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Hello, I'm Sam Holmes and welcome to Spectator Outland.

Every week, a few of our favourite writers read their pieces from the latest issue.

This week we'll hear from journalist Isabel Oakeshot about how she let the Matt Hancock scandal slip through her fingers a week before it turned up in the sun. We'll also be

joined by Melanie McDonough, who's written about how high tea has gone from an affordable British

staple to an oversized and overpriced, but still delicious, monstrosity. And finally, John Day takes us into the wonderful

world of competitive pigeon racing. First up, it's Isabel Oakshot. I want to apologise

I've let myself down. I let others down to and I'm sorry. Not because Matt Hancock-style,

I breached social distancing guidelines with a steamy office affair, but because I missed the

scoop. I was sent a compromising picture of the health secretary and his mistress almost a week

before the Sun newspaper sensationally revealed their relationship, and I didn't believe it was him.

Now, having never knowingly undersold my ability to break big stories,

this is embarrassing to say the least. Over the years, my scoops have led variously to the

jailing of a cabinet minister, Chris Hume, the resignation of the UK's ambassador to Washington,

Sir Kim Darrick, Awkward questions to answer for

William Haig, after I revealed the married former Tory party leader was sharing a hotel bedroom

with a young male aide, the embarrassment of Prince Andrew when I obtained a cash of his emails,

and yes, that notorious story about a Prime Minister and a pig.

Say what you like, but only the shock departure of teen hearts rob Zane Malick from the band

One direction attracted more tweets and memes that year.

So how did I miss this one?

...