's Richard II
This week, it's Armando's term to recommend something, and he makes the case for a little known up-and-coming writer, William Shakespeare. Richard II doesn't…
- Strong Message Here
Strong Recommend: Every Living Thing by Jason Roberts
This week, Helen picks a book she's enjoyed recently. Jason Roberts' book from this year, Every Living Thing, details Carl Linnaeus and Du Buffon's attempts at…