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June 26, 2025 28 mins

FHM was the men's magazine that sold vastly more copies than any of its competitors but still ended up toast. So, why did its publishers stop printing it while other men's magazines survived?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, charts its highs and lows in the company of four of FHM's former editors.

Alongside them is the entrepreneur, Sam White, who has to use her business acumen to reach her own conclusions based upon what she has heard.

Featuring in the show are:

- Eric Musgrave - the original editor of 'For Him Magazine' as it was known when it launched in 1985

- Mike Soutar - the FHM editor who took sales to over half-a-million a month in the late 1990s

- Piers Hernu - FHM's editor-at-large who took to the airwaves to defend lads' mags against accusations of sexism

- Joe Barnes - who edited the magazine for four years until shortly before its print publication ceased

Produced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

You can email the programme at toast@bbc.co.uk

Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.

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