Shows / This Is Why
This Is Why
The world’s a pretty confusing place right now – so how do you make sense of it all? This Is Why takes one story every day, explains how we got here and why it matters to you. Sky News’ Niall Paterson speaks to experts and correspondents from around the world, getting simple answers to some complex questions. Available every weekday afternoon. This Is Why is a Sky News podcast – if you have a question, contact us: why@sky.uk
Episodes
This Is WhyRoyal row - what's in Prince Harry's book?
Copies of Prince Harry's autobiography, Spare, have gone on sale in Spain - five days before its official global release date. Sky News has seen a copy of the…
This Is WhyThree Wishes for 2023: World's strongest man Tom Stoltman
If you had three wishes, what would they be? For the start of 2023, Sky News Daily podcast host Niall Paterson is asking people from across politics…
This Is WhyHow Gina Martin fought to make upskirting illegal
If you had three wishes, what would they be? For the start of 2023, Sky News Daily podcast host Niall Paterson is asking people from across politics…
This Is WhyThree Wishes for 2023: Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik
If you had three wishes, what would they be? For the start of 2023, Sky News Daily podcast host Niall Paterson is asking people from across politics…
This Is Why2022 Revisited - What can we expect from King Charles III's reign?
On this Sky News Daily, we revisit one of our most popular episodes of 2022.At the age of 73 and after a life as prince, what can the UK and the Commonwealth…
This Is Why2022 Revisited - Andrew Tate: The lingering influence of the social media star
On this Sky News Daily, we revisit one of our most popular episodes of 2022. Described by himself and others as the "king of toxic masculinity", Andrew Tate…
This Is Why2022 Revisited - Vietnam's 'Napalm Girl': 'There was fire everywhere around me.'
On this Sky News Daily, we revisit one of our most popular episodes of 2022.A photograph of nine-year-old Kim Phuc Phan Thi, taken during the Vietnam War…
This Is WhyUkraine War Diaries: EP38 - Fond memories, fallen soldiers & our first war-time Christmas (Dec 25-31)
Against the backdrop of a Kyiv still under siege, Oksana reflects on magical Christmas memories from childhood until a drone attack brings her back to reality…
This Is WhyWhat happened in 2022?
War in Ukraine, three Prime Ministers, the death of Queen Elizabeth II, on top of a cost-of-living crisis and the changing climate were among the most…
This Is WhySky News Daily Reviews 2022: Royal Correspondent Rhiannon Mills
Host Niall Paterson looks at the stories which defined 2022. On this episode, Sky’s royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills recaps a defining year in history, which…
This Is WhySky News Daily Reviews 2022: Economics and Data Editor Ed Conway
Host Niall Paterson looks at the stories which defined 2022. Sky’s economics and data editor Ed Conway unpicks a year shaped by the cost-of-living crisis and…
This Is WhySky News Daily Reviews 2022: International Affairs Editor Dominic Waghorn
Host Niall Paterson looks at the stories which defined 2022. He is joined by Sky’s international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn to discuss what Russia’s war…
This Is WhySky News Daily Reviews 2022: Science and Technology Editor Tom Clarke
Host Niall Paterson looks at the stories which defined 2022.Sky’s science and technology editor Tom Clarke examines how the energy crisis impacts the aim to…
This Is WhySky News Daily Reviews 2022: Political Editor Beth Rigby
Host Niall Paterson looks at the stories which defined 2022. On this episode, Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby talks about the year which gave us three Prime…
This Is WhyUkraine War Diaries: EP37 - From a city under siege, a very Ukrainian Christmas story
Alone in his apartment in Kyiv, memories of Christmas past come flooding back to Ilyas. Can he find a way to escape the blitz-like conditions and be reunited…
This Is WhyIdaho murders: 'A college town living in fear'
More than a month after four US college students were murdered as they slept, no suspects have been named, no arrests made and the murder weapon is yet to be…
This Is WhyUkraine war: What we’ve learned about modern warfare
Drone strikes, like the one that damaged buildings in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Wednesday, have become commonplace in the war with Russia. While the conflict…
This Is WhyWorld Cup: LGBT+ Qataris feel ‘removed’ from the conversation
The World Cup in Qatar put the country’s record on human rights and laws on homosexuality into the international spotlight. Same sex-relations are banned under…
This Is WhyStrikes and the unions: How have they changed?
Rail workers. Postal workers. Paramedics. Nurses. Baggage handlers. Teachers. The wave of strike action through December has drawn comparisons to the late…
This Is WhyA year of the cost of living crisis
Britain is witnessing the worst squeeze on incomes in a generation as struggling households are hit by a double whammy of soaring energy costs and rocketing…
This Is WhyUkraine War Diaries: EP36 - Snowy returns, surviving by smartphone & going south (Dec 5-9)
Having left Kyiv on the day of a devastating Russian air attack in October, Oksana makes an emotional return.Ilyas, illustrates how he - and other Ukrainians -…
This Is WhyHarry and Meghan: Death threats, racism claims and the paparazzi
There has been hype, home videos and many hours of footage filmed for the couple's much-anticipated Netflix documentary – but have viewers learned anything new…
This Is WhyMouldy homes: Deaths ‘could happen again’
Two-year-old Awaab Ishak died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in the house his parents rented from a housing association. The housing ombudsman for…
This Is WhyStrep A: The latest medical advice
Antibiotics could be given to children at schools affected by Strep A to stop the spread of the bacteria, after a number of children died recent from the…
This Is WhyKeir Starmer's 'blueprint' for government
Labour has unveiled a plan for the biggest-ever transference of power to the British people with a report that also recommends the House of Lords is replaced…
This Is WhyAfghanistan: The forgotten LGBT+ community
After the UK government’s promise to support vulnerable LGBT+ people in Afghanistan following the country’s fall to the Taliban in August 2021, those left…
This Is WhyUkraine War Diaries: EP35 - The bloody dark, bathroom pits & the blitz of Kyiv (Nov 28 – 2Dec)
Under siege in Kyiv, Ilyas endures his longest blackout.Military volunteer, Seva, sources chainsaws for comrades in the east and in her mind, Oksana visits the…
This Is WhyRoyal race row: Can they modernise?
The Prince and Princess of Wales's first overseas trip since the Queen's death has been overshadowed by controversy at home. The prince’s godmother has…
This Is WhyNew Alzheimer's drug: How much of a breakthrough is it?
A drug used in clinical trials has been found to slow memory loss in patients with the condition - and although lecanemab is not a cure, it has got a lot of…
This Is WhyUkraine's other battle: Keeping the power on
Intense missile strikes from Russia have left Ukraine with country-wide power outages and blackouts. Satellite images show how dark the country has become…
This Is WhyFear and fury in China – what does President Xi do now?
Protests have sprung up across some of China's biggest cities with demonstrators shouting "down with the CCP, down with Xi Jinping". The protests, originally…
This Is WhyThe Dark Web: Exploring the 'murder-for-hire' sites
The dark web is a hidden space on the internet where your activity can be anonymous and private. Among these dark websites, there’s a disturbing amount of…
This Is WhyUkraine War Diaries: EP34- Ghosts of Chernobyl, going south & grave phone calls (Nov 21-24)
In the dark of Kyiv, Ilyas fears for the under-fire Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, knowing how the 1986 Chernobyl disaster continues to impact lives in…
This Is Why'Fear and intimidation' – the tactics of Iran's secret police
State secret police have been accused of abducting and killing civilians on the street of Iran, a country where hundreds of people have died and violence…
This Is WhyScottish Independence: A blow for Sturgeon - so what next?
Supreme Court judges have decided unanimously that an Indyref2 vote cannot go ahead without the UK parliament’s permission. But it’s not the end of the debate…
This Is WhyMusk and Twitter: The end or a new beginning?
Since Elon Musk bought and took over Twitter three weeks ago, he’s re-visioned the platform with “free speech” at its core. But his takeover has seen an exodus…
This Is WhyArmband row: Did football just score an own goal?
LGBT+ rights activists and campaigners have condemned FIFA’s threats to sanction players who wear OneLove armbands at the World Cup in Qatar. England, Wales…
This Is WhyBig Ideas Live: Can the UK become a science superpower?
Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, wants to turn the UK into the next Silicon Valley. The question many scientists are asking is: How? Although there were no cuts to…
This Is WhyUkraine War Diaries: EP33 - Russian fury, freezing down & the price of freedom (Nov 14-18)
On the road in freezing temperatures, military volunteer Seva, reflects on Russia’s latest mass attack on the Ukrainian energy network.And looking out across a…
This Is WhyWhat Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement means for you
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered the government's autumn statement, outlining tax rises and spending cuts in order to fill a £54bn "black hole" in the UK…
This Is WhyDonald Trump is running for President... again!
Donald Trump has announced he is running for the US presidency in 2024. But to be on the ballot, he will have to win the Republican Party’s nomination. As he…
This Is WhyInside Kherson: What next for Russia’s war with Ukraine?
Ukraine has faced another intense wave of missile strikes, just days after Russia’s loss of Kherson - the port city in southern Ukraine. On the Sky News Daily…
This Is WhyWill British police in France stop the small boat crossings?
The UK and France have agreed a new deal to try to tackle the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats. UK agents will be working in France for the…
This Is WhyThe science of ageing: Can we live forever?
There has been an explosion in Silicon Valley tech start-ups putting their money behind anti-ageing science. They're working to halt and one day maybe reverse…
This Is WhyQatar World Cup: Has football become a side show?
32 teams are competing in the FIFA World Cup being held in Qatar. It’s the first winter championship and first tournament to be held in the Middle East. But…
This Is WhyUkraine War Diaries: EP32 - Limping into darkness, lost limbs & longing for Kyiv (Nov 7-11)
In Kyiv, a sudden restaurant blackout forces Ilyas to consider the reality of winter in a city without power and increasingly isolated. Injured by an anti-tank…
This Is WhyAlbanian migrants: Why are they coming to the UK?
Albania's prime minister recently accused the UK's home secretary of fuelling xenophobic attacks against his people, after Suella Braverman described people…
This Is Why‘I’m so exhausted’: Why nurses say they’re striking
Hundreds of thousands of nurses across the UK are going on strike. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the strike will affect the majority of NHS employers…
This Is WhyUS midterms: Why Trump's red wave became a ripple
The predicted Republican red wave in the US midterm elections hasn't materialised. Elections for the Senate and House of Representatives presented an…
This Is WhyGavin Williamson bullying claims: How problematic for the PM?
Rishi Sunak promised to lead the Conservatives with “integrity, professionalism and accountability”. Two weeks on, however, the prime minister and his…
This Is WhyWhy is China still imposing Covid lockdowns?
China is one of the few remaining countries still enforcing a Zero-Covid policy. People face strict lockdowns, regular mass testing, constant scanning of…
This Is WhyUkraine War Diaries: EP31 - More Russian payloads, Putin’s plan & Patriots (Oct 31-4 November)
From his apartment in Kyiv, Ilyas watches and listens as Ukrainian air defence armoury targets yet another onslaught of Russian missiles.Meanwhile, military…
This Is WhyManchester Arena attack: How the emergency response went wrong
A victim of the Manchester Arena bombing would likely have survived had the emergency response been better, an inquiry has found. Its new report found…
This Is WhyBird flu: How serious is it?
Around 100 million birds have been culled across Europe and the US in the past year following the 'worst-ever' outbreak of avian influenza.On the Sky News…
This Is WhyMatt Hancock: What is it about politicians and reality TV?
Former health secretary Matt Hancock is going on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! He was suspended from the Conservative Party after news broke he was…
This Is WhyBraverman’s back… But will the migrant crisis allow her to stay?
Following scrutiny from Conservative MPs and charities over conditions at the Manston migrant processing centre in Kent, Home Secretary Suella Braverman has…
This Is WhyCan COP27 make climate change a priority again?
The UN’s climate change conference COP27 will be held in Egypt, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles won’t be attending, raising questions about the…
This Is WhyUkraine War Diaries: EP30 - Death drones, prayers for dad & living with the dark (Oct 24-28)
From the window of his Kyiv apartment, Ilyas witnesses a drone strike that results in the death of a pregnant woman and her husband. On military assignment in…