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Bold Politics with Zack Polanski

Bold Politics with Zack Polanski is a weekly political podcast hosted by Zack Polanski,[1] Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. First released on 3 September 2025, a day after Polanski's victory in the 2025 Green Party leadership election, it is the first podcast to be hosted by a leader of a British political party.[2] Bold Politics takes on a conversational format, featuring guests including Ash Sarkar, Gary Stevenson and Owen Jones. It is usually recorded at Acast Studios in central London.[3]

Background

Prior to his election as leader, Polanski has stated that too much time was being spent "complaining about media coverage for the Green party, and I still think that's legitimate. But I also think at some point you've just got to step up, and you've got to go even if all the odds are stacked against us. The Green Party's role is to cut through and to be able to tell an alternative story."[4] On 2 September 2025, Polanski won the 2025 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election by a landslide.[2]

History

The first 35-minute episode of the podcast was released on 3 September 2025,[2] during Polanski's "media blitz" following his victory.[1] The New Statesman has argued that the podcast is "clearly intended as a left-wing counter to Nigel Farage’s prime-time daily GB News show, and the right-wing drift of so many 'podcast bros'."[5]

The first episode featured Polanski talking to journalist and activist Ash Sarkar on the topics of wealth taxes, the future of the Green Party, and why they believed UK Prime Minister “Keir Starmer is spectacularly shit at politics."[1] They also discussed their agreement on transgender rights and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict,[6] including the proscription of Palestine Action, as well as Zohran Mamdani.[2]

Guests Gary Stevenson and Zoe Gardner followed in subsequent episodes.[5] At the Green Party's annual conference, Polanski was scheduled to record a live episode of Bold Politics with journalist Owen Jones.[7]

As of 3 September 2025, future guests billed for the podcast included actor-director Jolyon Rubinstein.[2] In December 2025, ex-Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker appeared on the podcast. Lineker stated that there was "too much political influence from the very top" of the BBC, which he said had "tied itself up in knots” on the issue of impartiality; "what we really need is truth in reporting, in that sense. It’s impossible to be impartial on everything." Polanski also interviewed Lineker on his outspoken views on empathy for immigrants and his want for "proper peace" in Gaza.[8]

Reception

By 8 September, Bold Politics had reached fourth place in the UK news podcast charts.[4]

Conservative papers The Times and The Telegraph rated the first episode of the podcast negatively, both giving it 2 out of 5 stars.[6][2] The Times called it "nauseating left-wing populism", comparing it to the California governor Gavin Newsom's This Is Gavin Newsom podcast.[6] The Telegraph noted that Ash Sarkar's inclusion may have been a "courtship of Sarkar's base, and therefore anyone considering joining [Jeremy] Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's Your Party."[2] Both papers criticised the podcast for not sticking to conversation about the environment.[6][2]

The Guardian noted the podcast in a weekly review of the best podcasts of the week, describing it as part of Polanski's "impressive media blitz".[9]

Episodes

External links

References

  1. Alexi Duggins, Hollie Richardson, Hannah J. Davies. No other show gets as up-close-and-personal as this: best podcasts of the week The Guardian, 2025-09-15, retrieved 2025-09-18^
  2. Chris Bennion. The Green Party leader's new podcast forgets to talk about the environment The Daily Telegraph, 2025-09-03, retrieved 2025-09-18^
  3. Caroline Wheeler. Green Party leader 'open to pacts' if they stop Tories and Reform The Times, 2025-09-27, retrieved 2025-10-04^
  4. Peter Walker. 'We have to tell an alternative story': Green leader Polanski chats to Nigel Farage's constituents The Guardian, 2025-09-08, retrieved 2025-09-18^
  5. Megan Kenyon. Zack Polanski: "We absolutely need to stop the boats" New Statesman, 1 October 2025, retrieved 5 October 2025^
  6. Sarah Ditum. Bold Politics with Zack Polanski review — nauseating left-wing populism The Times, 2025-09-10, retrieved 2025-09-18^
  7. Will Charley. Green Party membership overtakes Liberal Democrats under Polanski Sky News, 4 October 2025, retrieved 2025-10-05^
  8. Robyn Vinter. Greens’ Polanski prepared to work with Burnham but not Starmer ‘to stop Reform’ The Guardian, 31 December 2025, retrieved 20 February 2026^
  9. Alexi Duggins, Hollie Richardson, Hannah J. Davies. No other show gets as up-close-and-personal as this: best podcasts of the week The Guardian, 2025-09-15, retrieved 2025-10-18^