SATURDAY 19 JULY 2025
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002fwl6)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:30 Beautiful Strangeness by Rebecca Stott (m002fwjv)
Episode 5: The Flickering
The award-winning writer Rebecca Stott grew up in the closed and secretive Christian fundamentalist cult of the Exclusive Brethren. Books, even children’s books, cinema, music were all banned. Imagination, the ministering brothers preached, was a corrupting force.
As a child who had to sit still through eleven hours of church meetings a week during which the brothers preached impenetrable biblical exegesis, Rebecca learned to daydream. That strange childhood, she says, gave her the ability to imagine extraordinary things. And, as an adult, she’s found that she’s comfortable sitting with the inexplicable - she remains fascinated by the mysterious things that flicker at the edges of our vision.
But these tend to be things our society prefers to shut down. We love to close a good mystery. We don’t like not knowing. We are impatient to find rational explanations for everything that happens. And yet there is still so much we don’t know.
In this series of original essays, Rebecca explores how closely beautiful strangeness is woven into the ordinary and the everyday. She asks, in our push to rationalise everything, as well as our fear of being mocked or accused of indulging in magical thinking, are we losing opportunities for shared wonder?
In the final episode, Rebecca explores some of the uncanny aspects of writing fiction by way of a meteor shower, and by enlisting the insights of Noel Gallagher, George Saunders, Stephen King and the spirit of the late Hilary Mantel.
Rebecca Stott, author of the memoir In the Days of Rain which won the Costa Biography Award in 2017, has 14 books to her name. These include the novels Ghostwalk, The Coral Thief, and most recently Dark Earth, as well as the creative non-fiction works Darwin’s Ghosts: In Search of the First Evolutionists and Darwin and the Barnacle. She is a historian and broadcaster (BBC Radio 4, A Point of View) and taught literature and creative writing for over 30 years including as a professor at the University of East Anglia. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Written and presented by Rebecca Stott
Producer: Kirsten Lass
Editor: Sara Davies
Sound Engineer: Jon Calver
Image by Maia Miller-Lewis
A Loftus Media Production for BBC Radio 4
Author photo credit :Sarah Weal
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002fwl8)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002fwlb)
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 (m002fwld)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002fwlg)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002fwlj)
We Are Each Other
A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Steve Taylor.
Good morning.
Ten years ago, in a London street, a cyclist was trapped under the wheel of a double decker bus. A crowd of around 100 people gathered together, and in an amazing act of coordinated altruism, lifted the bus, so that the man could be freed.
Emergencies and crises, feature these acts of heroism. A few years ago, a friend of mine was waiting for a train, when a woman standing next to him on the platform had a seizure, and fell down onto the track. My friend suddenly found himself on the track, picking her up, and lifting her to safety, with the help of another man on the platform. ‘I don’t know why I did it,’ he told me. ‘It just seemed to be the right thing to do.’
In my role as a psychologist, I have studied terrorist attacks from around the world, I have found that in every case, there were people who were willing to risk their own lives, to save others. It's significant that these acts of heroism, are always spontaneous. People act on impulse, without any conscious deliberation. To me, this suggests that there is a deep altruism inside human beings. If we are basically selfish, as some scientists and philosophers suggest, why would we be willing to risk our lives to save others? Perhaps it’s because we are not basically selfish. Or as I have put it poetically:
We’re not machines full of selfish genes, who are always scheming to outdo each other, and only ever show kindness, if there’s some benefit to ourselves.
We feel compassion because we’re connected.
We sense each other’s suffering, because we share each other’s being.
We risk our lives for others, because there is only one life.
We help and heal and love each other, because we are each other.
Blessings.
SAT 05:45 Uncharted with Hannah Fry (m0022t7f)
11. Love Bytes
At thirty-one, mathematician Chris McKinlay is looking for love. But if it’s all a numbers game, his are not adding up. Could he be the problem? Or is something else getting in the way?
Producer: Lauren Armstrong Carter
Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002g2m0)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
SAT 06:07 This Natural Life (m002fwqk)
Antony Gormley
Antony Gormley's sculptures on Crosby beach are one his best-known works. In this programme, he shows Martha Kearney around the sculptures, and talks about his relationship with the natural world - especially the sea. The artwork in Merseyside consists of one hundred male figures cast in metal, and based on Antony's own body. As they are submerged with the rising and falling tides, their form evolves and changes, and they become rusty and encrusted with sealife. He describes one of them as "a participatory artwork made by me and a whole community of barnacles." As they stroll along the shore listening to the seabirds, Martha asks Antony about the inspiration he draws from the natural world, and what it means to him.
Producer: Emma Campbell
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002g2m2)
Has the National Food Strategy for England been watered down? We hear reports that a Food White Paper expected in the spring has been dropped.
The Welsh Government announces its new Sustainable Farming Scheme. Some environmental groups are calling it a missed opportunity. We hear from the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs on what's being described as a 'once in a generation' event.
And plant breeders in Scotland have unveiled a UK-bred blueberry.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
SAT 06:57 Weather (m002g2m4)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m002g2m6)
Today (Saturday)
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002g2m8)
Adam Kay, Anna Whitwham, Kevin Rowland, Janet Street-Porter
Adam Kay from delivering babies to delivering punchlines, the former obs and gynae doctor turned BAFTA-winning writer and comedian, now stitches together stories in his bestselling books.
The beloved voice of Dexys Midnight Runners and Dexys - the singer-songwriter Kevin Rowland. He’s traded melodies for memories in his raw and revealing memoir.
And penning stories, teaching other writers and also throwing punches - the author Anna Whitwham proves she’s as fierce a pugilist as she is a wordsmith.
Plus, the Inheritance Tracks from the journalist, writer and broadcaster Janet Street-Porter.
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m002g2mb)
Alexandre Dumas: author of The Three Musketeers
Greg Jenner is joined in nineteenth-century France by historian Professor Olivette Otele and comedian Celya AB to learn about acclaimed novelist Alexandre Dumas. Alexandre was born to an innkeeper’s daughter and a legendary Black general who fought for Napoleon. After his father’s death the family grew up in rural poverty, but after a visit to Paris as a teenager, Dumas fell in love with the city and its theatre. Using his father’s connections he found a job there and was soon a successful playwright, before turning his attention to novels. He was a prolific author, writing such blockbusters as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Christo. But amidst the writing, Dumas also found plenty of time for romantic dalliances, political entanglements, and global travel. This episode explores his extraordinary life and the incredible works of literature he created, set against the turbulent background of French politics in the years after the Napoleonic wars.
If you’re a fan of French revolutionary politics, trailblazing Black figures and the messy personal lives of best-selling authors, you’ll love our episode on Alexandre Dumas.
If you want more Black history with Professor Olivette Otele, check out our episode on the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. And for more figures from French history, listen to our episodes on Josephine Baker, Young Napoleon and Catherine de’Medici.
You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.
Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Emma Bentley
Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: Philip Sellars
SAT 10:30 Rewinder (m002g2md)
Live from Sheffield with Michael Palin
Greg James is back for another trip deep into the BBC Archives, and into the past, as he uses current stories and overlooked anniversaries to guide him to audio gold.
This week, for the first time ever, Rewinder comes to you in front of a live audience at the Crossed Wires Festival in Sheffield, and features a very special star guest....Sir Michael Palin!
Michael helps Greg on his archive quest, uncovering the time Michael was interviewed live on Radio Sheffield in the back of a cab as the taxi dispatch radio kept cutting in. They look back to when floundering Sheffield Wednesday, languishing in the third division, tried to turn things around by bringing in a consultant clairvoyant, and they listen to the worries of ordinary Sheffield residents from 1959 - dogs, buses and students were on one woman's mind.
Michael relives moments from his childhood, as he remembers being terrified by the BBC's early crime and sci-fi dramas like Fabian of the Yard and Quatermass and the Pit. Greg digs out Michael's first ever travel documentary, Confessions of a Trainspotter, which was the programme that led to all of Michael's subsequent travel adventures.
And a trail of letters takes us back to Michael's first ever appearance on the BBC when, aged 21, two sketches he co-wrote and starred in were broadcast on television. But the letters suggest he might never have been paid.
Plus there's Python, cutlery, pork pies and much more...
Producer: Tim Bano
Series archivist: Tariq Hussain
An EcoAudio Certified production
SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002g2mg)
Vicki Young looks back at a tumultuous year in British politics with a panel of political experts: the political editor of the Financial Times, George Parker; Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff and the political editor of GB News and Telegraph columnist, Christopher Hope.
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002g2mj)
Ukraine's war games
Kate Adie introduces stories from Ukraine, Ireland, Mexico, the United States and Italy.
Kill Russian soldiers, win points: a sobering new scheme for Ukrainians soldiers rewards units with new battlefield equipment, each time they eliminate enemy troops. Paul Adams met the government minister behind the scheme, and hears what Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline think of it.
In Ireland, the excavation of the bodies of hundreds of babies and young children got underway this week at an unmarked mass grave in Tuam. Chris Page discovers the decision to exhume the remains has not been entirely well received by locals, as Ireland continues to confront the secrets of its church-run institutions.
A severe drought has been affecting large areas of Northern Mexico and Texas, which has led to growing cross-border tensions over access to water. Will Grant reports from the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua.
Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has taken a much more assertive approach than many expected. Sophie Williams visited a guest house in Queens, New York where she met Chinese asylum seekers worried about what might happen next.
The Summer holiday season is now in full swing, but for holiday-makers with ADHD the pre-travel preparations and airport queues can be overwhelming, says James Innes Smith, who reports from Italy.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002g2ml)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002g2mn)
Mansion House and Council Tax for Terminally Ill
It was a momentous day on Tuesday as the government and regulators announced major changes in the way investments will be sold. What's been proposed and what's the role of the regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, in that?
Inflation rose to 3.6%, this week the highest it has been since January 2024 - what's behind that?
And two of the UK's leading end of life charities have told Money Box people given less than 12 months to live should not have to pay Council Tax before they die. The call from Marie Curie and Hospice UK comes just a few weeks after Manchester City Council became what's believed to be the first local authority in the UK to introduce such a scheme.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner
Researcher: Eimear Devlin
Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast
12pm Saturday 19th July 2025)
SAT 12:30 Dead Ringers (m002fwkm)
Series 26
Episode 6. Super-injunctions, Superheroes, and, er, Diane Abbott
The Dead Ringers team are back to train their vocal firepower on the week’s news with an armoury of impressive impressions.
This week: Super-injunctions, superheroes, Epstein files and, er, Diane Abbott.
Cast: Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Lewis Macleod, Jess Robinson, Duncan Wisbey.
This episode was written by: Nev Fountain & Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Rob Darke, Tom Coles, Toussaint Douglass, Sophie Dickson, Joe Topping, Jon Holmes, Lizzy Mansfield, Rachel E, Thorn, Davina Bentley, Alice Bright, Phoebe Butler, Declan Kennedy
Created by Bill Dare
Producer: Jon Holmes
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
SAT 12:57 Weather (m002g2mq)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News (m002g2ms)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002fwkt)
Reem Ibrahim, Alison McGovern MP, Enver Solomon, Lord Willetts
James Cook presents political debate from Levenshulme Old Library in Manchester, with Reem Ibrahim from the Institute of Economic Affairs; Labour MP and minister for employment, Alison McGovern; the chief executive of the Refugee Council, Enver Solomon; and Conservative peer and former universities minister, Lord Willetts.
Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Nat Stokes
SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002g2mv)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?
SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002fwkp)
Justin and Martyn talk over their newly agreed plan for BL, on the pretext of just having a friendly cup of tea. When Martyn discloses the recent flurry between him and Helen, Justin’s surprised. Martyn claims he was the one who turned Helen down – not his type. Justin thinks it would be unwise for Martyn to accept Jazzer’s invitation to Tracy’s party on the basis that a certain distance from staff needs to be preserved, however well you get on. Martyn isn’t so sure. He’s now free to attend – his only dilemmas are whether or not to keep his arrival as a surprise, and what he should wear.
Jazzer has good news and bad news for Tracy. He’s proposing a mobile sauna for her party, which she thinks is genius – but Martyn is coming along after all. Tracy’s appalled, and declares she’ll go elsewhere on the night.
Neil prises from subdued Susan the story of George and the engagement ring. Neil’s furious. He can’t believe Susan gave in to George’s extortion, and quietly confronts Amber, explaining there’s been a misunderstanding. When Amber stands her ground Neil’s attitude changes. He won’t put up with George and his demands any more. Upset Amber returns the ring and vows to tell George everything Neil’s said about him. Susan’s horrified. The ring was going to be the bridge between them and George. Neil asks her if she really thought that would work. Susan feels it was worth a try – but now the little bridge is broken and she fears it can’t ever be put together again.
SAT 15:00 Castle of the Hawk (m000xzxq)
Castle of the Hawk: Redl
By Mike Walker
Vienna 1913. Colonel Alfred Redl is a double agent. Like the empire, he believes he's unstoppable. A brilliant story manipulator and pioneer in modern surveillance techniques, Redl was almost the perfect spy. By the time the web of lies is complete, both Redl and the Empire will fall. Mike Walker's series about the rise and fall of House Habsburg concludes.
CAST
Colonel Redl - Jonathan Forbes
Marie - Remy Beasley
Steffan - Christopher Elson
Ronge - Alexander Devrient
General Musil - Richard Elfyn
Madame X - Elinor Coleman
Apis - Dino Kelly
Sound Design - Nigel Lewis
Director - John Norton
A BBC Cymru Wales Production
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m002g2mx)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: Helena Bonham Carter, Three-person DNA babies, Claire Waxman, Black Girl Gamers, Louise Candlish
For over 40 years, Helena Bonham Carter has delighted us with roles including Lucy Honeychurch in Room with a View, Princess Margaret in The Crown and Harry Potter's much-loved villain, Bellatrix Lestrange. She joined Nuala McGovern to discuss her latest role in new film, Four Letters of Love, based on the bestselling book of the same name.
Eight babies have been born in the UK using genetic material from three people to prevent devastating and often fatal conditions. The method, pioneered by UK scientists, combines the egg and sperm from a mum and dad with a second egg from a donor woman. The technique has been legal in the UK for a decade but this is the first proof it is leading to children born free of incurable mitochondrial disease, which is normally passed from mother to child. Anita Rani was joined by Kat Kitto who has two daughters, one of whom has mitochondrial disease, and Louise Hyslop, consultant embryologist at the Newcastle Fertility Centre to discuss.
A new report by London’s Victims’ Commissioner, Claire Waxman, says that victims are being forced to quit the criminal justice system in huge numbers amid record court delays and traumatic process. She joined Nuala to explain why they are saying 'there is a near total failure in seeing offenders brought to justice', especially when it comes to female victims of violence.
In the second part of our series about women and gaming, we find out more about the impact gaming can have on women’s lives. Nuala heads to the Virgin Media Gamepad at the O2 to meet some of the women from the Black Girl Gamers community, who have over 10,000 members around the world.
The bestselling author Louise Candlish joined Anita to talk about her latest novel - A Neighbour's Guide to Murder - which explores the practice of sex for rent and a trial by social media.
The American jazz singer Samara Joy has five Grammy awards to her name and is quickly gaining superstar status in the jazz world. She is making her debut at the BBC Proms tonight, where she will be backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, in a special tribute to the Great American Songbook. The Prom will be also be live on Radio 3, on BBC Four and iPlayer.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Annette Wells
Editor: Deiniol Buxton
SAT 17:00 PM (m002g2mz)
Syria's President announces 'immediate ceasefire' in Suweida
We speak to the last US ambassador to serve in Syria. Also, as President Trump announces he will sue the Wall Street Journal, we examine his relationship with Rupert Murdoch.
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002g2n1)
The Friedrich Merz One
The German Chancellor speaks candidly about Trump's attitude to Europe, war on the continent, and the future relationship Britain
Producer: Daniel Kraemer
Researcher: Chloe Desave
Editor: Giles Edwards
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002g2n3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m002g2n5)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002g2n7)
Fighting continues in southern Syria, despite ceasefire agreement.
Sectarian clashes have continued in southern Syria, despite a ceasefire agreement. And, arrests have been made at protests in support of the banned group, Palestine Action.
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002g2n9)
Simon Armitage, Paula Hawkins, Ria Lina, Bill Ryder Jones, Stuart Maconie
Loose Ends is the guest of Durham Brass Festival this week, providing flugelhorns, euphoniums and an enthusiastic audience at the newly refurbished 110 year old Redhills Miners Hall, once known as "the Pitman's Parliament". Far from brassed off to be with him is the poet laureate Simon Armitage who finds exactly the right words to describe the magic of brass music but then admits to never having won a game of Cluedo. Perhaps unsurprisingly the thriller writer Paula Hawkins tells us she was something of a Cluedo ace in her youth but these days sticks to reconnoitring ideas for places to stash bodies for future novels. And there's laughs aplenty from the comedian Ria Lina who sensibly doesn't enter the Cluedo-debate though one suspects her masters in forensic science might give her an edge.
All this with gorgeous music from Bill Ryder Jones with cellist Evelyn Halls and members of the NASUWT Riverside Brass Ensemble.
Presented by Stuart Maconie
Produced by Olive Clancy
SAT 19:00 Profile (m002g2nc)
Cindy Rose
From Disney to Microsoft, via Vodafone and Virgin Media, Cindy Rose has been a top executive at some of the world’s best known companies. Born and raised in the US, one of her early passions was figure skating – a sport she confessed left her covered in bumps and bruises. After qualifying as a lawyer, she later switched to corporate roles, relocating to Europe then London. Her time at Disney included a shift dressed as Mickey Mouse’s loyal hound, Pluto, welcoming guests to the Californian theme park. Now she’s set to become the new CEO of the troubled FTSE ad giant, WPP – where her experience in tech and AI look set to be an asset.
Stephen Smith talks to friends and colleagues to find out how Cindy Rose made it from law to leadership – and the challenges she faces as head of one of the world’s biggest advertising groups.
Presenter: Stephen Smith
Producers: Natasha Fernandes, Alex Loftus, Sally Abrahams
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound Engineer: James Beard
Editor: Bridget Harney
Credits:
Cindy Rose at London Tech Week, 2018
Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, addressing Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing CBS Mornings (2014)
Claudia Winkleman, Liquid News, 24 July 2002
Greenpeace scale Disney offices in London, 2004. Source: Greenpeace.
SAT 19:15 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m002fwpz)
Series 33
Should We Settle in Space? - Tim Peake, Kelly Weinersmith and Alan Davies
Brian Cox and Robin Ince blast off into a cosmic controversy as they ask, should humanity become an interplanetary species? At Harwell Campus, a space science innovation hub, they’re joined by astronaut Tim Peake, biologist and Royal Society prize winning author Kelly Weinersmith, and comedian Alan Davies to explore the science, ethics, and challenges of settling on Mars or on the Moon.
Are we bold pioneers venturing into the unknown, or just reckless tenants abandoning Earth in search of a new abode? Our panel discuss whether space settlement is inevitable in humanity’s near future and how pushing the boundaries of space exploration could make extra-terrestrial travel more accessible to the masses. From sourcing materials, to surviving radiation, and even growing potatoes from poo, they tackle what it really would take to live a life beyond Earth!
Series Producer: Melanie Brown
Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
BBC Studios Audio Production
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002g2nf)
Time, Paper, Bone
Nombulelo Booi last saw her father – anti-apartheid activist James Booi – in 1963. He was dragged into an armoured police vehicle in the early hours of the morning and never seen again. Decades later, Nombulelo works with South Africa’s Missing Persons Task Team to find the remains of her father.
Based on four years of fieldwork by collaborators Bongani Kona and Catherine Boulle, ‘Time, Paper, Bone’ is an intimate portrait of one woman’s lifelong quest for closure, and South Africa’s long reckoning with the injustices of the past.
This story was made possible with the support of The Whickers Radio and Audio Funding Award and The Whickers/Sheffield DocFest Podcast Pitch Award.
With special thanks to:
Nombulelo and Zola Booi
Madeleine Fullard and the Missing Persons Task Team
Professor Nicky Rousseau
Nolubabalo Tongo-Cetywayo and the Robben Island Museum
Jane Ray
Ibby Caputo
Rhulani Maboko and the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa
Erika le Roux and the Western Cape Archives and Records Service
Sipho Rala and the National Library of South Africa's Cape Town campus
Marcus Solomon and Moyisile Douglas Tyutyu
Archival tape courtesy of: the SABC, the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa, Gallo Images, Journeyman Pictures and Villon Films.
Presented by Bongani Kona
Written by Bongani Kona and Catherine Boulle
Translated by Thenjiwe Kona
Music by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder
Produced by Catherine Boulle
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 21:00 Understand (m002g2nh)
Derailed: The Story of HS2 (Omnibus 1)
Kate Lamble investigates the extraordinary inside story of Britain's most ambitious and controversial rail project.
SAT 22:00 News (m002g2nk)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002fwjs)
The New Good Life
The adventures of Barbara and Tom Good in Surbiton brought self-sufficiency to the small screens of the nation. Fifty years on from the airing of that first episode of The Good Life, Leyla Kazim is about to embark on her own sustainable living dream as she seeks to live off the land when she moves from London to Portugal.
So what lessons can she learn from The Goods about food production – whether that’s animal husbandry or growing-your-own? And will she succeed when she can’t even speak the language?
Leyla visits Groundswell, the Regenerative Agriculture Festival, in urgent search of advice. She speaks to Andy Cato from Wildfarmed, Rob Hopkins of the Transition Network and Helen Browning from the Soil Association. She also explores the forest garden of Martin Crawford in Devon as she plans her own food forest.
Produced by Robin Markwell for BBC Audio in Bristol.
Contains clips of The Good Life from Series 1, Episode 1 "Plough Your Own Furrow", Series 1 Episode 2 "Say Little Hen..." and Series 1 Episode 4 "Pig's Lib"
SAT 23:00 Kat Sadler's Screen Time (m002g1hz)
Series 2
3. Never Apologise
Say goodbye industry heartthrob and national treasure Kat Sadler, and say hello to silenced firebrand and provocateur...also called Kat Sadler.
After the minor indiscretion of drinking through a plastic straw, Kat realises the allure and potential riches that await if she 'leans in' to her cancellation. Stoking anger and being a contrarian means likes, baby! Sure, her mental gymnast is working overtime, but she's getting the people going! Are the people her typical audience? No, but who cares? No one has more to say than a silenced martyr, so Kat gives YOU all the tools you need to maximise your online cancellation.
Cast
Kat Sadler - Kat
Alex MacQueen - Alex
Abbie Weinstock - Abbie
Al Roberts - Toby
Lizzie Davidson - Various
Jason Forbes - Various
Written by Kat Sadler and Cameron Loxdale
Production Coordinator - Caroline Barlow
Executive Producer - Pete Strauss
Sound Design - Rich Evans
Recorded by Neil Goody at Premises Studios
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.
SAT 23:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002fv51)
Programme 10 - The South of England vs Scotland
(10/12)
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 tenth contest features the second meeting of The South of England vs Scotland.
You can follow the questions in each edition on the Round Britain Quiz webpages. Each week's questions will be posted on the day before the Sunday transmission.
Teams:
Paul Sinha and Marcus Berkmann - The South of England
Alan McCredie and Val McDermid - Scotland
Questions in today's edition:
Q1 (from Paul Tavatgis) A negotiator at Brest-Litovsk, one of the world's greatest forgers, a Roman fiddler, an Iberian squire, and a pioneer of free speech in comedy, all share a mention in a musical obituary. Who are they and who immortalised them to music
Q2 (from Patrick Haigh) Why should our listeners be careful not to confuse…
A Scottish racecourse
A director of the National Theatre
A circuit travelled by an itinerant mediaeval judge
A Yorkshire river
A song-like composition
Q3 (from Phil Ware) Music: The question you have to ponder is: What would Henry Croft do with them?
Q4 (from Peter Geddes) Initially, why would - Prince’s backing group, a unit of fuel efficiency, Dungeons and Dragons, a common image file, and something that tells you what you’re watching on the telly - all be grateful for a cup of tea?
Q5 (from Andy Pearson) It’s not a recipe although you do…
Start with a standard egg.
Take it to Nottingham and meet Agamemnon and Menelaus outside a Council House.
Next, sing a song that first became a hit in 1996 and finally came true in 2022.
Then watch a dark British comedy film about terrorism.
How many of what should you be looking for next?
Q6 Music: Listen to these clips and see if you can work out why these would remind us of a poem by Walter de la Mare?
Q7 (from Alan Mortiboys) In what context would Harry from Guys and Dolls come in last place behind - U2’s first album, a famous British art historian with a secret and Field Marshal Rommel?
Q8 If this emblem of unity contains envy, grief, purity, wealth, passion and calm, over which transformed land does it flutter? And if you add two more, how might this bring you into the Crucible?
TEASER QUESTION
What links Jerry Seinfeld, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Barry, Robin and Maurice, and the proud emblem of Manchester?
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.
SUNDAY 20 JULY 2025
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002g2nm)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m002fv4z)
Colm Tóibín
Presented by James Crawford, Take Four Books, speaks to the Irish writer Colm Tóibín about his latest novel - Long Island - and explores its connections to three other literary works. Long Island, now out in paperback, is the sequel to the best-selling novel Brooklyn, and we're back with Eilis Lacey. It's the spring of 1976 and one day, when her husband Tony is at work, an Irishman comes to the door asking for Eilis by name. What this man tells Eilis changes her life. And so begins Long Island which sees Eilis return to her homeland after decades abroad.
For his three influences Colm chose: The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy (1886); Victory by Joseph Conrad (1915); and The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (1920). The supporting contributor for this episode is award-winning novelist and short story writer Jan Carson.
Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production for Radio 4.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002g2np)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002g2nr)
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 (m002g2nt)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002g2nw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002g2ny)
St Mary’s Church in Chirk in North Wales
Bells on Sunday comes from St Mary’s Church in Chirk in North Wales. Some parts of the church are thought to date back to Norman times. The North Aisle and Tower were completed in 1519. There are six bells all cast by John Rudhall of Gloucester in 1814. The Tenor weighs seven and a one quarter hundredweight and is tuned to the note of A flat. These bells are currently being restored and will be augmented to a ring of eight by the addition of two new treble bells. We hear them ringing Grandsire Doubles
SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002fvl7)
Visible Voices; Blind Beauty; Live Audio Description for the Euros
It can often feel as though blind and partially sighted people, and disabled people more generally, are excluded when it comes to fashion and beauty campaigns. But In Touch hears from women who are trying to switch up the narrative and showcase that blind and partially sighted people, and disabled people generally, are active participants and consumers of these industries. Bérénice Magistretti is a co-founder of a new platform 'Visible Voices', that showcases work from disabled voices and encourages disabled people to be more visible. Hazal Baybasin is the founder of Blind Beauty, a beauty brand providing products but with accessibility at its heart.
In Touch also hears from ITV's director of accessibility, David Padmore about why and how the organisation is providing live audio description for the Women's Euros championship.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Liz Poole
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 (m002g331)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Thinking Allowed (m002fvkv)
Dogs
DOGS – Laurie Taylor explores the making of the modern companion animal, from working animals to pampered pets. Chris Pearson, Professor of Environmental History at the University of Liverpool, charts the changing fortunes of hunting dogs, street dogs and show dogs, as they moved from the rural to the urban, shedding utilitarian roles to become cherished family members. Also, Mariam Motamedi Fraser, Honorary Research Fellow at University College, London, asks if dogs belong with humans and the natural bond is less natural than we assume.
Producer: Jayne Egerton
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002g333)
Planting Hope in the Uplands
In a quiet valley on the west side of the Yorkshire Dales, new forms of cultivation are taking root. Kingsdale Head sits up one of the great limestone valleys on the west side of the Dales. Surrounded by upland slopes and peatlands, this has traditionally an area of sheep farming. Five years ago, Tim Yetman and Catherine Bryan took the farm on with a long-term environmental vision. Along with their Conservation and Farm Manager Jamie McEwan, they are finding ways to encourage biodiversity and regenerate the land.
Rose Ferraby joins the team from Kingsdale Head along with Pete Leeson from the Woodland Trust, and Beth Thomas from the Yorkshire Peatland Partnership to find out more about the plants taking root in this landscape. Together they look at the tiny sphagnum mosses that are key to functioning peatlands, and the trees and shrubs that are building back diversity on these slopes.
Presented and produced by Rose Ferraby
SUN 06:57 Weather (m002g335)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002g337)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002g339)
Syria; Gaza Christians; 'Monkey Trial'
Syria is facing perhaps its gravest crisis since the fall of the Assad regime last December. It began with sectarian clashes between Druze and Bedouins in the southern province of Sweida. Hundreds of people are reported to have been killed since sectarian clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes erupted in the province on Sunday. The Druze religion is an offshoot of Shia Islam with its own unique identity and beliefs. In addition to Syria, there are sizeable communities of Druze in Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the occupied Golan Heights. Edward Stourton speaks to Dr Omar Imady, Senior Fellow, Centre for Syrian studies.
Roman Catholic Cardinal Pizzaballa and the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem have been visiting the Christian communities in Gaza and delivering 500 tons of aid after the Church of the Holy Family was hit by an Israeli Strike. Two women aged 84 and 69 were killed along with the 60-year-old janitor of the church. Nine others were injured including the parish priest Fr Gabriel Romanelli. The office of the Israeli PM issued a statement saying it regrets that stray munition hit the church and that it is committed to protecting civilians and holy sites. Sunday hears from Anton Asfar of the Catholic relief agency Caritas - he's based in Bethlehem but works closely with the Holy Family parish as well as Cardinal Vincent Nichols.
One hundred years ago, the trial of John T Scopes began, where a US high school teacher was charged by the state of Tennessee for teaching the theories of evolution. Nick Spencer, is senior fellow at the Christian think tank Theos. He joined the commemorative events, and, speaking from Dayton Tennessee, he told Edward Stourton why the trial attracted so much attention.
Presenter: Edward Stourton
Producers: Bara'atu Ibrahim & Catherine Murray
Production Coordinator: Liz Poole
Studio Managers: Jack Morris & Olivia Miceli
Editor: Tim Pemberton
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002g33c)
Newlife
Paralympian Hannah Cockroft CBE presents the Radio 4 appeal on behalf of Newlife. The charity provides specialist equipment, including wheelchairs, to children with disabilities from across the UK.
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 ‘Newlife’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Newlife’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
Registered Charity Number: 1170125. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://newlifecharity.co.uk
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites
Producer: Katy Takatsuki
SUN 07:57 Weather (m002g33f)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002g33h)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002g33k)
Christ Church, Oxford
A service marking the 500th Anniversary of the foundation of Cardinal College by Thomas Wolsey, which was later re-established as ‘Christ Church’ by Henry VIII. The service is led by the Precentor, the Reverend Philippa White, and the preacher is the Dean, The Very Reverend Professor Sarah Foot. The service includes music by William Walton who was a chorister and undergraduate at Christ Church, along with the hymns 'Christ whose glory fills the skies' and 'Love divine', the words of which were written by another former Christ Church undergraduate, Charles Wesley.
Director of Music: Peter Holder; Sub-Organist: Richard Moore.
Producer: Ben Collingwood.
SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct5yl8)
'I wrote Schindler's List'
In 1980, Australian author Thomas Keneally stumbled across the story of Oskar Schindler while buying a briefcase in Beverly Hills, in the USA.
The owner of the shop, a Polish Jew called Leopold Pfefferberg, told Thomas that a Nazi party member had saved him, his wife and many others from the Holocaust, by employing them in his enamel factory.
Thomas tells Rachel Naylor why Oskar was such a compelling subject, full of contradictions, and why he believes his book has lasting appeal.
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: Thomas Keneally at his home in Bilgola Beach, Australia, in 1981. Credit: Martin James Brannan/Fairfax Media via Getty Images)
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002g33m)
Anita Sethi on the Turtle Dove
The largest northern UK population of turtle doves can be found in the North York Moors National Park, where writer Anita Sethi will often walk the landscape, looking out for these beautiful and increasingly rare birds. Turtle doves are the UK's fastest declining bird species according to the Wildlife Trusts.
Smaller than the collared dove, with mottled chestnut and black wings and a recognisable purring call, turtle doves are Europe's only long-distance migratory dove, spending a third of the year on breeding grounds in Europe and the winter in sub-Saharan West Africa - a journey of up to 3,000 miles each way. They're also a famous symbol of love and devotion, appearing in music, literature and art through the ages - perhaps most famously in the "12 Days of Christmas" carol.
Presented by Anita Sethi and produced by Jo Peacey. A BBC Audio Bristol production.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002g33p)
Should school summer holidays be shorter?
We debate the pros and cons of the long school summer holidays. Lyse Doucet explains the recent violence in Syria. Plus, the writers Lee and Andrew Child sit down with Paddy at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival.
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002g33r)
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Gustavo Dudamel is a Venezuelan conductor, violinist and composer. He is known for bringing humour and joy to the podium. He is currently director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra and in 2026 will take up the post of music director of the New York Philharmonic, following in the footsteps of Gustav Mahler and Leonard Bernstein.
Gustavo was born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela in 1981, the son of a trombonist who played in a salsa band, and his mother who was a singing teacher. Growing up in a musical household, young Gustavo used to gather his toys together and put them on the floor in the shape of an orchestra, put a record on and conduct.
His parents enrolled five year old Gustavo in the El Sistema music programme and he learned the violin. After showing a flair for conducting he eventually became the conductor of the Venezuelan National Youth Orchestra.
After winning the Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in Germany in 2004, his talent was spotted on a global stage. He was appointed the director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2008.
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Sarah Taylor
SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002g33v)
Writer Nick Warburton
Director: Helen Aitken and Kim Greengrass
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Kenton Archer…. Richard Attlee
Neil Carter…. Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter…. Charlotte Martin
Justin Elliott…. Simon Williams
Mick Fadmoor…. Martin Barrass
Martyn Gibson…. Jon Glover
Amber Gordon…. Charlotte Jordan
George Grundy…. Angus Stobie
Emma Grundy…. Emerald O’Hanrahan
Tracy Horrobin…. Susie Riddell
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Akram Malik…. Asif Khan
Azra Malik… Yasmin Wilde
Jazzer McCreary…. Ryan Kelly
Lynda Snell…. Carole Boyd
Oliver Sterling…. Michael Cochrane
Chaplain…. Jason Barnett
SUN 12:15 Profile (m002g2nc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m002fv8s)
Series 83
2. Marching Time
Radio 4's multi award-winning ‘antidote to panel games’ promises yet more quality, desk-based entertainment for all the family.
This week the programme pays a return visit to The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester where Rory Bremner and Gary Delaney are pitched against Tony Hawks and Pippa Evans, with Jack Dee in the role of reluctant chairman.
Regular listeners will know to expect inspired nonsense, pointless revelry and Colin Sell at the piano.
Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 12:57 Weather (m002g33z)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002g343)
A picture of life in Gaza
After reports of more deaths from Israeli fire overnight, we hear accounts of what life is like in Gaza - provided by people there.
SUN 13:30 Currently (m002g347)
The Dark Enlightenment
Is a radical political philosophy guiding the actions of the Trump administration?
Curtis Yarvin is suddenly all over American media. A computer engineer turned political blogger, he's known for writing long screeds that advocate for a radical reform of governance - dismissing America's democratic values and instead calling for the return of an absolute monarchy.
For years, these ideas were buried in the blogosphere, but they began to gain traction after Donald Trump was first elected to the White House. With Mr Trump back in the oval office, some observers think this once niche school of thought is what's inspiring some of the president's more controversial policies - from Elon Musk's DOGE to attacks on elite institutions like Harvard University to the widespread dismantling of DEI programmes.
How did Curtis Yarvin's ideas become so influential - and how important is he, really?
ARCHIVE:
Triggernometry podcast, The Case Against Democracy, Youtube, July 23 2023.
Hermitix Podcast, Gray Mirror of the Nihilist Prince with Curtis Yarvin, Youtube, June 19 2020
Marc Andreessen on his Techno-Optimist Manifesto / YouTube, Start Up Archive / Jan 20 2025
Presenter: Mike Wendling
Producer: Lucy Proctor
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Mix: James Beard
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002fwk9)
South Staffordshire
Why have my magnolia leaves turned brown? How do I care for a tamarisk? Why is growing poppies so difficult?
Kathy Clugston and the panel are in South Staffordshire offering their top gardening tips. Joining Kathy to share their best horticultural advice is plantswoman Christine Walkden, RHS Bridgewater curator, Marcus Chilton-Jones and gardener Matthew Biggs.
Meanwhile James Wong visits the Carbon Garden at Kew Gardens to learn about the importance of carbon in our ecosystem, low emission gardening and carbon-resilient trees.
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 14:45 Why Do We Do That? (m00290dv)
Series 2
9. Why do we go to the pub?
Humans have evolved to drink alcohol, or at least to be able to metabolise it. And we share this ability with our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees and gorillas, who are also able to convert alcohol into sugar.
It gave our ancestors an advantage because we could eat rotting fruit from the forest floor and convert the alcohol into sugars, providing a source of nutrients that not all species could digest. This is also known as the drunken monkey hypothesis. But paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi asks Professor Robin Dunbar if alcohol is why we go to the pub today.
SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002g34c)
Quartered Safe Out Here
Quartered Safe Out Here by George MacDonald Fraser, dramatised by Robin Brooks.
A gripping, and vivid dramatisation of George MacDonald Fraser's account of his time with the 14th army in Burma, fighting Japan in 1945.
George MacDonald Fraser’s account of fighting in the Burma Campaign of 1945 is widely accepted as one of the best war-memoirs ever written, by turns hilarious, exciting, and moving.
As he records the words and reactions of his comrades, he gives us the ideal lens through which to view the momentous events of the period, while taking us right back into the jungles and paddy-fields, the patrols, air-drops, long marches and savage encounters with the enemy.
MacDonald Fraser went on to have a very successful career as a screenwriter and novelist, becoming the author of the best-selling Flashman novels, and he brings these dramatic talents to bear on the vividly drawn characters of his Section, and the wild variety of events they experience, from high comedy to the darkest tragedy.
He shows us the key events and themes of this critical period from the point of view of the foot-soldier in a bitterly-fought campaign. Quartered Safe Out Here is an authentic record of the last throes of World War Two.
GEORGE . . . . . Nicholas Nunn
HUTTON . . . . . James Atherton
GRANDARSE . . . . . Oliver Huntingdon
FORSTER . . . . . Charlie Archer
NIXON . . . . . Daniel Rainford
DUKE . . . . . James Anthony-Rose
PARKER . . . . . Ben Elder
LONG JOHN . . . . . Theo Fraser Steele
JENKINS. . . . . Richard Bates
Adapted by Robin Brooks
Directed and Produced by Fiona McAlpine
Sound Design Alisdair McGregor
Additional Sound by Markus Andreas
Broadcast Assistant Hermione Sylvester
Picture credit: George MacDonald Fraser in uniform, 1945 - courtesy of Nicholas Fraser.
SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m002g34h)
Gurnaik Johal
Take Four Books speaks to writer Gurnaik Johal about his debut novel ‘Saraswati’, a tale about a holy river that appears to resurface in modern-day India. The story begins with Satnam, a man living in Wolverhampton, whose life becomes entangled in the unfolding events. His journey leads him to discover six distant relatives scattered across the world, all drawn together in a rapidly changing India.
‘Saraswati’ was shortlisted for this year’s Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. The three books that influenced Gurnaik’s novel are: The Great Derangement by Amitav Ghosh; Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad; and Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz.
The supporting contributor is multi-award-winning writer, Professor of World Literature and Creative Writing at Newcastle University, and BBC New Generation Thinker, Preti Taneja.
Producer: Rachael O’Neill
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 16:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002g34m)
Programme 11 - The North of England v Northern Ireland
(11/12)
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 eleventh contest features the second meeting of The North of England and Northern Ireland.
Teams:
Jenny Ryan & Stewart Maconie
Paddy Duffy & Freya McClements
Questions in today's edition:
Q1 (from Duncan Jones)
On which day of the week in Yorkshire might you encounter:
A Danish queen in Cheshire
A Scottish duke in Devon
An 19th century American explorer in Lancashire
And Some professors in Bedfordshire
Q2
Why would a Boston poet with a love of nature, a Hollywood actress with a peek-a-boo hairstyle, and a bespectacled Cold War spy all be wandering through an art gallery together?
Q3 Music: Which author might these four have cause to fear?
Q4 (from Thisbe Archer)
Where would you find together….
A British surgeon and pioneer of aseptic surgery
An admirable film of 1957
Yusuf Islam
Perhaps the greatest goalkeeper in Aston Villa’s history
And a rock and roll pioneer from Lubbock, Texas?
Q5 (from Mark White)
How are…
The name of ‘The Millers’ stadium in Rotherham.
A Klondike chronicler
A hotel heiress (with a Kapital moniker)
And Harry Kane’z new home
…all connected, in this order, by a single letter in 1979?
Q6 Music: what is the crowning achievement of these pieces of music?
Q7 (from Ivan Whetton)
Following a short, repeated sequence of notes - why would the introduction of:
The Scot associated with Baker Street
The man who gave his name to the stinking corpse lily, or the painter of the Sistine Madonna,
lower the tone for Brad and Janet?
Q8
Why might these actors have been in a flap over missing out on a classic film?
Polanski’s Macbeth, the on-screen husband of Mrs. Bucket, the Mission: Impossible master of disguise who starred alongside his wife in Space: 1999, and the Ice Cold in Alex star who played Thomas Wolsey?
TEASER QUESTION:
What links:
Capability Brown
Henry VIII’s older brother
The Rolls Royce engine from the Spitfire
Asteroid 2054
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 (w3ct3c6j)
The Killing of Jean Charles de Menezes
On 22 July 2005, an unarmed Brazilian man was shot dead by anti-terrorism police at Stockwell Tube station, in London.
Jean Charles de Menezes was shot seven times in the head because he was mistaken for a terror suspect.
The killing made headlines all over the world and his family demanded justice.
Matt Pintus spoke to Jean Charles’s cousin and best friend, Patricia da Silva, in 2022.
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.
(Photo: Patricia da Silva in front of mural of Jean Charles de Menezes. Credit: Getty Images)
SUN 17:10 Behind the Crime (m0029zd0)
Richard
*Richard grew up with a strong sense that he had to work extra hard to achieve what his peers were achieving, following his dyslexia diagnosis at school.
This drive grew and grew as he entered adulthood, with a powerful inner critical voice constantly nagging whenever he felt he was failing.
A career in the armed forces was followed by a successful period in the police. But at the same time, his personal life was spiralling out of control. Then Richard took a series of disastrous decisions that led to harm, upset and imprisonment.
Dr Sally Tilt and Dr Kerensa Hocken are forensic psychologists who work in prisons. Their job is to help people in prison understand the harm they’ve caused, identify why it happened and work out how to make changes to prevent further harm after they’ve been released.
In Behind the Crime, they take the time to understand the life of someone whose crimes have led to harm and prison.
Through this extended interview with Richard, we follow the threads from early childhood through to the events that tore his life apart – and that of those around him.
*Richard is not his real name.
If you’ve been a victim of crime details of organisations offering information and support are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Producer: Andrew Wilkie
Editor: Clare Fordham
Behind the Crime is a co-production between BBC Long Form Audio and the Prison Radio Association.
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002g34t)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m002g34y)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002g353)
Government says water regulator is failing
The Government says the water industry regulator Ofwat is failing.
Health authorities in Gaza say 67 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire waiting for a UN aid.
At the Open, the world's number one golfer Scottie Scheffler is on course for victory.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002g359)
Freya McClements
This week, it’s 40 years since Live Aid - we revisit the report that sparked it, and hear a wonderful poetic construction built on the songs from it. The Patch’s Polly Weston delivers us a new perspective on the multi-drop parcel courier industry and its human impact - no need to wait on it, though. Plus, we weave through the magic of the natural world with the help of sound, with barn owls, barnacled statues and the aurora borealis.
Presenter: Freya McClements
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Coordinator: Caroline Peddle
With additional recorded material from Phil Booth.
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002g35h)
At The Bull Tracy and Jolene agree that George overstepped the mark asking for Ivy’s ring to give to Amber. Kenton wants to send Mick home from his unpaid duties as security guard, worried they’re overreacting to what happened with their cat Tortoise. But Tracy and Jolene reckon they should continue taking precautions. Kenton and Jolene look forward to providing cocktails for Tracy’s party on Wednesday, though Tracy insists she’s still not going.
Pip and Stella talk about farming matters and Rosie’s birthday party before heading to The Bull for lunch. Annabelle Schrivener keeps texting Stella, while Justin is avoiding answering Stella’s emails about the renewal of Home Farm’s contract with BL. Stella’s still hoping that the BL Board will persuade Justin to change his mind over taking the Estate land out of food production. Pip surprises Stella by asking if it’s okay for Rosie to call her ‘mum’, before they’re distracted by noisy motor bikes in the car park.
Jolene, Tracy and Kenton rush outside, joined by Pip and Stella, but the bikes have already roared off. Jolene discovers Kenton’s car has been badly scratched with a key, but thanks to Mick chasing the bikers off, other cars in the car park haven’t been damaged. Back inside Kenton downplays the incident, before Jolene tells him their CCTV cameras have all been smashed. Later Kenton orders some new ones, but still doesn’t want to make too much of the incident. Jolene though thinks it’s too much of a coincidence, after Kenton ID’d a member of Markie’s gang, insisting they keep Mick on as security.
SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002g35p)
Target Girls
“There are so many things you can’t see coming. You can’t see death. You can’t see Mount Vesuvius erupting. The carpet could be pulled out from under you at any second. But I’ll see a knife coming if it’s going to hit me.”
Target Girls are the female performers in “impalement arts'', where knives, arrows and even bullets are propelled at humans. Prepare for a full body immersion in this extreme profession, as we pull back the curtain on the hidden world behind the target girl’s silent, singular image.
Your ringleader for this event is world-famous target Ula The Painproof Rubbergirl!
Also starring!! Yana Hanson, Annabelle Holland and Amanda Jane ...
With a special guest appearance from The Great Throwdini!
Producer: Jude Shapiro
Executive Producer: Jack Howson
Sound Designer: Louis Blatherwick
A Peanut & Crumb production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001gx56)
Swap Out Sugar
Cutting back on free sugars can not only do wonders for your waistline and your oral hygiene, surprising research shows it could also improve your memory and help your brain. But it can be hard to resist those sugar cravings! In this episode, Michael Mosley is joined by Dr Evelyn Medawar, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, who has been studying the effects of our gut microbiome on our eating preferences, and reveals a potential tip to help crack sugar cravings. The secret lies in dietary fibre, like that found in fruit. So, trade your sweet treats for fruit and learn how this healthy switch can transform your brain, biome and your life.
SUN 20:00 Feedback (m002fwqm)
The Language of Weather Forecasting, Radio 3 Controller Sam Jackson, and Women's Euro 2025 VoxBox
Listeners have been turning to weather bulletins over the last few weeks to find out if the forecast is going to be full of blazing sunshine or torrential rain. But should weather forecasters reflect widespread concerns about climate change in their reports? Lead BBC Weather Presenter and Meteorologist Simon King joins Andrea Catherwood to explain.
BBC Radio 3 controller Sam Jackson returns to answer more listener questions about BBC Radio's home of classical music, following a surge in listener numbers and a 'Station of Year' ARIA Gold award.
And two listeners, Sion and Ella, arrive in our VoxBox to give their thoughts on BBC Radio's build-up to the European Women's Championship 2025 and the coverage of England's first match against France.
Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Pauline Moore
Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002fwkf)
Sir Ian Blair, Jennie Street, Dr Anna Ornstein, Muhammadu Buhari
Matthew Bannister on
Lord Blair the former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
Jennie Street who helped to rehabilitate people on her suburban farm.
Dr Anna Ornstein, a psychoanalyst and survivor of the Holocaust.
Muhammudu Buhari, the former President of Nigeria.
Interviewee: Sean O’Neill
Interviewee: Anita Ollerenshaw
Interviewee: Dr Sharone Ornstein
Interviewee: Mayeni Jones
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive used:
BBC Radio 4, 31/12/1983; BBC News, 05/01/1984; Newshour Extra, BBC, 03/04/2015; HardTalk, BBC, 21/01/2004; BBC News Africa, 26/02/2015; Library Hour: Lecture by Dr. Anna Ornstein, Chelmsford Telemedia, 11/02/2018; The Ian Blair Years, BBC, 15/06/2005; London Tube and Bus Bombings, BBC, 07/2005; BBC Look North: Jennie Street, 31/01/2014; Cavalcade, Glen Michael, STV
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002g2mn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002g33c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002g2mj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:30 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002g35y)
Ben Wright assesses the political landscape at the end of term in Parliament
Ben Wright's guests are the Labour MP Catherine Atkinson, Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Andrew Griffith, and Liberal Democrat Energy and Net Zero spokesperson, Pippa Heylings. They discuss the state of the water industry ahead of the publication of the Cunliffe report, and assess the general political scene as Parliament goes into its summer recess. The programme also includes an interview with the Reform UK leader of Kent County Council, Linden Kemkaran, about her plans for efficiency savings. James Heale - deputy political editor of The Spectator - brings additional insight and analysis.
SUN 23:00 Artworks (m002fwps)
New York 1925
2. Spring
In 1925 New York became the biggest, most populous city in the world, overtaking London, and was the launchpad for an extraordinary range of writing, music, culture and politics which still resonate 100 years later - from the publication of F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and the launch of The New Yorker, to the rise of the Harlem Renaissance and the first success for the composer Richard Rodgers.
This is the story of that momentous year, season by season, told over four episodes, with contributors including novelist Jay McInerney, the academic Margo Jefferson and the editor of the New Yorker David Remnick. The series is presented by the saxophonist and broadcaster Soweto Kinch, with an original sound track played by the composer and clarinettist Giacomo Smith and his band
Episode 2 Spring
In April F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was published, but the novel that is now considered a masterpiece, fell flat in 1925. The New Yorker magazine was also struggling and was nearly derailed by a bad night at the poker table. But there was better news for Richard Rodgers, who went on to compose Oklahoma and The Sound of Music. Rodgers, alongside the lyricist Larry Hart got their big break, with Manhattan.
In May 1925 a small branch library in Harlem opened a new division to cater to the tastes and aspirations of the neighbourhood’s predominantly black population. The library would become the focal point for the Harlem Renaissance.
And the celebrity politician, Jimmy Walker, was lined up against the current mayor of New York for the Democratic nomination.
Presenter Soweto Kinch
Producer Katy Hickman
Band Giacomo Smith clarinet; Laura Judd trumpet; Daniel Higham trombone; Alexander Boulton banjo; Joe Webb piano; Corrie Dick drums; Soweto Kinch saxophone
SUN 23:30 The History Podcast (m0024bfz)
The Lucan Obsession
2. Death In Belgravia
What really happened on the night of 7th November 1974 when Sandra Rivett was murdered?
Young reporter Bob Strange sneaked into the hallway at the Lucan’s house in Belgravia. The police burst in trampling through the crime scene.
The evidence of the Lucan case is murky. There are many versions that contradict themselves. Lord Lucan says something entirely different happened.
Who should we believe? And how do the mysteries surrounding that night, drive our obsession with this case?
Producer: Sarah Bowen
SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002fwkc)
Stock Image
A photographer is blinded by the flash of Virginia Woolf's genius. A new story by David Baddiel about modernism, casual antisemitism, and the first ever celebrity selfie.
Read by Elliot Levey with Rebecca Front
Producer: David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4
MONDAY 21 JULY 2025
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002g364)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 00:15 Artworks (m002fvkx)
Rocking the Recorder
Susan Calman celebrates one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented music instruments of all time - the recorder.
For many people, the mere mention of this instrument triggers visceral memories of blasting out Hot Cross Buns in primary school music class - but Susan argues, in the right hands, the recorder isn’t squeaky and shrill, but a beautiful and incredibly versatile instrument.
Susan looks back fondly on those early years of recorder playing and leads the charge to champion this often maligned musical underdog. She opens our eyes (and ears) to the exciting world of recorder music - from experimental medieval, to baroque, and contemporary music.
Featuring The Recorder Rescue Orchestra in Bristol led by artist Jo Hellier; musician and composer Laura Cannell; art pop group Mermaid Chunky; electronic composer Gazelle Twin; musician and producer Peter-John Vettese; Sarah Martin from Belle & Sebastian; musician and researcher Fatima Lahham; Ian Wilson, principal recorder professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama; and recorder professor Sarah Jeffery from the Royal College of Music.
Together, they make the case for the recorder as a surprisingly versatile instrument that can be used in all genres of music - and yes it can really rock.
Producer: Victoria Ferran
Executive producer: Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002g2ny)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002g36b)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002g36j)
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 (m002g36p)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002g36t)
Alicia McCarthy reports as peers discuss the state of the UK's defences.
MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002g36y)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002g372)
The Two Arrows
A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Steve Taylor.
Good Morning.
Once I was ill, with a virus, and felt thoroughly miserable. I was thinking about all the things I wanted to do but couldn’t, all the appointments and deadlines I was missing, all the people I was letting down.
However, at a certain point, it occurred to me that all my worrying was pointless. I was ill. It wasn’t my fault. I couldn’t do anything about it. So I decided to let go of my worries. I accepted the situation, and allowed myself to rest. I felt calm, even contented, and soon began to recover.
The Buddha beautifully illustrated this type of situation, with his teaching of the two arrows. The first arrow, he said, is the suffering that we inevitably experience as human beings, including illness and pain. The second arrow, is our resistance to our suffering, including negative thoughts, judgments, and hostility towards others. When negative events occur, we may worry about the future, complain about other people who may have caused the events, chastise ourselves for our mistakes, and feel envious of those who have avoided misfortune. According to the Buddha, the second arrow of mental suffering is completely unnecessary. Simply by accepting our predicament, we can free ourselves from mental pain.
So today, if I find myself in a negative predicament that I can’t change – illness, a traffic jam, a long queue, a chore that there is no choice but to do – I’ll try not to add negative thoughts to the situation. In the wise words of The Beatles, I will Let It Be. I might even find that the situation ceases to be negative, and becomes neutral or even pleasant.
Blessings.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002g375)
The final report into the devastating mass deaths of shellfish along the north east coast says the incident was 'catastrophic' to the industry. We speak to one of the fishers affected.
Throughout this week we're going to be looking at into health, mental health and wellbeing in rural Britain. Today we go to the Peak District to meet a group of women farmers who've set up their own support group.
And new rules come in tomorrow allowing poultry farmers to legally pick up birds under a certain weight by their two legs when catching them. Not everyone's happy.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Sally Challoner.
MON 05:57 Weather (m002g379)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers
MON 06:00 Today (m002g354)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Marianna in Conspiracyland (m002fmjc)
Marianna in Conspiracyland 2
4. The Archaeologists
Are we equipped to deal with a rising tide of misinformation? The BBC’s social media investigations correspondent Marianna Spring investigates how safeguarding procedures work and how social services and hospitals are trying to deal with the mainstreaming of medical misinformation. She speaks to a social worker who says it’s time for the law to be reviewed in England and finds out more about what happened to Paloma in the months after she left hospital. Were there missed opportunities to help her?
Host: Marianna Spring
Producer: Anna Harris
Story Editor: Matt Willis
Sound Engineer: Tony Churnside
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Editor: Sam Bonham
Commissioning producer: Nathan Jones
Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts
This was a BBC collaboration with Panorama. Watch Cancer Conspiracy Theories on iPlayer now.
MON 09:30 Fool's Gold (p0l1wg1m)
4. The Two Emperors
The net tightens as police arrest George and Layton and search their homes. But when the missing treasure is nowhere to be found, investigators start to wonder: is the hoard even real?
Meanwhile deleted photos offer a new lead.
Narrator: Aimee-Ffion Edwards
Contributors: Tim Hoverd, Nigel Cleeton, Peter Reavill, Simon Wicks, Gareth Thomas, Dr Gareth Williams, Kevin Hegarty KC
Sound Design: Peregrine Andrews
Production Co-ordinator: Dan Marchini
Associate Producer: David James Smith
Producer: Aron Keller
Exec Producer: James Robinson
A BBC Studios Audio Production
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002g35d)
Water industry review, Actor Harriet Webb, Author Molly Jong-Fast
The state of the UK’s water sector is barely out of the headlines at the moment and today a major review into the water industry in England and Wales said the regulator Ofwat should be scrapped. Sir Jon Cunliffe, who led the review, also warned that household bills will rise by 30% over the next five years. Nuala McGovern is joined by Esme Stallard, the BBC's climate and science reporter, and by two women campaigning for clean water on a local and a national level - Jo Robb, member of the Henley Mermaids wild swimming group and District Councillor for the Green Party in South Oxfordshire, and Erica Popplewell, Head of Communities at River Action, a UK-wide environmental campaign group.
Harriet Webb is best known for her roles in Channel 4’s Bafta-winning series Big Boys, and Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You. She is back on our screens this week playing Kirsty in series two of the Bafta-winning Sky Original Mr Bigstuff, starring alongside Danny Dyer and the show’s creator Ryan Sampson. She joins Nuala to discuss why comedy can be the best place to discuss difficult issues like grief, trauma and, even, erectile dysfunction.
In a new report, the community interest company Five Times More illustrate how black women in the UK continue to face disproportionately high risks during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period. Despite a growing body of research and increasing policy attention, the gap in outcomes between black and white women shows little sign of closing. Tinuke, the co-founder of Five Times More, explains what changes they had found since their first report three years ago and what still needs to happen.
Molly Jong-Fast is an author and special correspondent for Vanity Fair. She is also the only child of Erica Jong, author of the 1970s feminist autobiographical novel - Fear of Flying. A sensual exploration of female sexual desire, it catapulted Erica to international fame. Molly has written a memoir, How to Lose Your Mother, and she talks to Nuala about growing up in the spotlight, their intense mother-daughter relationship and her mother’s heartbreaking descent into dementia.
Economic abuse is at “national emergency” levels yet more than half of UK women don’t know anything about it - with a third only knowing ‘a little’ - this is according to a new report published today by the charity Surviving Economic Abuse. Sam Smethers, CEO of SEA, joins Nuala to explain the types of economic abuse they have uncovered, the implications of their findings and what they want the government to do.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Emma Pearce
MON 11:00 State of Terror (m002g35l)
Reckoning
State of Terror reveals the true story of how Britain was shaken by the 7/7 bombings twenty years ago, and how counter-terror policy has changed ever since to deal with new threats and shocking new methods of terrorism.
Presenter Dominic Casciani goes behind the scenes with those responsible for protecting us – from Prime Ministers to leaders of the UK’s security services, and those working with violent extremists to de-radicalise them.
In this final episode of the series, Dominic reveals the inside story of how Britain's leaders and security forces managed in 2017, the most deadly year for acts of terror in the UK since 2005. He examines how the nature of the threat has diversified and spread; and he discovers how today's Government intend to reckon with a very different kind of terrorism, compared to twenty years ago.
Presenter: Dominic Casciani
Producer: Jonathan Brunert
MON 11:45 Wolf Moon: A Woman's Journey into the Night by Arifa Akbar (m002g35s)
Episode 1 - Zero Hour
Wolf Moon is an elegant exploration of the night, which considers how the darkness is understood as a time for nightmares and fear, especially for women. The reader is Manjinder Virk.
In her new book, Arifa Akbar looks at the fearfulness invoked by murderous predators like the nineteenth century's Ripper, and of what it means to be a homeless woman when night falls. Yet, she reminds us that the night is also full of beauty and possibility. It's a time for joy and for fun, and so she takes us to London's Theatreland and to a hedonistic nightclub in Berlin, by contrast, she invites us to a convent where an order of nuns wake at the midnight to sing their elegiac prayers for the world. In Svalbard, we experience a place where night is absent and perpetual daytime proves unsettling. In sum, Wolf Moon is a reflective and thoughtful consideration of what happens after the sun has set.
Arifa Akbar is a theatre critic, a trustee of the Orwell Foundation and English PEN. She is currently a fellow of the London Centre for the Humanities. Her first book, is the acclaimed memoir, Consumed.
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
MON 12:00 News Summary (m002g363)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002g369)
Glutathione drips, Plant theft, Rogue builders
In today's You and Yours, there's a warning about a skin-lightening procedure being promoted on social media and administered in an unregulated beauty sector with potential health risks.
Plus there are signs that plant theft is on the rise - from parks, from garden centres and from gardens. We'll hear why it's happening and which plants in particular are being plucked.
And a new report from the Federation of Master Builders has found that 37 percent of people have hired a builder who turned out to be unreliable or unqualified. When things go wrong, what are your options? We hear how currently those options are limited - but there are growing calls for a regulatory system to change all that.
Presenter: Shari Vahl
Producer: Catherine Earlam
MON 12:57 Weather (m002g36h)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m002g36n)
Israel launch ground assault on Deir al-Balah
An aid worker in central Gaza tells us what it's like on the ground. Plus, a new documentary that's uncovered unheard tapes from Nick Drake's classic album Five Leaves Left.
MON 13:45 Understand (m002g36s)
Derailed: The Story of HS2
6. The Only Friend that Mattered
Revelations about waste and delay have left HS2 in poor shape - and ripe, in the view of its political opponents, for cancellation. But, at the opportune moment, a new Prime Minister arrives. Boris Johnson saw HS2 as a cornerstone of his “levelling up” agenda, and gave it the green light to proceed even as the country wrestled with the emergency of a global pandemic.
Presenter: Kate Lamble
Producer: Robert Nicholson
Executive Producer: Will Yates
Sound Design and Mix: Arlie Adlington
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:00 The Archers (m002g35h)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Ed Reardon's Week (m002g36x)
Series 16
4. Artificial Asininity
Ed's son Jake introduces him to the world of artificial intelligence, but Ed wants absolutely nothing to do with it, insisting that if left unchecked it will destroy civilization.
Meanwhile, Jaz has signed Ed up to write a bottle episode of the new show he’s working on about two chalk-and-cheese cops who ‘do things their own way’. Against his better judgement Ed accepts the job and in the process finds himself face to face with an old acquaintance… and her tortoise.
Ed Reardon - Christopher Douglas
Maggie - Pippa Haywood
Jaz Milvain - Philip Jackson
Jake - Sam Pamphilon
Clare - Clare Perkins
Ping - Barunka O’Shaughnessy
Written by Christopher Douglas
Produced by Dawn Ellis
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Baum
Sound: Jon Calver & Alison McKenzie
MON 14:45 Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney (m001q0xs)
Episode 3
A new reading of the debut poetry collection by the Nobel Prize in Literature recipient Seamus Heaney, specially commissioned by BBC Radio 4 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of his death.
As read by Bríd Brennan, Adrian Dunbar and Stephen Rea.
Music composed and performed by Neil Martin.
Seamus Heaney was a poet, translator, teacher and critic. During a career spanning fifty years, he became one of the most celebrated poets of his generation. While often rooted in the landscape of his homeland, Heaney’s poetry has a universal appeal that was to find a worldwide readership. During his lifetime he was the recipient of many honours, including the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature, and his work has been translated into 27 languages. His legacy lives on, as readers continue to enjoy and engage with his poetry, prose, drama and translations.
Readers: Bríd Brennan, Adrian Dunbar and Stephen Rea.
Author: Seamus Heaney
Music: Neil Martin
Producer: Michael Shannon
Editor: Andy Martin
A BBC Northern Ireland production.
MON 15:00 A Good Read (m002g371)
Joanna Hardy-Susskind and Horatio Clare
THE TRUCE by Primo Levi, chosen by Horatio Clare
THE SUN DOES SHINE by Anthony Ray Hinton with Lara Love Hardin, chosen by Joanna Hardy-Susskind
SULA by Toni Morrison, chosen by Harriett Gilbert
Writer Horatio Clare joins criminal defence barrister Joanna Hardy-Susskind to discuss favourite books with Harriett Gilbert. Horatio's choice is a book he returns to every winter, The Truce, in which writer Primo Levi recounts his survivor's journey home to from Auschwitz across a war-torn Europe. Joanna puts forward another powerful autobiography, The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row, in which Anthony Ray Hinton recounts his time on death row after being wrongly accused of murder. And finally, Harriett's choice is an early novel by Toni Morrison, called Sula, which follows the turbulent friendship of two girls as they grow into adulthood within a poor but close-knit community in Ohio.
Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley
Join the conversation on Instagram: agoodreadbbc
Photo Credit: Ivan Weiss
MON 15:30 You're Dead to Me (m002g2mb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Saturday]
MON 16:00 Currently (m002g347)
[Repeat of broadcast at
13:30 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 Rewinder (m002g2md)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
MON 17:00 PM (m002g376)
Pensions: how do we get people to save more?
We ask a member of the government's newly revived Pensions Commission. Plus, the UK is among 25 nations calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza - just as Israel launches a ground assault on Deir al Balah.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002g37b)
The water regulator Ofwat is to be abolished
The environment secretary, Steve Reed, has announced what he is calling the biggest overhaul of the water sector in a generation. The move to scrap Ofwat was one of 88 recommendations made by a landmark review of the industry. Also: Israel has launched a new ground offensive in an area of central Gaza it hasn't previously targeted. And Ryanair is considering bigger bonuses for staff who catch travellers with oversized bags.
MON 18:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m002g37d)
Series 83
3. Is It A Bird?
The godfather of all panel shows pays a visit to the Butterworth Hall in Warwick. On the panel are Harry Enfield, Lucy Porter, Miles Jupp and Marcus Brigstocke, with Jack Dee in the umpire’s chair. Regular listeners will know to expect inspired nonsense, pointless revelry and Colin Sell at the piano.
Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random production for BBC Radio 4
MON 19:00 The Archers (m002g37g)
Despite Dane having organised an International Gala in Las Vegas Lynda remains to be convinced Dane has what it takes to help with the Summer Fete. Akram however is impressed that almost every item on Lynda’s To-Do list has been ticked off by Dane, who also offers to help book the elusive Hollerton Silver Band. Dane envisions the traditional English fete he has in mind, with Grey Gables’ sponsorship covering costs for rides like a helter-skelter and carousel, items previously beyond their means. Even Lynda is impressed by the overall offer, especially when Dane offers Zainab’s services to help with the organisation, and agrees they have a deal.
Stella’s taking a break from the harvest when she bumps into Jolene at the Shop. Stella can’t believe the police haven’t been more proactive in response to recent events, but Jolene says they don’t have any proof they’re connected to Markie. And Kenton is simply trying to block the whole problem out. Vince has told Jolene that Markie is out of prison on licence, so if he puts a foot wrong he’ll be straight back inside. Lynda gives Stella a lift, with Monty in the back, and they talk about Stella getting another dog. Stella asks Lynda about being called “Mum” by a stepchild. Lynda’s advice is to be honest and say no to Pip, if Stella doesn’t feel comfortable. Lynda then confides in Stella about the sponsorship deal for the fete, making it clear that Grey Gables’ role is merely supportive - they are definitely not taking it over!
MON 19:15 Front Row (m002g37j)
Mark Gatiss on Bookish
Samira talks to Mark Gatiss about his new detective series, Bookish. Playwright Suzie Miller discusses her new courtroom drama Inter Alia, about a Crown Court Judge facing a family crisis. We explore the impact of President Trump's cuts to US public media and consider the legacy of British cinema of the 80s.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Simon Richardson
MON 20:00 The Briefing Room (m002fwqp)
Is the tide turning in the Ukraine war?
It’s been 3 1/2 years since Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of its Ukrainian neighbour. Ukraine’s capacity to resist has depended on two things: its own will to fight and support from its allies. Until January this year the US was one of those allies. Then things changed.
But in the last week President Trump seems to have taken a turn against Russia. The US president said he was “very unhappy” with President Putin over the lack of progress towards a ceasefire agreement to end the war in Ukraine. On Monday the White House announced 100 per cent tariffs on countries which do business with Russia - those tariffs to begin in 50 days time unless a ceasefire with Ukraine is agreed. President Trump also announced that the US would be sending weapons to Ukraine which NATO allies - and not America - would pay for. David Aaronovitch and guests discuss whether the tide is turning in the Trump-Putin relationship and if this could change the course of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Guests:
Paul Adams, BBC World Affairs Correspondent
Anton Grushetskyi, Executive director Kyiv International Institute of Sociology
Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor, The Economist
Angela Stent, Senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former US National Intelligence Officer for Russia
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Ben Carter and Kirsteen Knight
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Studio engineers: Tom Bartlett and Alyson Purcell-Davis
Editor: Richard Vadon
MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m002fwqr)
How can we keep our homes cool in a changing climate?
After three UK heatwaves, we turn to science for solutions that could keep us safer, and cooler, in our homes. Professor of Zero Carbon Design at the University of Bath, David Coley, explains how our houses could be better designed to handle climate change.
This week the UK Space Conference has come to Manchester. Victoria Gill is joined by Tim O’Brien, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Manchester, for the latest space science news.
We also hear from technology journalist Gareth Mitchell on a curious headache for the tech companies rolling out driverless taxis, in the form of plastic bags.
And we speak to a group of high school students who have been spending their lunch breaks extracting and analysing daffodil DNA.
Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producers: Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell, Clare Salisbury
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
MON 21:00 How Boarding Schools Shaped Britain (m00282gw)
3. Modern boarding
Boarding schools have long been cornerstones of British tradition and leadership, shaping the elite and influencing society. But how are they adapting to a changing society?
In the last of three programmes, Nicky Campbell explores the evolution of boarding schools as they balance their social history with the demands of the modern world, and examines whether boarding schools can reinvent themselves for a more inclusive future.
From state-of-the-art facilities to inclusive bursary programmes, today's boarding schools aim to create opportunities for a diverse range of students. With the challenges of rising costs, societal change and VAT implications, these schools must navigate uncertain times to remain relevant. Are they still breeding grounds for future leaders? What values and visions will they instil in the next generations?
MON 21:45 Untaxing (m0029j9j)
3.Jaffa Cake or Biscuit?
A biscuit or a cake? That was the question that landed biscuit company McVities in court in 1991 - and the fate of the Jaffa Cake rested on the most unexpected piece of evidence.
But behind the absurdity lies a deeper issue - how the UK’s messy VAT system distorts prices, creates baffling tax battles, and might just be costing us over £20 billion a year.
Producer: Tom Pooley
Music: Jaffa Cake Musical is by Gigglemug Theatre, with songs by Sam Cochrane, arrangements by Rob Gathercole, and Katie Pritchard singing 'Tax Man'.
A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Radio 4
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002g37l)
The UK joins dozens of countries in call to end the war in Gaza
A joint statement says Israel's aid delivery model is dangerous and “deprives Gazans of human dignity". Israel's foreign ministry rejected the statement, saying it was "disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas". Chair of the International Development Committee Sarah Champion tells us the UK could be doing more to pressure Israel.
Chinese authorities have begun constructing what will be the world's largest hydropower dam in Tibetan territory, in a project that has sparked concerns from India and Bangladesh.
And how the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 tournament is encouraging the spread of women’s sports bars.
MON 22:45 The Spire by William Golding (m002g37n)
Episode One
The classic story by William Golding, published in 1964, of one man’s obsession that endangers an entire community.
Dean Jocelin had a vision, and believes he has been chosen by God to add an enormous spire, his ‘spire of prayer’, to his cathedral. But the cathedral has no foundations.
Episode 1
Work begins on the construction of Dean Jocelin’s spire, but not everyone at the cathedral shares his vision.
Born in 1911, William Golding was the writer of 13 novels. These include Lord of the Flies, The Inheritors, Pincher Martin and The Spire. Rites of Passage - the first novel in his sea-trilogy To The Ends Of The Earth - won the Booker Prize in 1980. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983.
Writer: William Golding
Reader: John Heffernan
Additional voices by Lucy Davidson
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
With thanks to Judy Carver at William Golding Ltd
MON 23:00 Whodunnits (m000zkym)
A Charles Paris Mystery - A Deadly Habit
Episode 3
by Jeremy Front
based on the novel by Simon Brett
Charles ..... Bill Nighy
Frances ..... Suzanne Burden
Maurice ..... Jon Glover
Kit ..... Joseph Ayre
Alice ..... Elinor Coleman
Brendan ..... Jonathan Kydd
Nina ..... Marilyn Nnadebe
Dervla ..... Jane Slavin
Directed by Sally Avens
When an actress falls down stairs in the West End theatre where Charles is appearing his suspicions are aroused. The discovery of a sex-tape on a covert camera in her dressing-room only confirms them. But who is the voyeur and potential murderer? Charles sniffs criminality. The game is afoot!
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002g37r)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the prime minister is grilled by the chairs of the Commons select committees.
TUESDAY 22 JULY 2025
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002g37t)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 00:30 Wolf Moon: A Woman's Journey into the Night by Arifa Akbar (m002g35s)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002g37w)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002g37y)
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 (m002g380)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002g382)
Sir Keir Starmer is put on the spot by MPs. Susan Hulme reports. Also, a shake-up of the water industry in England and Wales, and weight-loss tips from the House of Lords.
TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002g384)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002g386)
Appreciating the Body
A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Steve Taylor.
Good Morning.
It’s easy to take our bodies for granted. After all, we’ve always had them. We might even have an uneasy relationship with our bodies, feeling dissatisfied because of health issues or our appearance.
As a psychologist, I’ve done a lot of research with people who have recovered from life-threatening predicaments, such as serious illness, accidents, or severe addiction. In doing so, they often gain a sense of the preciousness of their bodies. One woman who survived a terrorist attack told me that, as she recovered, she felt ‘in awe of my body.… I made a vow that I would look after myself and feed my body good food.’ A man who recovered from severe depression told me that now he was ‘aware of all the different parts of my body. It was as if my soul had been occupying this body for my entire life, but I never gave a second thought to what it felt like, until now.’
But we don’t need to go through a life-threatening situation to stop taking our bodies for granted. We can remind ourselves of the millions of processes that are taking place inside us every second of the day: all the organs that are working hard to sustain and regulate our health, all the structures that are playing a vital role to protect us from injury and illness; all the microcosmic processes working tirelessly and selflessly on our behalf, to maintain our lives every single moment of the day.
Our bodies may not be working perfectly. But you don’t need to have a perfect relationship with someone to value them. Today, let’s pause for a moment, to contemplate the miracle of our bodies, and to send gratitude to them, for keeping us alive and conscious.
Blessings.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002g388)
The head of a team carrying out water quality monitoring on livestock farms across the UK says their evidence shows the majority of farms tested so far are breaking rules which are supposed to protect rivers from pollution. The evidence backs up the findings in Sir Jon Cunliffe's report from the Independent Water Commission, which was published yesterday. It found that the 'Farming Rules For Water' weren't being complied with, and enforcement should be improved.
And all this week we're looking at how to boost wellbeing in farming. Today, Sarah Swadling meets a Devon group set up to rebuild social connections - the Crediton Area Vintage Farmers.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.
TUE 06:00 Today (m002g4f8)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics (m002g4fb)
Alexandria: The City
Natalie is joined by Professors Islam Issa and Edith Hall to tell the story of the ancient city of Alexandria. Located on the Nile Delta, this spectacular and highly innovative city was founded by Alexander the Great around two and half thousand years ago. And like all great ideas, it came to him in a dream.
'Rockstar mythologist' Natalie Haynes is the best-selling author of 'Divine Might', 'Stone Blind', and 'A Thousand Ships' as well as a reformed comedian who is a little bit obsessive about ancient Greece and Rome.
Islam Issa is Professor of Literature and History at Birmingham City University. His book 'Alexandria, the City that Changed the World' is the Winner of the Runciman Award and The Times, Sunday Times, TLS, Booklist, Epoch Times and Waterstones Book of the Year.
Edith Hall is Professor of Classics at Durham University, specialising in ancient Greek literature. She has written over thirty books and is a Fellow of the British Academy.
Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery
TUE 09:30 Inside Health (m002g4fd)
Health risks of bin strikes, measles warning and ethics
With bin strikes in Birmingham having gone on for months, James Gallagher heads to the Small Heath area of the city to ask what the health risks could be from rubbish left on the streets. He meets campaigners Shafaq, Ashid and Danni from End the Bin Strikes who tell him what residents are worried about. To discuss what diseases could be brewing and how they might spread, he's also joined by Professor Malcolm Bennett from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham and Martin Goldberg, Lecturer in Microbiology from Birmingham City University.
Following news that a child who contracted measles has died at a hospital in Liverpool, James also talks to Professor of Children's Health Helen Bedford from University College London about the risk of measles in the UK. And, over the past week James has been reporting on the news that children have born using a technique which uses two women’s eggs and a man’s sperm to prevent mitochondrial disease being passed from mother to child. The babies inherit around 0.1% of their overall genetic code from the donor woman. The UK became the first country in the world to make it legal back in 2015 after a big ethical debate about what should and shouldn’t be allowed. These kinds of ethical issues are becoming more and more pressing as technology is revolutionising fertility science. To discuss what questions we could be asking next, James speaks to Dr John Appleby, Co-Director for Medical Ethics and Law at Lancaster University.
Presenter: James Gallagher
Production: Tom Bonnett with Debbie Kilbride and Minnie Harrop
Made in collaboration with the Open University
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002g4fg)
Baroness Margaret Hodge, Racism in women's football, Author Georgina Moore
Baroness Margaret Hodge tells Nuala McGovern why she thinks routine mammograms should be extended to women over 70. The former Labour MP was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 80. She requested a mammogram after realising she hadn’t been invited to have one in nearly a decade. Routine screening is currently only available in the UK for women aged 50-70.
As England's Lionesses prepare for their Euro 2025 semi-final with Italy tonight, their efforts have been overshadowed by the racial abuse suffered by defender Jess Carter. The team's decided not to take the knee against racism in tonight's game, with coach Sarina Wiegman saying her players feel the gesture isn't 'good enough.' Now the head of Sport England, Chris Boardman, has written to Ofcom to express "deep concern" over the abuse directed at England's women's football team on social media. He joins Nuala, along with former Lioness and now pundit Lianne Sanderson.
Campaigners in Northern Ireland want the way Victim Personal Statements are dealt with in courts there to change. At the moment people do not have the automatic right to read their own statements as part of the judicial process. Nuala talks to Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime Northern Ireland, Geraldine Hanna, and campaigner Julieanne Boyle, who didn’t get the opportunity to address the court during her case and wants to see a change for other victims.
Georgina Moore’s second novel River of Stars is set in a floating community on the Thames. A romance and family saga spanning three generations of women, it was inspired by her own move from self-confessed ‘ageing party girl’ to houseboat mum. Georgina joins Nuala in the Woman’s Hour studio to talk about island life and writing on the water.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths
TUE 11:00 Screenshot (m002fwkr)
Scotland
30 years after Mel Gibson's Braveheart cloaked Hollywood in fake tartan, Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode take the high roads and the low roads to look for the real Scotland on screen.
Ellen talks with Tayside journalist Kayleigh Donaldson about the trouble with Braveheart, why veteran Scottish director Bill Forsyth's hyper local comedy dramas Local Hero, Gregory's Girl, and That Sinking Feeling have such international appeal, and why movies such as Ben Sharrock's Limbo tell a different kind of story about Scotland.
Comedian and writer Frankie Boyle tells Ellen why Gregory's Girl is one of Scotland's most beloved films, why Lynne Ramsay's New York City based thriller You Were Never Really Here starring Joaquin Phoenix as a violent mercenary feels so Scottish, and his reservations about Danny Boyle's Trainspotting.
Mark reconnects with legendary Scottish actor and star of Succession Brian Cox who has returned to Scotland to make his directorial debut Glenrothan. They discuss Brigadoon, Braveheart (which starred Brian Cox), cultural neglect, and the Powell & Pressburger classic movie set on the Isle of Mull, I Know Where I'm Going.
Producer: Freya Hellier
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 11:45 Wolf Moon: A Woman's Journey into the Night by Arifa Akbar (m002g4fj)
Episode 2 - Sleep
Arifa Akbar's new book about the night and the ways it shapes society and culture turns to the relationship between sleeplessness and artistic expression. Later, the heightened peril for homeless women is brought home after an encounter outside a supermarket. Manjinder Virk reads.
Arifa Akbar, writer and theatre critic, takes us on a personal and artistic journey into the night where she explores how darkness, especially for women, has shaped our minds, society and culture.
Wolf Moon is an elegant exploration of the night, which considers how the darkness is largely understood as a time for nightmares and fear, especially for women. So, she looks at the fearfulness invoked by murderous predators like the nineteenth century's Ripper, and of what it means to be a homeless woman when night falls. Yet, in this her latest book, Arifa Akbar reminds us that the night is also full of beauty and possibility. It’s a time for joy and for fun from London's Theatreland to a hedonistic nightclub in Berlin, and by contrast, she visits a convent, where an order of nuns wake at the midnight to sing their elegiac prayers for the world. She also travels to Svalbard to experience a place where night is absent and finds perpetual daytime unsettling. In sum, Wolf Moon is a reflective and thoughtful consideration of what happens after the sun has set.
Arifa Akbar is a theatre critic, a trustee of the Orwell Foundation and English PEN. She is currently a fellow of the London Centre for the Humanities. Her first book, is the acclaimed memoir, Consumed.
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002g4fl)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002g4fn)
Call You & Yours: How do you find time for books, and how can we encourage children and young people to read?
On today's Call You & Yours we're asking: "How do you find time for books and how can we encourage children and young people to read?"
A recent survey showed the number of children and young people who say they enjoy reading is at its lowest for twenty years.
We have less and less time in the modern world to settle down with a book - but many of us are still reading - using our phones or tablets to read the news or online magazines.
Perhaps you listen to audiobooks which are growing in sales. Maybe you've had to schedule time to read in your day, putting your phone in another room...
How do you find time for books and how can we encourage children and young people to read?
Email us at youandyours@bbc.co.uk
Our phone lines open at
11am: 03700 100 444.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: LYDIA THOMAS
TUE 12:57 Weather (m002g4fq)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m002g4fs)
Badenoch reshuffles her top team
The Conservative leader brings back former rival Sir James Cleverly in a surprise move. What does the shake-up say about the state of the opposition as it trails in the polls? We're live in Westminster and hear from a former party chairman and a pollster. Plus, what else could the Government do to bring more pressure to bear on Israel to end its war in Gaza?
TUE 13:45 Understand (m002g4fv)
Derailed: The Story of HS2
7. Gold Plated
Costs began to truly spiral out of control. In search of the culprit, Kate goes through the mess HS2 made of some its largest contracts. Much of HS2 was being built by massive consortiums of engineering firms. A short lived effort to unload the project’s risk to these firms saw costs continue to rise beyond the original estimates. And, as the price increased, politicians faced further pressure to curtail the project.
Presenter: Kate Lamble
Producer: Robert Nicholson
Executive Producer: Will Yates
Sound Design and Mix: Arlie Adlington
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002g37g)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002g4fx)
Unicorn
Comedy drama by Alan Harris.
When Tyree's dad falls ill, he goes back to the valleys and tries to save the printing business. But Ty is dyslexic and there's no money in the town. Things go from bad to worse until a strange man walks into the printers with a wedding invitation.
CAST
Tyree - Darren Evans
Beatrice - Laila Alj
Shawna - Caitlin Griffiths
Obi - John Rowley
Production Coordinator: Eleri McAuliffe
Sound Design: Nigel Lewis
Producer: John Norton
A BBC Audio Wales Production
TUE 15:00 Extreme (m0027h5r)
Peak Danger
1. Welcome to Base Camp
It’s the summer of 2008. Cecilie Skog, her husband Rolf Bae and their teammates are aiming to become the first Norwegians to reach the summit of K2.
When they arrive at Base Camp, they find it full to bursting with climbers from all over the world - Serbia, France, the U.S.A., South Korea, Nepal and more.
But bad weather is keeping everyone from reaching the top of this mammoth mountain. Each of the climbers is impatiently waiting for their chance to summit.
All they need are a few days of perfect weather. Will it come before it’s too late?
Featuring climbers Cecilie Skog, Lars Nessa, Fredrik Strang, Eric Meyer, as well as author and journalist Jennifer Jordan.
Special thanks to Fredrik Sträng for providing archival footage.
Host and Executive Producer: Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
Producers: Leigh Meyer & Amalie Sortland
Editor: Josephine Wheeler
Production Manager: Joe Savage
Sound Design and Mix by Nicholas Alexander, with additional engineering from Daniel Kempson.
Original Music by Adam Foran, Theme music by Adam Foran and Silverhawk
Executive Producers: Max O’Brien & Craig Strachan
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
A Novel production for the BBC
New episodes are released on Mondays. But if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the full series now, first on BBC Sounds https://bbc.in/3ybDcHO
TUE 15:30 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vnw)
The future of the Alawites
In the wake of the Assad regime’s fall in Syria, thousands of Alawites - a minority Shia sect historically linked to the former regime - have fled to Lebanon. They are seeking refuge from discrimination and sectarian violence that has left over 1,000 civilians dead, including women and children.
An offshoot of Shia Islam, the Alawites are commonly misunderstood and the group’s beliefs and distinct interpretation of Islam is often shrouded in mystery. Throughout their history the group has been persecuted but their fate in Syria was redrawn by the Assad family.
The late Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father, became the most powerful Alawite when he seized control of Syria in a coup in 1970. While many Alawites insist they continued to suffer, just like other Syrians, from the grinding poverty and brutal repression under the rule of Hafez al-Assad and then his son Bashar - the ruling Assad’s recruited heavily from the Alawite community placing them in top posts in state, security and intelligence branches.
When opposition fighters finally toppled the regime in December last year, Syria’s new President Ahmed al-Sharaa - once the leader of a self-declared Sunni Muslim militant group - promised to protect Syria's minorities. But he has struggled to contain a wave of violence directed towards the Alawite community.
The BBC’s Emily Wither has travelled to the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli to meet Syrian Alawite refugees and a new youth movement that passionately believe the sect needs their own political identity away from the Assad regime.
Alawite Angelina Bilal is collecting testimonies of atrocities, including killings and sexual violence, to demand international accountability. She belongs to a fledgling group of young Alawites who have launched ‘The Alawite Project’ - a youth movement aiming to redefine Alawite identity beyond the Assad legacy and amplify their global voice.
(Photo: Alawite Angelina Bilal in a shelter for refugees in Lebanon. Credit: Emily Wither)
Producer/presenter: Emily Wither
Executive producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
TUE 16:00 Artworks (m002g4g2)
Souvenirs
In late 19th century Hammersmith, two titans of the printing scene, Emery Walker and Thomas Cobden-Sanderson, form a deep friendship. They hang out at the same printing events and socialist meetings, they move into houses four doors apart, they work in the same building, their families go on holidays together.
Then in 1900, they set up the ground breaking Doves Press together - whereupon their friendship swiftly implodes, and they spend the rest of the decade fighting over the custody of their in-house typeface, Doves. And then things get even uglier.
Souvenirs explores broken friendship, typefaces, lost words, self-destruction, and the legacies we didn’t intend to leave. With type designer Robert Green.
Written and performed by The Allusionist’s Helen Zaltzman, with an original score by Martin Austwick (performed by him and Adrienne LaBelle, violin).
Produced by Helen Zaltzman and Martin Austwick.
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002g4g6)
Can caffeine boost your performance?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken untangle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
This week, Chris thinks he has seen a hack to optimise his caffeine intake, but will it stack up? To find out if there is any evidence behind Chris’ theory, the Docs have a stimulating conversation with Andy Smith, Professor of Occupational and Health Psychology at Cardiff University, who has been studying the effects of caffeine for over 30 years. They discuss what caffeine does to the brain, why some of us can handle more of it than others, and whether consuming it is a safe way to enhance both our cognitive and physical performance.
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 Andy Smith
Producer: Jo Rowntree
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Assistant Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Assistant Producer and Researcher: William Hornbrook
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 (m002g4gb)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002g4gg)
Former Unite boss Len McCluskey enjoyed private flights and football tickets
An internal report says the former Unite boss, Len McCluskey, enjoyed private flights and football tickets arranged by the company building a hotel for his union. Also: Medical officials and aid organisations are sounding the alarm about a rapid increase in starvation and malnutrition in Gaza. And an immersive show celebrating Elvis Presley in London has been described by some fans as "one of the most misleading" they’ve ever seen.
TUE 18:30 Room 101 with Paul Merton (m001yhzg)
Series 2
Naga Munchetty
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.
Naga Munchetty attempts to banish people who salt their food without tasting it first, as well as unsolicited advice. The one thing she could not live without however is a spicy condiment loved by millions.
Additional material John Irwin and Suki Webster
Produced by Richard Wilson
A Hat Trick production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m002g4gl)
Brad waits with Chelsea at the Tearoom to talk to Amber about wedding venues. But when Amber turns up she doesn’t come inside. Amber then explains to Brad outside that Chelsea bullied her at school. Bullying and how to deal with it is a huge part of Amber’s online content. When Mia walks up awkward Brad introduces her to Amber. Amber hugs Mia, before pointing out that Brad and Mia used to be an item. Brad excuses himself to go to an appraisal with Dane. Amber then pronounces he clearly hasn’t got over Mia. Despite Amber’s uncritical view of George and her antipathy towards Neil and Susan, Mia invites her for a walk on Friday. Later, Brad and Mia force mortified Chelsea to accept Amber’s bullying claims. Mia then offers Chelsea the chance of reconciliation with Amber by inviting Chelsea along on Friday too.
Dane shows Oliver some sketches he’s had done, depicting how the fete will look at Grey Gables. Oliver’s amazed Lynda agreed to it being relocated, warning Dane to watch out when Lynda realises what Dane is suggesting. Sure enough, Lynda is fuming when she interrupts Brad’s appraisal to charge Dane with kidnapping the fete. Dane argues for the positives Grey Gables can offer, but Lynda accuses him of putting the hotel’s interests above the community’s. Brad fetches Oliver, whose emollient words, backed by Dane’s successful booking of several rides and the Hollerton Silver Band, allow Lynda to accept the relocation – but only so long as she’s allowed to organise three “village-devised events” as well.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002g4gq)
Has Marvel cracked the superhero reboot?
The Fantastic Four changed comics forever in 1961 by making superheroes more human, but on screen the team has struggled. Now Marvel is rebooting their First Family for the third time with a big budget spectacular starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Author and journalist Hannah Strong and journalist and co-host of the Fade to Black film podcast Amon Warmann reveal if they've finally stuck the landing.
TUE 20:00 Today (m002g4gv)
The Today Debate: What can stop the war in Gaza?
The United Nations has warned that the "last lifelines keeping people alive are collapsing" in Gaza and the UK has joined 27 other nations in calling for an end to the conflict.
Nick Robinson discusses what can stop the war with a panel of experts and politicians.
TUE 20:45 In Touch (m002g4gz)
Access to Work: What Is Happening?
The aim of the government's Access to Work scheme is to provide support for disabled people to get into and stay within employment. It can provide support with things like specialist equipment, support workers and transport to and from work. But over the past few months, there have been rumours circulating that there are proposed cuts to parts of the scheme which is causing uncertainty amongst disabled people. In Touch attempts to dig a little deeper into what could be happening to the scheme.
The Work and Pensions committee is calling for disabled people's experiences of seeking employment and support into work. If you would like to submit your experiences, you can do so via the committee's online form: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9270/employment-support-for-disabled-people/ or call 020 7219 8976.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Liz Poole
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 (m0028sx3)
Word of God
5. Revelations
In April 2019, Dr Roberta Mazza receives an email from an academic in charge of Research at the Museum of the Bible which leads to the exposure of one of the most extraordinary breaches of trust in biblical scholarship. Through exclusive interviews, Ben Lewis reveals how the Museum of the Bible discovered that precious gospel fragments they had purchased for hundreds of thousands of dollars may have been stolen from a collection at Oxford University.
The episode follows the museum's quest to verify their collection's legitimacy, leading to a devastating discovery that a renowned Oxford professor had allegedly been selling artefacts that weren't his to sell. From papyrologist Roberta Mazza's early suspicions to the museum's internal investigation, Ben pieces together how an elite scholar's apparent betrayal came to light.
As evidence mounts, the story builds to a dramatic doorstep confrontation, where Ben attempts to get answers from the professor at the centre of the scandal - raising profound questions about the intersection of academia, wealth, and the ownership of sacred texts.
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 by Max de Wardener
Additional sound effects courtesy of Freesound
A TellTale production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 21:30 The Bottom Line (m002fwq5)
Car Parks: Who's Making Money From Your Ticket?
It's an industry that has few fans, but how does it really work, and will there be enough spaces in future for the UK's growing fleet of cars?
Evan Davis looks under the bonnet of a much-maligned industry to find out where the money goes and why motorists have to pay in the first place. The government has been clamping down on 'cowboy' operators - can this, along with technology like Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, make car parks fairer?
With changing travel patterns post-pandemic, and growing restrictions on cars in towns and cities, we ask whether car parks can stay profitable. And, if more of them are repurposed into flats or other uses, will motorists face even more competition for spaces, and higher prices, in future?
Evan is joined by:
Adam Bidder, managing director, Q-Park UK and Ireland;
Ashley Bijster, managing Director, Modaxo;
Anthony Eskinazi, founder and president, JustPark.
Production team:
Producer: Simon Tulett
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: James Beard
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002g4h3)
Ozzy Osbourne dies aged 76
Ozzy Osbourne, the frontman of heavy metal band Black Sabbath, has died in the UK at the age of 76. The band's co-founder and guitarist Tony Iommi said Black Sabbath "have lost our brother". Osbourne's death comes just weeks after the band played their farewell gig in his home city of Birmingham. We hear from two other musical legends who knew and performed with Ozzy.
The Syrian government has promised to investigate killings carried out in Sweida. As a ceasefire in the region holds, the BBC's Jon Donnison has visited and spoken to worried Druze.
And as the Edinburgh Fringe scraps its "Funniest Joke" award, we speak to a former winner about how it helped her career.
TUE 22:45 The Spire by William Golding (m002g4h7)
Episode Two
The classic story by William Golding, published in 1964, of one man’s obsession that endangers an entire community.
Dean Jocelin had a vision, and believes he has been chosen by God to add an enormous spire, his ‘spire of prayer’, to his cathedral. But the cathedral has no foundations.
Episode 2
Jocelin is determined that nothing shall stand in the way of the work, even the cathedral’s lack of foundations.
Born in 1911, William Golding was the writer of 13 novels. These include Lord of the Flies, The Inheritors, Pincher Martin and The Spire. Rites of Passage - the first novel in his sea-trilogy To The Ends Of The Earth - won the Booker Prize in 1980. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983.
Writer: William Golding
Reader: John Heffernan
Additional voices by Lucy Davidson
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
With thanks to Judy Carver at William Golding Ltd
TUE 23:00 Havana Helmet Club (m002ddb6)
4. Sound and Fury
After a State Department source hands a scoop to a Washington journalist, the Havana situation goes public in spectacular fashion.
A media and political storm gathers around multiple investigations into the alleged sonic attacks in Havana. Figures within the Trump administration push to punish Cuba. With agents dropping like flies, the CIA takes dramatic action.
New episodes will be released weekly, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you are in the UK, you can listen to the latest episodes a week early, first on BBC Sounds.
Credits:
Havana Helmet Club is written and presented by Jennifer Forde and Sam Bungey
Editor: Guy Crossman
Story editing: Mike Ollove Producer: Larry Ryan
Sound designer: Merijn Royaards
Additional mixing: Peregrine Andrews
Theme music: Tom Pintens, with additional music composed by Merijn Royaards
Fact checking: Stanley Masters. Additional reporting: Isobel Sutton, Pascale Hardey Stewart and Stanley Masters
Archive producers: Miriam Walsh and Helen Carr
Production executive: Kirstin Drybrugh
Editorial advisor: Jesse Baker
Commissioner: Dylan Haskins
Assistant commissioners: Sarah Green and Natasha Johansson
Havana Helmet Club is a Yarn production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
Our archive was sourced from:
NARA
WDEL
US State Department
KCRW
KFI
KMJ
KAJX
WBCF
KCAA
BBC Radio Kent
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002g4hb)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as Rachel Reeves says less regulation and more risk-taking are required to drive economic growth.
WEDNESDAY 23 JULY 2025
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002g4hd)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 00:30 Wolf Moon: A Woman's Journey into the Night by Arifa Akbar (m002g4fj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002g4hg)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002g4hj)
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 (m002g4hl)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002g4hn)
Sean Curran reports as Rachel Reeves attends her annual session with a Lords committee, telling peers the UK has been relying on the 'kindness of strangers' to buy government debt.
WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002g4hq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002g4hs)
The Calm Center
A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Steve Taylor.
Good Morning.
I've always been fascinated by how time seems to flow at different speeds in different situations. For example, it seems to go slowly when we're bored, and seems to speed up as we get older. Once I had a car accident, in which a few seconds seemed to stretch out into minutes.
However, I've always been aware that in a sense time doesn't really exist. The future never comes. We just create it in our minds, when we anticipate events or make plans. Likewise, the past no longer exists. It only remains in our memory, or in recordings of events. We are always in the present, even when we think about the future or the past.
There’s something liberating about this. If we’re ever worried about the future, or feel negative emotions, like bitterness or regret about the past, we can always reorientate ourselves in the present. We can focus our attention on our surroundings, on the people and objects around us, and on our perceptions and experiences. As the present becomes more real, our worrying thoughts will fade away.
Or as I have expressed it poetically:
When the future is full of dread
and the past is full of regret
where can we take refuge, except in the present?
When maelstroms of tormenting thoughts
push back the barricades of our sanity
the present is the calm centre, where we can rest.
And slowly, as we rest there
niggling thoughts and fears dissolve
like shadows shrinking under the midday sun
until we don’t need refuge anymore.
So today, let’s orientate ourselves in the present – the calm centre between the future and the past.
Blessings.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002g4hv)
23/07/25: battery storage, farmer wellbeing, plastic recycling
The move to build battery storage sites on farmland is increasing: it can be a money-spinner for the landowner and can play an important role in the transition to a low carbon energy system, storing green energy collected through wind or solar power generation. But there are concerns at the lack of specific health and safety standards for the sector.
We're looking at farmers' welbeing this week. Today, a virtual reality headset is being shown at the Royal Welsh Show. It's the latest offering from a farmers' mental health charity, and allows farmers to try out various therapies in a calm and safe space.
And Natural Resources Wales is offering cash incentives to encourage more farmers to recycle their farm waste, to reduce pollution.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.
WED 06:00 Today (m002g4l0)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Sideways (m002g4l2)
Chasing Peace
2. A Peace that Lasts
Uganda, in the mid-1990s - 35-year-old Betty Bigombe is sent by President Yoweri Museveni to the north of the country to open peace talks with rebel groups. Her mission: to stop the violence by negotiating with those behind thousands of deaths and horrific massacres. But to bring peace, she might have to compromise - and that might mean offering concessions or even immunity to people who have perpetrated unimaginable crimes. Could Betty end the suffering without sacrificing justice?
Stopping violence through a ceasefire is one thing. Securing a peace that prevents future conflict is quite another. A true, lasting peace demands more than just halting the guns; it requires getting all the elements right to avoid reigniting old wounds. But in order to get there, we might have to explore challenging avenues.
In the second episode of Chasing Peace, a special three-part mini series of Sideways, Matthew Syed explores whether lessons from past efforts can guide us toward a peace that lasts. Should we rethink how we engage with those labelled as ‘the bad guys’? Where does justice fit into a successful peace process?
With former Uganda peace negotiator Betty Bigombe, preventive diplomacy expert Gabrielle Rifkind, Professor of International Relations Oliver Richmond and International Center for Transitional Justice Deputy Executive Director Anna-Myriam Roccatello.
Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten
Editor: Hannah Marshall
Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson
Theme music by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
WED 09:30 Shadow World (m002g4l4)
The Grave Robbers
3. The Good Spy
Michael Judd's neighbours watch on in horror as thieves take possession of his home - selling everything of value and destroying his much loved collection of musical instruments
It should be impossible to steal a home, but this new narrative podcast from multi award winning investigative reporter Sue Mitchell (Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion, Million Dollar Lover) reveals a gang operating in the UK to steal houses from people who die without a recent will.
The series hears from victims of the gang - and confronts its leaders, highlighting the shortfalls of a creaking system that leaves many others at risk. It also reveals the scale and depth of an ongoing scam which is denying rightful heirs significant windfalls - and depriving the UK Government of inheritance tax revenue.
This is an original investigation. A story never told before, leading across borders and into the dark underbelly of the UK. Over five episodes, Sue Mitchell reveals a network of companies that connect the gang members and finds evidence that as well as scamming people out of property, they are involved in illegal drugs, money laundering and the sale of UK work visas.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002g4l6)
Scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Statues of women, Foreign aid cuts, Non-hormonal menopause pill
The government has revealed details of its plans to cut foreign aid, with support for women's health and children's education in Africa facing the biggest reductions. Nuala McGovern gets reaction from Hannah Bond, co-CEO of Action Aid UK and Lisa Wise, Director of Global Policy at Save the Children UK.
There are still more statues of men called John than of women in the UK. But this imbalance is being redressed, mainly thanks to local campaigns to memorialise more female figures. A new book, London’s Statues of Women, documents all the current statues of, or to, women in the capital. Its author Juliet Rix joins Nuala along with Anya Pearson from Visible Women UK and Joy Battick who has been immortalised herself in bronze not once, but twice.
The MHRA, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the UK, has become the first global regulator to be given the green light when it comes to a new non-hormonal pill designed to alleviate menopausal symptoms in women who cannot, or do not wish to, take HRT. To find out about the drug and its benefits, Nuala is joined by Dr. Paula Briggs, Consultant in Sexual & Reproductive Health at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and Chief Investigator in the UK for Oasis 4, a clinical trial of Elinzanetant in breast cancer patients.
Scientist and broadcaster, Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock presents a new season of BBC podcasts,13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle, which charts the story of some the world’s biggest and boldest journeys into space. In the 1970s, Nasa launched the Space Shuttle programme, which became a gamechanger for women, by expanding America’s astronaut programme to include black, Asian and female astronauts and changing the work culture. Star Trek actor, Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt Uluru, became the face of the recruitment programme. Maggie joins Nuala to discuss the new series and her love of space.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Andrea Kidd
WED 11:00 Today (m002g4gv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
WED 11:45 Wolf Moon: A Woman's Journey into the Night by Arifa Akbar (m002g4l8)
Episode 3 - Dead Night
In her new book the acclaimed writer Arifa Akbar explores the meaning of night in our society and culture. In today's episode she looks at how the threat of danger shapes attitudes and the experience of women who venture out into the darkness. Manjinder Virk reads.
Arifa Akbar, writer and theatre critic, takes us on a personal and artistic journey into the night where she explores how darkness, especially for women, has shaped our minds, society and culture.
Wolf Moon is an elegant exploration of the night, which considers how the darkness is largely understood as a time for nightmares and fear, especially for women. So, she looks at the fearfulness invoked by murderous predators like the nineteenth century's Ripper, and of what it means to be a homeless woman when night falls. Yet, in this her latest book, Arifa Akbar reminds us that the night is also full of beauty and possibility. It’s a time for joy and for fun from London's Theatreland to a hedonistic nightclub in Berlin, and by contrast, she visits a convent, where an order of nuns wake at the midnight to sing their elegiac prayers for the world. She also travels to Svalbard to experience a place where night is absent and finds perpetual daytime unsettling. In sum, Wolf Moon is a reflective and thoughtful consideration of what happens after the sun has set.
Arifa Akbar is a theatre critic, a trustee of the Orwell Foundation and English PEN. She is currently a fellow of the London Centre for the Humanities. Her first book, is the acclaimed memoir, Consumed.
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
WED 12:00 News Summary (m002g4lb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002g4ld)
Fake Companies, History of Car Finance, Seaside Housing
Thousands of people have had a limited company set up at their address, and registered on Companies House, without them knowing about it. The process of having this company removed from your address is really difficult and takes a long time to do, yet setting up the 'fake' companies is quick and easy. Now, one 'You and Yours' listener has got in touch because she's being chased for debts linked to a fake company pretending to be based at her home. She's now been chased for payments for 7 years and says she cannot get these requests to stop.
Any day now - the Supreme Court will rule on the alleged mis-selling of car finance, where loans were sold, without customers realising that the dealers were being paid commission from the lender, based on the interest rate charged to the customer. But what's the history of car finance, and how has it shaped our relationship with our cars and the car market?
And five years after the lockdown "race for space", it seems we've fallen out of love with the idea of escaping city life for a home by the sea. Prices for seaside homes soared by a quarter between 2019 and 2022. They've fallen right back in many places and are still falling.
PRESENTER - Winifred Robinson
PRODUCER - Dave James
WED 12:57 Weather (m002g4lg)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m002g4lj)
Supreme Court quashes LIBOR conviction
We speak live to Tom Hayes, one of the city traders who has had their convictions for manipulating interest rates overturned by the Supreme Court. As both the government and the Conservative opposition warn of consequences to rising community tensions we speak to an expert on social cohesion on how a solution can be found, and as a couple are reunited with love letters that were lost 60 years ago we discuss if the art of letter writing has been lost.
WED 13:45 Understand (m002g4ll)
Derailed: The Story of HS2
8. Help I’m Under a Digger
After successfully defeating a number of fracking projects, a wave of hardened environmentalists join the anti-HS2 protest movement. Locking themselves to fences and ancient trees, civil disobedience arrived at the frontline of building sites. But injunctions and evictions clear the protest camps, and the added cost is a drop in HS2’s very large bucket. The bigger threat to HS2’s national image arrived in the unlikely form of a notorious environmental mitigation: the Sheephouse Wood Bat Mitigation Structure - or as it’s better known, the Bat Tunnel.
Presenter: Kate Lamble
Producer: Robert Nicholson
Executive Producer: Will Yates
Sound Design and Mix: Arlie Adlington
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
WED 14:00 The Archers (m002g4gl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Fault Lines: Money, Sex and Blood (m000nd0s)
Series 2: Sex
Electricity
Mother and daughter live alone on an isolated sheep farm, where the electricity keeps failing. When Jack arrives he helps out, but who is this stranger who bears an uncanny likeness to one of their own kin? An atmospheric drama inspired by the works of Emile Zola's Rougon Macquart stories and the Greek myths of Electra.
Esther . . . . . Charlie Hardwick
Amy . . . . . Sally Mesham
Jack . . . . . Will Ash
Written by Fiona Evans
Directed by Pauline Harris
WED 15:00 Money Box (m002g4ln)
Money Box Live: How to Improve Your Credit Score
Every adult has a credit score but you've been telling us the factors affecting it can be mystifying and frustrating. So in this edition of Money Box Live we've been digging into the inbox to answer your questions on credit scores.
Whether you’re trying to get a mortgage or loan or just the best rate on a credit card, the information on your file can have a big impact at any stage of life, so what does it all mean and if you want to improve yours, how can you do it?
We'll hear from someone battling to rectify his score after fraudsters took over his credit card and we hear from a man with an excellent credit rating who is struggling to get any credit at all.
Felicity Hannah is joined by John Webb, a credit expert at the credit reference agency Experian, and Lisa Webb, a senior lawyer and consumer champion at Which?
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Sarah Rogers
Editor: Jess Quayle
(This programme was first aired on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday 23rd of July 2025)
WED 15:30 The Hidden History of the Mantelpiece (m000gl97)
Run your eye along the mantelpiece with Dr Rachel Hurdley as she explores the story of this most revealing space in our homes.
As a sociologist, Rachel has long been fascinated by how we curate the objects on our mantelpieces to reflect how we see ourselves and how we would like to be perceived by others.
Even if you don’t have an actual mantelpiece, it’s likely you’ll use a shelf or a windowsill to display favoured ornaments, photos and other mementoes.
Rachel explores the history of the mantelpiece from the grandeur of 16th-century overmantels to the confidence of the Victorian mantelpiece and Mass Observation’s detailed descriptions of what 1930s homes kept on their mantelpieces.
Along the way, Rachel finds out why symmetry matters on a mantelpiece, why our ancestors might have felt they needed to guard against something fearful coming through their fireplace, how to spot the signs of a "posh" mantelpiece and the crucial role of the mantelpiece in creating identity and memory.
Interviewees:
Jonathan Glancey, Architectural Writer and Historian.
Sonia Solicari, Director of The Museum of the Home
Patricia Ferguson, Writer and Historian, interviewed at Ham House
Mared McAleavey, St Fagans National Museum of History, Wales
Jessica Scantlebury, Mass Observation Archive
Peter York, Writer and Co-Author of The Sloane Ranger Handbook
Caroline Schofield, National Trust Curator at Tatton Old Hall and Little Moreton Hall
Presenter: Rachel Hurdley
Producer: Louise Adamson
Executive Producer: Samir Shah
A Juniper Connect production for BBC Radio 4
WED 16:00 Human Intelligence (m0026njp)
Disruptors: Socrates
The ancient Athenian Socrates encourages us to think about what are the most important things in life and to bring real clarity to the ideas, concepts and beliefs that we use every day. He was persistent, brilliant, possessed of an intellectual curiosity and rigour that few have matched. Naomi Alderman explores the mind of this mercurial and fleeting figure – he has left us with no written work and our only sense of him is through the experiences and writings of others.
Special thanks to Dr Frisbee Sheffield, Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge.
Produced by BBC Studios Audio in partnership with The Open University.
WED 16:15 The Media Show (m002g4lq)
YouTube media coverage of Epping migrant hotel protests, Catholic influencers, Claims journalists in Gaza face starvation
Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins discuss some of the biggest media stories this week, including how the protests at the migrant hotel in Epping are being covered by different media outlets. Videos by YouTube journalist Wesley Winter have been seen hundreds and thousands of times online.
Cristina Nicolotti Squires, Ofcom’s Broadcasting and Media Group Director talks about a new report from the regulator which says BBC and other public service broadcasters are in danger of becoming 'endangered species'.
Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director of Agence France-Presse on claims that journalists reporting in Gaza face starvation and as the Catholic Church prepares to hold a social media influencers conference in Rome we talk to someone who's attending, Mary-Aoife Ong Co Director of Carlo Acutis Ireland, and to Justin Tackett a philosopher at North Carolina State University about the Vatican's media strategy.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
WED 17:00 PM (m002g4ls)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002g4lv)
The World Health Organisation says Gaza is seeing mass starvation
The head of the World Health Organisation has described the situation in Gaza as "manmade mass starvation". The Israeli government claims there's aid currently waiting for international organisations to distribute. Also: Two former City traders jailed for 'manipulating' interest rates have their convictions overturned after a ten-year fight for justice. And the BBC says it will show the new series of Masterchef, despite sacking its two main presenters.
WED 18:30 Your Mum (m002fbf2)
5. Iain Stirling and Arlene Phillips
Iain confesses that he is a total mummy’s boy, shares some of her passions (breaststroke and boxed wine) and thanks his selfless mum for getting him to where he is today. Arlene tells us about the long line of witches that came before her, reminisces on her mum’s angelic disposition and shares how losing her mum at such a young age drives and inspires her incredible career.
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 (m002g4lx)
Jolene arrives at Tracy’s party ready to make cocktails, only to see Tracy disappear in a taxi. Jazzer, who genuinely thought Tracy was joking about not coming to the party, doesn’t know how he’ll cope once her mates start turning up.
Pip and Toby, on a rare night out together, are amazed to see Martyn outside Tracy’s. Inside, Jazzer tells people Tracy’s popped upstairs, while Jolene keeps everyone lubricated. But when Jolene tells Martyn Tracy’s gone for a meal instead, Jazzer responds to Martyn’s mockery by telling him he doesn’t care – the party’s banging anyway. Martyn’s happy being young, free and single again, so Jolene packs him off to deliver a ‘French Kiss’ cocktail to Tracy’s friend, Marlene.
Toby breaks the mellow mood in the mobile sauna by telling Pip he wants to reward Rosie with a phone for being so good at her birthday party this afternoon. Pip’s appalled – she’ll have to supervise Rosie twenty-four-seven just to keep her safe! Toby tries to explain, but when Martyn lets himself into the sauna, disgruntled Pip makes her exit.
When Tracy returns later, she’s ready to party and Jazzer’s thrilled to have her back. Meanwhile, Toby sympathises with Jolene over Kenton’s trauma, then goes after Pip, who left a few minutes before. Catching up with Pip, Toby explains how much he misses Rosie, while Pip gets to see her all the time. Giving her a phone would enable him to become part of her life properly, not just an occasional extra add-on. Pip promises she’ll at least think about it.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m002g4lz)
Prison-themed stage productions, Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and the composer Bruckner's fascination with death masks
A new stage production that's been inspired by the writer's own experience as an inmate. Academy Award winning playwright and director Terry George served a sentence in Long Kesh jail near Lisburn in the 1970s and his time there - when a number of successful and unsuccessful escape attempts were made. These inspire The Tunnel, a play which is being staged in Ireland for the first time, at the Lyric Theatre Belfast.
Neil McCormick pays tribute to co-founder of Black Sabbath and 'Prince of Darkness' Ozzy Osbourne, discussing his musical legacy, and his final concert which raised £140 million for charity.
Composer Jay Capperauld tells us about the 19th century Austrian composer Anton Bruckner's fascination with death and death masks, which has inspired his own work Bruckner's Skull, which is being performed at The Proms this Friday.
And what can museums and galleries do to curb the accidental damage being done to priceless artworks by visitors who want to take selfies? Melanie Gerlis of The Art Newspaper and Robert Read, Head of Art and Private Clients at Hiscox Insurance discuss.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan
WED 20:00 AntiSocial (m002fwjz)
Are men being pushed out of publishing?
Just a few years ago the gender gap in book publishing was seen as an issue to address, with many publishing houses focussed on boosting women authors. Has it all gone too far? Are men, especially straight, white men, now being locked out of telling their stories? And what might that mean for society?
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Nik Sindle, Lucy Proctor, Tim Gillet
Editor: Richard Vadon
WED 20:45 Café Hope (m0023g5x)
Run to recovery
Rachel Burden hears from Connor Shannon who set up Addicts to Athletes after he found that running helped with his recovery from addiction.
Café Hope is our virtual Radio 4 coffee shop, where guests pop in for a brew and a chat to tell us what they’re doing to make things better in big and small ways. Think of us as sitting in your local café, cooking up plans, hearing the gossip, and celebrating the people making the world a better place.
We’re all about trying to make change. It might be a transformational project that helps an entire community, or it might be about trying to make one life a little bit easier. And the key here is in the trying. This is real life. Not everything works, and there are struggles along the way. But it’s always worth a go.
You can contact us on cafehope@bbc.co.uk or Whatsapp us on 0330 678 47 27
Details of organisations offering information and support with addiction are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline
WED 21:00 Walt Disney: A Life in Films (p0fxbqwq)
4. Dumbo
Through the stories of ten of his greatest works, Mel Giedroyc examines the life of Walt Disney, a much mythologised genius. A man to whom storytelling was an escape from an oppressive father and a respite from periods of depression.
His name is truly iconic, but how much do we really know about this titan of the entertainment industry? Who was the real Walt and why did a man who moulded Western pop culture in his image end up on his deathbed, afraid that he’d be forgotten?
In this episode, Mel examines the seismic impact of World War Two on Disney’s company. We’ll hear how soldiers swarmed Disney’s LA studio and discover that Disney animations made a remarkable contribution towards the war effort.
Dumbo is a film with a controversial legacy, with problematic racial language and instances of cartoon blackface. Mel uses the troubling elements of Dumbo as a launching point for a wider examination of Walt’s views on race and the accusations of racism that have followed him over the decades.
Walt Disney: A Life in Films is produced by Novel for BBC Radio 4
WED 21:30 Inside Health (m002g4fd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 on Tuesday]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002g4m2)
Aid groups warn of mass starvation in Gaza
The World Health Organisation has warned that Gaza is in the midst of a “deadly surge in malnutrition-related deaths.” More than a hundred aid agencies also warned that starvation is spreading and called on Israel to allow aid into the enclave. An Israeli government spokesman said hunger was “engineered by Hamas”. We hear from doctors, aid workers and civilians inside Gaza.
Also on the programme: a second night of protests in Ukraine over a controversial law that limits the independence of anti-corruption agencies; and the revolutionary AI tool that can fill in the missing words in ancient texts.
WED 22:45 The Spire by William Golding (m002g4m4)
Episode Three
The classic story by William Golding, published in 1964, of one man’s obsession that endangers an entire community.
Dean Jocelin had a vision, and believes he has been chosen by God to add an enormous spire, his ‘spire of prayer’, to his cathedral. But the cathedral has no foundations.
Episode 3
Flood waters create new and unpleasant challenges for builders and worshippers at the cathedral.
Born in 1911, William Golding was the writer of 13 novels. These include Lord of the Flies, The Inheritors, Pincher Martin and The Spire. Rites of Passage - the first novel in his sea-trilogy To The Ends Of The Earth - won the Booker Prize in 1980. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983.
Writer: William Golding
Reader: John Heffernan
Additional voices by Lucy Davidson
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
With thanks to Judy Carver at William Golding Ltd
WED 23:00 Stand-Up Specials (m002g4m6)
The Lively Life of Lindsey Santoro
3. Curl Up & Pie
Today Lindsey is persuaded to get a psychic reading at her local hairdresser ‘Curl Up & Pie’ (it also serves pastries). After being blanked by the spirits she comforts her mum who is in a custody battle with her ex over their shared DJ equipment. Lindsey saves the day with a stroke of genius that strikes whilst she’s hiding in a toilet cubicle.
Welcome to the life of the most beautiful princess in all of Birmingham and its surrounding areas. This week Lindsey Santoro has started a diary. But she’s not 13 years old daydreaming about her latest crush and sleepover plans. She’s a 37-year-old no-nonsense Brummie whose days are more likely to involve thrush cream and a bargy with a bus driver. You are cordially invited to step into her world and learn lessons from her lively life.
Producer: Sasha Bobak
Production Coordinator: Katie Baum
Script Editor: Ruth Husko
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.
WED 23:15 Where to, Mate? (m001k0xy)
Series 2
'...follow that icon...'
Series 2 episode 3 - "...follow that icon..."
From filmmaker Jason Wingard and set and recorded on location in a car in Manchester, 'Where To, Mate?' is a semi-improvised comedy following our drivers Bernie, Ben, Saj and Rizwan, as we eavesdrop on their taxi journeys around the North West.
Bernie has a return customer. Ben has passenger who outstays his welcome and Rizwan thinks he's in for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Featuring local voices and character actors/comedians from the North.
Dialogue is improvised by the cast based on ideas by Jason Wingard and Carl Cooper.
Ben ..... Peter Slater
Bernie ..... Jo Enright
Saj ..... Abdullah Afzal
Rizwan ..... Irfan Nazir
Jo .... Nina Gilligan
Phil ..... Phil Ellis
Eleanor ..... Fiona Clarke
Controller ..... Jason Wingard
Controller ..... Abdullah Afzal
Additional voices and material by the cast and crew.
Director: Jason Wingard
Producer: Carl Cooper
A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:30 Why Do We Do That? (m00290dv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:45 on Sunday]
WED 23:45 Today in Parliament (m002g4m8)
Sean Curran reports on calls for calm over Essex asylum hotel protests. Peers also debate employment rights, pensions and protests for Palestinian rights.
THURSDAY 24 JULY 2025
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002g4mb)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 00:30 Wolf Moon: A Woman's Journey into the Night by Arifa Akbar (m002g4l8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002g4md)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002g4mg)
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 (m002g4mj)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:04 Sideways (m002g4l2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002g4ml)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002g4mn)
You Are That
A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Steve Taylor.
Good Morning.
One of my favourite spiritual books is The Upanishads, a collection of philosophical texts, composed in India around 2500 years ago. The essential teaching of The Upanishads is simple. The spirit inside us is also the spirit of the world, so that we are essentially one with the world. And this applies to human beings too, we are all essentially one, since we share the same spirit. As one of The Upanishads states, ‘you are that.’ Our illusory sense of separateness is the cause of all our suffering. When we transcend separateness, it is the end of sorrow and confusion.
Nothing causes as much human conflict as group identity - the thought that we belong to different groups with competing interests, and different histories, that allow us to withhold empathy and respect from one another. The Upanishads teaches us, that these differences are just superficial. Beneath the surface, we are all manifestations of the same spirit, like channels that flow from the same source. This is what makes it possible for us to sense each other’s suffering and joy. And this ability to empathise, triggers the impulse for kindness, to help alleviate each other’s suffering or encourage each other’s development.
As I have expressed it poetically:
Beneath all the distinctions between us
there is a place without identity
where we meet in oneness.
Beneath all the disagreements between us
there is a place without beliefs
where we meet in harmony.
Beyond our masks of personality
there is a place without pretence
where we meet in authenticity.
Beyond our different pasts
there is a place without time
where we meet in presence.
And once we meet each other there
we can celebrate our variety –
the infinite expressions of form
that arise from formless oneness.
Blessings.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002g4mq)
24/07/25 The Royal Welsh Show - the sustainable farming scheme and sheep shearing.
Farming Today joins the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells - the week after the Welsh Government announced its new system of payments: the sustainable farming scheme. This annual celebration of farming, food and rural Wales attracts around 200,000 visitors but this year the number of cattle on show is down by a third because of bluetongue disease.
Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
THU 06:00 Today (m002g4p4)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 Artworks (m002g4p8)
New York 1925
3. Summer
In 1925 New York became the biggest, most populous city in the world, overtaking London, and was the launchpad for an extraordinary range of writing, music, culture and politics which still resonate 100 years later - from the publication of F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and the launch of The New Yorker, to the rise of the Harlem Renaissance and the first success for the composer Richard Rodgers.
This is the story of that momentous year, season by season, told over four episodes, with contributors including novelist Jay McInerney, the writer and academic Margo Jefferson and the editor of the New Yorker David Remnick. The series is presented by the saxophonist and broadcaster Soweto Kinch, with an original sound track played by the composer and jazz clarinettist Giacomo Smith and his band.
Episode 3: Summer
The music coming out of Harlem, and across New York, was causing some consternation and the newspapers reported on the ‘immorality’ of the saxophone in 1925. Modernism in music and architecture was changing the look and sound of the city.
In September the novel Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska was published which gave voice to the people from the tenements in the Lower East Side. And on Broadway the international sensation, No No Nanette, opened, with hits including Tea for Two.
The man who wanted to become the first ‘speakeasy’ mayor, Jimmy Walker, was out on the campaign trail in the summer months, ready for the final vote in November.
Presenter Soweto Kinch
Producer Katy Hickman
Band: Giacomo Smith, leader and clarinet; Laura Judd, trumpet; Daniel Higham, trombone; Alexander Boulton, banjo; Joe Webb, piano; Corrie Dick, drums; Soweto Kinch, saxophone.
THU 09:30 Politically (m002g4pb)
Reflections: Series 3
Malcolm Rifkind
Edinburgh-born former lawyer Sir Malcolm Rifkind was first elected as a Conservative MP in 1974. A former Defence and Foreign Secretary, he served continuously as a minister for 18 years under Margaret Thatcher and John Major.
In conversation with James Naughtie, he looks back on his relationship with the 'Iron Lady', meeting Mikhail Gorbachev, the poll tax controversy, Tory Brexit wars and the personal side of political life.
Producer: Leela Padmanabhan
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002g4pd)
Gaza, Dame Imelda Staunton and Bessie Carter, Yasmin Khan, Cyberflashing
More than 100 international aid organisations and human rights groups are warning of mass starvation in Gaza and pressing for governments to take action. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Save the Children and Oxfam are among the signatories of a joint statement that says their colleagues and the people they serve are "wasting away". Israel, which controls the entry of all supplies into the territory, rejected the organisations' statement and accused them of "serving the propaganda of Hamas". Yolande Knell is the BBC's Middle East correspondent in Jerusalem and joined Kylie Pentelow for more on the situation there.
Dame Imelda Staunton, of Vera Drake and Harry Potter fame, and her daughter Bessie Carter, of Bridgerton fame, are starring as mother and daughter in Mrs Warren’s Profession by George Bernard Shaw, currently in the West End. The play explores the morals of earning money from prostitution. They join Kylie to talk about the relevance of the play today, and tell us what’s it like acting on stage together for the first time in their careers.
Yasmin Khan is an award-winning food and travel writer. Her fusion of recipes and reportage combines the cuisines of the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean and her new book, Sabzi: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes for Everyday, is her first meat-free cookbook. It was born out of overcoming the struggles of early motherhood and breastfeeding in particular. She tells Kylie about finding solace in the sustenance and soothing properties of the Iranian food she grew up on and adapting it for health and climate-conscious modern living.
Cyber flashing is when a stranger sends an unsolicited explicit image or video. When musician Anna Downes was sent naked photos and videos by a man called Ben Gunnery last year, she reported it to the police, who took a statement but were very slow to take it any further. In May, he was found guilty of intentionally sending the images to cause alarm, distress and humiliation and earlier this week Gunnery was given a two-year community order, including 150 hours of unpaid work. If he re-offends he’ll be sent to prison. Anna Downes joins Kylie along with Nicola Goodwin from BBC Midlands Investigations team.
Producer: Corinna Jones
Presenter: Kylie Pentelow
THU 11:00 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m002fxn4)
Series 33
How to Build the Perfect Athlete - Helen Glover, Hugh Dennis, Steve Haake and Emma Ross
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are limbering up for a high-performance episode all about what it takes to build the perfect athlete.
Joining them on the track are physiologist Dr Emma Ross, sports engineer Professor Steve Haake, Olympic rowing legend Helen Glover, and comedian Hugh Dennis - who’s getting into gear and reliving his cycling adventures in the Pyrenees.
From muscle power and mental grit to high-tech training tools, the team dives into the science of champions. Can we engineer the ultimate competitor? And how do you get back to peak performance after becoming a parent? Helen Glover shares her inspiring story, while Hugh Dennis wonders if he’s still got what it takes to get to the top.
Producer: Olivia Jani
Series Producer: Melanie Brown
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
BBC Studios Audio Production
THU 11:45 Wolf Moon: A Woman's Journey into the Night by Arifa Akbar (m002g4pg)
Episode 4 - Up All Night
In her new book, the writer Arifa Akbar explores how ideas about the night shape our culture and society. Today, a Berlin night club and night-time storytelling are under the spotlight. Manjinder Virk reads.
Arifa Akbar, writer and theatre critic, takes us on a personal and artistic journey into the night where she explores how darkness, especially for women, has shaped our minds, society and culture.
Wolf Moon is an elegant exploration of the night, which considers how the darkness is largely understood as a time for nightmares and fear, especially for women. So, she looks at the fearfulness invoked by murderous predators like the nineteenth century's Ripper, and of what it means to be a homeless woman when night falls. Yet, in this her latest book, Arifa Akbar reminds us that the night is also full of beauty and possibility. It’s a time for joy and for fun from London's Theatreland to a hedonistic nightclub in Berlin, and by contrast, she visits a convent, where an order of nuns wake at the midnight to sing their elegiac prayers for the world. She also travels to Svalbard to experience a place where night is absent and finds perpetual daytime unsettling. In sum, Wolf Moon is a reflective and thoughtful consideration of what happens after the sun has set.
Arifa Akbar is a theatre critic, a trustee of the Orwell Foundation and English PEN. She is currently a fellow of the London Centre for the Humanities. Her first book, is the acclaimed memoir, Consumed.
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
THU 12:00 News Summary (m002g4pj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 The Bottom Line (m002g4pl)
The Bottom Line Business Awards 2025
Which business leader, or company, has had the most outstanding 12 months? What's been the biggest disaster or blunder? Evan Davis and guests look back over the business highs and lows of the last year.
Evan is joined by:
Sir Martin Sorrell, executive chairman, S4 Capital;
Greg Jackson, founder and CEO, Octopus Energy;
Joanna Jensen, founder, Childs Farm.
Production team:
Producers: Georgiana Tudor and Osman Iqbal
Series Producer: Simon Tulett
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Neil Churchill and Matt Cadman
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002g4pn)
Dehumidifiers
Can dehumidifiers dry out your house - and your clothes?
Greg Foot gathers the experts, dives into the data and crunches the numbers to get answers for listener Rhys.
Each episode Greg investigates the latest ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener. Are they really 'the best thing since sliced bread' and should you spend your money on them?
All of our episodes start with YOUR suggestions. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.
RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM
PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND GREG FOOT
THU 12:57 Weather (m002g4pq)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m002g4ps)
Medics in Gaza describe impact of hunger
Two British medics give their accounts of what it's like working inside Gaza as the impact of widespread hunger continues to be felt. Meanwhile, ceasefire talks are expected later - we speak to a former Middle East negotiator. Plus, Jimmy Wales - the boss of Wikipedia - explains why he's worried about some aspects of the UK's new Online Safety Act.
THU 13:45 Understand (m002g4pv)
Derailed: The Story of HS2
9. You Can Do One
The arrival of Rishi Sunak in Downing Street revived the hopes of those who wanted to see HS2 cancelled entirely. One leg - to Leeds - had already been chipped away. And on the eve of the Tory party conference in Manchester, Rishi Sunak was persuaded to announce that that city would not now get HS2 either, in the face of intense resistance from the mayors of both Birmingham and Manchester itself.
Presenter: Kate Lamble
Producer: Robert Nicholson
Executive Producer: Will Yates
Sound Design and Mix: Arlie Adlington
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
THU 14:00 The Archers (m002g4lx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002g4px)
The Coat
Having been resident in London for nearly ten years, Abraham is about to become a British citizen. To make peace with his past he needs to return a coat he received as a donation while living in the Jungle refugee camp in Calais, his final stage before arriving in the UK.
He tracks down the original owner of the jacket, a solitary older man called Tom. Both Abraham and Tom are forced to revisit chapters from their pasts they would rather forget. A story about forced migration, asylum, and acceptance.
Abraham … Tewodros Aregawe
Tom …Toby Jones
Amara … Bethlehem Wolday Myers
Dawit … Abel Atsede
Registrar … Stephanie Lane
With Gvantsa Kartlelishvili and Sara Zeus
Written by Dawn Harrison
Director: Pavlos Christodoulou
Sound Design by Alisdair MacGregor
Executive Producer: Jeremy Mortimer
Music by Goitom Fesshaye
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4
Produced in association with Phosphoros Theatre, a theatre company staging performances with and for refugees and asylum seekers.
Thanks to Rafał Kołacki for permission to use field recordings from "Hijra. Noise from the Jungle".
THU 15:00 This Natural Life (m002g4pz)
Lira Valencia
Lira Valencia grew up in Croydon, the daughter of refugee parents from South America. In this programme she shows Martha Kearney around the Walthamstow Wetlands nature reserve in London, where she now works as a ranger. She tells Martha about the passion for wildlife which she has had ever since she was a small child. Growing up in a flat with no outdoor space, her favourite place was her grandmother's back garden in Streatham, where she discovered a fascination with snails which endures to this day. She talks about the barriers which she had to overcome in order to work in the conservation sector, and explains how she'd like to be a role model for other children from diverse and urban backgrounds with a passion for wildlife.
Producer: Emma Campbell
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002g33c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Feedback (m002g4q1)
Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away, and Radio 3 Controller Sam Jackson Part 2
Comedian Tony Hawks is a lucky man - and that's why, in a recent series for Radio 4, he's been discussing how he's looking into alternatives to leaving an inheritance for his son once he's gone. Plenty of listeners got in touch with questions and comments on Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away, and presenter Andrea Catherwood puts them to Tony directly.
We also hear the second part of our conversation with BBC Radio 3 Controller Sam Jackson, who talks to Andrea about this year's Proms, and the part he plays in the UK's arts sector.
And a listener has a nomination for Interview of the Year - this time it's for Chief North America Correspondent Gary O'Donaghue's interview with President Donald Trump.
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 (m002g4q3)
How close is the UK getting to the European Union?
'Britain is back on the world stage' said Prime Minister Keir Starmer in May following the first UK-EU summit since the UK left the EU in January 2020. Outline agreements were reached to remove red tape for British farm exports and energy trading with the EU as well as plans for a security and defence partnership. Then a few weeks later
the Prime Minister held summits in London with first the French President, Emmanuel Macron and then the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. David Aaronovitch asks whether this is the beginning of a new closer relationship with the European Union and if so, what compromises might need to be made.
Guests:
Peter Foster, World Trade Editor of the Financial Times
Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government
Anand Menon, Director of the UK in a Changing Europe
Mujtaba Rahman, Managing Director for Europe at Eurasia Group Consultancy
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Ben Carter and Kirsteen Knight
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Studio engineers: Callum Mclean and James Beard
Editors: Richard Vadon and Lisa Baxter
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m002g4q5)
The surprising culture of the animal kingdom
We discuss the incredible science of the animal kingdom, focusing on the latest fascinating research into animal culture, society and communication.
Victoria Gill is joined by a panel of experts in front of a live audience at the Hay Festival to hear about their research all over the world into animal behaviour.
Taking part are:
Jemima Scrase, who is currently finishing her PhD at the University of Sussex investigating matriarchal leadership in African elephants, and has spent most of the last few years out in the field in Kenya, working in collaboration with the charity Save the Elephants.
Dr Manon Schweinfurth, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews, who runs a lab investigating the evolutionary and psychological origins of cooperation.
And Andy Radford, a Professor of Behavioural Ecology at the University of Bristol, who studies social behaviour and communication, and particularly how vocalisations are used to mediate cooperation and conflict.
THU 17:00 PM (m002g4q7)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002g4q9)
A UN agency says six thousand aid lorries are waiting to enter Gaza
The head of the UN agency working in Gaza has said civilians in the Palestinian territory have been described as looking like "walking corpses”, as fears of a widespread famine continue to grow. Also: Jeremy Corbyn confirms he's setting up a new party to challenge Labour. And the American wrestler, Hulk Hogan, has died at his home in Florida at the age of 71.
THU 18:30 Ashley Blaker's Hyperfixations (m002g4qc)
4. Tattoos
"I went from being a rule-following ultra-Orthodox Jew to getting completely covered in strictly forbidden body art, making me even less kosher than a ham and cheese sandwich, presented on a plate made of crackling, and served by George Galloway."
Ashley's current - and most permanent - hyperfixation is tattooed body art. In another major life change he's now covered, head to toe, in ink; having crossed continents to get the best work by some of the most highly-regarded tattoo artists in the world.
When Ashley Blaker was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, one of the most significant aspects of his diagnosis is his propensity for hyperfixation in special interests, which he now realises has entirely shaped his past and which he uses to mine comedy for this new series.
It’s no exaggeration to say Ashley’s life has been driven by obsessions. He has variously been a schoolboy with a love of Star Wars and Doctor Who, a wannabe comedian who performed on the London comedy circuit at 16, a trivia nerd who appeared on University Challenge, a history PhD candidate at Cambridge, a BBC producer of hit comedy shows including Little Britain, a fanatical football fan who saw Liverpool play across England and Europe, a strictly Orthodox Jew who went to synagogue three times a day for over ten years, a father of six, and latterly, a heavily tattooed renegade in hiding from his former community.
In this series, Ashley takes a comedic look at each of his obsessions in turn, merging personal memoir with a delve into subjects which have yet to be covered in stand-up comedy shows. The result is a series which, while based on the broader topic of neurodiversity, covers it with the lightest of touches and is focused more on Ashley’s individual hyperfixations, lifting the lid on many of the different worlds he’s inhabited.
Written and performed by Ashley Blaker
co-starring Rosie Holt and Kieran Hodgson
Script Editor: Steve Hall
Recording engineers: Jerry Peal and Jon Calver
Producer: Steve Doherty
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4
THU 19:00 The Archers (m002g4qf)
When Neil and Tracy arrive at Number 6 they are unimpressed by the mess. Neil goes to fetch Jazzer, while Susan is shocked to discover Martyn under a blanket. As Martyn goes to get dressed, happy memories of last night start coming back. At Berrow, hungover Jazzer tests Neil’s patience, but Martyn is in a forgiving mood, hinting heavily at what he and Marlene did last night. Meanwhile, having helped clear up, Susan chastises Tracy for the state of the place, before Jazzer rings, mentioning what Martyn and Marlene got up to. Tracy moans, they’ll have to sterilise the house all over again now, but Susan reckons Tracy’s on her own with that one.
When Stella apologises to Pip for missing Tracy’s party, Pip tells her she had a great time, until Toby mentioned the idea of giving Rosie a phone. Stella is just as appalled as Pip about the potential risks and having to monitor Rosie all the time. But when Pip defends Toby’s intentions, she upsets Stella in the process. Later, Pip phones Stella to clear the air, then turns up at the eco-office, explaining she’s told Toby that Rosie’s not having a phone, but they will try to make him feel more connected. Stella then tells Pip she’d prefer Rosie not to call her ‘Mum’, before adding how grateful she is for Pip’s support, because it feels like something is going to blow at next week’s Board meeting.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m002g4qh)
Review Show: Burlesque the Musical
Tom is joined by poet and writer Nii Ayikwei Parkes and dance critic Lyndsey Winship to review the latest big screen to stage musical adaptation Burlesque the Musical, Matthias Glasner's German-language family drama Dying, and Disney Plus series Washington Black based on the hit book by Esi Edugyan.
Plus, as the UK government announces an overhaul of water regulation, an installation at the Folkestone Triennial called Ministry of Sewers allows people to air their grievances about the state of the country's waterways. Co-creator Daniel Fernandez Pascual joins Tom to discuss.
And what is UNESCO? Following the Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the UN organisation, journalist Mara Hvistendahl explains what the organisation does, and what this news means for its future.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Tim Bano
THU 20:00 Human Intelligence (m0026njp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Wednesday]
THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002g4lq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:15 on Wednesday]
THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002g2n9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
THU 21:45 Sideways (m0025480)
Appetite for Distraction
3. Medium and Metaphor
Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
In this episode, Matthew analyses the medium through which we consume so much our media, the smartphone, and asks how whether it changes the nature of how we read, watch and interpret the world around us.
Matthew looks into the culture of smartphone use around the world and finds out what we can interpret from the growing use of the devices, particularly among younger generations. He looks into the technological advancements in the smartphone that have driven the most change, and considers how information consumption on a phone changes our approach to attention as opposed to the television or a book.
Contributors:
Gloria Mark, Chancellor's Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine and author of Attention Span: Finding Focus for a Fulfilling Life
Daniel Miller, Professor of Anthropology, University College London
Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Sam Peach
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002g4qk)
Macron says France will recognise Palestinian state
President Macron of France says he will recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Macron says the move will fulfil France's "historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East". Israel denounced the move but, speaking to us, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations called it "an investment in peace".
Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, will begin their five-day strike action in a few hours. The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer used an article in The Times to say doctors should break with the British Medical Association and not go out on strike.
And the famous health target of 10,000 steps a day has been revised by one study to 7,000.
THU 22:45 The Spire by William Golding (m002g4qm)
Episode Four
The classic story by William Golding, published in 1964, of one man’s obsession that endangers an entire community.
Dean Jocelin had a vision, and believes he has been chosen by God to add an enormous spire, his ‘spire of prayer’, to his cathedral. But the cathedral has no foundations.
Episode 4
Jocelin notices that something is happening between the master builder, Roger Mason, and Goody Pangall.
Born in 1911, William Golding was the writer of 13 novels. These include Lord of the Flies, The Inheritors, Pincher Martin and The Spire. Rites of Passage - the first novel in his sea-trilogy To The Ends Of The Earth - won the Booker Prize in 1980. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983.
Writer: William Golding
Reader: John Heffernan
Additional voices by Lucy Davidson
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
With thanks to Judy Carver at William Golding Ltd
THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002g4qp)
Robert Macfarlane: Rivers Are Dying So Give Them Rights
Serious pollution incidents by water companies in England rose by 60% last year, but the best-selling author Robert Macfarlane says there is a way to save our rivers.
Days after a long-awaited review of the water sector in England and Wales was published, Amol sat down with Robert for a conversation about the state of rivers globally, why some are dying and how we can save them.
From President Donald Trump's dismantling of the Clean Water Act in the US to the dying River Wye, Robert takes us on a journey around the world and explains why he is optimistic about the future.
He says we can do things like give our rivers rights and mobilise citizen scientists to save them.
Robert also digs out Amol's report card from when he taught him at Cambridge University more than twenty years ago.
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. Technical production was by Rohan Madison. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.
THU 23:30 Why Do We Do That? (p0kvb7n2)
Series 2
12. Why do we play?
Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi asks why do humans play?
The Neanderthals are a species that was so close to us that we could reproduce with them, they had creativity, technology and they made art - handprints on cave walls and painted shells strung into necklaces. But it turns out the Neanderthals had shorter childhoods than us. Their children grew up quicker than their Homo sapiens counterparts.
We don’t know why Neanderthals went extinct. It is probably for a few reasons but is it possible that us having these longer childhoods, having more time to play, might have given us a creative edge. There are probably more important reasons for our survival over them but it is food for thought.
And we are still playing, anthropologist Brenna Hasset says play is part of learning how to be an adult so depending on where you grow up influences the type of games children play.
BBC Studios Audio
Produced by Emily Bird
Additional production Olivia Jani and Ben Hughes
Series Producer Geraldine Fitzgerald
Executive Producer is Alexandra Feachem
Commissioning Editor is Rhian Roberts
THU 23:45 Today in Parliament (m002g4qr)
Susan Hulme reports as peers demand answers about a new law to prevent cover-ups.
FRIDAY 25 JULY 2025
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002g4qt)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 00:30 Wolf Moon: A Woman's Journey into the Night by Arifa Akbar (m002g4pg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002g4qw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002g4qy)
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 (m002g4r0)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:04 The Briefing Room (m002g4q3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Thursday]
FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002g4r2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002g4r4)
Gratitude for Life itself
A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Steve Taylor.
Good Morning.
In my research as a psychologist, I once interviewed a woman called Irene, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, and told she probably only had a year left to live. She reacted to her diagnosis in an unusual way. When she stepped out of the consulting room, she felt elated and liberated. As she told me, ‘The air was so clean and fresh, and everything seemed so vibrant and vivid. The trees were so green and everything was so alive. I became aware of this energy radiating from the trees, and had this tremendous feeling of connectedness. I felt so fortunate to be alive on this planet.’
Although it was especially intense for the next few weeks, Irene remained in this state of intensified awareness. Her cancer went into remission for 13 years, and she was incredibly grateful for the awakening it gave her, which enabled her to live in a more fulfilling and contented way. She retrained as a therapist, and spent her working life supporting other cancer patients. As she told me, ‘I used to just sit and think, “This is amazing, that things could just fall into place so quickly.”’
Why did Irene’s diagnosis have such a positive effect? She told me that it was about becoming aware of death. As she said, ‘It was the first time I’d seen death as a reality, and realised that life is just temporary.’
Some people might believe it’s morbid or depressing to think about death. But contemplating death, helps us to become aware of the value of life. It can give us a new sense of perspective, and a sense of purpose. It can help us let go of unnecessary attachments to possessions, beliefs or the future or the past. It can make us aware of the beauty and wonder of the world.
So today, let’s pause for a moment, to remind ourselves that life is a temporary gift, that we should savour and celebrate.
Blessings.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002g4r6)
25/07/25: Don't pack foot and mouth, Blackcurrant harvest, Leech farming, Mobile mart nurses
The UK's Chief Vet is urging travellers not to run the risk of bringing foot and mouth disease back from European holidays, in banned personal imports of meat and dairy. Caz Graham hears why a warm, dry summer in many fruit growing areas has led to a bumper crop of high quality blackcurrants. All farmers tend to the needs of their livestock, but few creatures are as needy as leeches. We visit the UK's only medical Leech farm and find out how sensitive the blood suckers really are, to everything from atmospheric pressure to metals in the water. And we drop in to the mobile consulting room bringing health checks to farmers who are too busy, or reluctant, to get to their GP's surgery.
Presenter: Caz Graham
Producer: Sarah Swadling
FRI 06:00 Today (m002g52f)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m002g33r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Sunday]
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002g52h)
Kathryn Harkup on Agatha Christie, Ofcom, Sexual violence in Haiti, Mistress Dispeller
From today, websites operating in the UK with pornographic content must ‘robustly’ age-check users. Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must protect young people from encountering harmful content relating to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and pornography. Kylie discusses the issues with the BBC’s senior technology reporter Graham Fraser and Head of Policy and Public Affairs at CEASE, Gemma Kelly.
Dame Agatha Christie, also known as the ‘Queen of Crime’ and the ‘Duchess of Death,’ is the best-selling novelist of all time with more than two billion books sold and translations in 104 languages. In her new book V is for Venom: Agatha Christie's Chemicals of Death, author and former chemist Kathryn Harkup uncovers the real science behind the fiction and the true crime cases that inspired Christie’s plots.
Rape and other sexual violence is surging in Haiti as armed gangs expand their control across the capital Port-au-Prince and beyond. Medicine Sans Frontiers say cases of sexual violence have tripled in the past four years and that one in five victims are under the age of 18. BBC Correspondent, Nawal Al-Maghafi, has recently returned from Haiti and she describes what she witnessed.
Director Elizabeth Lo’s new Mandarin-language documentary, Mistress Dispeller, follows the real-life story of one woman who hires a professional, Teacher Wang, to help break up her husband’s affair and save her marriage. It’s a compelling documentary about love, infidelity, pain and joy in modern-day Chinese society. Elizabeth joins Kylie in the studio to tell the story.
A joint holiday with another family can be the perfect recipe for a memorable break - playmates for your children, shared responsibilities and enjoying other adult company. But different parenting styles and routines may lead to tension rather than relaxation. Genevieve Roberts, parenting columnist for the I newspaper, describes why she enjoys holidaying with another family and manages to stay friends afterwards.
Presented by Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Louise Corley
FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002g52k)
Big Food, Big Power
Sheila Dillon looks into claims that big food companies wield too much influence over government decisions and public health. The episode follows news from the youth-led campaign group BiteBack2030, which says its billboard campaign has been effectively silenced. The group recently organised a mock inquiry in Parliament, involving MPs, to share concerns about how junk food advertising and sponsorship are affecting the health of children in the UK.
Sheila also hears from a group of protesters who marched to Downing Street this month, shouting the message “Fight Fake Food.” Organiser Rosalind Rathouse, from the Cookery School on Portland Street, says the public needs to know how the food they’re eating is damaging their health. She is calling on everyone to learn to cook this summer. During the march, campaigners delivered a list of wishes to Downing Street, highlighting the changes they’d like to see in food policy.
Also featured are Jennifer Richardson from The BMJ, which has been investigating the impact of commercial influence on children’s health, and Cathy Cliff from the Soil Association, who submitted a Freedom of Information request to uncover the extent of food industry lobbying and its effect on government policy.
Presented by Sheila Dillon
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan
FRI 11:45 Wolf Moon: A Woman's Journey into the Night by Arifa Akbar (m002g52m)
Episode 5 - Sacred Night
In Arifa Akbar's new book about the night the singing of prayers for the world at midnight brings unexpected beauty and truth to the darkness. Manjinder Virk reads.
Arifa Akbar, writer and theatre critic, takes us on a personal and artistic journey into the night where she explores how darkness, especially for women, has shaped our minds, society and culture.
Wolf Moon is an elegant exploration of the night, which considers how the darkness is largely understood as a time for nightmares and fear, especially for women. So, she looks at the fearfulness invoked by murderous predators like the nineteenth century's Ripper, and of what it means to be a homeless woman when night falls. Yet, in this her latest book, Arifa Akbar reminds us that the night is also full of beauty and possibility. It’s a time for joy and for fun from London's Theatreland to a hedonistic nightclub in Berlin, and by contrast, she visits a convent, where an order of nuns wake at the midnight to sing their elegiac prayers for the world. She also travels to Svalbard to experience a place where night is absent and finds perpetual daytime unsettling. In sum, Wolf Moon is a reflective and thoughtful consideration of what happens after the sun has set.
Arifa Akbar is a theatre critic, a trustee of the Orwell Foundation and English PEN. She is currently a fellow of the London Centre for the Humanities. Her first book, is the acclaimed memoir, Consumed.
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002g52p)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 AntiSocial (m002g52r)
Racism and prejudice
The debate around a hierarchy of racism was reignited this week when Labour MP Diane Abbott appeared on a BBC Radio 4 podcast and discussed previous comments she'd made about racism.
She maintained there is a difference between racism based on skin colour and other kinds of racism. This sparked conversation around the different types of racism and prejudice faced by Black people, Jewish people, and Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller people. We look at the statistics and discuss the history of the anti-racism movement.
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Lucy Proctor, Nik Sindle, Simon Maybin, Natasha Fernandes
Editor: Penny Murphy
Studio Manager: Hal Haines
FRI 12:57 Weather (m002g52t)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m002g52w)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
FRI 13:45 Understand (m002g52y)
Derailed: The Story of HS2
10. The Bear Trap
The new government is trying to get a grip of HS2, with yet another reset. Kate challenges the new minister, Lord Hendy, on the project’s future and also considers the legacy of HS2. Will Britain ever attempt something like it again? And will its image transform again once trains are actually, finally running?
Presenter: Kate Lamble
Producer: Robert Nicholson
Executive Producer: Will Yates
Sound Design and Mix: Arlie Adlington
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002g4qf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m002g530)
Central Intelligence: Series 2
Episode 6
The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by veteran agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris and Johnny Flynn.
In Episode 6… It’s 1957 and the Agency’s legendary spymaster Frank Wisner, haunted by his own unravelling mind, is desperate to keep Indonesia from slipping into the Soviet sphere. His solution - a sordid blackmail plot involving a fake X-rated film meant to ruin President Sukarno’s reputation and shatter his hold on power.
But as the plan spirals into chaos, Frank’s fragile sanity teeters on the brink – revealing the high human cost of America’s shadow wars and the secret toll they take on those sworn to fight them from the inside out.
Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
President Eisenhower..........Kerry Shale
John Foster Dulles..........Nathan Osgood
Billie Monroe..........Valentina Arena
Alfred Ulmer..........Walles Hamonde
Bill Parker..........Patrick Poletti
Queen of Greece..........Marina Koem
Colonel Joop..........Ferandi Yennas
Allen Pope ..........Greg Lockett
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 Uncharted with Hannah Fry (m0022ssm)
12. Scandal in the Air
At a niche engineering conference, a young researcher shares some data that looks like an embarrassing mistake. Little does he know, his simple bar chart is the first pebble in an avalanche exposing a scandal of epic proportions.
Producer: Ilan Goodman
Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002g532)
Bracknell Forest: Garden Gnomes, Carrots and Tools
If you could have a garden gnome what would it be doing? What tools should I have on my first allotment? Any tips on growing carrots on a sandy soil?
Peter Gibbs and a panel of green-fingered gurus head to the lush landscapes of Bracknell Forest, where a lively audience of passionate gardeners awaits answers to their most pressing plant problems.
Joining Peter are pest and disease specialist Pippa Greenwood, head gardener Matthew Pottage, and the ever-enthusiastic plantswoman Christine Walkden.
Later in the show, Pippa Greenwood takes us behind the scenes at Heathrow Airport, where she meets Kelvin Hughes from the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Together, they uncover the fascinating work being done to safeguard the UK’s biodiversity from invasive pests and diseases hidden in overseas plants and produce.
Senior Producer: Daniel Cocker
Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
Plant List
Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.
Q – If you were forced to have one garden gnome, what would that garden gnome be doing? (01’38”)
Q – Do the panel have any advice on growing carrots in sandy soil? (05’47”)
Q – Are the panel opposed to the use of decorative wood chips in borders? (07’56”)
Q – Can they explain how buddleia can grow in church roofs and railway sidings and not come to much in my garden? (11’36”)
Matthew Pottage –
Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight', butterfly bush 'Black Knight'
Feature – Pippa Greenwood meets with Kelvin Hughes with the Animal and Plant Health Agency to discover how Heathrow Airport protect the UK's biodiversity from overseas produce and plants. (18’31”)
Q – What could we grow in our south-west facing garden that will provide vibrant colours during the summer? (24’06”)
Matthew Pottage –
Aesculus
Aesculus parviflora, bottlebrush buckeye
Eucryphia
Eucryphia lucida, leatherwood
Eucryphia lucida 'Pink Cloud', leatherwood ‘Pink Cloud’
Hydrangea quercifolia, oak-leaved hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia Snowflake ('Brido') (d), oak-leaved hydrangea [Snowflake]
Hydrangea quercifolia Ice Crystal ('Hqopr010'PBR), oak-leaved hydrangea [Ice Crystal]
Hydrangea quercifolia 'Harmony', oak-leaved hydrangea 'Harmony'
Christine Walkden –
Desfontainia
Osmanthus
Q – I’ve just taken on an allotment in the last year, and I'd like to know what are the top five low-cost items you'd recommend? (28’20”)
Q – Is there an aesthetically please alternative to steaks and pea netting that I could use whilst my plants establish? (31’14”)
Q – What plant would you like to be remembered by? (36’03”)
Christine Walkden –
Soldanella hungarica
Matthew Pottage –
Araucaria Araucana, monkey puzzle tree
Pippa Greenwood –
Magnolia stellata, star magnolia
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m002g534)
The Bacchanal
In Helen McClory’s new short work, two friends embark upon a festival promising a wild and soulful escape from the daily grinds of modern life, only to be met by ominous forces and unsettling spaces, corrupting the supposed utopia they initially sought to find.
Reader Nalini Chetty
Producer Bethany Woodhead
Helen McClory is an award-winning Scottish writer.
A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002g536)
Ozzy Osbourne, Connie Francis, Jacqui Browne, Douglas Chamberlain
Matthew Bannister on
Ozzy Osbourne, the Black Sabbath lead singer known for his outrageous antics, many while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Jacqui Browne, the Thalidomide survivor who campaigned for the rights of disabled people in Ireland.
Professor Douglas Chamberlain, the cardiologist who pioneered the use of defibrillators by ambulance crews, saving many lives.
Connie Francis, the Italian American singer known for hits like “Who’s Sorry Now?”, “Stupid Cupid” and “Pretty Little Baby”
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive:
BBC South East Today, BBC One South East, 20/06/2025; Wogan, BBC One, 27/11/1989; Open House, BBC Radio 2, 02/05/1978; Medical Express, BBC One, 29/08/1979; God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, BBC Two, 29/12/2012; Black Sabbath Final Concert: Back to the Beginning – Ozzy Osbourne, Performance date: 05/07/2025, Villa Park, Birmingham, Universal Music Group / Mercury Studios, via BBC News, 22/07/2025; Conversations About Activism and Change, Episode 4, Damien Walshe, Independent Living Movement Ireland, 28/05/2020
FRI 16:30 Sideways (m002g4l2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m002g538)
Gaza: will diplomatic moves stop starvation?
Starmer calls Macron and Merz as Donald Trump heads for the UK. Meanwhile 221 MPs write to the Prime Minister calling on him to immediately recognise a Palestinian state. Plus, the latest on the first day of the resident doctors' strike.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002g53b)
A former US soldier who worked at Israel-US backed aid sites in Gaza says there was "brutality" against civilians
A former US special forces soldier, who was hired to provide security at aid collection points in Gaza, has told the BBC he's never witnessed such indiscriminate brutality against civilians. Also: Sir Keir Starmer gets a cross-party letter from 221 MPs, urging him follow France in recognising Palestine as a state. And: Thousands of hospital doctors start a five day strike over pay and conditions; their union demands a 29% rise.
FRI 18:30 Too Long; Didn't Read (m002g53d)
Series 2
1. There's something in the water
Columns. Analysis. The Guardian's Long Read. Who has time? Catherine Bohart, that's who - and she's going beyond the headlines to give you the lowdown on one of the biggest stories this week, with the help of Phil Wang and our regular roving correspondent Sunil Patel.
This week, there's something in the water as Catherine & co investigate the regulation of the water industry, with the help of Helena Horton, environment reporter at The Guardian.
Written by Catherine Bohart, with Madeleine Brettingham, Tom Neenan and Pravanya Pillay.
Producer: Alison Vernon Smith
Executive Producers: Lyndsay Fenner & Victoria Lloyd
Sound Design: David Thomas
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Sayer
A Mighty Bunny production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m002g53h)
Mia collects Amber at the crack of dawn to watch the sun rise from the top of Lakey Hill. Amber happily films it, before they spot George’s drone being used by Ed to get footage for the tree surgery website. Amber and Mia share a moment talking about Mia’s mum, Nic, before Mia mentions how sorry Chelsea is for bullying Amber and how much she’s changed. Amber isn’t prepared to forgive Chelsea yet and moves the subject on to Brad, suggesting him and Mia might still have a future together. When Amber heads back to the car Chelsea approaches Mia, who admits she failed to get Amber to change her mind. But she tells Chelsea not to give up, her and Amber will be friends one day.
Meanwhile, the burglar alarm goes off at The Bull. Kenton takes a hammer as he goes with Jolene to investigate. All they find is an open window in the gents with a dodgy catch. No need to bother the police, Kenton thinks, as nothing has been taken or disturbed. Jolene wants to call the police anyway, before Tortoise jumps away from the windowsill. Kenton sees the Bull’s sign is on fire. They rush to put it out, and even Kenton admits this is beyond coincidence. And that’s before Kenton finds a dog collar left under the fruit machine. It’s clearly a threat from Markie, who’s toying with them. Kenton despairs; they haven’t got a chance in hell against him.
FRI 19:15 Screenshot (m002g53k)
Remakes
Remakes continue to proliferate on our screens. Over the last few months, we’ve had live action remakes in cinemas of classic animations Snow White, Lilo And Stitch, and How To Train Your Dragon, along with legacy reboots of the horror hit I Know What You Did Last Summer and DC’s Superman, and - coming soon - a new spin on the 1980s comedy The Naked Gun.
So is this all just evidence of a dearth of creativity in Hollywood? Or are there some artistically valid reasons to re-make existing films? And can a remake ever be better than the original? Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode delve into the past, present and future of the remake.
Mark speaks to critic Anne Billson about the remakes she considers worthy of our attention, from Brian De Palma’s Scarface to John Carpenter’s The Thing. And he also talks with Jim McBride who, in 1983, directed Breathless - a remake of Jean-Luc Godard’s French New Wave classic A Bout de Souffle, which Mark has long considered superior to the original.
Ellen talks to TV critic Roxana Hadadi about what television can bring to the remake party - and about the TV series that managed to improve on their source material. And Ellen also speaks to Noah Hawley, showrunner of the multi-Emmy winning Fargo and upcoming Alien: Earth TV series, about the creative possibilities of TV reboots.
Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002g53m)
Sir Vince Cable, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, Baroness Ayesha Hazarika, David Simmonds MP
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Mycenae House in London with the former leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Vince Cable; the former UK Ambassador to United Nations, Sir Mark Lyall Grant; broadcaster and former special adviser to Labour Party, Baroness Ayesha Hazarika; and David Simmonds MP, the Shadow Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Lead broadcast engineer: Simon Tindall
FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002g53p)
July 21st - July 27th
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: July 21st - July 27th
- 26th of July 1956 - When the Suez Canal Company was nationalised in Egypt, it began a chain of events that led to the downfall of the British Prime Minister Anthony Eden.
- 24th of July 1917- The trial begins of the apparent double-agent Mata Hari. But who was she really?
- 24th of July 1936 - The Speaking Clock launches, becoming a revolutionary new automated service at the end of the phone line.
Presented by Jane Steel and Caroline Nicholls.
Produced by Amanda Litherland and Chris Pearson
FRI 21:00 Politically (m002g53r)
Postwar: Omnibus 2
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.
Featuring John Bew, Patricia Clavin, Lucy Delap, Christopher Frayling, David Kynaston, David Reynolds, Robert Saunders and Wendy Webster.
With additional research by Alex HIll.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002g53t)
Starmer holds off recognising a Palestinian state
More than one third of MPs, drawn from across the political parties, have signed a letter urging the Prime Minister to give official recognition to a Palestinian state.
The letter piles pressure on Sir Keir Starmer after France committed to recognising a Palestinian state within months.
Thailand warns two days of border clashes with Cambodia could 'move towards war'
And as it gets ready to celebrate its 200th birthday, we take a look at preparations for a street party outside the National Gallery.
FRI 22:45 The Spire by William Golding (m002g53w)
Episode Five
The classic story by William Golding, published in 1964, of one man’s obsession that endangers an entire community.
Dean Jocelin had a vision, and believes he has been chosen by God to add an enormous spire, his ‘spire of prayer’, to his cathedral. But the cathedral has no foundations.
Episode 5
As the earth starts to move beneath the cathedral, the pillars at the crossways have started to sing.
Born in 1911, William Golding was the writer of 13 novels. These include Lord of the Flies, The Inheritors, Pincher Martin and The Spire. Rites of Passage - the first novel in his sea-trilogy To The Ends Of The Earth - won the Booker Prize in 1980. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983.
Writer: William Golding
Reader: John Heffernan
Additional voices by Lucy Davidson
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
With thanks to Judy Carver at William Golding Ltd
FRI 23:00 Americast (w3ct7t5p)
Donald Trump’s mid-year review
We’ve now witnessed six months of Donald Trump’s second term in the White House. In that time he's dominated the world's media and international headlines, but how much has he actually achieved so far? And what could he improve on?
Today, Sarah and Justin are conducting a mid-year appraisal of the president with someone who knows him well - Marc Short, chief of staff to vice president Mike Pence during Trump’s first term.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
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This episode was made by Tim Walklate, George Dabby, Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The social producer was Grace Braddock. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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FRI 23:30 Illuminated (m002g35p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:15 on Sunday]