From the heart of Downing Street during some of its most tumultuous years, two insiders who were once supposed to be on opposing sides are launching a new podcast to dissect the mechanics of power, missteps, and the culture of Westminster. Cleo Watson, the former deputy chief of staff to Boris Johnson, and Helen MacNamara, who served as Deputy Cabinet Secretary during the same period, will host “In the Room,” a weekly show for The Independent Podcast Network beginning Friday, February 20, 2026.
The podcast draws on their direct experiences between 2018 and 2021, a period encompassing leadership coups, Brexit brinkmanship, and the chaotic onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms Watson, a former Vote Leave campaigner and special adviser who was fined over the “Partygate” scandal, has described her role as akin to a “nanny” for the then-Prime Minister, even erecting a “puppy gate” to manage him. Ms MacNamara, the government’s former top ethics official who also received a fixed penalty notice for a lockdown gathering, later told the COVID-19 inquiry of a “macho and heroic” culture in Number 10 that stifled debate.
The ‘Boys’ Club’ and Policy Consequences
A central theme both hosts can address is the impact of what has been criticised as a “boys’ club” culture in government. Baroness Harriet Harman has recently called for the appointment of a female First Secretary of State to force cultural change, arguing that merely having women “in the room” is insufficient if they are excluded from real decision-making. This debate has been amplified by the fallout from the scandal surrounding Peter Mandelson, the former Labour minister who resigned from the Lords after a police investigation into his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Ms MacNamara’s evidence to the official inquiry highlighted how this environment affected policy. She described “very obvious sexist treatment,” stating that Dominic Cummings used “violent and misogynist language” about her without rebuke from Boris Johnson. This culture, she suggested, had tangible consequences during the pandemic, particularly on issues disproportionately affecting women.
The hosts point to specific examples where they spoke up internally: the surge in domestic abuse during lockdowns, which saw cases escalate in severity; the initial government “flip-flop” over access to abortion and contraception; and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed for male bodies, which research shows left female healthcare workers at greater risk and feeling less safe.
Inside the Crisis Machine
The podcast promises to unpack how decisions—and errors—are made under extreme pressure. Ms Watson has characterised Boris Johnson as “quiet, bookish and, occasionally, extremely nasty,” and likened managing him during lockdown to handling a “great unruly golden retriever.” The duo were among a small group briefed early in the pandemic that the NHS could be overwhelmed “in a matter of weeks.”
Their tenure spanned the collapse of Theresa May’s premiership, the bitter parliamentary wars over Brexit, and the frantic hiring and firing at the top of government. “We have seen (and made) power in the heart of government ebb and flow in real time,” they note. The podcast will aim to trace how a mistake made in a rushed meeting on “zero sleep” can genesis weeks later into a front-page scandal.
“In the Room,” produced in association with Next Chapter Studios, will be released weekly each Friday. It forms part of The Independent’s expanding audio offering, which includes shows like “Like This, Love This” and “Well Enough.” The hosts conclude that while running the country is inherently difficult, it need not look quite as hard as politicians and advisers often make it appear.
