Cathy Newman

YouTube video by Channel 4 News ‘The Penguin Lessons' author accused of historic sexual abuse by former students

Last week I reported on shocking claims the author of The Penguin Lessons sexually abused some of his former pupils. 3 spoke to me incredibly bravely. The author, Mike Thompson, AKA Tom Michell, vehemently denied the allegations. Here’s my film in full:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a3A...

Here’s my exclusive Channel 4 News investigation - produced by the incredible Claire Sinka on the shocking allegations the author of The Penguin Lessons sexually abused former pupils:
www.channel4.com/news/exclusi...

EXCLUSIVE: C4News reveals shocking allegations author of The Penguin Lessons - best-selling memoir turned into a hit film starring Steve Coogan - abused boys at a school in Dorset in the 1970s. The author, Tom Michell (known in his teaching days as Mike Thompson) strenuously denies the allegations

Jeremy Corbyn: Starmer is ‘playing into the hands of Reform’ We spoke to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is now forming a new political party.

Here’s former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn telling me Keir Starmer is playing into the hands of Reform UK and hitting out at the former Downing Street aide’s “disgusting” jokes about Diane Abbott www.channel4.com/news/jeremy-...

And on #TheLadder it's the doyenne of colour, who styles Queen Camilla's hair, Jo Hansford.

Olympic rower James Cracknell has some choice words on skulduggery in the Oxford v Cambridge boat race. @pennymordaunt.bsky.social & @jonashworth.bsky.social chat #WTF ; hereditary peer Viscount Colville tells me about the dramatic protest in the House of Lords in #TheThickOfIt

Plus: word of a fascinating new crowdfunding project to give hope to cancer sufferers; @frasernelson.bsky.social previews his column; Nadhim Zahawi analyses the chancellor's dilemma.

On @listentotimesradio.bsky.social from 4: a smorgasbord of news. @benclatworthy.bsky.social updates us on #Heathrow & as CT police lead the investigation Chris Steele will analyse the security implications.

AND the amazing Lorraine Kelly on how she climbed The Ladder & how much harder she thinks it would be for working class Scots like her to get into TV today. Join me from 4 until 7.

PLUS @gmb.org.uk on growth (or lack of it); Labour MP Clive Lewis @clivelewis.bsky.social on looming welfare cuts; Olympian Imogen Grant on calls for the IOC to be greener; @frasernelson.bsky.social with a peek of his @thetimes.com column; @pennymordaunt.bsky.social & George Foulkes chat #WTF

On my @listentotimesradio.bsky.social show from 4: all the latest on war (or peace?) in Ukraine with chair of Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Committee Oleksandr Merezhko & ex US Ukraine envoy Kurt Volker; Tesla cheerleader Dan Ives on THAT letter about tariffs (did Elon Musk write it?)

AND after the shock second place in the german elections for the far right AfD, we'll hear from Beatrix Von Storch, the party's deputy leader, whose Nazi grandfather was found guilty of crimes against humanity. Join me from 4 until 7.

PLUS as international development minister Anneliese Dodds quits over Starmer aid cuts, Andrew Mitchell will give his analysis. We'll chat #WTF with Penny Mordaunt & @jonashworth.bsky.social

Live at the White House on @listentotimesradio.bsky.social from 4, with stellar guests including former UK ambo to US Sir Nigel Sheinwald, former Ukrainian ambassador to NATO and the UK Vadym Prystaiko, ex PM of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk & former US Ambassador to Russia @mcfaulmike.bsky.social

AND my guest on The Ladder is the brilliant Melissa Hamilton - the oldest woman to be promoted to principal ballerina at the Royal Ballet

Top diplomat Simon McDonald joins me to talk about a huge week of diplomacy ahead

Best-selling author Scott Turow talks about the campaign to combat the threat to creatives from AI

On my @listentotimesradio.bsky.social show NOW: the very latest from the Middle East as the ceasefire deal hangs in the balance.

Europe needs ‘war-time sense of urgency’ – ex-NATO commander We spoke to General Wesley Clark, who was Supreme Commander of NATO forces in Europe during the war in Kosovo.

Ex-NATO Commander tells me on Channel 4 News Europe doesn’t have time to build a pan-European army - saying EU/UK need to act with greater urgency.

Early @channel4news.bsky.social at 1620. As President Zelensky pleads with European leaders to form an army to fill the vacuum left by the US, reports tonight of an emergency meeting in Paris TOMORROW to respond to Trump on Ukraine. Tune in. A lot is happening…

AND Composer @ednewtonrex.bsky.social tells me why he signed a letter asking Christies to ditch its auction of AI art
AND my guest on #TheLadder is DJ Paulette. Tune in from 4 until 7.

. @frasernelson.bsky.social on
chats through his @thetimes.com
column & @pennymordaunt.bsky.social
& @jonashworth.bsky.social
chat #WTF

PLUS I'll check in on the final day of the Church of England General Synod - the Bishop of Leeds Nick Baines tells me talk of an existential crisis in the church is overdone.

Cracking @listentotimesradio.bsky.social show from 4 on a big news day: we're live in #Munich & Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has some pithy analysis on the new world order, as does ex-CIA chief of staff Jeremy Bash; Catherine Philp & Oliver Moody from @thetimes.com will give their analysis too

Bishop backs ‘radical thinking’ in choosing new Archbishop of Canterbury We spoke to the Bishop of Birkenhead Julie Conalty, who is also the church's deputy lead for safeguarding.

Bishop Julie Conalty - deputy safeguarding lead for @churchofengland.org - tells me on @channel4news.bsky.social the Archbishop of York still has “questions to answer” about his failure to dismiss a priest accused of grooming teenage girls.

www.channel4.com/news/bishop-...

Church of England leaders debate abuse scandal Rarely has a meeting of church leaders in the UK been more anticipated.

The Bishop of Newcastle tells me on @channel4news.bsky.social tonight that other Bishops might pose a risk to the public 👀

www.channel4.com/news/church-...

Church scandal: Man behind cover-up was abuser One of his alleged victims told Channel 4 News he needed to be “named and shamed”.

The man who instigated the Church cover-up into John Smyth’s abuse who was himself an abuser. Watch my exclusive Channel 4 News report produced by Claire Sinka here:

www.channel4.com/news/church-...

AND John Smyth was the worst serial abuser in the Church. Tonight we reveal the vicar who instigated a decades-long cover-up of his crimes HIMSELF abused young girls. The Church of England has referred the allegations to police.

On tonight’s @channel4news.bsky.social : honey I shrunk the growth forecasts. How the Bank of England cut Keir Starmer’s number one mission down to size.

And here’s the Church statement on our story:

www.churchofengland.org/media/press-...