Rajan Amol Connection Review: Another Wrong Move After a Night Among the Famous Traitors?

Since leaving the BBC, the presenter has bulletproof confidence. But his first YouTube appearance with Gareth Southgate is not as radical as expected, and he resembles another tech guru. In the clip launching his YouTube project, 'The Rajan Amol Connection,' he acknowledges the seismic shifts of our era but firmly places himself at their center. We are on the threshold of 100 years of change.

No matter how much you hate Amul Rajan, you can't accuse him of not dreaming big. In the clip following the launch of his YouTube project, The Rajan Amel Connection, he acknowledges the seismic ups and downs of our times, but places himself firmly at the heart of them. "We will have 100 years of change in a decade," he says. "And it's scary. But maybe I can help." Big deal for someone who somehow managed to be played by Richard E. Grant in Famous Traitors. But all kidding aside, Rajan's bulletproof confidence is still titanium.

The Amol Rajan Connection brand features a replica poster of The Harder They Come, a Jamaican film about a renegade rebel whose reckless defiance of establishment rules leads to his death in a hail of bullets. But however he may see himself, it's impossible for Rajan to be seen as an outsider. From his editorship at a national newspaper, through Challenge University and today, he has shown an uncanny ability to quickly reach the heart of one national institution after another. Sponsors of the exhibition are two of the world's top technology companies, one of the UK's largest banks and a luxury supermarket chain. He got his start by appearing on former Tory Chancellor George Osborne's podcast. Rajan's connections are clearly working very efficiently.

During the conversation with Osborne, he explained himself as follows: "The BBC and BBC News are going to get smaller at an increasing rate. And I want to go where the action takes place. But what is the action in this field? The long-form, one-on-one video podcast (which is basically what it is) has become a crowded field. Indeed, co-presenting 'Today' on Radio 4 remains a far more influential position for a media agent to take over.

Since leaving Today, Rajan has hinted at some soft-spoken beefs with the BBC's constraints, mostly revolving around the sense that he can't say what he really thinks. These sentiments were originally expressed in an article in the Spectator and, more improbably, were a statement of agreement with some of Dominic Cummings's ideas. Rajan is an undeniably dominant communicator, but there is a sense that his pace could turn into something less than pleasing. There is a touch of the tech guru about him – his self-belief sometimes borders on Christians. Can he listen to an expert? Or does it cut off the conversation given what has been going on in current affairs lately?

Perhaps his first guest can be considered comforting. Gareth Southgate is certainly anti-amal. He is impatient, measured and sometimes even a little thoughtful. Rajan reads the room: like many right-minded people, he is clearly full of admiration and affection for the former England manager, and so allows himself to merge into his steady, sometimes light-hearted rhythm. The result is very traditional broadcast

At first, it wanders along some well-trodden paths. Rejected by Southampton, second chance at Crystal Palace, captaincy, England, that missed penalty, managing the club - and then back to England. This time with a vest, he is looking for football redemption, but at a critical moment, he is forced to take the lead in cultural fields as well. It's gently pleasurable, like a quiet, familiar bedtime story.

In the second of the two-hour conversation, the pair navigate more turbulent waters, discussing FIFA governance, the state of Manchester City and, finally, Southgate's pet subject: his heartfelt concerns about the problems plaguing young men.

None of this is boring, exactly. In fact, much of it is fascinating and valuable. It just doesn't seem dynamic or radical. If this interview is "where the action is," it's hard to see how it proves a concept for investing as a whole.

Obviously, the tone and mood of the guests will be different – the version of Rajan we see here is certainly more thoughtful than usual, and that's refreshing. But at first glance, The Amol Rajan Connection plays it safe. Perhaps something will emerge that reflects the times that have arisen. Not for now though.