Rick Edwards became one of the UK's fastest-rising searches late on October 2 after the BBC confirmed that he and Lloyd Griffith will return to Football Daily for two fully visualised episodes every week. The new run begins Thursday, October 15, and puts the pair on the feed every Thursday and Sunday.
The change is more than a guest-host announcement. It is part of a broader weekly structure for one of the BBC's main football podcast feeds, with different formats assigned across the week and the Edwards-Griffith episodes available in both audio and full video.
When do Rick Edwards and Lloyd Griffith return?
Their regular episodes begin on Thursday, October 15. The duo will host on Thursdays and Sundays. That gives them one programme before the weekend's main club fixtures are complete and another after much of the weekend action has taken place.
The timing is useful for listeners because the two episodes can perform different functions: Thursday can look ahead to the biggest talking points and Sunday can react to matches while the weekend is still fresh.
Where can people listen and watch?
Audio episodes will be available through BBC Sounds as part of the Football Daily feed. The visualised editions will also be available through BBC iPlayer and the BBC Football YouTube channel.
That multi-platform distribution is important. Football podcasts increasingly behave like video shows, with clips and full episodes watched on phones, TVs and social platforms. The BBC is therefore not treating the visual version as a secondary extra.
Why did the BBC bring the pair back?
The BBC points to audience response during the 2026 World Cup. Football Daily generated more than 7.3 million streams during the tournament, including more than 3.4 million views of visualised editions across BBC iPlayer and BBC Football YouTube.
Those numbers help explain the decision. A successful tournament format can disappear once the event ends, but the BBC has instead converted the pairing into a regular twice-weekly product.
What is the new Football Daily weekly schedule?
The feed remains broader than Edwards and Griffith. Monday continues with Monday Night Club hosted by Mark Chapman. Tuesday and Wednesday feature 5 Live reaction to midweek football, including Champions League coverage. Thursday is the first Edwards-Griffith slot.
Friday carries The Commentators' View, Saturday features The Football Interview with Kelly Somers, and Sunday brings Edwards and Griffith back for their second episode. The result is a feed with a defined programme identity on most days rather than one interchangeable daily format.
What will Edwards and Griffith talk about?
The BBC says the pair will cover the major stories in football with debate and reaction. The wider feed includes Premier League, Football League, Scottish football, international matches and European competitions, so their remit is not restricted to one league.
The appeal of the pairing comes partly from chemistry. The two are longtime friends and lean into a conversational style rather than a rigid studio discussion. That can make complex football stories easier to follow, provided entertainment does not replace analysis.
Why are visualised podcasts growing?
Video removes the old distinction between podcast and studio programme. A listener can consume the same conversation in headphones on a commute, watch clips on a phone or run the full episode on a television. Publishers also gain more ways to distribute a single recording.
For football, visual presentation can add value even when match footage is restricted. Hosts can use graphics, tables, tactical boards or simply the energy of face-to-face conversation. It also makes individual segments easier to discover through video platforms.
Do you need a separate subscription?
The BBC announcement places the audio on BBC Sounds and the full video on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Football YouTube channel. Users should follow the usual platform access rules in their location. Availability outside the UK can differ because rights and service access are not identical internationally.
UK viewers should also remember that a podcast discussing football is not the same as live match rights. The programme can analyse Premier League or Champions League stories without necessarily streaming the games themselves.
What happened during the World Cup run?
The World Cup gave the pair a high-attention environment in which to build an audience quickly. Tournament football produces daily storylines, and the conversational format benefited from a constant supply of matches, travel stories, selections and knockout drama.
The challenge now is different. A club season stretches across months, and the show needs to remain useful when the news cycle is less concentrated. The twice-weekly structure may help because it avoids forcing the same pair into a daily format.
What should regular Football Daily listeners expect?
- Rick Edwards and Lloyd Griffith every Thursday and Sunday from October 15.
- Audio through BBC Sounds.
- Full visual editions on BBC iPlayer and BBC Football YouTube.
- Monday Night Club remains part of the feed.
- Midweek, commentary and interview formats continue on other days.
Why is Rick Edwards trending now?
The spike is tied to a concrete programme change rather than a vague celebrity story. The BBC has taken a World Cup pairing that performed well and given it a permanent place in the weekly football schedule. For listeners, the useful information is straightforward: the return date, the two weekly days and the platforms where the show can be consumed.
Source: the BBC Media Centre announcement. More television, media and culture coverage is available in Culture.
