SATURDAY 17 JANUARY 2026

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002pqhm)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 Piccadilly (m000wdgy)
Settled

The photo is sepia tinged. Five men, leaning against railings in Piccadilly Circus. The men are all in their twenties and they look sharp, hopeful. They can't quite tear their eyes away from what's going on around them to look at the camera. One of them is presenter Krupa Padhy's dad, Chandu. It's 1965 and Chandu had just arrived in London from Tanzania. The other men come from Kenya, Malawi and even Yemen countries which all experienced extraordinary social change as British rule came to an end.

The five men met while staying in the Central YMCA on Great Russell Street, London. Little did they know then that they would weave in and out of each other's lives for the next five decades. Scattered job opportunities, racism and economic hardship lay ahead - but the support network they created was to be a formidable force in helping them survive. The photograph captures a particular moment in history for a particular generation: one which experienced a double diaspora. In this five part series Krupa Padhy tells a very personal story of the men she grew up calling 'uncles'. We'll explore the lives of the five men; their hopes, their early experiences and the lives they went onto live, propelled by a desire to integrate into British society, and supported by life-long friendship.

In the final episode of Piccadilly Chandu, Praful and Champak reflect on the choices they made and the lives they strived so hard to achieve.

Presenter Krupa Padhy
Producer Kate Bissell
With thanks to Praful Patel for the photo. Left to right there is Champak, Fazel, Chandu, Indu and Pravin.


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002pqhp)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002pqhr)
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 (m002pqht)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002pqhw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002pqhy)
Fearfully and wonderfully made

Good morning! Recently, I have been reading about how some eighteenth- scholars believed the human body works. In the absence of the wealth of scientific knowledge that now attends medicine, some of our ancestors in that era had intriguing ideas about our physiology.

Franz Anton Mesmer is a prime example. An Austrian physician, his theory of ‘animal magnetism’ led to wide speculation about his bizarre medical practices among the general public, and to hysteria on the part of his patients. The terms ‘mesmerising’ and ‘mesmerism’ originate with his name, and they still hold an almost hypnotic sound in their syllables.

It is easy to look back on early efforts to scientifically understand our bodies with a sense of superiority or cynicism. But even with our amassed knowledge today, much of what makes us tick and what stops us from ticking can evade the best medical minds. We remain an enigma to ourselves.

In Psalm 139, the Psalmist marvels at our bodies and encourages us to praise God because we are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’. This truth can prompt both humility and gladness in our hearts. We are creatures, loved and known by our Creator, and our very existence is owing to his power and grace. Acknowledging him as our sustainer and seeking him as our Saviour weaves theology into our biology and can lead us to true praise.

Almighty God, divine Creator, we bless you for the mystery and marvel of the human body. We thank you that we are complex beings, reflecting your image and your creative will. Teach us to praise you for the miracle of life. We pray for those labouring in research and in frontline medical care today, sustain them in the rigours of their work, and continue to use them for good in our world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.


SAT 05:45 Materials of State (m002mms9)
The Sword of State

David Cannadine continues examining the origins, symbolism and contemporary significance of the objects and emblems that underpin the British constitution.

In episode 2, David is looking at the history, symbolism and modern resonance of the Sword of State, one of the most striking items of British royal regalia. The Sword of State was made in the 17th century, after the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II, who commissioned new regalia for his reign. It was brought back into the spotlight during the 2023 coronation of King Charles III, where it gained widespread attention largely because it was carried with poise and stamina by Penny Mordaunt, who was Lord President of the Council and the first woman to bear it during a coronation.

The connection between swords and sovereigns dates to the time when monarchs were expected to lead their armies into battle as ‘warrior kings’. David reflects on the tension of bringing a weapon of war into the sacred coronation setting of Westminster Abbey. Although swords have lost their practical purpose in modern warfare, renewed interest following Charles III’s coronation has ensured that the Sword of State remains a potent ceremonial symbol.

Contributors in order of appearance:
Dame Penny Mordaunt
Charles Farris, Curator and Historian at Historic Royal Palaces
Professor Kate Williams

Presented by Professor Sir David Cannadine
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Sound Mixing: Tony Churnside

The series has been made in association with the History of Parliament Trust

A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002q23r)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SAT 06:07 Ramblings (m002pqp2)
Adventurer Pom Oliver in the Low Weald

Clare Balding meets the adventurer Pom Oliver for a woodland wander near her home in West Sussex.

As they stroll amongst the trees, Pom recalls extraordinary chapters from her life: polar and desert expeditions, an epic hitch‑hiking journey from Cape Town to Sydney, and her time in the film industry working on much‑loved productions such as Biggles and Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Their conversation also turns to Pom’s latest adventure - a challenging three‑month trek across Saudi Arabia, tracing the footsteps of traders along the ancient incense route.

The walk begins at Pom’s home, but listeners keen to explore the woodland can enter it from The Blue Ship pub in the tiny hamlet of The Haven (postcode RH14 9BS).

Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002q23t)
Environmental Regulation, Cheese, Storm Goretti

This week two watchdogs published reports on the Government's performance on the environment. The Office for Environmental Protection warned that, unless swift action is taken, the Government could miss 21 out of 43 legally set targets on biodiversity and protecting land and sea. Meanwhile, the National Audit Office published a report saying that substantial reform is needed in the way DEFRA, the Environment Agency, and Natural England operate.

Our sister programme, Farming Today, has been exploring the UK cheese industry. We visit a Somerset cheddar maker, a goat's cheese maker in Carmarthenshire, and an exporter making the most of growing demand for UK cheese around the world.

It may be more than a week since Storm Goretti unleashed hurricane force winds on Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly but rural businesses are still clearing up the wreckage.

Presenter: Charlotte Smith
Producer: Sarah Swadling


SAT 06:57 Weather (m002q23w)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m002q23y)
Today (Saturday)


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002q240)
Keith Brymer Jones, Ornithology, Royal Stonemasonry, and the Inheritance Tracks of Mark Heap

This week's programme is fashioned out of clay and stone, against a background of beautiful birdsong.

Our potter is the king of clay himself, Keith Brymer Jones, the big, friendly, funny, tearful face of The Great Pottery Throw Down.

Our stonemason, Jennie Regan, was taught her craft with the help of the King, and has returned the favour by carving some stone for him.

The birdsong will be supplied by Sean Ronayne who has managed to record the sound of all but two of Ireland’s 200 native bird species.

All that, plus, the winner of surely the UK’s most gruelling race - 268-miles of mid-winter madness along the Pennine Way - and we’ve the Inheritance Tracks of Mark Heap.

Presenter: Adrian Chiles
Producer: Ben Mitchell
Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Gareth Nelson Davies


SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m002q242)
Philippe, Duc d’Orléans: in the shadow of the Sun King

Greg Jenner is joined in 17th-century France by Dr Jonathan Spangler and comedian Tom Allen to learn all about Philippe, Duc d’Orléans, Louis XIV’s younger brother. King Louis XIV is one of the most famous monarchs in French history: the man who built and presided over the glittering court at Versailles, established himself as an absolute ruler, and whose 72-year reign is still the longest in European history. But what about his younger brother, Philippe? Who was the man who grew up and lived in the shadow of the Sun King? Raised to defer to his brother at all costs, his promising military career was cut short when it seemed like he might outshine Louis. When all eyes were on him as heir to the throne, he would wear dresses to provoke shock at courtly balls. He balanced his marriage to his witty German wife, Liselotte, with a decades-long relationship with his aristocratic male lover, the Chevalier de Lorraine – and other men of the court. And he maintained an image as a louche and irresponsible courtier while increasing his personal wealth through clever financial management. This episode explores the complexities and contradictions of Philippe’s life, and examines the difficult position of second sons in royal history.

If you’re a fan of royal sibling rivalries, the gossip and glamour of the French court, and queer history, you’ll love our episode on Philippe, Duc d’Orléans.

If you want more fascinating French royals, listen to our episodes on Catherine de Medici and Marie Antoinette. And for more LGBTQ+ history, check out our episodes on heretical lesbian nun Benedetta Carlini and the Bloomsbury Group.

You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Emma Mitchell
Written by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett
Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: Philip Sellars


SAT 10:30 Soul Music (m002q244)
Cranes in the Sky by Solange

Marking 25 years of the award-winning series, Soul Music features songs from the last 25 years.

“I tried to drink it away... I tried to run it away...” Solange’s hit song, written in 2008 and released eight years later, muses on themes of isolation, loneliness, and depression. She penned the lyrics to Raphael Saadiq’s instrumental in a Miami hotel room, gazing out at the cranes filling the skyline during the onset of the housing crisis and financial crash.

Solange Knowles released her debut album in 2002 at the age of 16. This single appears on her third album, A Seat at the Table. She's the younger sister of Beyoncé.

Featuring: Journalist Douglas Markowitz; music writer Kiana Fitzgerald; author of Why Solange Matters and Big Joanie guitarist Stephanie Phillips; and Rebecca McNeil.

Producer: Eliza Lomas


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002q246)
Sunday Times political editor Caroline Wheeler reports on the latest developments at Westminster.

Following the defection of Robert Jenrick from the Conservatives to Reform UK, Caroline speaks to Henry Hill, the deputy editor of Conservative Home and James Orr, a Cambridge University academic and senior advisor to Nigel Farage.

Karl Turner, the Labour MP for Kingston-upon-Hull East is a prominent critic of the government's plans to restrict jury trials. He discusses this and other Labour u-turns with Claire Ainsley, former policy director to Keir Starmer, now at the Progressive Policy Institute.

Crossbench peer, Beeban Kidron and Baroness Nicky Morgan, the former Culture Secretary discuss Elon Musk backing down in the row over sexualised deepfakes produced by its AI tool, Grok and whether the UK has the right regulatory framework for the online sphere.

And the chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Dame Emily Thornberry and the former Conservative Security Minister Tom Tugendhat speak to Caroline about Iran, Greenland and whether a Chinese mega-embassy should be built in London.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002q248)
Greenlanders reject Trump's takeover plan

Kate Adie introduces stories from Greenland, Colombia, Uganda and Greece.

President Trump has said the US needs to 'own' Greenland, to prevent Russia and China from taking it. Katya Adler has been in the capital Nuuk, speaks to Inuit women about the island's painful history of colonisation - and its now uncertain future.

Colombia has also been attracting attention from Mr Trump, following the recent US operation in Venezuela. This schism is out of step with decades of US foreign policy, but an ongoing war of words between Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, and the US President on issues from migration to US strikes on fishing boats in the Caribbean, has put a strain on the relationship. Ione Wells report from Bogota.

A hot-button issue for Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is the problem of over-tourism. Visitor numbers have rocketed in recent years, leading to a rise in the tourist tax. But it’s not a problem being felt everywhere in the country. James Innes-Smith travelled to one prefecture where efforts to bring tourists back have fallen flat.

And finally, a landmark court case came to a close in Greece this week, in which a group of aid workers were put on trial after rescuing migrants from the Mediterranean. The 24 former volunteers have faced a range of charges, including human trafficking, money laundering, and facilitating the illegal entry of foreigners into Greece. Tim Whewell travelled to Lesbos, where he discovered how the migrant crisis that began in 2015 has shaped an entire community.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison and Jack Young
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Correction: The Greenland dispatch incorrectly states the distance from Greenland to the United States.


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002q24b)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002q24d)
Energy Bill Battle and Restrictive Covenants

When it comes to keeping our homes warm nearly all of us rely on just a handful of big energy suppliers. And during the winter, especially with the cold temperatures, we rely on those suppliers to do their job. When they don't customers can firstly complain to their supplier but, if they're still not happy, they can take their complaint to something called the Energy Ombudsman. It's a free, impartial service and gets thousands of complaints every year. In most cases, when the ombudsman makes a decision, that decision is followed to the letter, quickly, by suppliers. But in some cases that doesn't happen - we investigate one listener's battle over a £1,700 bill.

HMRC has told MPs it's going to take more care in how it handles its effort to crack down on fraud and error, after a mistake which led to thousands of families wrongly losing their Child Benefit.

It was the Scottish government's Budget this week and there were quite a few changes promised for people's pockets, we'll round up the details.

And, there's a huge amount to think about when buying a home, from sorting the mortgage to getting quotes for removal companies, but one thing you might not be expecting is that your new home might come with rules telling you what you can and cannot do with it. Restrictive covenants are binding conditions written into the actual property deeds or contracts. What can you do to protect yourself from any financial impacts?

Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Reporters: Dan Whitworth, Eimear Devlin and Phil Simm
Researcher: Jo Krasner
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 17th January 2026)


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m002pqh1)
Series 119

2. U-Turn, We Defect

Andy’s returned from The Ashes and is back in the News Quiz chair. He’s come home to a selection of defections, some serious U-turning and 30,000 properties without water in his hometown of Tunbridge Wells. He was only away for one week! Helping Andy make sense of it all is Susie McCabe, Paul Sinha, Cindy Yu and Scott Bennett.

Written by Andy Zaltzman.

With additional material by: Mike Shephard, Eleanor Morton and Dee Allum
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinator: Giulia Lopes Mazzu
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.


SAT 12:57 Weather (m002q24g)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News (m002q24j)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002pqh7)
Mothin Ali, Lord Elliott, Kate Nicholls, Emily Thornberry MP

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Marsden in West Yorkshire, with Green Party deputy leader, Mothin Ali; Conservative peer and former Vote Leave chief executive, Lord Elliott; the chair of UK Hospitality, Kate Nicholls; and the chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee, Labour MP Emily Thornberry.

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? (m002q24l)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?

Producer: Catherine Powell
Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Researcher: Jazz George
Editor: Gareth Nelson-Davies


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002pqh3)
Susan wonders tentatively to Brian whether things might be better since the family meeting with George. Brian doesn’t know – he’s not sure George can make a life for himself in Ambridge after all that’s happened. Susan points out how Alice has turned her life around. Brian admits there’s something to be said for being close to family when life gets tough. Susan notes that one member of her family is too close for comfort – she supposes she can’t stop Clive from seeing George. To Susan’s alarm, Brian admits he saw them heading to the river with fishing gear.

Clive recommends George doesn’t grovel to the very people who are making his life a misery. Saying sorry is weak. Susan calls George, and George fobs her off about his whereabouts. Clive accuses Susan of being toxic and controlling. He offers to take George for a few beers, but George makes his excuses; he has to meet someone.

George’s probation officer Reg arrives in Ambridge and tracks down Kenton. He’s received a complaint about George’s behaviour on New Year's Eve. Kenton dismisses the incident as high spirits, and Reg leaves. Jolene disapproves, but Kenton reckons they owe George. Reg catches up with George, who admits confidentially he’s terrified not knowing who wanted him dead. Reg says it’s important George asks for the help he needs. They’re interrupted by shouting outside as Susan and Clive argue. George intervenes, and as Clive starts telling him his theory on who attacked him, Reg appears. Clive hisses that George needs to keep his wits about him.


SAT 15:00 Drama on 4 (m0014frl)
An Artificially Intelligent Guide to Love

Experimental drama as writer Hannah Silva collaborates with a machine-learning algorithm to create an audio guide to love.

The algorithm produces poems and stories in response to the writer’s poems and stories. It answers the writer’s questions and it asks her questions.

What is love? Is it an emotion? Is it an action? How does it work? What do we feel? What do we do?

Hannah tells the algorithm that she wants to think about love because in the past she didn’t think about it, she just fell in it.

The algorithm and the writer explore the theme of love in all its forms - parental love, romantic love, friendship and loss of love. The algorithm’s often absurdist and poetic texts frame and comment on the writer’s personal story of love and loss as a queer single mum.

An Artificially Intelligent Guide to Love was developed through OKRE Experimental Stories. The consultant was Dr James Carney. The script was written using texts generated by the GPT-J algorithm, a language prediction model trained and maintained by EleutherAI, a grassroots collective of researchers working to open source AI research.

Cast:
Algorithm .…. Fiona Shaw
Writer ….. Yusra Warsama
Woman ….. Jane Slavin
Man ….. Neil Bell

Written by Hannah Silva
Executive Producer ….. Sara Davies
Production Manager ….. Anna de Wolff Evans

Sound Design ….. Adam Woodhams
Mix …… Steve Bond
Music …… Ioana Selaru
Director/Producer ….. Nicolas Jackson

An Afonica production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m002q24n)
Weekend Woman's Hour: Kids and screen time, Nikki Lilly, The Traitors, Subpar relationships, Mia McKenna-Bruce

Parents of under-fives in England are to be offered official advice on how long their children should spend watching TV or looking at computer screens. It comes as government research shows about 98% of children under two were watching screens on a daily basis - with parents, teachers and nursery staff saying youngsters were finding it harder to hold conversations or concentrate on learning. To discuss this further Nuala McGovern is joined by Kate Silverton, child counsellor and parenting author, and Professor Sonia Livingstone from the London School of Economics and author of Parenting for a Digital Future.

In 2025 alone she walked at Paris Fashion Week, spoke at the United Nations about face equality and won 'Fashion and beauty influencer of the year' at the the UK and Ireland TikTok awards, all while managing a chronic illness. Nikki Lilly is a Bafta and Emmy award-winner, an influencer and a campaigner and she joined Anita Rani in the studio.

The latest series of The Traitors has sparked controversy after two black women, Netty and Judy, were the first to leave – one ‘murdered’ by the Traitors and the other banished at the roundtable. The debate goes beyond the game - is it exposing unconscious bias and raising bigger questions? Do reality TV shows like this hold up a mirror to society, revealing uncomfortable truths around racism, misogyny, and ageism? Author and arts columnist at the Independent Micha Frazer-Carroll and freelance writer Chloe Laws, who have both written on this topic and are both fans of the show, discuss.

What happens if the person you’re in a relationship with doesn’t quite meet all the qualities you look for in a long-term partner? Do you stay anyway? Journalist Eve Simmons has recently written about this in her new book, ‘What She Did Next’, which looks at why millennial women might settle for what she calls ‘subpar’ relationships. Nuala was also joined by psychotherapist and broadcaster Lucy Beresford who believes it may not just be women settling for less.

Miss Marple and Poirot have been household names for decades but now one of Agatha Christie’s lesser-known sleuths – Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent - is finally getting her time in the spotlight. The fearless young amateur detective is the focus of new Netflix mystery series Seven Dials. Mia McKenna-Bruce is the award-winning actor bringing ‘Bundle’ to the screen, alongside Helena Bonham-Carter and Martin Freeman, and Mia joined presenter Nuala live in the studio.

The Ayoub Sisters are Scottish Egyptian siblings Sarah and Laura Ayoub who play cello and violin. Their debut album was recorded in Abbey Road Studios with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Their second album, Arabesque, was released independently and went to number one in the iTunes chart. They are about to undertake a UK tour to celebrate their 10th anniversary, which will include the premiere of their Arabic Symphony in a homecoming concert in Glasgow.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Annette Wells


SAT 17:00 PM (m002q24q)
Trump targets Europe with tariffs over Greenland

We look at the implications for the relationship between European allies of the White House and the US, as President Trump imposes a short deadline for compliance on the status of Greenland. Plus, Iran's supreme leader admits thousands of demonstrators were killed during recent anti-government protests.


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002q24s)
The union leader who agrees with the Tory leader: Daniel Kebede

The National Education Union's general secretary on banning social media, strikes and race

Daniel Kebede says he is "completely aligned" with Kemi Badenoch on social media policy but warns that the Labour government is on a "collision course" with teachers over pay and conditions.

Why does a former minister describe him as "disarming" while the press brand him as "militant" and a "hardened protester"?

Nick also presses Kebede on the blocking of a Jewish Bristol MP from visiting a school, past comments about Israel, and whether taxpayers can afford further pay rises for teachers.

Producers: Daniel Kraemer and Flora Murray
Sound: Stephen Pontin
Sound mixing: Robin Schroder
Editor: Giles Edwards


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002q24v)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m002q24x)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002q24z)
Trump threatens European allies with tariffs over Greenland deal

President Trump has threatened the UK and its European allies with escalating trade tariffs unless the United States is permitted to purchase Greenland. In a social media post, he said a 10% levy would take effect from the 1st of February, rising to 25% from the 1st of June if no deal is reached. Trump added that the US is “immediately open to negotiation” with Denmark and the other countries involved.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002q251)
The Charlatans, Stuart Maconie, Jill Halfpenny, Ian Smith, Jess Robinson

Stuart Maconie's tiptoeing the line between dark and light in this week's Loose Ends.

When she won Strictly Jill Halfpenny got the highest ever score for her sequin studded jive, but there's not a glitterball to be seen in her latest role as the traumatised mum Eve in the dark psychological thriller Girl Taken, which also stars Alfie Allen as the creepiest teacher you'd never hope to meet.

Ian Smith is a comedian who mines his own anxieties for his art - be that his Radio 4 series called "Ian Smith is Stressed", the unintentionally hilarious news from his hometown in the Northern News Podcast or his new tour, "Footspa Half Empty".

The comic, actor and Dead Ringers impressionist Jess Robinson's very funny and also very sad new memoir contrasts her own twentysomething exploits as a stage ingenue with her Jewish Grandmother's diaries at the same age - Life Is Rosi: Grandma, Me and Our Diaries at 23. Grandma Rosi loved music, boyfriends and having a laugh too but was enduring Germany during the rise of Hitler at the same time.

And as they head out on tour, we have performance from The Charlatan's new album We Are Love.

Producer: Olive Clancy
Assistant Producer: Samuel Nixon
Technical Producers: John Cole and Mark Ward
Production Coordintor: Pete Liggins


SAT 19:00 Profile (m002q253)
Mette Frederiksen

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that US President Donald Trump’s threat to take Greenland would spell the end of Nato, the trans-Atlantic defence alliance. So who is the woman standing toe to toe with Trump?

A career politician in the truest sense, she was first elected as a member of the Danish Parliament in 2001, the day after her 24th birthday. After nearly two decades at the heart of the country’s politics, where she held roles including Justice Minister and Minister for Employment, she was elected Prime Minister of Denmark in June 2019, aged 41, the youngest leader in Danish history.

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing - her premiership has survived a pandemic, an early election, and inflation driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now, as the jam-making mother-of-two faces her biggest international challenge to date - Stephen Smith looks back at the life and career of the woman named the ‘second most powerful person in Europe in 2026’ by Politico.

Contributors:
Magdalena Andersson, former Swedish Prime Minister
Kasper Kildegaard, Danish journalist
Kasper Fogh Hansen, friend
Ane Halsboe-Jorgensen, Danish Taxation Minister and friend
Stig Jensen, Danish academic and tutor
Tobias Hamann, Great Danish Bake Off winner

Producers: Laurie Kalus, Katie Solleveld and Keiligh Baker
Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Jack Young
Sound: Gareth Jones
Editor: Justine Lang

Archive:
BBC News
Danish Presidency of the council of the EU 2025
Danish Social Democrats
Denmark Broadcasting Corporation


SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m002pqnk)
Annie Leibovitz

American photographer Annie Leibovitz talks to John Wilson about her career and cultural influences. For over 50 years she has captured rock stars, actors and politicians in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine, Vanity Fair and in museums & galleries around the world. She is renowned for elaborately designed shoots, sometimes involving multiple celebrity sitters, and creating images that have a cinematic or painterly quality. Her best known photographs include John Lennon just hours before he was murdered, a naked and heavily pregnant Demi Moore – and Queen Elizabeth the second in the state rooms of Buckingham Palace.

Producer: Edwina Pitman

Archive used:
The Rolling Stones at the LA Forum, 1975, BBC Radio 1
Report on the shooting of John Lennon: NBC News, 8 December 1980
Report on the Vigil for John Lennon in Central Park New York: WABC-TV, Channel 7 Eyewitness News, 14 December 1980
Annie Leibovitz photographs Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace:
2 clips from Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work: The State Visit; co-produced by BBC & RDF Media, 26 November 2007, BBC1


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002q255)
The Narrative Trap

Philosopher Julian Baggini asks a deceptively simple question - what happens when the stories we live by start leading us astray?

Drawing on newly recorded conversations with writers and philosophers including Ella Saltmarshe, Rebecca Solnit, Reid Hoffman, James Rodgers and Galen Strawson - as well as a rich seam of archive - he examines the hidden power of narrative and asks why, in a world shaped by competing stories, that power has never been more critical to understand.

We hear how narratives can illuminate injustice and spark profound social change, from shifting cultural attitudes around equality to the hard-won battles over who gets to speak and be believed.

But Julian also explores their darker side - how deep, often unconscious, stories uphold harmful norms, how political leaders weaponise narrative to consolidate power, and how polarised debates fracture into incompatible versions of reality.

The archive reveals how such patterns recur across eras, the hero myths we cling to, the comforting endings we crave, and the seductive simplicity of stories that tell us exactly who is right and who is wrong. From personal identity to global geopolitics, The Narrative Trap uncovers how much of modern life is structured by storytelling, for better and for worse.

The programme also asks what can be done. Drawing on insights from Ella Saltmarshe’s work on “narrative intelligence”, Reid Hoffman’s reflections on self-authored identity, James Rodgers’ reporting from conflict zones, Rebecca Solnit’s studies of power and storytelling, and Galen Strawson’s challenge to our obsession with narrative coherence, Julian explores how we might learn to recognise the stories shaping us, question them, and choose those that help rather than harm.

Writer and Presenter: Julian Baggini
Producer: Jo Meek
Executive Producer: Anna Scott-Brown

An Overtone production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 21:00 Human Intelligence (m002q257)
Series 2

Perfectionists

Naomi Alderman returns with her series that explores the minds of the greatest thinkers in history. From political theorists to scientists to inventors, authors and artists. Our world is based on their ideas and innovations. How did they do their work, what did they struggle with, where did they find their dedication, creativity and inspiration?

These five thinkers all sought perfection in different ways. For the engineer Brunel, his work on the railways needed to be safe and reliable, but he also wanted his work to be ‘the best’ to the point that he drove his railway workers too hard. Simone Weil put her own body on the line in search of philosophical perfection; she calls on us to give perfect attention to the suffering of those around us. Mathematician Al-Khwarizmi introduced algebra to the world, and his methods in mathematics underline much of modern life. Leonardo Da Vinci was interested in everything around him, but he found it hard to declare a painting finished before it was perfect. Martha Graham was a dance genius whose choreography shows how the mind is always present in the body.

Perfectionism is a luxury commodity, one which societies can only aspire to at a certain level of wealth, with the ability to give freedom to work to their greatest minds. And there has to be a need for that kind of work. For each of these thinkers, their work endures, as does the price they and their co-workers paid for their quest for perfection.

Produced by BBC Studios in partnership with The Open University.

Presenter: Naomi Alderman
Executive Editor: Philip Sellars
Production Co-ordinator: Amelia Paul
Researchers: Harry Burton, Martha Owen and Victoria Brignell
Mix Engineer: Nigel Appleton
Series Producer: Anishka Sharma
Production Manager: Jo Kyle


SAT 22:00 News (m002q259)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002pqg6)
The Science of Fermentation

Fermented foods are more popular than ever, but what's the science? Dan Saladino explores the latest research into fermentation and the many health claims made for fermented food. Featuring the gut microbiome expert Tim Spector and fermentation expert Robin Sherriff.

Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.


SAT 23:00 Dan Does Dating (m002q25c)
Series 1

1. Madeline

Think of the worst date you've been on, or heard about. Now imagine having to go through that every week. That's what happens to Dan Dickerson in Dan Does Dating, a new non-audience sitcom by Michael Beck. And his dates feel the same way.

This week, Dan is persuaded to try dating again for the first time since splitting up with/getting dumped by his ex - but can he resist the urge to argue with people he disagrees with?

Dan … Christopher Macarthur-Boyd
Madeline … Lisa Livingstone

Chris … Ray Bradshaw
Jack … Stephen Buchanan
Jamila … Nalini Chetty
Diane … Zara Gladman

French Waiter … Jonny Donahoe
Linda … Tina Gray
Woman … Layla Kirk
Waiter … Sanjeev Kohli
Sales Assistant … Amy Matthews

Written by Michael Beck

Recorded and edited by Diane Jardine at Sonido Studios, Clydebank

Produced and directed by Ed Morrish

A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 23:30 Counterpoint (m002pq63)
Heat 2, 2026

Paul Gambaccini hosts radio's most challenging music quiz. Now in its 39th series, contestants from around the country have assembled to be tested on their knowledge of music from across the centuries, and across every genre.

This week, our three contestants pick from topics including ‘Women of new nave’, ‘It’s a kind of magic’ and ‘Electronica and synth pop’.

Producer: Tom Du Croz
Production coordinator: Jodie Charman

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4

SUNDAY 18 JANUARY 2026

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002q25h)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m002pq61)
Makenna Goodman

In this episode the American writer Makenna Goodman speaks to Take Four Books about her new novel, Helen Of Nowhere, and together with presenter James Crawford they explore its connections to three other literary works.

In Helen Of Nowhere, published by Fitzcarraldo, a disgraced professor is being shown around an idyllic house in the countryside by a realtor who speaks of its previous owner, the mystifying Helen. The professor is struggling with a growing sense of irrelevance and a failing marriage, but through hearing stories of Helen’s chosen way of living, the man begins to see that his story is not over – rather, he's being offered a chance to buy his way into a simpler life that until now has always been out of reach, but the asking price is much higher, and stranger, than anticipated.

Makenna's three chosen influences were: The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono from 1953; All About Love by Bell Hooks from 1999; and John, by the playwright Annie Baker from 2015.

Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002q25k)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002q25m)
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 (m002q25p)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002q25r)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002q25t)
The church of St Michael in Framlingham, Suffolk

Bells on Sunday comes from the church of St Michael in Framlingham, Suffolk. The Church has been much rebuilt over the centuries but retains many original features including a hammer beam roof concealed under intricate fan tracery dating from 1521. There are eight bells including two 15th century bells by the Brasyers of Norwich foundry. The Tenor bell weighs sixteen hundredweight and is tuned to the note of E. We hear them ringing Plain Bob Triples


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002ppxs)
Eye Tests for Driving, Sound Without Sight

Within the government's new road safety strategy, they have identified a number of areas they'd like to hear people's views on in order to make the UK's roads safer. One of these is whether or not to introduce compulsory eye testing for drivers who are over 70. In Touch discusses this idea with Lilian Greenwood, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport, Dr Peter Hampson who is the Clinical and Policy Director at the Association of Optometrists and with the Macular Society's Director of Services, Jessica Kirby.
To participate in the government's consultation on this issue, visit: gov.uk/government/consultations/introducing-mandatory-eyesight-testing-for-older-drivers

In Touch also spotlights a project that aims to get more visually impaired people involved in the music industry, be that as performers or on the technical side of things. The project is called Sound Without Sight, and this week they are hosting a Q&A session with the highly successful blind singer, producer and campaigner Lachi. In Touch is joined by Lachi and Jay Pocknell, the project lead of Sound Without Sight and current music student Oscar King, who receives some pearls of wisdom from Lachi.

Lachi will soon be releasing a new book called 'I Identify as Blind', where she discusses disability identity, neurodivergence, and embracing difference, with joy, humour, and passion. More information on her book can be found at: lachimusic.com/i-identify-as-blind

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Helen Surtees
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 (m002q278)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vpt)
Navigating faith on the road

Canada is home to thousands of Sikh truck drivers, crossing North America in cabs that double as kitchens, bedrooms and places to pray. In a single week, some will see more of the continent than most people will in a lifetime, from major cities to mountain ranges and endless miles of road.

But the road can be a hard place to practise faith built on family, community and a vegetarian diet. Journeys can be long, food options limited, and drivers say discrimination is rising. Yet many choose to respond with acts of kindness, carrying their faith with them.

The BBC’s Megan Lawton travels to Ontario to join Sikh truckers on the road. She stops at a local Gurdwara, where drivers reconnect with community and come together to instil the values of their faith in their children.

[Credit: Megan Lawton. Picture description: Sukhpal Singh is a long-haul truck driver, who travels across North America each week. He sits behind the wheel of his truck, during a break from driving]

Presenter: Megan Lawton
Producer: Sam Gruet
Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002q27b)
From wig to wellies

Barrister Iain Colville jokes that, sometimes, when he appears in court, in his wig and gown, he's conscious of a whiff of silage or wishes he'd scrubbed his fingernails more thoroughly! That's because he's juggles his legal work in housing appeals in London alongside rearing pedigree cows on his farm in Northern Ireland. While in London, he keeps a close eye on the cameras which keep him in touch with what's going in the barns and the byres. His legal colleagues are fascinated. He says: "They compare it to Clarkson's farm!"

Iain grew up on a family farm, about ten miles outside Belfast, in County Down. The Colvilles have been farming there for generations but as a teenager, Iain decided that agriculture was not for him. He went to England, embarked on a legal career, met and married Malini, a teacher from Leicester and they settled just outside London.

The Colville's came over to Northern Ireland on family visits and Iain would help his father around the farm. Almost despite himself, he felt the lure of farming and began to breed pedigree Aberdeen Angus cows. Ten years ago the couple and their children made the decision to move to Northern Ireland and buy their own farm.

Malini says it was a huge change for her. She has no farming background. Her family, originally from India, had settled in east Africa but moved to Britain during Idi Amin's rule in the Seventies and joined the large Gujarati community in Leicester. She says: "I knew absolutely nothing about looking after animals, or living in the country but I learnt quickly and Northern Ireland is now my home,"

The couple's main focus, at Glenside Farm, is on breeding, rearing and showing their pedigree Aberdeen Angus herd, with the Colville family's Glen Cowie prefix.. They've been successful at a number of major competitions, including the Balmoral and Royal Highland shows. They also keep a flock of Blue Texel and commerical sheep.

Malini is in charge of the community and social enterprise side of the farm. She says they decided to join the social farm network during the Covid lockdown when they realised how much people benefited from being out in nature. They host regular events and visits and organise some paying activities, such as wreath making and wool workshops, which help fund the social enterprise work. One of the most recent projects is the creation of a sensory garden and allotment.

Malini says: "It goes with the seasons. At lambing time, visitors may help with feeding the lambs.. They may collect eggs, feed the goats, see the cows and whatever else is going on.

"Refugees, in particular, benefit from visiting. Many come from rural areas and enjoy being out in open spaces and seeing farm life. Just being here for a couple of hours can make all the difference to someone so far from home and uncertain about their future."

Iain travels to London several times a month for court cases. "There are very few people who can make a living solely from farming," he says, "and I enjoy the work, the cut and thrust of legal argument. "

But his hopes and dreams are focused on his Aberdeen Angus herd back at Glenside. "Every breeder dreams that one day their bull will be the best the world has ever seen," he says hopefully.

Presented by Kathleen Carragher and produced by John Deering.


SUN 06:57 Weather (m002q27d)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002q27g)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002q27j)
US Military Archbishop, Faith and Gen Z, 'Understanding British Imams' project

The capture of the Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro, the attacks on alleged drug-running boats off the Venezuelan coast, the threats to strike the regime in Iran, the determination to take Greenland even though it is the territory of a fellow NATO member, the musings about invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act so that active-service troops can be deployed on the streets of Minneapolis - all of these things raise profound legal and moral questions. Edward Stourton speaks to the Catholic archbishop Timothy Broglio who leads the United States Archdiocese for the Military Services.

Sales of the Bible have rocketed according to data from Britain's biggest Christian publisher, SPCK. For most of the 2010s they ran at a reasonably steady rate - between two and a half and three million a year - but they began to take off in 2021, and last year they hit over six million three hundred thousand. This comes amid claims of a religious revival being led by younger people. We begin a mini-series of reports devoted to Gen Z believers.

There has been a huge increase in the proportion of imams in this country who are British born, according to new research. A study nearly two decades ago found the figure was just eight percent - a new study, due to be published this autumn, concludes the figure has increased to forty eight percent, or nearly half. The findings form part of Cardiff University's 'Understanding British Imams' research project.

PRESENTER: Edward Stourton
PRODUCERS: Dan Tierney & Katy Davis
STUDIO MANAGERS: Chris Mather, Luke Holmes & Phil Booth
EDITOR: Tim Pemberton


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002q27l)
The Benedetti Foundation

Violinist Nicola Benedetti makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of The Benedetti Foundation. The charity helps children and young people access high quality music-making through its orchestral workshops.

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 ‘The Benedetti Foundation’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘The Benedetti Foundation’.
- 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: SC049688. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://www.benedettifoundation.org/
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites

Producer: Katy Takatsuki


SUN 07:57 Weather (m002q27n)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002q27q)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002q27s)
One Body, One Spirit

A service for the beginningof the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from St Columba’s Church, Knock in Belfast. This year’s theme is One Body, One Spirit from Ephesians Chapter 4. The service was prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches.

Led by Canon John Auchmuty
Preacher: Rev Dr Karen Cambell, General Secretary of the Irish Council of Churches

Ephesians 4.1-13
Blest are the pure in heart (Walford Davies)
In Christ there is no East or West
Psalm 133
Brother, sister, let me serve you
Ubi Caritas (Duruflé)
Thy hand O God has guided.

With the St Columba’s Cantors, directed by Dr Joe McKee.
Organist: Graeme McCullough
Producer: Bert Tosh


SUN 08:48 Tweet of the Day (m002q27v)
Horatio Clare on the Rook

The writer Horatio Clare has a message from the rooks, pointing out the ways they differ from crows.

Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.

This programme features audio from Xeno-Canto recorded by Olivier Swift (Rook - XC703729)


SUN 08:50 In Other News (m002q760)
Welcome to the programme which sidesteps the main news headlines and delves more deeply into what’s going right in the world.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002q27x)
Trump threatens UK businesses over Greenland

The Prime Minister says the US is "completely wrong" to threaten tariffs over Greenland. We'll hear a reaction from UK business and assess how Europe should respond. After a bombshell week in Westminster - Ken Clarke assesses the fight for the right. We'll hear a call for more civility in British public life, we'll test the taps in Tunbridge Wells and ask have we reached peak dogs in pubs?


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002q27z)
Adeel Akhtar, actor

Adeel Akhtar is an award-winning actor whose breakthrough role came in 2010 when he starred in Chris Morris’s black comedy Four Lions.

He won his first BAFTA for Best Actor in 2017 for his role in the BBC drama Murdered by My Father. His second, for Best Supporting Actor, came in 2023 playing Andy Fisher in the BBC series Sherwood.

Adeel was born in Hounslow in West London and grew up in Buckinghamshire. He discovered a love of acting at school when he and a group of friends put on a production of Harold Pinter’s play The Homecoming. He read law at university but in 2002 followed his true passion and took a drama course at The Actors Studio in New York.

He got his first screen part playing one of the four hijackers of United Airlines Flight 93 in the television docudrama Let’s Roll: the Story of Flight 93. He has gone on to stretch his talents playing roles in the television series Fool Me Once, The Night Manager and Killing Eve. More recently he appeared on stage in The Cherry Orchard and a new play called The Empire.

Adeel lives in London with his wife, documentary maker Alexis Burke, and their two children.

DISC ONE: The Weight - Aretha Franklin
DISC TWO: Jamaica Farewell - Harry Belafonte
DISC THREE: Danny Nedelko - Idles
DISC FOUR: First Big Weekend - Arab Strap
DISC FIVE: After Hours - Velvet Underground
DISC SIX: Time to Pretend - MGMT
DISC SEVEN: People’s Faces - Kae Tempest
DISC EIGHT: Do You Realize?? - The Flaming Lips

BOOK CHOICE: A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
LUXURY ITEM: A solar-powered air fryer
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Do You Realize?? - The Flaming Lips

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Paula McGinley

Desert Island Discs has cast many actors away to the island over the years including Cillian Murphy, Stephen Graham, Lesley Manville and Helen McCrory. Adeel’s friend Meera Syall is in our archive too. You can hear their programmes if you search through BBC Sounds or our own Desert Island Discs website.


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002q281)
Writer: Sarah Hehir
Director: David Payne
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge.... Charles Collingwood
David Archer.... Timothy Bentinck
Helen Archer.... Louiza Patikas
Jolene Archer.... Buffy Davies
Kenton Archer.... Richard Attlee
Ruth Archer.... Felicity Finch
Alice Carter.... Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter.... Wilf Scolding
Susan Carter.... Charlotte Martin
Ruairi Donovan.... Arthur Hughes
George Grundy ... Angus Stobie
Jakob Hakansson.... Paul Venables
Kate Madikane.... Perdita Avery
Akram Malik.... Asif Khan
Azra Malik.... Yasmin Wilde
Reginald Turnock.... Trevor Fox


SUN 12:15 Profile (m002q253)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 The Unbelievable Truth (m002pq1j)
Series 32

4. Names, Rodents, Death and Chocolate

David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they’re able to smuggle past their opponents.

Ian Smith, Lucy Porter, Maisie Adam and Ed Byrne are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as names, rodents, death and chocolate.

The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith

Producer: Jon Naismith

A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 12:57 Weather (m002q283)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002q285)
President Trump wields tariffs on allies over Greenland

As European leaders react to tariff threats from the United States, we examine what this means for transatlantic relations. We hear from the Deputy Speaker of the Danish parliament about the future of Greenland, and former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton about where this leaves international trust in American foreign policy decision-making.


SUN 13:30 Currently (m002q287)
Inside ARIA

ARIA is the UK government’s bold new bet on science and technology. Its mission? To chase breakthroughs so radical they could spawn trillion-pound industries and reshape everyday life.

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency was created to be fast-moving - exempt from the usual public sector bureaucracy. No slow funding rounds. No rigid procurement rules. Just speed, agility, and a mandate to take risks. It's backed by MPs across the political spectrum - but is it a smart use of public money?

The idea came from Dominic Cummings, inspired by America’s 'DARPA' - the agency behind the internet, GPS, and personal computing. ARIA launched in 2022 and has already sunk millions into 12 audacious programmes: from designing crops with massively synthetic genomes to building robots on entirely new principles, and developing cutting edge neurotechnologies for psychiatric illness.

Evan Davis goes inside ARIA to meet the people steering this high-stakes experiment and explore the frontier science they’ve chosen to back. Can ARIA deliver world-changing innovation - or will it prove an expensive gamble?

Presented by Evan Davis
Produced by Ilan Goodman and Sophie Ormiston
Research by Tabitha Taylor Buck


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002pqgn)
Clara Vale

How can I lighten my orchids? Is there a reliable mix of weed suppressants and fertilisers for growing edibles? Why have the leaves of my Camelia started turning yellow?

This week on Gardeners’ Question Time, Kathy Clugston and a hand‑picked panel of horticultural experts head to Clara Vale to tackle the green‑fingered queries of a live audience.

Joining Kathy are garden designer Matthew Wilson, botanist Dr Chris Thorogood, and allotmenteer Bethan Collerton, who bring their combined expertise, practical know‑how and good humour to the discussion.

Later in the programme, Peter Gibbs visits the renowned Snowdrop Collection at RHS Wisley, where he meets fellow Galanthaphile and Snowdrops expert Jessica Jansdotter.

Producer: Dan Cocker
Junior Producer: Suhaar Ali

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 Short Works (m002nvck)
A New Way to Live by PT McAllister

Kathleen and John, in the twilight of their long marriage, have retired to a beautiful town in the South of France. The house they spent a lifetime of summers renovating offers reminders of happy times for John as his memory begins to fail. Kathleen is sure the house keeps him grounded, happy... until one day she learns John is planning something that threatens to turn their whole world upside down.

A new short story written by P.T. McAllister and read by Helen Lloyd.

P.T. McAllister has taught Creative Writing at both Hull and Exeter University. A short story writer, he is the director of the North Cornwall Book Festival, Writer in Residence at the Morrab Library, Penzance, and editor and co-founder of Inkfish Magazine and Press.

Produced by Beth O'Dea in Bristol for BBC Audio, Wales and West of England


SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002q289)
1776

Episode 2

An award-winning two-part play with music, adapted and directed by Martin Jarvis, celebrating - sometimes irreverently - the American colonies' struggle to break from British rule. Delegates, risking hanging for treason’ carve out the Declaration of Independence - the basis of American democracy for 250 years.

A glittering US-based cast includes Alfred Molina, Ioan Gruffudd, Steven Weber, Josh Stamberg, Gregory Harrison and Erin Bennett.

It's June 1776 and Jefferson is congratulated on writing the Declaration. Conservative Edward Rutledge of South Carolina objects to a clause condemning the slave trade. He accuses the northern colonies of hypocrisy, showing they also prosper from slavery. Rutledge insists the anti-slavery clause be removed, in exchange for the southern colonies voting in favour. Ben Franklin pleads with Adams to agree to the anti-slavery clause being removed - for the greater good. It’s vital that they must first win independence before there’s any hope of abolishing slavery. Jefferson himself, recognising this, strikes out the passage. Unreliable Judge Wilson will cast the decisive vote. July 4th is fast approaching.

“1776” - A musical play based on a conception of Sherman Edwards with book by Peter Stone. Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards

Cast
Benjamin Franklin…Alfred Molina
John Adam...Ioan Gruffudd
Dickinson…Josh Stamberg
Rutledge…Steven Weber
Jefferson…Chase Fein
Hancock…Andre Sogliuzzo
Thomson…Gregory Harrison
Henry Lee…Richard Leacock
McNair…JD Cullum
Hopkins…William Calvert
McKean…Matthew Wolf
Courier…Jack Stuhley
Abigail Adams…Erin Bennett
Delegates: Henri Lubatti, Darren Richardson, Alan Shearman, Mark Jude Sullivan and members of the company

Keyboard: Noriko Olling Wright
Music Director: Jason Currie
Sound Design: Neil Wogenson and Charles Carroll
Production Associate: Tracy Pattin
Producers: Mark Holden and Rosalind Ayres
Adapted and directed by Martin Jarvis
Musicians: Chad Wright, Josh Brown, Mike Edwards, Taryn Spink, Jenni Asher

A Jarvis & Ayres production for BBC Radio 4

Story of America is a major collection of dramatisations of milestone American titles marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence


SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m002q28d)
Rob Doyle

The Irish writer Rob Doyle speaks to Take Four Books about his new novel Cameo, and, together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works. Cameo is the life story of an invented Irish novelist called Ren Duka who has an unexpected and runaway success with a prolific series of autofictional novels.

Rob's three chosen influences for this episode are: Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges, from 1944; Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolano from 1996; and Memoirs of Hadrian, by Margeurite Youcenar, from 1951.

Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.


SUN 16:30 Counterpoint (m002q28g)
Heat 3, 2026

Paul Gambaccini hosts radio's most challenging music quiz. Now in its 39th series, contestants from around the country have assembled to be tested on their knowledge of music from across the centuries, and across every genre.

This week, our three contestants pick from topics including ‘Books and 80's Pop', 'Hits of the glam years' and 'Puccini's female characters'.

Producer: Tom Du Croz
Production coordinator: Jodie Charman

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4


SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct74qj)
The remote island that was evacuated to 10,000km away

On 10 October 1961, a volcanic eruption threatened the population of Tristan da Cunha, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic, and all 264 islanders were evacuated to the UK.

Two years later, the majority voted to return.

In an interview she gave to the BBC in 1961, Mary Swain describes what it was like to survive the preceding earthquake and landside and be relocated to the other side of the world.

Produced and presented by Rachel Naylor, in collaboration with BBC Archives.

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: Evacuees from Tristan on board a Dutch liner bound for Cape Town on 21 October 1961. Credit: Central Press/Getty Images)


SUN 17:10 What Happened to Progress? (m002pq0t)
Global Visions

Matthew Sweet explores the idea of a 'polycrisis' of progress across the intertwined spheres of technology, economic expansion, climate and the global political order.

In the spheres of technology, industry, economic growth and geopolitics the notion of human progress seems to have gone into reverse. There are widespread fears that new and incomprehensible technologies will turn against us. The industrial revolutions that enabled prosperity and comfort are now fuelling our ecological self-destruction. And just when we need global institutions to help regulate technological tyranny and combat climate disaster, the postwar architecture of the UN, international law and human rights seem increasingly marginalised in a world order that itself seems to be devolving.

For centuries, technology and scientific development, economic expansion and global governance were all seen as markers of progress - the Enlightenment’s promise of endless, forward improvement. But across all these fields this narrative now seems to be in crisis.

The idea of progress is so hardwired into our culture and psychology, it's not an easy idea to give up. But is the idea of endless progress itself now part of the problem? And progress for whom? It’s a relatively new idea - older periods in human history imagined the passing of time in cyclical or seasonal terms far more attuned to sustainability and the natural world. Given our current age of ‘polycrisis’ – the interconnection of global technology, climate catastrophe and geopolitical disorder - do we need to rethink how to think the future beyond the concept of linear time, endless expansion and progress?

Author, historian and broadcaster Matthew Sweet asks what happened to progress – has it stopped? Are we going backwards? How have our ideas about progress themselves changed? With the help of thinkers, historians, writers and activists, Matthew asks if the concept can be re-imagined to give us newfound agency, shared humanity and most of all, hope.

In this final episode, Matthew explores a key vision of moral and political progress - the idea of a global, rules-based order to promote peace, cooperation and a shared humanity. Mapped out by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant in the late 18th century as the highest form of moral progress in politics, Kant's vision fuelled the 20th century architecture of global governance - the League of Nations, and after World War 2 the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the WHO and other bodies. This project, speaking as it did for the whole of 'humankind', was not without its critics - then or now. But as the world's most powerful nations turn their back on global institutions and openly flout international law, is this idea of political progress going into reverse, undoing the postwar settlement and returning us to a state of lawlessness?

Contributors this episode include political philosopher Francis Fukuyama, military historian Margaret MacMillan, psychoanalyst Adam Phillips, barrister and human rights activist Shami Chakrabarti, historian David Edgerton, barrister Ulele Burnham, political theorist Lea Ypi, author Adam Greenfield, former High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Cathy Ashton and director of the Climate Majority Project, Rupert Read.

Producer: Eliane Glaser and Simon Hollis
A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002q28k)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m002q28m)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002q28p)
European countries voice opposition to Trump's tariff threat

The UK and seven other European countries have issued a joint statement accusing President Trump of risking "a dangerous downward spiral" after he threatened them with extra tariffs unless he's allowed to buy Greenland. Also: Reports say the US administration will offer permanent seats on Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace' if nations pay one billion dollars. And, hundreds of thousands of chips wash up on a beach near Eastbourne.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002q28r)
Emma Freud

This week, Emma's going on a very personal journey with her picks, revisiting the debate on war between Einstein and her great-grandfather, Sigmund Freud, opening up a “mum in a box”, and witnessing how Ravi Shankar and George Harrison met over a broken sitar string. Plus, The Food Programme takes us to Smethwick in the Midlands to understand the transformative power of Desi pubs, and we hear the truly incredible story of the soundtrack to someone waking up from a coma - which led them to join Coldplay onstage years later. Presented by Emma Freud.

Presenter: Emma Freud
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production coordinators: Caroline Peddle and Caoilfhinn McFadden


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002q28t)
Susan’s convinced the police have George’s attacker, Markie, in custody, but Amber isn’t sure it was him. They both worry about the effect Clive could be having on George, as does Brad, though at least Clive appears to have gone now.

Brad then pushes Amber to go for a walk, so they can talk about what happened on New Year’s Eve. Brad hasn’t seen George since because of how horrible he’d been. Amber reckons George was right to be suspicious about them though, wasn’t he? They were kissing each other while George was lying out cold. When pressed Amber tells Brad she wants to stay with George. Brad then declares he loves Amber, who admits she loves him too. But she can’t be with Brad, because she’s pregnant – and that changes everything.

Harrison makes a surprise return visit, accusing Fallon of knowing more about George’s attack than she’s letting on. That’s why she reacts weirdly every time George’s name comes up. Fallon stuns Harrison when she tells him she knows he attacked George. She’s seen the CCTV footage showing a man walking across the Bull car park, bottle in hand, at exactly the right time – and it was Harrison. He denies it vehemently, but Fallon points out how volatile he’s been recently. Devastated by the accusation Harrison assumes it was Fallon who deleted the CCTV evidence. He should report her, because if anyone found out he was hiding something he’d lose his job straight away. Not only that, Fallon would be charged with a criminal offence too.


SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002q28w)
The Metaphor Consultant

Time is a journey - the future ahead of us, the past behind.

Our burdens are a weight that we carry, our problems are a puzzle that we solve.

Metaphor is at the heart of how we understand our existence. In a period of huge change and global uncertainty, are we outgrowing the metaphors we have lived by?

The poet Jack Underwood is offering his services as a metaphor consultant, for a very reasonable fee.

Featuring conversations with poet and psychoanalyst Nuar Alsadir; Dr Stephen Flusberg, the Director of the Framing, Reasoning And Metaphor (FRAME) Lab at Vassar College; computer scientist Melanie Mitchell; the philosopher Dr Julia Ng; and the linguist and author of Metaphors We Live By, George Lakoff.

Location recording by Mitra Kaboli, Kristina Loring, Gustavo Martinez and Donelle Wedderburn

Produced by Eleanor McDowall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m000vgf0)
Learn a New Skill

From easing your nerves to improving concentration, in this episode Michael explores the hidden brain benefits of taking up a new hobby. He finds out why learning a new skill is one of the best things you can do for mental agility and speaks to Professor Alan Gow at Heriot-Watt University to discover the best - and most fun - ways to keep your brain active, and how taking on a new challenge could help build new connections in your brain, whatever your age!


SUN 20:00 Word of Mouth (m002pqp4)
Scouse

As a port city Liverpool has long been open to a wide variety of global influences and languages that developed into a way of speaking that's termed 'Scouse' - from a word that probably originates in the Baltic region derived from the word 'lobscouse'.
Tony Crowley grew up in the heart of Liverpool. When he left home and went to Oxford University he became increasingly aware of his accent and his interest in the way his fellow Liverpudlians use language grew. He has written two books on the subject. He and Michael Rosen discuss the rich and humorous language of the city.

Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Maggie Ayre in partnership with the Open University.
Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002pqgs)
Claudette Colvin, Ian Balding, Gerry Gable, Bob Weir, Juliet Robertson

Matthew Bannister on

Claudette Colvin the American civil rights campaigner who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus, nine months before Rosa Parks’ celebrated protest.

Ian Balding, the racehorse trainer who saddled many winners for Queen Elizabeth II.

Gerry Gable, the anti-fascist activist and co-founder of Searchlight magazine, who wasn’t afraid to break the law in his relentless pursuit of the far right.

Juliet Robertson, the Scottish educationalist who was a passionate advocate for outdoor teaching.

And a tribute to Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir from Don Felder of The Eagles.

Interviewee: Brough Scott
Interviewee: Andy Bell
Interviewee: Don Felder
Interviewee: David Cameron

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jazz George
Editor: Glyn Tansley

Archive used:
Claudette Colvin interview, Outlook, BBC World Service, 23/02/2018; The Epsom Derby, Commentary, BBC One, 02/06/1971; Ian Balding interview, A View from the Boundary, BBC Radio 4, 26/07/2003; Gerry Gable, Witness History, BBC World Service, 12/10/2021; The Light and The Darkness War - documentary, BBC Radio 4, 16/03/1995; Life, Death and the Outdoors with Juliet Robertson, Scotland Outdoors, BBC Radio Scotland, 24/09/2025;


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002q24d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002q27l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002q248)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002q28y)
The future of the political right

Ben Wright is joined by Labour backbencher Chris Curtis, Shadow Cabinet minister Mims Davies and foreign affairs expert Sophie Gaston. They discuss President Trump's tariff threat to European allies over the future of Greenland, with former National Security Adviser Lord Ricketts bringing additional expertise and analysis. The panel also consider whether the government should give the go-ahead for a new Chinese "mega-embassy" in London, and Ben speaks to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch about the defections from her party to Reform UK. The Spectator journalist James Heale provides all the latest news and insight from Westminster.


SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m002pqnc)
On Liberty

Journalist, author and historian Misha Glenny presents his first edition of In Our Time, succeeding Melvyn Bragg who retired from this role last summer. Misha and his guests discuss the landmark work On Liberty by John Stuart Mill, published in 1859 and the increasing recognition for his wife Harriet Taylor Mill's contribution. The subject matter of the essay is ‘civil or social liberty: the nature and limits of the power which can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual’ and it argues that the sole end for which mankind may interfere with the liberty of action of anyone is self-protection and even then only to prevent harm to others. This essay became enormously popular and a foundational text for liberalism.

With

Helen McCabe
Professor of Political Theory at the University of Nottingham

Mark Philp
Emeritus Professor of History and Politics at the University of Warwick

And

Piers Norris Turner
Associate Professor of Philosophy at The Ohio State University

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list:

Jo Ellen Jacobs (ed.), Harriet Taylor Mill, Complete Works (Indiana University Press, 1998)

Bruce L. Kinzer, Ann P. Robson and John M. Robson, A Moralist In and Out of Parliament: John Stuart Mill at Westminster, 1865-1868 (University of Toronto Press, 1992)

Christopher Macleod and Dale Miller (eds.), A Companion to Mill (Wiley, 2016)

Helen McCabe, John Stuart Mill, Socialist (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2021)

Helen McCabe, Harriet Taylor Mill (Cambridge, 2023)

Piers Norris Turner, ‘The Arguments of On Liberty: Mill’s Institutional Designs’ (Nineteenth-Century Prose 47 (1), 2020)

Piers Norris Turner et al (eds.), John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor Mill, On Liberty with Related Writings (Hackett Publishing, forthcoming 2026)

Mark Philp (ed.), John Stuart Mill: Autobiography (Oxford University Press, 2018)

Mark Philp and Frederick Rosen (eds.), John Stuart Mill: On Liberty, Utilitarianism and other Essays (Oxford University Press, 2015)

Frederick Rosen, Mill (Oxford University Press, 2013)

Alan Ryan, The Philosophy of John Stuart Mill (Palgrave MacMillan, 1998)

Ben Saunders, ‘Reformulating Mill’s Harm Principle’ (Mind 125/500, 2016)

John Skorupski, Why Read Mill Today? (Routledge, 2006)

William Stafford, John Stuart Mill (Red Globe Press, 1998)

C. L. Ten (ed.), Mill: On Liberty: A Critical Guide (Cambridge University Press, 2008)

Nadia Urbinati and Alex Zakaras (eds.), John Stuart Mill’s Political Thought: A Bicentennial Reassessment (Cambridge University Press, 2007)

In Our Time is a BBC Studios production


SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002pqgq)
A Creature of Habit by Joanna Cannon

In her specially commissioned story Joanna Cannon, the best-selling writer, introduces us to Barbara who is making a new start.

Joanna Cannon best-selling novels The Trouble with Goats and Sheep and Three Things about Elsie, were both Sunday Times bestsellers and Richard and Judy picks. Her first non-fiction book, Breaking and Mending, is a memoir about her experience as a junior doctor, and was published in 2019 to critical acclaim. Joanna's writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday, The Sunday Times, Good Housekeeping Magazine and The Observer. She co-wrote and presented BBC Radio 4's Papageno and the Poetry of Disquiet, about the relationship between poetry and mental health.

The producer is Elizabeth Allard

MONDAY 19 JANUARY 2026

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002q290)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 00:15 Crossing Continents (m002ppxv)
The Netherlands - ten new cities?

'Start by lighting a candle every morning.’ In other words, pray. That’s the advice on one social media platform to those looking for a rented property in the Netherlands. The pressure on housing is immense: an estimated shortage of 400,000 homes. It was the number one issue in the recent Dutch general election, with the winning D66 party promising to build '10 new cities'.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Squatting was made a criminal offence over a decade ago, but with an estimated 90,000 homes standing empty, the squatters – krakers – are back. And there are thousands of people breaking the law by living year-round in holiday or recreation parks deep in the Netherlands’ countryside.

The authorities are trying to change the dynamics. The city of Amsterdam is cracking down on second homes and owners who leave a property vacant. And last year, in an effort to cool an overheated market and limit the exploitation of tenants, the national government strengthened rent controls. But this has only encouraged landlords to throw in the towel and put their properties up for sale.

There’s also a question mark over plans to build thousands of homes - and new cities - because of an obstacle few seem to have foreseen... Electricity. The Netherlands has enough power, but it doesn’t have the infrastructure to transport it to proposed new developments. The Dutch are known for innovation – especially in their management of water. Could floating apartment blocks be one of the answers? Linda Pressly meets both those at the sharp end of the Dutch housing crisis, and those working to mitigate its fallout.

Presenter: Linda Pressly
Producer: Tim Mansel
Production coordinator: Katie Morrison
Studio Mix by: Duncan Hannant
Editor: Penny Murphy


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002q25t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002q292)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002q294)
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 (m002q296)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002q298)
Alicia McCarthy reports on a bill to promote research into rare cancers, takes a look at how politics is heating up in the High North, and hears about the best job in the world.


MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002q29b)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002q29d)
Blue and Brew

Good morning! Less than a month since Christmas week was promising us merriness and brightness, and the 31st of December was holding out hope of a New Year, New You, we have reached what has become known in some circles as Blue Monday. This is the day that is said to be the most depressing of the whole year, combining factors such as poor weather conditions, high debt levels, and the disheartening effect of broken resolutions and hopes.

It's debatable how wise it is to label one particular day as being depressive, especially given how much of a struggle life can be for so many of us throughout the year. In a counter to the idea of ‘Blue Monday’, the Samaritans have pioneered what they call ‘Brew Monday’, this very day in January to intentionally reach out to others, put the kettle on and have good conversations. I don’t know about you, but ‘Brew Monday’ sounds like the better option to me, helping us to find agency for ourselves and empathy for others when the going is tough.

The book of Lamentations is one of the darkest spots in the whole Bible, with a distraught prophet pouring his heart out about the hardship he and his contemporaries have faced. In the middle of this bluesy book, there is an affirmation that there is mercy available from God every morning, even when things are bleak. Jeremiah’s boast is that God’s faithfulness is great and steadfast, and therefore he can hope, even when his heart is broken. That’s a promise to cling to even on our darkest of days.

God of compassion and grace, we bless you for your new mercies that are available to us each day. Thank you that you love us when we feel at our best and when we are at our lowest. This morning, we pray for your strength to carry on and to help carry the burdens of others. May this be a day of mutual hope and shared burdens, a day when we know new and sweet mercy from you and from each other. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002q29g)
19/01/26 Mercosur trade deal between Europe and South America, winter feed.

After 25 years of negotiations, the European Union has signed the Mercosur trade deal. Farmers across Europe have been out on the streets protesting against it and farming unions in the UK warn that it could threaten the future of family farms. The free trade deal between the EU and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay gives European businesses access to a market of more than 250 million people and is seen as a way of offsetting business lost because of US tariffs. However it will also open the door to tariff-free imports of food, particularly beef, which European farmers argue is not produced to the same standards. The deal was not approved by all EU countries, France and Ireland were among those voting against, and it will have to be ratified by the European Parliament.

All week we're focusing on what farm animals are eating this winter, from grains to soy and silage: it is a mixture of forage, things grown on the farm like hay or silage; and feed that's bought in from the UK or abroad. A combination of geopolitical events, a challenging UK harvest, and an exceptionally dry summer in some areas has put pressure on the supplies of feed. The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) says the UK needs a national protein strategy to safeguard feed security because that impacts food security

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


MON 05:57 Weather (m002q29j)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m002q2qk)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002q2qm)
Rethinking politics

If trust in politicians is broken and the political system isn't delivering, then how might we go about fixing things? Can we revive faith in democratic government by doing things differently?

The political scientist Hélène Landemore argues that electoral politics is broken and that the answer lies in doing away with career politicians. She imagines dismantling a system that is biased in favour of the special interests of big money, propelled by the constant quest for re-election and the jaded proffering empty promises. In her new book, Politics without Politicians she posits that, among other solutions, we need Athenian style participation through mechanisms such as civic lotteries. More people need to be involved first hand in decision making if everyone is to feel heard.

Author and broadcaster Phil Tinline explains why he thinks politicians need to start thinking and talking about power again if they are to stand a chance of delivering on their promises. He argues that if nothing ever changes, then we need to understand who has too much power and who has too little and be prepared to do something about it.

Michael Gove is the editor of The Spectator and a member of the House of Lords. He has extensive experience of government, serving in cabinet under four prime ministers between 2010 and 2024. It is widely acknowledged among, both his admirers and his critics, that he rapidly got to grips with his department's brief and knew exactly how to drive an agenda for change. He reflects on his experiences.

Producer: Ruth Watts


MON 09:45 Café Hope (m002q2qp)
Change Please

Cemal Ezel, from Change Please, tells Rachel Burden how they help address homelessness by selling coffee. The social enterprise trains homeless people for employment through the sale of coffee, offering them a living wage, housing and therapy support.

Café Hope is our virtual Radio 4 coffee shop, where guests pop in for a brew and a chat to tell us what they're doing to make things better in big and small ways. Think of us as sitting in your local café, cooking up plans, hearing the gossip and celebrating the people making the world a better place.

We're all about trying to make change. It might be a transformational project that helps an entire community or it might be about trying to make one life a little easier. And the key here is in the trying. Not everything works, and there are struggles along the way. But it's always worth a go.

You can contact us on cafehope@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rachel Burden
Series Producer: Uma Doraiswamy
Sound Design: Nicky Edwards
Editor: Clare Fordham


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002q2qr)
Andra Day, Breast Cancer, Autistic Barbie

New research will bring hope to the thousands of women in the UK living with secondary breast cancer. A simple blood test will be able to tell how well they will respond to treatment, even before it starts. This research could mean being moved to more efficient treatments earlier. Nuala McGovern hears from Dr Iseult Browne, one of the researchers on the study.

The Grammy award-winning American R&B singer/songwriter and actress, Andra Day, made her acting debut with her portrayal of Billie Holiday in The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Her emotionally raw and transformative performance made her only the second black actress to win the Golden Globe for Best Actress. Her voice first reached a global audience with her anthem Rise Up which earned two Grammy nominations. She joins Nuala to talk about her latest role, as Christine, in the film - Is This Thing On?

An employment tribunal ruled on Friday that the dignity of a group of female nurses at Darlington Memorial Hospital was violated because they had to share single-sex changing rooms with a transgender colleague, who was born male but identifies as a woman. BBC's Health Correspondent Dominic Hughes explains further.

Today another episode of our SEND in the Spotlight podcast drops, and this one is all about the local authority's role in the SEND system. They come in for a lot of criticism from some of our guests, who feel they need to go to battle with their council in the attempt to get their children's needs met. Rebecca is a SEND mum who is also a SEND caseworker for a local authority. She got in touch because she wanted to talk about the realities of her job. 

Mattel have just released autistic Barbie. It’s the latest in their range of dolls which have included wheelchair and Downs syndrome Barbies. So how do brands use socially conscious products to appeal to consumers, and how much are they targeting women with issues they care about? To discuss Catherine Shuttleworth, CEO of the marketing agency Get Savvy and Dionne Nickerson, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia join Nuala.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Kirsty Starkey


MON 11:00 Understand (m002q2qt)
An American Journey

1. The Pursuit of Happiness

James Naughtie examines the ideas tying America's founding to the modern United States.

In this major new series marking America's 250th anniversary, James travels through time and across the landscape to discover how the Declaration of Independence embedded the idea of a country founded on what its authors described as 'self-evident' truths – that everyone’s inalienable rights included ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’

In this first episode James begins with the 'pursuit of happiness' – the American search for opportunity. He begins on the site of the original gold rush in northern California, before journeying to farms and factories; small towns and big cities across the American Midwest. As he does, he reveals how from Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, to President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, Americans have always seen the connection between economic and democratic freedom - the ability to choose their own fates, and the fate of the country.

Producer: Giles Edwards.


MON 11:45 The Trust Shift (m001xlvz)
Local Trust

Across five episodes, Rachel Botsman traces the intriguing history of trust.

Rachel looks back on what she sees as the three major chapters of trust in human history. In the broadest terms, these are Local Trust, Institutional Trust, and Distributed Trust. As we’ve moved from one to the next, we've experienced, what she calls, ‘Trust Shifts’.

These shifts have happened because humans took a risk to try something new. To innovate in ways that have shaped our behaviours, for better or worse. Rachel reflects on how each trust shift has profoundly changed the dynamics of our lives; whether that’s how we bank or buy goods, vote, learn, travel, date, and importantly, find and consume information.

In Episode 1, Rachel takes us right back to 11th century medieval Europe, where the 'Maghribi traders', a tight-knit group of Jewish traders, made a leap of trust. They are the main characters of our first trust shift, when we began to trust outside of our local communities for the first time.

Featuring Avner Greif, Emeritus Professor of Economics at Stanford Univeristy and MacArthur Genius.

Rachel Botsman is the author of Who Can You Trust? and What's Mine Is Yours. She was Oxford University’s first Trust Fellow and has worked with world leaders, the Bank of England, CEOs and financial regulators.

Producer: Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio, Bristol.
Editor: Chris Ledgard.


MON 12:00 News Summary (m002q2qx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002q2qz)
Fake Expert Reviews, Standing Charges and Insulation Complaints

As a canny consumer, you'd probably check the expert reviews online of an expensive product before parting with your cash. They're a really useful online resource. But the criminals know this - and they're creating convincing looking sites of their own. Guess which products come out with top marks...

By this month, energy companies were supposed to be offering a zero-standing charge tariff for people who wanted them. Why hasn't it happened yet? Martin Lewis gives us his take. As the government prepares to announce the latest public-funded energy efficiency scheme, we'll have more tales of how it can go wrong after an energy company went into administration.

And the official way to report scams to the police has changed - will the replacement for Action Fraud be any better?

PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY


MON 12:57 Weather (m002q2r1)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m002q2r3)
Starmer: Trump's Greenland threat is 'completely wrong'

After President Trump threatens to impose tariffs on the UK and other countries over Greenland, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the US move is "completely wrong" and that a trade war is in no one’s interest. We speak to the former British Ambassador to the US, Lord Mandelson. Plus, we get an update from southern Spain, where 39 people have been killed in a high speed train crash.


MON 13:45 Understand (m002qmyp)
US Foreign Policy in Five Doctrines

1. The Monroe Doctrine

Justin Webb looks back at the five big US foreign policy shifts from the Monroe Doctrine to Donald Trump. Over five episodes he and his guests look at how America’s approach to the world has constantly changed over time. This may help answer a really big question - how radical is the way Donald Trump deals with the world? Is he really an outlier in US history? Or do his actions reflect the changing patterns of American power?

In this episode Justin discusses The Monroe Doctrine with Jay Sexton, Professor of History and Director of the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri.

Presenter: Justin Webb
Producers: Caroline Bayley and Kirsteen Knight
Researcher: Helena Warwick-Cross
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell


MON 14:00 The Archers (m002q28t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Disordered (m002q2r7)
Series 2

4. Fathers, Urinal Cakes and Decisions

A comedy drama, written by Magnus Mackintosh and starring Jamie Sives as Hector, an optimistic but struggling 43-year-old single father, with long-term mental health issues, who lives in Edinburgh with his unusually bright 11-year-old son William. He is aided by kindly friend and neighbour Susan and hindered by acerbic ex-partner Amanda.

In Episode Four, Fathers, Urinal Cakes and Decisions, Hector faces up to his dad, with William acting as a buffer between them, and is then thrown by an unexpected romantic offer. His suddenly messy love life forces Hector to face up to a huge decision, that will affect his, and William’s, future.

The writer, Magnus Mackintosh, has personally struggled with mental health issues over 27 years. He openly discusses his own mental health issues on social media in the hope he can help others and raise awareness.

Created and Written by Magnus Mackintosh

Cast
Hector - Jamie Sives
Susan - Rosalind Sydney
William - Raffi Philips
Amanda - Gail Watson
Dad – Peter Mullan
Sally – Amy Conachan
Peter Krysler – Kal Sabir
Simon – Gordon Kennedy
Police Officer – Moray Hunter

Studio Engineer and Editor - Lee McPhail
Production Manager - Tayler Norris
Title Music - Just Breathe by Police Dog Hogan
Produced and Directed by Moray Hunter and Gordon Kennedy

Recorded at Castlesound Studios, Pencaitland, East Lothian

An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4


MON 14:45 Opening Lines (m001xfgd)
Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness remains one of the most enigmatic works of 19th Century literature, charting as it does the story of Marlow, the captain of a steamboat heading up an unnamed river in the employ of an unnamed organisation described simply ‘the Company’. He becomes fixated on tracking down the figure of Kurtz, a company agent in charge of a trading post - but this is no action adventure so typical of the time. John asks what the phrase Heart of Darkness - and Kurtz’s famous epigram ‘The horror. The horror’ might actually represent, and also attempts to reconcile the racism many critics have accused the book of containing with its staunch attack on imperial barbarity; Conrad himself had previously worked on a boat going up the Congo river where he witnessed for himself the atrocities carried out by the Belgian colonisers on the local people.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for thirty years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatized in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. From EastEnders to the Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless, he has been obsessed with telling big popular stories. He has spent years analysing not just how stories work but why they resonate with audiences around the globe and has brought together his experience in his bestselling book ‘Into the Woods’. As former Head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of BBC Drama Production and MD of Company Pictures, John has tested his theories during an extensive production career working on some of the world’s most lucrative, widely viewed and critically acclaimed TV drama. As founder of the hugely successful BBC Writers Academy John has trained a generation of screenwriters (his students have had 17 green-lights in the last two years alone).

Contributors:
Anita Sullivan - writer and adapter of ‘Heart of Darkness’
Maya Jasanoff, Professor of History at Harvard University - and author of the much acclaimed book ‘The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World’

Credits:
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 1899

Reader: Paul Dodgson
Researcher: Nina Semple
Production Manager: Sarah Wright
Producer: Geoff Bird
Executive Producer: Sara Davies

A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4


MON 15:00 Great Lives (m002q2r9)
Pianist and broadcaster Keelan Carew nominates Russian composer Nicolai Medtner

Matthew Paris is joined by the pianist and broadcaster Keelan Carew, who nominates the Great Life of the early 20th century composer Nicolai Medtner.

It’s often the case that in a world of strong contenders, there are 'Great Lives' hidden by the scale and success of their contemporaries. That’s certainly a case that can be made in the case of Nicolai Medtner. Born towards the end of the 19th century in Moscow he followed in the immediate footsteps of Sergei Rachmaninov who would state later in life that 'in my opinion, [Medtner] was the greatest composer of our time.' Many have begged to differ since, but Medtner's was undoubtedly an extraordinary life and he has a particular hold over pianists stretching back over the last hundred years. After the Russian revolution Rachmaninov himself would help and support Medtner as he tried to establish himself in the west. However, where Rachmaninov acceded to the requests made of him, Medtner was fiercely conservative in his tastes at a time when modernism held sway in Europe.

To help tell his story Matthew and Keelan are joined by pianist and composer, Francis Pott, another Medtner enthusiast who has explored a life that took Nicolai from pre-revolutionary Russia to a house in north London where he eventually settled in the 1930s. His reputation and output might have languished were it not for the support of the Maharajah of Mysore, who founded the Medtner society and funded the recording of many of Medtner's works including his piano concertos and songs, the former played by the now elderly composer.

As well as the music, illustrated from the keyboard by Keelan himself, Nicolai's personal life involved marrying the wife of his brother. The three lived together for many years. We also hear from the last person who knew Medtner and recalls taking the composer on countryside trips in the 1950s where he loved nothing better than to sit by the river Thames eating ice-cream.

Producer: Tom Alban


MON 15:30 You're Dead to Me (m002q242)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Saturday]


MON 16:00 Currently (m002q287)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 Soul Music (m002q244)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


MON 17:00 PM (m002q2rc)
Trump: I'm 100% serious on Greenland tariffs

President Trump: we will press ahead with tariffs on those who oppose us on Greenland. We speak to a former adviser to President Trump, a British cabinet minister and discuss the health of the western alliance. Plus, the government pauses the Hillsborough Law following a backlash. Italian designer Valentino Garavani dies at the age of 93. And, how some clever engineering is preventing 'sonic booms' on HS2's longest tunnel.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002q2rf)
Sir Keir Starmer seeks to de-escalate Greenland row

Sir Keir Starmer has sought to de-escalate the diplomatic row over the sovereignty of Greenland - using a rare morning statement in Downing Street to say that a trade war would be in nobody's interests. The authorities in Spain say they expect the number of deaths from a train crash in the south of the country to rise further. 40 are reported dead. And: The Italian fashion designer, Valentino, has died aged 93.


MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (m002q2rh)
Series 32

5. Sugar, Saints, Spiders and Heavy Metal

David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they’re able to smuggle past their opponents.

Holly Walsh, Henning Wehn, Zoe Lyons and Tony Hawks are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as sugar, saints, spiders and heavy metal.

The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith

Producer: Jon Naismith

A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4


MON 19:00 The Archers (m002q2j8)
At Meadow Farm Esme tells David how stressed she is about today’s TB tests on her herd, before Paul turns up on his bike and explains to Esme about having a driving lesson with Ruairi on Wednesday. Nervous Esme then starts sending cows through to be tested, while Paul checks them off. She’ll have the results by Thursday, Paul tells her when they finish.

Fallon covers to Lilian about Harrison coming back last night and not staying over. They discuss Burns Night with Jazzer, who’s asked Kenton to provide floodlights for The Green. Eddie then tries to sell some hay to Lilian for the Stables. She complains later to Jazzer about the price Eddie’s charging, meaning she turned him down.
Jazzer encourages David to take part in the Highland Games on The Green on Sunday, though Lilian’s pessimistic about the floodlights. When Fallon asks if Lilian’s okay, she confesses her unease over what happened to George after she’d been so horrible to him – plus the wine bottle used to hit him was one she’d provided. Fallon reassures Lilian, before they both admit hating this time of year. Later, Fallon suggests Lilian come over on Thursday night for a drink and snacks, when they can raise a glass to Jennifer on the third anniversary of her death. Fallon then leaves a message for Harrison, worried at how they left things last night and the fact he hasn’t been in touch since. Fallon insists she believes he didn’t attack George. She loves Harrison and just wants him to call her back.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m002q2rk)
Beryl Cook at 100

Artist Beryl Cook would have been 100 this year - famed for her cheeky paintings of large ladies and people having fun, there's a new exhibition opening in Plymouth.
Cole Escola is the man behind the stage musical sensation, Oh Mary, which has been hailed in some circles at The Next Hamilton.

Washington National Opera is leaving their base for more than half a century. They have cited a slump in ticket sales since Donald Trump became chair of the Trump Kennedy Center in America's capital, as well as "shattered" donor confidence.

The Voice of Hind Rajab is a harrowing film from Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, based around a real emergency call from a 5 year old Palestinian girl under fire in Gaza.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Oliver Jones


MON 20:00 Rethink (m002pfhg)
Rethink...middle age

People are living longer and delaying life's milestone moments. How does this affect our middle years and should we be paying more attention to people in this phase of their lives?

For some, middle age can be a very challenging period in their lives. Today, people are postponing the milestones in life that traditionally signified a change in priorities. People are having children later in life meaning parents in their 40s or even 50s are looking after small children. Jobs for life no longer exist and housing is so expensive that many have no choice but to pay costly rents.

All of these phenomena have given rise to the so called “sandwich Generation” – simultaneously looking after children but also elderly parents. Many experience multiple roles- worker, parent, carer, spouse and friend – and juggling the demands of all of those roles can lead to burnout.

Academic literature on happiness has until recently suggested that our satisfaction with life as we age is hump shaped. When we're young, we're happy — and then that declines, bottoming out in middle age. As we pass middle age and get older, we get happier again. But is that still the case? Is mid-life a uniquely unhappy place to be?

Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Tom Gillett
Editor: Lisa Baxter

Contributors:

Ben Akers - Co-founder and co-CEO of Talk Club
David Blanchflower - Professor of Economics, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
Jane Green - Professor of Political Science and British Politics at the University of Oxford
Andrew G Marshall - Marital therapist, communications trainer and author
Les Mayhew - Professor of statistics at Bayes Business School, City University, London
Kate Muir - Journalist, author, and documentary filmmaker

Rethink is a BBC co-production with the Open University.


MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txv)
Why is Nasa sending people around the moon?

The space science world is buzzing. In the next few days, NASA is expected to begin the rollout of its Artemis II rocket to the launch pad with the launch itself expected as early as February. Science journalist Jonathan Amos explains why NASA is interested in travelling around the moon now? And what we will learn from sending humans further into space than ever before.

Penny Sarchet, Managing Editor at New Scientist brings Tom Whipple her pick of the best new science this week.

And why are scientists shipping ice cores from around the world to a frozen cave in Antarctica? Dr Liz Thomas, head of ice core research at the British Antarctic Survey explains the science behind the Ice Memory Sanctuary as it officially opens.

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: Tom Whipple
Producer: Kate White, Katie Tomsett, Tim Dodd and Clare Salisbury
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


MON 21:00 Start the Week (m002q2qm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:45 Café Hope (m002q2qp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002q2rm)
President Trump says he will ‘100%’ carry out Greenland tariffs threat

Donald Trump has vowed to follow through on his threat to impose tariffs on European countries who oppose his demand to take control of Greenland. We hear from former US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel on whether his Republican Party colleagues in Congress are likely to support legislation curbing the President’s ability to spend money on any potential US military action to secure Greenland.

Also in the programme: The government will consult on whether social media should be banned for under-16s in the UK. But would such a measure actually make children safer online?

And as American country music legend Dolly Parton turns 80, we explore why her songs have lasted the test of time.


MON 22:45 The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (m002q2rp)
Episode 1

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

First published in 1994, and shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020: a mysterious tale about the power of the state, loss and endurance.

On the island, things go on disappearing.

Each disappearance begins with a strange intimation of absence followed by the realisation that something has gone. Some disappearances seem to happen by themselves; others require action from the whole community to consolidate them.

The first duty of the Memory Police is to enforce the disappearances. But it is not enough for things to disappear: they must be forgotten, too. For most islanders - like the narrator, a young novelist - memories disappear ‘on schedule’.

But some people are unable to forget, and this a matter of great concern to the Memory Police. On the island, to remember is to be in danger.

Episode 1
On the island, things disappear and the people forget. But the narrator’s mother remembers everything.

Award-winning novelist Yoko Ogawa lives in Ashiya, Japan. Her work translated into English includes The Diving Pool; Mina’s Matchbox and The Housekeeper and the Professor. The Memory Police was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020.

Writer: Yoko Ogawa
Reader: Yuriri Naka
Translator: Stephen Snyder
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4


MON 23:00 Limelight (m001fn5r)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Firewall

Episode 1

Based on the novel by James Swallow
Dramatised by Sebastian Baczkiewicz

Episode 1

A thrilling landmark adaptation set in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell universe. Veteran Fourth Echelon agent Sam Fisher has a new mission recruiting and training the next generation of Splinter Cell operatives for the National Security Agency's covert action division. But when a lethal assassin from Fisher's past returns from the dead on a mission of murder, he is thrust into a race against time as a sinister threat to global security is revealed.

Recorded in 3D binaural audio; please listen on headphones for a more immersive experience.

Sam Fisher ..... Andonis Anthony
Sarah Fisher ..... Daisy Head
Anna Grímsdóttir ..... Rosalie Craig
Charlie Cole ..... Sacha Dhawan
Brody Teague ..... Will Poulter
Samir Patel ..... Nikesh Patel
Stone ..... Mihai Arsene
Eighteen ..... Olga Fedori
Jan Freling/Kathy ..... Rina Mahoney
Buzzard ..... Tijan Sarr
Gator/Gary Borden ..... Tom Kiteley

Sound design by Sharon Hughes
Directed by Nadia Molinari
Series Co-Produced by Lorna Newman, Jessica Mitic, Nadia Molinari

A BBC Audio Drama North Production


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002q2rr)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster as foreign secretary Yvette Cooper tells MPs that a trade war with the US over Greenland would be in nobody's interest.

TUESDAY 20 JANUARY 2026

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002q2rt)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 00:30 The Trust Shift (m001xlvz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002q2rw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002q2ry)
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 (m002q2s0)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002q2s2)
Alicia McCarthy reports as MPs question the foreign secretary about President Trump's threats to Greenland.


TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002q2s4)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002q2s6)
True Unity

Good morning! Although it’s 35 years ago, I can still remember the first time I heard the newly released Rugby World Cup anthem ‘World in Union’, the voice of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa initially principled and restrained before the full power of the song’s refrain took us to the heights of hope and vocal dexterity. As a schoolboy, looking forward to the opening of a televised sporting tournament, the song felt like it had optimism and gravity to spare.

A quarter of a century on, the lyrics have become a little lost in history. The wars and worrying escalation of power and politics make the idea of a united world seem obsolete, perhaps even naïve. Likewise, when we hear about initiatives like the currently running annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we can wonder if a fragmented church worldwide is simply engaging in the same kind of magical thinking.

In the New Testament book of Ephesians, Paul writes about Christian unity as a solid fact that flows from the gospel of Jesus. That gospel is forming what Anglican writer John Stott termed ‘God’s new society’, a global body of men and women from varied backgrounds who have commonly trusted in Christ as Saviour and who now belong to him and to one another. That’s a true unity made in heaven, come to earth – we can praise God for it, and pray for more of it.

Almighty God, we thank you that in a world marked by confusion and diffusion, by opposition and aggression, your gospel holds real hope of union in Christ. We praise you that across cultures and continents, people are being united by common faith in your Son. We pray that this unity would deepen between those who have trusted in you and sweep those who have not yet believed in you into your new society. Amen.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002q2s8)
20/01/26 Water sector reforms and farming, forage shortage, glyphosate

The government is promising a complete overhaul of the water system, which it says will protect households from disrupted water supplies and bring in tougher oversight of water companies. The new water white paper, which paves the way for the Water Reform Bill, proposes the abolition of Ofwat to create a new regulator. It promises new reforms bringing councils, water companies, farmers, and developers together to deliver joined-up local plans to tackle river pollution, water resources and housing growth. We ask the Rivers Trust what it means for agriculture and the health of our rivers.

All week we're talking about winter feed - from simple grass to complex proteins. Some farmers have already used up the forage which they grew to feed their animals over the winter. We visit a dairy farmer in Herefordshire who's had to buy in maize to feed his livestock and reduced his herd numbers because there's a shortage of fodder.

Glyphosate is a commonly used but controversial weedkiller. Councils use it kill off weeds and it's used in regenerative farming to kill off cover crops, planted to help protect and nourish soils over the winters, before planting the main crop. In the USA courts have ruled that the chemicals in it are linked to cancer. In the UK, the government's reviewing whether it should still be allowed. We speak to farmers, scientists and campaigners about its future.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


TUE 06:00 Today (m002q2h7)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 Intrigue (m002q5d8)
Ransom Man

1. Naked

A shocking data breach at a Finnish psychotherapy service. Jenny Kleeman traces the story of a nation’s secrets held to ransom by a faceless hacker.
We all have some thoughts we’d never write down. Now, just imagine that someone had got hold of those thoughts, and was threatening to publish them for all the world to see - if you didn’t pay to stop them.

This is what happened to Tiina, a Headteacher living near Helsinki. When decades of stress and anxiety overwhelmed her, she sought support through a therapy service called Vastaamo.

Vastaamo was accessible, affordable, and a national success story. But in September 2020, the company received an email from a hacker claiming to have stolen their entire patient database - including therapy notes.

Antti Kurittu is the cybersecurity specialist tasked with saving the secrets of 33,000 patients, but can he and the police find a way to stop this hacker, who calls himself ransom_man?

Before long, Antti, Tiina and a whole nation learn just how far he is willing to go.

Written and presented by Jenny Kleeman.
Producer: Sam Peach.
Executive Producer: Georgia Catt.
Sound Design: Sam Peach.
Original music composed, performed and produced by Echo Collective: Neil Leiter, Margaret Hermant and Fabien Leseure.
A BBC Studios Production
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioner: Dan Clarke


TUE 09:30 Inside Health (m002q2hc)
Where does air pollution go inside our body?

James Gallagher stands by four lanes of traffic and inhales exhaust fumes all to see if he can see air pollution in his body. He looks at an intriguing finding that an mRNA vaccine might benefit people being treated with immunotherapy for some cancers and could we be on the cusp of a holy grail in dentistry? A breakthrough could mean we will soon be able to replace the enamel on our teeth.

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Tom Bonnett
Researcher: Thom Hunt
Editor: Ilan Goodman


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002q2hh)
Trump one year on, Family estrangement, Testing on pregnant women, Caroline Mitchell

We are a year into US President Trump's second term. He says he will tell European leaders "we have to have" Greenland at this week's forum in Davos, Switzerland and impose tariffs if they oppose him. Trump regularly hailed himself as the anti-war president on the campaign trail - and he's described himself since as the "president of peace" - but there are some who accuse him of waging a "war on women" since taking office. So, after a year back in the White House, how have the policies of President Trump’s administration impacted women? Nuala McGovern is joined by Anne McElvoy, an executive editor at Politico and Jennifer Ewing, Spokesperson for Republicans Overseas UK.

Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, the eldest son of the Beckhams, has said that he is not in touch with his family and does not want to reconcile with them. We don’t all live our family lives on social media, but most of us do have moments when we question whether our relationships with them are good for us. How do you know when you’ve reached the point when the right thing to do could be to walk away? Eilidh Dorgan and psychotherapist Dr Sara Young discuss.

More than 90% of medicines have never been tested in pregnancy, leaving millions of women worldwide facing an impossible choice, go without treatment, or take medication you’re not certain is safe for your baby. The World Health Organisation is preparing to work with scientists, doctors and drug developers on what could be the biggest shift in decades, rethinking whether pregnant women should take part in drugs trials. Nuala talks to Martina Penazzato from the Science for Health Department at the World Health Organization (WHO) and Dr Teesta Dey, Maternal Technical Consultant at the World Health Organization and a Maternal Health Researcher at the University of Liverpool.

Caroline Mitchell spent almost 10 years working for the police, including as a detective in the Criminal Investigation Department, before becoming a full-time writer. Her latest novel, The Ice Angels, has tinges of the Nordic-noir genre and is the first of a series featuring Elea, a Finnish detective whose daughter went missing 10-years earlier. She tells Nuala about the importance of writing for her and why the cityscape of Lincoln and Finland feeds into her work.

This programme has been edited since broadcast.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Andrea Kidd


TUE 11:00 Screenshot (m002pqh5)
Survival

Whether marooned on a desert island or stranded by a plane crash, countless stories of survival are found onscreen. In both dramatic reimagining and reality television formats, these narratives showcase ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. But why are these feats of human endurance so compelling to watch?

Ellen E Jones speaks to Ray Mears, wilderness guide, bushcraft expert, and broadcaster who has spent his life teaching people how to stay alive in some of the most remote parts of the world. He shares what film and television gets wrong about survival - and why the witchetty grub deserves more reverence.

Debra Granik, director of the 2018 film Leave No Trace, reflects on how sessions with a primitive skills instructor and Youtube shelter building tutorials informed her approach to filming. She also describes why survival can often include economic survival in some regions of the USA, and why a certain skillset is vital for everyday living, as evidenced in her 2010 film Winter's Bone.

Mark talks to the daring wanderer and survivor Werner Herzog, a filmmaker with decades of experience in perilous scenarios. Werner details his fascination with the survival narratives found in his documentaries, Wings of Hope and Little Dieter Needs to Fly - and why finding yourself back from the brink of existence can lead to a greater appreciation of life.

Producer: Mae-Li Evans
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 11:45 The Trust Shift (m001xm7s)
In Institutions We Trust?

Across five episodes, Rachel Botsman traces the intriguing history of trust.

Rachel looks back on what she sees as the three major chapters of trust in human history. In the broadest terms, these are Local Trust, Institutional Trust, and Distributed Trust. As we’ve moved from one to the next, we've experienced, what she calls, ‘Trust Shifts’.

These shifts have happened because humans took a risk to try something new. To innovate in ways that have shaped our behaviours, for better or worse. Rachel reflects on how each trust shift has profoundly changed the dynamics of our lives; whether that’s how we bank or buy goods, vote, learn, travel, date, and importantly, find and consume information.

In Episode 2, Rachel charts the rise of institutional trust, asking why we trusted institutions in the first place, and how they innovated ways to trust each other on a much larger scale. She tells this through the story of one institution in particular: maritime insurance.

Featuring Christopher Kingston, the Richard S. Volpert Professor of Economics at Amherst College, Massachusetts.

Rachel Botsman is the author of Who Can You Trust? and What's Mine Is Yours. She was Oxford University’s first Trust Fellow who's worked with world leaders, the Bank of England, CEOs and financial regulators.

Producer: Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio, Bristol
Editor: Chris Ledgard


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002q2hm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002q2hr)
News and discussion of consumer affairs


TUE 12:57 Weather (m002q2hw)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m002q2j0)
President Trump: Chagos Islands deal an act of 'great stupidity'

Deal is one reason why the US needs Greenland, says Trump. What next for UK-US relations? Also on the World at One: should the UK follow Australia with a social media ban for under-16s? Plus, the government approves plans for new Chinese embassy. And, are films too long?


TUE 13:45 Understand (m002qmys)
US Foreign Policy in Five Doctrines

2. The Truman Doctrine

Justin Webb looks back at the five big US foreign policy shifts from the Monroe Doctrine to Donald Trump. Over five episodes he and his guests look at how America’s approach to the world has constantly changed over time. This may help answer a really big question - how radical is the way Donald Trump deals with the world? Is he really an outlier in US history? Or do his actions reflect the changing patterns of American power?

In this episode Justin discusses The Truman Doctrine with Jay Sexton, Professor of History and Director of the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri and Barbara Perry, Professor in Presidential Studies at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Presenter: Justin Webb
Producers: Caroline Bayley and Kirsteen Knight
Researcher: Helena Warwick-Cross
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Credit: Truman's address courtesy of the Harry S Truman Library and Columbia Broadcasting System.


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002q2j8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m001bz7y)
The Golden Key

Chris Dolan’s play explores the early days of the Home Rule movement in Scotland through the eyes of three of the 20th century’s most compelling political figures – Keir Hardie, James Connolly and R.B. Cunninghame Graham. On May 12, 1916, Cunninghame Graham smokes a cigarette - as he’s done every year for a decade - at his wife’s grave. He has just heard the news of Connolly’s imminent execution by the British Government for his role in the Easter Rising in Dublin. Graham casts his mind back to a meeting with Hardie and Connolly almost 30 years earlier when the Scottish Labour Party was first stirring into life.

R.B. Cunninghame Graham………………………….…..David Robb
Keir Hardie……………………………………………………….Robert Jack
Gabriella Cunnninghame Graham……………………Melody Grove
James Connolly…………………………………………………Martin Quinn

Producer/director: Bruce Young


TUE 15:00 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley (m002pqrg)
Series 4

56. Elvira Barney - Accidental Killer

This time, Lucy is exploring the story of Elvira Barney, a rich socialite in 1930s London, living a life of fast cars, cocktail parties and nightclubs. When her boyfriend Michael dies of a gunshot wound during a drunken row with Elvira, she finds herself in the dock at the Old Bailey, accused of his murder. Can her barrister convince the court it was a tragic accident?

With Lucy to find out more about the case of Elvira Barney is the journalist and novelist Rachel Johnson. Together they explore Elvira’s drug and drink-fuelled lifestyle and discover how this case gave ordinary people struggling with the economic depression of the 1930s an insight into the lives of the richest and most
privileged in society.

Lucy is also joined by historian Professor Rosalind Crone as they visit the Knightsbridge Mews where Elvira lived with Michael to find out more about her racy party-going set known as ‘the Bright Young Things’.

It was the scene of the fateful shooting and epicentre of the police investigation.

Next they head to nearby Belgrave Square where Elvira’s extremely wealthy parents lived.

Lucy wants to know what Elvira’s story can tell us about the lives of women across the class divide in the mid 20th century. And how might Elvira’s story play out differently today?

For further reading see Thomas Grant: Court No. 1 The Old Bailey, Chapter 4.

Producer: Jane Greenwood
Readers: Clare Corbett, William Hope, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers
Sound design: Chris Maclean
Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter

A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 15:30 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vpv)
Twin spirits: A lost bond that lives in dreams

Claire grew up in a multi-faith household that often looked beyond traditional beliefs for solutions. At 17, everything changed when her mother discovered that Claire was speaking to “dead people.” Convinced it was ungodly, her mother turned to both a medium and her charismatic Christian sect for guidance, asking priests to intervene so that Waswa, Claire’s twin brother who had died at birth, would no longer appear. Soon after, the dreams that had been Claire’s source of comfort vanished, leaving her lonely and confused.
Searching for help, Claire eventually encountered a spiritual teacher who introduced her to a path blending African spiritualism and Christianity. Through this, she began to find her voice and discovered others with similar experiences. She is now feeling less alone in her new spiritual community.

[Photo Description: ClaireNakato, Photo Credit: Allan Busby]

Producer/ Presenter: Eric Mugaju
Producer: Matt O'Donoghue
Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno


TUE 16:00 Artworks (m002q2jg)
A People's History of Punk

Teenage Kicks

Fifty years ago the first punk single, New Rose by The Damned, was released. For Chris Packham this was the start of a cultural revolution that continues to define his life and ethos.

Five decades after the anarchy and attitude of punk exploded onto the UK's music scene, Chris meets the people who, like him, were touched by its energy and ideas. What happened to the ultimate teenage upstarts now they've grown old, got a mortgage and maybe even a bus pass? Chris talks to the punks to find out why the music had such an impact.

In Episode 1, Teenage Kicks, Chris hears from musician Andy Blade who, aged 15 in 1976, read an interview with Johnny Rotten who said you didn't need to be able to play instruments to get on stage. So he and his mates stole guitars from a local shop to form the band Eater. who ended up supporting The Damned.

Chris also talks to artist Alex Michon, who saw the first ever Sex Pistols gig at St Martins School of Art and went on to design clothes for The Clash that re-created Jackson Pollock paint splashes in zips; and Thomas Paul Burgess from the Belfast band Ruefrex, who crossed the sectarian divide to play gigs in Catholic areas, challenging the accepted order in Northern Ireland.

For Phil King, the impact of punk pushed him into leaving a dead-end job, getting a degree and becoming an engineer. For Chris Packham, punk took a kid who felt like an outsider and gave him an identity and a mission - the punk explosion fuelled his activism and drive to protect the natural world today. 

Produced by Sara Conkey
Sound Design and Story Edit by Melvin Rickarby
Music by John Cranmer
Executive Producer: Helen Lennard

A True Thought production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002q2jn)
How much exercise should you do?

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 explore the role and impact of exercise on our bodies and mood. Is going to the gym three times a week the best way of keeping fit? Or should you spread out your activity in shorter bursts throughout the day? They also discover which one of the brothers is ‘an active couch potato’ and why you can’t out run a bad diet.

Joining them to discuss this is Dr Jo Blodgett, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health at University College London. She’s a life-course epidemiologist whose work focuses on how movement across the whole 24-hour day shapes population health.

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: Dr Jo Blodgett
Researcher: Samara Linton
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 (m002q2jq)
US allies push back against Trump

Leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos brand President Trump a 'bully' and call for the creation of a 'new independent Europe' as they mull the impact of America's threat to take Greenland. We hear from French Minister Eleanore Caroit, and assess what the West's enemies make of the infighting. Plus, Hong Kong activist Chloe Cheung, who has a bounty on her heard, on the approval of China's mega-embassy in London.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002q2js)
The President of France warns of "a shift towards a world without rules"

European leaders have promised to respond firmly to any attempt by President Trump to impose tariffs on countries resisting his efforts to take control of Greenland. Also: The government approves China's plans for a new mega embassy by the Tower of London. And Sir David Beckham says children must be allowed to 'make mistakes' on social media, after his son Brooklyn made claims on Instagram about a long-rumoured family feud.


TUE 18:30 You Heard It Here First (m002q2jv)
Series 3

2. 'They've Gone, Chris'

Chris McCausland asks Frank Skinner and Dianne Buswell to take on Ivo Graham and Bella Hull. The teams must figure out what on earth is being advertised on TV, guess what famous objects or locations children are trying to describe, and guess how different monkeys are feeling based on sound alone.

Producer: Sasha Bobak
Assistant Producer: Eve Delaney
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman

A BBC Studios Production.


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m002q2jx)
Chelsea thinks Brad is faking feeling ill to stay at home. Brad then confesses his love for Amber, but Chelsea had already guessed it from the way Brad looks so happy whenever he talks about her, which is all the time. Brad’s worried about George suspecting something’s going on, especially as Amber feels the same way about him. And they feel terrible about the timing of their kiss. Brad then reveals Amber’s pregnant and he’s completely disorientated. After checking the baby’s not Brad’s, Chelsea is amazed Amber told Brad before George. She advises Brad to keep well away from them. But it’s tearing Brad apart, knowing they love each other and can’t be together. Chelsea insists on making Brad breakfast, encouraging him to get on with his life and promising that one day he'll look back and be absolutely fine about all this.
At The Bull Jazzer’s still trying to get an answer about floodlights for Burns Night, but Fallon can’t help him. Harrison walks in to Fallon’s delight, before Kenton tells equally delighted Jazzer that he’s got the floodlights. Later, Harrison makes bacon sandwiches while Fallon works. It was Fallon’s lovely message yesterday that brought him back as quickly as he could. They apologise for upsetting each other and Harrison assures Fallon he would never attack someone and leave them in a ditch, no matter how tempted he was. Fallon believes him, then checks he didn’t report her for deleting the CCTV footage. Of course he didn’t – and they agree to call it quits.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002q2jz)
Comedian John Bishop on his life story inspiring a Hollywood movie

Comedian John Bishop on how his life story inspired Bradley Cooper's new movie, Is This Thing On? starring Will Arnett and Laura Dern.

Hull Truck Theatre has just won the Innovation prize at the Stage Awards for their new training scheme for GPs. Associate Director Tom Saunders and GP Dr Eman Shamsaee discuss why drama classes are helping doctors treat patients.

Writer Jamila Gavin on winning the Children's Fiction category of the Nero Book Awards with her World War One-set novel My Soul, A Shining Tree.

Poet Karen Solie discusses scooping this year's TS Eliot Prize - at £25,000 it's the biggest prize in the British poetry world.

Presenter: NIck Ahad
Producer: Ekene Akalawu


TUE 20:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002q2k1)
Thin on Information? Hair loss drug Finasteride

File on 4 Investigates whether the risks associated with the popular hair loss drug Finasteride are understood, after a 2024 review by UK drug safety regulator the MHRA prompted by a lack of awareness of the drug’s side-effects. Finasteride’s most common side effects are reduced libido and erectile dysfunction, affecting more than one in a hundred patients. Some people also report low mood and suicidal thoughts.

As Johnny I'Anson discovers some hair loss clinics are failing to adequately warn customers at the consultation stage of the sexual side effects assocated with Finasteride.

The drug, which is highly effective at halting hair loss, is only available by private prescription for hair loss purposes.

But File on 4 Investigates discovers influencer accounts on the social media site TikTok promoting finasteride, also offering discounts for Finasteride with Manual, a popular UK men's health company. A lawyer expert told us that the videos we found constituted advertising.

As a prescription-only medicine, it’s illegal to advertise finasteride to the public like this. This programme flagged the videos to TikTok, and they have since been removed. The company has also banned three of the accounts promoting the drug, saying they breached its rules. Manual said it was not involved in the making of the influencers’ videos.

Presenter: Johnny I'Anson
Producer: Rob Byrne
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley
Editor: Tara McDermott

Details of organisations offering help and support with mental health are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002q2k3)
NHS Online Hospital, Braille Amplifiers

The NHS Online Hospital will aim to provide patients with the option of a hybrid care pathway, with the option of face-to-face appointments and digital connections with doctors and consultants. In Touch hears about the plans for the service, how it might contribute to bringing down long waiting lists and tacking the so-called postcode lottery of care across England.

Blind Paralympic athlete, content creator and guitarist Anthony Ferraro went viral recently when he posted a video unboxing 'the world's first' braille amplifier. It was provided to him by UK-based company Victory Amps as a surprise, and they now offer customisable braille amps to the wider visually impaired community off the back of this experience. Anthony and Chris George, from Victory Amps, provide In Touch with the details.

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Helen Surtees
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 (m002q2k5)
Greece: Rescuers on Trial

In a case with profound implications for European migration policy, 24 former volunteer aid workers have been on trial on the Greek island of Lesbos. Seven years ago, they were arrested after rescuing thousands of migrants from the sea. Now, after many delays, the case involving charges of facilitating illegal entry of foreigners, membership of a criminal organisation and money laundering has gone ahead. Among the defendants facing a possible 20 years in jail have been the Syrian refugee and former competitive swimmer Sara Mardini - and Irish human rights activist and lawyer Sean Binder. They've denied the charges - and said the prosecution was an attempt by the Greek authorities to criminalise help to asylum seekers.

Tim Whewell reports on the trial, its outcome - and the consequences for Lesbos. In in 2015, when about 600,000 migrants arrived on the island after crossing the narrow strait from Turkey. In 2015, local people were proud of their efforts to rescue and support refugees. But later, attitudes changed. And NGOs stopped their rescue work - for fear more aid workers might be prosecuted. Now, far fewer migrants attempt the crossing to Greece. But those who do sometimes die in shipwrecks. And there are allegations, denied by Greece, that its police are illegally pushing asylum seekers back - putting them back on boats and abandoning them at sea.

What will the verdicts in this trial mean for Greece, for other European states that have been tightening their immigration policies - and for the defendants whose lives have been on hold for the last seven years?

Producer/presenter: Tim Whewell.
Sound mix: James Beard.
Translation/field production: Hibai Arbide Aza, Sophia Koufopoulou, Anthi Pazianou
Actors: Jason Barnett & Sam Swann
Production coordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Penny Murphy


TUE 21:30 The Bottom Line (m002pqnp)
Boom And Bust: Is AI The New Dotcom Bubble?

Right now, Artificial Intelligence feels unstoppable. Investors are piling in, expectations are sky-high and claims about a radically different future are everywhere. To anyone who remembers the late 1990s, it all feels strikingly familiar.

Back then, the internet sparked the dotcom boom - a frenzy of big ideas, easy money and soaring valuations. When the bubble burst in 2000, billions were lost and companies wiped out. Yet the core idea proved right - the internet did transform lives, just more slowly and messily than expected. And there are important lessons to be learned.

Evan Davis talks to Ernst Malmsten, co-founder and CEO of boo.com, one of the most high-profile startups of the dotcom era. From his frontline seat in the boom and bust, he shares what really happened and what today’s AI moment can learn from it.

Guests:
Ernst Malmsten, co-founder and former CEO, boo.com
Gretchen Morgenson, business reporter at the New York Times during the dotcom bubble, now senior financial reporter, NBC News Investigations
David Pringle, tech writer and former Wall Street Journal reporter

Production team:
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producer: Sally Abrahams
Production Co-ordinators: Katie Morrison and Jack Young
Sound: Dave O’Neill and Rod Farquhar
Editor: Matt Willis

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002q2k7)
European leaders criticise President Trump over Greenland

While European leaders criticised President Trump's plan to acquire Greenland, he insisted there was "no going back". We speak to a former UK ambassador to the Trump administration.

We hear about clashes between the Syrian government and the country's Kurdish minority, and the implications for Islamic State captives.

And could a cancer screening scheme on the Shetland Islands become a model for preventative medicine?


TUE 22:45 The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (m002q2k9)
Episode 2

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

First published in 1994, and shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020: a mysterious tale about the power of the state, loss and endurance.

On the island, things go on disappearing.

Each disappearance begins with a strange intimation of absence followed by the realisation that something has gone. Some disappearances seem to happen by themselves; others require action from the whole community to consolidate them.

The first duty of the Memory Police is to enforce the disappearances. But it is not enough for things to disappear: they must be forgotten, too. For most islanders - like the narrator, a young novelist - memories disappear ‘on schedule’.

But some people are unable to forget, and this a matter of great concern to the Memory Police. On the island, to remember is to be in danger.

Episode 2
The Memory Police are ramping up their operations, and the writer witnesses a raid on a safe-house.

Award-winning novelist Yoko Ogawa lives in Ashiya, Japan. Her work translated into English includes The Diving Pool; Mina’s Matchbox and The Housekeeper and the Professor. The Memory Police was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020.

Writer: Yoko Ogawa
Reader: Yuriri Naka
Translator: Stephen Snyder
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 23:00 Dark Breath (m002pqlc)
In July 2024 a startling scientific paper was published.

Headlined ‘Evidence of dark oxygen production at the abyssal seafloor’, scientists told how they had discovered oxygen being made two and a half miles down, at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

Their claim centred on small polymetallic nodules on the seafloor, and the key question - could these lumps of metal somehow be making oxygen in complete darkness?

It was an extraordinary finding that, if proven, could overturn hundreds of years of scientific knowledge about how this crucial ingredient for life is made. It prompted global headlines and split scientists.

But a year and a half on, are we any closer to knowing the answer... Is dark oxygen really possible?

BBC News science correspondent Victoria Gill investigates for BBC Radio 4, and finds so much more than a scientific anomaly.

Dark Breath is the story of a scientific controversy played out in real time. A row about science that became personal. And a discovery that crashed headlong into the debate about whether we should mine metals from the deep sea.

What does the story tell us about the messy and human scientific process? And what bearing does it have on the decision to exploit some of the last untouched parts of our planet?

Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producer: Gerry Holt
Editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Elliott Prince


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002q2kd)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the Government faces calls from some MPs to abandon the Chagos Islands deal following a policy shift by Donald Trump.

WEDNESDAY 21 JANUARY 2026

WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002q2kg)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 00:30 The Trust Shift (m001xm7s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002q2kj)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002q2kl)
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 (m002q2kn)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002q2kq)
Sean Curran reports as MPs debate the Chagos Islands deal after President Trump calls it "an act of great stupidity". Also, Cemlyn Davies reports on First Minister's Questions from the Senedd - featuring talk of Traitors and comparisons with the Beckhams. Finally, we look ahead to today's parliamentary agenda.


WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002q2ks)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002q2kv)
The Mystique of Concorde

Good morning! Fifty years ago today, Concorde flew its first flight with passengers. For children of the 1970s and 1980s, this aircraft had the aura of a mythical bird, a miracle of modern aviation, a speed-breaking, supersonic world-shrinking wonder that could span the Atlantic Ocean in just over three hours. That mystique has only increased with the passage of time – and since its lamented retirement from commercial aviation in 2003. Archive footage of the plane’s swan-like dignity on the runway shows just how aesthetic this vehicle was, as well as aerodynamic!

In our own century, we still dream of technologies that will reduce our journey time across the long alphabet of nations in the world. We are told that by the end of the present decade, the Delta Boom will fill the space once occupied by Concorde, opening up the opportunity of same-day travel from Europe to the United States once again.

In Psalm 139, the Psalmist reflects on the universality and inescapability of God’s presence in our world. In lines whose lyricism provides lift for the deep truth the song sings, we are reminded that ‘if I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast’. That inescapability can be convicting if our desire is to outrun God and to live independently of him, but it is consoling to those who trust him, knowing that we can’t go anywhere outside of his care and keeping.

Lord God, we thank you that you are not fettered by the bounds of space and time as we are. Thank you that wherever we are going today, you are present with us and your care is constant. Help us to embrace this truth by trusting in you, and to enjoy this truth by sensing you with us in every place we go. Amen.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002q2kx)
21/01/26 Minette Batters at Efra Committee, animal protein, organic feed

Civil servants should spend more time on farms, to understand the problems they face. That's according to Baroness Minette Batters, who's been facing questions from MPs on the Environment Farming and Rural Affairs committee. She was speaking about her Farming Profitability Review for England, which was published just before Christmas. There are 57 recommendations in the review, all of which, she told MPs, should be implemented. The questioning was very wide-ranging from fairness in the supply chain, to the viability of agri-environment schemes, and the impact of trade agreements with countries such as Australia.

All week we’re discussing animal feed. For many years, organic pig and poultry producers have been able to feed their animals with up to 5% non-organic feed. However on 1st January the rules changed. Now, in line with EU regulations, any birds over 30 weeks old, and pigs over 35kg must be fed a 100% organic diet. We visit an organic pig farmer and an organic poultry farmer to find out how it's affected their business.

Defra has said non-organic pig and poultry producers will be able to feed their animals processed-animal-protein or PAP. It's made from the left over carcasses of pig and poultry, or insects. Since BSE or mad cow disease, it has been illegal to feed processed-animal-protein or PAP to farm animals in the UK.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


WED 06:00 Today (m002q2lt)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 More or Less (m002q2lw)
How close is Greenland to the United States?

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week:

How far away is Greenland from the United States? We check a number From Our Own Correspondent.

Does converting our entire energy system to be carbon neutral come with a £7.6 trillion price tag?

Is the inevitable rise of house prices in the UK not so inevitable after all?

Can the great mathematicians of history answer the question of the hour: how to play The Traitors?

If you’ve seen a number in the news you want the team on More or Less to have a look at, email moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Contributors:
Jay Foreman, one half of YouTube duo the Map Men
Mike Thompson, chief economist of the National Energy System Operator
David Turver, author of The Cost of Net Zero, a report from the Institute of Economic Affairs
Neal Hudson, housing market analyst and founder housing research website BuiltPlace
Dr Kat Phillips, mathematician and Innovation research associate at the University of Warwick, Traitors aficionado

Credits:
Presenter: Tim Harford
Reporter: Tom Colls
Producers: Nathan Gower and Lizzy McNeill
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon


WED 09:30 The History Bureau (m002q5dm)
Putin and the Apartment Bombs

1. The Four Bombs

Four bombs. Twelve days. Hundreds dead. What really happened in Russia in September 1999?

Helena speaks to BBC foreign correspondent Andrew Harding to revisit a story that has haunted him for decades. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Harding takes us inside a world of power struggles, inflation and a country on the brink. Then, in September 1999, just weeks after Vladimir Putin becomes Prime Minister, the apartment bombs begin. Russia is gripped by fear. The question is: who did it?

In Season 1 of The History Bureau, presenter Helena Merriman returns to one of the most contested -- and consequential-- stories in modern Russia. In September 1999, just weeks after Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartments buildings across Russia. The bombs exploded in the middle of the night, killing hundreds of people while they slept. In this season, Merriman returns to the story with the reporters who were there on the ground. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss?

Presenter: Helena Merriman
Series Producer: Sarah Shebbeare
Series Editor: Annie Brown


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002q2ly)
Social media ban for under 16s, Class privilege at Cambridge, Women's sports coaches

Should the UK follow Australia in bringing in a social media ban for under 16s? The government has announced a consultation on the issue and peers debate the question as the former Conservative schools minister Lord Nash has tabled an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It would require social media platforms to stop children under 16 from using their platforms within a year of the Bill passing. Nuala McGovern discusses this with Hannah Ortel from the Brianna Ghey Legacy Project, and Dr Fiona Scott, Senior Lecturer in digital literacies at the University of Sheffield.

How safe are the beauty treatments many women routinely use? MPs on the Science, Technology and Innovation Committee are investigating whether UK regulation is keeping pace with the scientific evidence behind products used by millions of women, from botox to hair relaxers, the latter predominantly used by Black women. Nuala is joined by the chair of the committee, Labour MP Dame Chi Onwurah, to discuss what the inquiry hopes to uncover.

Eat the Rich (but maybe not me mates, x) is the acclaimed comedy show from Jade Franks. A sharp, funny take on class privilege, it follows Jade’s first term at Cambridge after swapping life in a Merseyside call centre for one of the UK’s most elite universities. After a smash-hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe, the show is now being developed for TV.

Women who coach sports are twice as likely to suffer bullying and harassment as men, according to new research from the charity Women in Sport, which calls coaching in the UK a “hostile environment” for women. They spoke to 2,000 coaches about their experiences and found women are operating in a deeply unequal system, from pay and progression through to discrimination. They say many have quit, feeling unheard and undervalued. Lisa West from Women in Sport and Yasmin Clarke, a former pro tennis player and coach discuss.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Melanie Abbott


WED 11:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002q2k1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Tuesday]


WED 11:40 This Week in History (m002q2m0)
19th to 25th of January

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.

This week: 19th to 25th of January.

20th Jan 1265 - The first English Parliament met at Westminster Hall.

24th Jan 1961 - A US Air force plane carrying two Hydrogen bombs broke up mid-air over North Carolina.

19th Jan 1903 - A new bicycle race was announced "Tour de France".

Presented by Caroline Nicholls and Ron Brown.


WED 11:45 The Trust Shift (m001xmcp)
Distrust In The Institution

Across five episodes, Rachel Botsman traces the intriguing history of trust.

Rachel looks back on what she sees as the three major chapters of trust in human history. In the broadest terms, these are Local Trust, Institutional Trust, and Distributed Trust. As we’ve moved from one to the next, we've experienced, what she calls, ‘Trust Shifts’.

These shifts have happened because humans took a risk to try something new. To innovate in ways that have shaped our behaviours, for better or worse. Rachel reflects on how each trust shift has profoundly changed the dynamics of our lives; whether that’s how we bank or buy goods, vote, learn, travel, date, and importantly, find and consume information.

In Episode 3, Rachel explores how as the role of institutions grew in our lives, events happened which shook their foundations, and people began to question their purpose and intentions. She tells the story of how trust in one system, healthcare in the United States, unraveled. And how it can be a lesson to all institutions.

Featuring Julian Appiah-Koduah of Jul's The Hair Klinik in Mitcham, and Dr Bayo-Curry Winchell, Family Medicine and Urgent Care Physician, Medical Director and Founder of Beyond Clinical Walls.

Jul's The Hair Klink are part of the UK-first BAME Barber Network project, set up by the London South Bank University, Croydon BME Forum and Off The Record.

Rachel Botsman is the author of Who Can You Trust? and What's Mine Is Yours. She was Oxford University’s first Trust Fellow and has worked with world leaders, the Bank of England, CEOs and financial regulators.

Producer: Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio, Bristol
Editor: Chris Ledgard


WED 12:00 News Summary (m002q2m2)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002q2m4)
Warmer Homes Plan, Padel, Customer Service

We take a look at the government's new Warm Homes Plan, which is designed to help households reduce their energy bills by providing access to solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and insulation. The £15 billion scheme will replace the controversial ECO4 scheme that left many customers needing costly repairs after faulty work was done, so how will this be different?

Padel, which is a hybrid between tennis and squash, is the UK's fastest growing sport. According to the Lawn Tennis Association, the number of Padel players in the UK has grown from 15,000 to 400,000 in the last seven years. As a result, there's been a huge increase in the number of courts being built, however, according to some players, it doesn't come cheap.

River Island is closing 33 of its 230 UK stores this month. It had previously been one of the fashion brands that kept a large high street presence in smaller towns and cities. So, how will the loss of River Island affect the locations it's leaving? Our reporter Linda Walker reports reports from Northwich in Cheshire.

Just over two years ago, we looked at reports showing that customer service in the UK and US was objectively getting worse. However, that looks to be changing. New research from the Institute of Customer Service has found a marked improvement in the standard of customer service across the board, with quality levels reaching an all time high. We discuss why, and whether this is something that customers are noticing.


WED 12:57 Weather (m002q2m6)
The latest weather forecast


WED 13:00 World at One (m002q2m8)
President Trump addresses Davos

President Trump arrives in Davos as world leaders continue to adjust to a changed geopolitical map. The former head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, join us to discuss the future of the relationship between the US and Europe. We reflect on a PMQs dominated by world events with our panel Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately, and hear the start of the US President’s address.


WED 13:45 Understand (m002qmyv)
US Foreign Policy in Five Doctrines

3. The Nixon Doctrine

Justin Webb looks back at the five big US foreign policy shifts from the Monroe Doctrine to Donald Trump. Over five episodes he and his guests look at how America’s approach to the world has constantly changed over time. This may help answer a really big question - how radical is the way Donald Trump deals with the world? Is he really an outlier in US history? Or do his actions reflect the changing patterns of American power?

In this episode Justin discusses the Nixon Doctrine with Professor Douglas Brinkley, who's the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University in Texas.

Presenter: Justin Webb
Producers: Caroline Bayley and Kirsteen Knight
Researcher: Helena Warwick-Cross
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound engineer: Dave O'Neill

Credit: Nixon’s Silent Majority Speech/Richard Nixon Foundation


WED 14:00 The Archers (m002q2jx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Faith, Hope and Glory (m000s7mv)
Series 1

8. Faith and Trevor

It's 1948. Two years ago, Faith lost her best friend's baby. Having encouraged her to run away and reinvent herself, Trevor is now struggling to tie her down.

Cast
Faith ...... Shiloh Coke
Trevor ...... Gary Beadle
Millie ...... Jane Whittenshaw
Ag ...... Emma Handy
Hope ...... Danielle Vitalis
Jim ...... Martins Imhangbe
Caleb ...... Dermot Daly
Waiter ...... Stefan Adegbola
Florist ...... Ian Dunnett Jnr
Parent ...... Cecilia Appiah
Musician ...... Hasan Dixon

Writer, Winsome Pinnock
Musical Director, Peter Ringrose
Producer, Mary Peate
Director, Jessica Dromgoole


WED 15:00 Money Box (m002q2md)
Money Box Live: Do Electric Cars Add Up?

Buying a new car last year increasingly meant going electric. Around one in four new car buyers made that choice with almost half a million electric cars registered over the year, according to industry figures. That means there are more than 1.8 million fully electric cars driving around the UK, which is still only just over 5 per cent of cars on the road. But in the next few years, more motorists will start navigating the change because by 2030 the UK government is banning the sale of new petrol and diesel, with hybrids allowed until 2035. So how much do electric cars to buy and run, and how easy is it to travel long distances in them?

Joining Felicity Hannah are Stuart Masson from the website The Car Expert and Melanie Shufflebotham from Zap Map, which is an app and website showing where public charging points are.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Sarah Rogers
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior Editor: Sara Wadeson

(This episode was first broadcast on Wednesday the 21st of January 2026)


WED 15:30 Cloning Jack (m002q2mg)
Broadcaster and biologist, Professor Ben Garrod first met Jack in Africa. From that moment on, they've been inseparable.

They travelled back to the UK and, for more than a decade, have shared their lives: living together, working, travelling, and growing older side by side.

Jack has been Ben’s constant companion: his friend, and the perfect dog.

But Jack is getting old.

As Ben begins to confront the reality of Jack’s ageing, he finds himself considering an extraordinary possibility.

The UK’s first commercial pet cloning service offers a procedure that promises a genetic duplicate of Jack. In theory, a clone would look the same and behave in similar ways, but would it really be Jack?

Ben explores what pet cloning truly involves. He meets scientists and ethicists, examines the limits of genetics, and reflects on grief, attachment, and what it means to love an animal.

Can science ever replicate the bond we share with our pets?

And when the time comes, will Ben clone Jack?

Featuring: Author of The Year of the Puppy and Adjunct Associate Professor of Dog Cognition at Barnard College, Alexandra Horowitz; Author of Designing Babies: How Technology Is Changing the Way We Create Children and Professor of Bioethics at the University of Columbia, Robert Klitzman; and wildlife veterinary surgeon, Dr Elliott Simpson Brown.

Presenter: Professor Ben Garrod from the University of East Anglia
Producer: Harrison Lewis
Editor: Martin Smith


WED 16:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002q2mj)
A New Blueprint for PR

Reputations supposedly take years to build and seconds to destroy. But what if that's no longer the case?

What if the normal rules about earning - and keeping - a reputation simply don't apply any more.

This week, David Yelland is joined by Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty, from the BBC podcast Fame Under Fire. Together, they venture into some distinctly dubious corners of the internet to see how public opinion is really being shaped.

Examining the trial of rapper Diddy, they explain how he may have actually benefitted from the wild accusations being made about him on social media before the case came to court - and how his PR team realised they could capitalise on the fact he was being portrayed as the Devil.

On the extended edition on BBC Sounds, David and Anoushka look at how the PR world might want to take some tips from Candace Owens - however unpalatable that may seem.

The right-wing influencer promotes conspiracy theories and has repeatedly made claims about Brigitte Macron being born a male. The Macrons have filed a defamation lawsuit against her.

But Candace Owens has millions of followers and arguably influences more people than many newspapers, news channels or politicians. It's why Anoushka describes her as a 'personal PR powerhouse' - and explains that whatever you think of her, the way she spreads her message should be closely examined - and followed.

Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4


WED 16:15 The Media Show (m002q2ml)
Greenland coverage, Australia’s social media ban, Brand Beckham

As tensions rise between the US and Europe over Greenland, how are international media reporting the story? Elisabet Svane, political analyst at Politiken in Denmark, and Michael Birnbaum, White House reporter for The Washington Post discuss their approach.

Jamie Angus, former head of the BBC World Service, says the BBC should move faster into unblockable technologies to reach people in repressive regimes. He explains why, alongside Evie Aspinall, Director of the British Foreign Policy Group.

One month on, how successful is Australia's under 16s social media ban? We hear from Bronte Gossling from the Sydney Morning Herald as the UK government considers a similar move. And we unpack the media storm surrounding Brooklyn Beckham’s bombshell Instagram post with Simon Boyle, freelance showbiz journalist and former showbiz editor at The Sun; and Mail on Sunday columnist and former editor of British Vogue Alexandra Shulman.


WED 17:00 PM (m002q2mn)
President Trump wants Greenland - but won't use force

President Trump has been speaking in Davos. The US wants 'immediate negotiations' to acquire Greenland but rules out the use of force. We'll have reaction to his wide ranging address - from those in the room, the public back at home and the EU's former foreign affairs chief. Also on PM, we'll have the latest from the High Court as Prince Harry takes to the stand and comedian David Baddiel makes the case for cats.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002q2mq)
President Trump says he wants "immediate negotiations" to acquire Greenland

President Trump says he won't use force to take control of Greenland, but demanded immediate negotiations to secure ownership of the territory. Also: Prince Harry tells the High Court that the publishers of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday made his wife's life a misery. And the oldest-known cave painting by humans has been discovered on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.


WED 18:30 Stand-Up Specials (m002q2ms)
Why in the Name of Pierre Novellie

3. Why Am I British?

In this episode all about what makes us British, Pierre examines key topics such as the bowler hat, the Taliban, what Switzerland gets wrong about sex and the right way to decorate a pavement on a Saturday night.

As Pierre says -

“I’m delighted to be given the chance to perform my own comedy on the BBC, the original source of my obsession with comedy as a child. It’s a chance to bring my stand up to a hypothetically grateful nation.”

Written and performed by Pierre Novellie and produced & directed by David Tyler (“Cabin Pressure”, “One Person Found This Helpful”, “Armando Iannucci’s Charm Offensive” etc)

A Pozzitive production for the BBC

www.pozzitive.co.uk


WED 19:00 The Archers (m002q2mv)
Before his driving lesson Paul admits to feeling terrified. As a calming measure Ruairi gets Paul to talk through what he’s doing as he drives. Paul’s then thrilled that he’s driving safely and Ruairi tells him how much he likes him.

When Lilian and David’s paths cross near Brookfield they compare notes on turning down Eddie’s overpriced hay. Lilian’s really worried about running out though and so’s David, who suggests they work together to try and knock Eddie’s price down. But when David rings Eddie he tells him that he’s sold the hay to another farmer, at full price. Later, Eddie apologises to Lilian if he came across as smug. She wants to talk about how bad she feels after what happened to George, though. Eddie then confesses he can’t forgive George and doesn’t understand what’s wrong with him.

When Amber turns up for her haircut from Chelsea, she soon realises that Brad has told Chelsea everything. Chelsea justifies that Brad needed someone to talk to, before asking if Amber’s alright. Amber still hasn’t told George about the baby, saying she went away to Ireland to sort out her feelings for him – and Brad – but it didn’t help. Then George was so happy when she got back that they decided to try for a baby. But it came as a real shock to discover she was pregnant after George was so awful to everyone. Listening to Amber then praise Brad by comparison Chelsea tells Amber she should be with Brad, but Amber doesn’t see how they can be together.


WED 19:15 Front Row (m002q2mx)
Actor Claire Foy on her role in H Is For Hawk

Actor Claire Foy on her role as a grieving academic who finds solace in falconry in the film adaptation of Helen Macdonald's award-winning memoir H Is For Hawk.

As it goes on display for a period of three months, Chris Cassells of the National Library of Scotland, Ashleigh Hibbins of Perth Museum and playwright and poet Liz Lochhead discuss the cultural significance of the last letter of Mary Queen of Scots, written hours before her execution in 1587.

Two of the creative team behind Trolleydarity, a National Theatre of Scotland-backed project which transports hospital patients and staff on multi-sensory micro-adventures talk about their innovative approach to taking art and theatre into NHS settings.

And as the Music Venue Trust publishes a report about the fragile ecology of small music venues around the UK, we hear whether there might be hope on the horizon.

Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan


WED 20:00 AntiSocial (m002pqgb)
Men and Loneliness

A podcast conversation between the entrepreneur Steven Bartlett and the gamer-turned psychiatrist-turned-online self help guru Dr K has gone viral. And it's about what might happen if men can't get a date.

The podcast was originally published last summer but more recently re-surfaced clips have sparked a debate online about how far society should go to help men who are struggling to find a partner.

Should we have sympathy for men who can't get a date?

We hear from an intimacy coach who helps men and couples navigate the dating world and from a talent manager and content creator who makes videos about feminism, being single and child free.

Presenter: Adam Fleming
Production team: Emma Close, Natasha Fernandes and Tom Gillett
Studio manager: Hal Haines
Production coordinator: Janet Staples
Editor: Penny Murphy


WED 20:45 Magic Consultants (m001kpwy)
The History

Adam Shaw peeks behind the curtain of the consultancy industry.

Worth hundreds of billions of pounds, consultants stretch across almost every industry, government department and international border.

Since the pandemic there’s been an unprecedented demand for their services and many believe our future is determined by what they think and do. Yet little is known about these largely hidden influencers. They are magnetic and mesmerizing yet, to many of us, shrouded in mystery.

Adam asks who are these wizards, what do they do and how much do they influence our lives.

On the one hand, they're talked of as genius solvers of the world’s greatest problems and masters of the machinery of management. On other, some think of them in more shadowy terms, whispering their guidance into the ears of the rich and powerful. Adam sets off with missionary zeal to detangle two very different stereotypes.

Across the series he hunts for the first ever consultant, finds out how they shape our language and politics and discovers how they bounce back from appalling scandals. He joins a consultancy fair to meet aspirant consultants, hears stories from the glass towers of late nights and rewards, explores FOMO and addition, turnarounds and triumphs.

In this episode he charts the history of the industry from its early pioneers: scientific time managers on the factory floors of industrializing America, in pursuit of greater efficiency. He hears how the industry evolved on both sides of the Atlantic and how governments and businesses alike began relying on them for advice.

With contributions from: Andrew Sturdy, Professor in Management at The University of Bristol, Dr Chris McKenna, Reader in Business History and Strategy at the Said Business School, public services consultant and historian Dr Antonio Weiss and Rosie Collington, co-author of The Big Con,

Produced by Neil McCarthy


WED 21:00 Intrigue (m002q5d8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Tuesday]


WED 21:30 Inside Health (m002q2hc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Tuesday]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002q2n0)
President Trump backs down from tariff threat on allies

The US President said a "very productive" meeting with the head of NATO has led to the framework of a potential deal covering Greenland and the Arctic regions. We speak to a member of the Greenland parliament and a Republican close to Trump. Also on the programme: the latest on the 'Board of Peace' for Gaza; the UK government announces a cash injection for the arts; driving test cheats; and Mel Brooks's son Max on a new documentary about his father.


WED 22:45 The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (m002q2n2)
Episode 3

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

First published in 1994, and shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020: a mysterious tale about the power of the state, loss and endurance.

On the island, things go on disappearing.

Each disappearance begins with a strange intimation of absence followed by the realisation that something has gone. Some disappearances seem to happen by themselves; others require action from the whole community to consolidate them.

The first duty of the Memory Police is to enforce the disappearances. But it is not enough for things to disappear: they must be forgotten, too. For most islanders - like the narrator, a young novelist - memories disappear ‘on schedule’.

But some people are unable to forget, and this a matter of great concern to the Memory Police. On the island, to remember is to be in danger.

Episode 3
The Inui family are on the run from the Memory Police. And R shares a dangerous secret with the writer.

Award-winning novelist Yoko Ogawa lives in Ashiya, Japan. Her work translated into English includes The Diving Pool; Mina’s Matchbox and The Housekeeper and the Professor. The Memory Police was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020.

Writer: Yoko Ogawa
Reader: Yuriri Naka
Translator: Stephen Snyder
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:00 Doctors On Hold (m002q2n4)
Series 1

2. A Letter from the Health Secretary

Peter and Mike's ideas to fix the NHS bring only pain to Practice Manager Malika.

Former doctors Phil Hammond and Tony Gardner write and star in a new comedy for Radio 4.

Set in a typical GP surgery, struggling to cope with cuts, new NHS policy directives and an increasingly impatient set of patients, two disillusioned doctors battle with the stresses of their jobs and chaotic personal lives.

Doctors On Hold features a topical series of phone conversations between patients and various members of a GP team that reflects how much medicine is now dispensed over the phone in an overloaded and fragmented NHS, how frustrating it can sometimes be for patients and staff, and how funny and familiar it is for listeners.

Tony Gardner and Phil Hammond started their comedy careers on Radio 4 in the 90s, as junior doctors, with three series of Struck Off and Die. They won a Writers Guild Award for best radio comedy. They have since had very successful solo careers - Phil Hammond co-wrote five series of Radio 4's Polyoaks. He is Private Eye's medical correspondent 'MD'. Tony Gardner is an actor on stage and screen, whose recent credits include the hit show Accidental Death of an Anarchist.

Mina Anwar is well known to Radio 4 listeners from Fags, Mags and Bags.

Cast:
Tony Gardner as Dr Peter
Phil Hammond as Dr Mike
Mina Anwar as Malika Begum
Anna Crilly as Nelly and Sarah
with Alana Ramsey

Written by Phil Hammond and Tony Gardner

Producer: David Morley
Sound Design and Music: Chris O'Shaughnessy

A Perfectly Normal production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:15 The Skewer (m002q2n6)
Series 15

3. Greenland, Traitors, and Trump

This week, Trump vs The World, Jenrick The Secret Traitor, No Way Nobel, and Peace Board Assemble!

The four-time Gold Comedy winner at the Radio Academy Awards returns as Jon Holmes mashes up news with pop-culture into a current affairs comedy concept album.

Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002q2n8)
Sean Curran reports as MPs question Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions.

THURSDAY 22 JANUARY 2026

THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002q2nb)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 00:30 The Trust Shift (m001xmcp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002q2nd)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002q2ng)
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 (m002q2nj)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002q2nl)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament


THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002q2nn)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002q2nq)
Love Poetry

Today marks the first anniversary of the death of Michael Longley, a towering figure among poets from Northern Ireland, whose work stood as a humane counter to much of the troubled history of his native Belfast. For those of us who have been deeply affected by his work, Longley seems as much at home in describing birds and wildflowers, the aftermath of terrorism, or the internal lives of young soldiers in World War I. This variety is suffused with a constant note of tenderness and a posture of grace and humility towards the beauty and horror of the world we live in.

In an interview with Jody Allen Randolph, Longley reflected on the unifying centre of his work, saying ‘Love poetry is at the core of the enterprise – the hub of the wheel from which the other preoccupations radiate like spokes…I wouldn’t mind being remembered as a love poet’. On this anniversary day, readers of his poetry can affirm that Longley’s ambition in this regard was well and truly fulfilled.

When it comes to love, the Christian gospel has this reality at its very core. It palpitates with the divine and gracious love of God who sends his Son as Saviour, it sheds that love abroad in hearts by the Spirit of God, and it enjoins those who follow Jesus to a life whose love encompasses all –those who are like us and those who are not, those who hold us as friends and those who count us as enemies.

Heavenly Father, we adore and bless you for the burning heart of love at the centre of your gospel. Thank you for your love perfectly expressed in the life and death of your Son, Jesus. Thank you for the work of poets, living and dead, who remind us of the need to let love do its work in the world. Help us to keep love at the heart of the whole enterprise of living. In Jesus’ name, Amen.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002q2ns)
The effects of volatile international markets are currently being felt in the bank accounts of UK dairy farmers. Milk prices paid by processors started tumbling in the autumn and there’ve been further drops this month. Dairy Analyst Chris Walkland discusses the impact of President Trump's trade policy on milk production in the US, which has coincided with a boom in UK and European milk output...leading to a bust. We also consider whether further US trade tariffs as leverage over Greenland could further destabilise dairy trade.

We meet a Welsh farmer adding Sunflowers to the cattle feed crops grown on his farm, to cut his feed bill in volatile times.

The European Parliament has voted to refer a deal with the South American trade bloc Mercosur to the European Court of Justice, in a move which could see a two year delay in the agreement coming into operation, or even derail it altogether. The European Commission signed the deal with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay on Saturday. But yesterday MEPs decided its legality needs to be tested.

If a water company pollutes rivers or releases sewage illegally, it can be taken to court and fined. The government has just announced that it’s reinvesting £29 million pounds from these fines into more than 100 projects to improve 450km of rivers, restore 650 acres of natural habitats and plant 100,000 new trees. The money collected from precious water company fines between April 2022 and 23 was put into a Water Restoration Fund and it’s already being spent on local projects. We visit one, on the River Witham in Lincolnshire.

Presenter: Caz Graham
Producer: Sarah Swadling


THU 06:00 Today (m002q38h)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (m002q38k)
The Mariana Trench

Misha Glenny and guests discuss one of the wonders of the natural world. In 1875 in the western Pacific, the crew of HMS Challenger discovered the Mariana Trench which turned out to be deeper than Everest is high, by two kilometres. Trenches like Mariana form when one tectonic plate slips under another and heads down and there are around fifty of them globally. While at one time some thought it was too dark and deep for life there and others wildly imagined monsters, the truth has turned out to be much more surprising.

With

Heather Stewart,
Director of Kelpie Geoscience and Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia

Jon Copley
Professor of Ocean Exploration and Science Communication at the University of Southampton

And

Alan Jamieson
Director of the Deep Sea Research Centre at the University of Western Australia

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list:

Susan Casey, The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean (Doubleday, 2023)

Jon Copley, Deep Sea: 10 Things You Should Know (Orion Books, 2023)

Hali Felt, Soundings: The Story of the Remarkable Woman Who Mapped the Ocean Floor (Henry Holt & Co, 2012)

M.E. Gerringer, ‘Pseudoliparis swirei: A newly-discovered hadal liparid (Scorpaeniformes: Liparidae) from the Mariana Trench’ (Zootaxa 4358 (1), 161-177, 2017)

A.J. Jamieson, The Hadal Zone: Life in the Deepest Oceans (Cambridge University Press, 2015)

A.J. Jamieson et al., ‘A global assessment of fishes at lower abyssal and upper hadal depths (5000 to 8000 m)’ (Deep-Sea Research Part 1. 178: 103642, 2021)

A.J. Jamieson et al., ‘Fear and loathing of the deep ocean: Why don’t people care about the deep sea?’ (ICES Journal of Marine Science. 78: 797-809, 2020)

A.J. Jamieson et al., ‘Microplastic and synthetic fibers ingested by deep-sea amphipods in six of the deepest marine environments on Earth’ (Royal Society Open Science, 6, 180667, 2019)

A.J. Jamieson et al., ‘Bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in the deepest ocean fauna’ (Nature Ecology and Evolution. 1, 0051, 2017)

V.L. Vescovo et al., ‘Safety and conservation at the deepest place on Earth: A call for prohibiting the deliberate discarding of nondegradable umbilicals from deep-sea exploration vehicles’ (Marine Policy. 128, 104463, 2021)

J.N.J. Weston et al., ‘New species of Eurythenes from hadal depths of the Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean (Crustacea: Amphipoda)’ (Zootaxa. 4748(1): 163-181, 2020)

In Our Time is a BBC Studios Production

Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Misha Glenny and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.


THU 09:45 Strong Message Here (m002q38m)
U-Turns and Turncoats (with Stewart Lee)

With the backdrop of tariffs and territorial land grabs, Stewart and Armando look at the political language of U-turns and turncoats.

With politicians having to advocate for a position they used to be in direct opposition to, we ask if political language exists in a quantum state inside Robert Jenrick's head, or, failing that are we really expected to believe defectors like him have had a damascene conversion?

Stewart gives an update to an tired political joke, Armando finds a nifty Peace Prize related fix for the Greenland dispute, and they both give a run-down the shifty, shifting responses from Government officials on their numerous U-turns.

Got a strong message for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

Sound editing: Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman and Caroline Barlow
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Recorded at The Sound Company

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and Sasha Bobak. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002q38p)
Denise Gough, Gymnastics post birth, Endometriosis tribunal

NB: The music in this broadcast has been removed from the podcast for rights reasons.

Anita Rani talks to double Olivier award winning actress Denise Gough about her latest role as Amy Fowler in a new play based on the famous western High Noon. She’ll be discussing how her character reflects the early feminist movement and what it’s been like to find her singing voice for the first time in 30 years.

Elite British gymnast Alice Kinsella won Olympic bronze in the team event at Tokyo 2020 and is a two-time European champion. Now she’s seeking to become the first British artistic gymnast to return to elite competition after giving birth. Returning to elite sport after having a baby is becoming more visible in some areas – but in gymnastics, it’s still extremely rare. Anita talks to Alice alongside Julie Gooderick, a sports scientist based at the University of Kent, who is closely studying Alice’s return.

We speak to Sanju Pal who has won her high court Employment Appeal Tribunal against the global consulting firm where she worked for 10 years. She has endometriosis and claimed she was unfairly dismissed. Sanju Pal and Emma Cox, Chief Executive of Endometriosis UK, joins Anita to discuss the understanding of endometriosis in the workplace, and what this judgement could mean for other women.

The BRIT Award nominations were out last night and women dominate. Best Pop Act is an all women shortlist: RAYE, Lily Allen, Lola Young, Olivia Dean and JADE.
Lola Young and Olivia Dean have the most nominations, both up for Artist of the Year, alongside Lily Allen, JADE, Little Simz and PinkPantheress. Nearly two thirds of the nominations feature women as solo artists or in mixed gender group - the highest representation yet. So why are women riding high in the music industry at the moment? Anita talks to Roisin O'Connor, Music Editor at The Independent.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones


THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m002q38r)
Katie Mitchell

Theatre and opera director Katie Mitchell talks to John Wilson about her career and formative influences. She is renowned for her experimental storytelling on stage, her feminist perspective, and for contemporary reframing of classic plays, she has directed more than 100 productions over more than 30 years. She has worked at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Opera House and the National Theatre, where - as associate director - she staged bold new versions of work by a wide range of writers including Aeschylus, Virginia Woolf, Chekhov and Sarah Kane. For many theatre goers, she is one of Britain’s most important and innovative living directors.

Producer: Edwina Pitman


THU 11:45 The Trust Shift (m001xmfm)
Distributed Trust

Across five episodes, Rachel Botsman traces the intriguing history of trust.

Rachel looks back on what she sees as the three major chapters of trust in human history. In the broadest terms, these are Local Trust, Institutional Trust, and Distributed Trust. As we’ve moved from one to the next, we've experienced, what she calls, ‘Trust Shifts’.

These shifts have happened because humans took a risk to try something new. To innovate in ways that have shaped our behaviours, for better or worse. Rachel reflects on how each trust shift has profoundly changed the dynamics of our lives; whether that’s how we bank or buy goods, vote, learn, travel, date, and importantly, find and consume information.

In Episode 4, Rachel charts the rise of the trust shift we've experienced in our own lifetimes: Distributed Trust. The kind of trust that used to be centralised in institutions, which is often hierarchical, and controlled, is now being distributed through networks and platforms. For better or worse, this shift is facilitating the sharing of trust across vast networks of people, on a scale that wasn’t possible before.

Featuring Rikke Rosenlund, founder of Borrow My Doggy: an online platform that connects local owners with people who want to look after a dog.

Rachel Botsman is the author of Who Can You Trust? and What's Mine Is Yours. She was Oxford University’s first Trust Fellow and has worked with world leaders, the Bank of England, CEOs and financial regulators.

Producer: Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio, Bristol
Editor: Chris Ledgard


THU 12:00 News Summary (m002q38t)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 The Bottom Line (m002q38w)
Airport Lounges: For the Many or the Few?

In the years after the COVID pandemic we are travelling more and expecting more from our journeys. Travel is increasingly viewed as an end-to-end experience that begins before you even set foot on board your flight. As people look to inject luxury into their travel, airport lounge usage has boomed.

But lounges’ rise in popularity has created a unique problem for their operators: how do you grow your customer base whilst maintaining a degree of exclusivity?

Evan Davis speaks to industry operators and experts about balancing the scales.

Guests:
Mignon Buckingham, CEO of Airport Dimensions
Claude Roussel, VP of Sky Clubs and Lounge Experience at Delta Airlines
Nicky Kelvin, Senior Director of Content at The Points Guy

Production team:
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound engineers: Dave O’Neill and Tim Heffer
Editor: Matt Willis

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University


THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002q38y)
Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Can taking testosterone help with low libido and energy?

It's all over social media and is often touted by celebs - both male and female - but is testosterone replacement therapy the answer to listener Clive's low energy levels?

Clive got in touch after sending off for a blood test with an online health firm which showed he might have low testosterone and could be a candidate for therapy. But to buy it privately isn't cheap and once started, is a lifelong commitment. So is it worth the money?

Presenter Greg Foot is joined by President of the British Society of Sexual Medicine, Mike Kirby, as well as NHS GP and Director of Men's Health at Manual, Dr Jeff Foster.

If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.

RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM
PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND GREG FOOT


THU 12:57 Weather (m002q390)
The latest weather forecast


THU 13:00 World at One (m002q392)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4


THU 13:45 Understand (m002qmyx)
US Foreign Policy in Five Doctrines

4. The Reagan Doctrine

Justin Webb looks back at the five big US foreign policy shifts from the Monroe Doctrine to Donald Trump. Over five episodes he and his guests look at how America’s approach to the world has constantly changed over time. This may help answer a really big question - how radical is the way Donald Trump deals with the world? Is he really an outlier in US history? Or do his actions reflect the changing patterns of American power?

In this episode Justin discusses the Reagan Doctrine with Kathleen Burk, Emeritus Professor in Modern and Contemporary History at University College London and Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London.

Presenter: Justin Webb
Producers: Caroline Bayley and Kirsteen Knight
Researcher: Helena Warwick-Cross
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Credit: Reagan’s State of the Union Address courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library


THU 14:00 The Archers (m002q2mv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m001k0mz)
Tinsel Girl and the Problem Parent

By Lou Ramsden
Based on the experiences of Cherylee Houston

Uplifting comedy drama about the life, friendships and misadventures of wheelchair user Maz.

Maz has finally found her vocation running a community centre. She's even got funding for a new youth theatre show-things are going great. Until her Dad shows up, and decides he wants to be part of her life again. As Maz navigates a tricky parental relationship in her youth theatre group, she begins to question her own upbringing. Will she ever find a peaceful reconciliation with her own father?

Maz ..... Cherylee Houston
Jim ..... James Quinn
Tom ..... Zak Ford-Williams
Rachel ..... Kathryn Pemberton
Joanne/Doctor ..... Jane Slavin

Directed by Jessica Mitic
Co-Produced by Nadia Molinari & Jessica Mitic
Sound by Tony Wass & Vanessa Nuttall
Sound design by Sharon Hughes
Production co-ordination by Vicky Moseley

A BBC Audio Drama North Production

With thanks to 'Absolute Belters' choir, Altrincham.


THU 15:00 Ramblings (m002q396)
Bredon Hill with Steve Boycott

Clare hikes up Bredon Hill with Steve Boycott, founder of the Be You Programme, an outdoor‑based initiative that helps young people build confidence and resilience. Steve explains how his work grew from his own experiences of insecurity, bullying, military service and years spent travelling the world. He reflects on how the outdoors can transform young people, why taking “one more step” can shift a mindset, and his belief that hills can teach us more about ourselves than any classroom. Clare and Steve met at The Queen Elizabeth Pub in Elmley Castle and began their walk from there. Bredon, he says, isn’t the biggest or the most beautiful hill, but it has soul and a healing quality.

Map: OS Explorer Map OL45 – The Cotswolds (North)
Grid Ref: SO982411

Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002q27l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Word of Mouth (m002q398)
Can AI be our friend?

Michael Rosen talks to digital anthropologist Jennifer Cearns about the rise of AI companions- how do we talk to AI, and how does AI talk to us?
They discuss how chatbots work, whether Michael is replaceable, different application for AI, including romantic partners and griefbots, and what happens when an AI companion goes wrong.

Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven, in partnership with the Open University.
Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz


THU 16:00 Rethink (m002pqp6)
Rethink... regeneration

The government has launched the Pride in Place scheme but is it possible to regenerate urban areas without leaving local people out?

Most buildings have a certain shelf life before they need renovating. Social norms change and the ways people interact develop as society transforms with time. And local economies can change dramatically with once prosperous industrial areas falling silent, or tourist hot spots left behind by low-cost air travel.

But is it possible to do this without being accused of gentrification? Swanky new buildings are introduced attracting people with money, house prices go up, expensive shops and cafes open up and before you know it, local people are priced out of the area.

So are there ways to improve urban areas without leaving local residents behind? How much should any regeneration project acknowledge and honour local history? Isn’t attracting new people, with new ideas and new businesses a vital part of any regeneration project?

Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Tom Gillett
Editor: Lisa Baxter

Contributors:
Dr Eilis Lawlor, Director of the research institute Just Economics.
Patrick Murray, Executive Director of Policy and Public Affairs, the Northern Housing Consortium.
Wayne Hemingway, designer.
Martha Grekos, Barrister who specialises in planning and environmental law.
Paul Chatterton, Professor of Urban Futures in the School of Geography at the University of Leeds.

Rethink is a BBC co-production with the Open University.


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8txw)
How is air travel returning to supersonic speeds?

It’s exactly half a century since two Concorde jets took off from Paris and London respectively. The supersonic jet would come to define top end luxury travel. But Concorde has also been retired for nearly half that time, famously making its final flight to Bristol, UK where it was built, in 2003.

What is Concorde’s engineering legacy? And will supersonic speeds ever be a reality for air travellers again?

Tom Whipple is at Aerospace Bristol, back on-board Concorde which these days is stowed safely in its hangar. He meets Concorde’s former Chief Engineer John Britton. He also hears what it will take to overcome the engineering challenges of supersonic flight from Dr Kshitij Sabnis, lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at Queen Mary University of London. And speaks to founder and CEO of US start up Boom Supersonic Blake Scholl who wants to make supersonic air travel accessible to all.

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: Tom Whipple
Producer: Tim Dodd, Kate White, Clare Salisbury
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth


THU 17:00 PM (m002q39g)
Greenland PM speaks out about President Trump's 'total access' deal

The Prime Minister of Greenland tells journalists that he doesn't know the details of a rumoured US deal. Also on PM, Independent MP Andrew Gywnne is standing down - triggering a by-election in a Labour majority seat in Greater Manchester. Could it pave the way for Andy Burnham to return to Westminster? We'll hear from voters in the constituency and get analysis from Sir John Curtice. We launch PM's 'cost of living' shopping basket and discuss the film Sinners as it receives a record 16 Oscar nominations.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002q39j)
President Trump has signed the founding charter of his Board of Peace initiative

President Trump has signed the founding charter of his Board of Peace initiative, telling a ceremony in Davos it will work with the United Nations, to help bring ever-lasting peace around the world. The UK has said it won't be joining for now, because of legal issues, and the possible involvement of Vladimir Putin. Also: EU leaders are holding an emergency meeting to discuss America's recent threats to take over Greenland. And: The Oscar nominations have been announced and the film, 'Sinners', has set a new record with 16 nominations.


THU 18:30 What's the Story, Ashley Storrie? (m002q39l)
Series 3

3. Fan Friction

It’s hard navigating the loss of a parent, but when your mum was a famous comedian whose parasocial relationship with her fans blurred the boundaries between personal and private, things can get truly wierrrd.

Ashley finds her grief – and outfit choice - under scrutiny, as she wins a clutch of coveted awards, just week after her mum dies. As an autistic woman who finds being all emotional “gross” and prefers to be be funny rather than talk about how she really feels, she finds herself being glib when answering journalists demented questions, and bemused as an old Ozzie comedian calls to say he’s being haunted by the ghost of her dead mum. Apparently, she really wants Ashley to read his script. Cool.

She’s kept busy dodging her feelings (and the demands of bereaved fans), pondering whether she can one-up the ‘dead mum’ fringe show with merch, and fantasy and reality collide as she finds herself face-to-face with the real-life hunks that inspired some of her wildly popular, but very spicy fictional works…

Produced by Julia Sutherland
Sound Design by Sean Kerwin
A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4


THU 19:00 The Archers (m002q35h)
Fallon has spent a sleepless night, worrying about the CCTV footage and potentially going to prison. Harrison is adamant no-one will find out, but Fallon wishes she’d never done it. Harrison has to leave and they agree they’re sick of living apart, before Harrison confirms he was never tempted by a female colleague, who made it clear she was interested in him. Fallon suggests they stay in touch more with voice notes, even about mundane everyday stuff, and Harrison agrees.

Brad goes to see George and tells him he needs to step back from their friendship. He’s tired of being stressed out by it. George apologises for his behaviour but reckons the attack has been life-changing for him, insisting he’ll do better from now on. He’s mortified that he accused Brad and Amber of betrayal. Brad’s his best friend and he loves him. Brad says he loves George too - but he needs some time and space and has to go. Brad then tells Amber how difficult it was with George and that he’s got to leave her and George to it now. Amber thinks Brad’s lovely for not being angry with her at getting pregnant, but Brad reckons he needs space from her too. Amber then admits she’s scared of telling George she’s pregnant. When Amber gets back to Number 1 The Green she starts babbling nervously. George reckons he’s lost Brad forever, but thinks he deserves it, before Amber tells him she’s pregnant, hoping it’s good news. Ecstatic George tells her it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him!


THU 19:15 Front Row (m002q39n)
Review of films No Other Choice, The History of Sound and Julian Barnes' final novel

Tom Sutcliffe is joined by film critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh and novelist Lawrence Norfolk to review:

Korean auteur Park Chan-Wook's redundancy revenge thriller No Other Choice.

Julian Barnes' Departure(s) which he's said will be his last book.

Oliver Hermanus' film The History of Sound starring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor in a folk music love story.

And they discuss the Oscar nominations which were announced today.

And the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have announced that they will be investing £1.5 billion in cultural organisations, but is it enough and is it going to the right place. Georgia Luckhurst, news editor with Art Professional magazine, is on to discuss.


THU 20:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002q2mj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Wednesday]


THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002q2ml)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:15 on Wednesday]


THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002q251)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m002q38m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002q39q)
President Zelensky slams Europeans for being in ‘Greenland mode’

As Moscow says peace talks to end the war in Ukraine have begun, President Zelensky launched a strident attack against his European allies at Davos for being in ‘Greenland mode’ and failing to take action independently of the US. We hear from a correspondent who’s spent time on the front line in the Donbas.

Also on the programme: Westminster is flung into speculation as a Manchester seat is to become vacant, potentially giving Andy Burnham a route back into parliament. And mysterious organisms that dominated the ancient landscape: once thought to be fungi, now scientists at the University of Edinburgh believe they are part of a distinct evolutionary branch of life.


THU 22:45 The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (m002q39s)
Episode 4

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

First published in 1994, and shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020: a mysterious tale about the power of the state, loss and endurance.

On the island, things go on disappearing.

Each disappearance begins with a strange intimation of absence followed by the realisation that something has gone. Some disappearances seem to happen by themselves; others require action from the whole community to consolidate them.

The first duty of the Memory Police is to enforce the disappearances. But it is not enough for things to disappear: they must be forgotten, too. For most islanders - like the narrator, a young novelist - memories disappear ‘on schedule’.

But some people are unable to forget, and this a matter of great concern to the Memory Police. On the island, to remember is to be in danger.

Episode 4
R has confessed that he remembers everything. With the help of the old man, the writer prepares to hide him at her house.

Award-winning novelist Yoko Ogawa lives in Ashiya, Japan. Her work translated into English includes The Diving Pool; Mina’s Matchbox and The Housekeeper and the Professor. The Memory Police was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020.

Writer: Yoko Ogawa
Reader: Yuriri Naka
Translator: Stephen Snyder
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4


THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002q39v)
Children in Care: How to Fix the Fostering Crisis (Louise Allen)

As the government prepares to introduce a strategy to boost fostering in England, Amol speaks to foster carer and author Louise Allen about the crisis in the system and what it will take to fix it.

At the end of March 2024 there were 83,630 children in care in England, of whom 56,390 were being fostered, but there is a shortfall of around 6,000 foster carers nationwide.

In this episode Louise explains why we need to be more honest about the realities of caring for often vulnerable kids and focus on retaining foster carers rather than recruiting new ones.

She also explains why there needs to be more practical support like providing a cleaner for every fostering household so that they can focus on emotionally supporting the children in their care.

(00:03:10) Why is there a fostering crisis?
(00:06:20) Why do we have so many children in care?
(00:08:49) Louise's story: growing up in care
(00:16:13) The effect of smartphones
(00:20:08) Why is there a shortage of foster carers?
(00:23:37) Why do people foster?
(00:27:28) The recruitment process
(00:30:33) Foster care v residential care
(00:33:10) What is the fostering allowance?
(00:39:09) Louise's RADICAL ideas
(00:45:06) The government's fostering reforms
(00:47:30) The importance of giving children social capital
(00:52:19) 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 Dave O'Neill. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002q39x)
Mandy Baker reports as Local Government Secretary Steve Reed sparks a political row by postponing council elections in England.

FRIDAY 23 JANUARY 2026

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002q39z)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 00:30 The Trust Shift (m001xmfm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002q3b1)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002q3b3)
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 (m002q3b5)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002q3b7)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster as the Local Government Secretary defends his decision to cancel some elections due to take place in May.


FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002q3b9)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002q3bc)
Spring around the Corner

Good morning! It might brighten your day today to consider the fact that our winter darkness has a definite use-by date. As January begins to wane, it is good to remind ourselves that we can surface again from the depths of winter, and that Spring is really just around the corner. In numerical terms, since the winter solstice last month, we have gained around three quarters of an hour, depending on where you are, and things can only get brighter from here.

Emerging from winter darkness is a powerful metaphor - personally and spiritually. In CS Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, one of the signs that Aslan has returned is the thaw that sets in to the always-winter-never-Christmas world of Narnia, a gradual and irresistible movement away from the claustrophobia and obscurity of oppression. In our personal lives, there are dark eras that we have to winter through, and even the tiniest glimmer of light can stir hope in our souls. For the Apostle Paul, the imagery of darkness and light functioned as a key way to describe the change that the gospel of Christ brings, transforming those who trust in him, with the promise that cosmos itself will one day emerge from the darkness and confusion it currently endures into the liberty, light and life of a new heavens and a new earth.

Creator God, thank you for the steady roll of the seasons, for the picture book that our world provides of the patterns of darkness and light, of death and resurrection, of suffering and glory, loss and recovery. Thank you that we are already marking the movement of winter into Spring. Strengthen us if this season of the year is a struggle, and help us to see our ultimate hope of gospel transformation reflected in the natural world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002q3bf)
23/01/26 Illegal meat, farm incomes, winter feed on the Western Isles

The smuggling of illegal meat is on the rise. Farmers are worried it could bring animal diseases into the UK. Europe has seen outbreaks of both African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth, neither of which affect humans but both of which can wipe out whole farms.

Average income across all farms in England rose by 49 percent in the year from March 2024 to February 2025, with increases in all farming sectors, bar specialist pig farms and horticulture. That’s the headline from DEFRA’s newly published Farm Business Survey. So, are English farmers laughing all the way to the bank, and how do those figures sit alongside frequent reports about tough times for farmers with high costs, uncertain markets, more extreme weather events, and low confidence in new agri-environment schemes?

It's mid-winter, the hungriest time of year for livestock, so all this week we're looking at the challenges of providing winter feed, be they financial or practical. It's tough enough when farmers are able to grow or make their own forage, but in the Scottish islands, where the land’s poor and the climate’s wet, crofters rely on hay and straw being brought in by lorry from the mainland. We join a haulier as he drops off bales in the Isle of Lewis. His family has been supplying forage to the Western Isles and Skye for three generations.

Presenter = Caz Graham
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


FRI 06:00 Today (m002q34z)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m002q27z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002q351)
ADHD and women, Author Claire Lynch, Gaming for good

A study led by the University of Oxford shows a 20-fold rise in the proportion of women over 25 using ADHD medication in the UK. The study looked at 5 countries - Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK - showing use has more than tripled in 13 years - the UK having the highest relative increase. To unpick this, Anita Rani is joined by Amanda Kirby, former chair of the ADHD foundation and Emeritus Professor of neurodevelopmental disorders at the University of South Wales and Kat Brown, author of It's Not a Bloody Trend, who was diagnosed with ADHD aged 37 and uses medication.

The Oscar nominations are out and to celebrate we revisit our recent interviews with nominees, Hamnet director Chloe Zhao and Kate Hudson, who's up for best actress for her film Song Sung Blue.

Author Claire Lynch discusses her debut novel, A Family Matter, which recently won the Nero Book Award's prize for debut fiction. Having spent her career teaching literature in universities, the author of non-fiction book Small: On Motherhoods, was inspired by her discovery that 90% of lesbian mothers in 1980s’ divorce cases lost legal custody of their children. The novel alternates between 1982 and the present day and explores love and loss, intimacy and injustice, custody and care.

Miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy is common. But clinical NHS practices for disposal of pregnancy tissue following an early stage miscarriage can sometimes appear to be at odds with some women’s wishes and are not conducive to inclusive care. That’s according to a new study published in Social Science and Medicine and reported in the British Medical Journal. Susie Kilshaw, Professor of Medical Anthropology at University College London, spent nearly two years observing miscarriage care inside one of England’s NHS Foundation Trusts and interviewing women about their experiences. Susie explains how she found that the choices available often didn’t match what women want.

Can video games be used for good? From reducing our environmental impact to fundraising for access to education for all, Jude Ower from not-for-profit gaming platform PlanetPlay has spent the last two decades creating initiatives to do just that. Jude has now been named by the Aurora awards as one of ten women to watch, who are shifting the dial in the gaming industry. She joins Anita in the studio.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths


FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002q353)
The Low-Alcohol Drinks Revolution: Can Wine Keep Up?

One thing that could make us all healthier is drinking less alcohol – and there’s now a huge market for alcohol‑free drinks. But one category that has long struggled to deliver great taste is non‑alcoholic wine. In this episode Jaega Wise looks to find out why it’s so difficult to make a wine without alcohol that still tastes good, and asks what difference these drinks can make to people trying to cut back.

Jaega begins the story of German producer Bernhard Jung, whose family pioneered vacuum distillation more than a century ago. She meets Fiona Graham and Alex Viol of Vino Zero along with wine expert Jane Rakison to taste some of today’s most promising alcohol‑free bottles, and speaks to David Hodgson of Zeno Wines about the challenges behind creating convincing 0% options. At Plumpton College, master’s student George Coles and programme manager James Clapham explain how future winemakers are experimenting with new approaches.

During the programme, Jaega also brings together Professor John Holmes of the University of Sheffield and Richard Piper from Alcohol Change UK to explore how no‑ and low‑alcohol drinks might influence our drinking habits. And with Tom Ward of Wise Bartender, she looks at the growing world of mid‑strength wine - a category some believe could be the next step in helping people drink differently.

Presented by Jaega Wise
Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Natalie Donovan


FRI 11:45 The Trust Shift (m001xn8t)
New AI Frontiers

Across five episodes, Rachel Botsman traces the intriguing history of trust.

Rachel looks back on what she sees as the three major chapters of trust in human history. In the broadest terms, these are Local Trust, Institutional Trust, and Distributed Trust. As we’ve moved from one to the next, we've experienced, what she calls, ‘Trust Shifts’.

These shifts have happened because humans took a risk to try something new. To innovate in ways that have shaped our behaviours, for better or worse. Rachel reflects on how each trust shift has profoundly changed the dynamics of our lives; whether that’s how we bank or buy goods, vote, learn, travel, date, and importantly, find and consume information.

In Episode 5, our final episode, Rachel explores the trust challenge we are currently facing, with the rise of Artificial Intelligence creeping into many areas of our lives. What can we learn from what's come before?

Featuring Dr Jack Stilgoe, Professor in Science and Technology Studies at University College London, where he researches the governance of emerging technologies. Jack is also part of the research programme, Responsible AI.

Rachel Botsman is the author of Who Can You Trust? and What's Mine Is Yours. She was Oxford University’s first Trust Fellow and has worked with world leaders, the Bank of England, CEOs and financial regulators.

Producer: Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio, Bristol.
Editor: Chris Ledgard.


FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002q355)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 AntiSocial (m002q357)
The Traitors and unconscious bias

The UK's most popular TV show, The Traitors, has come under the spotlight not just because of its popularity but because it has been accused of reflecting prejudice in British society. The charge is that contestants from ethnic minorities are more likely to be expelled early on in the game because of unconscious bias, particularly unconscious racial bias. Others shows too, like Strictly Come Dancing, Love Island and Big Brother have faced similar accusations.
Adam Fleming unpicks the debate.

Presenter: Adam Fleming
Production team: Charlotte McDonald, Natasha Fernandes and John Murphy
Studio manager: Andrew Mills
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy


FRI 12:57 Weather (m002q359)
The latest weather forecast


FRI 13:00 World at One (m002q35c)
Furious response to President Trump's Afghanistan comments

The former foreign secretary, Sir Jeremy Hunt, joins us to discuss President Trump's observations. Also, we're in Ukraine to look at the extra strain on the country's nuclear power plants.


FRI 13:45 Understand (m002qmyz)
US Foreign Policy in Five Doctrines

5. The Bush Doctrine

Justin Webb looks back at the five big US foreign policy shifts from the Monroe Doctrine to Donald Trump. Over five episodes he and his guests look at how America’s approach to the world has constantly changed over time. This may help answer a really big question - how radical is the way Donald Trump deals with the world? Is he really an outlier in US history? Or do his actions reflect the changing patterns of American power?

In this episode Justin discusses the Bush Doctrine with Melvyn Leffler, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Virginia and Bronwen Maddox, Director of the London based think-tank, Chatham House.

Presenter: Justin Webb
Producers: Caroline Bayley and Kirsteen Knight
Researcher: Helena Warwick-Cross
Editor: Jon Bithrey
Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Credit: Bush’s Graduation Speech at West Point courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library


FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002q35h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Limelight (m002q35k)
Wolf Valley

Episode 1

In an isolated fjord town, a young activist investigating environmental crimes goes missing. And nobody has seen anything.

Haunted by her past, criminal investigator Lena Ekström returns to remote Norwegian fjord town, Wolf Valley, where she is plunged into a desperate search for a missing young activist, whose tent lies abandoned on the land of a powerful local land owner.

Against the dramatic backdrop of the fjord, Lena must follow the trail through a tightknit, distrustful community to uncover long-buried secrets.

A chilling Nordic noir eco-thriller about the wild darkness within us all.

LENA - Amrita Acharia
MAGNUS - Eirik Knutsvik
ANNETTE - Sarah Whitehouse
HENRIK - Øystein Lode
JASPER - Raj Ghatak
SARA - Ronja Haugholt
VIDAR - Sigurd Myhre
SHOPKEEPER - Christopher Dane
LENA’S MUM - Ingvild Lakou
YOUNG LENA - Mackensie Sutherland

All other parts played by the cast

Written by Charlotte Melén
Composer - Marcus Aurelius Hjelmborg
Singer - Johanne Baadsgaard Lange
Sound Design - Louis Blatherwick, Steve Bond
Director - Charlotte Melén
Producer - Eleanor Mein
Assistant Producer - Chloe Sackur
Script Consultant - Lauren Shippen
Development Producer - Saskia Black
Executive Producers - Charlotte Melén, Celia de Wolff

An Almost Tangible production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 14:45 Materials of State (m002mmxd)
The Ballot Box

David Cannadine continues examining the origins, symbolism and contemporary significance of the objects and emblems that underpin the British constitution.

In episode 3, he’s looking at the ballot box as a key ‘material of state' which, unlike ceremonial objects of British governance, is used directly by the public in democratic elections.

Despite other countries adopting electronic voting, the UK still relies on paper ballots, sealed and swiftly transported for hand-counting. David traces the ballot box’s origins to the 1872 Pontefract by-election, the first to use the secret ballot. Secret voting marked a major break with corrupt and coercive public voting, though most adults, especially women, remained disenfranchised for decades. The ballot box became a powerful symbol in the women’s suffrage movement until equal voting rights were achieved in 1928. Humble but essential, David argues that the ballot box underpins British democracy because elections are ultimately decided by the votes placed inside it.

Contributors in order of appearance:
James Pack, Head of Electoral Services and Registrars at Royal Borough of Greenwich
Dave Evans, curator of Pontefract Museum
Dr Mari Takayanagi, Historian and Heritage Professional

Presented by Professor Sir David Cannadine
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Sound Mixing: Tony Churnside

The series has been made in association with the History of Parliament Trust

A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002q35n)
Caterham

Is it too late to plant daffodil and tulip bulbs? What are the best ideas for planting under a shaded tree? How to maintain a lawn that is regularly used for football?

This week on Gardeners’ Question Time, Peter Gibbs and a hand‑picked panel of horticultural experts head to Caterham to tackle the green‑fingered queries of a live audience.

Peter is joined by Pippa Greenwood, Matthew Pottage and Anne Swithinbank.

Alongside these questions, we hear from Bethan Collerton  who visited Wrexham to find out more about the RHS 'It's Your Neighbourhood' Scheme and how it has benefited the community and the gardeners involved.

Producer: Matt Smith
Assistant Producer: William Norton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 15:45 Short Works (m002q35q)
A Whole Giant's Daughter Quest Thing by Jo Lloyd

Read by Alexander Vlahos.

Culhwch can love only the giant's daughter Olwen. To win her hand he must first complete a list of 39 impossible tasks. Arthur's champions take up the challenge, but time slips steadily away from them in Jo Lloyd's poignant contemporary take on the oldest Arthurian romance.

Production Co-ordinator: Eleri McAuliffe
Sound: Rhys Morris
Producer: John Norton

A BBC Audio Wales Production


FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002q35s)
Molly Burkett, Sir James Munby, Edith Flanigen, Aldrich Ames

Matthew Bannister on

Molly Burkett, who devoted her life - and her home - to rescuing thousands of injured birds and animals. At times these included a killer whale, a pigmy hippopotamus and a beer drinking crow.

Sir James Munby, the respected judge who was President of the Family Division and was instrumental in opening it up to greater public scrutiny.

Edith Flanigen, the chemist who invented molecular sieves or zeolites which have made a critical impact on the petroleum refining industry.

Aldrich Ames, who was one of the United States’ most damaging double agents. We hear from the CIA officer who unmasked him.

Producer: Ed Prendeville
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Glyn Tansley

Archive:
Torrey Canyon: The Toxic Tide, BBC Radio 4, 28/02/2007; Superpets – That’s Life!, BBC One, 24/12/1977; The Saturday Picture Show, BBC One, 17/08/1985; BBC Look North, BBC One, 16/02/1988; BBC Look North, BBC One, 12/06/2001; Match of the Day (Theme Tune), BBC TV; Our Dementia Choir Sings Again with Vicky McClure, BBC One, 10/10/2022; The World at One, BBC Radio 4, 03/08/2017; BBC News at Six, BBC One, 03/08/2017; Panorama: The Million Dollar Spy, BBC One, 20/02/1995; Storyville: Valentino – The Last Emperor, BBC Four, 07/07/2011


FRI 16:30 More or Less (m002q2lw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]


FRI 17:00 PM (m002q35v)
Starmer: Trump's Afghan war comments 'insulting'

The Prime Minister is "appalled" by the President's claim that NATO troops were not on the front line in Afghanistan. Former Chief of the Defence Staff, Lord Richards, reflects on his service there, and we hear from former foreign secretary James Cleverly as part of our series visiting MPs in their constituencies. Plus, Robbie Williams has broken the Beatles’ record for the most UK number one albums. His co-writer Guy Chambers reviews his back catalogue.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002q35x)
Prime Minister reacts to comments from Donald Trump about NATO allies in Afghanistan

Sir Keir Starmer says President Trump's comments that NATO troops stayed 'a little off' the front lines in Afghanistan are 'insulting, and frankly appalling'. The US President told Fox News last night that he wasn't sure if NATO would be there for his country if required, and that America had 'never needed' its help. Also: Russia, Ukraine and the United States are holding their first tri-lateral talks, since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago. And, the pop star Robbie Williams has surpassed The Beatles to become the artist with the most number one albums in UK chart history.


FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m002q35z)
Series 119

3. Bored of peace

This week we'll be looking at Trump's Board of Peace and asking whether Trump is bored of peace. We'll be working out how China managed to afford to get on the central London property ladder with their new mega-embassy, and hoping that a clever cow who can use a tool to scratch its back can up its game and sort out global diplomacy before it's too late. Joining Andy to help make sense of all the madness is Lucy Porter, Alasdair Beckett-King, Stephen Bush and Shappi Khorsandi.

Written by Andy Zaltzman.

With additional material by: Christina Riggs, Cameron Loxdale, Ruth Husko and Dee Allum.
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Coordinator: Giulia Lopes Mazzu
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.


FRI 19:00 The Archers (m002q361)
Esme’s got the all-clear on her TB test but shows David an email from her landlord with a generous offer to buy her out. Over a cup of tea, Esme admits she’s very tempted, given the struggle to keep going at Meadow Farm - but she’d be devastated to give up now. Esme’s head says accept the offer and go, but her heart says stay. Despite the downsides she’s loved what they’ve been doing on the farm for the last three months. David thinks she should take her time before making a decision, but Esme reckons she’s already decided to stay.
Will and Emma are taking a break from lambing when George and Amber arrive at Grange Farm to announce they’re having a baby. Will’s thrilled, but Emma can’t believe Amber’s pregnant after they’d recently had a conversation where Amber said she wasn’t even thinking about having a baby. Emma calls them idiots, insisting she means it. George thought she’d be pleased while Amber is more uncertain, but Emma doesn’t hold back with her criticism. George reckons Clive was right when he said there was some very toxic behaviour in the family. The mention of Clive riles Emma further, while Will wants everyone to calm down, before Emma suggests talking about it later. It’s not what she wanted for them, though, while George insists it’s up to them, not her. Later, Will tries looking on the bright side, but Emma only sees the downside of getting pregnant that young with their future so uncertain. Plus, the last thing she wants is having to pick up the pieces when everything falls apart.


FRI 19:15 Screenshot (m002q363)
The Older Woman

From Norma Desmond to Mrs Robinson, the older woman has long been a provocative icon of cinema. And older woman-younger man relationships are still raising eyebrows and garnering headlines, thanks to recent films like Babygirl, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy and Marty Supreme.

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode look at what happens when the woman is older in an age gap relationship, and ask - why is the older woman still such a provocative proposition?

Ellen speaks to critic and cosmopolitan older woman Anne Billson about the evolution of the older woman through film history, from Sunset Boulevard to Something's Gotta Give.

Mark talks to actor Anne Reid about her controversial first lead film role, in 2003's The Mother - about a sexagenarian grandmother who starts a relationship with her daughter's boyfriend, played by Daniel Craig.

And Mark also talks to Matt Greenhalgh, the screenwriter behind Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool, which told the story of Hollywood star Gloria Grahame's real late-in-life romance with the 28-year-old Liverpudlian actor Peter Turner.

Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002q365)
John Glen MP, Quentin Letts, Jake Richards MP, Anna Sabine MP

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from the Corn Exchange in Blandford Forum in Dorset, with Conservative MP and former minister John Glen , who is now parliamentary private secretary to Kemi Badenoch; the Daily Mail's parliamentary sketchwriter Quentin Letts; Labour MP and justice minister Jake Richards; and Lib Dem culture spokesperson, Anna Sabine MP.

Producer: Paul Martin
Assistant producer: Lowri Morgan
Production co-ordinators: Ishmael Soriano and Asha Osborne-Grinter
Lead broadcast engineer: Tim Allen
Editor: Glyn Tansley


FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002q2m0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:40 on Wednesday]


FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m002q367)
Double Lives

From undercover field operatives to online anonymity, via lives led in the closet and large scale infidelity, Matthew Sweet discusses the what can prompt people to lead double lives.
With:
Ashleigh Percival-Borleigh, Radio 4 New Generation Thinker, former soldier and historian, researching the lives of under-cover agents during WW2
Lawrence Scott, literary critic and commentator on social media and the double lives people lead online
Peter Parker, historian of gay life in Britain before homosexuality was decriminalized, has documented decades of lives lived in the closet
Clare Carlisle, philosopher and biographer of Soren Kierkegaard, who thought there’s always a difference between our inner selves and the face we present to the world
Plus the actress Ruth Wilson, whose 2018 drama Mrs Wilson unraveled the story of her own grandfather's multiple lives

Producer: Luke Mulhall


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002q369)
“Appalling” - Starmer reacts to Trump’s claim about NATO troops

Keir Starmer has hit back at Donald Trump’s claim that NATO forces stayed away from the front line in Afghanistan, calling it “insulting and frankly appalling”. We hear from an American who served alongside British troops and later became a senior Pentagon official under Trump.

Also on the programme: decision time for Andy Burnham, who has less than 24 hours to decide whether to plot a return to Parliament.

And Minneapolis grinds to a halt as opponents of immigration enforcement raids hold a general strike in the city.


FRI 22:45 The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (m002q36c)
Episode 5

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

First published in 1994, and shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020: a mysterious tale about the power of the state, loss and endurance.

On the island, things go on disappearing.

Each disappearance begins with a strange intimation of absence followed by the realisation that something has gone. Some disappearances seem to happen by themselves; others require action from the whole community to consolidate them.

The first duty of the Memory Police is to enforce the disappearances. But it is not enough for things to disappear: they must be forgotten, too. For most islanders - like the narrator, a young novelist - memories disappear ‘on schedule’.

But some people are unable to forget, and this a matter of great concern to the Memory Police. On the island, to remember is to be in danger.

Episode 5
When the old man is arrested, the writer visits the head-quarters of the Memory Police.

Award-winning novelist Yoko Ogawa lives in Ashiya, Japan. Her work translated into English includes The Diving Pool; Mina’s Matchbox and The Housekeeper and the Professor. The Memory Police was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020.

Writer: Yoko Ogawa
Reader: Yuriri Naka
Translator: Stephen Snyder
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 23:00 Americast (w3ct8bz1)
Are ICE immigration agents acting outside the law?

Donald Trump came into power with a promise to carry out the “largest mass deportation programme in history”. One year on, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids in US cities are one of biggest political issues dividing America right now, with questions over how ICE agents are behaving and who they are targeting.
In this episode, Anthony, Marianna and Justin look at whether ICE agents are going beyond their remit, and is public opinion starting to turn against the president?
We focus on Minneapolis after the killing of 37 year old Renee Nicole Good two weeks ago, who was shot dead by an ICE officer. Anti-ICE protests have been ongoing within the city, and this week, the Vice President JD Vance who was visiting Minneapolis called for Democrats to co-operate with the Trump agenda.
Justin talks to John Sandweg, former Acting Director of ICE under President Obama who gives us his insight into how ICE agents are being vetted and recruited, plus the wider impact of diverting billions of dollars into Trump’s enforcement operations.

HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
• Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent

GUEST:
John Sandweg, former Acting Director of ICE under President Obama

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This episode was made by Purvee Pattni and Laura Cain. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002q36f)
Susan Hulme reports as peers debate what the NHS's role would be if a bill to allow assisted dying under certain circumstances was to become law.