SATURDAY 13 DECEMBER 2025
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002n7q9)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:30 Upon a White Horse by Peter Ross (m002n7nx)
Scion
Stretching from midwinter at Stonehenge to midsummer at the Sycamore Gap, journalist Peter Ross takes up the long human story as he visits the ancient places of the British Isles. From stones to shrines, through ritual and commemoration, what are we seeking when we connect with the past?
“This was a kind of shrine.”
Ross ends his tour of the ancient monuments of the British Isles at Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, in a place where absence is felt keenly.
Read by Andy Clark
Written by Peter Ross
Abridged by Rosemary Goring
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
Peter Ross is an Orwell journalism fellow whose writing has appeared in national newspapers and magazines in the UK and US. He won the non-fiction prize at Scotland's National Book Awards with A Tomb With A View: The Stories & Glories of Graveyards, and his next book, Steeple Chasing, was a Sunday Times bestseller.
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002n7qc)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002n7qg)
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 (m002n7ql)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002n7qs)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002n7qz)
Stargazer
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection with Father Dermot Preston
Good Morning. When I was about fifteen I acquired a telescope to study the stars. This was rather optimistic given that in industrial Burnley the night sky was washed-amber by light pollution; and the telescope itself also was poor and rickety - so battered and out-of-focus that my mother reckoned it had once been owned by Captain Ahab and thrown at Moby Dick.
I was not amused.
But my interest in astronomy has remained, and in recent years I have been entranced by the James Webb telescope orbiting the earth and staring into the outer limits of the cosmos.
The telescope is made up of 18 gold, hexagonal mirrors which (on arrival in space) unfurled origami-like and slotted together as an single 21-foot reflector. The calibration of James Webb took 3 months, as each individual mirror had to be focused on one particularly bright, star. When the focus of all 18 mirrors was integrated & aligned they became a single eye scanning-out over creation.
The human heart could be looked at as a complex of mirrors which, left untended, can end-up pointing in different & conflicting directions; a life can easily lose its focus and go adrift, questioning who I am? or what I am meant to be doing with my life?
Today is St Lucy’s Day; her name means ‘light’ and it is especially celebrated in Scandinavia because her Feast is a beacon which overlooks the longest, darkest nights of the year.
Lord, you are the Light that shines in the darkness, a Light that darkness cannot overpower; give me the courage and insight I might need to re-align the mirrors of my heart on You alone. Amen.
SAT 05:45 New Storytellers (m002h9w3)
Life in Numbers
Living with a chronic condition feels like living with a full-time job and no days off. Musician Sarah Warren knows this well and offers a creative, unfiltered insight into living a life where numbers are vital to survival. With a medical history comparable to that of someone three times her age, Sarah’s story is a stark reminder that you can never tell what someone else has to cope with every day of the year.
Diabetes affects around 5.8 million people in the UK, so Sarah’s journey with Type One diabetes is not an uncommon story. This feature is a personal, witty and creative take on the lessons she has learnt, and how medical advances and digital monitoring have evolved since she was first diagnosed 14 years ago. Diabetes used to be something that Sarah tried to keep from others now it’s something she wants to share proudly. Think of this as your permission to stare.
‘Life in Numbers’ gives you access to a world through sounds you’ve never heard before. You can’t see it, but you can listen.
New Storytellers presents the work of new audio producers and this series features the winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Audio Feature 2025.
Sarah Warren worked on her feature while at Transmission Roundhouse, based in London, who run audio production training courses. The Judges praised Sarah Warren’s feature as “a good personal, informative account of living with diabetes… a very easy listen and the personality really shines through … with great illustrative sound design.”
Producer: Sarah Warren
A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002nh5q)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
SAT 06:07 This Natural Life (m002n7w9)
Jane Anderson
Martha Kearney meets Jane Anderson, one of the UK's leading physicians in HIV medicine, to learn about the living library of plants at Chelsea Physic Garden. Since childhood, Jane has always been a huge lover of plants and their many remarkable uses - for food, for medicine, for health and wellbeing. As they walk around the medicinal plant beds, she speaks about human health and planetary health, and how they are both completely interconnected.
Producer: Becky Ripley
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002nh5s)
13/12/25 Farming Today This Week: turkeys; rural roads; off-grid communities; African swine fever; rare breed pigs.
Despite the impact of avian flu, which has been devastating for some turkey farmers, the industry says there will not be a shortage this Christmas. Poultry farms were hit so badly in 2022 that many farmers brought in contingency plans to cope with the possibility of the disease striking them.
Rural roads are significantly more dangerous than urban ones. The latest figures from the Department for Transport show that 956 people were killed in 2024, that's 72% more than on urban roads. The figures have been analysed by NFU Mutual insurance, and it's now calling for more specific training for driving on rural roads, especially for those who break the law.
The Spanish region of Catalonia is still coping with the arrival of African swine fever, which was first diagnosed in wild boar on November 28th. There have now been 13 confirmed cases in wild boar, and 80,000 pigs are having to be slaughtered as a precaution. The authorities are looking into the possibility that the disease may have leaked from a research facility.
Thousands of people are still not connected to the National Grid and rely on generators for power, according to the energy regulator. Ofgem estimates up to 2,000 properties in the UK are still off-grid. Some have been asked to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds if they want a connection. Now a charity in Northumberland says the government should do more to help.
All week, we've been talking about rare breeds of livestock and at just 15 years of age, Sebastian Carr is quite the celebrity in the world of rare breed pigs. He's won awards for his herd of Saddlebacks. His passion for pigs began when he was just eight and he received four piglets as a Christmas present.
Presenter = Caz Graham
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
SAT 06:57 Weather (m002nh5v)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m002nh5x)
Today (Saturday)
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002nh5z)
Russell Tovey, Desert Racing, Puppeteering, and the Inheritance Tracks of Paul Bettany
The actor and art lover Russell Tovey - who’s not only on a mission to spread his love of art far and wide… but is humanity's best hope in the War between Land and Sea.
There’s no hint of CGI in the warzones Sally Becker’s been to - the recipient of a Lifetime achievement award at this year’s Pride of Britain, she’s made it her life’s work to help children in some of the most unimaginable situations.
And Vanessa Ruck - who spent seven years recovering from a life-changing car accident… only to then learn to ride a motorbike and race it in extreme endurance events.
All that plus, a man who makes a living with his hand, head, and indeed his entire body inside some of the most iconic puppets on stage - and the Inheritance Tracks of the actor Paul Bettany.
Presenter: Adrian Chiles
Producer: Ben Mitchell
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Glyn Tansley
SAT 10:00 Curious Cases (m002nh61)
Series 24
Phantom Pain
What exactly is 'phantom pain' and how does it work?
Hannah and Dara investigate a medical phenomenon that's been known about for centuries but is often misunderstood; and involves masses of unanswered questions.
The condition 'phantom pain' is when someone gets a sensation of pain that feels like it's coming from a part of their body that's no longer there - so that could be an amputated limb, or perhaps something that has been removed, such as a tooth or an organ. It's thought to be caused by how the brain and body process pain and physical awareness, but there's still debate around what exactly is going on neurologically.
Researchers around the world are looking into the condition; in the meantime, people who experience phantom pain - like today's studio guest Lynn - often have to try out a range of treatments, to find out what combination works best for them. But as the team discover, pain is deeply subjective - and in this case, there is really no 'right answer'...
Contributors:
- Tamar Makin, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge, where she leads the Plasticity Lab;
- Lynn Williams, a qualified therapist and upper limb amputee who volunteered as a subject for one of Tamar’s research programmes;
- Carlos Roldan, Associate Professor in the Department of Pain Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center;
- Keren Fisher, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who’s worked in the NHS for more than four decades; largely in pain management at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital.
Producers: Emily Bird & Lucy Taylor
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production
SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002nh63)
Series 50
Dundee
Jay Rayner and the panel are in Dundee answering questions from an audience of keen home cooks. Joining Jay are chefs, cooks and food writers Jocky Petrie, Sarah Rankin, Rachel McCormack and Paula McIntyre.
The panel discuss cooking with wine, haggis nachos, and whether chips are an acceptable topping for pizza. We also hear from Scottish writer, Billy Kay about the importance of claret in Scotland.
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Producer: Dan Cocker
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002nh65)
Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002nh67)
Syria a year after the fall of Assad
Kate Adie introduces stories from Syria, Ukraine, the USA, China and Germany.
Syrians took to the streets to celebrate one year since the fall of the Assad regime, but in the background post-war reconstruction has been slow and sectarian violence is on the rise. Lina Sinjab has been travelling the country, and reflects on the challenges ahead.
Despite the constant threat of drones and missiles, many Ukrainians are finding ways to carry on with their lives - including the country's artists and musicians. Marcel Theroux recently visited Chernivtsi in western Ukraine, to attend the opening night of an unexpected musical gem.
Just a few years ago, the city of El Paso in Texas declared a state of emergency as local shelters struggled to cope with the influx of migrants crossing the border from Mexico. Today, the picture is very different with the flow of migrants now a trickle. Bernd Debusmann looks at the impact of Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
China's mighty Yangtze river is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, but the wildlife living in the river is struggling for survival with many native species already extinct. Stephen McDonell met a team of scientists trying to save the endangered finless porpoise.
The German city of Chemnitz is currently a European Capital of Culture, and among the celebrations is an exhibition of a cultural icon - the Trabant. Adrian Bridge explores the history of East Germany's car culture - and how it provided some welcome respite from the spying eyes of the Stasi.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002nh69)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002nh6c)
Investment Changes and Women's Financial Rights
Sweeping changes to the way investments are recommended across the UK will start in April. This week the Financial Conduct Authority set out its plans. The regulator hopes they will encourage more people to invest their savings rather than keep them in cash. From April it will bring in what it calls 'targeted support'. That would allow firms to suggest how customers in different groups should manage their money. The FCA has also issued new guidance on how investments can be marketed and what warnings customers are given. Paul Lewis speaks to its Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Pritchard.
Just 50 years ago, women couldn’t apply for loan or get a mortgage without a man. That came to an end thanks to the Sex Discrimination Act which came into force in December 1975. We'll hear from Kath and Sue who remember what it was like at that time.
And a new scheme aimed at bringing down energy debt targets people who are moving home. We'll speak to Ofgem, the energy regulator, about that.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Eimear Devlin
Researcher: Jo Krasner
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson
(First broadcast at
12pm Saturday 13th December 2025)
SAT 12:30 Dead Ringers (m002n7pm)
Christmas Specials 2025
Dead Ringers Christmas: Ep 1. Farage Goes to School, The Snowman v Keir, and Alan Carr: Special Negotiator
The Dead Ringers team are back to train their vocal firepower on the week’s news with an armoury of impressive impressions.
This week: Farage goes to a new school, The Snowman takes Keir Starmer on a Christmas journey, and Alan Carr: Special Negotiator.
This week's impressionists are Jan Ravens, Jess Robinson, Kieran Hodgson and Josh Berry.
The episode was written by: Nev Fountain and Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Tom Coles, Sarah Campbell, Sophie Dickson, Jon Holmes, Alice Bright, Rachel E Thorn, Jennifer Walker, Joe Topping, Alex Buchanan and G Watson.
Created by Bill Dare
Producer: Jon Holmes
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
SAT 12:57 Weather (m002nh6f)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News (m002nh6h)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002n7pv)
Sir Jake Berry, Tobias Ellwood, Josh Simons MP, Sonia Sodha
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Wigan & Leigh College with former Conservative Party chair, now Reform UK member, Sir Jake Berry; defence analyst and former Conservative MP, Tobias Ellwood; Labour MP and Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons; and journalist and broadcaster Sonia Sodha.
Producer: Paul Martin
Assistant producer: Lowri Morgan
Production co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano
Lead broadcast engineer: Phil Booth
Editor: Glyn Tansley
SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002nh6k)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?
Producer: Catherine Powell
Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Glyn Tansley
SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002n7pq)
Josh and Lily nurse a recovering Paul, updating him that Josh’s girlfriend Nina did not turn up on Thursday. Josh admits that he finds her captivating on stage, but that he deserves more than he’s getting in the relationship. Lily reveals that she’s not going to travel with Mason in Australia but is just going to spend a short time in Perth. They no longer need to look for a new housemate. Lily will speak to Dane about the wedding planner job. Now that she’s staying around, she’s motivated to get the house clean before Shula arrives tomorrow, despite them feeling ill. Leonard arrives and suggests a refreshing walk ahead of cleaning. Toasting Lily’s birthday in The Bull with lemonade, Paul shares that he is booking a driving instructor who specialises in nervous students. Returning home to The Stables, the grateful flatmates find that Leonard and Joy have completely cleaned the house.
Akram has been reflecting on the proposed move to Pakistan. Over the week he’s really noticed the impact Azra makes in the community. His family’s happiness is the most important - the children have made good friends and Azra is so at home in Ambridge. He has found it humbling. Azra admits that her earlier wishes to move had been her reaction to a bad week. Akram suggests that they take a family walk down to the Green for the Christmas lights switch on, as they all belong in this village now, him included.
SAT 15:00 Opening Lines (m002nh6m)
Pride and Prejudice - Episode One
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has not only captured the hearts of generations of readers, it also helped change the way that novels are written. This most beloved tale of Regency romance, featuring the brilliantly quick-witted Elizabeth Bennett and the haughty figure of Fitzwilliam Darcy, allows us into its characters’ heads and hearts in newly sophisticated ways that set the template for so much of the fiction that followed. In this, the first of two parts focusing on Austen’s most popular novel, John Yorke examines how a book she described as ‘too light, and bright, and sparkling’ retains a special place and a special importance in the history of English literature.
The programme features leading Austen expert John Mullan, professor of English Literature at UCL, and Dr Lucy Powell, lecturer in English at the University of Oxford.
John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative, including many podcasts for Radio 4.
Contributors: John Mullan, professor of English Literature at UCL and Dr Lucy Powell, University of Oxford
Sound: Sean Kerwin
Researcher: Henry Tydeman
Production Hub Coordinator: Dawn Williams
Producer: Geoff Bird
Reader: Rhiannon Neads
Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 15:15 Drama on 4 (m002nh6p)
Pride and Prejudice
Part 1
Radio 4 celebrates 250 years of Jane Austen with fresh, funny, and female-focused adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. Expect heartbreak, love, hilarity, and the enduring power of sisterhood.
Pride and Prejudice the iconic love story between Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy, and a delightful portrayal of a family. It perfectly conjures up the period, and the pressure on women to find husbands. A tapestry of unforgettable characters and wonderfully funny.
Dramatised by award winning writer Rachel Joyce
Jane Austen ..... Tamsin Greig
Elizabeth ..... Isabella Laughland
Darcy ..... Luke Thompson
Mr Bennet ..... Miles Jupp
Mrs Bennet ..... Rosie Cavaliero
Jane ..... Lucy Doyle
Bingley ..... Louis Landau
Wickham ..... Toby Regbo
Lady Catherine ..... Adjoa Andoh
Lydia ..... Kitty O'Sullivan
Kitty ..... Gaia Wise
Mary ..... Imogen Front
Mr Collins ..... Josh Bryant Jones
Charlotte ..... Sasha McCabe
Caroline Bingley ..... Catherine Bailey
Directed by Tracey Neale
Dramatised by Rachel Joyce
Rachel Joyce is a best-selling author and award winning audio drama writer. Her audio work includes the entire Bronte canon for Radio 4. Her first novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry has been adapted for both film and stage. The sold out Chichester Festival Theatre Musical of Harold Fry's story opens at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on the 29th January. Rachel's latest novel, The Homemade God, was published in February this year.
Produced and Directed by Tracey Neale
Sound by Andrew Garratt and Sam Dickinson
Production Co-Ordinator, Luke MacGregor
Casting Manager, Alex Curran
A BBC Studios Production.
SAT 16:15 Woman's Hour (m002nh6r)
Weekend Woman's Hour: Maternity care review, Weight loss drugs and exercise, Wages for housework
Baroness Amos, who was appointed by the Health Secretary to lead an independent rapid investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal care in England, has said nothing prepared her for the scale of 'unacceptable care' that women and families have received. Presenter Krupa Padhy is joined by the BBC’s Social Affairs correspondent Michael Buchanan and Theo Clarke, former Conservative MP who also chaired the UK Birth Trauma Inquiry and hosts the podcast, Breaking the Taboo, to discuss the review and what comes next.
Wages for housework was a feminist mantra in the West in the 1970s – feminist campaigners arguing for recognition of the economic value of domestic labour. The debate has been revived in India over the last decade with an estimated 118 million women across 12 states now receiving unconditional cash transfers from their governments. Devina Gupta, a reporter based in Delhi, and Professor Prabha Kotiswaran from King’s College in London unpick the impact of ‘wages for housework’ on women’s lives and the Indian economy.
When Kaitlin Lawrence was just 22 years old, she collapsed whilst playing netball for the then Super League side Surrey Storm. She was eventually diagnosed with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), a genetic condition she never knew she had. Following this, she was forced to give up her dream of playing professionally for Scotland and has gone on to successfully campaign to get cardiac screening introduced in the Netball Super League next season. She tells Anita her story. They were joined by Presenter Gabby Logan, whose younger brother died suddenly at the age of 15 years old from an undiagnosed heart condition. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
A new report highlights the crucial role of strength training and exercise for people on weight loss drugs. Data gathered by fitness professionals, Les Mills and the not-for-profit industry body, ukactive, shows the impact of weight loss drugs on skeletal muscle mass. Their report says that 20-50% of weight loss is lean body mass, which poses significant health risks such as frailty, disability, reduced metabolism, and increased mortality. Physiotherapist Lucy McDonald and Dr Sarah Jarvis join Krupa to discuss the importance of strength training to mitigate muscle loss.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Dianne McGregor
SAT 17:00 PM (m002nh6t)
BMA: Government 'scaremongering' over flu outbreak
The government has warned of harm to patients if a strike by resident doctors goes ahead. We hear from the BMA. Plus, Israel assassinates a ring leader of the October 7 attacks, and shopkeepers hit back as the Met Police says they should do more to curb shoplifting.
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002p0j6)
Jordan Bardella: The 30-year-old populist hoping to be France's next president
An exclusive interview on immigration, racism, Russia, Farage and Trump.
Jordan Bardella is the leader of National Rally in France, and currently leading the polls to become president in 2027 if his mentor, Marine Le Pen fails to overturn a conviction that bars her from running for office.
In the meantime, he is on a mission to persuade people that his party has changed since its history as the National Front, founded in the 1970s by Jean-Marie Le Pen, a convicted racist and Holocaust-denier.
Can he succeed?
In this interview, Bardella responds to Donald Trump's criticism of Europe, rejects challenges on racism and explains why he is in London to meet with Nigel Farage
Producers: Daniel Kraemer and Leela Padmanabhan
Research: Lisa Louis
Translation: Pierre-Antoine Denis
Additional translation: Merlyn Thomas, Erwan Rivault
Sound editing: Craig Kingham
Editor: Giles Edwards
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002nh6w)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m002nh6y)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002nh70)
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will not face police action over bodyguard claim
The Metropolitan Police says it has decided not to investigate newspaper reports that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor asked his close protection officer to gather information fourteen years ago about Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault. He has not commented on the reports, but has consistently denied all the allegations against him. Also: Buckingham Palace says the King's delighted with the worldwide reaction to his call for more people to be screened for cancer, and: it's believed that more than 600 migrants have crossed the channel today in small boats.
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002nh72)
Sharon Rooney, Jonathan Watson, Clive Anderson, Banjo Beale, Flora Shedden, Malin Lewis, Ballad Lines
Clive Anderson is joined in Glasgow by My Mad Fat Diary actor Sharon Rooney. In her latest thriller series The Revenge Club she joins Martin Compston and Meera Syal in a cast of motley divorcees who want to get back at their exes.
Jonathan Watson is back on the telly this Christmas when Two Doors Down returns. The neighbours of Latimer Crescent reunite for a special episode, as Beth and Eric dare to put their tree up a bit earlier than usual.
Interior Design Masters winner Banjo Beale has filled our screens with transformations across the country. Now Banjo and Ro's Grand Island Hotel takes him and his husband to the remote island of Ulva as they attempt their biggest design project to date.
Flora Shedden first charmed the world when she appeared on The Great British Bake Off as a teenager in 2015. Now she keeps her community in Dunkeld supplied with baked goods and local produce, and in her new book Winter in the Highlands she shares some of those recipes with us.
Plus music from Malin Lewis, and a track from new folk musical Ballad Lines.
Presenter: Clive Anderson
Producer: Caitlin Sneddon
SAT 19:00 Profile (m002nh74)
David Harewood
David Harewood, who turned sixty this week, returns as Othello for the third time on stage. It’s a role he first took on in 1997, becoming the first black actor to play the part at London’s National Theatre.
Growing up in multicultural Birmingham in the sixties and seventies, he was born to immigrants from Barbados.
Described as gregarious by his teachers at school, Harewood showed an interest in entertaining from an early age and subsequently trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts.
In his early twenties, he had a psychotic breakdown, something he spoke about in a recent documentary.
A string of roles in TV and film followed. And then came his breakthrough role as CIA agent David Estes in the acclaimed hit US TV show Homeland.
Mark Coles looks back at his career.
Contributors
Gary Turner – childhood friend
Pete Mortiboys – school physical education teacher
Jeremy Harrison – Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts (RADA) classmate and friend
Afua Hirsch – broadcaster, journalist and author of the book Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging
Tom Morris – Theatre director and colleague
Toby Jones – Actor and colleague
Production
Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Ben Carter, Laura Cain
Editor: Nick Holland and Justine Lang
Sound: Gareth Jones
Archive
Audio of David Harewood as Othello, 2025, Theatre Royal Haymarket, clean from trailer
David Harewood: Psychosis and Me documentary, 2019, for BBC, production company: Films Of Record Limited
SAT 19:15 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m002kjvg)
Series 34
Head in the Clouds - Owain Wyn Evans, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, Amanda Maycock
Robin Ince and Brian Cox look up to the heavens as they try to ‘de-mistify’ the foggy science of clouds. They’re joined by Cloud Appreciation Society founder Gavin Pretor-Pinney, climate scientist Amanda Maycock, and former weather presenter and drummer Owain Wyn Evans, for a whirlwind tour of our too often-overlooked aerial realm.
The panel explores how clouds form, why they take such extraordinary shapes, and how satellites and weather balloons help us keep track of them. They discover why low clouds cool the planet but high clouds warm it and why a cloud that weighs as much as a jumbo jet manages to stay up in the sky. From the physics of a crisp packet balancing on a cumulonimbus to the shimmering beauty of noctilucent clouds, tune in for this cirrus-ly fascinating episode.
Series Producer: Mel Brown
Researcher: Alex Rodway
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Production
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002nh76)
The Battle of the Drina
The largely unknown story of the siege of Goražde, the only Muslim enclave and UN ‘Safe Area’ in eastern Bosnia to survive the Bosnian war, after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
The story of Goražde and how it survived nearly four years of brutal siege is a remarkable tale of individual resilience and courage. But it’s also a story about lack of international will and a near final betrayal that almost wiped out its existence. The failure of the United Nations to act, leading to the genocide in the neighbouring UN Safe Area of Srebrenica, irrevocably damaged the institution. Goražde became the ‘red line that could not be crossed,’ testing the resolve of the international community and almost breaking the NATO alliance.
Presented by journalist and filmmaker Fiona Lloyd-Davies, this episode of Archive on 4 takes the listener into the heart of the story, through eye-witness accounts from people who were in Goražde throughout the siege, and those who made the decisions that decided its fate.
The voices from Goražde include a PhD engineering student who became a defender and is now the Prime Minister of the canton, a restaurateur who became a commander known as the black pirate and teenagers who dodged snipers and risked freezing to death to find food. Woven into the story are the voices involved in making the decisions that would decide the fate of the town, from diplomats such as Lord Hannay, British Ambassador to the United Nations; David Scheffer who attended cabinet meetings in the Clinton administration’s War Room and British UN peacekeepers who risked their lives to prevent Goražde from falling to the Serbs.
It also has a deeply personal angle for Fiona as her sister Vanessa, a doctor in the British Army and seconded to the UN in June 1992, was on the first attempted convoy bringing much needed food and medicines to the besieged town. But the armoured personnel carrier Vanessa was in went over a mine and the convoy found itself in the middle of a firefight. They never reached Goražde. Fiona went to interview Vanessa in Sarajevo a few days after the failed convoy, and heard about it first-hand. It was the first of many assignments in Bosnia, where Fiona worked throughout the war. Yet neither Vanessa or Fiona ever reached Goražde during the war, and Vanessa tragically took her own life some years later. To look for answers and finish her sister's journey, Fiona went to Goražde and uncovered the extraordinary and untold story of the Battle of the Drina.
Written and presented by Fiona Lloyd-Davies
Produced by Imogen Serwotka
A Studio 9 Films production for BBC Radio 4
Image credit: Fiona Lloyd-Davies
SAT 21:00 Moral Maze (m002n7yt)
Should children be banned from social media?
As Australia begins its pioneering social media ban for under-16s, governments around the world will be watching closely. The move, which represents a significant challenge to Big Tech's dominance, aims to protect children from online harms like cyberbullying, grooming, exposure to violent/misogynistic content, as well as anxiety and depression linked to excessive screen time and addictive platform designs. Should other countries, including the UK, follow suit?
Evidence suggests social media ‘doom scrolling’ changes our brainwave activity, affecting attention spans (children are reading less than in the past), altering reward pathways with dopamine ‘hits’, and influencing emotional regulation and social processing (combined with a decline in outdoor play). Critics argue a blanket social media ban treats all under-16s as a homogeneous risk group, denying them moral agency, rather than distinguishing between responsible and problematic use. Others fear a loss of mainstream online community spaces could lead to further isolation and push some teenagers toward more dangerous platforms or behaviours.
Should children be banned from social media?
Chair: Michael Buerk
Panel: Carmody Grey, Mona Siddiqui, Giles Fraser and Anne McElvoy
Witnesses: Jennifer Powers, Timandra Harkness, James Williams and Tony D Sampson.
Producer: Dan Tierney
SAT 22:00 News (m002nh78)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002n7nv)
Going Cold Turkey: Alternative Christmas Dinners
Annie Gray always rejects turkey and the trimmings at Christmas. She believes they are a construct of a bygone era and will often eat pizza on the big day instead.
She explores alternative dinners from Christmases past, present and future. She visits Bath to discover what would have been eaten over Christmas in the Regency period and bakes traditional mince pies - made with minced meat. She'll look at how Christmas is celebrated differently around the world and will discuss Christmas dinners to come with a food futurologist.
Presented by Dr Annie Gray
Produced in Bristol by Robin Markwell for BBC Audio
SAT 23:00 Time of the Week (m002194c)
Series 1
4. Plastic Surgery, Inducing Childbirth, Sabotage
Can a song induce labour? Chloe Slack finds out. Also: women in art, plastic surgery, and industrial sabotage.
Sian Clifford stars as self-important journalist Chloe Slack in this comedy series parodying women’s current affairs and talk shows, surrounded by an ensemble cast of character comedians.
Chloe Slack - Sian Clifford
Ensemble cast:
Ada Player
Alice Cockayne
Aruhan Galieva
Em Prendergast
Jodie Mitchell
Jonathan Oldfield
Lorna Rose Treen
Mofé Akàndé
Sara Segovia
Created by Lorna Rose Treen and Jonathan Oldfield
Writing team:
Alice Cockayne
Catherine Brinkworth
Jodie Mitchell
Jonathan Oldfield
Lorna Rose Treen
Priya Hall
Will Hughes
Script Editor - Catherine Brinkworth
Photographer - Will Hearle
Production Coordinator - Katie Sayer
Producer - Ben Walker
A DLT Entertainment Production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 23:30 Punt & Dennis: Route Masters (m0023zjc)
Series 1: From Beer to Eternity
7 – From the Sargasso Sea to the Trombone
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are on a mission to get from everyone’s favourite ocean gyre, the Sargasso Sea, to the trombone in the most entertaining way possible, in a warm and witty podcast that celebrates new and half-remembered trivia as they try to find unlikely links between random places, people and things.
Across the series, they’ll be joined by guests including Ken Cheng, Kiri Pritchard McLean, Isy Suttie and Marcus Brigstocke, on a scenic route which takes in Shampoo, The Gruffalo, Watford Gap Services and Yoghurt.
Written and hosted by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis
With Kae Kurd
Produced by Victoria Lloyd
Recorded at Maple St Creative
Mixed by Jonathan Last
A Listen production for BBC Radio 4
SUNDAY 14 DECEMBER 2025
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002nh7b)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m002n7w8)
Jo Nesbø
Presenter James Crawford speaks to bestselling crime writer and Norwegian novelist Jo Nesbø about his book, Wolf Hour - a standalone thriller set in Minneapolis, where a dysfunctional detective, Bob Oz, investigates the attempted murder of a crooked gun dealer. The three books that inspired Jo while writing Wolf Hour were: Hunger by Knut Hamsun (1890), The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson (1952), and American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis (1991).
Producers: Rachael O’Neill & Hayley Jarvis
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002nh7d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002nh7g)
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 (m002nh7j)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002nh7l)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002nh7n)
The church of St Leonard Horringer in Suffolk
Bells on Sunday comes from the church of St Leonard Horringer in Suffolk. Built in the 14th century the Norman parish church was dedicated to the French saint, Leonard of Limoges and is believed to be on the site of an earlier wooden Saxon structure. There are eight bells all cast by the John Taylor Foundry of Loughborough in 2016. The Tenor weighs eight hundredweight and is tuned to the note of B-flat. We hear them ringing Cambridge surprise Major.
SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002n7xb)
Blind Matchmakers; Christmas and Mental Health
Blind Matchmakers is a new dating programme from ITV which features three visually impaired dating experts. The pilot programme featured a range of participants looking for love, along with some visually impaired contestants.
In Touch provides tips for visually impaired people who might be struggling to feel festive this Christmas season, with singer and psychotherapist Victoria Oruwari. Victoria has also released a Christmas single, 'Merry Christmas from Afar', and she shares the story behind the inception track and the message it shares.
Presented and produced by: Beth Hemmings
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 (m002nknb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Beyond Belief (m002n7v3)
Nigeria and Religious Persecution
The security of Christians in Nigeria has gained global attention after an intervention by President Trump, who last month ordered the military to prepare for action to tackle Islamist militant groups, accusing the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians.
The threat came as claims of a genocide against Nigeria's Christians was circulating recently in some right-wing US circles.
The Nigerian Presidency has rejected these claims describing them as "a gross misrepresentation of reality" saying "terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology - Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike".
Giles Fraser explores the complex nature of the insecurity and the all-pervasive role of religion in this secular state with a panel of experts :
Olaronke Alo, BBC reporter
Charles Ekpo, Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Resolution, Arthur Jarvis University, Nigeria
Dr Kabir Adamu, Security Analyst
John Pontifex. Aid to the Church in Need
Presenter: Giles Fraser
Producer: Catherine Murray
Asst Producer: Charlie Filmer-Court
Production Co-ordinator: Ned Stone
Studio Mix: Kelly Young
Editor: Chloe Walker
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002nknd)
The Great Beltie Boom
It’s the cow that looks like a humbug: black with a broad white stripe around their middle. Belted Galloways used to be a rare sight but now they’re a firm favourites of both farmers and the British public all over the UK.
Caz Graham visits Richard Wilson’s farm and his herd of Belties on the Galloway coast to find out why these distinctive looking native breed cattle are more popular than ever.
As Vice President of the Belted Galloway Society and a breeder of many years, he explains why they’re such useful cattle for conservation grazing, how their beef is in high demand and we meet Annie, possibly the only cow in the UK with her own column in a Parish magazine.
Produced and presented by Caz Graham.
SUN 06:57 Weather (m002nkng)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002nknj)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002nknl)
Should the confirmation of Bishop Sarah Mullaly as Archbishop of Canterbury be postponed whilst a complaint against her for the alleged mishandling of a sex abuse case is investigated? We talk to Donna Birrell, who broke the story and to Rev Robert Thompson, a priest in the London diocese.
The mystery of the star of Bethlehem - has it been finally solved? NASA Planetary scientist Mark Matney discusses his theory that it could have been a comet recorded by Chinese astronomers in 5BC.
If it wasn’t for Jane Austen’s brother her novels would never have been published. So claims Christopher Herbert, former Bishop of St Alban’s, whose new book “Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother: Henry” tells the story of their close relationship.
“Put the Christ back in Christmas” was the title of the carol concert organised by Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom in central London yesterday. We hear from one of the organisers, Pastor Rikki Doolan, and from Nick Spencer, senior fellow at the Christian think tank Theos, who is studying the rise of Christian Nationalism in the UK.
Presenter: William Crawley
Producers: Amanda Hancox and Rosie Dawson
Technical Producers: Sharon Hughes, Isabelle Whitehead & Amy Brennan
Editor: Tim Pemberton
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002nhyr)
Eco Brixs
Wellness guru and author Liz Earle makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity Eco Brixs.
The Radio 4 Appeal features a new charity every week.
Each appeal then runs on Radio 4 from Sunday 0755 for 7 days.
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 ‘Eco Brixs’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Eco Brixs’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
- Please ensure you are donating to the correct charity by checking the name of the charity on the donate page.
Registered Charity Number: 1184169. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://www.ecobrixs.org/
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites
Producer: Anna Bailey
SUN 07:57 Weather (m002nknn)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002nknq)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002nkns)
Advent Authors: Jane Austen
Rachel Mann is obsessed with all things Austen. She's also the Archdeacon of Salford and Bolton, an award-winning poet and writer and author of "A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 40 Days with Jane Austen".
To mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, she's going in search of Austen's faith; how her deeply held Christian beliefs influenced her writing and the impact her family had on the depictions of clergymen in her novels. She uncovers hidden messages within Austen’s works and reflects on the relevance they have in the season of Advent as we prepare for Christmas.
Rachel visits Pemberley, or rather Lyme Park in Cheshire, exploring key sites from the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, to reflect on what Jane Austen's writings tell us about what she believed and her attitudes to both religion and religiosity. She speaks with comedy writer, Paul Kerensa about how Jane would have celebrated Christmas and to the Rt Revd Christopher Herbert about Jane's favourite brother Henry. Actor Amanda Root, reads prayers written by Austen herself and reflects on what she brought to the character of Anne Elliot in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Persuasion.
With readings by Amanda Root and Oliver D'Souza.
MUSIC INCLUDES:
Pride and Prejudice (Main Theme) - Carl Davis, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Hark the Glad Sound - Cantus Vocum Chamber Choir
While shepherds watched (Cranbrook) - The Parley Of Instruments
The Angel Gabriel - The Ebor Singers
Good Christian Men Rejoice - Guildford Cathedral Choir
Dawn From "Pride & Prejudice" (Marianelli)
Aria from Goldberg Variations (Bach) - Angela Hewitt
Messiah: "Comfort Ye" (Handel) - Dunedin Consort/John Butt/Nicholas Mulroy
O come all ye faithful - Recorded at the Daily Service Carol Concert 2024
Producer: Katharine Longworth
SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct744t)
Ravi and George
Following the Beatles final concert tour, George Harrison travelled to India in 1967 to learn sitar under the renowned musician Ravi Shankar.
Fleeing Beatlemania he travelled in disguise to Mumbai and then to Srinagar in Kashmir.
Listening to BBC archive and using excerpts from a Martin Scorsese documentary, we hear one of the world's most famous guitarists challenge himself to learn a new instrument.
The moment influenced George’s spirituality, his burgeoning solo musical career, as well as the Beatles. It also propelled Ravi Shankar further into the limelight.
The musicians remained lifelong friends. Ravi says they last saw each other on 28 November 2001, the day before George died.
Produced and presented by Surya Elango.
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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.
This programme has been updated since the original broadcast, with concert dates and song writing credits corrected.
(Photo: George Harrison and Ravi Shankar in 1975. Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002nknv)
Horatio Clare on the Pheasant
The author and journalist Horatio Clare reflects on the cultural history of the human relationship with pheasants. Its Latin name Phasianus Colchicus links the pheasant to the ancient kingdom of Colchis on the shores of the Black Sea, made famous in Greek mythology as the land of the Golden Fleece. These large, colourful long-tailed birds are native to Asia, and likely journeyed to western Europe with the Romans, becoming a symbol of wealth and status. The Normans are credited with popularising the shooting of pheasants in the 11th century, an industry which today releases an estimated 30-45 million captive-bred pheasants into the British countryside every year.
Presented by Horatio Clare and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.
This programme features audio from Xeno-Canto recorded by Simon Elliot, David M and Tanguy Loïs (XC155202, XC640749 and XC727854 - Common Pheasant).
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002nknx)
'Multiple casualties' in Bondi beach shooting
Eyewitnesses describe thousands of people fleeing as gunmen fire on iconic Sydney beach. We get an update from the scene. Plus, a massive change to the rail timetable, and Sheila Hancock goes for a drive.
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002nknz)
Lee Child, writer
Lee Child is a writer who is best known for his series of bestselling novels featuring Jack Reacher. Reacher is an enigmatic 6ft 5in, 17-stone ex-military police major who rights wrongs before disappearing off into the sunset. The books have sold in their millions around the world and have inspired two films starring Tom Cruise and a television series.
Lee Child was born James - Jim - Grant in 1954 and grew up in Birmingham. He studied Law at the University of Sheffield and then joined the presentation department at Granada Television where he was a shop steward and became a thorn in the side of the management.
At 40 he was made redundant and sat down to write his first Reacher novel Killing Floor. He found himself an agent and the novel was published in March 1997 - the franchise was up and running. In the UK Lee outsells both Stephen King and John Grisham and worldwide he sells between 12 and 15 million copies a year.
In 2020 Lee announced that he was handing over the Reacher franchise to his younger brother Andrew Grant. The two brothers have worked on several novels since then and the thirtieth Reacher title features both brothers’ names on the cover.
Lee Child was appointed CBE in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
He lives in the Lake District with his wife Jane. They have one daughter.
DISC ONE: She Loves You - The Beatles
DISC TWO: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
DISC THREE: So What - Miles Davis
DISC FOUR: Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23: I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso – Allegro con spirito. Performed by Stephen Hough (piano) and Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Osmo Vänskä
DISC FIVE: Joe’s Blues - Joe Pass
DISC SIX: The Lemon Song - Led Zeppelin
DISC SEVEN: Für Elise (Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor) Composed by Ludwig Beethoven and performed by Lang Lang
DISC EIGHT: Delibes: Lakmé / Act 1: \"Sous le dôme épais\" (Flower Duet) Performed by Renée Fleming (soprano), Susan Graham (mezzo soprano), Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Sebastian Lang-Lessing
BOOK CHOICE: Killing Floor by Lee Child
LUXURY ITEM: A mechanical wind-up watch
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: So What - Miles Davis
Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Paula McGinley
SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002nkp1)
Writer: Keri Davies
Director: Rosemary Watts
Editor: Jeremy Howe
7th Dec - 12th Dec
Ben Archer.... Ben Norris
Josh Archer.... Angus Imrie
Leonard Berry.... Paul Copley
Alan Franks.... John Telfer
Ed Grundy.... Barry Farrimond
Lawrence Harrington.... Rupert Vansittart
Paul Mack.... Joshua Riley
Akram Malik.... Asif Khan
Azra Malik.... Yasmin Wilde
Zainab Malik.... Priyasasha Kumari
Lily Pargetter.... Katie Redford
Lottie Summers.... Bonnie Baddoo
SUN 12:15 Profile (m002nh74)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m002n7mr)
Series 84
5. Joe Lycett makes his debut
The godfather of all panel shows comes to us from London's Royal Festival Hall. On the panel are Joe Lycett, Pippa Evans, Richard Coles and Tony Hawks 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
SUN 12:57 Weather (m002nkp3)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002nkp5)
Twelve die in attack on Bondi Hanukkah celebrations
Two gunmen fired dozens of shots in what Australian police are calling a terror attack. We hear from eyewitnesses, and former Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer, who fears the government has inadvertently stoked anti-Semitism by recognising a Palestinian state.
SUN 13:30 Currently (m002nk3m)
Fixing the Chain
Jaguar Land Rover were one of the biggest names to be held to ransom by online hackers in the UK when their systems were brought to a halt earlier this year. The production lines ground to halt - and their financial situation became so dire that the government had to step in. It meant that Jaguar Land Rover managed to weather the storm, albeit with huge losses.
But what happened to the small suppliers who relied on the Jaguar Land Rover supply chain for their livelihood? Nick Garnett talks to business owners across the UK - from the local chip shop to factory owners to find out what happened to them when the supply chain broke - and how it can be fixed to avoid the same problems when the hackers strike again.
Producer and Presenter: Nick Garnett
A Mediamouth production with BBC Audio North for Radio 4
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002n7p9)
Dundee: Amaryllis, Monkey Puzzles and Australian Plants
What is the best way to take cuttings of a monkey puzzle tree? What plants that are grown in Australia and would thrive in Dundee? Why hasn’t my Amaryllis flowered?
Kathy Clugston brings together a perfectly curated panel of gardening experts at the V&A Dundee to tackle these questions from an enthusiastic, plant-loving audience.
Joining Kathy on the panel are garden designers, botanists and allotmenteers Matthew Pottage, Kirsty Wilson and Neil Porteous.
Also, Matthew Pottage slips away for an exclusive look at the V&A Dundee’s fascinating exhibition Garden Futures: Designing With Nature, guided by curator James Wylie.
Senior Producer: Dan Cocker
Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m002nkp7)
Pride and Prejudice - Episode Two
The opening lines of Pride and Prejudice are not only among the most famous in all of literature, they also place marriage front and centre as the key theme within the novel.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged,” Austen writes, “that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” So many of the characters and their actions are driven by the search for a good marriage - but their motivations and aspirations are both richly varied and illuminating of Regency society at a time when women could find security and status primarily at the altar.
John Yorke asks whether Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy, two of the most illustrious and quick-witted partners in literary history, can find a love that transcends the strictures of the time.
The programme features Dr Lucy Powell, lecturer in English at the University of Oxford, and Professor John Mullan from University College London.
John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatized in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative, including many podcasts for Radio 4.
Contributor: Dr Lucy Powell, lecturer in English at the University of Oxford, and John Mullan, professor of English Literature at University College London
Sound: Sean Kerwin
Researcher: Henry Tydeman
Production Hub Coordinator: Dawn Williams
Producer: Geoff Bird
Reader: Rhiannon Neads
Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002nkp9)
Pride and Prejudice
Part 2
Lizzie is still reeling from Darcy's proposal. He's the last man she would want to marry. And Jane is still pining for Bingley. Mrs Bennet continues to suffer with her nerves, much to the dismay of Mr Bennet. But stories told are not always as they seem and truths are still to be discovered.
Dramatised by award winning writer Rachel Joyce
Jane Austen ..... Tamsin Greig
Elizabeth ..... Isabella Laughland
Darcy ..... Luke Thompson
Mr Bennet ..... Miles Jupp
Mrs Bennet ..... Rosie Cavaliero
Jane ..... Lucy Doyle
Bingley ..... Louis Landau
Wickham ..... Toby Regbo
Lady Catherine ..... Adjoa Andoh
Lydia ..... Kitty O'Sullivan
Kitty ..... Gaia Wise
Mary ..... Imogen Front
Caroline Bingley ..... Catherine Bailey
Mrs Gardiner ..... Jasmine Hyde
Mr Gardiner ..... Clive Hayward
Mrs Reynolds ..... Sarah Thom
Directed by Tracey Neale
Radio 4 celebrates 250 years of Jane Austen with fresh, funny, and female-focused adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. Expect heartbreak, love, hilarity, and the enduring power of sisterhood.
Pride and Prejudice the iconic love story between Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy, and a delightful portrayal of a family. It perfectly conjures up the period, and the pressure on women to find husbands. A tapestry of unforgettable characters and wonderfully funny.
Dramatised by Rachel Joyce
Rachel Joyce is a best-selling author and award winning audio drama writer. Her audio work includes the entire Bronte canon for Radio 4. Her first novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry has been adapted for both film and stage. The sold out Chichester Festival Theatre Musical of Harold Fry's story opens at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on the 29th January. Rachel's latest novel, The Homemade God, was published in February this year.
Produced and Directed by Tracey Neale
Sound by Andrew Garratt and Sam Dickinson
Production Co-Ordinator, Luke MacGregor
Casting Manager, Alex Curran
A BBC Studios Production.
SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m002nkpc)
Salman Rushdie
Sir Salman Rushdie speaks to Take Four Books about his new collection of short fiction and together with presenter James Crawford they explore its connections to three other literary works. Arguably one of the world’s most celebrated authors, the publication of Sir Salman's second novel in 1981 announced the arrival of a phenomenal talent. Midnight's Children went on to win not just the Booker Prize but it was also picked as the Best Booker for the prize’s 25th and 40th anniversaries. In his latest work - The Eleventh Hour - Sir Salman showcases a quintet of stories that mix narratives of revenge, ghosts and magic into poignant reckonings with mortality.
For his three influences Sir Salman chose: E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India from 1924; Franz Kafka’s Amerika from 1927; and Robert Browning’s The Pied Piper of Hamelin from 1842.
Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 16:30 Punt & Dennis: Route Masters (m0023zjf)
Series 1: From Beer to Eternity
8 – From Motown to Ed Sheeran
Linking Motown with Ed Sheeran is simple, right? Pick a session musician or two, and the most direct route will reveal itself. So why are Steve Punt, Hugh Dennis and guest Mark Billingham invoking Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Savoy cabbage, the Wombles and trusses?
Because this warm and witty podcast celebrates new and half-remembered trivia in a bid to link random places, people and things.
Across the series, they’re joined by guests including Ken Cheng, Kiri Pritchard McLean, Isy Suttie and Marcus Brigstocke, on a scenic route which takes in Shampoo, The Gruffalo, Watford Gap Services and Yoghurt… on a bid to travel from “beer” to “eternity”.
Written and hosted by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis
With Mark Billingham
Produced by Victoria Lloyd
Recorded at Maple St Creative
Mixed by Jonathan Last
A Listen production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct74nq)
Dismaland: Banksy's dystopian theme park
In 2015, Banksy turned a derelict swimming pool in Weston-super-Mare, England, into a dystopian theme park which drew huge crowds and Hollywood stars.
Working under cover of darkness, the street artist created Dismaland - a 'bemusement park' offering a satirical twist on mainstream resorts.
The temporary exhibition featured a fire-ravaged castle, a riot police van sinking into a lake, and Cinderella’s upturned pumpkin carriage.
Open for just five weeks, Dismaland sold thousands of tickets daily and injected an estimated £20 million into the local economy.
Kurtis Young speaks to Reena Stanton-Sharma about his summer job as a steward at Dismaland.
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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.
(Photo: A mermaid sculpture in front of the fairy castle. Credit: Jim Dyson/Getty Images)
SUN 17:10 The Patch (m00268lk)
Gairloch
One random postcode and a story you probably haven't heard before.
Today, the random postcode generator sends producer Polly Weston further than she’s ever been before, to IV21 2. It's remote and beautiful but the number of children has been in decline. Why? And what does it mean?
Fisherman Ian McWhinney's ancestors have lived in this postcode, and in this very same house, for hundreds of years. The house sits alone on an island in Badachro bay, called Dry Island - also known as the Independent Kingdom of Islonia. It's named after Ian's two daughters, Isla and Iona, aged 15 and 17 (their younger brother Finlay, 9, "was born too late" according to Isla). But in Ian's lifetime there's been a change in the number of young people here.
“There used to be two schools in this bay, now I’m responsible for 75% of the children in this area… there’s four children and I’ve got three of them”
Polly catches the school bus with Isla to her high school, where the school roll has dropped below a hundred aged 11 - 18. The number of teachers is calculated according to the number of students, so for small rural schools it means tough decisions about the curriculum. Remote lessons have become a part of life - with children sitting in small groups or alone on video calls with teachers elsewhere. Acting head Stuart Caddell is constantly aware of how many children are coming through from catchment primaries. Two of the catchment primaries have been mothballed in recent years, with fewer than five students.
But there are rumours of a remarkable baby boom in one catchment primary - down the road in Shieldaig. What’s going on down there? And how on earth is the headteacher of Shieldaig Primary School going to fit all the kids on the stage for this year’s Christmas performance?
Produced and presented by Polly Weston
Mixed by Ilse Lademann
Editor: Chris Ledgard
With thanks to Gairloch High School, Shieldaig Primary School, the C for Craic band and The Blas Festival.
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002nkpg)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m002nkpj)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002nkpl)
11 dead in Australia's deadliest shooting in decades
11 people have been killed after gunmen opened fire on crowds at the start of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Bondi Beach in Sydney. Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, described the attack as “evil beyond comprehension.” Also: Police in Rhode Island have arrested a man in connection with a deadly mass shooting at Brown University. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky says he is willing to compromise on NATO membership, and Sunderland beat Newcastle United in their first Premier League derby in nine years.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002nkpn)
Chris Hawkins
This week, Chris is all bells and whistles AND toy pianos, thanks to Radio 3’s Tom Service and Ian McMillan providing us a poetic reverie on campanology. Plus, prepare for a wave of nostalgia as we throw it back to Craig David’s Born to Do It, yodel some Sound of Music and visit a much loved high street clothing staple.
Presenter: Chris Hawkins
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Coordinators: Caoilfhinn McFadden and Caroline Peddle
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002nk3c)
David catches up with Esme at Meadow Farm, pleased to hear she’s settling into Ambridge life, having watched the Christmas lights switch-on and been introduced to half the village by Akram. Esme’s getting to grips with looking after her cows too, but with finances still tight she’s keen to get David’s advice on sourcing extra silage. Later, Ben and David look forward to Shula joining the family for Christmas, before Esme phones and David has an idea to help raise money for the silage: getting Josh to sell some old farm machinery that’s lying in one of Esme’s barns. But when they look at what’s there they’re not hopeful it will raise much, though Ben takes some pictures anyway. The farmer Esme is talking to is based in South Wales and she thinks her best bet of getting a good deal on the silage is to go and see him. Ben suggests Josh could go with her and catch his girlfriend Nina, who’s playing a gig in Cardiff, at the same time.
Grateful Clarrie and Eddie have brought Pat some treats after she helped with last week’s turkey plucking. They compare notes on what a hard year it’s been, but look forward to a new farming year, and the Christmas tractor run. Later though, Clarrie wonders to Eddie if Pat’s okay, as she seemed a bit off-colour. Eddie’s more interested in getting Clarrie to make him a turkey costume he can wear at the Christmas market on Wednesday, but Clarrie tells him there’s no chance.
SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002njy1)
CS Lewis, the Evacuee and the Wardrobe
In 1939, Emma Freud's mother Jill was evacuated from London to the suburbs of Oxford. After staying with Lewis Carroll's friends the Butler sisters for a few years, she arrived at her next designated accommodation clutching a small suitcase and a copy of her favourite book, The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis. It was just a few weeks later, after she spotted several copies of that book on a shelf, that she realised she was actually living with CS Lewis himself.
In this telling of Jill's fascinating story, Emma hears all about her mother's love for CS Lewis, known to her as Jack. How she cared for him, how he paid for her to go to drama school and how a big, old, wooden wardrobe became part of her story...
Illustrated with readings from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Emma captures these precious memories as she sits down with her mum to hear her magical story.
Readings of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Olivia Williams.
Other readings by Richard Gibson.
Presenter: Emma Freud
Producer: Elizabeth Foster
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis © copyright 1950 CS Lewis Pte Ltd.
Lady Jill Freud, April 1927-November 2025.
SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m00107bq)
Sing
Ever noticed how good singing makes you feel? In this episode, Michael is joined by comedian Sindhu Vee to embrace the joys - and health benefits - of singing on the top of your voice. He finds out all about its unique mood-lifting ability and how singing can produce similar effects to cannabis. He speaks to Dr Daisy Fancourt to find out about her research on revealing how singing can boost your immune system and how it could help treat chronic pain.
SUN 20:00 Feedback (m002n7wm)
The Reith Lectures, and From Our Own Correspondent at 70
The Reith Lectures are one of the most anticipated broadcasts in the radio year, and the conversation around this year's iteration, presented by Dutch historian Rutger Bregman on the theme of 'Moral Revolution', has been making headlines. Bregman complained on social media that one of his lines was edited out of the broadcast of the first lecture - and it set your tongues wagging. Andrea Catherwood catches up with the lectures' commissioner Hugh Levinson to ask about the decisions behind this year's series.
And it's 70 years since From Our Own Correspondent - or FOOC = was first broadcast on the BBC, giving a space for long-form, single-voice reports from correspondents all over the world. Editor Richard Fenton-Smith and Today presenter Anna Foster joins us to hear your thoughts on the programme as it celebrates a big birthday.
Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Pauline Moore
Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown Scotland production for Radio 4
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002n7pf)
Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Vera Weisfeld, Frank Gehry, Martin Parr
Matthew Bannister on
Iain Douglas-Hamilton, the zoologist who devoted his life to the study and conservation of African elephants.
Vera Weisfeld, the businesswoman whose chain of What Every Woman Wants stores offered fashion designs at bargain prices.
Frank Gehry, the architect best known for his flamboyant designs for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles
Martin Parr whose celebrated colourful photographs showed the messy details of British life.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Glyn Tansley
Archive used
The Late Show, BBC Two, 11/11/1992; Imagine… Frank Gehry: The Architect Says "Why Can't I?", BBC Two, 25/08/2015; The John Tusa Interview, BBC Three, 09/01/2005; The Simpsons – "The Seven-Beer Snitch", Created by Matt Groening, Directors: Matthew Nastuk, David Silverman; Writers: Bill Odenkirk, Daniel Chun; Production companies: Gracie Films, 20th Century Fox Television; 8/05/2025; This Cultural Life: Martin Parr, BBC Radio 4, 10/04/2023; Britain in Focus: A Photographic History – Series 1 Episode 3, BBC Four, 21/01/2020; I Am Martin Parr, BBC Four, 01/09/2025; The Natural World: Ivory Wars, BBC Two, 01/09/2025; Encounters with Animals: Last Stand in Eden, BBC Two, 08/10/1989; Encounters with Animals, BBC Two, 15/08/1980; Outlook, BBC World Service, 02/12/2010; Millionaires, BBC One, 17/12/1990; Reporting Scotland 2019: What Everyone Wants, BBC One Scotland, 23/11/2019; What Every Woman Wants had all the clothes for women at Christmas 1985, UK ADS Uploaded to YouTube 27/12/2023
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002nh6c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002nhyr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002nh67)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:30 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002nkpq)
Looking back over the year in politics
Ben Wright is joined by the Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Angela Smith; senior Conservative MP John Glen; and Financial Times commentator Miranda Green. They reflect on the Bondi terror attack and on the year in UK politics. Sienna Rodgers - deputy editor of The House magazine - brings expert insight and analysis. The panel also discuss the next steps in Lords reform and the upsurge in MPs posting videos of their work on social media.
SUN 23:00 In Our Time (b08p5lbp)
Emily Dickinson
To celebrate Melvyn Bragg’s 27 years presenting In Our Time, five well-known fans of the programme have chosen their favourite episodes. Comedian Frank Skinner has picked the episode on the life and work of the poet Emily Dickinson and recorded an introduction to it. (This introduction will be available on BBC Sounds and the In Our Time webpage shortly after the broadcast and will be longer than the version broadcast on Radio 4). Emily Dickinson was arguably the most startling and original poet in America in the C19th. According to Thomas Wentworth Higginson, her correspondent and mentor, writing 15 years after her death, "Few events in American literary history have been more curious than the sudden rise of Emily Dickinson into a posthumous fame only more accentuated by the utterly recluse character of her life and by her aversion to even a literary publicity." That was in 1891 and, as more of Dickinson's poems were published, and more of her remaining letters, the more the interest in her and appreciation of her grew. With her distinctive voice, her abundance, and her exploration of her private world, she is now seen by many as one of the great lyric poets.
With
Fiona Green
Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Jesus College
Linda Freedman
Lecturer in English and American Literature at University College London
and
Paraic Finnerty
Reader in English and American Literature at the University of Portsmouth
Producer: Simon Tillotson.
Reading list:
Christopher Benfey, A Summer of Hummingbirds: Love, Art and Scandal in the Intersecting Worlds of Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Martin Johnson Heade (Penguin Books, 2009)
Jed Deppman, Marianne Noble and Gary Lee Stonum (eds.), Emily Dickinson and Philosophy (Cambridge University Press, 2013)
Judith Farr, The Gardens of Emily Dickinson (Harvard University Press, 2005)
Judith Farr, The Passion of Emily Dickinson (Harvard University Press, 1992)
Paraic Finnerty, Emily Dickinson’s Shakespeare (University of Massachusetts Press, 2006)
Ralph William Franklin (ed.), The Master Letters of Emily Dickinson (University Massachusetts Press, 1998)
Ralph William Franklin (ed.), The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Variorum Edition (Harvard University Press, 1998)
Linda Freedman, The Myth of the Fall in Nineteenth-Century Literature (Oxford University Press, 2025), especially chapter 3.
Linda Freedman, Emily Dickinson and the Religious Imagination (Cambridge University Press, 2011)
Gudrun Grabher, Roland Hagenbüchle and Cristanne Miller (eds.), The Emily Dickinson Handbook (University of Massachusetts Press, 1998)
Alfred Habegger, My Wars are Laid Away in Books: The Early Life of Emily Dickinson (Random House, 2001)
Ellen Louise Hart and Martha Nell Smith (eds.), Open Me Carefully: Emily Dickinson’s Intimate Letters to Susan Huntington Dickinson (Paris Press, 1998)
Virginia Jackson, Dickinson’s Misery: A Theory of Lyric Reading (Princeton University Press, 2013)
Thomas H. Johnson (ed.), Emily Dickinson: Selected Letters (first published 1958; Harvard University Press, 1986)
Thomas H. Johnson (ed.), Poems of Emily Dickinson (first published 1951; Faber & Faber, 1976)
Thomas Herbert Johnson and Theodora Ward (eds.), The Letters of Emily Dickinson (Belknap Press, 1958)
Benjamin Lease, Emily Dickinson’s Readings of Men and Books (Palgrave Macmillan, 1990)
Mary Loeffelholz, The Value of Emily Dickinson (Cambridge University Press, 2016)
James McIntosh, Nimble Believing: Dickinson and the Unknown (University of Michigan Press, 2000)
Marietta Messmer, A Vice for Voices: Reading Emily Dickinson’s Correspondence (University of Massachusetts Press, 2001)
Cristanne Miller (ed.), Emily Dickinson's Poems: As She Preserved (Harvard University Press, 2016)
Cristanne Miller, Reading in Time: Emily Dickinson in the Nineteenth Century (University of Massachusetts Press, 2012)
Elizabeth Phillips, Emily Dickinson: Personae and Performance (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1988)
Eliza Richards (ed.), Emily Dickinson in Context (Cambridge University Press, 2013)
Richard B. Sewall, The Life of Emily Dickinson (first published 1974; Harvard University Press, 1998)
Marta L. Werner, Emily Dickinson’s Open Folios: Scenes of Reading, Surfaces of Writing (University of Michigan Press, 1996)
Brenda Wineapple, White Heat: The Friendship of Emily Dickinson and Thomas Wentworth Higginson (Anchor Books, 2009)
Shira Wolosky, Emily Dickinson: A Voice of War (Yale University Press, 1984)
This episode was first broadcast in May 2017.
Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the people, ideas, events and discoveries that have shaped our world
In Our Time is a BBC Studios production
SUN 23:45 One to One (m001hwwn)
Critics and the Criticised: Luke Jones meets Simon Godwin
Imagine this: you've spent months, years even, working on a show. Now it's press night. Sat in a silent row, or peppered around the theatre, are the people whose life's work is to criticise yours - the critics. So what’s it like when your lovingly crafted new play opens and you see them out there, ready to tell the world what they think of it? Top theatre director Simon Godwin, who's worked at the National Theatre, the Bristol Old Vic and is now at Washington DC's Shakespeare Theatre Company, bares his soul about how it really feels when the lights go down and the little notebooks come out.
Presenter: Luke Jones
Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
MONDAY 15 DECEMBER 2025
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002nkps)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 00:15 Crossing Continents (m002n7xh)
The struggle of Israel's peace movement
Two years ago a group of Jewish and Palestinian peace activists stood almost alone in Israel in calling for a ceasefire, as Israel launched a massive offensive on Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks of 7th October 2023. Emily Wither returns to hear how the lives of these activists have changed. She explores whether their message of peace and coexistence is breaking through at a time when societal divisions are deeper than ever.
The group Standing Together, known for their matching purple t-shirts, is a group of Jewish Israelis and Palestinian citizens of Israel (referred to by the state as Israeli Arabs, the country’s largest minority making up over 20% of the population).
It is unusual in either Israel or Palestine to find a mixed group working together for a shared cause and advocating for coexistence. Standing Together has received criticism from both sides of the conflict; with many Israelis calling them traitors and some Palestinian groups calling for a boycott of the movement. Despite all this the group say the only way to achieve a lasting peace is for the communities to work together.
Reporter: Emily Wither
Producer: Alex Last
Sound Mix: Tony Churnside
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002nh7n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002nkpv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002nkpx)
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 (m002nkpz)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002nkq1)
Alicia McCarthy reports on the assisted dying bill. Also - do we need British money for British start-up companies? And the story of Westminster's 'maddest Christmas', which led to the English Civil War.
MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002nkq3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002nkq7)
The Light of the World
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection with Father Dermot Preston.
Good morning.
A friend informed me that her grandson, Leo, was visiting and had told her that he was in the Nativity play at his nursery school. He said he was playing a leopard.
'Really, Leo,” she said, “Are you sure you're a leopard?'
He looked at her for a moment, pondering.
'Yes,’ he said, “a leopard, definitely. I'm in a field with other leopards and we see an Angel'.
A child is unfazed by leopards celebrating Christmas, so perhaps we could ask what, at first, might seem a silly question: ‘What did grown-up Jesus do at Christmas?’
Surprisingly we likely know exactly what the grown-up Jesus was doing in mid-December, in the year 29 AD. As an almost throwaway line, John’s Gospel tells us: “The festival of Hanukkah took place at that time in Jerusalem. It was winter and Jesus was in the Temple walking in the Portico of Solomon.” (Jn
10.23)
The Portico of Soloman was on the east-side on the then-Temple complex and it protected winter pilgrims from the biting east-wind which swept in from the Judean desert in mid-December, just at the time this feast was observed. Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration of cleansing & light; and tellingly, just before this incident, the Evangelist tells us that Jesus had opened the eyes of a blind man and had declared “I am the light of the world.”
Today is the first day of Hanukkah for the Jewish people. Their festival lights will be mingling with the Christian lights of Advent this coming week.
Lord, let people of all faiths seek the light of your truth with integrity, compassion and humility. Amen.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002nkqc)
EU tractor protest, hill farm nature reserve, heritage buildings in the countryside
Caz Graham talks to the President of the Irish Farmers Association, Francie Gorman, about the journey he's embarking upon from Dublin to Brussels by tractor as part of a Europe wide protest. Farmers are concerned about Common Agricultural Policy reforms, which could see the budget ringfenced for farm subsidies cut by around 20%. They're also angry about the potential impact of a trade deal between the EU and the South American bloc MERCOSUR, which could mean an increase in beef from Brazil and other cheap imports.
An environmental group in Northern Ireland plans to demonstrate the benefits of nature friendly farming on a 90-acre hillside farm it’s recently bought in County Fermanagh. The Ulster Wildlife Trust says the new Fedian Nature Reserve is a rare example of farmland largely free of chemical or fertiliser inputs.
Traditional rural buildings are rich with history and a unique record of how farming and country life has changed over the centuries. But many are under threat; they’re expensive to maintain and often not practical for modern use. Throughout this week we’re going to be hearing about efforts to preserve them, and we start in Nottinghamshire where an old farmstead has been repurposed as The Walks of Life Museum in Tuxford.
Presenter: Caz Graham
Producer: Sarah Swadling
MON 05:57 Weather (m002nkqh)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers
MON 06:00 Today (m002nk28)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002nk2b)
The Dark
Three visions of darkness as the days draw in. Adam Rutherford's guests for Radio 4's Monday discussion programme are a poet, a photographer of night-time and a National Gallery curator.
Night Vision is the latest book from the award-winning poet and writer Jean Sprackland exploring our complex relationship with the dark: what we fear and what we wish to banish. In the dark she finds a place of possibility and she asks what might we discover in the dark if we free our imagination.
The photographer Jasper Goodall has been taking photographs in the dark for many years, mainly in forests and woodlands. In 2025 in exhibitions on show at Nottingham, Brighton, Cornwall and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition he has displayed works which draw on classical myth, European folklore and animistic belief systems.
Christine Riding, Director of Collections and Research, talks about the images of scientific experiment and industrialisation in England on show in the National Gallery's exhibition showcasing the candlelight paintings of Wright of Derby (1734-1797). Wright of Derby: From the Shadows in the Sunley Room at the National Gallery runs until 10 May 2026 and there is an entrance fee.
Producer: Ruth Watts
MON 09:45 Wild Bond (m001d5gt)
The Villain
The name's Bond. James Bond. Everyone's favourite spy has been serving up the guns, the glamour, the girls and the gadgets on the silver screen for 60 years, and we're celebrating... In a slightly unusual way. Emily Knight is taking the iconic characters from the Bond world and re-casting them, from the animal kingdom. Which of our animal cousins would make the best 007? Who do we cast as the Bond Girl? In nature, who comes equipped with the best gadgets? Who are villains, bent on world domination, and who are the henchmen, just following orders?
In this episode, come into the secret volcano lair, while we lay the most dastardly (and convoluted) of plans... it's the Bond Villain. Evil is pretty clear-cut in the Bond world: Look for obvious facial scars, a wicked-sharp dress sense and an unexplained yearning for world domination. But evil in the animal kingdom is a little harder to put your finger on. Plenty of animals have a violent, vicious and downright nasty ways of getting what they want, but they're only trying to live, after all; do animals have a sense of morality? Are there good-guys and bad-guys within animal societies? Can any of them be described as 'evil'?
With Bond expert Ian Kinane from the University of Roehampton, and Mark Rowlands from the University of Miami.
Presented and Produced in Bristol by Emily Knight
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002nk2f)
Violence Against Women and Girls strategy, Hanukkah food traditions, DIY
The Government is set to unveil its long-awaited Violence Against Women and Girls strategy later this week. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has described violence against women and girls as a 'national emergency'. Some early releases of what will be in the strategy have been reported in the press over the weekend, including establishing specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams in every police force across England and Wales by 2029. Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, and Harriet Wistrich, founder and Director of the Centre for Women's Justice, join Nuala McGovern to talk about what we know so far.
According to a survey in lots of the papers today, nearly half of younger women surveyed said they are confident in painting and decorating, compared to just 28% of young men. The stats are from the motoring and cycling firm Halfords who said its study revealed a reversal from previous generations. Vickie Lee, DIY YouTuber known online as The Carpenter's Daughter, joins us, alongside Caroline Henn, founder of bePractical DIY in Bristol, who runs courses aimed at making DIY accessible.
Food is a ‘form of conversation between people, between generations of the same family, or between members of local and global communities’, says Alissa Timoshkina, a food writer and historian, whose family has a Ukrainian-Jewish lineage. At the start of Hanukkah, Alissa - author of new recipe book Kapusta - joins Nuala to talk about why she believes food is the language of unity.
The Midlothian singer-songwriter Brooke Combe first came to prominence with her singalong, handclapping debut single, Are You With Me? Her early cover songs found mass appeal, particularly her rendition of Baccara’s Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, the Scotland international football team’s anthem in summer 2021. She has performed at Glastonbury and opened for Benson Boone on his American Heart World Tour. She joins Nuala to discuss her music and debut album, Dancing at the Edge of the World.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Simon Richardson
MON 11:00 Housing Britain (m002nk2h)
The Housing Ladder
In part two of our series, we learn how and why housing has become unaffordable for so many, leaving millions locked out of the dream of homeownership and trapped in a spiral of rising rents.
The concept of a 'housing ladder' is embedded in our politics and culture. We trace the history and speak to experts, including politicians of different parties, who explain why they believe the ladder is broken.
We explore the impact on society and the wider economy - with experts warning that the housing crisis is stifling productivity.
What can the state do? How far should the government intervene in the market? We visit Scotland where controversial rent controls have been introduced.
And we get to grips with a central question in housing policy. If the UK government succeeds in supplying 1.5 million new homes, will that make housing more affordable?
Contributors include Kirstie Allsopp, Michael Gove, Gavin Barwell, Steve Reed, Matthew Pennycook, Andy Haldane. Kate Barker and George Young.
Producer: Leela Padmanabhan
Sound Design: Hal Haines
MON 11:45 Artworks (m002nk2k)
When I Met Jane Austen
David Baddiel on the invention of the modern novel
As Jane Austen turns 250, Austen biographer and writer Dr Paula Byrne is joined by prominent thinkers, writers, directors who tell her about their encounters with the famous author. Each of her guests has been shaped, changed, and inspired by Jane Austen. Paula's been thinking and writing about Austen for the best part of thirty years and her guests' experiences will inspire her own reflections, drawn from the places that held special meaning for Austen. Her first guest: David Baddiel.
Writer and comedian David Baddiel first encountered Austen as a student, and wrote about her university. He tells Paula why he thinks we get her all wrong, that we overlook how radical a technician she was. He tells us why he thinks she invented the modern novel and is possibly the greatest artist in all of English Literature. And he thinks it all starts in 1811 - with the publication of Austen's first novel, Sense and Sensibility. Paula reflects on how Austen finally got published, after years of trying. The pair discuss how the hallmarks of Austen's genius are there on the pages of her first book. She famously wrote on a small palette but David argues this is the art that means the most to him - work which makes the seemingly mundane, extraordinary.
Presenter: Dr Paula Byrne
Reader: Gemma Whelan
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
MON 12:00 News Summary (m002nk2q)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002nk2v)
Prime Minister Special - Cost of Living
Number 10 offered us an interview with the Prime Minister.
The discussion centred on the cost-of-living crisis that dominated headlines after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Energy bills doubled, food and transport costs soared, and the poorest households were hit hardest.
But many families on average incomes also struggled.
We asked your questions on the cost of living crisis.
New rules to stop retailers from trapping customers in hard-to-cancel subscriptions have been delayed until at least next autumn after industry push back. That means shoppers remain vulnerable to costly subscription schemes. One company listeners often mention is Fabletics, which sells sportswear. For nearly a decade, customers say they’ve been misled into £50-a-month “VIP” memberships for store credit. We hear from one woman who spent £5000 on two pairs of leggings and a membership she didn't know existed....
Despite the cost of living squeeze, forecasters predict that the UK jewellery market will have grown by 3.6% in value this year. So shoppers will have spent pretty much the same as they did last year when you take inflation into account.
If you look at volumes - the amount of jewellery we're buying - it shrank in the pandemic and has struggled to recover.
The exception is lab-grown diamonds. The market researchers, Mintel, says sales of lab-grown diamonds are propping up the market right now. They are particularly popular with men buying jewellery as gifts and they look great on social media.
We hear from one of Europe/s largest online jewelers how lab grown gem stones saved their company...
The long-promised ban on no-fault eviction takes effect from the beginning of May. Landlords have until 2030 to make homes more energy efficient.
Neither Labour nor the Conservatives is keen to encourage more small-scale private landlords into the market.
Tax relief on mortgage interest payments was withdrawn in 2020.
The organisation that represent private landlords, the National Residential Landlords Association, has been warning for years that private landlords will leave the market.
We hear how both landlords and tenants are starting to be impacted.
Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Jay Unger
MON 12:57 Weather (m002nk2z)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m002nk33)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
MON 13:45 Artworks (m002nk37)
When I Met Jane Austen
Katherine Rundell on Austen's teenage writings
As Jane Austen turns 250, Austen biographer and writer Dr Paula Byrne is joined by prominent thinkers, writers, directors who tell her about their encounters with the famous author. Each of her guests has been shaped, changed, and inspired by Austen. The guests' experiences will inspire Paula's own reflections, drawn from the places that held special meaning for Austen. Today's guest: Katherine Rundell.
Katherine is an award-winning children's writer and she's spent a lot of time reading young people's writing. She says that Jane Austen's own writing as a teenager is unlike anything she's ever read. Austen left behind three books of what's known as her juvenilia - a collection of short stories, sketches and plays. The works are personal, comedic, and sometimes violent. Katherine says from from her very first short story, Austen seemed to understand how character was the motor behind a plot, that she's hilarious from a young age, but also that from her first pages, she understands the constraints on women in Georgian society. Katherine first met Austen in audiobook form - hearing the works performed by Prunella Scales - and she and Paula reflect on how Austen would perform her work as a young girl to her big family. One volume of the juvenilia is in the British Library in London - and Dr Alexandra Ault shows it to Paula.
Credit: Jane Austen, Emma, Read by Prunella Scales, ARGO classics, HarperCollins publishers
Presenter: Dr Paula Byrne
Reader: Gemma Whelan
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
MON 14:00 The Archers (m002nk3c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Austen? (m002njgf)
Series 3
Episode 4 – A Night to Forget
In the final episode of the series, there’s a death in the family as well as an imminent birth, while Florence gets her ideal job – lecturing people about her work. Soon everyone is literally in the same boat together, in a scenario reminiscent of a Tom Hanks movie where he plays a captain (no, not that one).
The first series of Whatever Happened To Baby Jane Austen? won the Writers’ Guild Award for Best Radio Comedy and the second series won the British Comedy Guide Award for Best Radio Sitcom for the second year in a row.
“Thank you, Mr Quantick – this is nigh on perfect” Radio Times
Written by David Quantick
Florence - Dawn French
Selina - Jennifer Saunders
Mrs Ragnarrok – Rebecca Front
Lucy – Georgia Tennant
All the men - Alistair McGowan
Producer: Liz Anstee
A CPL production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:45 Faith, Hope and Glory (m000s2jz)
Series 1
3. Eunice
The history of post-war Britain is told through the lives of Hope Kiffin, Eunice Lamming and Gloria de Soto, bound forever by one moment in 1946. Today, Eunice's plan to help her childhood friend Hope has gone disastrously wrong.
Eunice ..... Shiloh Coke
Writer ..... Roy Williams
Director ..... Mary Peate
Producer ..... Jessica Dromgoole
MON 15:00 Great Lives (m002nk3h)
Spitfire pilot Jeffrey Quill picked by astronaut Tim Peake
"It was brilliant to read some of the old techniques the Spitfire test pilots were using, and in some respects test pilot flying isn't that different today, but we don't have to do everything by notebook and pencil and stopwatch." Tim Peake
Jeffrey Quill was born in 1913, and flew the Spitfire prototype in 1936. Tim Peake was born in 1972 and was launched into space exactly ten years ago, on December 15 2015. Joining him in studio is the aviation historian Dr Victoria Taylor. The story of Jeffrey Quill's inspiring life includes archive of Raymond Baxter and Quill himself.
This is series 67 of Great Lives and future programmes focus on Joan Rivers, Marcus Agrippa, and Johnny Green, road manager with The Clash.
Presented by Matthew Parris and produced in Bristol by Miles Warde
MON 15:30 Curious Cases (m002nh61)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Saturday]
MON 16:00 Currently (m002nk3m)
[Repeat of broadcast at
13:30 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002nh63)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
MON 17:00 PM (m002nk3p)
Vigils for victims of Bondi beach attack
We report from Sydney after the worst mass shooting in Australia for decades, and we hear from Lord Wolfson about his fears around antisemitism here in the UK. Health Secretary Wes Streeting gives us his reaction to the decision by resident doctors to go ahead with a strike in England. And we begin a new series about the Church of England, starting with the threat of schism.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002nk3r)
Australia's Prime Minister condemns the Bondi Beach attack as an evil antisemitic act
The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, says the father and son gunmen who killed 15 people at a Jewish religious festival on Bondi Beach were motivated by 'extreme ideology'. Also: a five day strike by resident doctors will go ahead this week as government proposals for a deal are rejected. And the Royal Horticultural Society has predicted that more people will be growing what are known as “tabletop vegetables” in the new year.
MON 18:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m002nk3t)
Series 84
6. London's Royal Festival Hall
The godfather of all panel shows returns to London's Royal Festival Hall. On the panel are Joe Lycett, Pippa Evans, Richard Coles and Tony Hawks 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 (m002njvy)
Eddie drops in on Jazzer and Tracy to flog one of his turkeys, but they tell him they can’t afford it, even with a family discount. Eddie then details how he’s cobbling together a turkey outfit for the Christmas market, but what he really needs is an assistant to help drum up sales. So, in return for a Grundy turkey, Tracy nominates Jazzer to give up his day off on Wednesday to be Eddie’s assistant.
When Susan and Chris step inside the Village Shop for the first time since the repairs have been completed they can’t believe how perfect everything is. Susan reckons they should be ready for a party there on Thursday, then re-open on Friday. However, when they go upstairs the flat is a complete mess with most of the work unfinished. Chris despairs of the flat being ready for him to move back in before Christmas, ruining all his plans with Carly. With Harrison returning next week, he can’t stay on with Fallon either. Later, Chris tells Susan that Hazel was furious when he told her, but she did fall out with the builders, so that’s probably why they left it unfinished. Then to cap it all, when Chris phoned Carly, she told him she’s been invited on holiday with her ex and their kids, plus they’re going to try couples counselling again. So, it’s all over between Chris and Carly. Susan’s sympathetic, though at least she’ll be able to spoil Chris over Christmas. But that’s not really what Chris is looking for at his age…
MON 19:15 Front Row (m002nk3w)
The great works of Rob Reiner
Hollywood giant Rob Reiner was found dead alongside his wife Michele at their Los Angeles Home this morning. Telegraph film critic Robbie Collin joins to discuss the life and career of the famed director of such classics as This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride.
Roland Gift, the lead singer of the hit 80s band Fine Young Cannibals, is live in session, playing one of the group's biggest hits and talking about the 40th anniversary of the release of their self-titled debut album.
It's pantomime season once again, but what do modern audiences actually want from the panto, and how do we balance modern sensitivities with frivolity and fun? We hear from theatre producer Emily Wood, currently putting on numerous pantos across the country, and actor Abdullah Afzal, who's the founder of the Muslim Panto Theatre company.
Actor and Wrexham FC Director Humphrey Kerr talks about co-writing and starring in Sherlock Holmes & the 12 Days of Christmas
Following news that best-selling author Joanna Trollope has died at the age 82, we've dug into the BBC archive to find a 2010 interview with Joanna.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Harry Graham
MON 20:00 The Briefing Room (m002n7wv)
Why are early career doctors angry?
In a few days time resident doctors -who used to be known as junior doctors - will go on strike. Just before Christmas and with flu on the rise. This will be the 14th strike by the doctors’ union since March 2023. The ostensible reason is pay but coming up behind it as an issue for younger doctors is the question of their futures- they're very unhappy about their working conditions and their career paths. David Aaronovitch and guests discuss what's going on and ask what the problem is with the way we in Britain train our doctors?
Guests:
Hugh Pym, BBC Health Editor
Sir Andrew Goddard, Consultant Gastroenterologist
Professor Martin McKee, Professor of European Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Mark Dayan, Policy Analyst, Nuffield Trust.
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight, Cordelia Hemming
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound Engineers: Michael Regaard, Gareth Jones
Editor: Richard Vadon
MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txp)
Would our ancestors have benefited from early neanderthals making fire?
400 thousand years ago our early human cousins dropped a lighter in a field in the East of England; evidence that was uncovered this week and suggests that early neanderthals might have made fire 350 thousand years earlier than we previously thought. Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes is honorary researcher at the universities of Cambridge and Liverpool and author of Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art. She explains what this new discovery could mean for our own ancestors.
Should we genetically modify our farmed salmon to prevent it breeding with their wild relatives? Dr William Perry from Cardiff University thinks this could help the endangered wild Atlantic salmon recover it’s numbers.
And Lizzie Gibney, Senior Physics Reporter at Nature joins Tom Whipple to dig into the new science released this week.
Think you know space? Head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science, and follow the links to the Open University to try The Open University Space Quiz.
MON 21:00 Start the Week (m002nk2b)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:45 Wild Bond (m001d5gt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002nk3y)
German Chancellor says "huge progress" on Ukraine ceasefire
Germany's Chancellor says "huge progress" has been made in Berlin during negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. His optimism was echoed by US President Donald Trump who said, "we're closer now than we have been, ever." But questions remain over security guarantees for Kyiv and whether they'll be asked to surrender territory. We hear from a Foreign Office minister and a senior Ukrainian MP.
Also on the programme: a day after the deadly attack on a Jewish celebration in Sydney, we discuss the security implications and hear from a survivor.
And a BBC investigation finds nearly 90 flights linked to Jeffrey Epstein flew to and from UK airports, some with British women on board, who may have been trafficked.
MON 22:45 Mary Macdonald's Big Trip by Alexander McCall Smith (m002nk40)
A Gift from Glasgow
Mary Macdonald is a logical soul; a much-loved teacher and crofter whose busy Hebridean life leaves little room for flights of fancy. But when a windfall comes her way, Miss Macdonald decides it’s time to sample some clear mountain air – on the other side of the world.
A new story from a much-loved author in celebration of travel, karma and broadening the mind, all while staying true to your principles.
Read by Ceit Kearney
Written by Alexander McCall Smith
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
Ceit Kearney trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and has worked professionally in Theatre, Radio, TV and Film for almost 40 years. She is also a qualified drama teacher and acting coach.
Before turning to writing fiction, Sir Alexander McCall Smith was a professor of Medical Law and worked in universities in the UK and abroad. He has written and contributed to more than 100 books including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children’s books. His Botswana-set series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency made him a household name, selling over twenty million copies in the English language alone.
Alexander has received numerous awards for his writing and holds twelve honorary doctorates from universities in Europe and North America. In 2011 he was honoured by the President of Botswana for services through literature to the country. In 2022 he received the Lifetime Achievement in the Saltire Literary Awards. And in 2024, he was honoured as Knight Bachelor by His Majesty King Charles III for services to literature, academia and charity.
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 23:00 Limelight (m001smv2)
Spores: Series 1
5. Mycosis
A psychological horror story set in rural Wales amid the mysterious world of mycelium.
When social worker Cassie discovers mould in the flat of a vulnerable service user she puts it down to poor quality housing. But then she discovers it in her own house and begins to fear for the safety of her family.
For partner Morgan and young son Bryn, it’s not the mould that troubles them but Cassie’s mental health. As the fungus continues to grow and spread, Cassie resorts to more extreme measures to combat it. But why will no one listen to her when she warns of danger? With Hywel’s help Cassie begins to find answers. But they are not the ones she wanted.
In Greek mythology, Cassandra was condemned to speak the truth yet never be believed. A story of trust and what happens when we lose it. And of a hidden threat attacking the very thing that makes us powerful.
Written and created by Marietta Kirkbride
Cassie …… Kate O’Flynn
Interviewer ….. Laurel Lefkow
Hywel ….. Lloyd Meredith
Morgan…… Owain Gwynn
Bryn …… Macsen Ovens
Joyce ….. Kezrena James
Ola …… Aggy K. Adams
Theo …… Richard Corgan
Young Helen …… Lily Anne Lefkow
Other voices played by the cast
Production Manager: Anna de Wolff Evans
Production Assistant: Teresa Milewski
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Title Music: Ioana Selaru & Melo-Zed
Sound Design: Jon Nicholls
Directed and Produced by Nicolas Jackson
An Afonica production for BBC Radio 4
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002nk42)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the prime minister condemns the terror attack in Sydney and promises to take every possible step to protect the Jewish community in the UK.
TUESDAY 16 DECEMBER 2025
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002nk44)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 00:30 Artworks (m002nk2k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002nk46)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002nk48)
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 (m002nk4b)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002nk4d)
Susan Hulme reports as peers call for more action to tackle antisemitism in the UK after the Bondi Beach attack.
TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002nk4g)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002nk4j)
David Niven Had a Dilemma
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection with Father Dermot Preston
Good morning.
David Niven had a dilemma.
It was Christmas Eve 1939; Lieutenant Niven and his new platoon were due to be sent across the Channel on Christmas Day to help block a possible German attack on France. A few months earlier, just as his film career was taking-off, Niven had exited Hollywood and had re-joined the British Army which he had left in 1933.
Niven and the platoon found themselves in a run-down barn near Dover. His men were unhappy: they felt the expedition was a waste of time; their leave had been cancelled and the fact that they were being commanded by a Hollywood actor made everything seem somewhat ridiculous. Niven was aware of their hostility to him and the sarcastic whispers about his fictional bravery in various movies.
Then came his dilemma. Every night of his life it was his practice to kneel and say a simple prayer by his bed. But, on this night, he realised that if he knelt in the barn – in front of the men – it would be the final evidence of his Hollywood showboating and it would be the end of any lingering respect they might have had for him.
He took a deep breath… and knelt by his bunk and said his prayers.
When he finished he laid down on his straw billet and looked around rather sheepishly… and saw at least a dozen soldiers kneeling quietly and praying. As Niven later reflected, “It was not the first time God had entered a stable and had touched the hearts of men.”
Lord, in the sight of others give me the courage to hold fast to my beliefs this day. Amen.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002nk4l)
The Prime Minister has told a select committee he is aware of the pressure farmers are facing because of the government's plan to reimpose inheritance tax on them. However, despite close questioning from his own MPs, he made no commitment to change. Sir Kier Starmer was in front of the Liaison Committee which is made up of all the Chairs of the House of Commons Select Committees, who head up investigations into government departments.
The countryside charity the CPRE, says it's concerned that most new housing is being built on green-field sites. It fears the government will create urban sprawl as it tries to fulfil its manifesto pledge to build 1.5 million new homes over the course of the next parliament.
All week on Farming Today we’re talking about the rural heritage buildings that make up our countryside, everything from old farm barns to country mansions. All of these buildings will need maintenance and repair, but there's only one centre in the UK teaching NVQ Level 3 qualifications, in Heritage Construction skills. We visit the Tywi Centre in Carmarthenshire,.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
TUE 06:00 Today (m002njv7)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Reith Lectures (m002nhld)
Rutger Bregman - Moral Revolution
4. Fighting for Humanity in the Age of the Machine.
Rutger Bregman's 2025 Reith Lectures, called "Moral Revolution", explore the moral decay and un-seriousness of today's elites, drawing historical parallels to past eras of corruption that preceded transformative movements especially the 19th Century campaign to abolish slavery. In his series, he argues that small, committed groups can spark moral revolutions, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and long-term vision.
In this fourth and final lecture, he zooms out to reflect on humanity’s strange historical trajectory, warning of the existential risks posed by unchecked tech and AI. He urges privileged individuals to take on an active role in shaping a better future.
The Reith Lectures are presented by Anita Anand who chairs a Q & A. The programme was recorded in front of an audience at Stanford University in Silicon Valley, USA.
The researcher was James Bonney and the series is produced by Jim Frank.
The Editor is Clare Fordham.
The programmes are mixed by Neil Churchill.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002njvc)
Why is Jane Austen still so relevant to women today?
Woman’s Hour celebrates the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. Nuala McGovern delves into the world that Jane was born into in 1775 to explore why her writing has such a following around the world and still feels so relevant to women today. She is joined by the author Gill Hornby, President of the UK Jane Austen Society, and by Dr Zoe McGee whose book Courting Disaster explores the issue of consent in Regency literature, to discuss the life, the novels and the extraordinary characters that have made Jane such an enduring figure.
They are joined by Rachel Parris whose new novel Introducing Mrs Collins extends the story of Charlotte Lucas, the character in Pride and Prejudice who does what Lizzie Bennet simply couldn't do and accepts the marriage proposal Mr Collins. As well as being an author, Rachel is a comedian, actor and presenter, not to mention a founding member of Austentatious, a hugely successful live show which improvises a new Jane Austen novel in every performance.
Jane Austen’s novels have been translated into almost every major language and there are societies of Austen lovers and scholars in every corner of the globe, from Australia to Argentina and Iran to Italy. Joining us to tell us why Austen still captivates readers in their parts of the world are Laaleen Sukhera, founder of the Jane Austen Society of Pakistan and the founding member of the Austen Society of Japan and researcher at the University of Southampton, Dr. Hatsuyo Shimazaki.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Laura Northedge
TUE 11:00 Screenshot (m002nv01)
Jane Austen
2025 marks 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen, the English writer whose finely tuned observations of Regency life shaped the modern novel. But perhaps more notably for Screenshot, it’s also 30 years since Colin Firth walked out of a lake and straight into the nation’s hearts, in the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice miniseries.
Three decades on from the ‘Austenmania’ of 1995, Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode explore Jane Austen adaptations past and present. Do screen versions of novels like Emma and Sense and Sensibility offer a cosy retreat from the modern world - or do they still have something to say in the present moment?
Mark speaks to film writer and researcher Lillian Crawford about various Austen triumphs and missteps on screen, from numerous incarnations of Emma, to Netflix’s recent update on her last novel, Persuasion. He also speaks to playwright Nick Dear about an adaptation many Austen experts consider a high-water mark - the 1995 version of Persuasion, written by Dear and directed by Roger Michell for the BBC’s Screen Two strand.
Meanwhile, Ellen talks to Amy Heckerling, writer and director of the classic 1995 comedy Clueless, which transplants Austen’s novel Emma to a Beverly Hills high school. And she also speaks to writer-director Celine Song, whose recent film Materialists stars Dakota Johnson as a professional matchmaker - and unmistakably bears the influence of Austen.
Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 11:45 Artworks (m002njvg)
When I Met Jane Austen
Val McDermid on suspense and psychology in Northanger Abbey
As Jane Austen turns 250, Austen biographer and writer Dr Paula Byrne is joined by prominent thinkers, writers, directors who tell her about their encounters with the famous author. Each of her guests has been shaped and changed by Austen. Paula's guests inspire her own reflections about Austen's life and works. Today it's the turn of Val McDermid.
When crime writer Val McDermid first read Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, she found the novel's heroine, Catherine Morland, a bit frustrating. But it was on later re-readings that she began to appreciate her and the book itself. Val went on to rewrite Austen's early novel a few years ago and tells Paula how she transposed the setting to Scotland. The original is a novel which was intended for publication in the early 1800s and it parodies the Gothic fiction of the time. But Paula and Val explore how it's a bit more complicated than a straightforward parody and talk about how Austen understood psychological suspense. They reflect on how Austen defends and supports novelists from the book's opening chapters. Val tells Paula how Austen has influenced her own writing and argues that Austen subtly warns us - if we read her carefully enough.
Presenter: Dr Paula Byrne
Reader: Gemma Whelan
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002njvj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002njvl)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
TUE 12:57 Weather (m002njvn)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m002njvq)
Settler intimidation in the West Bank
We present the programme from Jerusalem, with an in depth report about Israeli settler harassment of Bedouin villagers in the West Bank. The former culture minister Damian Collins assesses President Trump’s multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the BBC. Plus, the co-artistic director of the RSC gives us her view on the question of whether you need to fully understand Shakespeare to perform it.
TUE 13:45 Artworks (m002njvs)
When I Met Jane Austen
Kate Atkinson on morals, meaning and Mansfield Park
As Jane Austen turns 250, biographer and writer Dr Paula Byrne is joined by prominent thinkers, writers, directors who tell her about their encounters with the famous author. Each of her guests has been shaped and changed by Jane Austen. Paula's guests inspire her own reflections, drawn from the places that held special meaning for Austen. Today's guest - Kate Atkinson.
The writer Kate Atkinson didn't love Austen's third novel nor its heroine at first. But in recent years, she's come to appreciate the complexity and subtlety of Mansfield Park and its quiet pious lead character Fanny Price. There are many things that fascinate her about the novel including the way its central character doesn't change and isn't perhaps as immediately appealing as Austen's other heroines. Kate and Paula discuss Fanny's ethics and religion and how she might reflect Austen's own faith. They examine a crucial moment in the novel when Fanny is gifted a cross and Kate reveals how a personal object is buried in her own novel, A God in Ruins. Mansfield Park is an ethical book - and Kate and Paula explore how it subtly engages with major issues of the day. Kate reflects that it's a book you need to return to again and again, as great novels perhaps ask of us.
Presenter: Dr Paula Byrne
Reader: Gemma Whelan
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002njvy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (b007llmb)
Jane and Tom - The Real Pride and Prejudice by Elizabeth Lewis
Andrew Scott and Jasmine Hyde star in Elizabeth Lewis's dramatisation, based on letters from Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, which tell of the author's love for Tom Lefroy.
Director Celia de Wolff, BBC Audio Wales.
TUE 15:00 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley (m002njw7)
Series 4
51. Murder by the Book - Live from the Hay Festival
Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley - the stories of women who kill - is back for a brand new series.
This first episode is recorded in front of a live audience at the Hay Festival in 2025, with special guest Sarah Waters (bestselling author of Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith) and in-house historian Professor Rosalind Crone. The team discovers which of our infamous lady killers inspired great writers to immortalise them in print.
They explore the lives of women like Edith Thompson, accused of killing her husband, although she never laid a finger on him. Edith captured Sarah Waters' imagination while researching her romantic thriller The Paying Guests, which is set - just like Edith’s story - in socially turbulent 1920s suburbia.
Then there’s Maria Manning, who was reincarnated as an ‘imperfectly tamed’ French maid Hortense by Charles Dickens in his proto-detective story, Bleak House.
And Margaret Garner, an enslaved woman on the run, who inspired Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, Beloved.
With the usual mix of curiosity, insight and hilarity, Lucy and the team ask what makes these particular women so compelling. Can historical fiction actually communicate more than factual history? What makes for a good baddie?
Featuring live readings from actor Clare Corbett and pre-recorded reconstructions, Lady Killers: Murder by the Book brings a contemporary feminist perspective to crime as it happened and as it’s reimagined on the page.
Recorded live at the Hay Festival 2025.
Producer: Sarah Goodman
Assistant Producers: Riham Moussa, Mikaela Carmichael
Readers: Clare Corbett and Moya Angela
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Executive Producer: Kirsty Hunter
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 15:30 Beyond Belief (m002njwd)
Faith and the climate crisis: ten years since Laudato Si
Giles Fraser talks to a panel of experts about the impact of 'Laudato Si', a decade after it was released by Pope Francis. They examine how this landmark document inspired global political co-operation and provided 'moral ballast' in the call for climate action. He hears from Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of the Philippines whose country is one of those most vulnerable to climate change. He discusses the role of faith communities and leaders in motivating people to work together to protect our common home in the face of increasing disengagement with the topic.
Panel: Carmody Grey, Theologian and Professor of Integral Ecology at Radboud University in the Netherlands, Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, co-founder of Eco-Judaism and Dr Shanon Shah, Muslim Director of Faith for the Climate
PRESENTER: GILES FRASER
PRODUCER:CATHERINE MURRAY
ASST PRODUCER: CHARLIE FILMER-COURT
PROGRAMME CO-ORDINATOR: NED STONE
EDITOR: CHLOE WALKER
TUE 16:00 Bookclub (m002njwj)
Emma Thompson: Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility
The award-winning actress Emma Thompson takes questions on Sense and Sensibility in this special episode of Bookclub to mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. Sense and Sensibility was Jane Austen's first novel published in 1811 when she was thirty-five years old. The book follows the Dashwood sisters as they navigate their way through love and and threat of its loss. Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment.
Emma Thompson won an Oscar for her screen adaptation of the 1995 film, of the same name, in which she played Elinor Dashwood. The film also starred Kate Winslet as Marianne Dashwood, Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars, Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon, and Greg Wise as John Willoughby.
This episode was recorded at Broadcasting House, London, in August.
Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002njwn)
What can you do about hearing loss?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into the physical side of hearing loss. What is the cocktail party problem, and why does it get worse with age? How does hearing work? What causes hearing loss? How can we protect our hearing? How can we manage hearing loss? What is tinnitus and how is it treated?
They explore the physical structures behind our hearing, the causes that can lead to physical changes and hearing loss, why it gets more difficult with age to distinguish speech in busy places, and the top tips you can use to protect and manage your hearing.
Joining them to discuss this is Prof Doris Bamiou, Professor of Neuroaudiology at the UCL Ear Institute, and Honorary Consultant in Audiological Medicine at the University College London Hospitals.
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: Prof Doris Bamiou
Researcher: Mili Ostojic
Producer: Faye Lyons White
Social Media Producer: Leon Gower
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Jo Rowntree
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
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 (m002njws)
Man jailed for driving car into crowds at Liverpool parade
21 and a half years in prison for Paul Doyle, who injured 130 people "in a rage". Plus, the government launches a review into foreign interference in British Politics. We look at how the BBC could be funded as the Culture Secretary launches a consultation on the corporation's charter renewal. And, King's College, Cambridge launches a women-only choir.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002njwx)
The man who drove his car into crowds in Liverpool has been jailed
The man who drove his car into crowds celebrating Liverpool's Premier League title win in May has been jailed for 21 years and 6 months. Also: The BBC says it will defend itself against a multi billion dollar lawsuit brought by Donald Trump. And a couple from mid Wales have won 1 million pounds on the National Lottery for the second time.
TUE 18:30 One Person Found This Helpful (m002njx4)
Series 3
5. Jurassic Tea
Frank Skinner and guests Simon Evans, Jo Caulfield, Kerry Godliman and Ed Byrne check out a hospital in Prague, a cheesesteak in New Jersey, and whether a naked ghost is a good or a bad thing
This is the panel game based on what we all sit down and do at least once a day – shop online and leave a review, as an all-star panel celebrate the good, the bad and the baffling.
Everyone has an online life, and when the great British public put pen to keyboard to leave a review, they almost always write something hilarious. And our all-star panel have to work out just what they were reviewing – and maybe contribute a few reviews of their own. So if you’re the person who went on Trip Advisor to review Ben Nevis as “Very steep and too high”, this show salutes you!
Written by Frank Skinner, Catherine Brinkworth, Sarah Dempster, Gareth Gwynn, Jason Hazeley, Karl Minns, Katie Sayer & Peter Tellouche
Devised by Jason Hazeley and Simon Evans with the producer David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m002nhkp)
Whilst packing vegetables Tom gives disgruntled Tony the bad news that he can’t drive Tony’s vintage Fordson in the tractor run as he’ll be setting off for Wales with Natasha and the twins early on Christmas Eve. When Helen arrives Tom wonders who’s in the worse mood, Pat or Tony. Then Tony takes Tom to task for letting him down at such short notice, backed up by Helen. Tom gets very defensive, blaming anyone but himself. When Pat walks in she too can’t believe Tom didn’t realise he wouldn’t be available, but offers to drive the Fordson instead. Tony gets upset about people not being there on Christmas Eve to decorate the Christmas tree, declaring that maybe they shouldn’t bother with it at all this year.
Discussing the tractor run with Tony, Joy praises Tony and Pat’s resilience at a difficult time, and they end up swapping notes about family Christmases. But Tony resents the suggestion that he’s locking himself away with his tractor.
Esme comes to Bridge Farm for some farming advice from Pat. On a tour she admires the sustainability of the planting, before asking about Helen’s dairy operation and how they dealt with the sewage leak. Pat suggests Esme comes back again tomorrow. Esme can’t because she’s driving to South Wales in pursuit of silage. So Pat takes her to see the Montbeliardes, where Esme opens up about the problems she’s facing just to keep going. Pat offers sisterly support – women farmers need to look out for each other whenever they can.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002njxc)
Jane Austen at 250 special
Jane Austen is often seen as an isolated genius who appeared from nowhere, or she is treated with a simplistic cult-like reverance which overlooks the complexities of her work. In this special edition of Front Row, exactly 250 years after Austen's birth, we take a close critical eye to a writer who innovated the novel as a form and revolutionised a literary style rarely seen before.
Fellow novelists Tessa Hadley and Kamila Shamsie join Samira, alongside academics Professor John Mullan and Dr. Sophie Coulombeau, to deeply delve into the texts themselves, revealing a witty writer herself steeped in the literature of her day, discussing how she contsantly evolved her craft and why her status has fluctuated with trends across the last two centuries.
With readings by Dame Harriet Walter
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Ciaran Bermingham
TUE 20:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002nhk5)
Firefighting's forever chemical legacy
Industrial firefighting foams are an essential part of on-site safety in UK factories. But for decades some of these familiar canisters contained potentially dangerous, toxic chemicals.
File on 4 Investigates discovers that 3M the multi-billion dollar chemical company responsible for producing the chemicals knew about the risks as early as the 1960s because their own internal studies on animals and tests on workers indicated a possible increase in rates of cancer. Despite this, the company failed to warn its workers of the dangers associated with using the foams for decades and was involved in an environmental accident at one of its sites that led to the chemicals being released into a Welsh river.
The programme obtained never seen before documents showing the regulator warning the company it thought it had committed an offence but choosing not to prosecute it.
In 2004, with evidence of the risks to the environment of the two specific forever chemicals PFOS and PFOA, a report commissioned by the government recommended any remaining firefighting foams containing the chemicals be incinerated. But we discover in the years after that companies struggled to dispose of legacy stock of foams, and, appearing unaware of the unofficial advice, discharged them straight into the sewer with no treatment, in one case with permission from the water company.
3M said that the health and safety of its workers and their families were “critical priorities" for the company.
Reporter: Esme Stallard
Producer: Anna Meisel
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley
Editor: Tara McDermott
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002njxm)
A Visually Impaired Figure Skater, Navigating a New EU Border System
Aarifah Karim is a visually impaired figure skater. She had a stop-start entry into the sport that she now loves, not because of her visual impairment, but due it being a tricky sport to master and other people's attitudes. Aarifah describes to Peter White what figure skating is, how she became involved and whether or not her visual impairment has ever become an obstacle in pursuing the sport.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is a new digital system designed to keep track of when non-EU citizens enter and leave the Schengen Area. It covers 29 European countries, mostly in the EU, and it requires fingerprints and a photograph to be registered. Chris Kay contacted In Touch about the new EES system because he was concerned how he and other members of the Visually Impaired Veterans Ski Club would fare when managing the new system when they take their next annual ski trip to Italy. The Independent's Travel Correspondent, Simon Calder, helps address Chris' concerns and provides more general advice for visually impaired people on future travel through countries who come under this new system.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Kim Agostino
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 Crossing Continents (m002njxv)
Stolen brides of Kazakhstan: the fightback
In plain sight, in a modern city, a colleague offers to drive you home after work. How would you respond? One woman in Kazakhstan accepted the lift only to find herself kidnapped or ‘stolen’ as a bride. She got away, rescued by the police, but for many Kazakh women kidnap leads to marriage.
Human Rights lawyer Khalida Azhigulova reckons that thousands of women are forced into marriage each year in Kazakhstan, including many who are abducted. Some women even find that a wedding has already been arranged by the time a kidnapper gets her home. Now, after 20 years of campaigning by Khalida and other activists, legislators have passed a law making forced marriage a crime.
Monica Whitlock and Roza Kudabayeva travel to Kazakhstan to meet women who’ve been kidnapped, and hearing about the intense pressures that make them feel obliged to marry their abductors. Women like Gulbala who endured 20 years of marriage with her kidnapper and is now making a new life for herself. And Klara who is crystal clear that it’s time for a change. All her children will marry in the proper way, she says, because no one should be forced into marriage.
Bride stealing is a problem not only in Kazakhstan, but in many other parts of Central Asia and the Caucasus. It’s often defended as ‘tradition’ rooted in the Kazakh’s nomadic past. Nonsense, says Khalida. ‘Kazakh girls in the nomadic community were raised as warriors. They were taught to ride a horse, how to gallop, how to use arms and how to fight. She would not let anyone kidnap her'.
Produced by Monica Whitlock and Rose Kudabayeva.
Studio Mix by James Beard.
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Penny Murphy
TUE 21:30 Illuminated (m002njy1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:15 on Sunday]
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002njy8)
First funerals to be held for victims of the Bondi Beach attack
British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger and Rabbi Yaakov Levitan are to be buried on Wednesday, the Chabad of Bondi has confirmed. Australian officials are investigating claims that the two gunmen took part in military-style training in the Philippines.
Also on the programme: The BBC understands that the UK is set to rejoin the EU's Erasmus student exchange scheme, five years after leaving it as part of the post-Brexit deal with the European Union. Water voles have been spotted for the first time in almost two decades by conservationists in Oxfordshire. And, we speak to the Welsh couple who have defied odds of more than 24 trillion to one, and won the National Lottery for a second time.
TUE 22:45 Mary Macdonald's Big Trip by Alexander McCall Smith (m002njyh)
Professor Higgs and the Yeti
Mary Macdonald is a logical soul; a much-loved teacher and crofter whose busy Hebridean life leaves little room for flights of fancy. But when a windfall comes her way, she decides it’s time to sample some clear mountain air – on the other side of the world. A story in celebration of travel, karma and broadening the mind, all while staying true to your principles.
As the new story from a much-loved author continues, Miss Macdonald has no time to celebrate her good fortune at the mountaineering shop. Instead she's off on the adventure of a lifetime.
Read by Ceit Kearney
Written by Alexander McCall Smith
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
Ceit Kearney trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and has worked professionally in Theatre, Radio, TV and Film for almost 40 years. She is also a qualified drama teacher and acting coach.
Before turning to writing fiction, Sir Alexander McCall Smith was a professor of Medical Law and worked in universities in the UK and abroad. He has written and contributed to more than 100 books including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and children’s books. His Botswana-set series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency made him a household name, selling over twenty million copies in the English language alone.
Alexander has received numerous awards for his writing and holds twelve honorary doctorates from universities in Europe and North America. In 2011 he was honoured by the President of Botswana for services through literature to the country. In 2022 he received the Lifetime Achievement in the Saltire Literary Awards. And in 2024, he was honoured as Knight Bachelor by His Majesty King Charles III for services to literature, academia and charity.
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:00 Uncanny (m002njyn)
Series 5
Case 8: Revenants and Revelations
Danny Robins takes a deep dive into all the cases so far this series, with new leads, new witnesses and listeners' questions and theories.
Written and presented by Danny Robins
Editing and sound design: Charlie Brandon-King
Music: Evelyn Sykes
Theme music by Lanterns on the Lake
Commissioning executive: Paula McDonnell
Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts
Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard
A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002njyv)
Susan Hulme reports as ministers set out the next phase of the government's planning reforms.
WEDNESDAY 17 DECEMBER 2025
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002njz1)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 00:30 Artworks (m002njvg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002njz7)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002njzc)
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 (m002njzg)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002njzl)
Alicia McCarthy reports from Westminster as the government sets out plans for an independent review of foreign interference in the UK's elections.
WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002njzq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002njzv)
The Lord of the Dance
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection with Father Dermot Preston
Good morning.
Mary was the life-&-soul of any party; Richard, tall and shy, preferred to sit and observe. They were strangers at far sides of a dance hall, packed with hundreds of people.
Spontaneously the Conga started. The three-step dance with an energetic kick, winds-around in a civilised procession, but if led by a drunken dancer who makes a sudden turn, that turn ripples down the line making each dancer move faster-&-faster, until the tail of the snake whiplashes. Mary, characteristically at the tail, catapulted off and slid on her knees along the polished floor, slamming into the wallflower, Richard, who was sitting innocently on his chair.
And that is how my Mum and Dad first met.
The traditional scripture for this day in Advent is the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel… the genealogy of Jesus’ ancestors; the list throws together weird and wonderful characters from all corners of the Old Testament. David was the father of Soloman, Soloman was the father of Rehoboam etc… It tolls like a bell at the beginning of the New Testament. To our ears it seems a strange opening, but for Matthew it is a statement: the list contains not just the good and holy but the incompetents, the power-seekers and the downright embarrassing.
Matthew is signalling that the Babe born in Bethlehem emerges from a history that is not pure; the Christ Child draws even the darkness into a new and greater narrative; the redemption of the fallen has begun and goodness is created from the broken fragments of human existence.
Glory be to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we could ask for or imagine. Amen
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002njzz)
Village churches are as much a part of our rural landscape as trees and hedgerows. However according to a recent survey by the National Churches Trust, as many as nine hundred of Britain's countryside churches are in danger of closing in the next five years. We visit a church in North Cumbria where the farming community is determined to save it. We also speak to the National Churches Trust about their fears for the future of small rural churches.
There's also discussion of the latest government changes to planning regulations.
Producer: Rebecca Rooney
WED 06:00 Today (m002nhjz)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 More or Less (m002nhk1)
Do we really have ‘superflu’?
The NHS is warning of an unprecedented flu season - we check what the numbers say.
Is there really a mass exodus of Brits leaving the UK due to Labour tax policies? We look at the latest emigration figures.
We take a look at the prison service’s curious habit of letting prisoners out early – or keeping them in for too long - is there a trend?
Plus - why the US economy can’t grow at 25 percent a year.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Reporter: Nathan Gower
Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Katie Solleveld, Lizzy McNeill and Tom Colls.
Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound mix: Gareth Jones
Editor: Richard Vadon
WED 09:30 Shadow World (m002mr58)
Anatomy of a Cancellation
6. Post Mortem
Katie Razzall considers the fallout from the controversy surrounding Kate Clanchy’s award-winning memoir Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me.
She explores the deep divisions the case exposed: in publishing, on social media, and among writers.
Has the industry changed? What is the cost of this controversy, and who gets to tell their story?
In Shadow World: Anatomy of a Cancellation, the BBC’s Culture Editor Katie Razzall revisits a story that rocked the UK’s publishing industry in 2021. It led to what some saw as the unjustified cancellation of a prize-winning writer and teacher - but to others, was a long overdue reckoning for the world of publishing. It grew into a culture war about race, class, and who has the right to say what.
Anatomy of a Cancellation explores a range of different perspectives to consider how people now view one of the most controversial literary rows in recent memory.
Presenter: Katie Razzall
Producer: Charlotte McDonald
Additional production: Octavia Woodward
Production co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Katie Morrison
Sound design and mix: James Beard
Story editing: Meara Sharma
Series producer: Matt Willis
Senior news editor: Clare Fordham
Commissioning executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning editor: Dan Clarke
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002nhk3)
Romance fraud, the Sex Discrimination Act, Slady tribute band at Christmas
A man believed to be the UK’s most prolific romance fraudster, who conned a number of women into giving him almost a million pounds, has been jailed for seventeen years - the longest sentence ever handed down for romance fraud in the UK. Anna Rowe, founder of Catch the Catfish and a former victim of romance fraud joins Nuala.
It’s 50 years this month since the Sex Discrimination Act was passed - a cause and campaign which united women across classes and generations. Historian Dr Lyndsey Jenkins tells us about the struggle to make it law, and the impact it had on women’s lives.
This morning we reveal that the Home Office is planning to expand a pilot scheme where domestic abuse specialists are embedded in police 999 control rooms to advise officers handling calls. They listen in, provide feedback, run training sessions for call handlers and ensure victims are pointed to support services. This pilot was introduced earlier this year under "Raneem's law" after Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem were murdered by Raneem's ex partner. Raneem had called West Midlands police 14 times to report concerns about her safety. Her aunt Nour Norris has campaigned for this change and joins Nuala in the studio.
We celebrate the phenomenon of female tribute acts to male bands. Gobby Holder, aka Danie Cox of Slady and Lolo Wood of The Fallen Women and Ye Nuns tell us how their audiences have grown.
WED 11:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002nhk5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
WED 11:40 This Week in History (m002nhk7)
15th to 21st December
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
This week: 15th to 21st December
16th December 1707 - The last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan.
18th December 1917 - The Soviet government recognises Finland's independence.
19th December 1843 - "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens is published.
Presented by Jane Steel and Viji Alles.
WED 11:45 Artworks (m002nhk9)
When I Met Jane Austen
Andrew Davies on Darcy, Darwin and Desire
As Jane Austen turns 250, Austen biographer and writer Dr Paula Byrne is joined by prominent thinkers, writers, directors who tell her about their encounters with the famous author. Each of her guests has been shaped, changed, and inspired by Austen. Paula's guests inspire her own reflections, drawn from the places that held special meaning for Austen herself. Today: Andrew Davies.
Before he became a prolific screenwriter, Andrew taught English. And one of the novels he liked to read aloud to his students was Pride and Prejudice. So when the opportunity came to write the now iconic 1995 screenplay he already had strong ideas about what the novel really was about. For him, it wasn't so much about etiquette and small gestures - this novel was about sex and power and money. He talks to Paula about how he wanted to amplify the role of Darcy, to make him a three dimensional man, and he tells Paula about his Darwinian readings of the character. Paula and Andrew reflect on what Austen saw as a good man - the kinds of heroes she respected. The discussion inspires a trip to the seaside, where Paula explores a possible real-life inspiration for Darcy. Paula and Andrew discuss whether Austen writes men well and whether she appeals to male readers and viewers.
Credit:
Pride and Prejudice (1995),
dir. Simon Langton,
BBC TV, September/October 1995
Mr Darcy - Colin Firth
Elizabeth Bennet - Jennifer Ehle
Presenter: Dr Paula Byrne
Reader: Gemma Whelan
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
WED 12:00 News Summary (m002nhkc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002nhkf)
Mileage Blocking, Driving Test Delays, Christmas Prepayment Clubs
When shopping for cars mileage is one of the most important determinants for price. But what if you can't trust the advertised mileage of used cars for sale. We hear about the use of mileage blocking devices which can alter the mileage on a car without trace.
An investigation by the National Audit Office has found that 70% of DVSA test centres now have the maximum 24 week wait time for test slots - and hear about the threatening behavior of a third party seller.
And remember Farepak? Its twenty years since the Christmas prepayment club went bust. But only now are new laws coming in to ensure it doesn't happen again. We'll be hearing what the new regulations will mean for the many people who use them.
PRESENTER: Winfred Robinson
PRODUCER: Catherine Earlam
WED 12:57 Weather (m002nhkh)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m002nhkk)
The UK rejoins the EU student exchange deal
The UK rejoins the EU student exchange deal Erasmus plus. Is it good value? The Chief Secretary to the Treasury responds. Also Sarah reports from Ramallah on hopes for peace, could
WED 13:45 Artworks (m002nhkm)
When I Met Jane Austen
Amy Heckerling on confidence, Clueless and Emma
When Paula was living in America in the 1990s, her husband suggested they go to the cinema to watch a movie about teenagers in Beverly Hills. Its name: Clueless. Paula wasn't keen. But within a few minutes the movie grew on her. It was funny, quick, and most importantly, it was inspired by one of Paula's favourite books - Jane Austen's Emma. The film's writer and director Amy Heckerling first encountered Austen's iconic heroine when she was studying at art school in New York and was attracted by her confidence and optimism. Years later, living in Beverly Hills, she thought of Emma again. Together, Paula and Amy discuss what makes Austen's manipulative main character likeable and how Amy's film cleverly transposes the book's innovative use of free indirect speech into voiceover. For Amy, it's a novel she returns to again and again and for Paula, Amy's movie is one of the best Austen adaptations she's seen.
Credit: Clueless, dir. Amy Heckerling, Paramount Pictures, 1995
Cher - Alicia Silverstone; Dionne - Stacey Dash
Presenter: Dr Paula Byrne
Reader: Gemma Whelan
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
WED 14:00 The Archers (m002nhkp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Trust (m002nhkr)
Series 6 – 3. Mayonnaise for the Last Time
Jonathan Hall's comedy drama about a Salford secondary school starring Julie Hesmondhalgh.
The staff of ES Academy are forced to think creatively to fill the school hall for the careers fair, Yvette helps a student navigate teen pregnancy and an overbearing parent, and the brass band's rendition of Aragonaise takes Yvette back to a secret she's kept for 13 years.
YVETTE.....Julie Hesmondhalgh
CAROL / QUEENIE.....Susan Twist
TIM.....Ashley Margolis
BILLY.....Jason Done
LEAH.....Yasmin Ali
LATIFA.....Saira Jackson
ATTENDANT.....Connor Evans
BRASS BAND.....Trinity High School Brass Group
Writer - Jonathan Hall
Director- Nadia Molinari
Technical Producer - Sharon Hughes
Additional Technical Production - Kelly Young
Production Co-ordinator - Victoria Moseley
With special thanks to Katrina Madden, and staff and students at Trinity High School, Manchester.
A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4
WED 15:00 Money Box (m002nhkt)
Money Box Life: Blended Family Finances
Life can sometimes get very complicated and messy so can our finances, so we're doing something a bit different to our usual Money Box Live.
Introducing Money Box Life where we're looking at the finances of blended families. What we mean is family groups with some children from one parent, some from another and maybe a child or children together thrown into the mix as well.
The number of families living this way is on the increase with some reports suggesting as many as 1 in 3 are blended. So how do people manage it? From birthday presents to who goes on holidays with whom to making a will. And how do the children feel about it all?
Joining Felicity Hannha is Jo Thurston, a parenting coach and advisor for Parent Talk, which is the free online support service from the charity Action for Children and Liz Wyatt, Family Lawyer and Partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producers: Sarah Rogers and Helen Ledwick
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior Editor: Sara Wadeson
This episode was first broadcast of Wednesday the 17th of December 2025.
WED 15:30 Child (m002nhkw)
Series 2
7. Anxiety
A moment of pure panic - losing a child in a park - begins India Rakusen’s exploration of anxiety: what it is, how it begins, and how it shapes both children and parents.
Through science, history and culture, she learns how early sensory experiences, food battles, and modern parenting pressures feed our fears. And she explores how play, freedom, and the simple act of letting go might be our best cure.
A story about holding on, and learning to release, in a world that asks us to protect what we cannot contain.
Presented by India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans
Assistant Producer: Charlotte Evans-Young
Executive Producer: Alex Hollands
Commissioning Executive: Paula McDonnell
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon and Eska Mtungwazi
Mix and Mastering by Charlie Brandon-King
A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4
WED 16:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002nhky)
Why Optimism is a PR Superpower
It may be the season to be jolly but there's not a lot of good cheer going around at the moment. With so much unrelentingly bleak news, how do you persuade anyone that not everything's as bad as it seems?
This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at the power of optimism. It's not just a useful PR tool, it's vital. When optimism is authentic, it can inspire and be incredibly infectious. The trouble is, it can also feel totally out of step with people's own experiences.
That's why it's such a tricky PR balancing act. You want to take people with you but not make them think you're living in a dream world.
When people are crying out for good news, David and Simon look at why the phrase 'positive spin' is almost always used in a derogatory way - even though the very last thing you want is a pessimistic PR team.
On the extended edition on BBC Sounds, who's on the list and who isn't? The PR minefield that is Christmas cards.
David and Simon discuss whether the festive staple is still a good way of judging where you sit in the business and social firmament.
Should you send cards to all your contacts, should they each get a personalised message - and if someone suddenly stops sending one to you, what are you supposed to think? And given the cost of postage - how do you decide who is really worth the price of a stamp?
Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
WED 16:15 The Media Show (m002nhl0)
Jeremy Vine’s legal battle, Bondi Beach attack coverage, , BBC charter renewal pressures, Trump’s $5bn lawsuit and microdramas
Ros Atkins on some of this week's biggest global media stories.
Jacqueline Maley of the Sydney Morning Herald talks us through the newsroom’s challenge in covering the Bondi Beach attack during a Hanukkah celebration - a story shaped by rapidly circulating bystander video, fraught community tensions and intense scrutiny over tone and verification.
Jeremy Vine reflects on his hard‑fought legal victory after sustained defamatory and harassing posts from former footballer Joey Barton.
Media correspondent Alex Farber of The Times examines the BBC’s newly launched charter renewal process, the debate around future funding models, and how all this intersects with President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the corporation over an edited Panorama clip.
And finally, Mengchen Zhangfrom the BBC’s Global China Unit explains the rapid global rise of the microdrama - the ultra‑short, phone‑first video dramas attracting huge investment and reshaping viewing habits around the world.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai
WED 17:00 PM (m002nhl2)
Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte talks to PM
In an exclusive interview with PM, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte says that the pledge of Nato countries to spend 5% of their economic output on defence is Donald Trump's 'biggest foreign policy success'. He also discusses wider threats from Russia and China. Also: as NHS resident doctors strike, one BMA member tells us why he crossed the picket line. And: how to make the most of spending time with loved ones at Christmas this year, by interviewing relatives of the older generation.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002nhl4)
Pro-Palestine protestors will face arrest over controversial slogans
The Chief Constables of the Greater Manchester and Metropolitan police forces have said they plan to take a more "assertive" approach to pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Also: Resident doctors are condemned as "utterly irresponsible" by the Prime Minister as the latest five day strike gets underway. And the government has rejected claims by the Consevatives that re-joining the Erasmus student exchange scheme is a betrayal of Brexit.
WED 18:30 Unite (m001n8qz)
Series 2
The Welsh Fugitive
Tony bemoans the fact the family are spending too much time on their phones and organises a digital detox weekend at a remote farmhouse in Wales. But his romanticised views of the ex-mining village where he spent many happy summers as a child, are at odds with the harsh reality.
Ashley, obsessed with true crime podcasts, is excited to learn that a dangerous criminal has escaped from prison, Imogen reconnects with an university friend and Gideon can't relax, having left his pregnant girlfriend at home.
This is the second series of Unite. When Tony (Mark Steel), a working class, left wing South Londoner, falls in love and marries Imogen (Claire Skinner), an upper middle class property developer, their sons - Croydon chancer Ashley (Elliot Steel) and supercilious Eton and Oxford-educated Gideon (Ivo Graham) - are forced to live under the same roof and behave like the brothers neither of them ever wanted.
Cast:
Tony - Mark Steel
Imogen - Claire Skinner
Ashley - Elliot Steel
Gideon - Ivo Graham
Rebecca - Ayesha Antoine
Gethin - Steve Speirs
Mike - Julian Lewis Jones
Bethan/Operator - Maxine Evans
Gareth - Anthony O'Donnell
Newsreader - Ian Pearce
Police Operator - Simon Greenall
Written by Barry Castagnola, Elliot Steel and Ian Pearce
(additional material from the cast)
Executive Producer- Mario Stylianides
Producer/Director- Barry Castagnola
Sound Recordist and Editor- Jerry Peal
Broadcast Assistant - Alex Lynch
Assistant Producer - George O'Regan
Production Assistants - David Litchfield & Martyne Green
A Golden Path and Rustle Up production for BBC Radio 4
WED 19:00 The Archers (m002nhl6)
David has concerns for a loved one, and Jazzer finds himself the subject of ridicule.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m002nhl8)
Actor Will Sharpe on playing Mozart in Amadeus
As a new adaptation of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus begins on Sky, actor Will Sharpe speaks to Front Row about he researched the role of Mozart, and music historian Flora Willson and Music Director of the Dunedin Consort John Butt discuss how recent research helps us better understand the man and his music.
Baroness Margaret Hodge - whose review into Arts Council England was published this week - tells us about her findings and recommendations.
And with just a week to go until Christmas, broadcaster Bex Lindsay delivers her recommendations of books for children this festive season.
The books discussed were:
How To Grow A Reindeer’ written by Rachel Morrisroe, illustrated by Steven Lenton
Robin by Sarah Ann Juckes
Elle McNicoll’s Role Model
Presenter: Kate Molleson
Producer: Mark Crossan
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m002nhlb)
What's the bigger threat to Europe: "cultural erasure", or far-right populism?
Tommy Robinson's carol concert claimed to be "putting Christ back into Christmas". Church of England Bishops quickly pointed out that Christ never went away and warned about Christmas becoming another proxy in the culture wars. Many of Robinson's supporters are turning to Christianity. Some have openly stated that the Christian faith is a cultural ballast, representing British freedoms and values, and a defence against a perceived threat posed by Islam and immigrants. For others, Christianity and Christmas is being appropriated in the most un-Christian way, the Holy Family were persecuted refugees, and a central message of Jesus was one of radical hospitality for the stranger.
This year, Christmas comes at the time of a wider debate about so-called "civilizational erasure" in Europe, following the publication of America's National Security Strategy. It boldly states that, within a few decades, NATO members will be "majority non-European", encourages the resistance - and praises the influence - of "patriotic" European parties, including Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) in Germany, a far-right anti-immigration party.
Is a full-throated defence of Christmas a sign of strength or weakness? What's the bigger threat to Europe: "cultural erasure", or far-right populism?
Chair: Michael Buerk
Panel: Giles Fraser, Inaya Folarin-Iman, Anne McElvoy and Matthew Taylor
Witnesses: Chris Wickland, Krish Kandiah, Eric Kaufmann and Adrian Pabst
Producer: Dan Tierney.
WED 21:00 The Reith Lectures (m002nhld)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Tuesday]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002nhlg)
Arrests at London protest over "intifada" chants
Police have arrested two people "for racially aggravated public order offences" after they allegedly "shouted slogans involving calls for intifada" at a pro-Palestinian protest in central London. The arrests came hours after the Met and Greater Manchester Police said they would arrest people holding placards and chanting the phrase "globalise the intifada" - a reference to an uprising in the Palestinian territories in which thousands of Israelis and Palestinians died.
Also on the programme: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich must "pay up now" to victims of the war in Ukraine or face court action. Mr Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, pledged in 2022 that the £2.5bn he made from the sale of the club would be used to benefit victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
And three white-tailed eagles, recently reintroduced to the United Kingdom, have gone missing, prompting concern from conservationists.
WED 22:45 Mary Macdonald's Big Trip by Alexander McCall Smith (m002nhlj)
In Kathmandu
Mary Macdonald is a logical soul; a much-loved teacher and crofter whose busy Hebridean life leaves little room for flights of fancy. But when a windfall comes her way, Miss Macdonald decides it’s time to sample some clear mountain air – on the other side of the world. A story in celebration of travel, karma and broadening the mind, all while staying true to your principles.
In the beauty and bustle of Kathmandu, Miss Macdonald learns an important lesson about good fortune.
Read by Ceit Kearney
Written by Alexander McCall Smith
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
Ceit Kearney trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and has worked professionally in Theatre, Radio, TV and Film for almost 40 years. She is also a qualified drama teacher and acting coach.
Before turning to writing fiction, Sir Alexander McCall Smith was a professor of Medical Law and worked in universities in the UK and abroad. He has written and contributed to more than 100 books including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children’s books. His Botswana-set series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency made him a household name, selling over twenty million copies in the English language alone.
Alexander has received numerous awards for his writing and holds twelve honorary doctorates from universities in Europe and North America. In 2011 he was honoured by the President of Botswana for services through literature to the country. In 2022 he received the Lifetime Achievement in the Saltire Literary Awards. And in 2024, he was honoured as Knight Bachelor by His Majesty King Charles III for services to literature, academia and charity.
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:00 Stand-Up Specials (m002nhlm)
David Eagle: See No Eagle
1. Childhood
Comedian and folk musician David Eagle (of the three time BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Winning group "The Young'uns") brings his brand new comedy show to Radio 4. In episode 1 of 'See No Eagle', David's unpacking his childhood, from those memorable moments of his first go at the keyboard, to gracing the stage for the very first time (headlining the Teddy Bears picnic).
Written and performed by David Eagle.
Editor: David Thomas
Production Co-ordinator: Jodie Charman
Producer: Rajiv Karia
WED 23:15 No-Platformed (m0018p54)
Series 1
Toilets
Comedy that drives a train through conventional sitcom-land via a platform crowded with silly jokes. This week, Russ, Clara, and Stuart spruce up the station toilets.
Three members of staff, one dysfunctional railway station, zero passengers. From the team behind the multi award-winning The Skewer and the also-multi-award-winning podcast Cold Case Crime Cuts.
Series stars:
Geoff McGivern (Ghosts / Peep Show / Hitchhiker's Guide .. .oh, hundreds of things)
Tim Downie (Toast of London / Upstart Crow / Good Omens)
Alexandra Mardell (Coronation Street)
With
Olivia Williams (Ten Percent, The Crown, The Father, The Sixth Sense)
Rufus Jones (Paddington / Stan and Ollie / Ch4’s Home)
Tracy Ann Oberman (EastEnders / Toast of London / Friday Night Dinner)
Hugh Dennis (Fleabag / Outnumbered / Mock The Week / The Now Show)
Featuring
Jake Yapp
Naomi McDonald
Yoriko Kotani
Written by Gareth Ceredig
Produced and Directed by Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002nhlp)
Last PMQs of 2025.
THURSDAY 18 DECEMBER 2025
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002nhlr)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 00:30 Artworks (m002nhk9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002nhlt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002nhlw)
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 (m002nhly)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002nhm0)
Sean Curran reports on Prime Minister's Questions - and more.
THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002nhm2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002nhm4)
St Joseph Has Left the Building
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection with Father Dermot Preston
Good morning.
In moments of calm I occasionally set a challenge for the A.I. on my browser.
Not quite in the league of asking it for a cure for cancer or building a submarine using a 3D printer, but more on the lines of:
• Write a short history of the Jesuits in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (…which it did very well);
• or Find the connection between the Oscar-winning film ‘A Man for All Seasons’ and the children’s TV series ‘Thunderbirds’: (…it missed the obvious);
• or Find a link between Elvis Presley and St Joseph: (…it couldn’t see one.)
In the latter case, if it had turned-up something interesting, it might have helped me to segue into St Joseph, the main character in today’s Advent Gospel.
Joseph was to become the legal Father of the baby Jesus, but as St Matthew explains, the suspicious circumstances of Mary’s pregnancy were inclining him to back-away from the relationship and divorce her informally. However, in today’s scripture, Joseph is approached in a dream by the Angel of the Lord who prompts him to marry Mary as planned.
The courageous response to a dangerous assignment places Joseph high in the company of Saints. He didn’t write any books and we have no records of anything he said, but he gives us a profound model of holiness not through any wise words, but by his conduct.
But there we have it: perhaps Elvis does have a connection with St Joseph. A little less conversation, a little more action?
Lord, although our words this day will be important, let it be by our deeds that we emphasise our commitment to your truth. Amen.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002nhm6)
18/12/25 Loss leaders, small ducks, historic houses
We ask why veg is always a loss leader at this time of year, and whether farmers suffer as a result. For the price of a first class stamp you could buy 21 kilos of carrots if you head to one of the discount supermarkets. The stamp would cost you £
1.70, the carrots are on sale at 8p for a kilo. Who takes the hit?
Extreme weather events mean it’s become hard to predict how farmed poultry will turn out come Christmas. We meet an organic farmer in Devon whose birds are smaller following the hot, dry summer.
And should the old grand houses that dot our countryside be regarded as vital heritage which must be preserved? Or are there other ways of dealing with them? All this week we’re looking into what the future may hold for historic buildings in rural areas.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Sally Challoner.
THU 06:00 Today (m002nhxx)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (p00547hx)
Dickens
To celebrate Melvyn Bragg’s 27 years presenting In Our Time, five well-known fans of the programme have chosen their favourite episodes. The singer Joan Armatrading has selected the episode about Charles Dickens and recorded an introduction to it. (This introduction will be available on BBC Sounds and the In Our Time webpage shortly after the broadcast and will be longer than the version broadcast on Radio 4). Dickens is best known for the strength of his plots and the richness of his characters but he can also be regarded as a political writer. Some have seen him as a social reformer of great persuasiveness, as a man who sought through satire to expose the powerful and privileged, and whose scenes moved decision-makers to make better decisions. George Bernard Shaw said of Dickens’ novel Little Dorrit that it was “more seditious than Das Kapital”. Others argue that, although Dickens was a great caricaturist, he was really a conservative at heart.
With
Rosemary Ashton
Professor of English at University College London
Michael Slater
Professor of Victorian Literature at Birkbeck College, University of London and editor of The Dent Uniform Edition of Dickens’ Journalism
And
John Bowen
Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Keele
Producers: Jonathan Levi and Charlie Taylor
This programme was first broadcast in July 2001 and we share it now in memory of Michael Slater (1936-2025)
Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the people, ideas, events and discoveries that have shaped our world
In Our Time is a BBC Studios production
THU 09:45 Strong Message Here (m002nhy0)
Words of the Year (with Natalie Haynes)
As the year comes to a close, Natalie Haynes joins Armando to discuss and dissect the words of 2025.
Looking at official lists, and conjuring up some of their own, they set about breaking down the language that defined another frenetic year. We find out what links all of the official words of the year, and why we can learn a lesson from Austria when choosing them. Armando also denies he writes Pete Hegseth's speeches, and Natalie denies she is in a parasocial relationship with Taylor Swift
Got a strong message for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Sound editing: Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman and Giulia Mazzu
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Recorded at The Sound Company
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002nhy2)
Violence against women and girls, Jenny Colgan, Weight loss jabs
Today the Government sets out its strategy to deal with violence against women and girls. This makes up nearly 20% of all recorded crime in England and Wales. Over the last year alone, one in every eight women was a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking, according to Home Office figures. Educating boys on misogyny is a key aim of today’s strategy and figures show that nearly one in five boys aged 13 to 15 are said to hold a positive view of the self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate, according to a YouGov poll. Alex Davies-Jones, the minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, joins Anita Rani to discuss the Government's strategy.
With the long, cold and dark evenings, now feels like the perfect time to curl up indoors and get lost in a book. Well, if you’re looking for something cosy to read over Christmas, look no further than Jenny Colgan. Her books have been Sunday Times & New York Times bestsellers, selling more than 15 million copies worldwide. Jenny tells Anita about her latest novel, The Secret Christmas Library, set in the snowy landscape of the Scottish Highlands.
In England almost two thirds of people are considered obese or overweight. An estimated 1.5 million people in the UK, are using weight-loss injections, or GLP1s. But what happens when you decide to stop, or have no choice but to come off them? A BBC News documentary on iPlayer, What Happens When, asks just that. To find out more Anita is joined by Dr Emma Anders who, after a short break, has decided to continue using weight loss jabs, and the GP, Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi.
Amara Okereke has been taking the musical theatre world by storm, with roles including Cosette in Les Misérables and Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. She’s currently singing and dancing across the stage as American model Dale Tremont, in the Irving Berlin’s 1930s musical Top Hat at London’s Southbank Centre. She tells Anita about the role and her love of musical theatre.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Andrea Kidd
THU 11:00 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m002kjvh)
Series 34
Monkey Business - Robin Dunbar, Dave Gorman and Jo Setchell
In perhaps the monkiest Infinite Monkey Cage episode there’s ever been, Brian Cox and Robin Ince attempt to uncover the secrets of love, lust and friendship in primates. Swinging by to offer a hand (or tail) are evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar, anthropologist Jo Setchell, and comedian Dave Gorman.
Together the panel explores Dunbar’s number in monkeys – the idea that the number of friendships an individual can maintain correlates with brain size – with the very creator of the theory! They ask whether monkeys feel love the way we do, why some species remain strictly monogamous but others don’t, and what we could learn about ourselves through studying them. Robin goes bananas for bonobo fashion, while Dave couldn’t give a monkey’s about finding an aftershave to complement his natural smell.
Series Producer: Mel Brown
Researcher: Alex Rodway
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Production
THU 11:45 Artworks (m002nhy5)
When I Met Jane Austen
Gurinder Chadha on class, cleverness and Pride and Prejudice
As Jane Austen turns 250, biographer and writer Dr Paula Byrne is joined by prominent thinkers, writers, directors who tell her about their encounters with the famous author. Each of her guests has been inspired and changed by Austen. Paula's guests inspire her own reflections about Austen's life and works. Today it's the turn of Gurinder Chadha.
Travelling through India when she was a student, Gurinder Chadha spent time with relatives in the north Indian city of Amritsar - a group of sisters. Intelligent and lively, they reminded her of another set of sisters that she'd encountered in a book: the Bennets in Pride and Prejudice. Decades later, these sisters from Amritsar would inspire Gurinder to write and direct her own take on Austen's famous novel - the Bollywood film Bride and Prejudice. Gurinder reflects on why Austen seems to her a great Indian writer, how she understands cultural nuance and the pressures on women. Gurinder and Paula discuss class and how Gurinder's film reimagines these distinctions in India of the noughties. Paula explores how Austen examined social class and was hyper-aware of distinctions of rank in her own life. Together, Gurinder and Paula explore Austen's radicalism and how she upends the social order in a way Gurinder finds inspiring.
Presenter: Dr Paula Byrne
Reader: Gemma Whelan
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
THU 12:00 News Summary (m002nhy7)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 Scam Secrets (m002nhy9)
Could You Grab Me Some Gift Cards?
It's coming up to Christmas, and you might have gift cards on your mind. The perfect present choice for many scenarios - but also the perfect weapon for criminals.
In 2023, Action Fraud got more than 6,000 crime reports about gift cards. More than £13 million was stolen.
So what turns these versatile gifts into gold dust for criminals? That's what Shari Vahl, Elisabeth Carter and Alex Wood will be finding out, along with the shocking story of Sarah, who thought she was helping out her boss while on work experience but ended up buying £1,300 in gift cards for criminals.
As always, the team will get under the skin of the scam, hearing how criminals target their victims and why even a simple LinkedIn post could put you at risk.
PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002nhyc)
Toast - Farepak's Christmas Hampers
What led to the collapse of the Christmas savings club Farepak?
The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates with the entrepreneur, Sam White, alongside him.
It's our Christmas special and we're turning the clock back to the mid 1960s…. and looking at a business which started from humble beginnings in a Peckham butcher's shop, and went on to change Christmas for tens of thousands of families all over the UK.
So, why did Farepak end up toast?
Sean interviews:
-David Goodhart - founder of Prospect Magazine, journalist, commentator and author. David tells us more about the man known as Farepak's founder, Bob Johnson and how his passion for philanthropy influenced the business.
-Suzy Hall - Former Farepak customer and agent who went on to become a national campaign coordinator for Unfairpak- a campaign set up in the wake of the Farepak collapse.
-Dermot Power - Former senior partner with the accountants BDO Stoy Hayward, Dermot was appointed as joint administrator to the Farepak business and can talk us through what happened and how he worked to help get customers' money back.
Produced by Linda Walker. A BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Contact: toast@bbc.co.uk
THU 12:57 Weather (m002nhyf)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m002nhyh)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
THU 13:45 Artworks (m002nhyk)
When I Met Jane Austen
Marlon James on villains and Georgians
As Jane Austen turns 250, Austen biographer and writer Dr Paula Byrne is joined by prominent thinkers, writers and directors who tell her about their encounters with the famous author. Each of her guests has been shaped and changed by Austen. Paula's guests inspire her own reflections about Austen's life and works. Today it's the turn of Booker Prize winner Marlon James.
Marlon James first encountered Austen at sixth form college in Jamaica - his teacher said he envied Marlon and his classmates because they were getting to meet Austen for the first time. She's a writer who's never far from Marlon and it's her complicated characters he loves the most. He tells Paula how she shaped the way he imagined characters in his Booker winning novel A Brief History of Seven Killings. Paula and Marlon discuss Austen's villains - from Wickham in Pride and Prejudice to Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility to Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park. For Marlon, Austen doesn't write caricatures but complex figures who reflect the society in which they lived. Paula argues how important it is to understand Austen as a Georgian - that she's too often imagined as a Victorian writer. Marlon and Paula explore how Austen enjoys her villains, how much she judges her so-called baddies and whether they ever really get their comeuppance.
Presenter: Dr Paula Byrne
Reader: Gemma Whelan
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
THU 14:00 The Archers (m002nhl6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002nhym)
Happy Holidays
When Kate Marston turns up at LAX to fly home to London in time for the Christmas holidays, she is arrested by the Border control agency for having overstayed her visa by one day. She admits her mistake but finds herself incarcerated with hundreds of other ‘illegals’ waiting to be processed by a system already groaning under the weight of an ICE dragnet designed to rid the US of aliens and undocumented migrants.
For Kate’s family back home the question is stark - with three days to go to Christmas what exactly do they have to do to get her back home/
Written by Viv Groskop
Cast:
Kate - Jane Slavin
Emily - Lizzy McInnerny
Barb - Greta Scacchi
Brian - David Menkin
US Border official - Paul Panting
Produced and directed by Eoin O'Callaghan
A Big Fish Radio production for BBC Radio 4
THU 15:00 This Natural Life (m002nhyp)
Dara McAnulty
Dara McAnulty, a 21-year-old Northern Irish naturalist currently studying at Cambridge, is home for the winter break. He takes Martha Kearney to one of his favourite places nearby - the Murlough National Nature Reserve in the Mourne Mountains. This special landscape of ancient forest, sand dunes, and a colony of seals lies on the edge of Dundrum Bay, framed by the Mourne Mountains.
Dara shares his deep connection to this place and explains why he loves visiting in all weathers. He reflects on his journey into the natural world, beginning with his early years in Belfast and growing up as an autistic child, finding solace, peace, and joy in the outdoors - and then writing about his experiences.
His debut book, Diary of a Young Naturalist, won the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing in 2020, among other accolades, and he is the youngest ever winner of the RSPB Medal. Dara has also written three children’s books: Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature, A Wild Child’s Book of Birds, and A Wild Child's Guide to Nature at Night.
Producer: Eliza Lomas
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002nhyr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Feedback (m002nhyt)
Feedback's Interview of the Year 2025
All year long we've been asking listeners to send in their nominations for Feedback's Interview of the Year, and finally the time has come to crown the winner.
In this special episode of Feedback, Andrea Catherwood will hear your nominations for the BBC Audio Interview of the Year - any conversation from across BBC radio or podcasts that inspired, surprised, or stopped you in your tracks.
We'll also reveal the interview that was judged the best by our listener judging panel - and talk to the winner.
Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: David Prest and Rebecca Guthrie
Judging Panel Coordinator: Mike Hally
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
THU 16:00 The Briefing Room (m002nhyw)
Should we worry about America’s security strategy?
As both the year and the current series of The Briefing Room draw to a close, Europe and much of the world have been digesting a lengthy document outlining the Trump administration’s view of foreign policy. The National Security Strategy covers much of the globe but extra special vitriol was reserved for Europe with dire warnings that the continent is facing “civilisational erasure” partly due to immigration. At the same time the growing influence of “patriotic European parties” (those on the far right) is welcomed. But there’s more - the US wants to dominate the “Western Hemisphere” - the Americas and countries on its doorstep. It wants more trade with Asia and China, as well as the Middle East. But there are notable absences -there's no talk of a significant threat from either Russia or China. David Aaronovitch and guests discuss what all this means and ask how worried we, in Europe, should be about the current US view of the world?
Guests:
Frank Gardner, BBC Security Correspondent
Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor, The Economist
Rebecca Lissner, Senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and lecturer, Jackson School of Global Affair, Yale University.
Dr Christoph Heusgen, Former Chairman Munich Security Conference and former German Ambassador to United Nations
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight, Cordelia Hemming
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor Richard Vadon
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txq)
How did President Trump transform science in 2025?
This week President Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget announced that a major climate research centre would be broken up. 2025 has brought a wave of reorganisations and funding cuts, reshaping the ways science is done in the USA. Veteran science journalist Roland Pease tells us whether we’re starting to see the impacts.
Victoria Gill gets a subterranean tour of Finland’s new nuclear waste disposal facility. It’s the first country in the world to get one and the UK are interested in learning how they did it. Victoria is also joined by science journalist Caroline Steel to talk about this week in science research.
And 40 years ago, Dian Fossey was murdered at her home in Rwanda where she had spent decades studying mountain gorillas. Gilly Forrester, Professor of Comparative Cognition at the University of Sussex talks about why the data collected from Dian’s ‘gorillas in the mist’ continues to shape science today.
To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.
Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producers: Clare Salisbury, Kate White and Tim Dodd
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
THU 17:00 PM (m002nhyz)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002nhz1)
The Government lays out its plans for tackling violence against women and girls
The government has outlined its long-term plan to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade. Also: The Bank of England cuts interest rates and says there'll be no growth for the rest of the year. And Peter Arnett, who put CNN on the map while bringing the First Gulf War to our television screens, has died.
THU 18:30 Rum Punch (m002nhz3)
Series 1
4. Celebrating to the Max
Delroy overcompensates for forgetting Angie's birthday by trying to throw a party last minute. Foolishly, he puts Marley and Des in charge of the guest list, much to Taylor's frustration. There COULD be one way to save the day with a special guest, but it's high risk with a high chance of failure!
Created by Travis Jay, Rum Punch is an award-winning sitcom that follows a multigenerational family as they juggle pursuit of their individual ambitions with their responsibilities to the family business - a Caribbean restaurant in the heart of Lewisham.
Rum Punch cast:
Des - Kevin Garry (KG Tha Comedian)
Taylor - Kyrah Gray
Lydia - Letitia Hector
Marley - Travis Jay
Angie - Angie Le Mar
Delroy - Eddie Nestor
Maxi Priest - Maxi Priest
Writer – Travis Jay
Additional Material – Danielle Vitalis
Script Editor – Atlanta Green
Sound Engineer – David Thomas
Editor – David Thomas
Production Assistant – Sahar Malaika Rajabali, Eunice Oshiguwa, Jessica Fatoye
Producers – Daisy Knight and Jules Lom
Executive Producers – Richard Allen-Turner and Jon Thoday
An Avalon Television Production for BBC Radio 4
THU 19:00 The Archers (m002nhz5)
As Susan and Joy prepare for tonight’s big celebration of the shop re-opening, Joy hopes plenty of customers turn up. The marquee provided by Justin looks magical. Martyn comes in to help carry provisions and admires the newly refurbished shop. Ed and Emma arrive with Susan’s surprise celebration cake, and Joy declares it perfect. Emma receives a text from Keira wondering when they’ll be home. She tells Ed she’ll call Keira; she and George had another row this afternoon. She’s worried about both of them. When there’s no reply Ed nips home. He reports that Keira was tearful but won’t talk about it. They observe wryly that with two kids, things will never feel easy.
Martyn’s enjoying being at the heart of a village event – it can get lonely living on your own. He offers Chris a listening ear. He’s pleased Chris is moving back in with his parents – it’ll give him time to get over Carly. Chris assures him there isn’t much to get over. It was finished before it really began. Martyn advises getting right back out there – no negative self-talk! Chris escapes but not before Martyn insists on a drink tomorrow, so that he can impart more of the excellent life-coaching advice he’s had from Chelsea and Zainab. Full of generosity he asserts he’ll be making a donation at the tractor run, declaring to Joy that giving to a worthy cause puts one’s own troubles into perspective.
Delighted with her cake, Susan makes a rousing speech giving thanks for village life, community and their wonderful new shop.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m002nhz7)
Reviews of the film Marty Supreme, Into the Woods on stage and Natalie Haynes on Immersive Exhibitions
Scott Bryan and Rhianna Dhillon join Tom Sutcliffe to discuss sports drama Marty Supreme which stars Timothée Chalamet as a table tennis hustler who dreams of becoming a world champion in 1950s New York.
They also discuss Stephen Sondheim’s fairytale production Into the Woods which is at London’s Bridge Theatre.
Plus they review Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier’s film which stars Stellan Skarsgård as a film director trying to mend his family through the camera.
Finally, classicist and writer Natalie Haynes gives her verdict on the growing trend for Immersive Exhibitions about the Ancient World.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Claire Bartleet
THU 20:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002nhky)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Wednesday]
THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002nhl0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:15 on Wednesday]
THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002nh72)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m002nhy0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002nhz9)
EU leaders try to thrash out a plan on Russia's frozen assets
European leaders are locked in to negotiations tonight about seizing frozen Russian assets to help fund a major loan for Ukraine. But opposition remains, including from Hungary's Prime Minister Victor Orban.
Also on the programme:
The bookmakers favourite, Rory McIlroy, is the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year. We'll have reaction from a former Irish golfing champion.
Why are younger people the most lonely in the UK? We put that question to three people in their 20s and 30s.
And English Heritage draws flak from historians - for promoting an erroneous theory about Christmas.
THU 22:45 Mary Macdonald's Big Trip by Alexander McCall Smith (m002nhzc)
A Meeting by the River
Mary Macdonald is a logical soul; a much-loved teacher and crofter whose busy Hebridean life leaves little room for flights of fancy. But when a windfall comes her way, Miss Macdonald decides it’s time to sample some clear mountain air – on the other side of the world. A story in celebration of travel, karma and broadening the mind, all while staying true to your principles.
After a spiritual encounter in Kathmandu, Miss Macdonald's ascent begins in earnest.
Read by Ceit Kearney
Written by Alexander McCall Smith
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
Ceit Kearney trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and has worked professionally in Theatre, Radio, TV and Film for almost 40 years. She is also a qualified drama teacher and acting coach.
Before turning to writing fiction, Sir Alexander McCall Smith was a professor of Medical Law and worked in universities in the UK and abroad. He has written and contributed to more than 100 books including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children’s books. His Botswana-set series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency made him a household name, selling over twenty million copies in the English language alone.
Alexander has received numerous awards for his writing and holds twelve honorary doctorates from universities in Europe and North America. In 2011 he was honoured by the President of Botswana for services through literature to the country. In 2022 he received the Lifetime Achievement in the Saltire Literary Awards. And in 2024, he was honoured as Knight Bachelor by His Majesty King Charles III for services to literature, academia and charity.
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002nhzf)
Information Crisis: Why Social Media Bans Aren't The Answer (Naomi Alderman)
What happens when a new technology transforms how we communicate ideas and information? Best-selling science fiction writer Naomi Alderman joins Amol to explain why she thinks the digital age has pushed us into a “third information crisis”, which is as profound as the invention of writing or the printing press.
Drawing on those past revolutions, Naomi offers some solutions to help us navigate the era we're living through. She suggests new laws to regulate the online world and potentially even a “checked internet” like Wikipedia, which is home to verified facts rather than misinformation.
But at the heart of her argument is the need to prioritise real world, human connection and resist the urge to move everything online.
Naomi also tells Amol how therapy has helped her and why she’s written her first non-fiction book after a series of successful novels.
(
00:03:23) What is the third information crisis?
(
00:08:01) Why the invention of the printing press caused the Reformation
(
00:10:40) Challenges of an information crisis
(
00:12:40) The transition to literature
(
00:16:30) The pros and cons of smartphones
(
00:20:30) The origins of writing and how that changed human connection
(
00:24:10) Collective thinking and decision making
(
00:26:30) What is social media doing to our minds?
(
00:29:06) Naomi’s radical ideas
(
00:39:28) Hope for the future
(
00:42:30) Scepticism about AI
(
00:49:40) Digital ID
(
00:51:29) Is this making it better or worse to be human?
(
00:55:10) The importance of therapy and becoming reconciled with the events of her life
(
01:00:00) What’s next for Naomi Alderman?
(
01:02:09) Amol’s reflections
GET IN TOUCH
* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk
Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan
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 Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by James Piper. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002nhzh)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster as the government sets out its long-delayed strategy for tackling violence against women and girls.
FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2025
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002nhzk)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 00:30 Artworks (m002nhy5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002nhzm)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002nhzp)
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 (m002nhzr)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002nhzt)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the government unveils its strategy on combatting violence against women and girls.
FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002nhzw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002nhzy)
Angels 12 O’clock High
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection with Father Dermot Preston
Good morning.
He looked up: the afternoon clouds were low and he couldn’t see much. It was the early 1940’s and my Uncle was on his daily walk along the sea-front and he’d heard an aircraft engine.
The clouds parted momentarily and he caught a glimpse of a plane – a Spitfire. It must have been skirting the west coast of England and got lost.
As my Uncle saw the Spitfire, so the pilot caught a glimpse of the sea-front and, rolling the plane onto its elegant wing, he swept towards the dangerous shore-line, descended rapidly, wheels-down for an emergency landing. The coughing Merlin engine indicated fuel problems.
My Uncle, impressed with the touch-down on the uneven runway watched as the plane taxied to a halt. The canopy opened and a young pilot – a Czech, as my Uncle later learned – bounded across to my Uncle watching over the sea-wall.
“Liverpool??!!!” the pilot asked excitedly.
My uncle shook his head sadly. “Dublin!” he explained.
Crestfallen, the pilot realised his costly error: internment in a neutral country.
The Advent scripture for today is the opening of Luke’s Gospel: the Angel Gabriel appears unexpectedly in Jerusalem to intercept the elderly priest Zechariah, the soon-to-be Father of John the Baptist. Unlike the Czech pilot, Gabriel’s navigation was impeccable: he was orchestrating God’s plan for the Birth of Jesus and key characters were being corralled and informed.
But Zechariah is tetchy – his big day is being ruined and he questions the words of Gabriel: so Zechariah is silenced until the Baptist is born.
Lord, although I might have big plans for today, help me to be open to the unexpected with patience and generosity. Amen.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002nj00)
19/12/25 Farm profitability review, charcuterie, mill stones
The major changes needed to make farming profitable - we hear from Baroness Batters on her long awaited review.
Charcuterie is often a favourite over the festive season, which means this is a busy time of year for Lizzie and Andrew Baker in Ammanford in South Wales. They rear rare breed pigs on their farm and have a charcuterie and smoking business too.
We’ve been taking a look at historic rural buildings this week, their cultural value and how to preserve them, and this morning we’re heading to Northern Ireland. When a local community group began the restoration of an old corn mill, in County Fermanagh, it sparked interest in a number of old mill stones long abandoned on local farms.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
FRI 06:00 Today (m002nl1m)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m002nknz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Sunday]
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002nl1p)
Kate Hudson, Undercover policing, Sophie Blake, Women on the Left
Hollywood actor Kate Hudson’s latest movie Song Sung Blue is based on the real life story of Wisconsin couple Mike and Claire Sardina. Kate plays Claire, who along with her husband Mike, played by Hugh Jackman, finds local fame in the 1990s as a Neil Diamond tribute act. Kate tells Anita Rani about the appeal of the role and how she’s now found empowerment and her voice.
Set up in 2015, the Undercover Policing Inquiry is one of the most complicated, expensive and delayed public inquiries in British legal history. At its heart is a series of very serious allegations of systematic abuses by undercover policing units over 40 years, which involved spying on tens of thousands of activists and led to relationships with women who did not know they were being spied on. The BBC's Ayshea Buksh has been following the inquiry closely and joins Anita to explain the latest revelations.
Sophie Blake is a former TV presenter and now a campaigner for cancer charities. She is also a single mother living with stage 4 cancer. She joins Anita, along with her teenage daughter, Maya, to talk candidly about parenting through incurable cancer, what this means for their relationship and why time together, especially around the Christmas holidays, is that much more valuable.
We hear a lot about young men moving to the Right politically, but at the last election young women swung just as strongly, if not more so, to the Left. Why is this so little discussed and what does it mean for the UK’s political future? Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff has been exploring these issues in a new Radio 4 documentary, Left Out: the political radicalisation of young women - and the silence surrounding it. She and Scarlett Maguire from political pollsters, Merlin Strategy, join Anita.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones
FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002nl1r)
Dates: A User's Guide
Dan Saladino explores culinary cultures and world religions to find out how the date became one of the earliest, most revered, and diverse of all cultivated fruits, and also a feature of Christmas.
Some of the world's historically important date palm oases have survived in the south of Tunisia. Dan travels to the ancient cities of Gafsa and Tozeur to visit two of them and watches the date harvest underway. There he tastes Tunisia's most prized date, the Deglet Nour, which translates as 'fingers of light' because of it's amber colour and almost translucent appearance. In Tozeur he also explores Eden Palm, the site of of a museum dedicated to dates and date palm, where he hears how the date has been an important food and source of trade for thousands of years.
Featuring food historian Ivan Day, food writers Yasmin Khan, Itamar Srulovich and Nawal Nasrallah, archeobotanist Professor Dorian Fuller, and scientist Shahina Ghazanfar.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.
FRI 11:45 Artworks (m002nl1t)
When I Met Jane Austen
Colm Tóibín on Persuasion, the Navy, and a special letter
As Jane Austen turns 250, Austen biographer and writer Dr Paula Byrne is joined by prominent thinkers, writers and directors who tell her about their encounters with the famous author. Each of her guests has been shaped and changed by Austen. Paula's guests inspire her own reflections about Austen's life and works. Today it's the turn of Colm Tóibín.
Austen's final published novel, Persuasion, was the first Austen novel that Irish novelist Colm Tóibín encountered. It was on the syllabus at his school in County Wexford and he vividly remembers one of his classmates reading aloud a letter that the novel's hero, Captain Wentworth, writes. It's a striking piece of writing, passionate and agonised - beginning with the line: "I can listen no longer in silence." Colm says Persuasion is all about a changing England, how a system of inherited wealth and titles is being replaced by something new. And that's thanks to the Navy. In Persuasion, Wentworth returns to the lead character Anne Elliot's world after almost nine years apart. In that time, he has risen in status due to his Naval career. Paula reflects on how Austen's representation of the Navy changes through her work, and how the Navy changed life for her own family. For Colm, Persuasion remains his favourite Austen novel and it has profoundly influenced his own writing.
Presenter: Dr Paula Byrne
Reader: Gemma Whelan
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002nl1w)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 Rare Earth (m002nl1y)
Love of a Cold Climate
What does the arrival of winter mean for plants and animals? In this programme Tom Heap and Helen Czerski find out how wildlife survives the freezing temperatures and short days of the winter months. In a time of climate change, they also ask how warmer weather patterns are affecting the natural world at this time of year. Do we have to get used to the idea of winters without snow and ice, and will winter scenes of robins on snowy branches and children sledging down hillsides only exist on Christmas cards?
Panel: Hugh Warwick, John Hammond, Val McDermid
Producer: Emma Campbell
Assistant Producer: Toby Field
Produced in association with the Open University
FRI 12:57 Weather (m002nl20)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m002nl22)
EU agrees €90 billion loan for Ukraine
European Union leaders have struck a deal to give Ukraine a €90bn loan after failing to agree on using frozen Russian assets valued at €210bn. At Vladimir Putin's end-of-year address, he says the West is "making Russia the enemy". Sir William Browder, the American investor who now campaigns against Putin, gives his reaction. Plus the new leader of Catholics in England and Wales, Archbishop-elect Richard Moth.
FRI 13:45 Artworks (m002nl24)
When I Met Jane Austen
Philippa Perry on Austen's psychology, letters and last days
As Jane Austen turns 250, Austen biographer and writer Dr Paula Byrne is joined by prominent thinkers, writers and directors who tell her about their encounters with the famous author. Each of her guests has been shaped and changed by Austen. Paula's guests inspire her own reflections about Austen's life and works. For the final episode of the series, Paula is joined by the psychotherapist and author Philippa Perry.
Philippa's love and interest in Austen goes back over five decades and she's fallen in and out of love with the writer over those years. During that time, she's become immersed in Austen's works, from her unfinished novels and juvenilia, to the writer's letters. She joins Paula to explore how much we can learn and discern of Austen's personality and psychology from the small number of Austen letters we still have. They discuss the role of writing for Austen - whether it had a regulating function - touching on the influential ideas of the psychologist D.W. Harding. Paula visits the room where Austen spent the final months of her life and reveals how she was still composing in her final days. Austen was the first of her siblings to die, only six years after she was first published, and Paula and Philippa reflect on the writer's relatively short life and legacy.
Presenter: Dr Paula Byrne
Reader: Gemma Whelan
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002nhz5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m002nl26)
Spores: Series 2
Episode 1. False Hunter
The supernatural horror returns.
It’s been 12 years since social worker Cassie discovered a mysterious mould in her home, invisible to almost everyone except her. Now the fungus has spread - its glowing spores a major global health threat, infecting the brains of those who inhale them. But many refuse to take seriously a menace they cannot see.
When spores erupt at a care home in Wales, Cassie’s son Bryn and 30 residents are exposed to infection. But how could this have happened when just days earlier the building was declared mould-free by a mycelium-sighted Inspector?
For Bryn there is only one explanation: not everyone who claims to see the mould can be trusted. But who is this rogue Inspector and why would they lie? In his search for answers, Bryn’s fraught relationship with Cassie will be tested to the limit as they battle to stop the fungus before the looming pandemic can take hold.
In Greek mythology, Cassandra was condemned to speak the truth yet never be believed. A story of trust and what happens when we lose it. And of a hidden threat destroying the very thing that makes us powerful.
Written and created by Marietta Kirkbride
Cassie ….. Kate O’Flynn
Bryn ….. Ben Skym
Helen ….. Laurel Lefkow
Ethan ..... Philip Desmeules
Gwenni ….. Kezrena James
Gareth ..... George Williams
Other voices are played by the cast
Production Manager: Eleanor Mein
Production Assistant: Liis Mikk with Teresa Milewski
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Title music: Ioana Selaru and Melo-Zed
Score: Ioana Selaru
Track laying: Andreina Gómez
Sound design: Jon Nicholls and Adam Woodhams
Directed and produced by Nicolas Jackson
An Afonica production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:45 You're Dead to Me (m002nwqn)
Dead Funny History
Ramesses the Great
Dead Funny History: Ramesses the Great.
Join historian Greg Jenner for a fast-paced, funny and fascinating journey through the life of Ramesses II, aka Ramesses the Gr8, one of Ancient Egypt’s most famous Pharaohs, and possibly its biggest show-off.
This episode of Dead Funny History is packed with jokes, sketches and sound effects that bring the past to life for families and Key Stage 2 learners. From his epic PR campaigns and giant statues to his pet lion and peppercorn-packed mummy, Ramesses knew how to make history memorable.
Discover how he became king at just 24, caught pirates, lost the Battle of Kadesh (but told everyone he won), and built a glittering capital city called Pi-Ramesses, complete with temples, stables, and even a zoo. Learn about his Sed Festivals, where he raced to prove his fitness at age 89, and his obsession with building colossal statues of himself, some still standing today.
Meet his wives Nefertari and Iset-Nofret, his 100 children, and the sacred Apis Bull that answered questions by kicking buckets. There’s even a cow beauty pageant, a bake sale gag, and a goat who helps discover Ramesses’ tomb centuries later.
Expect parodies, sketch comedy, and a quiz to test what you’ve learned. It’s history with heart, humour and high production value. Perfect for curious kids, families, and fans of You’re Dead To Me.
Written by Jack Bernhardt, Gabby Hutchinson Crouch and Dr Emma Nagouse
Host: Greg Jenner
Performers: Mali Ann Rees and Richard David-Caine
Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse
Associate Producer: Gabby Hutchinson Crouch
Audio Producer: Emma Weatherill
Script Consultant: Dr Campbell Price
Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy
Production Manager: Jo Kyle
Studio Managers: Keith Graham and Andrew Garratt
Sound Designer: Peregrine Andrews
A BBC Studios Production
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002nl29)
Wrexham County Borough: Rose Cuttings, Begonias and Hydrangeas
Is there a foolproof way to take rose cuttings? Why have my hydrangeas turned from blue to pink? And do begonias have a lifespan limit?
Kathy Clugston is in the vibrant Wrexham County Borough, where an enthusiastic audience puts their gardening dilemmas to an expert panel.
Joining Kathy are celebrated garden designer and botanist James Wong, horticulturist Bethan Collerton, and Marcus Chilton-Jones, curator of RHS Bridgewater – the sharpest tools in the GQT shed.
Later in the programme, Kirsty Wilson shares her top tips for growing holly successfully.
Senior Producer: Dan Cocker
Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m002nl2c)
Dreaming
A specially-commissioned story by Henry Normal about growing up in the 70s and discovering that poetry books, purple flares and plate-glass windows don’t mix.
Read by Philip Jackson
Producer: David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002nl2f)
Rob Reiner, Joanna Trollope, Stanley Baxter, Sophie Kinsella
Matthew Bannister on
Rob Reiner, the film director, screenwriter and actor behind pictures like “This Is Spinal Tap”, “Stand By Me” and “When Harry Met Sally”.
Stanley Baxter, the Scottish comedian best known for his impersonations of Hollywood stars and royalty. The actor Bill Paterson pays tribute.
And Joanna Trollope and Sophie Kinsella, two best-selling novelists who, in their different ways, told stories of modern life and relationships.
Interviewee: Hadley Freeman
Interviewee: Linda Evans
Interviewee: Bill Paterson
Interviewee: Brian Beacom
Interviewee: Bill Scott-Kerr
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Glyn Tansley
CORRECTION: In this episode we mistakenly refer to Stanley Baxter being born in 1928. He was born in 1926.
Archive used:
Rob Reiner interview, HardTalk, BBC News, 06/05/1998; All In The Family trailer, Tandem Productions, 1975; This is Spinal Tap, Sony Pictures Entrainment, uploaded to YouTube 31/07/2025; Stand By Me, Film Trailer, Castle Rock 1986, Dir: Rob Reiner; When Harry Met Sally, Official Film Trailer, 1989, Director: Rob Reiner; Joanna Trollope interview, BBC Four, 23/03/2014; Stanley Baxter: Compilation of Best Sketches and Impressions, BBC Scotland 1962; Stanley Baxter interview, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 02/02/1970; Stanley Baxter, Best of Show, BBC Television, 14/02/1961; Sophie Kinsella reads a second extract from her novel Mini Shopaholic, Transworld Books, uploaded to YouTube 08/09/2010; Confessions of a Shopaholic Trailer 2009, Touchstone Pictures, Director P.J. Hogan; Sophie Kinsella interview, Loose Ends, BBC Radio 4, 22/04/2013; Meet the Author: Sophie Kinsella, BBC News, 05/02/2017; Sophie Kinsella, Extract from book preview, What Does It Feel Like?, Read by Sally Phillips, Penguin Random House;
FRI 16:30 More or Less (m002nhk1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m002nl2h)
Ukraine attacks one of Russia's ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers in the Mediterranean for first time
Ukraine steps up attacks on Russia's oil exports, hitting one of Moscow's ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers in the Mediterranean. Also, why is UK housebuilding not taking off? And what will be Christmas number 1 this year?
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002nl2k)
President Putin has accused the west of making Russia the enemy
President Putin has accused the west of "making Russia the enemy" and says he wants to end the war in Ukraine, but only on his terms. Also: The children’s author, David Walliams, has been dropped by his publisher. And Kylie Minogue beats Wham! to land her first UK Christmas number one.
FRI 18:30 Dead Ringers (m002nl2m)
Christmas Specials 2025
Dead Ringers Christmas: Ep 2. A Very Kemi Christmas and a Lammy New Year
The Dead Ringers team are back to train their festive firepower on the week’s news with an armoury of impressive impressions.
This week: Scrooge is visited by the ghost of a Money Saving Expert, and The Grinch more than meets his match.
This week's impressionists are Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Duncan Wisbey and Jess Robinson
The episode was written by: Nev Fountain and Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Tom Coles, Sarah Campbell, Sophie Dickson, Peter Tellouche, Jon Holmes, Rachel E Thorn, JoJo Maberly and Cooper, Mawhinny & Sweryt
Created by Bill Dare
Producer: Jon Holmes
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m002nl2p)
Emma and Susan share the hope that Chris might meet someone he can settle down with soon. Emma reports Keira’s mood swings. Susan reckons it’s normal for a teenager. Emma wonders if her mum will have time to come up to Grange Farm on Christmas Day when they have Martha. Susan observes they’ve come a long way as a family since last year. Emma wonders which is worse, Christmas without your mum, or your son. Susan observes the tough ones make the good ones even more precious. Emma agrees, but George is struggling so much without Amber, she feels like nothing she can do will make him want to celebrate.
Tony’s hunting for some fairy lights for the Fordson. He starts to explain the intricacies, but Pat isn’t really listening. She’s had an idea sparked by something Esme said but wants to look into it before sharing. She wonders what’s going on between Helen and Dane but doesn’t want to pry. Meanwhile, Tony finds a tin angel John made at school, and they reminisce. They start to decorate the tree, and Tom and Helen join them. The four of them enjoy memories of childhood and John. Pat comments on what a strange Christmas this is, with John gone so long and now Peggy. They all agree it’s been lovely to talk about both of them so freely. Wondering how to mark John’s fiftieth birthday, they settle on a bonfire disco party and a homemade pig cake. They turn on the tree lights and wish each other an early Merry Christmas.
FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m002nl2r)
Joe Stilgoe and Heidi Fardell celebrate Yuletide Classics
Anna and Jeffrey host an Add to Playlist Yuletide special. They are joined by jazz musician and songwriter Joe Stilgoe and baroque recorder player Heidi Fardell to pick apart five cracking festive tracks, from Sleigh Ride to the Carol of the Bells.
Producer: Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Sleigh Ride by Ella Fitzgerald
Sinfonia from The Christmas Oratorio by J S Bach
Carol of the Bells by The Sixteen, written by Mykola Leontovych and Peter Wilhousky
Step into Christmas by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano
Other music in this episode:
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing by The Torero Band
Sleigh Ride by the Boston Pops Orchestra
Sleigh Ride by The Andrews Sisters
Sleigh Ride by The Ronettes
Christmas Oratorio Pt 1 by J S Bach
Shchedryk by Mykola Leontovych
Ho! Ho! Ho! (Who'd Be a Turkey at Christmas) by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Elton John
Maoz Tzur by The Maccabeats
Yalda by Hossein Tavakoli
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002nl2t)
Dame Harriett Baldwin MP, Michael Crick, Lord Purvis, Karin Smyth MP
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Areley Kings Village Hall in Worcestershire, with the shadow business minister Dame Harriett Baldwin MP; journalist and broadcaster Michael Crick; the leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, Lord Purvis; and health minister Karin Smyth MP.
Producer: Paul Martin
Assistant producer: Lowri Morgan
Production co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano
Lead broadcast engineer: Caitlin Gazeley
Editor: Glyn Tansley
FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002nhk7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:40 on Wednesday]
FRI 21:00 The Verb (m002nl2w)
The Christmas Adverb
Testament, beatboxer, rapper and writer - presents a festive Adverb (complete with a yuletide salad battle), with his guests the former Scottish Makar Jackie Kay, poetic legend John Hegley, Mercury prize nominated folk singer Sam Lee, as well as satirical supremo Brian Bilston.
They bring iconic robins, soul stirring music, poetic Christmas questions, and quirky Yule traditions to an audience in the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Hall in Salford.
Brian Bilston's very funny books include 'You Took the Last Bus Home', and 'Alexa, what is there to know about love'? His latest book is called ‘A Poem for Every Question’. He shares new poems and poems from his book ‘And so this is Christmas’:
John Hegley brings surreal festive interaction and poignantly playful poems to the Adverb. He also celebrates a playful December celery battle recorded in the letters of Romantic poet John Keats.
Sam Lee's album is ‘Songdreaming’ – he's joined by pianist James Keay to perform songs that sing us deep into this time of year. Sam organises 'Singing with Nightingale' events, so we find out where nightingales go for Christmas.
Jackie Kay's latest book is 'May Day' - she shares a poem by one of her favourite poets Norman McCaig - which stars a robin - and tender winter poems from her collections.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002nl2y)
US Department of Justice releases Epstein files
The US justice department has released some of the so-called Epstein files - the long-awaited documents related to its investigations into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The justice department faced a legal deadline to release the files by Friday, following months of pressure on Trump from both inside and outside his party. A number of famous faces are pictured - including former US President Bill Clinton, and musicians Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Also on the programme: Two Palestinian men have told the BBC they were beaten and sexually abused by prison guards while in Israeli detention.
And we hear live from Miami ahead of the controversial boxing bout between influencer Jake Paul and former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
FRI 22:45 Mary Macdonald's Big Trip by Alexander McCall Smith (m002nl30)
This Karma Business
Mary Macdonald is a logical soul; a much-loved teacher and crofter whose busy Hebridean life leaves little room for flights of fancy. But when a windfall comes her way, Miss Macdonald decides it’s time to sample some clear mountain air – on the other side of the world. A story in celebration of travel, karma and broadening the mind, all while staying true to your principles.
After a mysterious encounter by the river, more questions are coming Miss Macdonald’s way.
Read by Ceit Kearney
Written by Alexander McCall Smith
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
Ceit Kearney trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and has worked professionally in Theatre, Radio, TV and Film for almost 40 years. She is also a qualified drama teacher and acting coach.
Before turning to writing fiction, Sir Alexander McCall Smith was a professor of Medical Law and worked in universities in the UK and abroad. He has written and contributed to more than 100 books including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children’s books. His Botswana-set series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency made him a household name, selling over twenty million copies in the English language alone.
Alexander has received numerous awards for his writing and holds twelve honorary doctorates from universities in Europe and North America. In 2011 he was honoured by the President of Botswana for services through literature to the country. In 2022 he received the Lifetime Achievement in the Saltire Literary Awards. And in 2024, he was honoured as Knight Bachelor by His Majesty King Charles III for services to literature, academia and charity.
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 23:00 Americast (w3ct8byw)
Has Trump’s chief of staff revealed White House secrets?
Susie Wiles is widely credited as being the mastermind behind Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign last year. The White House Chief of Staff, referred to by the president as the “most powerful woman in the world”, is the gatekeeper to the Oval Office and a crucial figure in delivering Trump’s national agenda.
She also rarely speaks to the media, making her an elusive figure in the president’s top team despite her significant influence. But in a series of interviews for Vanity Fair, she refers to Donald Trump as having an “alcoholic’s personality”, describes JD Vance as a “conspiracy theorist” and Elon Musk as an “odd, odd duck”. The White House has described the articles as a “framed hit piece” and accused Vanity Fair of taking statements out of context.
In today’s podcast, Justin and Anthony go through some of the most revealing lines from the interviews, and speak to the journalist who sat down with Susie Wiles - Chris Whipple - to find out why he thinks Wiles wanted to speak with him, and how he responds to White House criticism of the interviews.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 Presenter
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GUEST:
Chris Whipple, Journalist and author of several White House books, including Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by George Dabby with Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
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Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, The Today Podcast, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
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Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm
FRI 23:30 Currently (m002nk3m)
[Repeat of broadcast at
13:30 on Sunday]