King Charles records interview with Sir Elton John for King's Trust podcast
King Charles has made a surprise pre-recorded appearance on Sir Elton John's Rocket Hour show to discuss the King's Trust, with the episode to air on the monarch's 78th birthday.
How it was covered
- ITV carried 49% of the airtime and concentrated on the cosy secret interview and its Battersea setting.
- BBC One concentrated on the royal podcast and its King's Trust musicians.
- Channel 5 concentrated on the surprise exclusive and the birthday broadcast.
- BBC News, BBC Two, Channel 4 and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
King Charles has recorded a surprise appearance for Sir Elton John's Rocket Hour radio show and podcast. The special episode is focused on the King's Trust, which is marking its 50th anniversary, and will be released on Saturday, the King's 78th birthday.
In clips from the recording, the King praises Sir Elton as 'such a national treasure' and says the country is 'so richly blessed' with its musicians, singers and performers. He says his aim was to 'invest in the future' and in talent, adding that investing in young people is 'the greatest thing you can do'. BBC News reported the two men also discussed their musical memories and shared life experience.
The work of the King's Trust with musicians features throughout. Muse received a grant from the charity to buy equipment as the band started out. BBC News reported the grant was made when the charity was the Prince's Trust. BBC News reported that music from Raye features on the podcast. It said she met the King two years ago when she performed at Apple headquarters in London. BBC News reported that the King and Sir Elton watched the singer Skye Newman sound check ahead of a show last month.
ITV reported the interview was recorded in secret and that the pair sat down last month at Battersea Power Station, where Charles had launched an initiative to help young people break into the creative industries. Channel 5 described the recording as exclusive.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reported by a few · 2 channels | |||
| King Charles made a surprise appearance on Elton John's Rocket Hour radio show in an exclusive recording made last month, with the full episode due to air on his 78th birthday on Saturday. | Not reported by ITV | ||
| Only on one channel | |||
| King Charles and Sir Elton John recorded a secret interview for the Rocket Hour podcast to mark 50 years of the King's Trust, meeting last month at Battersea Power Station where Charles launched a youth creative industries initiative. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | |
| Muse's 'Feeling Good' features on the final track list, and the band received a Prince's Trust grant to buy equipment early in its career. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by ITV | |
| The special episode will air this weekend as the King celebrates his 78th birthday. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 5 placed the story at the end of a lunchtime bulletin as a surprise entertainment item. It stressed the exclusive recording and the airing on the King's 78th birthday, with only brief clips of the King and Sir Elton discussing the King's Trust.
- “It is wonderful to see the difference that could be made through the trust programmes to people's self-confidence and self-belief.”
- “The exclusive recording took place last month and the full episode will air on the King's 78th birthday on Saturday.”
- “What a great surprise.”
BBC One led with a package from senior royal correspondent Daniela Relph. It treated the podcast as a royal and cultural story, highlighting the 50th anniversary of the King's Trust, the pair's musical memories and artists including Muse, Raye and Skye Newman.
- “This week my special guest and I really mean special”
- “We are so richly blessed with the talents of our musicians singers and performers”
- “That's the greatest thing you can do young people are our future”
ITV framed the interview as a light-hearted royal birthday exclusive, with King of Keys wordplay and a cosy chat. Sangeeta Kandola added the Battersea Power Station location, the King's initiative to help young people into creative industries and the secret recording.
- “music fit for a king?”
- “The music legend interviewed the monarch in a cosy chat with chuckles and compliments all round.”
- “The interview was recorded in secret for Sir Elton's Rocket Hour radio podcast show to mark 50 years of the King's Trust.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.