Andrew Neil, latterly of GB News and the BBC, will join “slow news” outlet Tortoise for a 12-part podcast series debuting this spring.

The podcast series, to be titled “The Backstory”, will see Neil interview “leading figures from politics, business, entertainment and academia to explore what is driving events at home and abroad”.

Neil said: “This new series is about giving people the time and space to explain their ideas, decisions and beliefs. Through conversations with people from all sorts of backgrounds we’ll hopefully come to a better understanding of what’s happening in the UK and around the world.”