...By Judah Olanisebee for TDPel Media.
Comedian Nish Kumar recently launched a new podcast called Pod Save the UK.
It is a version of the popular American politics show, Pod Save America, which was created and hosted by former Obama aides.
Kumar’s podcast, co-hosted by journalist Coco Khan, will have a different tone to the original, as they will be presenting themselves as closer to the audience and sharing their frustrations.
The show won’t be partisan, but will promote a specific set of values and ideas.
The podcast’s first episode, titled Chat Sh*t Get Banged, was released last week and featured a liberal discussion between Kumar, Khan, and the hosts of the American version.
The programme covers a range of topics, including climate protest, police reform, and inequality.
Kumar notes that a section of the population is so insulated by personal wealth that they don’t understand the issues that other people are experiencing, and when they are running the country, that becomes problematic.
Kumar has always been interested in political material, but it took him several years to learn the mechanics of joke writing.
In the podcast, he shares his views on several UK politicians, saying that he finds Suella Braverman reprehensible and Rishi Sunak irresponsible.
He also questions the decision to read positive things about Theresa May as if the Windrush scandal never happened.
Kumar believes that his podcast will be different from others because of its focus on values and ideas, rather than the usual Westminster commentary.
Although the show won’t be partisan, he is not afraid to find fault with the Labour Party.
He is more interested in banging the drum for a set of values that he believes in, rather than political affiliation.
Kumar’s previous show, The Mash Report, was axed by the BBC in 2021, much to the delight of right-wing newspapers.
However, he does not know whether the decision was made for political reasons, but it may be a useful myth for some to believe that it was.
Kumar has received death threats and racist abuse online, but he won’t let that stop him from pursuing his career in comedy.
