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Toast

Sean Farrington uncovers the stories of brands and products that soared to success yet somehow still ended up toast. What made them so special? Why did they disappear?

Radio 4,37 episodes

Episodes

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Welcome to Toast
Sean Farrington introduces the series that looks at amazing brands that ended up toast.
29 Sep 2026,2 mins
Orange
Why did the mobile phone brand with a "bright" future disappear from the UK?
25 Jun 2026,25 mins
Izal Medicated Toilet Paper
How did Izal medicated toilet paper reach the end of the roll? Sean Farrington finds out.
18 Jun 2026,24 mins
Paperchase
Sean Farrington examines another succesful business that still ended up 'toast'.
11 Jun 2026,29 mins
EasyCinema
Stelios, the EasyJet founder, tells Sean why his low-cost movie theatres didn't take off.
04 Jun 2026,30 mins
Wilko
What went wrong at Wilko? Sean Farrington hears how the retail chain ended up toast.
28 May 2026,24 mins
Farepak's Christmas Hampers
What led to the collapse of the Christmas savings club Farepak?
18 Dec 2025,24 mins
C&A's UK Stores
The fashion chain C&A continues to thrive elsewhere, so why did it shut all its UK stores?
11 Dec 2025,24 mins
Skype
Why did Skype fall out of favour in a world of global video calls?
04 Dec 2025,24 mins
Dasani Water
Why did a successful bottled water from Coca-Cola come and go from the UK within 6 weeks?
27 Nov 2025,24 mins
BlackBerry Smartphones
How did the revolutionary BlackBerry device lose its grip on the handset market?
20 Nov 2025,35 mins
Homebase
Why did the DIY chain Homebase have to close all of its stores?
26 Jun 2025,25 mins
FHM
FHM was once the UK's best-selling men's magazine so why did they stop printing it?
19 Jun 2025,28 mins
Nike's FuelBand
Nike's FuelBand fitness tracker was a runaway success so why did the company abandon it?
12 Jun 2025,24 mins
Freeserve
How did the internet service provider Freeserve reach dizzy heights then disappear?
05 Jun 2025,25 mins
Woolworths
What went wrong at Woolies? Sean Farrington examines the retailer's fortunes
29 May 2025,27 mins
Phones 4u
Phones 4u was hugely profitable, so why did it have to close all of its 700+ shops?
28 Nov 2024,24 mins
Dan-Air
Sean Farrington assesses the fortunes of the family-run airline Dan-Air. Why did it fail?
21 Nov 2024,25 mins
Our Price Records
Why did Our Price Records disappear from UK high streets? Sean Farrington looks into it.
14 Nov 2024,24 mins
Kodak
Kodak made photography mainstream - so why did it falter in a digital age?
07 Nov 2024,25 mins
Reader's Digest UK
Why did we lose Reader's Digest magazine when it is still going in America?
31 Oct 2024,27 mins
Safeway UK
Why did Safeway's UK supermarkets disappear? Sean Farrington investigates.
02 May 2024,24 mins
Green Shield Stamps
Green Shield Stamps could be traded in for 'free' gifts so why did consumers abandon them?
25 Apr 2024,25 mins
Mothercare's UK Stores
Why did Mothercare have to close all of their UK stores?
18 Apr 2024,25 mins
Vine
Why did the video sharing platform Vine end up... toast?
11 Apr 2024,24 mins
Little Chef
Why did we lose the roadside restaurant chain Little Chef?
04 Apr 2024,24 mins
Jamie's Italian
What went wrong at Jamie Oliver's UK restaurant chain, Jamie's Italian?
01 Feb 2024,24 mins
Club 18-30
Why did the package holiday brand Club 18-30 disappear?
18 Jan 2024,25 mins
Commodore Computers
Why did the best-selling computer manufacturer, Commodore, go bust?
11 Jan 2024,24 mins
Sunny Delight
Why did sales of the best-selling soft drink Sunny Delight suddenly bomb in the 1990s?
11 Jan 2024,25 mins