Wake Up to Money

John Vincent of fast food chain Leon tells Will Bain what he sees in the future of the business - including how he thinks weight-loss jabs will be good for the company.Our weekly panel looks back at a week of news that's included announcements on rail in the north of England, another government policy U-turn and charges against the chair of the US central bank.And interest in going vegan for the month of January could be fading - one plant-based food producer tells us why they've moved on from the campaign.

Will Bain gets the latest on South East Water as the Government asks for an Ofwat review.Elsewhere, the Government's latest renewable energy auction round attracts significant investment and Wikipedia turns 25.

Will Bain looks at the Government's plan for the Northern Powerhouse Rail project.Elsewhere, we take a look at the US economy, in light of new inflation figures and the ongoing probe into the Chair of the US Central Bank. We will also hear about the Scottish Budget and the return of KPop group BTS.

Will Bain takes a look at how a probe into the US central bank might unfold.Elsewhere, new figures shed light on a tricky Christmas for retailers and Royal Mail looks to get in on the Stranger Things excitement.

As geopolitics continues to dominate early 2026, Felicity Hannah has the latest on events around Greenland and Iran.Closer to home, we take a look at jobs market, consumer credit card debt, and speak to one of the businesses that's been handling the impact of Storm Goretti over the weekend.

Government backtracks on a planned pub business rates rise after industry backlash. Our Friday panel unpacks this latest government U-turn along with the big stories from this week.Plus, January is traditionally the most popular month for holiday bookings. We speak to one of the UK's leading independent travel agents to find out where's hot and where's not in 2026.

Sean Farrington brings you the latest news and insight from the business world.He'll find out how markets are reacting to the possibility of more global instability after the United States seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the AtlanticAnd as Warner Brothers tells it's shareholders to reject Paramount's 'inferior" deal - Sean checks in on where this blockbuster saga goes next.Elsewhere, he'll find out what a surplus of milk has done to prices - and find out from producers about what those squeezed margins could mean.And he'll look back at another retro favourite - this time Gola trainers, the 120 year old British sports brand that's just been sold to Japanese owners.Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.

Sean Farrington talks to a former postmaster for his thoughts on Horizon computer boss's appearance before MPs yesterday. Why won't Fujitsu say how much they'll contribute to the Post Office redress scheme? South East Water was also in front of MP's yesterday following a water outage in Tunbridge Wells which left thousands of homes without drinking water. We check back in with a business owner whose bar was left high and dry. And, the physical music market continued its resurgence in 2025. We talk to one of the UK's only cassette shops, to see what they think of the comeback.

News and insight from the business world. Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.

The US has pledged billions of dollars to revive Venezuela's ailing oil industry, but what do the experts think of the plan's chances of success? Plus, Will Bain finds out what impact a junk-food TV advertising ban will have on the food industry. And, it's time to start that gym membership, but will you stay the course? We hear from a gym owner about their busy time of the year.

Leanna Byrne looks at what's in store for the UK's economy in 2026 and asks what the next 12 months might bring for London's financial markets.Elsewhere - she'll hear from a tech boss about where AI development will go after last year, where the technology went mainstream.And one pub owner tells us why they're not looking forward to 'Dry January'.Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.

Tens of thousands of passengers on the Eurostar have been unable to make their journeys after a power outage - Sean Farrington hears how it's been impacting travellers and businesses.The legendary investor Warren Buffett is to step down as head of his company Berkshire Hathaway - another top investor tells us what legacy the 95-year-old leaves.And as it's New Year's Eve, we go to Edinburgh where one tour and pub crawl company will be painting the town red for Hogmanay.

On Wake Up To Money, we talk a lot about jobs, wages and the labour market. And we often hear from the bosses of some of our biggest recruitment firms.One of those is the Reed Group.Sir Alec Reed started the company 65 years ago and made it into one of the UK's biggest private businesses. He was knighted for his services to business and charity in 2011.He'd long stepped down as Chief Executive of Reed by then, handing over the reins to his son, James, in 1997.Sean Farrington sat down with James to look back on the life of his Dad - and how they navigated being part of the same team at work as well as at home... something that will sound familiar to so many across the country.

The technology arm of Octopus Energy is worth billions of pounds in itself as the company raises new investment.It's crunch time for many suppliers in the Jaguar Land Rover supply chain, so says our guest -- we'll be hearing why the fallout from August's cyber attack is still putting pressure on businesses.the cinema chain Everyman's CEO has stepped down -Influencers are wearing once and sending back....will get the latest on the trends of christmas returns...

It's been a tricky year for many hospitality businesses; Will Bain hears from a panel of pub and restaurant owners to look back - and forwards - on how they've been handling trade.In an exclusive interview, the boss of Puregym tells Wake Up to Money that pharmaceutical companies and health professionals need to be clearer on the need for exercise alongside weight-loss drugs.And with Christmas out of the way, a returns handler for major retailers gives us the inside detail of what people are sending back this year.

We gauge reaction to the u-turn on the inheritance tax hike on farms & business assets. Will Bain also reflects on a massive year for Birmingham's bins - following ongoing strike action from refuse workers in the city. And as almost 13 million shoppers try to bag a last minute gift for their loved ones, we head to one shopping centre in Liverpool.

Following a delay to the Defence Investment Plan, what does the lack of certainty mean? Will Bain also looks into the ongoing impact of botched insulation installed in peoples homes under a government scheme. And as we step into Christmas, it's a busy time for butchers.

How has this Christmas worked out for the hospitality business? Will Bain talks festive trade with a hotelier. Also, we talk about some new research into the jobs market ... AND, if you've left your Christmas shopping to the last minute, we have help at hand. A personal shopper gives us some tips on late buys.

Sean Farrington has a look at the money behind sport - this week: mass-participation events.It's big business - from the thousands of competitors that sign up to take part, to managing the event itself, to the fundraising.Sean hears from Paul Foster, the Chief Executive of The Great Run Company - the company behind the Great North Run and many other events across the country. He'll also speak to Nick Tuppen, Chief Executive of Threshold Sports, one of the UK's fastest-growing active events agencies who coordinate more than 50 mass participation events per year.Producers: Stefan Jajecznyk & Olivia Baron

Sean Farrington speaks to Andrew Georgiou, President & Managing Director of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe and Paul Barber, Chief Executive of Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion FC