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Exploring threats to global stability from Ukraine to China to the Middle East with host Gavin Esler – former BBC News presenter, Washington correspondent and host of Newsnight – plus Ukraine-based war reporter Oz Katerji and independent conflict analyst Emma Beals. This Is Not A Drill dives deep into the dangers, corruption, conflicts, disinformation, rivalries and ruthless realpolitik that are making our world ever more dangerous. Support This Is Not A Drill on Patreon from just £3 per month to get each episode early plus bonus material and exclusive merchandise. From Podmasters, the team behind Oh God, What Now?, Paper Cuts and The Bunker.
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Contact path
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Booking probability
37%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchExploring threats to global stability from Ukraine to China to the Middle East with host Gavin Esler, former BBC News presenter, Washington correspondent and host of Newsnight, plus Ukraine-based war reporter Oz Katerji and independent conflict analyst Emma Beals.
This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler is hosted by Podmasters. The show has published 250 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "How Putin is playing Trump’s chaotic Ukraine “diplomacy”, with Oz Katerji" (29 October 2026, 35 minutes), "What Trump’s latest gift to Putin means for Ukraine" (15 October 2026, 31 minutes), and "The Middle East’s new choke point, How the Houthis could spark a fresh oil crisis" (1 October 2026, 31 minutes).
This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 32 minutes across 250 episodes.
Booking probability for This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler is 37%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler's contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler are Defense & International Affairs and Business & Management Consulting. This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler has a news audience.
Podmasters hosts This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler, a news podcast with 250 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler
Trump’s erratic actions around Ukraine look less and less like sincere bids to end the war and more like attempts to cosy up to Putin, sell out Ukraine and save himself in the midterms. And Putin is using his increased...
Episode #164
Trump’s sanction-busting diesel deal with Vladimir Putin has sent shockwaves across the world. As Ukraine braces for a Russian winter offensive, have US threats to withhold intelligence and access to weapons sold out...
Episode #162
A surge in violence in Yemen has seen Houthi forces seize land on the Red Sea coast – reigniting a war with Saudi Arabia and threatening a further global energy shock. The Iranian-aligned group has increased its...
Episode #161
The civil war in Myanmar is Asia’s deadliest ongoing conflict – yet despite violence which has killed more than 100,000 people it rarely dominates international headlines. In today’s episode Oz Katerji talks to Matthew...
Episode #160
Completing the four-part series from This Is Not A Drill… Warfare is evolving faster than ever in this dangerous world. Gavin Esler explores a new generation of weapons and how they’ll fight – or prevent – the...
Episode #159
A four-part series from This Is Not A Drill… Warfare is evolving faster than ever in this dangerous world. Gavin Esler explores a new generation of weapons and how they’ll fight – or prevent – the next wars...
Episode #158
A new four-part series from This Is Not A Drill… Warfare is evolving faster than ever in this dangerous world. Gavin Esler explores a new generation of weapons and how they’ll fight – or prevent – the next...
Episode #156
A new four-part series from This Is Not A Drill… Putin thought he could conquer Ukraine with a tank, air and infantry-led attack straight out of the Second World War. Instead Kyiv turned the tables on Russia with...
Episode #157
Is everything we knew about warfare changing right before our eyes? The war in Ukraine began with tanks and infantry...and now drones dominate in the battle for dominance. In a brand new four-part series New Weapons for...
Episode #155
Space is now an essential part of military planning and operations. Recent reports suggest Russia and China have discussed targeting Starlink satellites, highlighting their increasing importance in conflicts. Are...
Episode #154
As Russian casualties mount in brutal frontline assaults on Ukraine, Putin’s recruitment is growing ever more desperate. With international sanctions biting and Ukraine’s own campaigns targeting critical Russian...
Episode #153
Donald Trump’s failing war on Iran has emboldened China. Beijing is trying to build relationships to counter Washington, as it looks to fill a vacuum in power globally left by the United States as it shifts its...
This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler
Just days into the Iran conflict, strikes had taken out much of the country’s military leadership. Yet the conflict continues with a new regime installed in Tehran. With the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei unseen...
Episode #151
A week of turmoil within Ukraine’s armed forces has seen protestors take to the streets and a chaotic series of changes at the very top of military command. What comes next for the future of Ukraine's defence...
Episode #150
European security is in a state of crisis that would have been hard to imagine when Emmanuel Macron took office as French President in 2017. What happens when a President whose term has been so dominated by the threat...
Episode #148
The United States’ war with Iran is a reminder that it’s easier to start a war than to end it. Many other lessons from the conflict are also being analysed right now, from how relatively low-cost weapons change the...
Episode #147
Ukrainian drone swarms have hit targets in major Russian cities, while disrupting its military assets and vital oil supplies. Could this be a turning point in the war more than four years after Russia’s full-scale...
Episode #146
News of the framework for a peace deal between Iran and the United States - if it holds - might be the beginning of the end of a conflict that has unsettled not just the Middle East and the world economy but also...
Episode #145
Germany is rearming as the Russian threat looms over Europe and much of the continent’s security rests on its success. Backed by an emergency ‘Zeitenwende’ fund and an ever-expanding defence budget, Germany is...
Episode #144
Beyond the pomp and pageantry of Vladimir Putin’s Beijing summit with Xi Jinping, what do Russia and China need from each other? And how strong is their relationship? Plus, coming hot on the heels of Donald Trump’s own...
Recent guests on This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler. Study who booked and why before you pitch.
Head of Department at the Smurfit Institute of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Major General (Ret.) of the Australian Army, author of The War for Ukraine and the Futura Doctrina Substack, Australian Defence College
professor at UPenn, Senior Fellow for Technology and Innovation at the Council on Foreign Relations, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Development and Emerging Capabilities, Director of the Emerging Capabilities Policy Office at the DoD, Federal Reserve Board, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
director of the John L. Thornton China Center, Brookings Institution
PitchCentric classifies This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler under these industries. Guests from them are the closest fit, and each links to the best podcasts in that industry.
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