The Bottom Line

BBC Radio 4
  • 4.7 (31)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
The Bottom Line

The definitive business podcast from the BBC. Each week, the BBC's Evan Davis is joined by bosses, entrepreneurs and industry experts, to lift the lid on how their businesses work, and what it’s like to be in charge.  They discuss a big issue, a big challenge, or a big question facing their industry. From managing AI to managing millennials, from supermarkets to supercharging a new product. And our guests will share their stories of success and failure along the way.   Podcasts are published every Thursday. And as well as being a podcast, we are also available every Thursday afternoon and Tuesday evening on BBC Radio 4.  You can now also listen to The Bottom Line on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Bottom Line”. It works on most smart speakers. The Bottom Line has published a spin off series - Decisions That Made Me - where Evan asks entrepreneurs and business leaders about the most crucial moments in their lives and careers. You can watch these episodes here: https://t.ly/oJ8lW. Got a question or a comment? Get in touch with Evan and the team on email at bottomline@bbc.co.uk. The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University and is an EcoAudio certified production.

  1. 4D AGO

    Decisions That Made Me: Claire Daniels (Trio Media, CEO)

    Grief hits everyone differently. For Claire Daniels, it changed her life; she had been working as the head of marketing for a technology firm and believed she’d keep climbing the corporate ladder, but after her brother’s death she found herself needing time out and quit. Later she began working for her sister in law’s business as a stopgap measure while she got herself back on track, but then that ended up becoming permanent. The marketing executive talks to Evan Davis about what it was like to work for family, and how she eventually became CEO of Trio media. Production team: Producer: Bob Howard Editor: Matt Willis Sound: John Scott Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison

    14 min

  2. MAR 27

    Decisions That Made Me: Julian Metcalfe (Itsu and Pret A Manger)

    An early passion for the high street meant Julian Metcalfe was determined to get into retail from the get-go. He and his partner Sinclair Beecham founded Pret A Manger when he was just 26. In 2008 Pret was sold to a private equity firm, and Julian no longer had a say in the company’s future. Now Julian is in charge of Itsu, an Asian-inspired fast-food chain. The food entrepreneur talks to Evan Davis about how he is determined not to lose his decision-making role this time around. Production team: Producer: Eleanor Harrison-Dengate Editor: Matt Willis Sound: John Scott Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison

    15 min

  3. MAR 20

    Decisions That Made Me: Sonnaz Nooranvary (House of Sonnaz, upholsterer)

    Sonnaz Nooranvary thought she’d have to be a doctor or a lawyer to please her parents, but struggled academically thanks to a combination of dyslexia and ADHD. Everything changed when she spotted an advert for an upholstery apprenticeship. She dropped out of college to build yachts from scratch. The upholsterer talks to Evan Davis about how she went against her family’s expectations to follow her instincts. Production team: Producer: Bob Howard Editor: Matt Willis Sound: John Scott Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Photo credit: Luke David

    14 min

  4. MAR 13

    Decisions That Made Me: Alan French (Thomas Cook, CEO)

    When high street travel firm Thomas Cook collapsed in 2019, it triggered the biggest ever peacetime repatriation, with 150,000 holidaymakers needing to be brought home. Alan French was the Group Strategy and Technology director at the time and had to preside over the disaster. Despite that, he was determined to revive the company and the next year relaunched Thomas Cook as a digital only brand. The travel executive talks to Evan Davis about how he managed to turn his fortunes around and resurrect the Thomas Cook name. Production team: Producer: Drew Hyndman Editor: Matt Willis Sound: John Scott Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison

    15 min

  5. MAR 6

    Running a Business: The Bottom Line Answers Your Questions

    How would you invest £100k? Do entrepreneurs have super-human levels of optimism? How can you keep ownership of a great idea? In a first for The Bottom Line, Evan Davis puts questions like these - sent in by listeners - to a panel of business experts. Evan is joined by: Sir Kenneth Olisa - chairman, Restoration Partners, and formerly founder and CEO, Interregnum; Richard Farleigh - angel investor and former Dragon's Den 'dragon'; Jessica Spungin - adjunct professor of strategy and entrepreneurship, London Business School. Production team: Producers: Simon Tulett and Eleanor Harrison-Dengate Sound: Rod Farquhar Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison Editor: Matt Willis

    35 min

  6. FEB 27

    Self-checkouts: Have Shops Reached Peak Self-Scan?

    Self-checkouts have become a staple in supermarkets, fast food chains and other shops, but now some companies are reconsidering their use. Evan Davis explores the technology's role in the retail landscape and asks whether we’ve reached peak self-checkout, or if they’re just a step on the way to an even more digitised shopping future. With insights from industry leaders and experts, he examines the economics behind un-manned tills, generational differences in consumer acceptance, and their links to a recent rise in shoplifting. Plus, is automation actually making our lives easier, and what's lost if the personal touch disappears from shopping? Guests: Julian Metcalfe, founder, Itsu; Robert Elsey, chief digital and information officer, Co-op Natalie Berg, retail analyst and host of the Retail Disrupted podcast Presenter: Evan Davis Producers: Simon Tulett and Eleanor Harrison-Dengate Sound: Rod Farquhar Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison Editor: Matt Willis

    29 min

  7. FEB 20

    London's Stock Exchange: why aren't companies listing in Britain anymore?

    After a year in which a number of big companies decided to list in New York rather than the UK, Evan Davis asks what can be done to attract firms to the London Stock Exchange. With Julia Hoggett, CEO at the London Stock Exchange, Charles Hall, Head of Research at the investment bank Peel Hunt and Conor Lawlor, Managing Director, Global Banking Markets and International Affairs at UK finance.

    37 min

  8. FEB 13

    Repairs: How Can Businesses Make Money From Fixing Things?

    With the success of the BBC programme The Repair Shop, Evan Davis examines the business opportunities of companies which offer to repair things from clothes through to electronics. Is it easier to try and fix something yourself or pay for it to be done professionally? Do we still have the skills that previous generations had to do even relatively simple things like sewing on buttons? With Kyle Wiens, CEO of Ifixit, Katharine Beacham, Head of Sustainability, Clothing & Home at Marks and Spencer and upholstery repair expert and Repair Shop presenter Sonnaz Nooranvary.

    33 min
See All (380)

    Hosts & Guests

    4.7
    out of 5
    31 Ratings

    About

    The definitive business podcast from the BBC. Each week, the BBC's Evan Davis is joined by bosses, entrepreneurs and industry experts, to lift the lid on how their businesses work, and what it’s like to be in charge.  They discuss a big issue, a big challenge, or a big question facing their industry. From managing AI to managing millennials, from supermarkets to supercharging a new product. And our guests will share their stories of success and failure along the way.   Podcasts are published every Thursday. And as well as being a podcast, we are also available every Thursday afternoon and Tuesday evening on BBC Radio 4.  You can now also listen to The Bottom Line on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Bottom Line”. It works on most smart speakers. The Bottom Line has published a spin off series - Decisions That Made Me - where Evan asks entrepreneurs and business leaders about the most crucial moments in their lives and careers. You can watch these episodes here: https://t.ly/oJ8lW. Got a question or a comment? Get in touch with Evan and the team on email at bottomline@bbc.co.uk. The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University and is an EcoAudio certified production.

    Information

    • Creator
      BBC Radio 4
    • Years Active
      2007 - 2025
    • Episodes
      380
    • Rating
      Clean
    • Copyright
      © (C) BBC 2025
    • Show Website
      The Bottom Line

    More From BBC

    You Might Also Like

    Content Restricted

    This episode can’t be played on the web in your country or region.

    To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

    Stay up to date with this show

    Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
    Select a country or region

    Africa, Middle East, and India

    Asia Pacific

    Europe

    Latin America and the Caribbean

    The United States and Canada