Frank Cottrell-Boyce fears Britain has lost its childhood episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 17, 2026 · 52 MIN

Frank Cottrell-Boyce fears Britain has lost its childhood

from The New Statesman Podcast, Subscriber Only Edition

Children's laureate, screenwriter, author of Millions, architect of the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, and father of seven, Frank Cottrell-Boyce joins Oli Dugmore to discuss what childhood means in Britain today.   Over two years visiting schools, prisons and asylum hotels, he found a country that has quietly stopped looking after its youngest citizens. He talks about the NEETs crisis, furniture poverty, what summer holidays now mean to children who dread them, and why the most radical thing you can do for a child is sit on a sofa and read to them.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 17, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Frank Cottrell-Boyce fears Britain has lost its childhood

0:00 52:45

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The New Statesman Podcast, Subscriber Only Edition?

This episode is 52 minutes long.

When was this The New Statesman Podcast, Subscriber Only Edition episode published?

This episode was published on June 17, 2026.

Can I download this The New Statesman Podcast, Subscriber Only Edition episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!