Amber Rudd, Mark Urban and Marc Polymerpoulos head to The Crisis Room for Global

A gripping new podcast from the makers of The News Agents…

“Welcome to a podcast that unravels the secrets shaping 2025 and beyond.” – Global

Global has today announced details of its brand-new podcast The Crisis Room, hosted by leading experts in global affairs, defence, diplomacy and security – former UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd, acclaimed journalist Mark Urban and highly decorated former CIA officer Marc Polymerpoulos.

“I’m delighted to be hosting The Crisis Room alongside Amber and Marc, where we will decode a world in crisis, separating what matters from the white noise that surrounds it. Our aim every week will be to give listeners the inside track and open up what most countries prefer to keep secret.

“With interviews from spies who ran agents in al-Qaeda, to the ministers who’ve made the tough calls, special forces soldiers who freed hostages, or those who’ve commanded military operations, The Crisis Room will give listeners a chance to hear directly from the people who’ve lived these extraordinary moments in geopolitics and understand what really happens behind the headlines.” – Mark Urban, co-host of The Crisis Room

From the makers of the hit podcast The News Agents, this new Global Original brings together first-hand experience from the front lines of government, intelligence, and international affairs. Launching tomorrow on Global Player, The Crisis Room will uncover what really happens behind closed doors in the world of global power and step into the realm of strategy, spies, and spin — where the unseen moves of world leaders determine our future.

A crisis room, also known as a war room or situation room, is where critical situations or emergencies are handled. It gathers key personnel, information, and resources to address crises, from major incidents to security breaches and natural disasters. This podcast steps inside that room to reveal how those in power handle these world-defining events from the viewpoint of those who have run crisis rooms through extraordinary moments in modern history.

“As Home Secretary, I led the UK’s response to some of the biggest crises of recent years – from terror attacks to assassination attempts by Russian spies on British soil. At a time of global conflict and uncertainty, The Crisis Room will shed light on the world of diplomacy and geopolitics and give listeners an understanding of what it’s really like to be in the room where it happens.” – Amber Rudd, Co-Host of The Crisis Room

The Crisis Room will combine Amber’s experience as former Home Secretary, overseeing MI5 and managing the response to numerous terrorist attacks, with Mark’s extensive knowledge as commentator on global affairs for The Sunday Times, and his previous role as Diplomatic Editor of Newsnight, alongside Marc’s experience as one of the Intelligence Community’s most decorated field officers, to offer unparalleled insights into the world of global affairs, defence and diplomacy.

New episodes of The Crisis Room will be released every Thursday, and will explore how militaries and intelligence agencies operate in today’s world of cyberwarfare, misinformation, and geopolitical brinkmanship. And with President Trump threatening to subvert the world order as we know it, the podcast will examine just how precarious our global security alliances are, and how decisive the personal dynamics between world leaders will be in shaping the future of geopolitics.

“I worked for 26 years as an operations officer for the CIA, serving across the globe from Cairo to Baghdad, with stops in Damascus, Kabul, and Amman. I was a practitioner, on the ground, or as Teddy Roosevelt famously said, in the arena. “Send me.” That was our motto. Bad places were my happy places.

“In The Crisis Room, I’ll give you my unique perspective of world events – a view of what it was like in the field, far from the halls of Congress, Parliament, 10 Downing Street and the White House. My life was a constant education in psychology, a PHD even, as I dealt with agents in the field and terrorist groups like Al-Qa’ida and Hizballah-who bravely agreed to betray their own governments or groups and spy for the US government.

“Spotting, assessing, developing, recruiting, and then handling – or as my British colleagues like to say – “agent running” – was my forte’. I’m very excited to give you a window into this world, even a war story or two, with my new friends Mark and Amber.  I hope you join us on this fantastic journey at The Crisis Room.” – Marc Polymeropoulos, Co-Host of The Crisis Room

The Crisis Room will be available every Thursday on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts. Global Player is Global’s entertainment hub, which allows listeners to enjoy all of Global’s radio brands, award-winning podcasts and expertly curated playlists all together and all for free on mobile via the Global Player app, online and through your smart speaker.

Vicky Etchells, Director of Global Podcasts, says of the new series, “We are excited to launch The Crisis Room – a fantastic new addition to Global’s podcast line-up. From the team behind The News Agents, this new series brings together Mark, Amber, and Marc, who each offer a wealth of first-hand experience and insider knowledge. We can’t wait to welcome listeners into the world of global affairs and diplomacy. It promises to be a fascinating listen!”