SATURDAY 21 JUNE 2025
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002dljk)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:30 Please Live by Lana Estemirova (m002dlgy)
And then I Receive a Call
Lana Estemirova grew up in Chechnya in the 1990s, the daughter of the human rights activist Natalya Estemirova, who was assassinated when Lana was only 15. This memoir is dedicated to her mother.
Lana tells the story of her childhood, and what happened to her after her mother died. There was a powerful bond between mother and daughter, ‘an invisible thread that could never be broken, not even by death’. Sometimes Lana is sent to live with relatives, but wherever possible Natalya brings her young daughter to live with her in Grozny - and so Lana is able to give us a vivid child’s eye view of what it is like to grow up in a warzone. There is terrifying danger, but also a lot of fun, and even deep happiness.
This final episode opens on 15th July 2009, when Lana is fifteen. Her mother Natalya is now an award-winning human rights journalist, intent on recording Russian war crimes and interviewing torture survivors. On that morning when Lana wakes, her mother has already left for work, but she doesn’t reply to her daughter’s texts. Time after time Lana tries to reach her.
‘I take a bus to the city centre, trying to get through to Mum every fifteen minutes. At the office, most of her colleagues are there, but Mum is nowhere to be seen. The clock is ticking:
3pm,
4pm, 5… Everyone reassures me, “Your mother will be fine”. Why tell me this? Someone suggests I stay with one of Mum’s colleagues for the night.
I scroll back through my endless texts. “Where are you?” “Why aren’t you answering?” “Call me back!!!”
With shaking fingers, I type “Please, live!”
Read by Ell Potter
Produced and abridged by Elizabeth Burke
Studio Production and Sound Design by Jon Calver
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002dljm)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002dljp)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
SAT 05:30 News Summary (m002dljr)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002dljt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002dljw)
Marking the programme's 55 years on Radio 4
The sound of footsteps brings inspiration to Alison Jack of Edinburgh University's School of Divinity
SAT 05:45 Child (p0hhrsxf)
Series 1
24. Attachment
Attachment is an interesting word. It conjures up images of love, security, but also a specific focus and intensity that has encircled modern parenting. India Rakusen speaks to Child Psychotherapist Graham Music about attachment styles and people behind the theory.
We hear from Marvyn Harrison, founder of Dope Black Dads, about his experience of becoming a father and India talks to Dr Charlotte Faircloth about how attachment parenting and other intensive parenting methods are impacting parents today.
Presented by India Rakusen
Producer: Ellie Sans
Series Producer: Ellie Sans
Executive Producer: Suzy Grant
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon and Eska Mtungwazi
Mix and Mastering by Olga Reed
A Listen production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002dyzn)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
SAT 06:07 Ramblings (m002dpnl)
Arriving in Santiago de Compostela with Sharon, Shirley and friends
On Clare’s last day of walking sections of the Camino, she arrives into Santiago de Compostela with a wonderful group of friends who have been following the Portuguese route, starting in Vigo.
The women became friends after meeting in their local gym, and discovered they were all working their way through challenging personal issues. They decided they wanted to do something for themselves to celebrate both fitness and friendship… and their Camino adventure began. The route they chose was from Vigo to Santiago which is entirely in Spain, but forms the last 104km/65 miles of the Camino Portugues Coastal.
This is the What3Words location for where Clare met the group: ///petitioning.spokes.snail
Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002dyzq)
21/06/25 Farming Today This Week: Royal Highland Show, trade deal with the Gulf States, rural crime, farming in a heatwave
Despite Climate Change Committee warnings, the Scottish Government says it will not reduce livestock numbers.
Some good news on rural crime, but livestock theft remains high.
Could a trade deal with the Gulf States open the door to low-welfare meat imports?
Mud sunscreen for pigs: farmers tell us what they do for livestock and crops to combat a heatwave.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
SAT 06:57 Weather (m002dyzs)
Iran says at least 430 people have been killed since Israel began attacking the country a week ago
Iran says at least 430 people have been killed, and thousands injured, since Israel began attacking the country, just over a week ago. As the two countries continue to fire missiles at each other, Israel said it had killed another three top military figures in Iran. Also: A British man has been arrested near an RAF base in Cyprus – on suspicion of spying for Iran. And: Today is officially the hottest day of the year so far in the UK. Temperatures reached 33 point 2 Celsius at Charlwood in Surrey.
SAT 07:00 Today (m002dyzv)
Today (Saturday)
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002dyzx)
Adeel Akhtar, Terry Deary, Charlotte Philby, Limahl
Double BAFTA winning and shapeshifting actor Adeel Akhtar has been seen on screen in Murdered by My Father, Sherwood and Fool Me Once and on stage he’s currently playing a politician in The Estate.
Terry Deary is the bestselling author of Horrible Histories and has now written his first adult crime thriller…Actually, I’m A Murderer.
And Charlotte Philby is the investigative journalist, author of spy thrillers, and has uncovered the women behind her grandfather's double life as one of the Cambridge Five.
All that...plus the “Never Ending” Inheritance Tracks of Kajagoogoo star and singer Limahl.
Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw Stephens
Producer: Catherine Powell
SAT 10:00 Curious Cases (m002c71g)
Series 23
Memory Swap
Could you ever trade memories with someone else? Fancy downloading the experience of landing on the moon, winning an Oscar or performing at Glastonbury? Listener Adam wants to know, and Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain are on the case.
With expert insights from Professor Chris French and Professor Amy Milton, they dive into the mind’s tendency to blur the lines between reality and imagination - often embellishing, distorting, or downright making stuff up.
Discover how memory conformity makes us “see” things like spoons being bent by paranormal forces, how scientists can implant artificial memories in mice, and hear Al Hopwood’s hilariously vivid tales of things that definitely never happened. Chris even spills the secrets of how to deliberately plant false memories in others (don’t try this at home!).
From rewiring trauma to curing phobias, the potential of memory manipulation is both exciting and unnervingly sci-fi. Prepare to question everything you think you remember.
Contributors:
Amy Milton - Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge
Chris French - Professor of Anomalistic Psychology at Goldsmiths University
Al Hopwood - Artist, writer and curator
Producer: Ilan Goodman
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production
SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002dz00)
Series 48
Bath
Jay Rayner and a panel of food experts are in Bath offering tips on soft cheese and bain-marie cooking. Jay is joined by chefs, cooks and food writers Sophie Wright, Jocky Petrie and Lerato Umah-Shaylor, along with resident food historian Dr Annie Gray.
The panellists discuss their favourite cold soups, explain the purpose of different types of salt, and share the best things to pair with soft cheese. Meanwhile, Annie Gray provides a brief history of cheese production in the UK.
Later on, Jay chats to local cheesemonger Hugh Padfield to discuss the unique history, flavour profile and method of producing Bath soft cheese.
Senior Producer: Dominic Tyerman
Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002dz02)
Caroline Wheeler of The Sunday Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster.
In the wake of a historic Commons vote in favour of a bill to legalise assisted dying, Caroline speaks to Labour MP Jake Richards, a supporter of the bill, and Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson, an opponent of it.
To discuss the ongoing crisis in the Middle East Caroline speaks to the Chairman of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee, Lord Beamish, and the former Conservative Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat.
After the Government announced further delays to HS2, Caroline brings together the Chair of the Transport Select Committee, Ruth Cadbury MP, and the former Conservative Rail minister, Huw Merriman, to assess whether we can have confidence in future infrastructure projects.
And the former Cabinet Secretary, Sir Simon Case, shines a light on life at the heart of government in the week it was revealed he would soon take a seat in the House of Lords.
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002dz04)
Israel strikes Iran's nuclear sites
Kate Adie presents stories from Iran, Israel, India, the US and Canada.
Israel's decision to launch strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites has brought more uncertainty to an already volatile region. Several hundred Iranian civilians have been killed in the attacks and thousands more have fled Tehran. Jiyar Gol has spoken to people from across Iran, revealing a country - and a regime - under pressure.
Meanwhile Iran has retaliated with its own strikes against Israel and has at times overwhelmed the country's 'iron dome' defence system. Hugo Bachega travelled to the town of Rishon LeZion, which was hit by an Iranian missile in the early morning, and speaks to locals about Israel's decision to instigate a new conflict.
When Air India flight 171 crashed into a residential suburb of the Indian city of Ahmedabad, Zoya Mateen reported from the scene in the immediate hours after the disaster. In the local hospital, she met families still holding out for good news.
A man was charged in a Minnesota court with the murder of a Democratic Party lawmaker and her husband this week. The shooting shattered the state's idea of itself as a haven of politeness and respect. Mike Wendling reports from the twin cities.
And finally, the BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Landale has been in Canada where the G7 summit of world leaders gathered this week - and from which Donald Trump made an early exit. He reflects on the fractures beginning to show in these multilateral gatherings and what that could mean for future summits.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill & Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002dz06)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002dz08)
Child Trust Funds and the Cost of Insurance
Campaigners say more needs to be done to help the parents and carers of tens of thousands of disabled young adults access their own money held in Government backed Child Trust Funds. The Financial Inclusion Commission has told Radio 4's Money Box it wants the Government to officially endorse an informal process that some financial providers are already using to help grant access in days, instead of months or, in some cases, not at all.
The cost of insurance might be falling but if you choose to pay monthly then you could be paying an extra 20-30% more. The Financial Conduct Authority has been carrying out a study into the market but what can it do to help protect people who can't afford to pay the whole amount up front
And we also look why a record number of people are taking money out of their pension pot as soon as they're able to at the age of 55. What could be the impact on your financial situation later in life?
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner
Researchers: Eimear Devlin and Catherine Lund
Editors: Sarah Rogers and Justin Bones
SAT 12:30 Dead Ringers (m002dlhx)
Series 26
Episode 2. De-escalation and nuclear proliferation
The Dead Ringers team are back to train their vocal firepower on the week’s news with an armoury of impressive impressions.
This week: Iran plays host to a surprising WMD Inspector, Laura Kuenssberg is de-escalated, and Ross Kemp on Grooming Gangs.
Cast: Jan Ravens, Jon Culshaw, Lewis Macleod, Jess Robinson, Duncan Wisbey and Kieran Hodgson.
The episode was written by: Nev Fountain and Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Tom Coles, Sophie Dickson, Toussaint Douglass, Rob Darke, Cody Dahler, Edward Tew, Jon Holmes, Davina Bentley, Katie Sayer, Alice Bright and Chris Donovan
Created by Bill Dare
Producer: Jon Holmes
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
SAT 12:57 Weather (m002dz0b)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News (m002dz0d)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002dlj3)
Bronwen Maddox, Dr Peter Prinsley MP, Ash Sarkar, Nick Timothy MP
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from The Corn Hall in Diss in Norfolk with the Director and Chief Executive of the Chatham House think tank Bronwen Maddox, the Labour MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket Dr Peter Prinsley, the journalist and Contributing Editor of Novara Media Ash Sarkar and the Conservative MP for West Suffolk Nick Timothy.
Producer: Robin Markwell
Lead Broadcast Engineer: Rob Dyball
SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002dz0g)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?
SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002dlhz)
At the family holiday meeting there’s light tension between Kate and Jakob. She insists she’s made peace with his decision not to come on the holiday – and he’ll be jealous when they come up with somewhere brilliant. However it becomes clear the meeting isn’t going to happen as one by one attendees drop out. Kate thinks they’re all a nightmare. How can she organise everyone if they can’t even turn up to a meeting? Maybe Jakob had the right idea; what Kate would really like is to go to Scotland and visit Phoebe and the baby. She starts to look up places to go.
At the Borchester Land board meeting Stella sums up the ecology report, parts of which Brian acknowledges make pretty gloomy reading. Stella asserts that she knows BL should take action – and they’re already putting a lot of the right things in place that will make a difference. Justin ventures that these might not be enough, and raises his rewilding proposition. Afterwards Brian declares it will happen over his dead body. Martyn scoffs that Justin’s become a tree hugging beaver lover. Justin insists he has support on the board, naming Annabelle specifically. Brian’s appalled that Stella knew of Justin’s plans. She’s stabbed him in the back and he’s never been so disappointed. Stella can’t believe Justin revealed the plans, having said he wouldn’t. Justin insists he needed an element of surprise to make an impact. Stella retorts his duplicitousness has probably cost her her relationship with her boss, and possibly threatened her job.
SAT 15:00 Secrets and Lies (m002dz0j)
Fraud versus Fraud Hunter
Eric Hebborn (1934 - 1996) was a real-life master faker. He believed the Art World was a tissue of corruption and lies and his fake paintings were designed to expose that.
It's believed that, to this day, there are many of his "fakes" scattered around the great museums of the world.
In Mike Harris' imagined drama, fictional top art expert Richard Reynolds believes that genuineness in a work is its very essence. His reputation is based on dating and attributing. For Hebborn, this is tosh designed to keep experts in work. Hebborn thinks Art is universal and should be appreciated for what it is, not for who did it and when. So, when he paints 'new works' in the exact style of Renaissance Masters and sells them to dealers, he is not a fraud or criminal but, rather, 'a late follower.'
Art for Art's Sake? Money for God's sake.
Cast:
Norma Parker Felicity Dean
Eric Hebborn Matthew Marsh
Richard Reynolds Malcolm Sinclair
Jean Watts Louise Beresford
Micky Midas Kerry Shale
Shirley Sawyer Phoebe-Loveday Raymond
Charlotte Biggs-Reynolds/Beth Sarah Lambie
Mafia boss/Graham Smith Jonathan Clarkson
Written by Mike Harris
Produced and Directed by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m002dz0l)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: Natalie Fleet MP, HIV prevention, Trisha Goddard, Older surrogacy, Comedian Rosie Jones
Natalie Fleet is the Labour MP for Bolsover whose path into politics has been far from typical. From a very young age, teachers told her she was destined for university – something almost unheard of in her Nottingham mining town. But her future took a different turn, when at fifteen, she became pregnant by an older man. At the time she had thought they were in a relationship - but as she grew older, Natalie says she realised she had been a victim of grooming and statutory rape. She's now speaking out to give a voice to those she feels have been made to feel they should be silent, and joins Anita Rani in the studio.
Only 3.1% of PREP users in England are women. That's Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, a drug that reduces the risk of being infected with HIV. Many women don’t know that PREP exists, or don’t consider themselves at risk. Yet women accounted for 30% of new HIV diagnoses in England in 2023. This week, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has launched pilot programmes to increase women's access to PREP. Anita was joined by Dr Jenny Whetham, Consultant and Joint Clinical Lead, Sexual Health and HIV Medicine, Brighton and Anne Aslett, CEO of the Elton John AIDS Foundation to discuss.
Trisha Goddard rose to fame as a TV journalist. She was the first black TV presenter in Australia and is best known in the UK for her eponymous TV show which aired on ITV and Channel 5 in the late 90s and 2000s, earning her a reputation as the British Oprah. She joined Anita to talk about her career, appearing on Celebrity Big Brother and why she chose recently to go public with her diagnosis for stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.
BBC journalist Sanchia Berg and fertility lawyer Beverley Addison joined Nuala McGovern to discuss the recent cases of older couples becoming parents via surrogacy.
Comedian, actor and writer Rosie Jones joined Nuala to discuss her first sitcom, Pushers, which she stars in and co-wrote. She plays Emily in the Channel 4 show, who has very little left to lose after having her disability benefits cut when she loses her job - she finds herself building an illegal drugs empire. Emily isn’t your average street-dealer though - she’s sharp, funny, highly educated and has cerebral palsy. What better disguise could there be for criminal activity than to be entirely written off by society?
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Annette Wells
Editor: Rebecca Myatt
SAT 17:00 PM (m002dz0n)
Israel kills more top Iranian military officials
Israel's military says it has killed three Iranian commanders, one of whom they say helped plan Hamas's October 7th attacks. A former senior American general tells us that the Tehran regime is seriously weakened.
Also on PM: GPs in England will soon prescribe the weight loss drug, Mounjaro. We ask a leading doctor whether it might revolutionise weight loss.
And as Meghan Markle launches a new rosé drink, we ask why so many celebrities are releasing their own wine brands.
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002dz0q)
The Douglas Alexander One
The Trade Minister explains how a penalty shootout played a role in his government appointment.
Douglas Alexander has the same job that he had 20 years ago in Tony Blair's government. He reflects on how the world has changed in that time, and his motivation for returning to politics after a humiliating defeat in 2015.
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002dz0s)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m002dz0v)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002dz0x)
Iran says at least 430 people have been killed since Israel began attacking the country a week ago
Iran says at least 430 people have been killed, and thousands injured, since Israel began attacking the country, just over a week ago. As the two countries continue to fire missiles at each other, Israel said it had killed another three top military figures in Iran. Also: A British man has been arrested near an RAF base in Cyprus – on suspicion of spying for Iran. And: Today is officially the hottest day of the year so far in the UK. Temperatures reached 33 point 2 Celsius at Charlwood in Surrey.
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002dz0z)
Jenny Colgan, Douglas Maxwell, Zara Gladman, Michael Mullen, James Yorkston, Rachel Newton
It's 20 years since Jenny Colgan became a published author and since then her books have been translated across the globe, from Brazil to Bulgaria. Her latest novel is Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages.
Playwright Douglas Maxwell is back at the Tron in Glasgow, a theatre that kickstarted his professional career 25 years ago. His one-man show Man’s Best Friend explores isolation and dogwalking.
Zara Gladman might be best known online for her portrayals of her Glasgow West End Mum character, but she has found fans far beyond the realms of her home city. In August, she'll be swapping sketch for stage with her show Aileen: Cameron’s Gap Year Fundraiser.
Poet Michael Mullen's book Goonie is their debut poetry collection. It tells stories of family, humour and queer identity, from the living room to the hairdresser's chair.
Plus music from singer-songwriter James Yorkston ahead of the release of his new album Songs for Nina and Johanna.
Award-winning singer, harpist and composer Rachel Newton shares a track from her latest solo album Sealladh.
Presenter: Nihal Arthanayake
Producer: Caitlin Sneddon
SAT 19:00 Profile (m002dz11)
Blaise Metreweli
Current Director-General of Technology and Innovation, Blaise Metreweli, was recently appointed as the new chief of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service, MI6. She’s the first woman to assume the role. She attended Westminster School, where she got a glimpse of leadership in her role as head girl. In 1995, she went on to study Anthropology at Cambridge University. Beyond the lecture halls, Blaise Metreweli was a keen sportswoman. In 1997, the Cambridge women's team she was in beat their rivals Oxford University in the Boat Race. After graduating, she set her sights on an international career, applying to be a diplomat but was diverted to work for MI6 instead. During her time serving as a spy, she was reportedly posted to Europe, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East.
Presenter: Stephen Smith
Producers: Ben Crighton and Natasha Fernandes
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Nick Holland
SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m002dpmn)
Steve Reich
Composer Steve Reich is one of the most influential musicians of modern times. In the 1960s he helped rewrite the rules of composition, using analogue tape machines to experiment with rhythm, repetition and syncopation. As the godfather of musical minimalism, his influence on Philip Glass, David Bowie, Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, and many other composers, has been enormous. Countless dance music producers also owe a debt to pieces including It’s Gonna Rain, Drumming, Different Trains and Music for 18 Musicians. His music has been performed in concert halls all around the world, and his many awards include three Grammys, a Pulitzer Prize, the Polar Prize for Music and the Premium Imperiale.
Steve Reich tells John Wilson how, at the age of 14, three very different recordings awoke his interest in music: Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, Bach's 5th Brandenburg Concerto, and a piece of bebop jazz featuring saxophonist Charlie Parker, trumpeter Miles Davis and drummer Kenny Clarke. Inspired to start a jazz quintet of his own, Reich began to study percussion before enrolling in a music history course at Cornell University. It was here he discovered the music of Pérotin, the 12th century French composer associated with the Notre Dame school of polyphony in Paris. His beautiful sustained harmonies had a profound influence on Reich's own compositions, including Four Organs (1970) and Music for 18 Musicians (1976).Steve Reich also explains the significance of two books on his music; Studies in African Music by A.M.Jones and Music in Bali by Colin McPhee, both of which led to a greater understanding of music from parts of the world where music is passed down aurally rather than through notation.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
Additional recording: Laura Pellicer
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002dz13)
We Were the Mods
In 1973, The Who released Quadrophrenia, an ambitious rock concept album that told the story of Jimmy, the compelling young mod struggling through the hot summer of 1964. Five years after the record release, Quadrophenia was adapted into a cult classic film. Combined, Quadrophenia defined more than one generation.
Did any of us anticipate a Quadrophenia return more than 50 years later - but this time as a ballet?
This edition of Archive on 4 compresses the many iterations and eras of Quadrophenia to consider its enduring cultural legacy. Music writer Alexis Petridis assembles conversations between the past and present - The Who's principal songwriter Pete Townshend sits down with his partner Rachel Fuller, who has orchestrated Townshend’s music for the modern era; Phil Daniels, who famously played Jimmy in the movie, meets dancer Paris Fitzpatrick, who performs the lead in the ballet; And Franc Roddam, film director, meets Rob Ashford, ballet director.
Additional Contributors:
Jeremy Gilbert, Professor of Cultural and Political Theory at the University of East London
Mark Kermode, film critic
Lias Saoudi, musician
Anna Sui, fashion designer.
Presenter: Alexis Petridis
Producer: Richard Power
Executive Producers: Jude Shapiro & Jack Howson
Mixing: Andy Fell
Extra Production: Ronnie Jones
Extra Research: Saskia Cookson
A Peanut & Crumb production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 21:00 Moral Maze (m002dmnz)
Was Israel right to launch strikes on Iran?
Self-defence, as a justification for war, is much more difficult to argue if you strike the first blow. The Israelis say their devastating pre-emptive strike on Iran is a special, truly existential, case. A regime, long committed to their destruction was, according to Israel, within weeks of developing nuclear weapons, just one of which could effectively wipe out their state and most of its citizens.
How far does that justify the abandonment of diplomacy, the targeting of leaders, the collateral damage and death? And, by the way, why is it ok for some countries to have The Bomb- and not others?
Witnesses:
Sir Richard Dalton, Jake Wallis Simons, Prof Mary Kaldor, Prof Ali Ansari
Panellists:
Carmody Grey, Giles Fraser, Inaya Folarin-Iman , Mona Siddiqui
Presenter: Michael Buerk
Producer: Catherine Murray
Assistant Producer: Peter Everett
Editor: Tim Pemberton
SAT 22:00 News (m002dz15)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002dlgw)
A Food Revolution in Eight (More) Ideas
Dan Saladino meets pioneering thinkers to hear about future food ideas ranging from edible protein sourced from chicken feathers to crops inoculated with fungi capable of tolerating a hotter climate.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino
SAT 23:00 The Matt Forde Focus Group (m002dpnz)
5. The Politics of 'Stigma'
Can political discussion be funny? Er - yes!
Top political comedian Matt Forde convenes his focus group in front of a live theatre audience with guests comedian Zoe Lyons, former Conservative and Change UK MP Anna Soubry and journalist Hugo Rifkind.
Reducing 'stigma' is considered a good thing - but what happens when we succeed?
Written and performed by Matt Forde
Additional writing from Karl Minns, Katie Storey and Richard Garvin
Producer: Richard Garvin
Co Producers: Daisy Knight and Jules Lom
Broadcast Assistant: Jenny Recaldin
Sound Design and Editing: David Thomas
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 23:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002dl01)
Programme 6 - Wales vs Scotland
(6/12)
Teams from all over the UK will face Kirsty Lang's cryptic questions across the series, with Kirsty offering support and the odd hint where it might be needed.
This sixth contest features Wales and Scotland.
Questions in today's edition:
Q1: (from Tim Riley) You’re looking for 5 words. Why might a hidden collection that includes facial hair, chocolate icing, Rhone grapes, and wet shredded paper all leave you in pain?
Q2: Why would Maurice Micklewhite, A Henry James Novel, and a Macauley Culkin film from 1991, all be welcome chez nous? And why would it be fun?
Q3: Music: I’d like you to tell me why you might find them all refreshing.
Q4: (from Michael Hipkins)
Here are some directions for a long road journey:
Head clockwise through lush greenery,
then take the rugged southern route.
Continue until the landscape turns golden.
Pass through a bright, white stretch,
Then as the sun blazes overhead,
your destination lies where light shimmers on the horizon.
Where are you?
Q5 Why are…
an inactive element used in welding, episodes in Ulysses, prohibition, racehorses, and 75% pure gold…
…all legal milestones
Q6 Music: Listen to these songs and tell me why they’d all land on their feet.
Q7 (from Alan Hay) Where would these lead you… A supernatural BBC sitcom, a present for Queen Mary, Hostis Publicus and a discontented wife
Q8 (from Stephen Murphy) Why might Wallace's ways of looking, Alfred's thunderbolt and Gerard's morning's minion - hold a seat in Geoffrey's parliament?
Teams:
Cariad Lloyd and Myfanwy Alexander - Wales
Val McDermid and Alan McCredie - Scotland
Host: Kirsty Lang
Recorded by: Phil Booth
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: Carl Cooper
Questions set by:
Lucy Porter Paul Bajoria and public contributors.
SUNDAY 22 JUNE 2025
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002dz17)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m002dkzz)
Elif Shafak
Take Four Books, presented by James Crawford, speaks this week to the award-winning writer, Elif Shafak, about her new novel - There Are Rivers In The Sky - and explores its connections to three other literary works. The new book spans centuries and moves from London to Turkey to Iraq as it follows three characters all connected by a single drop of water that once fell as rain in the ancient "land between rivers" that was Mesopotamia. For her three influencing texts Elif chose: the ancient odyssey believed to be around four thousand years old, The Epic of Gilgamesh; Orlando by Virginia Woolf from 1928; and The Flow: Rivers, Water and Wildness by Amy-Jane Beer from 2023.
Recorded at the Hay-on-Wye Books Festival, the supporting contributor for this episode was the first ever national poet of Wales, Gwyneth Lewis, whose latest works include the memoir Nightshade Mother, and a new poetry collection entitled First Rain In Paradise.
Producer: Dom Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002dz19)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002dz1c)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:30 News Summary (m002dz1f)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002dz1h)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002dz1k)
The parish church of St Mary the Virgin Bishops Cannings in Wiltshire
Bells on Sunday comes from the parish church of St Mary the Virgin Bishops Cannings in Wiltshire. The church building dates to the 13th century, with many early English features surviving. It was altered in the 14th and 15th centuries and restored in the 19th. There are eight bells, four of which were cast 1602 by John Wallis of Salisbury. The 19th century Tenor bell weighs fifteen and one quarter hundredweight and tuned to the key of E flat. We hear them ringing Grandsire Triples.
SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002dnkf)
Pocklington Lodge
Pocklington Lodge is the last of the Thomas Pocklington Trust's housing complexes. The charity plans to sell the property, as a result of changes in their strategy and expertise over the years. In Touch visits Pocklington Lodge to hear from some of the residents, who fear what the sale of their complex could mean for the future of their homes. In Touch also visits Pocklington's headquarters to chat through reasons behind the decision with CEO, Charles Colquhoun.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Jack Thomason
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.
SUN 06:00 News Summary (m002dz2p)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Thinking Allowed (m002dnjq)
Death
Laurie Taylor talks to Molly Conisbee, Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath, about her ‘people’s’ history of mortality, beyond queens and aristocrats. From the plague pits to grave-robberies and wakes, she explores how cycles of dying, death and disposal have shaped our society. What did it mean to die well in the past, what does it mean now? Also, Chao Fang, Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Liverpool, talks about his study of the meaning of a good death in China & how it differs from western notions which centre the dying person’s wishes rather than family harmony.
Producer: Jayne Egerton
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002dz2r)
Hollywood to Flower Farm
Kim Fleming is an American passionate about British grown flowers. She started her Berkshire flower farm during the Covid pandemic, and the business Marlston Farmgirl has mushroomed. She now sells flowers via New Covent Garden Market, and direct to florists. Her path has taken her from the fashion industry to Chicago florist, to behind the scenes in Hollywood, and a stint as floral designer for the White House during Barack Obama's presidency. Then love bought her to the Berkshire countryside. Her new mission is to boost British blooms, as co chair of the organisation Flowers From The Farm which runs British Flowers Week 16th-22nd June.
Presented and Produced by Sarah Swadling
SUN 06:57 Weather (m002dz2t)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002dz2w)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002dz2y)
Israel-Iran; Assisted Dying; Summer Solstice
The US has bombed three major nuclear sites in Iran, bringing the country directly into the Israel-Iran conflict. Iran's Foreign minister has described the US strikes as "outrageous" and says Iran is reserving "all options to defend its sovereignty". We get an update from our correspondent in Jerusalem and discuss if an argument can be made from religiously-based ethics, for Israel’s actions? Israel contends that its attack on Iran is legal under international law because it represented a form of pre-emptive self-defence. William Crawley speaks to Emad Kiyaei, director at the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO), and co-author of Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction: A new approach to non-proliferation; and Dr Ezra Tzfadya, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Middle East Studies at Indiana University-Bloomington, where he convenes the US Department of Education sponsored "Shia Islamic and Jewish Legal Reasoning in Dialogue" project.
MPs have voted to accept the Assisted Dying Bill which will allow a terminally ill person to legally end their life through medical means. The Catholic Church in England and Wales says it doesn't see how its many care homes and hospices can continue to operate with no exemption from the law.
Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, the Lead Bishop for Life Issues for the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, and Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, who chairs Religious Alliance for Dignity in Dying look forward to what the passage of the bill will mean.
Do you mark the summer solstice? This weekend thousands of people are enjoying sunrise events, which signify the end of spring and the moment when the sun reaches its zenith. But for pagans it's more than just a party – the solstices are a spiritual part of their belief in the wheel of the year. We hear from a wicca witch and a druid, about why the summer solstice is so important.
Presenter: William Crawley
Producers: Bara'atu Ibrahim & Julia Paul
Studio Managers: Amy Brennan & Joe Stickler
Editor: Tim Pemberton
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002dz30)
Rainforest Trust
Mark Carwardine makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Rainforest Trust. The charity protects threatened tropical rainforests by restoring rights to Indigenous communities, so they can steward their ancestral territories and protect people and wildlife.
To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal. (That’s the whole address. Please do not write anything else on the front of the envelope). Mark the back of the envelope ‘Rainforest Trust’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Rainforest Trust UK’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
Registered Charity Number: 1169111. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://www.rainforesttrust.org/
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites
SUN 07:57 Weather (m002dz32)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002dz34)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002dz36)
The Life of Lambeth Palace
A service exploring life and ministry of Lambeth Palace, official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Though it is an ancient, historic building, it is also a living community – a place of prayer, worship, and service.
Led by Rev Tosin Oladipo, Chaplain to the Archbishop, with reflections from members of the palace community.
Music is provided by the St Martin-in-the-Fields Emerging Artists.
Producer: Andrew Earis
Music:
Angel voices ever singing (Angel Voices)
Take, O take me as I am (John Bell)
O God you search me and you know me (Bernadette Farrell)
All creatures now (John Bennet)
Be thou my vision (Jeff Victor and Rebecca Aarons, CD: Amazing Grace - Lifescapes)
For the beauty of the earth (Philip Stopford)
God has chosen me (Bernadette Farrell)
Ubi caritas (Taize)
Lord of all hopefulness (Nils Greenhow)
In Christ there is no east or west (St Stephen)
Psalm 150 (chant by Talbot)
SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct74mr)
Charleston church shooting
On 17 June 2015, white supremacist Dylann Roof attended a bible group at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States. As it was ending, the 21-year-old started shooting and killed nine people.
Polly Sheppard was one of the survivors. She called 911 whilst hiding from Roof. The shootings at the historic African-American church shocked a nation already too used to gun violence. President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy at one of the victim’s funerals and spontaneously started singing Amazing Grace. Ten years on since that day, Polly now 80, tells her harrowing story to Uma Doraiswamy.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: A memorial outside the Emanuel AME Church. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002dz38)
Mike Dilger on the Crested Tit
In the UK, the crested tit is mostly found in the ancient pine forests of the Scottish Highlands. These small birds spend a lot of their time in the canopy, clinging to tree trunks and branches as they look for insects and pine seeds to feed on. As a result, the crested tit can sometimes be very difficult to spot, depending on the weather and the time of year.
Ecologist and TV presenter Mike Dilger spends several weeks a year in Speyside, looking for a range of Caledonian wildlife - and the "crestie" is always high on his must-see list. Crested tits are known for their striking face stripes and, of course, their unmistakeable black and white crest.
Mike spends more time looking for this bird than any other, and says that the best way to track down a crested tit is to listen out for its call - a distinctive, dry trill.
Presented by Mike Dilger and produced by Jo Peacey. A BBC Audio Bristol production.
This programme features a recording from Xeno-Canto:
European Crested Tit Song - XC598507 - recorded by Simon Elliott.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002dz3b)
The US bombs Iran
The US strikes three nuclear sites in Iran, President Trump calls it a military success. BH reports on what is known from the region, and provides analysis of the wider impact.
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002dz3d)
Norma Percy, film-maker
Norma Percy is a documentary film-maker. She has been making programmes for over three decades and her productions have featured a range of political leaders from Tony Blair and Bill Clinton to Mikhail Gorbachev and Slobodan Milošević.
Her film-making method, which she developed alongside her colleague Brian Lapping, tells the stories of our times by taking viewers into the room where the big decisions were made, with the people who made them.
Norma was born in New York City and majored in Government at Oberlin College in Ohio. In 1963 she moved to London where she studied at the London School of Economics, before finding a job in the House of Commons as a researcher for the MP John Mackintosh.
In 1972 she became a researcher for Brian Lapping, working on the Granada series State of the Nation. Later she produced The Second Russian Revolution and the award-winning Watergate – a five-part BBC series about the Watergate scandal.
Her programmes have won an Emmy, two BAFTAs and four Royal Television Awards. Norma lives in London with her husband, the geneticist Professor Steve Jones.
DISC ONE: Be Prepared - Tom Lehrer
DISC TWO: Waltz in C sharp-minor, Op.64 No. 2. Composed by Frederic Chopin and performed by Khatia Buniatishvili
DISC THREE: Well, Did You Evah? - Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra
DISC FOUR: Hard Day’s Night - The Beatles
DISC FIVE: Never Say No - The Fantasticks New Off-Broadway Cast
DISC SIX: Swan Lake, Op. 20, TH.12 / Act 3: The Black Swan. Composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and performed by Erich Gruenberg (violin), London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richard Bonynge
DISC SEVEN: It Ain’t Me Babe - Joan Baez
DISC EIGHT: Political Science - Randy Newman
BOOK CHOICE: In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
LUXURY ITEM: A hot shower
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: It Ain’t Me Babe - Joan Baez
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley
SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002dz3g)
Writer: Katie Hims
Director: Pip Swallow
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Brian Aldridge…. Charles Collingwood
Jolene Archer…. Buffy Davis
Kenton Archer…. Richard Attlee
Pip Archer…. Daisy Badger
Lilian Bellamy…. Sunny Ormonde
Alice Carter…. Hollie Chapman
Justin Elliott…. Simon Williams
Miranda Elliott…. Lucy Fleming
Martyn Gibson…. Jon Glover
Jakob Hakansson…. Paul Venables
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Jim Lloyd…. John Rowe
Kate Madikane…. Perdita Avery
Stella Pryor…. Lucy Speed
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
SUN 12:15 Profile (m002dz11)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 It's a Fair Cop (m002dml8)
Series 9
4. Citizen's Arrest
In this week’s case Alfie asks if you saw someone being robbed in the street, would you step in to help?
Join Alfie and his audience of sworn-in deputies as they explore when it’s ok to make a citizen’s arrest. And when it’s best to leave well alone.
Written and presented by Alfie Moore
Script Editor: Will Ing
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: Sam Holmes
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
SUN 12:57 Weather (m002dz3j)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002dz3l)
The world reacts to American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites
Iran warns of "everlasting consequences" as the US bombs three major nuclear sites. What does this mean for the region and for the UK?
SUN 13:30 Currently (m002dz3n)
One Week in Gaza
The daily realities and private thoughts of a young woman living through war.
Every morning, Hanya Aljamal sees the same man from her balcony. “He has this tiny garden in the middle of all this concrete stuff,” she says. “Just across the road, there’s a blown-up building. Yet he’s cultivating these little herbs and plants. And I look at that and it just looks like the purest form of resistance.”
Hanya has been living in a war zone for 20 months. In daily audio diaries, she describes what she sees and hears from her balcony and in her work for an aid organisation, from drones and kites to funeral marches and sun rises. Her insights and reflections offer a window into life in a place devastated by conflict.
Producer/presenter: Simon Maybin
Editor: China Collins
Sound mix: Eloise Whitmore
Production coordinators: Hattie Valentine & Gemma Ashman
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002dlhj)
West Horsley
What causes onions to bolt? What do the team think about using crocs at the bottom of pots? How should I go about pruning my lilac tree?
Kathy Clugston and a panel of esteemed gardening experts visit West Horsley, Surrey, to tackle common horticultural challenges and share practical solutions. Joining her are pest and disease specialist Pippa Greenwood, botanist James Wong, and award-winning garden designer Juliet Sargeant.
Later in the programme, Bob Flowerdew wraps up our Edible Essentials series with a fool proof guide to feeding and watering your crops - ensuring a rich and rewarding harvest.
Producer: Matthew Smith
Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
Plant List
Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.
Q – My Ficus Ginseng has lost most of its leaves, what am I doing wrong? (01’35”)
Q – What do the team think about using crocs at the bottom of pots? (06’41”)
Q – Can the panel suggest shrubs that will flower late spring, early summer and thrive in chalky soil? (10’57”)
Juliet Sargeant –
Philadelphus, mock orange
Philadelphus 'Manteau d'Hermine' (d), mock orange 'Manteau d'Hermine'
Weigela All Summer Red ('Slingco 1'PBR) (All Summer Series), weigela [All Summer Red]
Weigela All Summer Peach ('Slingpink'PBR) (All Summer Series), weigela [All Summer Peach]
Ceanothus, californian lilac
Pippa Greenwood –
Magnolia stellata, star magnolia
Mahonia, oregon grape
Syringa pubescens subsp. patula 'Miss Kim', lilac 'Miss Kim'
Deutzia × rosea 'Carminea', deutzia 'Carminea'
James Wong –
Pittosporum tobira, japanese pittosporum
Wisteria
Feature – Bob Flowerdew’s Edible Essential guide to watering and feeding crops (16’56)
Q – What causes onions to bolt? (21’19”)
Q – Can the panel advise on what I can plant on a north facing one-and-a-half-meter border adjacent my mixed hedge? (25’37”)
Juliet Sargeant –
Euphorbia robbiae, mrs Robb's bonnet
Anemone hupehensis, japanese anemones
James Wong –
Digitalis, foxglove
Primula vulgaris (Pr/Prim), primrose
Hyacinthoides non-scripta, bluebell
Hakonechloa, japanese forest grass
Ferns
Lillies
Pippa Greenwood –
Hardy geraniums
Epimedium
Helleborus, hellebore
Q – How should I go about pruning my lilac tree? (31’48”)
Q – What plants would the panel take from your current gardens if you were moving to a much smaller garden with very poor soil and lots of builder’s rubble in it? (35’23”)
James Wong –
Tree ferns
Juliet Sargeant –
Iris germanica, bearded iris
Ficus carica (F), fig
Salvia 'Royal Bumble', sage 'Royal Bumble'
Salvia 'Hot Lips', sage 'Hot Lips'
Salvia, sage
Salvia 'Amistad'PBR, sage 'Amistad'
Erigeron karvinskianus, mexican fleabane
Pippa Greenwood –
Aubrieta
Eryngium, sea holly
SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m001tpwj)
Comet in Moominland
John Yorke takes a look at Tove Jansson's magical 1946 novel Comet In Moominland.
Comet In Moominland is the second Moomin book and it’s a classic children’s tale. A comet is heading straight for earth, indeed to Moomin valley - so Moomintroll and his best friend Sniff head off on an adventure to try and do something about it. Their journey is eventful; they meet lots of new people and make lots of new friends but remain focussed on their mission to find out more about these faceless dangers, and get back home to Moominmama and Moominpapa and the warmth, safety and cake they offer.
Tove Jansson was an acclaimed author, artist and illustrator. She was prolific in all these forms, writing 12 adult novels, many short stories, and producing illustrations throughout her life, but it is the Moomin characters and stories that endure. They are one of Finland’s biggest literary exports - translated into over 50 languages. In this episode, John Yorke asks where these fantastical characters come from, what is it about them that struck such a chord, and why do they remain so popular today.
John Yorke has worked in television and radio for nearly 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised on BBC Radio 4. From EastEnders to the Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless, he has been obsessed with telling big popular stories. He has spent years analysing not just how stories work but why they resonate with audiences around the globe and has brought together his experience in his bestselling book Into the Woods. As former Head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of BBC Drama Production and MD of Company Pictures, John has tested his theories during an extensive production career working on some of the world’s most lucrative, widely viewed and critically acclaimed TV drama. As founder of the hugely successful BBC Writers Academy, John has trained a generation of screenwriters - his students have had 17 green-lights in the last two years alone.
Contributors:
John Finnemore, British writer and actor who pays Moomintroll in Radio 4's dramatisation of Comet In Moominland.
Tuula Karjalainen, Finnish art historian and writer, the author of Work and Love, A Biography of Tove Jansson.
Producer: Laura Grimshaw
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Readings: John Finnemore
Researcher: Nina Semple
Production Manager: Sarah Wright
Sound: Sean Kerwin
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002dz3q)
Moominsummer Madness
We celebrate midsummer with Moominsummer Madness by Tove Jansson, adapted by Robin Brooks.
A tsunami strikes Moominvalley, and fleeing the ensuing flood the Moomin family find refuge on a floating theatre - an event which feels perfectly natural in the wonderful world of the Moomins. Together with some new acquaintances, they try to make sense of this strange building, which to begin with is completely outside their understanding.
But through various adventures, the nature of their refuge is made plain, Moominpappa succumbs to the fatal temptation to write a verse drama for immediate production, and the action culminates in the catastrophic first night of his play, The Lion’s Brides.
Moominsummer Madness is the next step in our Radio 4 journey through the wonderful world of Tove Jansson - as joyous, fantastical, thought-provoking, magical and comical as ever.
Reuniting the same team that brought you Moominland Midwinter and Comet in Moominland, John Finnemore reprises the role of Moomintroll, Moominpappa is once again played by Samuel West, and Samantha Bond narrates.
NARRATOR . . . . . Samantha Bond
MOOMINTROLL . . . . . John Finnemore
MOOMINPAPPA . . . . . Samuel West
MOOMINMAMMA . . . . . Ann Bryson
SNORKMAIDEN . . . . . Jasmine Naziha Jones
LITTLE MY . . . . . Clare Corbett
WHOMPER . . . . . Gavi Singh Chera
MISABEL . . . . . Rosanna Miles
SNUFKIN . . . . . Alex Waldmann
EMMA . . . . . Naomi Wirthner
HEMULEN . . . . . Jack Gogarty
COUSIN . . . . . Rosie Walker
Written by Tove Jansson
Dramatised by Robin Brooks
Sound Design by Alisdair McGregor
Directed and Produced by Fiona McAlpine
An Allegra production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
Picture Credit : © Moomin Characters™
SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m002dz3s)
Wendy Erskine
Presented by James Crawford, Take Four Books, speaks to the award-winning short story writer Wendy Erskine about her first novel - The Benefactors - and explores its connections to three other literary works. The Benefactors is a polyphonic immersion into modern day Belfast and follows the events surrounding a teenage house party. Three mothers close ranks against the girl who is accusing their sons of sexual assault. For her three influencing texts Wendy chose: The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas (2008); Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievich (1997); and This Is The Place To Be, by Lara Pawson (2016).
The supporting contributor for this episode was the journalist, writer, and author of Dance Your Way Home, Emma Warren.
Producer: Dom Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 16:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002dz3v)
Programme 7 - Northern Ireland vs The Midlands
(7/12)
Teams from all over the UK will face Kirsty Lang's cryptic questions across the series, with Kirsty offering support and the odd hint where it might be needed.
This seventh contest features the second meeting of Northern Ireland and The Midlands.
You can follow the questions in each edition on the Round Britain Quiz webpages. Each week's questions will be posted on the day of transmission.
Teams:
Paddy Duffy and Freya McClements - Northern Ireland
Stephen Maddock and Frankie Fanko - The Midlands
Questions in today's edition:
Q1 (from James Douglas) What trip transforms…
Francis into a Frank, David into a Michael, Albert into a Fred, Alf into an Archie, and Basil into a Royal?
Q2 Why would a French refusal bookending a roman nine allow you to get intimate with the following …
Basil Brush’s first ever magical mister
Eisenhower’s running mate
One of the gal pals from Sex in the City
And Marilyn and Audrey’s ghost singer
Q3a - MAIN
Music: (from Phil Ware)
Can you tell me, why might Miles have united these artists a very long time ago?
Q3b - ONLINE VERSION
Why would a world tour by the bands behind Ventura Highway, Heat of the Moment, and Carrie have been much easier a very long time ago, especially if they’d gone on stage after Agharta?
Q4 What is the ecclesiastical connection between:
Francesco Stephen Castelluccio
Artichoke, tomato, mushroom and prosciutto
A gardening business in Philadelphia
And a 1725 contest between Harmony and Invention?
Q5 Look closely at this travel itinerary and see if you can uncover the secret destinations:
Take a promenade around the Colosseum, or an opportunist visit to the land of Carthage.
Enjoy origami at the Freedom Monument or talk about the climate at Machu Picchu.
Search a comparison site near the Eiffel Tower, or hibernate in The Alps.
What's the hidden link between these sentences?
Q6a - MAIN
Music: What’s the connection. There's a common thread here, but don't be fooled… One of them is not all that it seems…
Q6b- ONLINE VERSION
A solo keyboard piece named for a harpsichordist
A riff-heavy track from an Ohio garage-rock band at the height of their commercial powers
A swaggering Manchester groove from the late ’80s
A brooding 1970s track from a famously fraught album
Each of these tracks hints at something precious, yet one’s shine is a clever illusion. What ties them together, and which stands apart?
Q7 (from Simon Meara) What links…
Some Dutch Caribbean islands
A lifesaving mnemonic
An Agatha Christie novel featuring Mr. Cust
A defunct cinema chain
And why might they make you think of Mississippi’s capital?
Q8 What links …
A composer who taught Liszt and wrote exercises for nimble fingers
Jamie Lee’s father
Dostoevsky’s final masterpiece
A reggae band who Don’t Turn Around
& A famous TV matchmaker.
And which of them is the imposter?
Host: Kirsty Lang
Recorded by: Phil Booth
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: Carl Cooper
Questions set by:
Lucy Porter, Alan Poulton, and public contributors.
SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct743q)
Rescuing Palmyra’s treasures from the Islamic State group
In May 2015, when the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria was about to fall to jihadist fighters, a group of men risked their lives to load centuries-old artefacts from the city’s museum onto trucks and drive them to safety.
Before their advance to Palmyra, members of the group that called itself Islamic State had already been filmed for social media smashing statues that dated back to religious life in the Middle East before the Prophet Muhammad.
Khalil Hariri, an archaeology expert who worked at Palmyra’s museum, tells Josephine McDermott about his passion for its history and the personal price he has paid for the daring rescue.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: The damaged site of Palmyra in 2016. The graffiti reads ‘We remain’. Credit: Reuters)
SUN 17:10 The Verb (m002dz3y)
Harriet Walter, Jason Singh, Gillian Allnutt, Glacier Poetry
Ian McMillan is joined by actor and writer Harriet Walter, sound artist Jason Singh, poet Gillian Allnutt - and hears ritual language for glaciers - from writers Andri Snaer Magnason and Manjushree Thapa.
Dame Harriet Walter is one of our best loved actresses. She's absorbed the rhythms of Shakespeare's writing over decades of her award-winning work on the stage. For 'The Verb' Harriet performs new poems she's written for her book 'She Speaks', an anthology which gives the women characters from Shakespeare's plays a chance to explore their experiences and their relationships with each other.
Jason Singh is a sound artist, and nature beatboxer. He shares an evocative soundscape recorded at a Shinto Ceremony in Japan for a scientist who's been called 'The Mother of the Sea'. Leigh-born biologist Kathleen Mary Drew Baker made important discoveries about a type of seaweed, discoveries that have had a huge impact on Japanese Nori production. You can hear Jason's whole piece on 6th July at Pennington Flash in Leigh ( Greater Manchester). https://www.visitmanchester.com/event/flashes-festival-of-nature-2025/99390101/
Poet Gillian Allnutt was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal in 2016 - and her new collection 'Lode' has been celebrated for its 'indelible images' . Gillian reads a poem about meeting the Queen, in which the word 'plimsoll' plays a surprising part, and another poem in which she invents the word 'ditheridoo'.
Icelandic writer Andri Snaer Magnason, and Canadian-Nepali writer Manjushree Thapa have both written inscriptions to mark the dying of a glacier called Yala in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. They join Ian to talk about finding the right words for the ceremony, and what impact they hope their language will have.
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002dz40)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m002dz42)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002dz44)
US 'devastated' Iran's nuclear programme
The Pentagon used more than a dozen so-called "bunker buster" bombs on sites in Iran. Tehran has warned that the strikes "will have everlasting consequences."
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002dz46)
Emma Tracey
We learn how clowning around in a hospital actually has some added health benefits other than just helping you smile. Comedian Rosie Jones drops into Woman's Hour to chat about the focus of disabled on-screen representation on her new sitcom Pushers, and there's a chance to get a taste of Liz Carr's dark sense of humour from those who know her best. If you're looking for absurdist comedy, how about this: PM's Evan Davis is offering up some goats to help mow your lawn. And, be honest with us - are you feeling bored reading this billing yet? If so - our dearest apologies - but also, it might be a good thing for you, as Chris and Xand van Tulleken discover.
Presenter: Emma Tracey
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Peddle
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002dz48)
Kenton is grateful to Joy, who in Fallon’s absence has taken over the task of providing the cricket tea for Ambridge’s match against Franchester. Kenton is then horrified to realise he has seriously underestimated the number of pies needed, before Joy comes to the rescue, cooking batches of mini Yorkshire puddings, which they will fill with what’s available in the kitchen. When Fallon returns unexpectedly to The Bull she joins in helping get the tea ready on time.
When Tom pulls out of playing shortly before the cricket is due to start Lynda bemoans their chances of success without him. Her attempts to find a replacement are stymied, before Harrison appears and Lynda corrals him into agreeing to play. Convinced she’s solved all their problems Lynda thinks Ambridge should win easily now. However, it’s a nail-biting finish with Harrison only scoring the winning runs off the last ball, but Ambridge have broken their losing streak. Overbearing Lynda then claims she was right to let Freddie make the critical decisions, but Joy and Will know it was her driving everything. Will is unhappy with the team’s general underperformance, plus having to rely on Harrison’s one-off heroics, and leaves the celebrations early. Everyone else though is delighted by Ambridge’s triumph against the odds, on both a sporting and culinary front. Joy’s mini-Yorkshires were a big hit and Fallon’s going to steal the idea for future menus! Joy modestly accepts the praise and assumes Fallon is happy too, now Harrison is back, before Lynda raises a toast to him.
SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002dz4b)
The Frozen Light
Once a year, residents of Longyearbyen gather where the steps of the old hospital used to be to witness the return of something they have not seen in months – sunlight.
The Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, part of Norway, is as far north as humans can live. This dramatic polar world experiences 24-hour daylight in summer and total darkness in winter.
But on March 8th, locals and visitors of its largest settlement, Longyearbyen, wait with baited breath until a single ray of sunshine appears upon the old hospital steps, warming their cheeks for a few minutes before disappearing once more behind the vast mountains that surround the town.
Journalist and producer Lara Bullens takes us with her to witness this miraculous moment, but also to understand why people have decided to make a home in a place not meant for humans.
Svalbard is a barren frozen land, devoid of trees or crops. The risk of avalanches is always lurking around the corner. Polar bears outnumber humans. Powerful winds and sub-zero temperatures engulf the landscape most of the year. Deprived of sunlight for months at a time, many residents battle depression.
The remote landscape is also experiencing vast transitions. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as any other part of the planet, banishing sea ice and opening its waters to the exploitation of natural resources. Coal mining, the industry on which Svalbard’s economy was built, is coming to an end. And non-Norwegians living in Longyearbyen are increasingly feeling less stable here.
Yet humans decide to stay, bound together by the eternal cycle of light.
Written and Presented by Lara Bullens
Produced by Lara Bullens and Steven Rajam
Executive Producer: Leonie Thomas
Mix and Sound Design: Mike Woolley
An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001zdvw)
Yoga
Although yoga is thought to have been practised for over 5,000 years, its myriad benefits for our health and wellbeing are still being uncovered. Professor Rima Dada from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi reveals the extraordinary findings into the benefits of yoga - how half an hour a day can slow down ageing at a cellular level by protecting your mitochondria and your DNA. It can also improve your brain health and even reduce symptoms of depression. Just a few sessions are enough for our volunteer James to catch the yoga bug!
Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Editor: Zoë Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
SUN 20:00 Feedback (m002dpnn)
Feedback returns for a new series, just as the BBC has its hands full with covering an increasingly tense conflict between Israel and Iran. We hear your response to BBC Radio 4's reporting of events.
Last month, Sarah Montague interviewed Sebastian Gorka - President Trump's deputy assistant and senior director for counter-terrorism - on World At One. It provoked a flood of emails in our inbox. Andrea talks to Sarah about handling fiery interviews, and interviewees. Dr Alban Webb, historian and lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex, gives his view on the BBC's approach to these kinds of interviews - which seem to be increasingly common.
And an episode of This Cultural Life, in which John Wilson spoke to pianist and campaigner James Rhodes, also moved a number of listeners to get in touch nominating it for Feedback's Interview of the Year.
Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Pauline Moore
Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Executive Producer: David Prest
Sound Editor: John Kayes
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002dlhn)
Sir Geoff Palmer, Barbara Holdridge, Kim Woodburn, Sly Stone
John Wilson on
Sir Godfrey “Geoff” Palmer, the scientist whose discovery of a new brewing method revolutionized the industry and saved them millions of pounds
Barbara Holdridge, the entrepreneur who co-founded a new record label that paved the way for the audiobook industry
Kim Woodburn, the reality TV Star who made gained popular recognition through the TV show How Clean Is Your House?
Sly Stone the American genre-bending musician who fronted the band Sly and the Family Stone.
Interviewee:
Catherine Bisset
Catrina Rose
Matthew Rubery
Arlene Hirschkowitz
Producer: Ribika Moktan
Details of help and support with pregnancy related issues are available at BBC
Action Line. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1KhLYgXHRxyw67mkGRRXQ3R/information-and-support-pregnancy-related-issues
Archive used:
Scientific, BBC Radio 4, 04/08/2015; Sunday Morning with Cathy Macdonald; Writers and Company, CBC, 24/11/2002; Child's Christmas in Wales, read by Dylan Thomas, Caedmon Audio, 02/1952 https://soundcloud.com/harperaudiopresents/childschristmasinwales ; The Connor Phillips Show, BBC Radio Ulster, 26/04/2024; How Clean is Your House?, S1 E1, Channel Four Television Corporation, dir Simon Bisset, series producer Steph Harris, A Talkbalk production, 2003; I’m a Celebrity Get me out of here 2009, YouTube Upload, 12/02/2015; An excerpt from Sly on the air at KSOL, courtesy of Arlene Hirschkowitz
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002dz08)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002dz30)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002dz04)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:30 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002dz4d)
The Iran-Israel crisis and reflections on the assisted dying debate
Ben Wright's guests are the Labour backbencher Jake Richards, shadow Culture minister Saqib Bhatti, foreign affairs expert Sophia Gaston and Guardian deputy political editor Jessica Elgot. They discuss the US airstrikes on Iran, with former ambassador and National Security Adviser, Lord Darroch, bringing additional analysis. The panel also look ahead to the big Nato summit and consider the case for reforming human rights law. Plus, the implications of the recent Commons vote to legalise assisted dying for some terminally ill adults in England and Wales.
SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m002dpm8)
Barbour's 'Brus'
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss John Barbour's epic poem The Brus, or Bruce, which he wrote c1375. The Brus is the earliest surviving poem in Older Scots and the only source of many of the stories of King Robert I of Scotland (1274-1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce, and his victory over the English at Bannockburn in 1314. In almost 14,000 lines of rhyming couplets, Barbour distilled the aspects of the Bruce’s history most relevant for his own time under Robert II (1316-1390), the Bruce's grandson and the first of the Stewart kings, when the mood was for a new war against England after decades of military disasters. Barbour’s battle scenes are meant to stir in the name of freedom, and the effect of the whole is to assert Scotland as the rightful equal of any power in Europe.
With
Rhiannon Purdie
Professor of English and Older Scots at the University of St Andrews
Steve Boardman
Professor of Medieval Scottish History at the University of Edinburgh
And
Michael Brown
Professor of Scottish History at the University of St Andrews
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Reading list:
John Barbour (ed. A.A.M. Duncan), The Bruce (Canongate Classics, 2007)
G.W.S. Barrow, Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of Scotland (Edinburgh University Press, 1988)
Stephen Boardman, The Early Stewart Kings: Robert II and Robert III (Tuckwell Press, 1996)
Steve Boardman and Susan Foran (eds.), Barbour's Bruce and its Cultural Contexts: Politics, Chivalry and Literature in Late Medieval Scotland (D.S. Brewer, 2015)
Michael Brown, Disunited Kingdoms: Peoples and Politics in the British Isles, 1280-1460 (Routledge, 2013)
Michael Brown, The Wars of Scotland, 1214-1371 (Edinburgh University Press, 2004)
Thomas Owen Clancy and Murray Pittock, Ian Brown and Susan Manning (eds.), The Edinburgh History of Scottish Literature, Vol. 1: From Columba to the Union (until 1707), (Edinburgh University Press 2006)
Robert Crawford, Scotland's Books: A History of Scottish Literature (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009)
Robert DeMaria Jr., Heesok Chang and Samantha Zacher (eds.), A Companion to British Literature: Vol 1, Medieval Literature, 700-1450 (John Wiley & Sons, 2014), especially 'Before the Makars: Older Scots literature under the early Stewart Kings' by Rhiannon Purdie
Colm McNamee, The Wars of the Bruces: Scotland, England and Ireland 1306-1328 (Tuckwell Press, 2001)
Michael Penman, Robert the Bruce, King of the Scots (Yale University Press, 2014)
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production
Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.
SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002dlhl)
At the Rising of the Sun by Andrew Michael Hurley
Stephen Campbell Moore reads a new story for Radio 4 by the award-winning author of The Loney, and father of folk horror, Andrew Michael Hurley.
With his marriage falling apart on a volcanic Spanish island, a man turns in desperation to local legends. If logic cannot save his family, is it time to appeal to a higher power?
Reader: Stephen Campbell Moore
Writer: Andrew Michael Hurley is the award-winning author of three novels. His first, The Loney, won the 2015 Costa Book Award for First Novel, and the British Book Industry Award for best debut fiction. He recently wrote the folk horror series, Voices in the Valley, for Radio 4. Stephen King has called him the 'new master of menace'.
Producer: Justine Willett
MONDAY 23 JUNE 2025
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002dz4g)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 00:15 Intrigue (m0021xp8)
Worse than Murder
4. Paper Flowers
After weeks of agonising negotiations, Muriel McKay's kidnapper finally agrees to collect a ransom. The police see their chance to catch M3 and rescue Muriel. They devise an elaborate plan, with undercover officers posing as Muriel's family members, to make the drop.
Have they finally out-manoeuvred the elusive M3?
Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war.
One winter's night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch's wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake. She was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police and, more than 50 years on, remains unresolved.
Presented by Jane MacSorley with Simon Farquhar
Produced by Nadia Mehdi, with extra production from Paul Russell and Megan Oyinka
Sound design and mixing by Basil Oxtoby
Story editor: Andrew Dickson
Executive producers: Neil Cowling, Michaela Hallam, Jago Lee and Rami Tzabar
Development by Paul Russell
Voice acting by Red Frederick
Original music composed by Richard Atkinson for Mcasso
With special thanks to Simon Farquhar, author of 'A Desperate Business: The Murder of Muriel McKay'
A Fresh Air and Tell Tale production for BBC Radio 4
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002dz1k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002dz4j)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002dz4l)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
MON 05:00 News Summary (m002dz4n)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002dz4q)
Alicia McCarthy reports as MPs decide whether to approve the legalisation of assisted dying.
MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002dz4s)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002dz4v)
Marking the programme's 55 years on Radio 4
The sound of the corncrake brings inspiration to Mairéad Nic Craith, Professor of Public Folklore at the Institute for Northern Studies, University of the Highlands and Islands.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002dz4x)
23/06/25: Ag graduates, sustainable livestock, Scottish meat
We look at what the prospects are for modern agriculture students, and what they're studying - from land management and vet science to AI and robotics.
The Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers says the Scottish government should be doing more to help the sector recover from falling cattle numbers. Meat imports are putting pressure on farmers. But the government says it is committed to keeping numbers up while working to keep emissions down.
And we hear about a trial to find ways of making livestock production more environmentally friendly.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.
MON 05:57 Weather (m002dz4z)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers
MON 06:00 Today (m002dz51)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002dz53)
Sanctuary, refuge and exile
Sanctuary is an ancient idea of a place of refuge or freedom from harm. It has deep roots in the history, literature and myths of many cultures. Marina Warner’s new book Sanctuary explores travelling tales and concepts of hospitality and home - suggesting that myths, stories and works of art can be places of sanctuary too.
The story of leprosy is a story of isolation and exclusion over thousands of years. In his book, Outcast, Oliver Basciano has written about his journey across the hinterlands of the world to demystify the lives of those who have been ostracised. He argues that the image we still hold onto of medieval leprosy is a nineteenth-century myth invented to justify the gross mistreatment of patients in the name of colonial, religious and economic exploitation.
Churches are a spiritual home for some 200 million Christians worldwide, but they often hold a fascination and interest for the most committed atheist. A church is a place of sanctuary, but also a place where the drama of life is played out. Fergus Butler-Gallie is an Anglican priest and his new book Twelve Churches explores the history of Christianity through the places worshippers have built.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Ruth Watts
MON 09:45 At Your Own Peril (m0027lcf)
The Precipice
The modern world is full of risks, from natural hazards such as flooding to the existential threat of nuclear war, artificial intelligence and climate change.
With the scientific and technological progress of the past few centuries, we’ve created new hazards that threaten our very survival and in this series, emergency planner and disaster recovery expert Lucy Easthope explores the history of risk to find out how it’s understood, perceived and managed, and to ask how we can become more resilient as individuals, as a society and as a planet.
The atomic bomb which would go on to destroy the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - marked not just the end of the Second World War but also a turning point in history as for the first time we had the ability to destroy life on Earth.
In this episode Lucy explores the subject of ‘existential risk’, from nuclear war to artificial intelligence, to discover how in the effort to liberate ourselves from the constraints of nature we have created new hazards that threaten not only society but the environment upon which we depend for survival.
The greatest risk that faces us as a planet is undoubtedly climate change, but despite the overwhelming evidence of the human impact on the climate she finds out why we have done so little to mitigate this catastrophic threat.
Presenter: Lucy Easthope
Producer: Patrick Bernard
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.
Lucy Easthope is the co-founder of the After Disaster Network in the Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience at the University of Durham, Professor in Mass Fatalities and Pandemics at the University of Bath and the author of “When The Dust Settles”.
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002dz55)
Child criminal records, Screen time, Heart valve disease
Following the publication of Baroness Louise Casey’s highly critical report into grooming gangs involved in the sexual exploitation of children, we look at one of her 12 recommendations in detail. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has committed to reviewing the criminal convictions of victims of child sexual exploitation, quashing the criminal records of victims who were “criminalised instead of protected”. Nuala McGovern speaks to Jade, who as a teenager was charged with a grooming offence and is trying to get that conviction overturned. Nuala also hears from Paula Harriott, the CEO of the charity Unlock.
Students will spend an average of 25 years on their phones over their lifetime. The average person in school, college or university spends five hours and 30 minutes a day on their mobile, according to a new study by the app, Fluid Focus. Last year Ofcom found that across all adult age groups, women are spending more time online – that's on smartphones, tablets and computers – than men - clocking up an extra 33 minutes more each day. Nuala speaks to Sunday Times journalist Charlotte Ivers about her phone use.
More than half of Heart Valve Disease (HVD) cases are women, yet less than half of heart valve surgeries and procedures are on women, according to new data from the charity Heart Valve Voice. Heart valve disease is when one or more of your heart valves do not work like they should. This can affect blood flow and put extra strain on the heart. How can women’s symptoms be taken more seriously? Nuala is joined by cardiologist Dr Alison Duncan and HVD patient Jaqueline, who was initially misdiagnosed with anxiety.
Three years on since the war with Russia began, more and more young women are choosing to leave the country to continue their lives in Europe, either studying or working. Young men have been banned from leaving Ukraine after they turn 18 since the war broke out and martial law was introduced, but young women are free to leave. Freelance journalist Gabriella Jozwiak has been in the city of Lviv talking to young women about their plans for the future, and joins Nuala.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Emma Pearce
MON 11:00 The Invention Of... (m002dz57)
Hungary
Two World Wars and One Failed Revolution
It's easy to forget how entwined Hungary has been in some of the worst events of the last 100 years – losers in the first world war, the country initially sided with the Nazis in the second, tried to change its mind, was invaded by the Germans then taken over by the Soviets, then tried to kick out the Soviets … and failed. What, asks Misha Glenny, are the consequences of this history now, and how does the Hungarian government of Viktor Orban view the Russians today. Recorded on location at the scenes of some of the fiercest fighting in 1956.
"The Hungarian revolution and the Prague spring 12 years later - these were events that had a huge impact on me, and I have to say gave me a romantic infection for Hungarians and their struggles which has never entirely left me."
With contributions from Adam LeBor, author of The Last Days of Budapest: Spies, Nazis, Rescuers and Resistance; plus Paul Lendvai, Tibor Fischer, Simon Winder nd Victor Sebestyen formerly of the FT and writer of Budapest: Between East and West.
The producer for BBC Studios Audio in Bristol is Miles Warde
MON 11:45 Causing a Scene (m001ghyn)
Sliding Doors
Causing A Scene looks at the scenes in movies that seem to perfectly capture a universal experience, or feeling. And that have perhaps influenced not only the way we look at the world but the way we talk, dream and grieve.
In this first episode, Antonia Quirke reveals how the title of a 1998 movie with Gwyneth Paltrow gave the world the phrase "sliding doors". Producer Philippa Braithwaite explains how the film had its own sliding doors moment when it seemed like it was never going to be made. And the movie's production designer Maria Djurkovic tells Antonia how life imitated art when she met a man on a tube train, just like the plot of Sliding Doors. Antonia also looks at the classic sliding doors movie It's A Wonderful Life and talks to cinema owner Kevin Markwick about why he thinks of himself as George Bailey, the man with a plan to leave his small town, memorably played by James Stewart.
MON 12:00 News Summary (m002dz59)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002dz5c)
Dolphin Pensions Scandal, Retail Data, Driving Test Delays
In today’s You and Yours, Shari Vahl reports on the sentencing of the man at the centre of a pensions scandal which resulted in thousands of people losing their pensions and life savings. It’s a story Shari has been investigating for seven years and last week Charles Smethurst was sentenced to over seven years in prison for his part on the scandal. Shari reports on the latest in the saga and what might happen next.
Also – how much do you trust retailers with your data? New research finds that only 22% of people trust retailers to look after their data responsibly. But over 70% are willing to share data for an improved customer experience. So what is it we want in return for out data exactly? Rebecca Beckers from Press Ganey Forsta who did the research and Jon Tipple, Chief Strategy Officer at FutureBrand talk to Winifred Robinson.
Plus the latest on driving test delays as The Driving Instructors Association says it believes the current waiting time has increased to 24 weeks in some areas. Winifred hears from one person who's been waiting for months for a test, and Carly Brookfield Chief Executive of the Driving Instructor's Association.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: CATHERINE EARLAM
MON 12:57 Weather (m002dz5f)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m002dz5h)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
MON 13:45 Politically (m002dz5k)
Postwar
11. Homes for Heroes
David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age.
The 1945 general election was one of the biggest shocks in British parliamentary history: a decisive rejection of Winston Churchill and his leadership. The election of Clement Attlee's Labour government in a landslide marked a break with the past and signalled a strong desire on the part of the British people for something new. But it was also a product of Britain's wartime experiences and revealed the many ways in which the country had already changed.
The years that followed -- the postwar years -- would bring about bold and radical reform, the building of a new nation, a 'New Jerusalem'. The Britain of the National Health Service and the welfare state, of nationalised industry and the so-called 'postwar consensus' -- all were ushered into place with this election. This is the Britain that most have us have grown up in and which still shapes an idea of who we think we are.
The 1945 election was fought and lost over two inter-twined, domestic, concerns: demobilisation and housing. Who would get the troops home quickest -- and who would ensure they had homes to return to?
Featuring historians Lucy Delap, David Kynaston and David Reynolds.
MON 14:00 The Archers (m002dz48)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Conversations from a Long Marriage (m002d1vd)
Series 6
6. Where the Heart Is
Everything’s packed up but Roger’s furious when Joanna plans a farewell party for friends.
Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam return as the loving, long-married couple, in the 6th series of Jan Etherington’s award-winning comedy.
This week, Joanna has a cataract operation and is banned from bending over. Roger continues packing up the house alone, for the move to the coast but then Joanna announces she’s invited everyone to a farewell party. Moving day arrives, the dog goes missing, crazy friend Sally threatens to lie down in front of the removal lorry, and there are a few tears when Roger reveals that he’ll miss his shed.
Conversations from a Long Marriage is written by Jan Etherington and produced by Claire Jones.
Wilfredo Acosta - Sound Engineer
Jon Calver - Sound Designer
Sarah Nicholls - Production Coordinator
An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4
MON 14:45 Dance Move by Wendy Erskine (m001d5bf)
Episode 4 - Nostalgie
In Dance Move, the new collection of stories from Wendy Erskine, we meet characters who are looking to wrest control of their lives, only to find themselves defined by the moment in their past that marked them. In these stories – as in real life – the funny, the tender and the devastating go hand in hand. Full of warmth, the familiar and the strange, they are about what it means to live in the world, how far you can end up from where you came from, and what it means to look back.
Shortlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize 2022.
The Author
Wendy Erskine lives in Belfast. Her fiction and non-fiction have been published by Repeater, Dostoyevsky Wannabe, Faber & Faber, Tangerine Press, No Alibis Press and Rough Trade Books. Sweet Home, her first collection of stories, was shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize and the Republic of Consciousness Prize. It was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and won the 2020 Butler Literary Award.
Reader: Roísín Gallagher
Author: Wendy Erskine
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Michael Shannon
Executive Editor: Andy Martin
A BBC Northern Ireland Production.
MON 15:00 A Good Read (m002dz5m)
Xantoné Blacq and Harry Trevaldwyn
WHEN GOD WAS A RABBIT by Sarah Winman, chosen by Harry Trevaldwyn
THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho, chosen by Xantoné Blacq
JAMES by Percival Everett, chosen by Harriett Gilbert
Music producer and composer Xantoné Blacq joins actor and writer Harry Trevaldwyn to share the books they love with presenter Harriett Gilbert.
First up, Harry brings to the table a book by The Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah Winman. A book about childhood and growing up, friendships and families, triumph and tragedy and everything in between. When God Was a Rabbit celebrates the magic of the everyday for Harry, but what do the others think of it?
Next up, Xantoné chooses The Alchemist by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, which since publication in 1988 has become a widely translated international bestseller. A blend of spirituality, magical realism and folklore, Xantoné finds it an incredibly motivational read. Are Harry and Harriett also inspired by it?
Finally, Harriett puts forward Percival Everett's most recent book, the 2024 Booker Prize nominated 'James'. Both funny and horrifying, soulful and thrilling, Everett reframes the story of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim. Harriett is blown away by it - do the others agree?
Producer: Becky Ripley
Photo credit CK Morrison
MON 15:30 Curious Cases (m002c71g)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Saturday]
MON 16:00 Currently (m002dz3n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
13:30 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002dz00)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
MON 17:00 PM (m002dz5p)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002dz5r)
Iran says it has fired missiles at American military bases in Qatar and Iraq
Iran says it has launched missiles at US airbases in Qatar and Iraq in response to strikes on its nuclear sites on Saturday. Qatar called the attack on the US-run Al Udeid base a "flagrant violation" and says it reserves the right to respond directly. Also: The Home Secretary confirms she will ban the group, Palestine Action, under anti-terror laws. And scientists give an insight into the strange behaviour of orcas.
MON 18:30 It's a Fair Cop (m002dz5t)
Series 9
5. The Steelworks
This week's case begins with an ambulance hurtling down the streets of Scunthorpe and the patient inside, struggling to breathe.
A mysterious illness is striking down workers at the Steelworks, and the DI wants his best man on the job. Unfortunately his best man's busy, so he sends Alfie instead.
Written and presented by Alfie Moore
Script Editor: Will Ing
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: James Robinson
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
MON 19:00 The Archers (m002dz5w)
Pip turns up at Home Farm, worried how Stella is coping with Brian’s antipathy following Friday’s Board meeting, but Stella brushes it off as an occupational hazard. Later at The Bull, Pip tells Kenton how upset she is by Stella shutting her out instead of sharing her true feelings. Kenton reckons Pip has to be honest with Stella, tell her what she thinks and not let it fester. Then after supper at Rickyard, Stella confesses how the tension between her and Brian is unbearable. When Stella hears how upset Pip is that she didn’t confide in her before, they reaffirm their love for one another. Stella reckons the whole rewilding debacle is her fault. But she’s so glad she’s got Pip and promises she won’t ever withhold her feelings again.
Fallon gives Kenton the bad news that Tara, their new kitchen assistant, has lied about being away on jury service. Kenton’s clear, they’ll have to sack her, but Fallon worries how they’ll find a replacement. Then Joy pipes up – what about her? Both Kenton and Fallon are delighted. Later, when Fallon describes the lovely birthday break she’s had with Harrison, Joy senses her ambivalence about how much she’s enjoying being back with him. Fallon doesn’t want to talk about it, though. When Fallon approaches grumpy Kenton to talk about formally interviewing Joy, he tells her the police want him to help get Markie and his gang convicted for illegal dog trading. But the last thing Kenton wants is to recall the horror of the night he was attacked.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m002dz5y)
Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer on F1 starring Brad Pitt
Samira talks to legendary Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, whose latest film F1 stars Brad Pitt as a racing car driver.
Alistair McGowan and Dr Caroline Potter celebrate the extraordinary music and life of the French composer Erik Satie, whose centenary is marked on Radio 3 on Saturday. Alistair's play about Satie, called Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear, is broadcast on Radio 4 on July 1st.
Nick Ahad visits Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, shortlisted for this year's Museum of the Year.
Caroline Norbury, Chief Exec of Creative UK, reacts to the government's launch of their Creative Industries Sector Plan.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Harry Graham
MON 20:00 Rethink (m002dpnq)
Rethink... the UK's relationship with China
President Trump promised "America First" on the campaign trail, and has delivered that in his second term, unleashing a trade war and causing global economic instability.
Although China and the USA have recently agreed a temporary truce in the trade war, the US President regards Beijing as an economic enemy. Perversely, Donald Trump's actions may push other countries into China’s embrace.
For some countries, like Russia, that's a natural fit. Others, like China’s neighbours South Korea and Japan, have agreed to talks about a free-trade agreement, while the EU says it is seeking to "engage constructively" with Beijing.
So where does that leave the UK? Of late, Labour ministers have been on a charm offensive, with the Chancellor, the Foreign Secretary and the Energy Secretary all visiting China, as well as a recent trade delegation.
So should the UK be seeking closer ties with China? What are the risks, and is China even interested in us?
Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Ravi Naik
Editor: Clare Fordham
Contributors:
Todd Hall, Director of the University of Oxford China Centre and Professor of International Relations at the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University Of Oxford.
Yeling Tan, Professor of public policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University and also a non-resident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Wang Guan, senior news anchor with The China Media Group and also a founding fellow of the Taihe Institute think tank in Beijing.
Cindy Yu, contributing editor and a columnist at The Times, who also writes the Chinese Whispers substack.
Rethink is a BBC co-production with the Open University
MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m002dpns)
Are trees the answer to solving climate change?
As a new warning is released by scientists that trying to offset our carbon emissions by planting trees alone won’t work, we investigate the role the Earth’s forests are playing in the fight against climate change.
Marnie Chesterton is joined by Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at University College London, to help answer our top five questions about trees and CO2.
We also speak to science writer and New York Times columnist Carl Zimmer about his new book ‘Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe’, and what it tells us about what we’re breathing into our lungs each day.
After we reported on the plight of some of our UK wild bird species earlier this year, many listeners got in touch wanting to know more about one species in particular: house sparrows. To look at why their numbers have been declining so sharply, and what we might be able to do about it, we hear from Imperial College London’s Dr Julia Schroeder, who has been studying the birds for 15 years.
And Marnie is joined in the studio by Lizzie Gibney, Senior Reporter at Nature, to explore some of the fascinating research from around the world in this week’s science journals.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Clare Salisbury, Dan Welsh and Jonathan Blackwell
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
MON 21:00 Start the Week (m002dz53)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:45 The Shipping Postcards (m002dz60)
Forth
To mark the centenary of broadcasting of the Shipping Forecast, members of the Radio 4 Continuity team, the voices of the on-air forecast, leave the Radio 4 studio behind and travel the UK visiting some of the iconic areas we only know by their official descriptions on the daily forecast. Dogger, Irish Sea, Wight, Lundy and Forth. They meet the residents, sailors, fishermen, radio lovers and many others who live and work on the coastal areas – and who have a connection to the Shipping Forecast.
Episode 5 - Forth
In our fifth and final postcard Kelsey Bennett visits the sea area of Forth. She discusses the importance of the Shipping Forecast was her dad, heads out to Bass Rock, and meets local fishermen who share stories about why they used to occasionally swear at the Forecast.
Presenter - Kelsey Bennett
Producer - Julian May
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002dz62)
Iran fires missiles at US base in Qatar
Iran has responded to a US strike on its nuclear programme by firing missiles at an American base in Qatar as well as other bases in Iraq. Residents in Doha saw missiles flying through the night sky before being intercepted by Qatar's air defence system, nobody was injured. President Trump called it a "weak response" and thanked Iran for "early notice" of it. He's urged them to return to the negotiating table.
About 80 Labour MPs are supporting a fresh effort to block the government's planned changes to the benefits system, the BBC has been told. The MPs have signed an amendment that would give them an opportunity to vote on a proposal to reject the welfare reform bill in its entirety.
And we speak to the wife of a Belarussian opposition leader who has unexpectedly been released from jail.
MON 22:45 White Nights by Dostoevsky (m002dz64)
Episode 1
"A Sentimental Love Story (From the Memoirs of a Dreamer)" - Dostoevsky
Dosteovsky's haunting tale centres around a nameless, young, lonely dreamer who perchance meets a young woman named Nastenka. He experiences a brief but intense connection with her. His feelings are strong and passionate - but will they be requited.
Man Will Taylor
Natenska Phoebe-Loveday Raymond
Translated by Ronald Meyer
Abridged by Lucy Ellis
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
MON 23:00 Whodunnits (m000jpfn)
A Charles Paris Mystery - A Doubtful Death
3. Something is Rotten
Charles is in Oxford appearing in a re-imagining of Hamlet by a high-concept theatre group when the actress playing Ophelia is found dead.
Did she take her own life or was there foul play?
Charles begins to amass a list of suspects all of whom may have wished her dead.
Starring Bill Nighy.
Another case for loveably louche actor-cum-sleuth, Charles Paris.
Crime novel by Simon Brett.
Dramatised by Jeremy Front.
Charles .... Bill Nighy
Frances .... Suzanne Burden
Maurice .... Jon Glover
Tomasz .... Ian Conningham
Zoe .... Laura Christy
Siriol .... Sinead MacInnes
Tim .... Greg Jones
Izzy .... Lucy Reynolds
Cassie .... Heather Craney
Dan .... Will Kirk
Checkout .... Ikky Elyas
Player King .... Neil McCaul
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2020.
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002dz67)
Sean Curran reports as the foreign secretary briefs the Commons on the US air strikes on Iran - and MPs debate security at UK military bases.
TUESDAY 24 JUNE 2025
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002dz69)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 00:30 Causing a Scene (m001ghyn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002dz6c)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002dz6f)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:00 News Summary (m002dz6h)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002dz6k)
Susan Hulme reports as Foreign Secretary David Lammy tells Iran to 'dial this thing down'.
TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002dz6m)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002dz6p)
Marking the programme's 55 years on Radio 4
The sound of a manual typewriter brings inspiration to writer and broadcaster, Anna Magnusson.
Script:
Morning! I grew up with the clacking sound of a manual typewriter.
Both my parents were journalists. They met in the early 1950s, in the newsroom of the old Daily Express. I often think how noisy that place must have been – the battering of typewriters, the scrape of chairs, the ringing of phones and the buzz and thrum of conversation.
At home, where Dad often worked late into the night, I remember – I can still hear – that two-fingered clacking of the typewriter coming from his study. Mum and Dad weren’t touch typists: the sound they made was mechanical and noisy.
Many decades later, my mother was commissioned to write a history of the Woman’s Guild of the Church of Scotland. By that time, she had graduated to a new-fangled electric typewriter. It made a tick-tack-tick sound as she typed. She worked in a big room which used to be called our playroom – which sounds like something out of Enid Blyton. But all I remember doing there was playing table-tennis in the summer on an old, uneven dining table. We played there for hours. So the blip-blop sound of the wee white ball also sits deep in my memory.
But when I close my eyes - clear as a bell across the decades I hear that sharp little tick-tack of Mum’s typewriter. And behind that, the metallic battering from Dad’s study as he worked late into the night. It’s a soundtrack to my growing up.
Sound memories are elusive and precious. They can bypass the mechanics of trying to remember and, in an instant, undo the shackles of Time.
For that gift and that blessing, I give thanks this morning. Amen.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002dz6r)
24/06/25 New labs for animal disease, 5G farm network, agricultural students
Work has officially begun to create a new National Biosecurity Centre. It's being built on the existing Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) site, at Weybridge in Surrey. The whole project is costing between two and three billion pounds and is expected to take until 2033 to complete. The APHA was recently criticised by the National Audit Office, which said facilities there were not adequate to prevent or cope with contiguous national animal disease outbreaks such as foot and mouth and avian flu. However, the government says it is putting that right by the upgrade, which will ensure that the threat of animal diseases, which could be passed to humans, are prevented or dealt with efficiently.
Unreliable mobile phone signal is a common complaint on many farms. Connectivity isn't just about messaging or making calls. Using apps and uploading data are an increasingly important part of everyday farming. Could part of the solution be private, portable digital 5G networks? We visit a farm thathas been trialling such a system.
All week we're meeting the next generation of agricultural talent; whether it be farmers, foresters, land managers or agronomists. Thousands of young people will graduate from agricultural courses, across the UK this summer and all week, we'll be finding out what they hope to achieve, and what jobs they are looking forward to. We meet students from Moulton College in Northamptonshire who have just completed their agricultural studies.
Presenter: Anna Hill
Producer: Rebecca Rooney
TUE 06:00 Today (m002dzfk)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Long View (m002dzfm)
Minerals and Violence
In 1875, the US 7th Cavalry, led by Colonel Custer announced they’d found gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota, leading to a gold rush and the outbreak of the so-called Great Sioux War. 150 years later, today in the Democratic Republic of Congo, armed militia fight for control of gold mines, and mining for copper and cobalt leads to mass displacement of people. Jonathan Freedland investigates links between mineral extraction and armed conflict, then and now.
With:
Professor Kathleen Burk, Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London
Guillaume de Brier, Researcher at the International Peace Information Service in Antwerp
Reader: Jason Barnett
Producer: Luke Mulhall
TUE 09:30 All in the Mind (m002dzfp)
All in the Mind Awards Ceremony
Many of us will experience mental health problems at some point in our lives – and it is often the help and support of those around us that can make all the difference to how we cope and recover.
The BBC Radio 4 All in the Mind Awards recognises the unsung heroes who have helped make that difference.
Claudia Hammond meets the finalists and announces the winners in the All in the Mind Awards ceremony, recorded with a live audience at the BBC Radio Theatre in London.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producers: Lorna Stewart, Hannah Fisher & Gerry Holt
Content Editor: Glyn Tansley
Awards Coordinators: Jana Bennett-Holesworth & Siobhan Maguire
If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support are available at BBC Action Line.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002dzfr)
Porn review, Maternity inquiry, Dr Laurie Marker, Return of the bullet bra
One in three adult pornography users are exposed to violent or abusive content online, with the majority backing new legislation to prevent publication of harmful content. That's according to a survey out today from the British Board of Film Classification. It's also the first meeting today of the Independent Pornography Review Taskforce led by the Conservative peer Baroness Gabby Bertin. Four months on from the publication of her government commissioned review into the challenge of regulating online pornography, Baroness Bertin joins Clare McDonnell in the studio to discuss what's been happening.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said 'we must act now' as he announced a national investigation into maternity care in England. The inquiry, which will look at the ten worst-performing services in the country, as well as the entire maternity system, is designed to be a rapid review reporting by December this year. Families say they feel let down by a system that's supposed to care them and midwives have told us they dread going in to work because of pressures and lack of resources. So will this investigation bring about the lasting change that parents and professionals so badly want? Clare hears from BBC Investigative Journalist Divya Talwar and Clare Walton, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives.
Cheetahs are the fastest land animals in the world with speeds of around 70 miles per hour. Over the past 100 years, the cheetah population has drastically reduced by 90 per cent and it’s estimated that there are less than 7,000 animals still left. Clare speaks to Dr Laurie Marker, who has made it her mission to ensure their survival. She’s the executive director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund based in Namibia.
The bullet bra has made a recent return to the catwalk and to the cover of British Vogue, where singer Dua Lipa can be seen sporting a blush satin Miu Miu creation in the July issue. But will the silhouette, once favoured by Marilyn Monroe and Madonna, cut through to the high street? And what does that mean for the comfortable t-shirt bras that have been going strong since lockdown? Julia Hobbs, British Vogue’s contributing senior fashion features editor has recently road-tested the bullet bra. She joins Clare to discuss the experience, along with Karolina Laskowska, a lingerie designer and the director of The Underpinnings Museum.
Presenter: Clare McDonnell
Producer: Andrea Kidd
TUE 11:00 Add to Playlist (m002dlj1)
Anna Lapwood and Andrew Roachford celebrate the 100th episode
Star organist Anna Lapwood and singer/songwriter Andrew Roachford join Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe to add tracks 496-500 in this 100th edition of the show! What better way to celebrate than a double dose of organ, and a trip to Mumbai, Hawaii and Cape Verde?
Producer: Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Thunder and Blazes (Entry of the Gladiators) by Julius Fučík
Star Wars: Throne Room – End Titles by John Williams, arr Harald Feller
Jai Ho! by A R Rahman & The Pussycat Dolls
Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Petit Pays by Cesária Évora
Other music in this episode:
Top Hat, White Tie & Tails by Fred Astaire
Old Town Road by Lil Nas X
The Bells of Notre Dame, performed by Anna Lapwood
Only to be with You by Andrew Roachford
I Heard it Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye
Entry of the Gladiators by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Thunder and Blazes - Sounds of the Circus
Afro Circus from Madagascar 3
Throne Room: End Titles by John Williams
Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean performed by Anna Lapwood
Jai Ho! (Hindi version) by A R Rahman
Believe by Cher
Somewhere Over the Rainbow by by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg, sung by Judy Garland
TUE 11:45 Causing a Scene (m001gj4t)
Ghosts
With Antonia Quirke
Antonia talks to directors James Watkins and Mark Jenkin about a classic ghost scene, the appearance of a figure in the distance, never moving but always watching you. James used that moment to full effect in his ghoulish hit The Woman In Black, and the character also figures heavily in Mark's new movie, Enys Men, and they explain why that scene still gives us the shivers, even though we've seen it countless times before.
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002dzft)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002dzfw)
Call You & Yours: Do you feel your vet is value for money?
On today's Call You & Yours we're asking: Do you think your vet is value for money?
The Competition and Markets Authority is investigating the veterinary market at the moment, but a BBC investigation has spoken to vets who says corporates taking over vets practices has led to an increase in costs with pet owners unable to afford treatments, and sometimes having to have their pets put down or not buying medications they need.
In 2013 10% of vet practices were owned by corporates, now 60% of the market has been taken over by large chains. The competitions regulator says this has led to an increase in prices and a lack of competition in the market. The CMA wants prices to be displayed on vets websites, and is looking into the costs of medicines being inflated.
What's your experience of paying for medical treatment for your pet?
Is your vet value for money?
You can email us at youandyours@bbc.co.uk
Our phone lines open at
11am, you can call 03700 100 444.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: LYDIA THOMAS
TUE 12:57 Weather (m002dzfy)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m002dzg0)
Trump accuses Israel and Iran of breaching ceasefire
The US President swears after declaring the ceasefire just hours earlier, saying neither side "knows what ... they're doing". We hear the latest news from Israel and Iran. Plus, Sir Keir Starmer faces the biggest rebellion of his premiership so far over welfare cuts.
TUE 13:45 Politically (m002dzg2)
Postwar
12. Art, War and Propaganda
David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age.
The 1945 general election was one of the biggest shocks in British parliamentary history: a decisive rejection of Winston Churchill and his leadership. The election of Clement Attlee's Labour government in a landslide marked a break with the past and signalled a strong desire on the part of the British people for something new. But it was also a product of Britain's wartime experiences and revealed the many ways in which the country had already changed.
The years that followed -- the postwar years -- would bring about bold and radical reform, the building of a new nation, a 'New Jerusalem'. The Britain of the National Health Service and the welfare state, of nationalised industry and the so-called 'postwar consensus' -- all were ushered into place with this election. This is the Britain that most have us have grown up in and which still shapes an idea of who we think we are.
In January 1940 an organisation called CEMA – the Council for the Encouragement of Music and Art – was founded, initially with money from a charitable trust – money that was soon matched by Treasury funds, at which point, as the economist John Maynard Keynes declared in a broadcast from July 1945, "state patronage of the arts crept in."
Featuring Christopher Frayling.
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002dz5w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 McLevy (m002dzg4)
McLevy in the New World (Series 3)
1/2. Deep Waters
Brian Cox stars in series 3 of the comedy drama by David Ashton, set in San Francisco in 1849. When a river is dynamited to divert it to a gold mining camp, McLevy and Jean head into the Wild West in search of the culprits. But their investigation becomes ever more dangerous with the murder of a miner and the kidnap of a cattle rancher.
Created and Written by David Ashton
Produced and Directed by Bruce Young
Cast
Brian Cox...........................McLevy
Siobhan Redmond.........Jean
Gunnar Cauthery............George S Taylor
Rosie Cavaliero................Regina Perez
Aidan Redmond..............Vallance
Shaun Chambers............Cyrus
Jason Barnett...................Billy
Joseph Baldemarra........Juan/Reuben
Production Manager......Tayler Norris
Studio Engineer................Paul Clark
Editor....................................Joanne Willot
Executive Producer.........Gordon Kennedy
Recorded at Sonica Studios
Edited at BBC Scotland
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 15:00 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley (m002dzg7)
Lady Swindlers with Lucy Worsley - Series 2
47. Fox Sisters - Spirit Mediums
Lucy Worsley returns with her new series of Lady Swindlers, where true crime meets history, with a twist. Lucy and her team of all female detectives travel back more than a hundred years to meet women who stepped outside of their ordinary lives to do extraordinary things. Together they investigate what their lives and crimes tell us about women in the past, and ask how different is it for women today?
In this episode Lucy travels to New York to uncover the story of spirit mediums Maggie, Kate and Leah Fox. The sisters are credited with igniting the nineteenth-century Spiritualist movement, which claims that the living can contact and communicate with the dead. The craze for séances crosses class divides and Spiritualism garners millions of followers across the globe, including First Lady Mary Lincoln, Arthur Conan Doyle, and even Queen Victoria.
However, throughout their forty-year career as mediums the sisters face persistent accusations of fraud. To tease apart fact from fiction Lucy is joined by Dr Thema Bryant, past president of the American Psychological Association. A Professor in Psychology at Pepperdine University who specialises in the intersection of spirituality and psychology, Thema brings a modern lens to help understand the minds of the past.
We visit the small hamlet where the mysterious occurrences first begin; the Fox property in snowy Hydesville, Upper New York State. Here Tracy Murphy, Director of Historic Palymra, recounts the moment when the young Fox sisters first encounter the mysterious ‘raps’ they convince others are signs from the spirit world.
With Fox sisters expert and author Barbara Weisberg, Lucy and Thema examine how the sisters take the world by storm. They ask whether they are really audacious swindlers or the genuine founders of a spiritual movement?
Producer: Emily Hughes
Readers: Clare Corbett, Jonathan Keeble and Alex Phelps
Sound design: Chris Maclean
Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 15:30 Thinking Allowed (m002dzg9)
Russian Propaganda
Laurie Taylor talks to Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs at The New School in New York City about her research into the propaganda formulas deployed by Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin over the last two decades. As the great granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev, the Prime Minister of the Soviet Union between 1958 and 1964, she offers personal, as well as political insights, into these developments, drawing on previous periods of oppression in Russian history. She argues that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has intensified 'hard' propaganda, leading to a pervasive presence of military images in every day life and the rehabilitation of Josef Stalin, the former dictator of the Soviet Union, as a symbol of Russian power. She suggests that lessons from past eras, described by such Soviet classics as Alexander Solzhenitsyn's The Gulag Archipelago, can offer small grounds for optimism and hope, as ordinary people absorb alternative narratives. How else to explain the fact that George Orwell's dystopian novel, 1984, has been a bestseller for many years and has seen a surge in popularity since the start of the war in Ukraine?
Producer: Jayne Egerton
TUE 16:00 Poetry Please (m002dzgc)
Pascale Petit
Roger McGough talks to French British poet Pascale Petit as she chooses her favourites from the poems requested by listeners. Her choices include favourites from Keats and Gerard Manley Hopkins, an appreciation of 'invisible' nurses by Romalyn Ante, and pleas for peace and understanding from Warsan Shire and Moniza Alvi.
Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven
TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002dzgf)
Will smiling make you happier?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
In this special episode, recorded before a live audience at the Hay Literary Festival in Wales, Chris and Xand discuss the anatomy of the smile, its evolutionary origins and some of the health claims about smiling. Is smiling uniquely human? Can the simple act of moving our muscles to form a smile make you feel happier? And is smiling the same across cultures and genders? To find out, they’re joined by several experts and an African street dog named Jack.
Featuring Professor Ben Garrod from the University of East Anglia, Dr Magdalegna Rychlowska from Queen’s University, Belfast and Sinead Rushe from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.
Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
Guest: Professor Ben Garrod
Producer: Rami Tzabar
Executive Producer: Jo Rowntree
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Assistant Producers: Maia Miller-Lewis and Grace Revil
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Social Media: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby
At the BBC:
Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 17:00 PM (m002dzgh)
President Trump admonishes Israel and Iran
Donald Trump has asked Israel to 'calm down' and hold the ceasefire with Iran. We speak to former US Army general Petraeus about 24 hectic hours in international relations. Also, Sir Keir Starmer stands at a crossroads with the Labour Party over benefit payments - can his government afford another U-turn? And the bassist from The Searchers talks about their debut Glastonbury appearance.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002dzgk)
President Trump claims that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran is holding
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to be holding after President Trump lambasted both sides. In a sign of his frustration at the situation, Mr Trump swore when asked by reporters about what was going on, adding he was not happy with either side. Also: the Prime Minister insists a vote on his welfare changes will happen next week, despite more than one hundred of his MPs signalling their opposition. And we hear the story of the escaped bears who made a beeline for their favourite snack.
TUE 18:30 Room 101 with Paul Merton (m001xvkz)
Series 2
Chris McCausland
Paul Merton interviews a variety of guests from the world of comedy and entertainment to find out what they would send to Room 101 as well as the one item they cannot live without.
In this first episode of the series, Chris McCausland attempts to banish teacups with tiny handles and prices that end in 99p, as well as explaining his unswerving devotion to a particular Christmas-time edible treat.
Additional material John Irwin and Suki Webster
Produced by Richard Wilson
A Hat Trick production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in 2024.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m002dzgm)
Jolene has called Harrison over for advice after she and Kenton endured a sleepless night, worrying about Markie and his gang. Harrison explains Kenton won’t have to identify any gang members face to face. They need to trust the system, but Jolene isn’t convinced. Later she tries to get Kenton to talk about his issues, before Harrison arrives, offering support. Jolene reckons talking about it would be good for her, not just Kenton, whereupon he confesses to a phobia of dogs. He doesn’t want to let the police or anyone else down but feels he can’t cope with reliving the experience. Harrison assures Kenton he will be protected all the way, while Jolene will help him get through it. But then Kenton gets the news he’s been dreading: the identity parade has been scheduled for Friday.
Fallon and Jazzer agree the Shop looks more inviting now the shelves are groaning with all the extra stock Susan’s ordered. After talking about Fallon’s fortieth they reminisce over their teenage days in Dross, though Fallon thinks it’s better to look forward. Later though Jazzer tells her his idea for spicing up their forties, by going back to their past and getting Dross back together. Harrison doesn’t sound too impressed, but Jazzer works on Fallon, insisting it will be amazing. His brother Stu has already agreed to play. Fallon warms to the idea – but only if Ed’s in too. When Ed says he can’t commit Jazzer suggests tracking down Ash and holding auditions to replace Ed, finally overcoming Fallon’s resistance.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002dzgp)
Billy Porter on activism and artists
Billy Porter, famous for his Broadway roles in such shows as Kinky Boots and Grease, and onscreen in Pose and Cinderella is making his directorial debut in theatre with This Bitter Earth. Jesse is an introspective Black playwright and when Neil, Jesse’s boyfriend, who is a white Black Lives Matter activist, accuses him of political apathy, their passions and priorities collide. Playwright Harrison David Rivers and Billy Porter talk to Samira Ahmed about their production.
Glastonbury festival kicks off this week, and the line-up includes its now familiar mix of famous veteran rock stars, chart-topping solo artists and headline-making bands. But music festivals are still struggling in the wake of Covid, and are facing numerous challenges. Former Spotify Exec Will Page and journalist Jude Rogers are on to discuss.
The Art Fund's Museum of the Year prize is being announced on Thursday, and we've been speaking to all the finalists. Today it's the turn of Compton Verney Art Gallery, situated in a grand Georgian house in the Warwickshire countryside. Samira was taken on a tour by CEO Geraldine Collinge and guide Christine Cluley.
And we pay tribute to Clovis Salmon, who is credited with being the UK's first black documentary filmmaker. Sandi Hudson-Frances, artist and fellow filmmaker, and Ros Griffiths, organiser of Brixton's Big Caribbean Lunch and curator of new public art project Windrush Untold Stories, share their personal memories of him.
Presenter Samira Ahmed
Producer: Claire Bartleet
TUE 20:00 File on 4 Investigates (m0029q4t)
The Invincible TikTok Gurus
A deep-dive into the new generation of get-rich-quick gurus and the social media smoke and mirrors some use to shield themselves from criticism. This investigation uncovers the tactics used by some TikTok landlords and online ‘finfluencers’ who use the promise of property riches to sell advice and training to people hungry to make fast money and break free of the rat race.
Thriving in a largely unregulated social media ecosystem, it highlights the intersection of disinformation, influencer culture and power dynamics, showing how unchecked behaviour has far-reaching implications for society and democracy.
When journalist Will Coldwell wrote a long form article about his investigation into property trainer Samuel Leeds, he had hoped that highlighting some of what he saw as the guru’s hard sell tactics and sharing the stories of some of his unhappy customers might lead to him having to change his methods.
But Samuel Leeds, ever keen to tell his own story, co-opted the article and claimed it as a victory - amplifying his own name and brand further.
The report incorporates a full response from Samuel Leeds - who strenuously denies using hard sell tactics or that he seeks to suppress criticism – and maintains that his methods are legitimate and work for his many happy customers.
This is the story of the immersive power of the influencer ecosystem and the invincibility of the personalities that dominate it. It is a story about the limitations of traditional journalism to cut through the content. It is a story about why this investigation isn’t going to work.
Producer: Louise Orchard
Presenter: Will Coldwell
An ITN production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002dzgt)
Benefits Bill
The government have published their Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill, but there is growing concern among visually impaired people about what all of this actually means for their benefits. In Touch reconvenes some people in the know to try to provide information about what the bill, in its current form, means for visually impaired people.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Paul Holloway
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.
TUE 21:00 Intrigue (m0027tzz)
Word of God
1. In the Beginning Was the Word
In July 2017, Dr Jeff Kloha is preparing to start his dream job as Director of Collections at Washington DC's new Museum of the Bible when he discovers his new employer’s biggest donor has been caught up in a government investigation.
The donor, Hobby Lobby, has been ordered to return 3,500 artefacts and pay a $3 million settlement.
Through exclusive interviews with museum officials and evangelical scholars, investigative journalist Ben Lewis pieces together the extraordinary story of how the Green family - owners of the Hobby Lobby craft store empire - embarked on an unprecedented collecting spree of biblical treasures. Their ambitious mission: to create a museum showcasing the Bible's history through ancient objects.
But as Lewis discovers, their rush to acquire 40,000 items in just three years would bring them into the orbit of a complex network of antiquities dealers in problematic ways.
And it sparks a scholar turned super sleuth to start asking questions…
This episode has been edited since broadcast.
Presented by Ben Lewis
Produced by Clem Hitchcock
Executive producers: Philip Abrams and Jago Lee
Story editor: Andrew Dickson
Sound design by Richard Courtice
Original music composed by Max de Wardener
Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Assistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital: Chris Walsh-Heron
A TellTale production for BBC Radio 4.
Episodes of Intrigue: Word of God are released weekly on Wednesdays, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.
TUE 21:30 The Bottom Line (m002dpn1)
Cyber Attacks: On The Front Line Of A Hack
Cyber criminals have seriously damaged some household names recently - M&S, Co-op, North Face, Harrods - but what really happens behind the scenes when a business is hacked?
Evan Davis speaks to the former head of information security at Royal Mail about the major attack it suffered in 2023 - from the initial alert and the eye-watering ransom demand, to the media leak and the long, slow rebuild.
Plus, how should you negotiate with hackers, how sophisticated have they become, and how do they choose their victims?
Evan is joined by:
Jon Staniforth, former Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Royal Mail;
Lisa Forte, founder and partner, Red Goat.
Production team:
Producer: Simon Tulett
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Nathan Chamberlain and James Beard
Production co-ordinator: Sophie Hill and Janet Staples
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002dzgx)
Iran Israel ceasefire holds at end of first day
At the end of the first day of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran brokered by US President Donald Trump, early violations have given way to relative calm. Trump issued an expletive-laden rebuke to the two countries earlier in the day. He's claiming success in what he's called the "12 Day War", we ask where it's left Benjamin Netanyahu and the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Also tonight, as the government faces its largest rebellion so far over reforms to welfare, we speak to an MP supportive of the changes.
And French President Macron wants UNESCO to recognise French techno music, we speak to producer and DJ Stuart Price about the genre.
TUE 22:45 White Nights by Dostoevsky (m002dzgz)
Episode 2 - The Second Night
"A Sentimental Love Story (From the Memoirs of a Dreamer)" - Dostoevsky
Dosteovsky's haunting tale centres around a nameless, young, lonely dreamer who perchance meets a young woman named Nastenka. He experiences a brief but intense connection with her. His feelings are strong and passionate - but will they be requited.
Man Will Taylor
Natenska Phoebe-Loveday Raymond
Translated by Ronald Meyer
Abridged by Lucy Ellis
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 23:00 Uncanny (m002dzh1)
Summer Specials
Uncanny Live from Hay Festival 2025
Danny Robins is joined by paranormal experts Ciaran O’Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow for a special episode, recorded live at the Hay Festival 2025, featuring brand new cases to chill your spine this summer. Are you Team Believer or Team Sceptic? How do we explain them?
Written and presented by Danny Robins
Editing and sound design: Charlie Brandon-King
Music: Evelyn Sykes
Theme music by Lanterns on the Lake
Commissioning executive: Paula McDonnell
Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts
Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard
A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002dzh3)
Susan Hulme reports as MPs discuss the situation in the Middle East and NATO spending targets.
WEDNESDAY 25 JUNE 2025
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002dzh5)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 00:30 Causing a Scene (m001gj4t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002dzh7)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002dzh9)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
WED 05:00 News Summary (m002dzhc)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002dzhf)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster as David Lammy faced questions about the UK's reaction to the American strikes on Iran over the weekend.
WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002dzhh)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002dzhk)
Marking the programme's 55 years on Radio 4
The sound of silence brings inspiration to Fr Philip Blackledge of Holy Trinity Scottish Episcopal Church, Melrose.
Script: Before I was ordained I spent a few months being a verger in the cathedral where I would become curate. It was a great training in knowing how the cathedral worked, but it was long hours. You had to be there before Morning Prayer and there to lock up after Evensong. A cathedral kind of breathes during the day. It’s quiet in the mornings, almost housing silence, but it can feel expectant, like a choir waiting for the first downbeat. It can echo to thunderous hymns and the excited chatter of children, it can resonate to choral music. But my favourite sound was the silence. I find the same silence in the church where I am now in rural Scotland. The quality of silence after a feast day like Christmas and Easter is different from other days. It’s contented, like lying on the grass on a summer’s day.
In one of my favourite hymns, the hymnwriter writes “where Jesus knelt to share with thee the silence of eternity, interpreted by love”. The fact that the silence of eternity can be seen through the eyes of love means that this world is not neutral, indifferent to us. The very silence is fertile with goodness, an embrace waiting to happen, a song waiting to be sung. What better description of prayer can there be, than to kneel and share with God the silence of eternity, interpreted by love?
Gracious God, you are with us in the noise and haste, and you are with us in the quiet times and places. Be with us now, in this moment, that we can hear the silence and find in it the love you have woven there, the hope that is waiting to be discovered, the life you call us to lead. May we carry that silence with us, and the joy that it brings. Amen.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002dzhm)
25/06/25 Report shows more action needed to meet emissions targets in agriculture, imported beef in supermarkets, agri jobs
The Climate Change Committee report shows little progress on the reduction of emissions from agriculture and substantial action still needed.
Many UK supermarkets have made public commitments to sourcing 100% of their beef from the UK. But in recent months some seem to be moving away from these pledges. We ask how much beef is being imported, from where, and why.
All week we're hearing from the next generation of young people coming into agriculture-related jobs.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
WED 06:00 Today (m002dzj4)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 More or Less (m002dzj6)
Why is data on grooming gangs so bad?
Tim Harford looks at some of the numbers in the news and in life. In this episode:
Why is the data on the ethnicity of grooming gangs of such poor quality?
Iran has apparently enriched uranium to 60%, but what does that number mean?
Adam Curtis’s latest series, Shifty, includes claims about Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power. We ask Sir John Curtice, polling king of election night, if they’re accurate.
And we ask an economist to explain why being pillaged by a Viking might be more lucrative than you’d imagine.
If you’ve seen a number in the news you think needs a stern look, email the team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk
More or Less is produced in partnership with the Open University.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Reporter: Josephine Casserly
Producers: Nicholas Barrett, Lizzy McNeill and David Verry
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production coordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound Mix: Gareth Jones
Editor: Richard Vadon
WED 09:30 The History Podcast (m002cfqc)
Half-Life
8. A Fracture
In this final episode, Joe follows the opening of a public memorial and engages with a private reckoning.
Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne (based on his book Children of Radium: A Buried Inheritance)
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
Translator in Berlin: Francesca Schweiger
Recordings of the memorial unveiling: Phoebe McIndoe
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
Commissioning editor, Daniel Clarke
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002dzj9)
Christiane Amanpour, Child Q, Melissa Febos
Christiane Amanpour has been at the forefront of international news for more than 40 years, reporting from all over the world as a journalist and war reporter as well as being CNN’s Chief International Anchor, steering the helm of several programmes including CNN International's nightly interview programme Amanpour. She’s now launched a podcast, Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex-Files with Jamie Rubin. It's a weekly foreign affairs show, co-hosted with Jamie, a former U.S. diplomat and Assistant Secretary of State and also her ex-husband. Christiane joins Clare to discuss.
The government's proposed changes to the benefits system will have a 'devastating' impact on women, according to a group of charities and disabled people's organisations. They say tightening eligibility for Personal Independence Payments, or PIP, will have a disproportionately negative impact on women due to their higher personal care needs compared to men. Clare speaks to BBC Chief Political Correspondent Henry Zeffman about the 'major rebellion' that's brewing within Labour on this forthcoming Welfare Bill, and then to Alison Kerry from disability charity Scope about their concerns.
Do you remember the case of Child Q? Back in December 2020, a 15-year-old black school girl was strip-searched at her school by Metropolitan Police officers in Hackney, London after teachers wrongly suspected her of carrying cannabis. The incident sparked protests in the city. Over the past few weeks a disciplinary hearing has been taking place involving the officers and is due to report very shortly. Adina Campbell, the BBC’s UK Correspondent, brings us up to date.
American author Melissa Febos has written about a year of self-imposed celibacy in her new book The Dry Season - Finding Pleasure in a Year without Sex. Why did she do it, and what did she gain from it? Melissa joins Clare in the Woman’s Hour studio.
WED 11:00 File on 4 Investigates (m0029q4t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
WED 11:40 This Week in History (m002dzjc)
June 23rd - June 29th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
BBC Radio 4 explores the history books and archives to see what has happened on this same week throughout history.
With short vignettes of the events that have shaped the world and made us who we are today.
This week: June 23rd - June 29th
1. 25th of June 1950 - North Korea invades South Korea, beginning the Korean War
2. 28th of June 1914 - Gavrilo Princip assassinates Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his wife Sophie.
3. 27th of June 1967 - World's first ATM is installed by Barclays Bank in Enfield, London
Presented by Ron Brown and Caroline Nicholls
Produced by Sofie Vilcins and Chris Pearson
WED 11:45 Causing a Scene (m001gjk4)
I Love You
Writers Hossein Amini and Rebecca Lenkiewicz tell Antonia Quirke why "I love you" can be the hardest thing to say in a script. And about all the alternatives they have tried instead, both in their movies and their personal lives. Antonia takes an affectionate look at classic declarations of love in films, such as Tom Cruise's much-imitated line "you complete me" and Renee Zellweger's equally famous riposte "you had me at hello."
WED 12:00 News Summary (m002dzjf)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002dzjh)
Used Cars, Music Shops, Children’s Play Centres
According to AutoTrader, the average used car costs just under £17000 – which is £3000 more than the same time in 2021. Because of a shortage of supply and continued demand, used cars are now holding their value extremely well. In fact, some dealers have reported buying cars back from customers for the same price as when they sold it to them, more than five years ago. Are these new high prices here to stay, or will supply catch up?
Does your local high street still have a music shop? Earlier this month, PMT (Play Music Today) went into administration leading to the closure of its 11 stores. It isn’t alone, with famous music shops in Newcastle and Brighton also shutting recently. These shops may be a vital space for local musicians, but can they compete with online businesses?
Can you afford to use restaurants and hotels? With hospitality businesses facing increased financial pressures, a quarter of businesses providing accommodation and food services put their prices up in May.
The unseasonably warm start to the year is having a significant impact on children’s play centres, as more families choose to spend time outdoors. As a result, the Association of Indoor Play says that more than a quarter of businesses could face closure within the next twelve months.
Fraud involving mobile phones increased by over 70% last year, with a particular rise in accounts being set up in other people’s names, sim swap fraud and two-step verification scams. With phone snatching also growing, consumer expert Harry Kind provides some advice on how you can keep your device secure.
WED 12:57 Weather (m002dzjk)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m002dzjm)
President Trump defends US strikes on Iran
President Trump defends US strikes on Iran as NATO leaders meet at The Hague. And the government comes under pressure over its planned welfare cuts.
WED 13:45 Politically (m002dzjp)
Postwar
13. From Yalta to Potsdam
David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age.
The 1945 general election was one of the biggest shocks in British parliamentary history: a decisive rejection of Winston Churchill and his leadership. The election of Clement Attlee's Labour government in a landslide marked a break with the past and signalled a strong desire on the part of the British people for something new. But it was also a product of Britain's wartime experiences and revealed the many ways in which the country had already changed.
The years that followed -- the postwar years -- would bring about bold and radical reform, the building of a new nation, a 'New Jerusalem'. The Britain of the National Health Service and the welfare state, of nationalised industry and the so-called 'postwar consensus' -- all were ushered into place with this election. This is the Britain that most have us have grown up in and which still shapes an idea of who we think we are.
One of the enduring images of 1945 is of Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and Josef Stalin sat closely together at the Yalta conference: the three dominant warlords of the age meeting to decide the fate of the world. Five months later, when the Big Three gathered again for another photo call at the end of another conference – this time at Potsdam, near Berlin – everything had changed.
Featuring David Reynolds.
WED 14:00 The Archers (m002dzgm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Fault Lines: Money, Sex and Blood (m000ndb4)
Series 2: Sex
Subject Object
Chloe seems like a normal teenager, obsessed with fashion and boys. But when these obsessions teeter into dangerous territory she finds it hard to cope. A frank, hard hitting drama about the pressures female teenagers are under.
Cast:
Constance . . . . . Glenda Jackson
Chloe . . . . . Sade Malone
Jake . . . . . Greg Wood
Sam . . . . . Hamish Rush
Stella . . . . . Eve Steele
Ryan . . . . . Luke O'Rourke
Grace . . . . . Lauren Dickenson
Written by Eve Steele
Directed by Gary Brown
WED 15:00 Money Box (m002dzjr)
Money Box Live: Does Being Single Cost You More?
More people are living alone, in fact 3 in 10 households are made up of single adults, according to the latest government figures.
Research from the pension specialist Royal London also suggests single people are more likely to be in their overdrafts at the end of the month and have smaller savings and pension pots than married couples.
Today, we're looking at the impact of the single supplement, from travel costs to inheritance tax thresholds as well as hearing from those very much enjoying their financial freedom.
Joining presenter Felicity Hannah is Sarah Pennells, Consumer Finance specialist at Royal London and Laura Suter, Director of Personal Finance at the investment platform AJ Bell.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producers: Sarah Rogers and Helen Ledwick
Editor: Jess Quayle
(This episode was first broadcast on at
3pm on Wednesday the 25th of June 2025 ).
WED 15:30 The Artificial Human (m002dzjt)
Is AI better than my therapist?
As more and more of us use Ai chat bots inevitably people will start asking them about their problems. Aleks and Kevin ask if there's a risk they do more harm than good?
They talk to Ryan Broderick who turned to Ai when going through a rough patch with his mental health. He's now seeing a human therapist and has a fascinating perspective on the advice his chat bot gave him. But are the potential risks of using Ai as a support especially if its one not designed for that purpose? Zoha Khawaja has been studying people's use of Ai and explains the 'therapeutic misconceptions' users can be prone to.
Presenters: Alekes Krotoski & Kevin Fong
Producer: Peter McManus
Researcher: Juliet Conway
Sound: Neva Missirian & Murray Collier
WED 16:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002dzjw)
Faking It To Make It
Just be your best authentic self. That's supposedly what we should all be striving for. But is it good advice and in public life, is it even possible?
This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at creating the illusion of authenticity and why the public can sniff out a fake a mile off.
Also, on the extended edition on BBC Sounds, David and Simon celebrate the PR holy grail that is the word-of-mouth smash. And with new statues being announced for the late Queen and Sir Andy Murray, they'll look at the tricky issue of legacy PR.
Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
WED 16:15 The Media Show (m002dzjy)
Jimmy Lai - media tycoon and political prisoner, the new Wargame podcast, Tattle Life gossip website
Katie Razzall on some of this week's biggest media stories including an interview with Sebastien Lai, the son of the the political prisoner and media tycoon Jimmy Lai.
We talk to Minal Modha Head of Sport Media Rights at Ampere Analysis about why the streaming giant Netflix is embracing some traditional linear TV channels.
After one couple win libel damages against the gossip website Tattle Life media lawyer Persephone Bridgman Baker talks about the wider implications of the ruling.
Deborah Haynes Sky News Security and Defence Editor on her new podcast The WarGame and reporting on the NATO summit in the Netherland and Behrang Tajdin a Correspondent with the BBC Persian News Service talks about the intimdation many staff and their families are facing because of their work.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Assistant Producer: Lucy Wei
WED 17:00 PM (m002dzk0)
Trump hails Nato spending pledge
PM presented by Leila Nathoo. Donald Trump praises Nato spending pledge. Analysis from Director General of RUSI and former advisor to the US mission to NATO Rachel Ellehuss.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002dzk2)
NATO leaders back a major increase in defence spending
NATO leaders have committed to more than double their spending on defence and security. The decision came in response to President Trump's repeated demands that European countries and Canada should pay more towards their own defence. Also: Israel says the strikes on Iran's nuclear sites may have set back Tehran's ability to build nuclear weapons by many years. And a fraudster is jailed for conning luxury businesses into buying tea which he claimed to have grown in Scotland.
WED 18:30 Your Mum (m002dzk4)
1. Janine Harouni and Russell Kane
Janine tells us what happened when she was swapped at birth, why her brother has a bunker in Arizona and how her mum rules the roost with her ‘feminine guile’. Russell gives his hot take on childbirth, makes a case against toddler food and thanks his mum for putting up with his extraordinary amount of energy.
In this series, Laura Smyth sits down with some incredible guests to find out about their mums and explore the many faces of ‘motherhood’. Join her for a nostalgic, shameless, cathartic ride that asks what (if anything) our folks have taught us.
Producer: Sasha Bobak
Production Coordinator: Katie Baum
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.
WED 19:00 The Archers (m002dzk7)
Emma’s on the phone to George, who tells her about the Community Offender Manager he’s meeting today, then says he’s got a surprise for her when she visits later. Outside the prison Emma has a barbed conversation with a young woman, who accuses Emma of pinching her parking space and acting like an arrogant 'Boomer'. This becomes a wider critique of Emma’s parenting and life skills, leaving Emma fuming. Ed phones Emma, who tells him about the run-in with the woman, determined it won’t spoil her visit. When Emma tells George her news he’s distracted when the woman arrives and he then introduces her as Amber to Emma. Emma assumes Amber is the Community Offender Manager, but Amber corrects her. She’s George’s girlfriend.
At Home Farm Brian gives Stella the cold shoulder, dismissing her attempts to explain why she didn’t warn him about Justin’s plan to convert half the Estate land to rewilding. Stella says she tried to persuade Justin otherwise, but Brian’s convinced Stella took her role on the Board for her own advantage. She’s clearly in Justin’s pocket. Trying a different tack Stella suggests Home Farm pursue other contracts to replace the Estate one and Brian reluctantly agrees. Then Justin arrives, asserting that his plan will be approved at a special Board meeting he’s calling. Stella sides with Brian: food production should be their priority. But Justin’s on the side of the planet, insisting the change will go ahead. After he’s gone Brian and Stella agree to put aside their differences to defeat their common enemy. This is war.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m002dzk9)
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy
UK Culture Secretary LIsa Nandy talks us through the Government's new Creative Industries Sector Plan which aims to unlock growth and opportunity in culture, media and sport.
Last week 27-year-old Scottish author Margaret McDonald become the youngest ever winner of the Carnegie medal for children's writing, for her debut novel Glasgow Boys, a book which explores mental health, trauma, inequality and identity through the friendship between two boys who have grown up in foster care. Margaret joins us live in the studio.
We hear from the creators of a stage production (How To Win Against History) and a film (Madfabulous) based on the life of the so-called 'Dancing Marquess' Henry Paget, the 5th Marquess of Anglesey, a flamboyant Victorian aristocrat who inherited a vast fortune, squandered it and died at the age of 29. And the current Marquess of Anglesey talks about how his family views their ancestor.
And artist Michael Visocchi talks about his monumental sculpture, Commensalis, which tells the story of the whale. Part of his sculpture can be seen in Dundee this weekend before it departs for the island of South Georgia in the Atlantic Ocean later in the summer.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m002dzkc)
Is Privacy an outdated concept or a moral right?
ID cards are back on the political agenda, digital this time, being pushed by an influential group of Labour MPs, and – surveys suggest – public opinion, which is increasingly worried about illegal immigration and benefit fraud. Time was, when privacy was a free-born Briton’s birthright and a policeman asking for your papers anathema, the mark of foreign dictatorships. We live in a different world now where even your household gadgets are capable of gathering information on you. Is privacy out of date, or a moral good that’s the basis of freedom? Can we no longer tell the state – or Big Tech – to mind their own business, and does it matter?
WITNESSES:
Kirsty Innes, Director of Technology at Labour Together
Rebecca Vincent, Interim director of Big Brother Watch
Dr Hazem Zohny, University of Oxford
Tiffany Jenkins, Cultural Historian
PANELLISTS:
Rev Dr Giles Fraser
Anne McElvoy
Lord Jonathan Sumption
Matthew Taylor
Chaired by Michael Buerk
Producer: Catherine Murray
Assistant Producer: Peter Everett
Editor: Tim Pemberton
WED 21:00 The Long View (m002dzfm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 All in the Mind (m002dzfp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 on Tuesday]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002dzkf)
Trump's big win at Nato summit
As Donald Trump calls Nato's new defence spending pledge of 5% of GDP a big win for Western civilisation, we ask a UK defence minister where the cash will come from.
Also tonight:
Is helping parents to spot the signs of autism and ADHD - rather than getting a formal diagnosis - the way to help fix the crisis in Special Educational Needs?
And a Ukrainian writer killed in a Russian air strike has been awarded the prestigious Orwell Prize for Political Writing. We speak live to her publisher and her friend.
WED 22:45 White Nights by Dostoevsky (m002dzkh)
Episode 3 - Nastenka's story
"A Sentimental Love Story (From the Memoirs of a Dreamer)" - Dostoevsky
Dosteovsky's haunting tale centres around a nameless, young, lonely dreamer who perchance meets a young woman named Nastenka. He experiences a brief but intense connection with her. His feelings are strong and passionate - but will they be requited.
Man Will Taylor
Natenska Phoebe-Loveday Raymond
Translated by Ronald Meyer
Abridged by Lucy Ellis
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:00 Michael Spicer: No Room (m002ddpv)
Series 2
9. Firing Paintballs at Ed Balls
Richard Ayoade faces his toughest challenge yet - finding a way to keep Taskmaster going for ten more series. A movie director is forced to face up to serious allegations now his films have become commercial rather than critically acclaimed arthouse classics. And Stuart Piper Aloysious takes his political podcast on the road and it's even more tedious than the real thing. Sponsored by Big Baboon Energy.
Social media star Michael Spicer takes on everything that frustrates and angers us, such as social media, other media and everything else in this satirical sketch comedy series.
Michael is famous for his Room Next Door government advisor character whose withering take downs of politicians have amassed more than 100 million views and helped keep his audience sane in fractured times.
Writer, Performer and Co-Editor: Michael Spicer
Composer and Sound Designer: Augustin Bousfield
Producer: Matt Tiller
A Tillervision production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:15 Welcome to the Neighbourhood with Jayde Adams (m001b43y)
Ivo Graham
Jayde Adams and guest Ivo Graham dive into the feisty world of community apps and messageboards, sifting through the angry neighbourhood bins to find disgruntled comedy gold. They uncover the story of a building's residents turning on their own concierge, and where the middle-aged go to dance in Canterbury.
From biggest beefs to weirdest news, Jayde discovers a hotbed of (largely unintentional) hilarity with graffiti-daubed wheelie bins, stray cats, e-scooters and more.
Jayde and the production team would like to hear about what's riling up the neighbours around Britain. Are your groups kicking off? Listeners can submit screenshots of the funniest and freakiest posts and threads to welcometotheneighbourhood@bbc.co.uk.
Presenter: Jayde Adams
Producer: Cornelius Mendez
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002dzkl)
Sean Curran reports on Prime Minister's Questions - minus the Prime Minister - as the row over the government's welfare reform plans continues.
THURSDAY 26 JUNE 2025
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002dzkn)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 00:30 Causing a Scene (m001gjk4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002dzkq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002dzks)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
THU 05:00 News Summary (m002dzkv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002dzkx)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament
THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002dzkz)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002dzl1)
Marking the programme's 55 years on Radio 4
The sound of voices in harmony, especially polyphony by Scottish composer Robert Carver, brings inspiration to teacher of literature and religion, Linden Bicket.
Script:
Good morning. I still vividly recall a sound that transported me – almost, it seemed, to heaven itself – during my student days. We were played an example of sacred music by the early modern Scottish composer Robert Carver, renowned for his polyphony – voices singing in harmony - in the sixteenth century. I was absolutely transfixed by what I heard, and even now, some twenty years later, I listen to it with the same admiration for Carver’s music of profound power and beauty.
But it’s not just admiration that I feel when I listen to Carver’s O bone Jesu, which is a motet for nineteen voices. Who could fail to feel awe and tenderness as the singers’ voices intertwine, clustering and soaring exquisitely around the word ‘Jesus’, imploring: ‘forsake not me whom your love has made.’ His music brings me to the heart of the mystery of life, its sacredness, our fragility, our strength, and our smallness. I invite you to close your eyes, and be drawn into an encounter with sacred mystery and love.
Loving God, help us to find moments of peace, wonder and grace in the work of musicians throughout the ages. We thank you for the gifts of artists, and we ask you to help our faith and courage to grow through encountering their creations. And may we grow in love and tenderness. Amen.
Music used: O bone Jesu à 19 (Composer: Robert Carver)
Performed by The Sixteen directed by Harry Christophers.
Album: An Eternal Harmony / Record Label: Coro
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002dzl3)
26/06/25: Inheritance tax review, Hoads Wood, weather forecasting, Ag students
A group of farmers are seeking a judicial review over the decision to re-impose inheritance tax on some farm businesses. The as yet unamed farmers are challenging what they say is a lack of Government consultation on the changes. As we've reported farmers around the country have held protests over the government's decision to introduce new rules on Agricultural and Business Property Relief from next April. They say making farms liable to twenty per cent tax over assets of one million pounds when they pass from one generation to the next will put some out of business. Ministers say the tax is fair - and that farmers can spread the payments over 10 years.
Work has begun to clear more than 30,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste from a Kent woodland, in an operation led by the Environment Agency.
We've followed the saga of the waste dumped on this protected site for some time - it's now estimated the clean-up of Hoads Wood near Ashford will take more than a year and cost around £15m. The Environment Agency says the wood was used by criminal gangs to dump household and construction waste over a six month period in 2023. Investigations are ongoing into who is responsible.
Artitficial Intelligence is starting to be used in weather forecasting. It's hoped it will reduce the need for enormous, energy-guzzling super-computers that are currently used, though experts say that could be some time off.
And we meet two more students hoping for a career in agriculture - this time from Brooksby Campus in Leicestershire.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner
THU 06:00 Today (m002dzy2)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m002dzy4)
Dragons
Melvyn Bragg and guests explore dragons, literally and symbolically potent creatures that have appeared in many different guises in countries and cultures around the world.
Sometimes compared to snakes, alligators, lions and even dinosaurs, dragons have appeared on clay tablets in ancient Mesopotamia, in the Chinese zodiac, in the guise of the devil in Christian religious texts and in the national symbolism of the countries of England and Wales.
They are often portrayed as terrifying but sometimes appear as sacred and even benign creatures, and they continue to populate our cultural fantasies through blockbuster films, TV series and children’s books.
With:
Kelsey Granger, Post Doctoral Researcher in Chinese History at the University of Edinburgh
Daniel Ogden, Professor of Ancient History at the University of Exeter
And
Juliette Wood, Associate Lecturer in the School of Welsh at the University of Wales.
Producer: Eliane Glaser
Reading list:
Paul Acker and Carolyne Larrington (eds.), Revisiting the Poetic Edda: Essays on Old Norse Heroic Legend (Routledge, 2013), especially ‘Dragons in the Eddas and in Early Nordic Art’ by Paul Acker
Scott G. Bruce (ed.), The Penguin Book of Dragons (Penguin, 2022)
James H. Charlesworth, The Good and Evil Serpent: How a Universal Symbol became Christianized (Yale University Press, 2009)
Juliana Dresvina, A Maid with a Dragon: The Cult of St Margaret of Antioch in Medieval England (Oxford University Press, 2016)
Joyce Tally Lionarons, The Medieval Dragon: The Nature of the Beast in Germanic Literature (Hisarlik Press, 1998)
Daniel Ogden, Dragons, Serpents, and Slayers in the Classical and Early Christian Worlds: A Sourcebook (Oxford University Press, 2013)
Daniel Ogden, The Dragon in the West (Oxford University Press, 2021)
Christine Rauer, Beowulf and the Dragon (D.S. Brewer, 2000)
Phil Senter et al., ‘Snake to Monster: Conrad Gessner’s Schlangenbuch and the Evolution of the Dragon in the Literature of Natural History’ (Journal of Folklore Research, vol. 53, no. 1, 2016)
Jacqueline Simpson, British Dragons: Myth, Legend and Folklore (first published 1980; Wordsworth Editions, 2001)
Jeffrey Snyder-Reinke, Dry Spells: State Rainmaking and Local Governance in Late Imperial China (Harvard University Press, 2009)
Roel Sterckx, The Animal and the Daemon in Early China (State University of New York Press, 2002)
Roel Sterckx, Chinese Thought: From Confucius to Cook Ding (Pelican Books, 2019)
J. R. R. Tolkien, The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays (first published 1983; HarperCollins, 2007)
Christopher Walter, The Warrior Saints in Byzantine Art and Tradition (Routledge, 2003)
Juliette Wood, Fantastic Creatures in Mythology and Folklore: From Medieval Times to the Present Day (Bloomsbury Academic, 2018)
Yang Xin, Li Yihua, and Xu Naixiang, Art of the Dragon (Shambhala, 1988)
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio production
Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.
THU 09:45 Strong Message Here (m002dzy6)
The New Brexit
This week, Helen Lewis is back! In the longer edition, you can hear what Helen has been up to in her absence, before Helen and Armando set their sights on the language around Net Zero.
They ask, Why has it taken long for them to cover it on the show? Is it being framed in a relatable enough way? And, does it suffer from being part of an 'omnicause'?
Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at
9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.
Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Sound Editing by Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator - Sarah Nicholls and Becky Carewe-Jeffries
Executive Producer - Pete Strauss
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.
An EcoAudio Certified Production.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002dzy8)
SEND, Kate Burton, Yehudis Fletcher
The Department for Education has just released the latest figures that show another rise in the number of Education, Health and Care Plans, or EHCPs, in England. These are the legal documents that outline what support a child or young person with special educational needs and disabilities is entitled to. The BBC’s education reporter Kate McGough, Jane Harris, vice chair of the Disabled Children's Partnership, and Jacquie Russell from West Sussex County Council join Clare McDonnell.
It's the UN's International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. At the moment, sexual violence is not treated as torture, which makes it harder to prosecute. Clare talks to the UN's special rapporteur on torture, Dr Alice Jill Edwards.
Kate Burton features in a new version of Somerset Maugham’s 1926 drawing-room comedy The Constant Wife in Stratford. Kate is known for many stage roles - at least 14 on Broadway - and screen hits including ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal - as well as for coming from a very famous family. She joins Clare to discuss the new production.
Clare also talks to LGBTQ+ trailblazer Yehudis Fletcher, whose memoir Chutzpah! opens with Yehudis, aged six, observing the sabbath with her orthodox Jewish family and all her unanswered questions about the world and her place in it. By age 16, she had been silenced, abused and lost within the care system. By 20, she had been married twice. By 25, she had three children. At 26, she found her voice and stands up in court against her abuser. And at 31, she fell in love for the first time.
Presenter: Clare McDonnell
Producer: Corinna Jones
THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m002dzyb)
Katherine Rundell
Children’s writer and academic Katherine Rundell is the multi-million selling author of adventure stories including Rooftoppers, The Wolf Wilder and The Explorer which won the Costa Children’s Book of the Year. Impossible Creatures, the first of a five book series, was named Waterstones Book Of the Year in 2023. Her biography of the 17th century poet John Donne was a non-fiction bestseller and she became the youngest ever winner of the £50,000 Bailey Gifford Prize. At the age of 36, Katherine Rundell was named author of the year at the 2024 British Book Awards.
Talking to John Wilson, Katherine Rundell recalls Saturday morning bus journeys from her home in south London to Covent Garden where her father would take part in amateur dance classes. Along the route of the 176 bus he would point out cultural landmarks and helped instil in Katherine a lifelong love for the city. She also explains how her father’s job as a civil servant took her family to live in Zimbabwe when she was a child, an experience that fuelled her imagination and fascination with the natural world. She also remembers the profound loss she felt at the death of her foster sister, and reveals that much of her writing for children has been driven by this tragedy. She chooses the Chronicles Of Narnia series of books, especially The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, by CS Lewis as a huge influence on her own fantasy writing and the poetry of John Donne which she describes as her "greatest literary passion". Katherine also reflects on the importance of encouraging children to read and the current state of children's publishing.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
THU 11:45 Causing a Scene (m001gjd9)
War
Antonia Quirke talks to Ukrainian cinema goers about the scenes that have resonated with them and that have reflected their present reality. The choices might surprise you, as not all of them are war films, but big budget Hollywood fantasy movies and science fiction. Antonia also talks to cinematographer Seamus McGarvey about filming the famous Dunkirk scene in Atonement, a five minute tracking shot that tries to get into the heads of war-wearied soldiers with PTSD.
THU 12:00 News Summary (m002dzyd)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 The Bottom Line (m002dzyg)
Presentations: How to Avoid 'Death By PowerPoint'
Few things in working life are as familiar or as dreaded as presentations, but done well they can persuade and even inspire. So what are the tricks to getting them right?
From nerves to narrative, Evan Davis explores how structure, delivery and storytelling shape the way ideas land, and why clarity and connection matter more than ever.
And is there still a role for the much-maligned PowerPoint slide?
Evan is joined by:
Abi Eniola, practitioner, RADA Business;
Rory Sutherland, vice chairman, Ogilvy UK;
Simon Gallagher, UK CEO, Euronext.
Production team:
Producer: Osman Iqbal
Series Producer: Simon Tulett
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Neil Churchill and Pat Sissons
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002dzyj)
Toast - Homebase
Homebase was once one of our leading home improvement chains so, why did it have to close all of its stores?
The BBC Business journalist Sean Farrington investigates.
Alongside him is the entrepreneur Sam White, who at the end of the show has to reach her own conclusions, based only on what she has heard and her own business acumen.
Homebase was established by the supermarket chain Sainsbury's and a Belgian retailer which was already running a DIY business in Europe and America.
The first Homebase store opened in Croydon in 1981 and it had to be temporarily closed by the police after visiting crowds caused a traffic jam.
The chain expanded across the UK and had more than 300 stores.
It went through some highs, and some serious lows, with various owners but what ultimately caused the closure of its shops?
Sean and Sam hear from expert guests including:
- Allison Foster, curator of the Sainsbury Archive, which is based at London Museum Docklands
- Dave Elliott, a former Trading Director then later Commercial Director at Homebase under different owners
- Matt Walton, senior data analyst at GlobalData
While Homebase's standalone stores are toast, the brand continues to trade online under new ownership. Homebase garden centres and products are also being included within branches of The Range.
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.
THU 12:57 Weather (m002dzyl)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m002dzyn)
Iran says it's given the US a 'hard slap'
In his first comments since the US bombing, the Ayatollah Khamenei says Iran has dealt a the US a 'hard slap'. It also suspends co-operation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog.
THU 13:45 Politically (m002dzyq)
Postwar
14. United Nations
David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age.
The 1945 general election was one of the biggest shocks in British parliamentary history: a decisive rejection of Winston Churchill and his leadership. The election of Clement Attlee's Labour government in a landslide marked a break with the past and signalled a strong desire on the part of the British people for something new. But it was also a product of Britain's wartime experiences and revealed the many ways in which the country had already changed.
The years that followed -- the postwar years -- would bring about bold and radical reform, the building of a new nation, a 'New Jerusalem'. The Britain of the National Health Service and the welfare state, of nationalised industry and the so-called 'postwar consensus' -- all were ushered into place with this election. This is the Britain that most have us have grown up in and which still shapes an idea of who we think we are.
Both main parties supported the United Nations, but they disagreed about what that meant.
Featuring Patricia Clavin.
THU 14:00 The Archers (m002dzk7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m000sy37)
The Christopher Boy’s Communion
Martin Jarvis directs David Mamet’s compelling thriller, set in New York City.
Joan (Rebecca Pidgeon) is a devout Catholic and a mother, whose son Michael has mutilated the body of his nice Jewish girlfriend. He awaits trial in prison. Joan will stop at nothing to free him, even blackening the dead girl’s character.
In a series of gripping encounters, Joan attempts to persuade her husband Alan (Clark Gregg), Jewish lawyer Mr Stone (David Paymer) and priest (John Pirruccello) to do her deadly bidding. She even tries blackmail.
This present-day, churchgoing Lady Macbeth is driven by her misguided views on intermarriage. Mysterious Mrs Charles (Tony-award nominee Fionnula Flanagan) might provide a solution to Michael’s freedom by inspiring Joan’s own capacity for belief, and the strength of her maternal instinct.
Then, an extraordinary, thought-provoking final twist in this thrilling and provocative drama.
This is Jarvis & Ayres' seventh collaboration with David Mamet. They produced his Keep Your Pantheon (R4), Glengarry Glen Ross (R3), Faust (R3) all directed by Rosalind Ayres. Martin Jarvis appeared in Mamet’s movie Phil Spector (HBO) and Funny Or Die (Comedy Central).
Cast:
Joan….Rebecca Pidgeon
Alan….Clark Gregg
Mr Stone….David Paymer
Father Paul….John Pirrucello
Mrs Charles….Fionnula Flanagan
Producer: Rosalind Ayres
Director: Martin Jarvis
A Jarvis & Ayres production for BBC Radio 4
THU 15:00 Ramblings (m002dzys)
Camino Memories in Penicuik
Clare is in Penicuik for the penultimate episode of this Camino de Santiago themed series. The first five programmes were recorded in Spain, and the final two episodes are in the UK with people reflecting on their past experiences of The Way. Today Clare meets a true Camino veteran: Rev. Nick Bowry has walked it seven times, and on different routes, including when he was making the decision to give up his long-standing career to become a Priest.
Joining Clare and Nick on today's walk are Nick's friends, Cat and Liz, who share their own Camino memories as they enjoy the beautiful local scenery on a fine day.
They completed a circular walk starting at Nick's church, St. James the Less, taking in the River North Esk, Serpentine Wood, and views of the Pentland Hills.
Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor
Here's a poem Nick wrote about his time on the Camino in 2016:
Santander a Muxia, Camino 2016
Come, it's been a while,
And walk, talk, sing, and pray,
My way, your way, our way,
In silence, in company, together, apart, each day,
Never lonely, I'm pleased to say,
One foot in front of the other.
Consciously clearing clutter from my mind,
Allowing time to forgive, seventy times seven and once again,
Making friends with myself and letting go what drains,
I feel my load lighten, less and less remains,
New days dawn and the true self gains,
One foot in front of the other.
Conversations words and gestures,
All allow acquaintances to grow,
Many mark a mile, some many more - going with the flow,
Intimate confessions and burdens off loaded, I know,
Now I have time and patience to listen, to help the speaker let go,
One foot in front of the other.
Calmed and caught in the cadence of walking,
Applied compeed, insect repellent and sun cream,
Mass at noon - seeing it swing - has it been a dream,
Indisputably not, my calf muscles know where they have been,
Now with great anticipation, mi amigo is seen,
One foot in front of the other.
Companions on the way, four between us,
And now we start our one at last,
Minding all that has gone on, the past,
In perspective, in sorrow and joy our minds cast,
New beginnings both, carpe diem, life goes so fast,
One foot in front of the other.
Conclusions - I have a few,
Appreciate each day and what you learn,
Make new friends, be generous but make time for yourself to discern,
Invite new experiences and try them out,
Now is the time, without a doubt, and…
Oh, just put… one foot in front of the other.
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002dz30)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Feedback (m002dzyv)
Radio 4's The Patch. What's up Docs. Add to Playlist.
Radio 4 has a new health and wellness offering, What's Up Docs? It's a weekly podcast helmed by twin brothers Dr Chris and Dr Xand Van Tulleken, covering everything from low testosterone to creaky knees. But has its chatty style been a hit with listeners? and how are they getting on with a podcast being transmitted as part of the Radio 4 schedule? Presenter Andrea Catherwood puts your thoughts to Rhian Roberts, Head Commissioner for Podcasts and Formats.
In an unstable world, you might want to distance yourself from busy news schedules by taking a trip to somewhere else. That's what The Patch has been doing on BBC Radio 4 for the last few years, by generating a random UK postcode and then telling a unique or unheard story from the area. Two listeners from places featured on The Patch enter our VoxBox to give their views on the series. Andrea follows up with the programme's presenter and producer Polly Weston to hear her take on their discussion.
And one listener was so moved by the 100th episode of Add to Playlist that she pulled over to the side of the road to send us a message - we'll hear it in full here.
Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Pauline Moore
Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4
THU 16:00 The Briefing Room (m002fgnj)
Iran: What happens next?
President Trump says the conflict between Israel and Iran is over after 12 days. For the US and Israel the declared objective has been to destroy Iran’s capacity to make a nuclear bomb, with a side order of regime change if possible. They have damaged Iran’s capacity to build nuclear weapons but for how long? And what now is the objective for Iran? To rebuild their nuclear weapons programme? Or just for the regime to stay in power? David Aaronovitch and his guests discuss what's next for Iran.
Guests:
Dr Patricia Lewis, arms control and nuclear physics expert
Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor at The Economist,
Dr Lina Khatib, Associate Fellow at the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House
Professor Ali Ansari, founding director of the Institute of Iranian Studies at St Andrews University
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight
Sound Engineer: James Beard
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Editor: Richard Vadon
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m002dzyz)
What happens when you bomb a uranium enrichment site?
All eyes have been on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities this week. The targets of an attack on Saturday by the United States. Marnie Chesterton asks Professor Simon Middleburgh, nuclear materials scientist at the Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor University what the impact could have been.
As the first images are revealed from the world’s most powerful optical telescope, Professor Chris Lintott brings us news of how you can get involved in scouring the depths of the universe. Caroline Steel brings us the science news that has scientists excited this week, and Marnie visits the first new dinosaur to go on show at London’s Natural History Museum for more than a decade.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell & Clare Salisbury
Editor: Glyn Tansley
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
THU 17:00 PM (m002dzz1)
Strip-search of schoolgirl 'was gross misconduct'
We assess the impact of the Child Q case on trust in the Metropolitan Police. The BBC’s Lyse Doucet is live in Tehran after Iran's supreme leader claimed the recent US bombing achieved "nothing significant". And, as the United Nations marks its 80th birthday, we speak to Mary Robinson, a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, on how the organisation is faring.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002dzz3)
Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to rebel Labour MPs about welfare cuts
Sir Keir Starmer has been personally calling MPs this afternoon as he attempts to curb a growing rebellion against proposed welfare reforms. 126 Labour backbenchers have signed an amendment opposing the plan to cut some disability and sickness-related payments. Also: Iran's Supreme Leader says US strikes on the country's nuclear sites were little more than showmanship from President Trump. And, there's a new director for the Bond franchise.
THU 18:30 The Matt Forde Focus Group (m002dzz5)
6. The Politics of 'The End of the World'
Can politics be funny? Yes it can!
Top political comedian Matt Forde convenes his focus group in front of a live theatre audience with guests James Cleverly, Isabel Hardman and Ria Lina - to see how we really all feel about the end of the world.
Written and hosted by Matt Forde
Additional writing from Karl Minns, Katie Storey and Richard Garvin
Producer: Richard Garvin
Co Producers: Daisy Knight and Jules Lom
Broadcast Assistant: Jenny Recaldin
Sound Design and Editing: David Thomas
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4
THU 19:00 The Archers (m002dzz7)
Emma isn’t happy that Will is impressed by George getting himself a girlfriend while in prison. She tells Will about her encounter with Amber in the car park, then how Amber followed George on socials and started writing to him. Will’s glad George is happy, but Emma doesn’t trust Amber. Will looks Amber up online and recognises her from her job at Farm Supplies. Emma’s convinced she’s not right for George, but Will reckons that’s up to George to decide. Then Emma gets a call from George, who asks if Emma liked her. When Emma hesitates Will steps in, congratulating George. Emma sounds a note of caution about rushing into things, but George is convinced she’s the one. Amber’s told George about the car park incident, making out that Emma was rude but Amber’s forgiven her. George proposes they invite Amber round for tea to get to know her, overcoming Emma’s misgivings before telling them it’s already arranged for six o’clock tomorrow.
At Woodbine Cottage Jazzer tells Fallon that Dross can work even without Ed’s involvement. Enthusiastic Jazzer’s already got nine people lined up to audition as a replacement and convinces Fallon to at least give it a go. Then Ed bangs on the door and confronts Jazzer about advertising for a replacement on the village website without asking him first. Dross was Ed’s band and he’s hurt that they’re thinking of going ahead without him. Despite what he said Ed wants back in. Jazzer and Fallon are delighted, but agree they still need to audition for a replacement for Ash.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m002dzz9)
Review Programme: Van Gogh and Anselm Kiefer
Charlotte Mullins and Katja Hoyer are with Tom Sutcliffe to review The Royal Academy of Arts' Kiefer/Van Gogh exhibition, Nell Stevens novel The Original, and German language film From Hilde, with Love.
And Sarfraz Manzoor is on to discuss a new Bruce Springsteen compilation – Tracks II: The Lost Albums
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Claire Bartleet
THU 20:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002dzjw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Wednesday]
THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002dzjy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:15 on Wednesday]
THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002dz0z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m002dzy6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002dzzc)
Starmer set to announce welfare climbdown
The government is expected to announce a significant compromise on planned benefits changes to placate Labour rebels. Multiple sources tell the BBC existing claimants of the Personal Independence Payment (Pip) will continue to receive what they currently get, as will recipients of the health element of Universal Credit. Instead, planned cuts will only hit future claimants. Ministers are also expected to fast-track a £1bn support plan originally scheduled for 2029.
As the Trump administration rounds on US media for its reporting of strikes in Iran, we ask why two different agencies came up with differing assessments of the damage caused by the strikes.
And Anna Wintour is stepping back from her role as editor-in-chief of American Vogue, we reflect on her unique place in fashion.
THU 22:45 White Nights by Dostoevsky (m002dzzf)
Episode 4 - The Third Night
"A Sentimental Love Story (From the Memoirs of a Dreamer)" - Dostoevsky
Dosteovsky's haunting tale centres around a nameless, young, lonely dreamer who perchance meets a young woman named Nastenka. He experiences a brief but intense connection with her. His feelings are strong and passionate - but will they be requited.
Man Will Taylor
Natenska Phoebe-Loveday Raymond
Translated by Ronald Meyer
Abridged by Lucy Ellis
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002dzzh)
Knife Crime: Can Education Save Lives?
More children are being convicted of crime and our prisons are nearly at capacity. But Steve Chalke thinks he has a solution.
The founder of the Oasis Charitable Trust, which runs a chain of academies and the UK’s first secure school, works closely with children who have committed the worst crimes. He advocates for radically changing our schools, the education system, and how we rehabilitate our young offenders.
Amol and Steve also talk about their shared background, the crisis of masculinity, and how a rejection at the age of 14 lead him to where he is today.
GET IN TOUCH
* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk
Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.
Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Izzy Rowley. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002dzzk)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as the Prime Minister tells MPs he will hold talks with to the Labour backbenchers who are threatening to rebel over his welfare plans.
FRIDAY 27 JUNE 2025
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002dzzm)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 00:30 Causing a Scene (m001gjd9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002dzzp)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002dzzr)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:00 News Summary (m002dzzt)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002dzzw)
Sean Curran reports as the prime minister updates MPs about the G7 and Nato summits.
FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002dzzy)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002f000)
Marking the programme's 55 years on Radio 4
The sound of wild geese brings inspiration to Quaker and author, Alastair McIntosh.
Script:
Good morning.
Have you ever heard the wild geese calling ...
as they draw nigh, in high formation ...
a whispering first ...
the intimation of another world ...
then nearer, nearer, lilting, rising ...
irrupting to crescendo of our own soul’s yearning:
“‘Tis yours, my child,” says God, “to rise this dawn
and dig from where you stand ...
In Earth as is in Heaven”.
And fading now, like brushstrokes blown
the geese have flown and you and I stand there ... alone;
yet drawn together
into high formation.
And so ... it’s down to us, to ground that intimation, that “gift half understood” into this waking day.
And I smile, for when George MacLeod who rebuilt Iona Abbey was asked where he got it from that the wild goose is a Celtic symbol of the Holy Spirit, he said: “I don’t know! I probably made it up!”
But there we glimpse the way God prays through us, in brushstrokes of imagination, as wild geese crying.
“Don’t fear, don’t fear” said Patrick Kavanagh, as he contrasted skeins of geese with laden bombers out across the Irish Sea, in 1943.
Don’t fear, don’t fear, as angels say, to raise us to our human calling.
And Kavanagh’s poem concludes; and so too, perhaps, our prayer:
“Only they who fly home to God have flown at all.”
Only they who fly home to God, have flown, at all.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002f002)
27/06/25: tree planting, dairy farmers, English olive oil
The UK has once more missed its tree planting targets - provisional figures for last year show that overall the number of trees planted fell in comparison with the year before, from 20 and a half thousand hectares to just over 15 and a half thousand hectares. The Government aims for 30,000 every year.
New figures from the farming industry body the AHDB show that 190 dairy farmers left the industry last year. There are now 7,040 dairy producers in England, Wales and Scotland. That's a 2.6 per cent fall from the year before. But, despite that, there has been an increase in the amount of milk produced. We ask a dairy farmer why so many are leaving.
English olive oil is now a reality, after a Cornish olive grower pressed his first oil last winter. Nik Butcher claims to be the first person to bottle English olive oil commercially since the Roman times. So could English olive oil one day prove as successful as English sparkling wine?
All this week we've been hearing from those about to embark on farming related careers. For many students the exams are now over and they're just waiting for the results. For others, the wait is over, and we hear from three graduates from CAFRE, Northern Ireland's College of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.
FRI 06:00 Today (m002f00v)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m002dz3d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Sunday]
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002f00x)
Live from Glastonbury with Self Esteem and Jamz Supernova
Woman's Hour is live from Worthy Farm. Anita is joined by BBC 6 Music's Jamz Supernova, who talks through the women she's most excited to see perform this year and discuss the meteroic rise of Doechii.
The musician, songwriter and actress, Rebecca Lucy Taylor launched her solo career as Self Esteem in 2017, won the 2021 BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year Award and received a nomination for the Mercury Prize in 2022 with Prioritise Pleasure. She discusses her new album - A Complicated Woman – and what's planned for her performance tonight on the Park Stage.
The American singer-songwriter Tift Merritt discusses the forthcoming reissue of her Grammy nominted album Tambourine, returning to music after taking time out to raise her daughter, and she performs live for Woman's Hour, ahead of her appearance on the Acoustic stage.
Anita meets three generations of female festival goers who are all camping in the family field.
Away from the live music performers there are a host of other activities on offer with more than 100 stages around the 900 acre site. Anita speaks Kaye Dunnings, the Creative Director of Shangri-La, which hosts performances, art and installations and has been reimagined this year to celebrate collective joy and awe.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Louise Corley
FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002f00z)
English Olive Oil
With the price of olive oil soaring in the shops after drought disrupted production in Spain, Leyla Kazim looks into the English farms planting olive groves in the hope of bottling their own oil. She meets a farmer in Essex who explains that English growing conditions are more suitable than you might think and discovers a producer in Cornwall who has already started pressing his own extra virgin olive oil. So will olive oil from Essex or Cornwall become the new English sparkling wine?
Dan Saladino reports from Sicily where hotter conditions due to climate change are presenting new challenges for growers. Food historian Dr Annie Gray debunks some of the myths around olive oil consumption in England and Leyla learns the correct way to approach an oil-tasting from one of the country’s biggest suppliers.
Produced by Robin Markwell for BBC Audio in Bristol.
FRI 11:45 Causing a Scene (m001gjnr)
Dreams
Carol Morley, Asif Kapadia and Hossein Amini discuss the art of the dream sequence and why it might have gone to our heads. And Antonia asks them if they've ever dreamt up a scene for a movie they were writing, or whether a movie has ever entered their subconscious minds. And we reveal why nobody has ever had a dream like Gregory Peck in Hitchcock's classic Spellbound.
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002f011)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 Rare Earth (m002f013)
A Whale's Life
A ban on commercial hunting for whales came into force 40 years ago. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski look back on the whaling industry with one of the last of Shetland's whalers and ask if our largest mammals have bounced back from the extinction that so many species were close to reaching.
They're joined by Jayne Pierce of the South Georgia Heritage Trust, the marine biologist and author of Eat, Poop, Die, Joe Roman and by linguist Inbal Arnon. Joe talks about his latest study for Whale and Dolphin Conservation which reveals the importance of whales in moving nutrients around the ocean while Inbal talks about her work comparing how whales and human babies learn to communicate. Jayne discusses this weekend's festival in Dundee which commemorates Scotland's role in the whaling industry and marks the launch of the Whaler's Memory Bank, a project to capture the voices of the last of the men who spent the British winter in the Antarctic capturing and processing the whales that found their way into our margarines and military hardware until the 1960s.
Special thanks to Gibbie Fraser, Helen Balfour and baby Idris.
Producer: Alasdair Cross
Rare Earth is produced in association with the Open University
FRI 12:57 Weather (m002f015)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m002f017)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
FRI 13:45 Politically (m002f019)
Postwar
15. Debt to America
David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age.
The 1945 general election was one of the biggest shocks in British parliamentary history: a decisive rejection of Winston Churchill and his leadership. The election of Clement Attlee's Labour government in a landslide marked a break with the past and signalled a strong desire on the part of the British people for something new. But it was also a product of Britain's wartime experiences and revealed the many ways in which the country had already changed.
The years that followed -- the postwar years -- would bring about bold and radical reform, the building of a new nation, a 'New Jerusalem'. The Britain of the National Health Service and the welfare state, of nationalised industry and the so-called 'postwar consensus' -- all were ushered into place with this election. This is the Britain that most have us have grown up in and which still shapes an idea of who we think we are.
During the war, Britain had been bailed out by American largesse. Without America’s help, the nation would be on the brink of bankruptcy. No one’s plans for postwar reconstruction could avoid this fact. That meant, during and after the 1945 election, a great deal was going to depend on the attitude of, and to, the Americans.
Featuring John Bew and David Reynolds.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002dzz7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m002f01c)
Central Intelligence: Series 2
Episode 2
The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by long-serving CIA agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris, Johnny Flynn, Stephen Kunken and Kelly Marie Tran.
In Episode 2.2, CIA’s maverick agent, Colonel Ed Lansdale attempts to bring South Vietnam behind one leader – the anti-communist, US-friendly, Ngô Đình Diệm. But Diệm is eccentric, uncompromising and lacks charisma: turning him into a popular hero is a challenge.
Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Virginia Spence ..........Kelly Marie Tran
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Colonel Ed Lansdale..........Stephen Kunken
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
Ngô Đình Diệm..........Jon Jon Briones
"Lightening" Joe Collins..........Rob Benedict
General Mike O’Daniel..........Ian Porter
Pat Kelly & Madam Nhu..........Lourdes Faberes
Ngô Đình Nhu..........Yung
President Eisenhower..........Kerry Shale
John Foster Dulles..........Nathan Osgood
General Mike O’Daniel..........Ian Porter
All other parts played by the cast
Original music by Sacha Puttnam
Written by Greg Haddrick, who created the series with Jeremy Fox
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony Diaz
Director: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott Dryden
A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:45 Child (p0hhrtjl)
Series 1
25. Lullaby
Lullabies. Simple, soothing… nonsense. Right? Wrong. Here we’re getting behind the importance of music and singing in a baby's development. India speaks to Dr Nina Polytimou about her research into how music can help with speech and communication and also be a powerful tool for bonding. India then visits a Singing Mamas group to hear how coming together as mothers to sing is a powerful, important, and missing slice of community. Kate Valentine, the founder, describes the impact it has on maternal mental health.
Presented by: India Rakusen.
Producers: India Rakusen And Georgia Arundell
Series producer: Ellie Sans.
Executive producer: Suzy Grant.
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon.
Mix and Mastering by Charlie Brandon-King.
A Listen Production for Radio 4.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002f01f)
Postbag Edition: Belvoir Castle
What is stunting the growth of my Japanese maple tree? My red tip Photinia keep falling and dying, what’s causing this? What's the best way to get rid of moss from a pond?
Peter Gibbs and the GQT panel take root in the historic grounds of Belvoir Castle, a site steeped in history since the Norman Conquest of 1066.
Joining Peter are garden designer Bunny Guinness, horticulturist Matthew Wilson, and Belvoir Castle’s Head Gardener, Andy Tudbury. Together, they tackle a thorny selection of questions from the GQT postbag.
This week, the panel shares expert advice on safely transplanting roses, taming an unruly Potentilla, and uncovering the reasons why some flowers lose their scent over time.
Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker
Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.Plant List
Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.
Q – My garden is filled with roses, but they’ve lost their scent, why is this? (03’31”)
Q – What’s the best way to transplant and plant from one environment to another? (06’24”)
Q – My garden has been completely taken over by Potentilla, how do I control it without using chemicals? (09’31”)
Q – My red tip Photinia keep falling and dying, what’s causing this? (11’49”)
Q – What is the problem with my Japanese maple tree? (17’40”)
Q – My 10-year-old rainwater pot pond in a black plastic barrel has become overgrown with moss – What’s the best way to get rid of it? (21’22”)
Q – Is it possible to cover the base of a 175-year-old copper beach tree with fallen moss? (24’19”)
Q – Can I use sawdust as a mulch? (25’49”)
Q – My mature Mahonia has flowered and ripened at two different time this year – what’s the reason for this? (31’20”)
Q – We have recently moved into a new property. We would like advice, please on where to position a new greenhouse. (35’11”)
Q – Could the panel suggest a way to keep our Melia azedarach whilst we’re away on holiday? (38’28”)
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m002f01h)
The Kiss
Catrin is living the dream. A stolen weekend in Paris with her younger lover. So why is she struggling to enjoy herself? An original short story by Francesca Rhydderch, read by Carys Eleri.
Production Co-Ordinator.....Eleri Sydney McAuliffe
Sound Design.....Nigel Lewis
Producer......Ryan Hooper
A BBC Audio Wales production
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002f01k)
Michael Lachmann, Pik-sen Lim, Leon Krier, David 'Syd' Lawrence
Matthew Bannister on
The TV director Michael Lachmann who made some of the most acclaimed documentaries about science. Professor Brian Cox and Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock pays tribute.
Pik-sen Lim who became one of the most recognisable East Asian actors on British TV.
Leon Krier, the master planner behind King Charles’s controversial Poundbury development.
David “Syd” Lawrence, the fast bowler who was the first British-born black cricketer to play for England.
Interviewee:
Professor Brian Cox
Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock
Sara Houghton
Ben Pentreath
Dean Wilson
Producer: Ribika Moktan
Archive used:
Wonders of the Solar System: Order out of Chaos, BBC 2, BBC Production, written & directed by Michael Lachmann, series producer Danielle Peck, A BBC/ Science Channel Co-Production, BBC MMXVI, 14/03/2010; Wonders of the Universe: Stardust, produced and dir by Michael Lachmann, Series Producer James Van Der Pool, BBC Production, A BBC/ Discover/ Science Channel Co-Production BBC MMXVI, BBC Two, 04/07/2011; The Sky at Night: Planet 9 from Outer Space, Series Producer Michael Lachmann, BBC Science Production London, BBC MMXVI, BBC 4, 14/02/2016, bbc.co.uk/skyatnight; Human Universe: A Place in Space Time, produced & directed by: Stephen Cooter & Michael Lachmann, BBC Production, A BBC/ Science Channel Co-Production, BBC 2, 02/11/2014; Emergency Ward 10, script by Tessa Diamond, Directed by Peter Sasdy, An ATV Production, ITV, 1957-1967; Mind Your Language, creator Vince Powell, directed by Stuart Allen, London Weekend Television, ITV, 1977-1986; Celebrating & Connecting BESEA Women in Film, TV & Theatre, YouTube Upload KakiLang, 27/04/2021; Doctor Who, Season 8; The Mind of Evil, Episode 1, Producer Barry Letts, directed by Timothy Combe, BBC TV, 1971; Jenny: The Doctor's Daughter - Volume 1, Neon Reign, June 2018, written by Christian Brassington, directed by director Barnaby Edwards, Big Finish Productions; Newsnight, BBC Two, 26/07/1985; BBC News, 10/02/1992; BBC Points West 19/11/2014; BBC News, 15/10/1991; Third Ear: Leon Krier, BBC Radio 3, 21/02/1992; What Revival?, BBC Radio 3, 03/06/1983
FRI 16:30 More or Less (m002dzj6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m002f01m)
The PM makes concession on the Welfare Reform Bill
Paddy O'Connell presents as the Prime Minister makes concessions on the Welfare Reform Bill in response to a large rebellion from Labour MPs, we'll hear details of what has been changed and consider the financial cost. We hear from Jerusalem as the head of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation defends the organisation's aid operation, and as Bognor Regis is voted the worst seaside resort in the UK we discuss why?
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002f01p)
The Government U-turns on welfare
Sir Keir Starmer describes his U-turn on welfare reforms as "striking the right balance".
FRI 18:30 Dead Ringers (m002f01r)
Series 26
Episode 3. Glastonbury, Benefits, and Bombs.
The Dead Ringers team are back to train their vocal firepower on the week’s news with an armoury of impressive impressions. This week: Trump drops the F-Bomb, Lammy drops another clanger, and money saving expert Martin Lewis drops into NATO.
Cast: Jan Ravens, Jon Culshaw, Lewis Macleod, Jess Robinson, Duncan Wisbey and Kieran Hodgson.
The episode was written by: Nev Fountain and Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Tom Coles, Sophie Dickson, Toussaint Douglass, Peter Tellouche, Rob Darke, Edward Tew, Jon Holmes, Alice Bright, Katie Sayer, Davina Bentley, Rachel E Thorn, Chris Ballard and Pete Redfern
Created by Bill Dare
Producer: Jon Holmes
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m002f01t)
Emma does a major clean-up at Little Grange in anticipation of Amber’s visit, telling Will and Ed she’s doing it for George. When Amber arrives she mistakes Ed for Will, George’s dad. They exchange awkward pleasantries, but Amber keeps being distracted by posts on her phone. She explains it’s her real work: being an influencer. After the meal Ed and Will agree with Emma that Amber would not be their perfect choice for George, but are caught out when Amber overhears them laughing at one of her remarks. Amber though is oblivious to criticism, telling them how lucky she is to have bagged George and what a nice family they are, before leaving to attend to all the posts from her followers. Stunned Emma, Ed and Will head for The Bull, not knowing what to make of Amber.
When Harrison points out that Jolene can’t go to the ID parade with Kenton she persuades him to drive Kenton there instead. Later, Kenton is irritated to discover Jolene is on the phone to Harrison, checking up on how the parade went. Kenton insists nothing happened and he didn’t recognise anybody in the photos. Back at The Bull Jolene insists Harrison find out what really happened. Kenton then admits to Harrison that he panicked at the police station, lying about not recognising anyone. But he couldn’t face the idea of going to court again. Harrison tells him if he admits that he’ll be painted as an unreliable witness, meaning Markie and his gang are more likely to get away with it.
FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m002f01w)
Debbie Wiseman and Ben Gernon round off the series
Wolf Hall composer Debbie Wiseman and conductor Ben Gernon join Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe as they add the final five tracks to the playlist for the current series. From the UK's first Eurovision winner to a heavy metal classic via Europe's second-longest river, the team wrap up the series before returning in August.
Producer: Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Puppet on a String by Sandie Shaw
The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II
Hai, Dunărea mea by Elena Roizen
3rd movement of the Piano Concerto in A Minor by Edvard Grieg
Overkill by Motörhead
Other music in this episode:
Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye
Petit Pays by Cesária Évora
Always Something There To Remind Me by Sandie Shaw
Congratulations by Cliff Richard
Back Home by the 1970 England World Cup Squad
Shang-a-Lang by The Bay City Rollers
1st movement of the Piano Concerto in A Minor by Edvard Grieg
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002f01y)
Baroness Laing, James Murray MP, Tom Newton Dunn, Polly Toynbee
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Doveridge Village Hall in Derbyshire with the Conservative peer and former deputy speaker of the House of Commons, Baroness Laing of Elderslie; Labour MP and Treasury minister James Murray; politics and defence commentator Tom Newton Dunn of the Times; and author and Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee.
Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Simon Tindall
FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002dzjc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:40 on Wednesday]
FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m002f020)
Christian faith, politics and culture
Anne McElvoy and guests explore the intersections between Christian faith and political decision-making and look at some recent dramas which explore the impact of belief.
Chine McDonald is director of the Christian Think Tank Theos, Mark Lawson is a writer, broadcaster and theatre critic of Catholic journal The Tablet, Prof Anna Rowlands is St Hilda Professor of Catholic Social Thought & Practice at the University of Durham, Dafydd Mills Daniel is a Lecturer in Divinity at the University of St Andrews and Sam Tanenhaus, has published a biography of influential American conservative thinker and Catholic, William F Buckley Jnr. called Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America.
Producer: Debbie Kilbride
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002f022)
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation defends aid operation
In the face of growing international outrage, the man who runs the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation tells us he denies Palestinians are being killed as they go to collect aid.
Also on the programme:
As Sir Keir Starmer approaches his first anniversary in office, we discuss his future.
And we visit the exhibition-on-wheels marking two centuries of Britain's railways.
FRI 22:45 White Nights by Dostoevsky (m002f024)
Episode 5 - The Fourth Night
"A Sentimental Love Story (From the Memoirs of a Dreamer)" - Dostoevsky
Dosteovsky's haunting tale centres around a nameless, young, lonely dreamer who perchance meets a young woman named Nastenka. He experiences a brief but intense connection with her. His feelings are strong and passionate - but will they be requited.
Man Will Taylor
Natenska Phoebe-Loveday Raymond
Translated by Ronald Meyer
Abridged by Lucy Ellis
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 23:00 Americast (w3ct7t5k)
Is Zohran Mamdani the Democrats' new secret weapon?
Why has a mayoral race in New York sparked conversations across America about the future of the Democratic party, and the state of politics in the United States? Zohran Mamdani, who looks set to be confirmed as the Democrat’s new candidate for the Mayor of New York has already been labelled a ‘disruptor’ a ‘visionary’ and a ‘communist lunatic’ by Donald Trump.
Sarah, Justin and Marianna look at who he is, his politics, and what impact his victory might have beyond New York, America’s largest city.
We also speak to author (Moneyball, The Big Short) and financial journalist Michael Lewis about his new book ‘Who is Government’, about the inner workings of federal agencies in the US, about why the Democrats need to reinvent their party - and reimagine their next frontrunner.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
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• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by Purvee Pattni, Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002f028)
Alicia McCarthy reports from Westminster on the history of backbench rebellions. Also on the programme, why do peers and MPs spend so much time on parliamentary ping pong?