The Americast Awards 2025… on 5 Live!

Americast

BBC

News, Government, Politics

4.2 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 15 December 2025

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It’s time for the 2025 Americast Awards…

There’s no doubt that it’s been a tumultuous year in US politics. From a dramatic disagreement between President Trump and Ukraine’s President Zelensky in the Oval Office, the deployment of the National Guard to cities across America, self-described democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani becoming the Mayor of New York, to Trump announcing his plan to turn Gaza into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’.

Justin, Sarah and Marianna pitch the moments which they think caused the biggest ripples in America this year to Matt Chorley. And we hear some of your picks too.

HOSTS:

• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter

• Sarah Smith, North America Editor

• Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Correspondent

GET IN TOUCH:

• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB

• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480

• Email [email protected]

• Or use #Americast

This episode was made by Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve.The technical producer was Johnny Hall.The series producer is Purvee Pattni.The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.

You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.

US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155

Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.

Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl

Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm

Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r

The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:05.0	Hello, it's Justin here with a question for you.
0:08.4	What do you want us to talk about when we're predicting what's going to happen in 2026?
0:12.6	In other words, do you want to hear more about the Democrats and what's likely to go on with them?
0:16.0	Do you want to hear whether Mamdani is likely to be successful or not successful in New York.
0:21.5	Do you want to hear about Trump's state of mind? Give us as well your suggestions about what you think is going to happen, because what the heck, they might be as good as ours. Indeed, they might be an awful lot better. So let's mix them all up together, and we look forward to hearing from you. Okay, so to get in touch with us, it is the WhatsApp 4-4-330-123-9-480 or email AmeriCast at BBC.co.
0:45.5	The hashtag is AmeriCast and for Discord.
0:48.2	The link is in the description.
0:49.9	Okay, let's get on with the episode.
0:57.6	Hello, let's get on with the episode. Hello, it's Sarah here.
0:59.1	I'm very happy to say I'm in the studio in real life with Justin and Marianna,
1:03.5	not in the worldwide headquarters, but in our Westminster studio, because it's Monday,
1:08.0	and that's the day we join Matt Charlie on Five Live to answer your
1:11.5	questions on Ameri Answers. Well, this episode's a little bit different. Instead of answers,
1:17.2	we're handing out awards. It's the Merrick Awards, which is very, very difficult to say, but hopefully
1:22.2	it's going to be fun. Here's Matt.
1:26.2	AmeriCast. Ameriast from BBC News.
1:29.2	When Donald Trump calls, they say, yes, sir.
1:31.5	Right away, sir.
1:32.6	Happy to lick your boot, sir.
1:34.5	We are the sickest country in the world.
1:36.9	Oh, dear.
	...

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