Accidentally Brilliant

What happens when a journalist can no longer assume the expert pitching them actually exists?
Rob Waugh has spent nearly 30 years writing about technology and science. More recently, his investigations for Press Gazette have taken him into a much stranger part of the internet: fake experts, fake journalists, AI-generated content and businesses making serious money by getting invented people into genuine news coverage.
One investigation began when Rob received commentary from a supposed psychologist called Barbara Santini. Something didn't feel right. He started checking and concluded that she wasn't real.
By that point, "Barbara" had appeared around 120 times in British media, including the BBC, Guardian, Mail, Mirror and Express. Rob says the entire operation was designed to secure links and improve a commercial website's Google ranking.
And she wasn't alone.
Rob went on to investigate fake driving experts, skincare experts, lottery winners, a royal cleaner and a gardener who he says appeared around 170 times in British media despite apparently not existing.
We talk about how it happened, the pressure inside modern newsrooms and why AI has made producing this material dramatically cheaper.
There's also a bigger question for PR.
The people behind many of these operations aren't traditional PR practitioners, but they're using PR techniques. Rob believes the industry has an opportunity to respond by making genuine expertise, proper research and professional standards a point of difference.
And Rob isn't anti-AI.
He uses it. He thinks it can be great for ideation. His concern is what happens when we use it to flatten our writing, thinking and personalities into an average of everything that already exists.
His advice for the future is considerably more human:
"Be weird, be eccentric, follow your nose, just be yourself."
In this episode:
Rob's accidental route into journalism
Nearly 30 years covering technological change
MiniDiscs, BlackBerrys and the technologies that didn't quite win
Why convenience usually wins
How a request for expert commentary uncovered a fake psychologist
The commercial industry behind fake experts
How invented experts ended up across major British media
Fake gardeners, royal cleaners and journalists
Why newsroom pressures make verification harder
How AI has dramatically reduced the cost of producing fake content
What journalists can look for when checking whether someone is real
Whether audiences will eventually care if an influencer or expert exists
AI-generated PR and what journalists think when they receive it
Why the PR industry has an opportunity to raise its standards
What AI is genuinely useful for
Why AI can push writing towards the average
The growing value of eccentricity, judgement and individuality
Why being human could become your biggest advantage

Disability representation in PR has changed considerably over the past decade. Sara Thornhurst is worried some of that progress could start slipping backwards.
Sara is a senior communications professional, disability inclusion trainer and Communications and Impact Manager at the University of York. For almost a decade, she has been challenging the PR industry on disability, accessibility and the way disabled people are represented in campaigns and workplaces.
We start with disability being used as a PR stunt. Sara explains why asking an able-bodied person to spend a day or a week experiencing a disability can end up centring their reaction while the people who actually live with that disability are pushed to the side.
Her test is straightforward: whose voice are you centring?
From there, the conversation looks at what has improved since 2016. Language has moved forward, accessibility is being considered more seriously and more people are identifying or disclosing disability, chronic illness and neurodivergence within the industry. Sara also points to areas where PR still struggles, including the lack of genuinely flexible and part-time roles.
There is also a really interesting discussion around neurodivergence.
Sara questions the way ADHD and autism can sometimes be presented through a “superpower” lens. That experience may be true for some people, while others are dealing with conditions that materially disable them and require support. When one version dominates the conversation, those experiences become much harder to talk about.
We get practical too. What should a job advert say? What happens when somebody discloses a disability? How can an employer remove some of the fear around asking for an adjustment? Why should that information already be part of onboarding instead of waiting for somebody to struggle?
The episode covers disability representation, language, chronic illness, neurodivergence, reasonable adjustments, psychological safety and the political and media narratives that can eventually find their way into workplaces.
In this episode:
• Why disability should never become a PR gimmick• Whose voice campaigns should centre• What has changed in disability representation since 2016• Why language can change people's experience of communications• Disability representation in imagery and the problem with "inspiration porn"• Flexible working, part-time roles and inaccessible recruitment• Why employers should explain adjustments and disclosure before somebody has to ask• The problems Sara sees in the "neurodivergence as a superpower" conversation• ADHD, autism and the experiences that can disappear from the discussion• How political and media narratives about disabled people filter into workplaces• What managers can do to make disclosure feel safer• Why getting the terminology slightly wrong should not stop people trying to communicate
Sara ends the conversation with the hope that one day her disability inclusion work will no longer be needed. For now, it is the messages from people who have changed something after hearing her speak that make her feel "accidentally brilliant".
Connect
Sara ThornhurstLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarathornhurst/ 
Josh WheelerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/
Be BroadcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-broadcast/Website: https://bebroadcast.co.uk/

Jennifer Delgado and Ashley Rudd launched Moda PR in 2020 after being introduced on what they describe as a “mate date”.
They barely knew each other. Both were unhappy in their jobs. Within months, they had started an agency together.
Today, Moda PR works with founders, experts, entrepreneurs and entertainment figures across the UK, US and UAE, helping them build authority, manage reputation and turn visibility into something that lasts.
This conversation gives a useful view of how talent publicists think. Jen and Ash explain what they look for before taking someone on, why credibility and lived experience have to come before media exposure, and why a large following is rarely enough to make a partnership work.
We talk about the questions brands and agencies should ask before bringing talent into a campaign. Does the person already talk about the issue? Does the partnership fit their existing profile? Is there a clear reason for them to be involved? Audiences can quickly spot when a name has been added purely for reach. The conversation also covers the work behind sensitive, high-profile stories. Jen and Ash discuss their approach to campaigns involving Ore Oduba and Georgia Harrison, where welfare, care and restraint had to take priority over securing the largest possible volume of coverage.
They also explain how personal profiles are built over time through media appearances, speaking opportunities, podcasts, partnerships and the work that happens away from public view.
In this episode: How Jen and Ash met and launched Moda PR during lockdown Why they built their careers around the lives they wanted The difference between credibility and short-term clout What talent publicists look for before accepting a client Why brands need genuine alignment when working with talent How content pillars help connect people to the news agenda Why founders and experts need clear positioning before media outreach The strategy and care behind sensitive personal stories Working with Ore Oduba, Georgia Harrison and Sharon Gaffka Why saying no is one of the most useful things a publicist can do Turning media moments into campaigns that influence legislation The work that happens behind the headlines Why common sense, emotional intelligence and honesty still count Moda PR’s approach starts with positioning and due diligence. Jen and Ash want to know whether someone has the qualifications, experience or authority to own a subject before they begin pitching them to the media.

Psychological safety has become one of those phrases that gets used everywhere. Barbara Phillips explains what it actually looks like. Barbara is the founder of Brownstone Communications, a communications consultant, executive coach and former Chair of the PRCA's Race & Ethnicity Equity Board. Throughout her career she's advised organisations on leadership, culture and inclusion, while helping senior teams create workplaces where people feel able to contribute, challenge and belong. We talk about growing up in Birmingham, finding confidence, building a business and why psychological safety has become one of the biggest leadership challenges facing organisations today. The conversation also covers race, representation, code-switching and the pressure many people still feel to leave parts of themselves at the door when they arrive at work. One moment stayed with me. Barbara said the greatest freedom came when she stopped worrying about being liked. In this episode: • What psychological safety actually means • Why respect lasts longer than popularity • Race, identity and belonging at work • The emotional cost of code-switching • Building confidence as a leader • Why people do their best work when they feel safe to contribute Accidentally Brilliant is the podcast where Josh Wheeler speaks to leaders across communications, media and business about the careers they never planned and the moments that shaped them.

Laura Burch never planned to build an agency.
She found her way into PR through a temporary job at the BBC, spent two decades working her way up to Managing Director, then realised something had barely changed.
Britain's working-class communities make up around half the population, yet they remain one of the least represented groups across PR and the wider creative industries.
In this episode of Accidentally Brilliant, Laura talks about growing up on a council estate, hiding parts of herself to fit into the industry, why brands often misunderstand the audiences they rely on, and why better representation produces better creative work.
We also talk about launching Work and Class, building campaigns around lived experience, creating opportunities for the next generation and why visibility can change someone's career before you've even met them.
Topics include:
• Why class is still overlooked in communications• Building an agency around working-class talent• The commercial opportunity many brands miss• How agencies can widen representation• Community, confidence and finding people like you• Why being visible changes careers
Guest:Laura BurchFounder & Managing Director, Work and Class
If you enjoy conversations about creativity, communications and building a career differently, subscribe for future episodes of Accidentally Brilliant.

Freelancers now make up one of the biggest forces in PR - so what is happening in that space?
In this episode of Accidentally Brilliant, Josh Wheeler speaks with Nigel Sarbutts, founder of The PR Cavalry, Structured Mediation, and co-founder of the Independent Impact 50.
Nigel has spent years working across agencies in London, Manchester and Leeds. Today he sits in a different position inside the industry, helping agencies, brands and freelancers find specialist talent, resolve disputes, and rethink how independent practitioners are valued.
The conversation covers the shift from retainers to project work, why agencies are relying more heavily on freelance specialists, and why many experienced PR professionals are leaving traditional agency structures behind.
Josh and Nigel also discuss:
• Why freelancing has become a “megatrend” in communications
• The pressure AI and procurement are putting on fees
• Why some clients still misunderstand the value of PR
• How independent practitioners collectively rival the scale of major agency groups
• Why freelancers are often invisible in awards and recognition systems
• The thinking behind the Independent Impact 50
• Burnout, conflict and resentment inside agency culture
• Why mediation is becoming more important in communications businesses
• The emotional cost of workplace disputes
• What agencies can learn from industries like film and engineering about flexible talent
There is also a wider conversation running through the episode about ego, pressure, recognition and how people work together when the industry feels stretched.
Nigel speaks very openly about agency life, competition, stress, leadership and the importance of continuing to do good work when things feel uncertain.
00:00 Intro
00:42 Why freelancing is becoming a megatrend
03:18 What freelancers are dealing with right now
06:37 Unrealistic client expectations and fee pressure
07:32 Why freelancers still lack recognition in PR
09:50 The thinking behind the Independent Impact 50
13:10 Why impact matters more than campaign vanity
17:11 Why freelance communities feel different to agencies
20:57 Awards, attribution and invisible contribution
24:06 Why agencies should stop hiding freelancers
31:18 The reality of conflict inside comms teams
33:34 Why workplace mediation matters
35:45 Burnout, pressure and resentment in PR
40:11 How mediation actually works
44:00 What to do when communication breaks down
46:53 What makes Nigel feel “accidentally brilliant”
Follow Nigel Sarbutts: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelsarbutts/
Follow Josh Wheeler: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/
Follow Be Broadcast: https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-broadcast/ https://bebroadcast.co.uk/ #PR #PublicRelations #FreelancePR #Communications #AgencyLife #Leadership #Freelancers #MediaRelations #PRIndustry #Burnout #WorkplaceCulture #Mediation #IndependentConsultant #Podcast

This episode of Accidentally Brilliant is about what it really takes to build something that lasts.
Josh Wheeler sits down with Andy Nairn, co-founder of Lucky Generals, one of the most consistently effective creative companies of the last decade.
Andy didn’t set out with a perfect plan. Lucky Generals started with three friends, no clients, no funding, and a decision to turn down work that didn’t feel right. That moment shaped everything that followed.
What comes through in this conversation is a very clear philosophy. Play the long game. Back your values. And understand that luck is not something to dismiss, it is something you create.
We get into how Yorkshire Tea became one of the most effective campaigns in the UK, why humour still works when brands are brave enough to use it properly, and why most agencies think about effectiveness too late.
Andy also talks about Go Luck Yourself, why luck is misunderstood in business, and why he uses the book to support working-class talent trying to get into the industry.
There is a wider thread running through this as well. Leadership, standards, and what happens when those standards start to slip. The influence of tech culture, the shift in tone across business, and why holding your nerve matters more than ever.
We also cover AI, what it is actually useful for right now, where it falls short, and why relying on it too heavily could weaken the very thing that makes great work stand out.
This is a conversation about creativity, effectiveness, values, and the reality behind building a successful agency.
00:00 Intro
00:58 Meet Andy Nairn, Lucky Generals
01:15 Starting an agency with no clients or funding
02:22 The failed merger that led to Lucky Generals
03:28 Why bad moments can force better decisions
04:15 Holding your nerve in the early days
05:22 Turning down work that did not align with values
06:12 The first big breaks and early momentum
08:50 Why reputation is the long game
09:20 What the industry gets wrong about effectiveness
10:29 Why effectiveness should start at the beginning
11:46 The Yorkshire Tea case study and consistency
13:20 Why humour still works in advertising
14:36 Amazon, Alexa and taking the brand less seriously
16:12 Why most brands are too risk-averse
17:56 Confidence, clients and choosing who you work with
19:43 Finding the real problem behind a brief
21:12 Why strategy starts with better questions
22:34 Go Luck Yourself and the reality of luck in business
24:28 Why people resist talking about luck
25:37 How luck actually works as a system
27:33 Why business is still a numbers game
28:29 Supporting working-class talent through Commercial Break
30:16 What has changed in strategy and what has not
31:27 Why human behaviour matters more than trends
32:15 AI, change and uncertainty in the industry
33:28 How to actually use AI in creative work
34:39 Why copying AI outputs is a mistake
36:42 The risk of losing creative instinct
38:25 Where AI helps and where it does not
39:33 Over-reliance on technology and what we lose
41:07 Leadership, standards and behaviour
42:26 The impact of toxic leadership styles
43:15 Why values still matter in business
44:49 Has the industry gone too far the other way
45:57 Can you grow a business and keep principles
47:05 Final thoughts on change, luck and perspective
47:39 What makes Andy “accidentally brilliant”

This episode of Accidentally Brilliant is one of the most personal conversations we’ve had on the podcast.
 
Josh Wheeler speaks with Advita Patel, founder of CommsRebel and the former President of the CIPR.
 
Advita has spent more than twenty years working in communications, helping organisations build cultures where people feel they belong and can thrive. The work she does today grew from a difficult moment in her own career.
 
In 2018, her confidence collapsed. She began questioning her place in the profession and whether communications was the right path for her at all. That period forced her to step back and understand who she was, what mattered to her, and how confidence actually works.
 
The conversation moves well beyond personal confidence.
 
Advita talks about representation in the communications industry and why she helped create A Leader Like Me and the Asian Comms Network. These spaces exist because many people in the profession still feel they have nowhere to talk openly about race, identity and belonging.
 
We also discuss the wider events shaping those conversations. The global response to the murder of George Floyd. The protests and tensions seen more recently in the UK. The emotional impact these moments have on people working in communications and the silence that often follows in the industry.
 
Advita reflects on the responsibility communicators hold. We help shape narratives, advise leadership teams and influence culture inside organisations. That responsibility becomes very real when difficult issues affect the people around us.
 
This episode covers:
 
the confidence crash that changed Advita’s career
the link between identity, confidence and imposter syndrome
representation and belonging in the communications industry
how racism and political division affect people in the profession
why many professionals struggle to speak up about difficult issues
the small actions that can make someone feel seen and supported
 
At its heart this is a conversation about confidence, courage and responsibility. It is also about something simple that many of us forget to do. Checking in on people and asking how they are really doing.
 
 
 
 
 
00:00 Intro
00:04 Meet Advita Patel, CommsRebel and CIPR President
01:16 Confidence, vulnerability and showing up on LinkedIn
01:41 The 2018 confidence crash that changed everything
02:25 A difficult conversation that forced a turning point
03:32 Researching confidence, imposter syndrome and inner critics
04:01 The influence of Shonda Rhimes and “The Year of Yes”
04:56 Why worrying about other people’s opinions holds us back
05:57 Competing with others vs competing with yourself
06:04 Advice for anyone facing a confidence crash
07:22 How other people shape our identity growing up
07:50 “Who am I really?” — unpicking expectations
09:01 Why understanding yourself is the foundation of confidence
10:21 Mental health, therapy and learning to look after yourself
10:37 When work becomes your identity
11:54 Treating yourself with the same compassion as others
12:24 Adapting to belong without breaking yourself
12:42 Why connection and empathy are disappearing
13:44 Cognitive diversity and avoiding echo chambers
13:53 Fear, vulnerability and sharing online
14:47 Representation and creating spaces for belonging
15:03 Why Advita co-founded A Leader Like Me
16:22 The impact of George Floyd on diversity conversations
17:46 Why the Asian Comms Network was created
19:14 Lived experience and the reality of microaggressions
20:23 Why conversations about racism are often avoided
22:22 Power, politics and uncomfortable industry conversations
23:34 Why politics affects the people we work with
24:46 Speaking up, allyship and finding your voice
26:16 Why we’ve lost the ability to connect and debate
27:32 The fear of getting things wrong in public conversations
28:35 Why communicators must understand opposing views
29:09 Community, identity and checking in on people
30:24 Why humans naturally gravitate towards similarity
31:38 Bias, safety and how our brains work
32:26 The power communications professionals hold
32:47 The emotional impact of recent events on communities
34:07 Living with fear and the daily reality for many people
35:02 Hope over fear and using your privilege to help others
36:06 Becoming the first person of colour to lead the CIPR
37:14 Using privilege to create space for others
38:03 Why intent matters in difficult conversations
39:19 When mistakes happen — and how to respond
40:24 “Where are you really from?” — navigating everyday bias
41:31 Curiosity as the starting point for allyship
42:58 Different ways to show allyship
43:39 The simple power of checking in on someone
44:32 Why difficult topics often get avoided
45:02 One action everyone can take tomorrow
46:04 Confidence as a ripple effect
46:50 The thread through Advita’s career: confidence and inclusion
48:08 An “accidentally brilliant” moment — Couch to 5K
49:18 Closing thoughts

James Crawford is the founder and Managing Director of PR Agency One, and a board director at AMEC, the International Association for PR Measurement.
In this conversation, we talk about why James started his agency, what the early days really looked like, and why he has spent his career pushing PR to prove its value beyond headlines. We get into measurement and attribution, the limits of what you can and cannot track, and how PR teams can use evidence to protect budgets, win trust, and show commercial impact.
We also cover GEO and how brands should respond right now, why “everything is dead” is usually the wrong take, and what it takes to build long term momentum in an industry that is constantly changing.
Find James Crawford:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswdcrawford/
PR Agency One: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pr-agency-one/
Find Josh Wheeler:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/
Follow Be Broadcast: https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-broadcast/
https://www.pragencyone.co.uk/
https://bebroadcast.co.uk/
00:00 Intro
02:49 Meet James Crawford, PR Agency One and AMEC
04:25 Why James launched PR Agency One
06:51 The first wins, risk, and backing himself
09:44 Competing, then shifting to doing the work better
10:44 Why measurement became the edge
11:32 Roots, direct response, and early proof of impact
13:06 The limits of attribution and what to accept
14:30 Planning, prediction, and “interest graphs” in media
18:24 Early days of the agency, SEO and opportunity
19:44 Why media relations is tougher now
20:47 Moving from soft stories to bolder campaigns
23:01 Reactivity, brand purpose, and being ready for the BBC
24:03 Research that lasts longer than one news day
26:28 Cost of living era, weak leads, short term thinking
29:33 OneEval explained: Brand, Reputation, Commercial, and planning
33:03 Why evaluation protects teams when leadership changes
35:18 Innovation, AMEC, and staying on top of measurement shifts
38:27 Training the whole team to understand measurement
39:36 GEO, threats and opportunities
41:31 What actually influences LLM visibility right now
43:43 What clients are asking, and what they are missing
45:19 A practical GEO split: classical PR first, tests second
46:56 SEO is not dead, and why “everything is dead” is lazy thinking
48:17 Experimentation as the only sensible approach
48:50 BBC visibility, the long game, and building a track record
50:58 The thread through James’ career: hard work and showing up
53:24 “Accidentally brilliant” and managing people
 
#PublicRelations #PR #PRAgency #Communications #MediaRelations #Measurement #AMEC #Evaluation #Attribution #Marketing #Reputation #BrandStrategy #DigitalPR #SEO #GEO #AI #ChatGPT #Leadership #AgencyLife #Podcast

PR and sales have more in common than most people want to admit. In this episode, Darryl Sparey, co-founder and Managing Director of Hard Numbers, explains why a “sales backbone” makes you better at PR, why the industry keeps fighting the label, and how Hard Numbers built a reputation around measurable outcomes, including writing KPIs into contracts. We also talk about the shift towards GEO and LLM-driven discovery, why PR should be owning the citations conversation, and the real leadership lessons that come from losing pitches, handling pressure, and learning the hard way about client concentration. If you work in comms, agency leadership, or in-house marketing and you want practical thinking you can apply straight away, this one is for you.
 
Connect with Darryl Sparey Hard Numbers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryl-sparey/ Darryl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryl-sparey/
Connect with Be Broadcast Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-broadcast/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwheelerbroadcast/ 00:00 Intro: Darryl Sparey + Hard Numbers
01:18 Sales “backbone” and why it matters in PR
05:26 Why PR people resist being linked to sales
08:39 From Media Report to Precise: learning sales properly
12:25 Moving into SEO/PPC and becoming “numerate” (by effort)
13:30 Words first: reading, social mobility and writing his way out
15:20 Excel, Salesforce and the practical power of numbers
20:01 Hard Numbers’ KPI stance: writing KPIs into contracts
24:52 GEO, LLMs and why PR should own the citations conversation
33:27 The spark behind founding Hard Numbers
38:26 Parenting, motivation and creating safe opportunities to fail
45:12 Biggest business screw-up: client concentration and the lesson
49:17 The thread through it all: persuasion, listening, and relevance
51:10 School years: humour, bullying, debating society
53:16 “Accidentally brilliant”: luck, judgement, and brilliant people
56:30 Wrap up
 
#PublicRelations #PR #Marketing #AgencyLife #Leadership #BusinessDevelopment #Sales #Measurement #KPIs #EarnedMedia #DigitalPR #Communications #AI #GEO #Reputation #B2BMarketing #FounderStories #Entrepreneurship #UKBusiness #BeBroadcast