Wake Up to Money

Sean Farrington speaks with three Manchester business leaders - Laurence Newman of Beauty Tech Group, Shaun Morton of On The Beach, and Emma Thackray of Hip Pop - to discuss why the region is growing faster than the rest of the country.

Sean Farrington weighs up prime minister Keir Starmer’s record on the economy - after a nerve-wracking start to the week for the PM.
Elsewhere, three Manchester entrepreneurs tell us why they think business is booming in the city.
And as Britain chases its first medal, we hear from the Scottish business that manufactures curling stones for the Winter Olympics.

Leanna Byrne finds out how the Japanese economy will fare under PM Sanae Takaichi after her resounding victory in the weekend's snap election.
And we get the latest snapshot of the UK's employment figures.
Also, what does it take to fill the half-time advertising slot during the US's biggest sporting event? We touchdown with the creative mind behind one of this year's Superbowl ads.

What does success in the Winter Olympics mean for the popularity of the sports in the UK? Will Bain talks to the director of British curling and the managing director of some the country's biggest winter sports venues. We'll also be hearing from the creative director of the opening ceremony in Milan.
And it's a hold on UK interest rates and jitters in the US stock markets over AI.
Will Bain discusses what it all means on both sides of the Atlantic with our regular Friday panel.

Sean Farrington hears about why some pharmacies are reducing their opening hours. Elsewhere, nearly half of zoos have reported financial struggles since 2022, and we look ahead to the Bank of England's latest rates decision.