The Amol Rajan Connection, the new members' club from the broadcaster and Celebrity Traitors star, has been doing the rounds online since a post on X picked out its £999 top tier. The claim being shared leaves out the detail that matters.
We went through the official price list tier by tier. Here's what each level costs, what you actually get, and the small print worth reading before you sign up.
£999 for a virtual meet-and-greet with Amol.
You don't need £999 for that. The virtual meet-and-greet comes with the £299-a-year Negroni tier. The £999 Piña Colada is a one-off lifetime membership that includes it, plus meet-and-greets at the live events you attend and your name in the show's credits.
What is the Amol Rajan Connection?
It's Amol Rajan's own media venture, which he describes as a members' club. The platform launched on 22 September 2026, with Waitrose signed up as a founding launch partner. At its heart is a YouTube channel, @amolrajanconnection, with daily explainers and a twice-weekly video podcast. Around it sit a members' website, a free weekly newsletter and live shows.
The live shows are a ten-date Spring 2027 tour, starting at Richmond Theatre on 7 March and finishing at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh on 18 June, with London's Barbican on 20 March. Rajan interviews a different guest each night, according to The Lowry's listing for the Salford date. The Tab reports that the first episode of the show featured former England manager Gareth Southgate.
How much does the Amol Rajan Connection cost?
There are five ways in, from free to £999. Rajan named the paid tiers after cocktails, arranged "in ascending order of deliciousness and personal affection". He says he first thought of naming them after spin bowlers, from Jim Laker to Shane Warne.
Memberships can also be bought as a gift.
What does the £999 Piña Colada tier actually get you?
The Piña Colada is a single £999 payment for lifetime membership. On top of everything in the Negroni tier, you get a meet-and-greet at every live event you attend, your name in the show's credits and your name in the Patrons and Partners section of the website.
Put another way, £999 is the same as about three years and four months of Negroni at £299 a year.
The Margarita figure is 12 monthly payments of £5.99. The yearly plan is 33% cheaper.
Is the £999 lifetime membership really for life?
Not in the way the word suggests. The club's membership terms say the Piña Colada is not tied to the lifetime of the member, of Amol Rajan or of any company. Its core benefits last for as long as the club keeps running as a membership service.
"Lifetime" = as long as the club runs
If the club closes or cuts back, the terms promise an appropriate remedy. That could be equivalent access, a reasonable replacement, or a partial refund based on what you paid and how long you've had the benefits.
Outside the 14-day cancellation window, there's no refund just because you change your mind.
What's in the small print?
Worth knowing before you pay
- UK buyers have 14 days from joining to cancel for a refund, though a deduction can apply if you asked for the membership to start within that time. After that, there are no refunds for part-periods or unused benefits.
- Monthly and yearly plans renew automatically until you cancel. Cancelling stops the next renewal, and you keep access until the end of the period you've paid for.
- Price rises on monthly and yearly plans need at least 30 days' notice and don't affect a period you've already paid for.
- Memberships are personal to you. They can't be shared, and can only be transferred with the club's consent.
- The "Ask Me Anything" livestream and on-camera participation are planned benefits that may be delayed, changed or dropped.
- Priority booking gets you earlier access to tickets, not a guaranteed ticket, seat or entry.
- The free ticket to the annual members' event depends on the event's terms, venue capacity and keeping your membership going.
- Merch discounts apply to full-price members-only items and don't cover delivery.
- Student eligibility can be checked when you join, during your membership and before renewal.
Why is Amol Rajan launching a members' club now?
Rajan presented his final edition of BBC Radio 4's Today programme on 2 September 2026, having announced earlier in the year that he was leaving to set up his own company. He still hosts University Challenge on BBC Two, which he took over from Jeremy Paxman in 2023.
The launch also lands in the middle of the current series of The Celebrity Traitors on BBC One, where he was the first celebrity to be murdered, in episode two. He was also the BBC's first media editor, from 2016, and before that the editor of The Independent, a job he took on at 29.
More from The Celebrity Traitors
Prices and perks are from the official Amol Rajan Connection join page, and cancellation, refund and lifetime details from its membership terms, both checked on 21 October 2026. Tour dates are from the official tour page and The Lowry. The launch partnership is from the John Lewis Partnership. The viral claim and first-episode guest were reported by The Tab.