SATURDAY 07 MARCH 2026
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002s4r2)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:30 This Is the Door: Notes from a Body in Pain by Darcey Steinke (m002s4pq)
Episode 5: Healing
Darcey Steinke’s engrossing new book explores the subject of pain – what science tells us and what artists and thinkers have made of it. For Steinke, it all started when she damaged her back. As the process of healing began, she began to look outwards, to explore what it is like for others to live with chronic pain. With a new understanding, she reflects on the lives of writers and artists who have found meaning in the experience of pain.
In this final episode, she begins to recover. After trying various alternative therapies, and steroid injections, she finally has back surgery. And it is a success. But the experience of intense pain has changed her:
‘When I started this book, I wanted to try to understand how pain changed me for better and for worse. But pain’s legacy is hard to pin down. I worked with a therapist for a year before I finally got out from under the fear that the pain would come back. As that terror receded, I found myself more permeable, more empathetic, closer to the reality of life’s fragility but also its wonder. When I see people on the street limping, using canes or walkers, I understand with a new connectivity that they don’t just have mobility issues; they are also in pain.’
The reader is award-winning actor Elizabeth McGovern, who played the Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey
Adapted and produced by Elizabeth Burke
Executive producer: Sara Davies
Sound design: Jon Calver
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002s4r4)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002s4r6)
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 (m002s4r8)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002s4rb)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002s4rd)
Failed Workshops and Gender Wars
Good Morning. I once ran a workshop for a group of activists and students of Islam from India and Pakistan. We had been working online for many months and decided to meet in-person for a component of the program. We knew the Indians wouldn’t get visas for Pakistan, and the Pakistanis wouldn’t get visas for India without tremendous difficulty, so we met in the beautiful and neutral territory of Nepal. As we sat in the impossibly beautiful terrain of the Himalayan range, I shared a verse of the Qur’an with them: “The believing men and the believing women are awliya, protecting friends, of one another”. I asked them to consider what it meant for believing men and women to be awliya of one another; what kind of world could be forged if we all actualised the call of these words. The Indian participants looked confused and said “but awliya means saints” and the Pakistani participants looked scandalised and said, “god forgive us! Men and women can’t be friends”. I explained but awliya literally means “protecting friends” and I urged them to imagine a world in which men and women were not at war but at peace, and more than peace, in loving harmonious, protecting and nurturing community. But the Pakistanis shook their heads and said “we observe strict gender segregation” and the Indians said “awliya are saints and we are not worthy to be amongst them”. And I stood bereft in between; a failed workshop exercise and the whisper of a vision promised in the Qur’an evaporating into thin air.
I pray for a world in which men and women act as protective friends of one another, where everyone thrives, no one is exploited, and full human agency is afforded to all, amen.
SAT 05:45 Lent Talks (m002s2zj)
Power and Support
A series of personal reflections on power inspired by the story of Jesus’ Passion.
Six essays tracing the hidden currents of power in everyday life: how it shapes us, how it works, how it wounds, and how it can be resisted, claimed, and reclaimed.
In this episode, Miro Griffiths – Associate Professor of Social Policy and Disability Studies, at the University of Leeds, who has spinal muscular atrophy and receives 24-hour personal health care assistance – explores power and support.
Producer: Dan Tierney.
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002scq6)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
SAT 06:07 Open Country (m002s3fy)
Hedgerow havens
Hedges are such a traditional part of the British landscape that most of us don't give them a second thought. They're usually associated with the enclosures of the 17th-19th centuries, when the medieval farming system gave way to enclosed fields surrounded by hedges - designed to keep sheep in and people out. But, as Martha Kearney finds out, many hedges are far older than that - going back thousands of years in some cases.
In this programme, Martha explores the history and future of the hedge. She learns that there are an estimated 400,000 miles of hedgerow in Britain, despite the fact that many hedges were grubbed up and destroyed in the years since the Second World War. She talks to a wildlife expert, who explains why hedges are so important for wildlife and outlines the vital role they have to play in the ecosystem.
Martha visits a hedge-laying course in Devon, where trainees are learning this ancient skill, and tries her hand at the craft using a billhook. She discovers that Devon has a hedge style all of its own.
Producer: Emma Campbell
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002scq8)
07/03/26 Farming Today This Week: avian influenza vaccine; impact of war in Middle East on fuel and fertiliser; land use.
The first UK trial of a vaccine for avian flu has started. Bird flu costs the government an average of £174 million every year and there have been 95 outbreaks in the UK since last autumn. Other countries have used vaccination to try to control the disease: five vaccines are licensed for use in the European Union, but not in the UK. The new trial will see 1000 turkeys vaccinated and, if successful, the vaccine may be rolled out to turkeys and ducks. The cost of the vaccine and the surveillance testing afterwards however, means chickens won't be included.
As the impact of the war in the Middle East is felt on world markets, there are concerns about the cost and availability of fuel and fertilizer. This time of the year, when spring planting is underway, both are in high demand. We hear from manufacturers and suppliers about the effect.
Land and its uses is seen as the answer to some of the big questions faced by society: cutting greenhouse gas emissions by generating renewable energy; building new homes to ease the housing crisis; making space for nature to halt the collapse of wildlife numbers; and farming to feed the nation. However land is a finite resource, so the debate over which land should be used for what purpose is becoming increasingly charged.
The Calver family in Somerset installed a cheddar turning robot in their cheese cave 10 years ago. It was a world's first and we made a programme about it. We revisit the farm where the robot is still going strong and the family are now making ricotta, mozzarella and raw milk cheddar as well.
Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
SAT 06:57 Weather (m002scqb)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m002scqd)
Today (Saturday)
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002scqg)
Steve Rosenberg, Cut Flowers, Cancer Care, and the Inheritance Tracks of Mike Wozniak
We’re in the company of an eminent foreign correspondent, a no less eminent expert in the field of flowers, and the woman who’s built the most beautiful spaces for cancer care.
Our journalist is our man in Moscow - our last man in Moscow, really - Steve Rosenberg.
Bringing colour, fragrance and joy to our studio is the queen of cut flowers, Sarah Raven.
And we’ll all be scattering rose petals at the feet of Dame Laura Lee for all her work leading the cancer support charity Maggies.
All that, plus the Inheritance Tracks of the comedian Mike Wozniak.
Presenter: Adrian Chiles
Producer: Ben Mitchell
Assistant Producers: Lowri Morgan and Alice McKee
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Ed Prendeville
SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m002scqj)
Empress Dowager Cixi: from concubine to ruler of China
Greg Jenner is joined in nineteenth-century China by historian Professor Yangwen Zheng and comedian Sophie Duker to learn about the Qing dynasty ruler Empress Dowager Cixi. A contemporary of Queen Victoria, Cixi rose from low-ranked concubine to de facto ruler of China for nearly half a century, and lived through a dizzying array of events in China’s nineteenth-century history, including the Taiping Rebellion, the Opium Wars, and the Boxer Rebellion. Ruling through her son and then her nephew, Empress Dowager Cixi dominated late Qing dynasty China, and oversaw a variety of economic and military – if not political – reforms. This episode charts her life, from her entry into the Forbidden Palace as a teenager all the way to her death in 1908, taking in the politics and traditions of the Qing imperial court, her relationship with Emperor Xianfeng and her rival turned co-ruler Empress Dowager Ci'an, and her determined attempts to gain and maintain power.
If you’re a fan of Chinese history, ruthless court politics, and complex women characters, you’ll love our episode on Empress Dowager Cixi.
If you want to learn more about the history of China, listen to our episodes on the history of Kung Fu and the Terracotta Warriors. And for more fascinating characters with Sophie Duker, check out our episode on Ramesses the Great, naughty nun Benedetta Carlini and the Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
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: Emma Mitchell, 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 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002scql)
Series 51
Episode 3
Jay Rayner and the panel of chefs, cooks and food writers are in Cambridge discussing romantic recipes for vacuum flasks and the complex history of the pineapple.
Joining Jay at Wolfson College, Cambridge are chefs, cooks and food writers Lerato, Tim Hayward, Sophie Wright and resident food historian, Dr Annie Gray.
The panellists explore Cambridge's connection with pineapple, debate the essential condiments every fridge should hold, and consider the most pressing of questions - do chefs use too much butter?
Later, Jay chats to professor Melissa Calaresu of Gonville and Caius College about the discovery of the fruit in Europe.
Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
Assistant Producer: William Norton
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002scqn)
George Parker discusses Prime Minister Starmer’s decision not to support the US-Israel offensive against Iran, and the pressure he has been under for it, with the crossbench peer Kim Darroch, who was the UK’s Ambassador to the United States during President Trump’s first term, and the Labour peer Cathy Ashton, a former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs who led negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme.
To analyse the Spring Statement that the Chancellor delivered on Tuesday, George is joined by the former Conservative Chancellor, Sir Jeremy Hunt, and the Labour MP Dame Meg Hillier, who chairs the Commons Treasury Committee.
MPs debated the Representation of the People Bill in the Commons this week. The Bill would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote at the next general election. To discuss the Bill, George spoke to Labour MP for Kettering, Rosie Wrighting, who is the youngest female MP in the House of Commons, and 19-year-old George Finch from Reform UK, who leads Warwickshire County Council; he is the youngest council leader in Britain.
And Robert Fox, the veteran war correspondent, and Kathleen Burk, Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London, debated the special relationship between the US and the UK in light of Prime Minister Starmer’s decision not to support the US–Israel offensive against Iran, which sparked criticism from the White House.
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002scm5)
Iran Special: The Regional Fallout
After the US-Israel attacks on Iran, surrounding countries have quickly been drawn into the war following retaliatory strikes by Iran. We hear from Turkey, Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus.
The US-Israel attacks on Iran hit major cities across the country, destroying civilian buildings in Tehran, as well as military sites in Natanz and Isfahan. Many Iranians are now trying to flee the ongoing attacks by crossing into neighbouring countries. James Waterhouse reports from the Turkey-Iran border.
There's a sense of déjà vu for the people of Lebanon who are once again forced to shelter after the militia group Hezbollah launched missiles and drones into Israel to avenge the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei. Israel replied with attacks on Hezbollah's Shia strongholds in the south. Wyre Davies has been in Beirut.
Many of the missiles fired towards Israel failed to penetrate its Iron Dome defence system - but not all. Nine people died after a synagogue in Beit Shemesh was hit, penetrating the bomb shelter beneath it. Hugo Bachega reports from Tel Aviv.
The strikes on Iran have had significant repercussions across the region, as Iran targets countries hosting US military bases. Cyprus was among those hit - a long-time base for the British RAF. Jessica Parker visited the base in Akrotiri.
And a renowned restaurant in Berlin which cast itself as a symbol of breaking bread across religious and political divides has just gone out of business. Is it just another victim of rising rents and economic instability? Lucy Ash pulled up a chair as one of its last diners, just as news of another conflict broke.
Producer: Serena Tarling
Production coordinators: Katie Morrison
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002scqq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002scm3)
Middle East Conflict and Crypto Scams
Just seven days has passed since the USA and Israel began their attacks on Iran. As the attacks become heavier and more destructive, the ripples of war are already spreading around the globe. There was an immediate jump in the price of oil and gas, now worsening, as processing plants and facilities are attacked and transport routes disrupted. Petrol prices at the pump have been creeping up too and are expected to rise further. Money Box listeners have been asking what it could mean for the price of gas, electricity, heating oil and filling up their car.
A listener had more than £300,000 stolen from her in an investment scam. What can be done to catch the criminals who robbed her?
And by the end of the month there should be an official free scheme to claim compensation for missold car finance. How will it work?
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researcher: Amber Mehmood
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson
(First broadcast
12pm Saturday 7th March 2026)
SAT 12:30 The Naked Week (m002s4qh)
Series 4
War, Law, and Operation Amol Rajan
The Naked Week team dive into war, flout the law and enjoy a real life Town Crier performing selected highlights from Amol Rajan's Instagram feed.
From The Skewer’s Jon Holmes and host Andrew Hunter Murray comes The Naked Week, a fresh way of dressing the week’s news in the altogether and parading it around for everyone to laugh at.
With award-winning writers and a crack team of contemporary satirists - and recorded in front of a live audience - The Naked Week delivers an topical news-nude straight to your ears.
Written by:
Jon Holmes
Katie Sayer
Gareth Ceredig
James Kettle
Jason Hazeley
Additional Material:
Karl Minns
Ali Panting
Helen Brooks
Pete Redfern
Cooper Mawhinny Sweryt
Joe Topping
Investigations Team:
Cat Neilan
Emily Channon
Guests: Rachel Parris, Mark Stephens CBE, Alan Myatt.
Production Team: Tony Churnside, Jerry Peal, David Riffkin.
Production Coordinator: Molly Punshon
Assistant Producer: Katie Sayer
Executive Producer: Philip Abrams
Produced and Directed by Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 12:57 Weather (m002scqs)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News (m002scqv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002s4qq)
Sir Mark Lyall Grant, Lucy Rigby MP, Eleanor Shearer, Sir John Whittingdale MP
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Norwich Cathedral with the former national security adviser and UK ambassador to the UN, Sir Mark Lyall Grant; Treasury minister and Labour MP, Lucy Rigby; Eleanor Shearer from the think tank Common Wealth; and former Conservative cabinet minister, Sir John Whittingdale MP.
Producer: Paul Martin
Assistant producer: Catherine Powell
Production co-ordinators: Sam Grist
Lead broadcast engineer: Phil Zentner
Editor: Glyn Tansley
SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002scqx)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?
SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002s4ql)
Having heavily persuaded Ruairi to come round for tea at The Nest, Alice says both her and Miranda are worried about him. Ruairi admits the thought of going back to Home Farm without Jenny there feels really weird. Alice agrees, but also looks forward to sitting by the French windows and conjuring up Jennifer’s presence. Ruairi starts crying, before rejecting Alice’s offer to move into the Nest with her and Martha instead. Alice pushes, she can easily move into Martha’s room and they’d both love his company. Ruairi though insists he’ll stay at Blossom Hill, at least while he can still afford it. Alice reiterates he’d be very welcome and makes him promise that there’s nothing else bothering him.
George and Amber ambush Eddie and Will into a meeting, producing the scan photo of Eddie’s first great grandchild. They explain, the next scan’s only eight weeks away and they don’t want to bring their baby home into a divided family. Left alone to talk, Eddie asks why Will can’t put their differences behind him, like him and George have done. Will argues that he couldn’t turn his back on George like Eddie did. He was taking care of someone who could have died. Will then admits what George did to the family was awful, but reckons he’s really turned a corner since. They hug and agree to draw a line, grateful to George and Amber for bringing them together. Elated, Eddie suggests a resurrection of the Cider Club on Sunday. This reunion deserves a celebration!
SAT 15:00 Secrets and Lies (m002scqz)
Road to Suez
The true story of how in 1956 Prime Minister, Anthony Eden, lied to Parliament and took Britain to war under false pretences, told through the eyes of a young civil servant, Donald Logan.
Within days of his appointment as assistant to the Foreign Secretary, Logan is sent on a secret mission to Paris and soon finds himself at the centre of a major tripartite conspiracy. Together with representatives of France and Israel, a plan is hatched to attack Egypt following their nationalising of the Suez canal.
Thirty years later as Government documents are to be declassified Logan must decide whether to tell his side of the story.
Richard Monks' drama is based on several sources including Logan’s own unpublished memoir.
It includes some imagined scenes.
Donald Logan ..... Jamie Parker
Irene Logan ..... Fenella Woolgar
Anthony Eden ..... Joseph Millson
Selwyn Lloyd ..... John Heffernan
Patrick Dean ..... Elliot Cowan
Christian Pineau ..... Raad Rawi
Ben Gurion ..... Elliot Levey
Moshe Dayan ..... Shai Matheson
Writer ..... Richard Monks
Director ..... Sally Avens
A BBC Studios Audio Production
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m002scr3)
Weekend Woman's Hour: Matrescence, Ramadan & the 'sandwich generation', The Traitors' Harriet Tyce
The BBC has had exclusive access to the world’s largest study scanning pregnant women’s brains. The BeMOther project is based in Spain and has found that women's brains change significantly through pregnancy and beyond. Nuala McGovern talks to Smitha Mundasad, a BBC health and science reporter and Lucy Jones, author of Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood.
Ramadan is a time for worship and reflection. But many women of the so-called 'sandwich generation' may feel that they are up against the clock, juggling caring for young children and elderly parents, while also trying to find the time to fuel their bodies and their minds. Anita is joined by Shelina Janmohamed, an author and podcaster, and Tabassum Niamat, a mother and community activist, both of whom think of themselves as 'sandwich carers.'
According to the NGO International Justice Mission, live-streamed online child sexual abuse is one of the fastest‑growing yet least‑detected types of child abuse globally. Nuala is joined by Molly Hudson from the International Justice Mission, and Sharon Pursey, co‑founder of SafeToNet, a British online safety technology company.
Barrister turned bestselling crime author and recent star of The Traitors, Harriet Tyce joins Nuala to talk about her latest novel, Witch Trial. Harriet reflects on how motherhood was the impetus for her career change, how her knowledge of the legal system inspires her work and her experience as a ‘Faithful’ on the hit BBC TV series.
Model, author and activist Charli Howard says she has always been treated like a sex object. Charli joins Anita to discuss how, through a new book of essays called Flesh, she is reclaiming her body for herself, piece by piece.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Kirsty McQuire
SAT 17:00 PM (m002scr7)
Iran apologises to Gulf states amid new Trump threats
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian apologises for a week of attacks on neighbouring Arab countries but carries on striking them, as Donald Trump expands America's target list. Israel also expands its offensive, sending troops into Lebanon. Plus, Soham murderer Ian Huntley dies after being attacked in jail. Journalist Brian Farmer explains why he told police he thought Huntley had killed Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. And we hear from guerilla gardeners Alan Platt and Neville Southgate, who are on a mission to clean up Gloucester.
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002scrc)
'We cannot have chaos': Emily Thornberry on the law of war and Labour's struggles
The Foreign Affairs Committee Chair on Iran, Trump's 'asteroid of awfulness' and the 'grief' she felt after being dropped by Starmer.
Emily Thornberry tells Nick about how her father's career as a UN peacekeeper helped shape her commitment to the ideals of international law.
She also has frank views about what her party needs to do to stem the rise of the Green Party.
Senior Producer: Daniel Kraemer
Producer: Flora Murray
Sound: Jack Wilfan
Editor: Giles Edwards
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002scrh)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m002scrm)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002scrr)
Iran continues bombing after apologising
Tehran's neighbours targeted with missiles and drones again despite the promise the attacks would stop. Trump says Iran is being "beat to hell" and threatens to widen air strikes. The UK places aircraft carrier on advanced readiness. Also: One of Britain's most notorious child killers, Ian Huntley dies after he was attacked in prison. And: Former rapper and Gen Z protest figure wins Nepal's election.
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002scrw)
Mischa Barton, Squeeze, Emmanual Sonubi, Ava Glass, Samantha Crain
Clive Anderson is joined by The O.C star Mischa Barton who is in a new production of Double Indemity. And it's a double dose of murder and intrigue as we're also joined by best-selling crime writer Ava Glass with her new book 'The Hiding Season'. And from death to life, since we're very grateful comedian Emmanuel Sonibu survived his near fatal heart attack and is here to tell the tale in his stand up show 'Life After Near Death'. Squeeze are back with their first album of new material in 8 years, 'Trixies', as well as Samantha Crain who brings us even more intrigue with her new album 'Gumshoe'.
Presenter: Clive Anderson
Producer: Jessica Treen
SAT 19:00 Profile (m002scl3)
Pete Hegseth
It’s been a busy first year for the US Defense Secretary. From signal chat controversies to Operation Epic Fury, Pete Hegseth has been making headlines.
Born in Minneapolis in 1980, Hegseth had what could be described as an ‘All-American’ upbringing. A basketball player at school he continued playing during his University career at Princeton where he majored in Politics. He also enrolled in the ROTC (reserve officers’ training corps) which turned out to be a career defining decision.
After stints in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hegseth returned home and began his career on the political side lines - heading up two veterans charities. But his campaigning job dried up after a whistle blower report alleged he was drunk and abusive at work. Next he moved to Fox News where he caught the eye of President Trump, a notorious consumer of the right wing network. This was the beginning of Hegseth’s meteoric rise to power.
His confirmation for Defense Secretary hearing saw him answer questions about sexual assault allegations and claims he didn’t have enough experience for the job. But Hegseth successfully defended himself and was soon installed at the Pentagon.
Mark Coles explores how he got there.
Production Team:
Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Annabel Deas and Katie Solleveld
Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Gemma Ashman
Sound: Neil Churchill
Editor: Justine Lang
Archive:
BBC
Fox
US Army
Christ Church
SAT 19:15 The Body Politic (m0027bnc)
Assisted dying
The politics of the human body is at the centre of intense debate in the UK and beyond. Thanks to science, technology and a fast-moving political landscape, humans are increasingly able to intervene in the natural processes of life – how we are conceived, how we are born and how and when we die. But what are the limits to this intervention, how should we decide and who should decide?
Broadcaster and columnist Sonia Sodha gets behind divides and polarisation to discover nuance, complexity and compelling stories around the beginning and the end of human life.
In the final episode we delve deep into the complex and fascinating debate around assisted dying, which has moved to the front and centre of politics in Britain. We hear views from all sides, as well as powerful stories - a widow whose husband had an assisted death in Switzerland, a woman who recovered from anorexia who's joined the anti campaign, a retired high court judge who has a life-changing illness and a leading practitioner of assisted dying in Canada.
Sonia teases out the complexity in ideas of choice, coercion and capacity as the UK debate intensifies, showing how decisions made now will impact future views on the value of life and how society handles death.
Producer: Leala Padmanabhan
Sound design: Hal Haines
Credit: 'How to die: Simon's choice', Minnow Films, directed by Rowan Deacon, executive producer Colin Barr
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002scs0)
Sara Pascoe Presents... The Anti-Awards Awards
Welcome the first (and possibly last) Anti-Awards Awards. As award season goes into full swing, your host Sara Pascoe invites you to join her on the podium as she presents the only awards that dare to say that there might just be a darker side to the pursuit of the big prize.
Sara chats to fellow comedian Nish Kumar about how striving to win an award can tank your work - and they look back at the excruciating 2017 Oscars as it dawns to the La La Land team that they haven't actually won Best Picture.
Novelist Sarah Hall takes us inside the machinations of a judging committee, and John Lloyd shows us just a few of the hundreds of awards he's won, and shares how awards helped bring on premature midlife crisis.
She also hears from film historian Isobel Custodio on how the spectre of Harvey Weinstein haunts the modern awards campaign. Nobel Prize Winner Eric Wieschaus on how to stay sane when the world thinks you are a genius and author and tech philosopher Tom Chatfield on the delicate politics of turning prizes down - as well as giving them to those who really don't care one bit. Congratulations to Nobel Literature Laureate Mr Bob Dylan!
Finally Sara asks if there's something inherently embarrassing about an awards ceremony as Sam Fox reveals that the real culprit behind the shambolic 1989 Brit Awards ceremony which would easily win the award for being the most most embarrassing was in fact the...Bros Fan Club.
Madonna presenting the Turner Prize courtesy of Illuminations Television.
Presenter: Sara Pascoe
Producer: Jessica Treen
SAT 21:00 Moral Maze (m002s4jc)
Is it moral to attack Iran?
Conflict has deepened in the Middle East since the United States and Israel launched a coordinated wave of air and missile strikes across Iran, targeting military facilities, nuclear sites and the country’s leadership.
Supporters argue the attacks were necessary. Iran’s missile programme, its support for armed proxies across the region and its long-running nuclear ambitions have convinced some Western leaders that waiting would only make a future conflict far more dangerous. In that view, striking first may be grim, but it is sometimes the least bad option. Others frame the issue in terms of human rights. Iran’s government has long been accused of brutal repression at home, imprisoning dissidents, violently suppressing protests and enforcing strict controls over women’s lives. To some, confronting such a regime is not simply a matter of strategic calculation but of moral responsibility.
But critics see something more troubling: the deliberate bombing of a sovereign state without international authorisation and with potentially catastrophic consequences. Iran has already retaliated with missiles and drones across the region, targeting U.S. bases and cities in Gulf states, while Iran-backed militias have joined the fight. And the human cost is becoming clearer. A missile strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran reportedly killed at least 150 people, many of them children, though the circumstances remain disputed. While many Iranians are celebrating the death of their Supreme Leader, others are sceptical about the human rights motives of the strikes.
Is it moral to attack Iran?
Chair: Michael Buerk
Panel: Matthew Taylor, Anne McElvoy, Mona Siddiqui and James Orr.
Witnesses: Barak Seener, Simon Mabon, Shiva Mahbobi, Jeff McMahan.
Producer: Dan Tierney
Assistant Producer: Jay Unger
Editor: Tim Pemberton.
SAT 22:00 News (m002scs4)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002s4pn)
What’s Next for Portugal’s Ancient Export: Cork?
Leyla Kazim reports from cork country in Portugal - where up to 10,000 of hectares of cork oak trees are being lost every year, despite laws protecting them from being cut down. Climate change is putting new stresses on the ancient forests, and as the cork industry worries that falling wine consumption could shrink global demand, Leyla asks why Portugal became the world’s biggest producer of cork in the first place, and what it will take to keep them thriving. She meets farmers using regenerative methods of working the land to protect the montado, and plantations where thousands of new trees are being planted.
Presented by Leyla Kazim
Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Natalie Donovan
SAT 23:00 Stand-Up Specials (m002scs8)
Eddie Kadi and Friends
Travis Jay, Kyrah Gray, Diesel and Junior Booker
The second part of a two-part stand-up special featuring highlights from 1Xtra's Comedy Gala with some of the UK's top Black comedians, including Travis Jay, Kyrah Gray, Diesel and Junior Booker. Hosted by Eddie Kadi and filmed at the Hackney Empire in London, the unofficial home of Black British Comedy.
SAT 23:30 Counterpoint (m002s2yz)
Series 39
Heat 9, 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 ‘Crazy For Gershwin Musicals', 'For The Love Of Luther Vandross' and 'Tim Rice and His Amazing Technicolor Collaborations'.
Producer: Tom Du Croz
Production coordinator: Jodie Charman
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
If you are interested in taking part in a future series of Counterpoint, please email counterpoint@bbc.co.uk
SUNDAY 08 MARCH 2026
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002scsf)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 00:15 Bookclub (m002s2yx)
Alan Cumming on Alasdair Gray's Lanark
Led by James Naughtie, this special episode of Bookclub celebrates the late Alasdair Gray's 1981 masterpiece, Lanark, at the Pitlochry Winter Words Festival, with the actor Alan Cumming, who is the voice of the new audiobook recently released by Canongate. Described by the author as 'a life in four books', Lanark follows the interwoven lives of Lanark and Duncan Thaw through the disintegrating cities of Unthank and Glasgow. The book has garnered widespread praise and critical acclaim for sitting realism and surrealism side by side and for daring to be experimental. The Guardian described the novel as "one of the landmarks of twentieth century fiction" while the Times Literary Supplement said it was "profoundly perceptive about the ways in which our society is destroying itself".
This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre in February.
Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This is a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002scsl)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002scsq)
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 (m002scsv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002scsz)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002scmc)
The church of St Mary the Virgin, Bromfield in Shropshire
Bells on Sunday comes from the church of St Mary the Virgin, Bromfield in Shropshire. The parish church is a fragment of a Norman priory and originally had a central tower, but this was replaced by the present tower on the Northwest corner of the church in about 1200. There are six bells, five of which were cast by the Rudhall foundry of Gloucester in 1737. The bells were tuned and rehung in 1890 by Taylors of Loughborough. The Tenor weighs eight and a half hundredweight and is tuned to the note of G sharp We hear them ringing Cambridge Surprise Minor
SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002s4f2)
Habilitation Support, Holiday Horrors
Following last week's coverage of the SEND reforms (the government's major plans to improve the support pupils with special needs will get in schools in future), In Touch hears about another far less publicised report from charity Guide Dogs. It highlighted that seven out of ten visually impaired children and young people surveyed were missing out on essential mobility support and training of daily living skills (a service known as habilitation training). Eleanor Briggs, Guide Dogs’ head of Policy, public affairs and campaigns, tells the programme more about what they found and what they would like the government to do about it. And Fiona Fiona Broadley, Chair of Habilitation UK, provides information about what a pathway to referral for habilitation should look like and where things could be slipping.
More of your holiday horrors: stories of visually impaired people's experiences of trying to get basic assistance in hotels.
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 (m002sck8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Thinking Allowed (m002s4dg)
Extreme Sports
What can the worlds of mountaineering and endurance running reveal about changing ideas of freedom, identity and the body? Laurie Taylor talks to Sarah Lonsdale, Senior Lecturer in Journalism at City, University of London, about her new book Wildly Different - her study of early 20th‑century women who sought autonomy through outdoor adventure. She focuses on the mountaineer Dorothy Pilley, whose Alpine achievements and reflective writing challenged prevailing assumptions about femininity and physical capability.
In 'Dirtbag Dreams', Carl Morris (sociologist, historian and social psychologist from the University of Lancashire) explores the history of mountain, ultra and trail running in the US and Britain from its origins right up until today. He asks if the ever-increasing popularity of these sports risk making them overly commercial and corporate? A keen fell runner himself, Morris examines the distinctive values that shape these endurance communities, including ideas of authenticity, self‑sufficiency and the pursuit of physical extremity.
Producer: Natalia Fernandez
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002sckb)
Westcombe: Community Economy
Ten years on from the programme’s first visit to the celebrated cheesemakers at Westcombe Dairy, On Your Farm finds out how a high-tech investment helped kickstart a dramatic process of diversification at the Somerset farm.
In 2016, Tom and Richard Calver installed the world’s first cheddar turning robot in their cheese cave, saving them from a backbreaking and time consuming part of the cheesemaking process. This allowed them to focus their efforts elsewhere.
Over the past ten years the father and son have transformed Westcombe Dairy into the cornerstone of a community of businesses based at the farm, including a charcuterie, a flourmill and bakery, and an ice-cream maker. Each enterprise is in some way connected to another business – Theo Whyte finds out how.
Presented and produced by Theo Whyte.
SUN 06:57 Weather (m002sckd)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002sckg)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002sckj)
War in the Middle East and Gafcon
The Anglican Communion’s long-running divisions over same-sex relationships have sharpened again after a major gathering in Nigeria. At the Global Anglican Futures Conference, or Gafcon, bishops and archbishops from Africa, Asia, Latin America and elsewhere voiced strong opposition to what they see as the theological drift of parts of the Communion, including the Church of England. Emily Buchanan has been to Abuja and brings reaction from across the Anglican world.
The programme also turns to the war in the Middle East and its religious dimensions. More than a week after the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, Emily Buchanan speaks to the Archbishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East, and to aid workers supporting people displaced by bombing in southern Lebanon.
Presenter: Emily Buchanan
Producers: Amanda Hancox and Rosie Dawson
Reporter: Bara'atu Ibrahim
Studio managers: Nat Stokes, Paul Lewis and George Willis
Editor: Rajeev Gupta
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002sckl)
Action Syria
Actor Toby Jones makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Action Syria. The charity supports education for Syrian children in ways including rebuilding schools, helping pay for teachers, and providing transport so children can get to class.
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 ‘Action Syria’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Action Syria’.
- 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: 1156491. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://actionsyria.org.uk
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites
Producer: Katy Takatsuki
SUN 07:57 Weather (m002sckn)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002sckq)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002scks)
A Journey Through Lent: Jesus Wept
A service of prayer, music and reflection from Kigali, Rwanda.
As Lent continues and Holy Week draws closer, Rwandan Christians reflect on the Raising of Lazarus in the Gospel of John and the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus Wept".
To mark International Women's Day, three women from the Church, Barbara Umuhoza, Ruzindana Shengero Belyse and Vanessa Giramata, discuss Jesus' response to the death of Lazarus, His relationship with different women in the Bible and what it means to be a woman in the Church today.
We also hear from staff and patients at Sangwa Polyclinic in Huye who pray each day before starting work and who explain why they feel that their faith in God has an impact on their medical practice.
The Service and sermon are led by Pastor John Bosco Kanyangoga and the music is led by Asaph Worship team, with leading worshipers, Janviere Uwamahoro, Josue Igiraneza and Serge Gasasira. The readers are Barbara Umuhoza, Serge Gasasira and Vanessa Giramata
Reading:
The raising of Lazarus from John Chapter 11
Music:
I speak Jesus
What a Beautiful name
Always on time (I remember)
You came
He won’t fail (Firm Foundation)
SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct743m)
The origin of World Book Day
In November 1995, a proposal of having an annual day focused on celebrating books was put forward at the UNESCO conference in Paris.
The idea came from a long-established Spanish celebration ‘The Day of Books and Roses’.
The first World Book Day was on 23 April 1996.
Although some countries now celebrate World Book Day on different dates, it’s marked on 23 April in the majority of countries.
Pere Vicens is a book publisher from Barcelona in Spain and one of the creators of World Book Day. He tells Gill Kearsley the origins of this now annual event.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: World Book Day in Spain. Credit: John MIlner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002sckv)
Roland Arnison on the Manx Shearwater
In 2024 and 2025 expedition leader and film-maker Roland Arnison kayaked along the west coast and isles of Scotland to find and record the sounds of seabird species. As part of his quest he stopped on the island of Lunga, a protected area for its breeding seabird colonies and incredible place to spot them. One night Roland climbed the cliffs to find a colony of Manx shearwaters and recorded them calling from their burrows.
Presented by Roland Arnison and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol
This programme features audio recorded on Lunga by Roland Arnison.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002sckx)
Trump: Starmer joining Iran war "after we've already won"
The US President says he doesn't need Sir Keir Starmer to send British aircraft carriers to the Gulf. Former defence secretary Ben Wallace tells BH the ships would only be for show. The conflict in Iran has sent gas prices soaring. Octopus Energy boss Greg Jackson spells out how that will affect energy bills here. Plus, the secretive world of moss collecting and Steve Rosenberg plays the Archers theme tune in the style of Rachmaninov.
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002sckz)
Jessie Buckley, actor
Jessie Buckley is an actor and singer. She recently won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe Award for her critically acclaimed role playing Shakespeare’s wife Agnes in Chloé Zhao’s film Hamnet. Her performance has also garnered her an Academy Award nomination.
Jessie won an Olivier Award for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in a 2021 West End revival of Cabaret. Her breakout film role came in 2018 when she played an aspiring country music singer in the musical Wild Rose.
Jessie was born in Killarney in County Kerry to creative parents. Her mother trained as a singer and harpist and her father, who ran a guest house when she was growing up, writes poetry. As a child Jessie and her siblings put on Irish dancing performances for people who stayed in the guest house.
In 2008 she appeared in the BBC talent show I’d Do Anything – the televised search to find a Nancy for a West End production of Oliver! Jessie came second in the competition and afterwards Sir Cameron Mackintosh, one of the judges, sent her on a Shakespeare workshop at RADA which she says changed her life.
She made her professional stage debut as Anne Egerman in the 2008/2009 revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music at London's Menier Chocolate Factory. In 2010 she stepped away from professional work and enrolled at RADA where she studied for three years.
After graduating she performed on stage, screen and television. She received her first Oscar nomination playing opposite Olivia Colman in the 2021 film the Lost Daughter.
Jessie lives in Norfolk with her husband and their baby daughter.
DISC ONE: Samhradh Samhradh - The Gloaming
DISC TWO: O Holy Night. Composed by Adolph Adam and performed by Marina Cassidy
DISC THREE: Who Knows Where the Time Goes (Live at Philharmonic Hall, New York, NY - October 1969) - Nina Simone
DISC FOUR: Troy - Sinéad O'Connor
DISC FIVE: Send In the Clowns – Judi Dench
DISC SIX: Shobis Galoba (Christmas Song) - Basiani Ensemble
DISC SEVEN: The Red Shoes - Kate Bush
DISC EIGHT: Old Note - Lisa O'Neill
BOOK CHOICE: The Complete Poems of Tim Buckley
LUXURY ITEM: Jessie’s own bathtub and bath salts
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Samhradh Samhradh - The Gloaming
Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Paula McGinley
SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002scl1)
Writer: Sarah McDonald Hughes
Director: Marina Caldarone
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Brian Aldridge… Charles Collingwood
Helen Archer … Louiza Patikas
Pat Archer … Patricia Gallimore
Tony Archer … David Troughton
Tom Archer … William Troughton
Alice Carter … Hollie Chapman
Ruairi Donovan … Arthur Hughes
Miranda Elliott … Lucy Fleming
Rex Fairbrother … Nick Barber
Amber Gordon … Olivia Bernstone
Eddie Grundy … Trevor Harrison
George Grundy … Angus Stobie
Will Grundy …. Philip Molloy
Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell
Adam Macy … Andrew Wincott
Celia Sparrow … Toni Midlane
Sonya … Dru Stephenson
SUN 12:15 Profile (m002scl3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 Just a Minute (m002rd1y)
Series 96
5. That's a real headscratcher
Gyles attempts to sing his own version of a Benjamin Britten opera, Emma explains why she can't remember the plot of The Great Gatsby and one of the players finally gets their first minute.
Host: Sue Perkins
Players: Gyles Brandreth, Emma Sidi, Desiree Burch and Josie Lawrence
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Additional material by Ruth Husko
An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
SUN 12:57 Weather (m002scl5)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002scl7)
Will Trump's Iran war echo Iraq?
As Sir Tony Blair says the UK 'should have shown up' for the US in Iran, and Donald Trump accuses Sir Keir Starmer of entering the war after he'd won it, the Prime Minister says the UK is 'learning the lessons of Iraq'. Jeremy Greenstock, Jack Straw and Wendy Sherman reflect on the parallels between the conflict there and the Israeli and American attack on Iran.
SUN 13:30 Currently (m002scl9)
Sophia v AI Slop
While browsing online, the journalist and author Sophia Smith Galer was surprised to find a biography of herself on Amazon. She discovered that it was full of inaccuracies - and most likely written using generative AI. It's part of a new phenomenon in publishing and flooding all parts of our information landscape: AI slop, low quality content made quickly using artificial intelligence.
While we might be used to slop on social media, what happens when it infiltrates areas where we expect fact rather than fiction? On her quest to get answers about her biography, Sophia looks at how far AI slop has polluted places we previously thought safe - from investigative journalism to academia - and asks if we can ever escape the onslaught of slop.
Based on an idea from presenter Sophia Smith Galer
Producer Lucy Wai
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002s4q5)
Hertfordshire
This week, the GQT team are in North Hertfordshire, where Peter Gibbs is joined by Bunny Guinness, Juliet Sargeant and Bob Flowerdew to tackle a fresh crop of horticultural conundrums.
The panellists delve into the challenges of taming coarse grasses in would‑be meadows, ponder why one listener’s tomatoes are thriving better outdoors than under glass, and offer practical approaches to managing soil health and watering, to keep a community allotment productive with less labour.
They also discuss the secrets behind successfully rehoming family rhubarb from the Yorkshire Triangle, explore how to rejuvenate a towering Mahonia, and end the show with novel ways to encourage members to join the local gardening society.
Also, Matthew Biggs celebrates the spring magic of our native bluebells, and advises us on the careful stewardship of these beautiful but delicate plants.
Producer: Matthew Smith
Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
* If listening on BBC Sounds and you wish to view the plant list, please go to the Gardeners' Question Time website and open this week's episode page.
SUN 14:45 Prime Ministers' Props (m001rjf5)
Series 3
Lord Rosebery's Race Horses
Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop can come to define a political leader. In this episode - Lord Rosebery's race horses.
It's claimed that, early in his life, Lord Rosebery said that he had three aims - to marry an heiress, to become Prime Minister, and to win the Derby. And whether he said it or not, Rosebery undeniably accomplished all these ambitions.
Rosebery achieved his second ambition when he served as Britain’s Prime Minister from March 1894 to June 1895 and, at the same time, realising his third goal, as his horses won the Derby in both of those years. No other Prime Minister has rivalled such a success on the turf, but no other Prime Minister has allowed themselves to be so closely connected to such an elite sport. Ultimately, it didn't enhance Rosebery’s public image.
David meets Harry Dalmeny, who is the current chair of Sotheby's and a direct descendant of Lord Rosebery’s, to discuss his love of racing and he goes to Epsom downs to look at the graves of Lord Rosebery’s beloved racehorses.
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Readings by Will Huggins
A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002sclc)
The Virginian
Story of America, a major collection of dramatisations marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, featuring a new adaptation of Owen Wister’s pioneering work of Cowboy fiction by Theo Toksvig-Stewart.
In this mythic portrayal of the Wild West, romance blossoms for the Virginian but his allegiances are about to be sorely tested.
The Virginian ..... Parker Sawyers
Tenderfoot ..... Alexander Arnold
Molly ..... Jessica Rhodes
Steve ..... Sam Swann
Trampas ..... Fayez Bakhsh
Scipio ..... Christopher Ragland
Shorty ..... Andre Bullock
Mrs Taylor ..... Clare Corbett
Directed by Gemma Jenkins
Sound Design by Keith Graham and Andy Garratt
Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Powell
Casting Manager: Alex Curran
A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m002sclf)
Colm Tóibín
The Irish writer Colm Tóibín speaks to Take Four Books about his new short story collection, The News From Dublin, and together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works. His new collection, published by Picador, consists of nine short stories, the last of which, The Catalan Girls, runs to a hundred pages and is about three sisters who have been living in Argentina and decide to return to Catalonia.
For his three influences Colm chose short stories by three Irish writers: The Country Funeral by John McGahern first published in 1992; Frank O'Connor's Guests Of The Nation from 1931; and the Glasgow born Irish playwright and writer Eugene McCabe's Music At Annahullion from 1985.
Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 16:30 Counterpoint (m002sclh)
Series 39
Semi-final 1, 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, in the first semi-final of the series, our three contestants pick from topics including ‘In A Classical Garden', 'ABBA: Together And Apart' and 'The Sherlock Holmes Musical Casebook'.
Producer: Tom Du Croz
Production coordinator: Jodie Charman
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
If you are interested in taking part in a future series of Counterpoint, please email counterpoint@bbc.co.uk
SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct5ygm)
South Africa's referendum on apartheid
On 18 March 1992, white South Africans overwhelmingly backed a mandate for political reforms to end apartheid and create a power-sharing multi-racial government.
It was a high-stakes referendum coming on the back of three by-elections where the ruling National Party had lost to the right wing Conservative party.
In a speech after the polling victory, President FW de Klerk said: “Today we have closed the book on apartheid”. His communications adviser, David Steward speaks to Josephine McDermott.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: President FW de Klerk with news of the referendum win. Credit: AP)
SUN 17:10 The Verb (m002scll)
Michael Laskey, Michael Schmidt, Michelle Penn, Rachel Douglas-Jones
Michael Laskey has produced six collections of poetry since his first pamphlet in 1988. That was also the year he co-founded the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival. His career in poetry which has seen him teach, edit, and publish and has resulted in him becoming this year's recipient of the King's Gold Medal for Poetry. As his Collected Poems is published, he looks back on charting his life in poetry.
When Michael Schmidt met Elizabeth Jennings, he was a student and she was a celebrated poet. As managing director of Carcanet Press he become her publisher. A relationship that endured until her final collection in 2001. In her centenary year, he talk about her distinctive qualities as a poet and shares his favourite poem of hers.
Michelle Penn takes inspiration from the Latin American iteration of the retablos art form for her new book - Retablo for a door. The poetry collection in part explores the female experience, but also turns its attention to subjects as varied as the first atomic bomb test, and Leonardo da Vinci's drawing, Vitruvian Man. She discusses why she found retablos such a useful creative aid for her poetry.
In Redacted: Writing in the Negative Space of the State, academic Rachel Douglas-Jones reflected on the poetic power of redaction to interrogate and understand the General Data Protection Regulations. She explains why redaction, currently in the news for its power to obscure, can also lead to revelation.
Presenter: Ian McMillan
Producer: Ekene Akalawu
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002scln)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m002sclq)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002scls)
Iran elects new Supreme Leader
More than a week after the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's clerics choose a new supreme leader. Tehran is covered in black smoke, as US-Israeli strikes continue. More attacks in the Gulf and Lebanon. Kurdish forces in Iraq prepare to cross border to fight the Iranian regime. Also: Figures for small boat crossings down so far this year, and pitch invasion at Celtic-Rangers match in Glasgow.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002sclv)
Huw Stephens
We're taking a trip to Wales for St David’s Day, and time travelling through the trees of Blaenau Ffestiniog with sculptor David Nash. There’s a spider monologuing in the bathtub on Radio 4, and on that note of absurdity, we hear an ‘eartoon’ on the overuse of words in the English language from Stagedoor Johnny - it's literally unmissable stuff. Plus, the story of the 82 year old whose obscure cassette found its way into the hearts of millions thirty years on.
Presenter: Huw Stephens
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Coordinators: Caroline Peddle and Caoilfhinn McFadden
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002sclx)
George helps Eddie set up the cider shed, as Eddie has invited family over to wet the baby’s head following a healthy scan. Eddie reminisces about wetting baby George’s head with Will and David. George is glad Eddie and Will have made up, and Eddie praises George – he’ll be a great dad. Later, Eddie and George walk home, joking about Eddie’s baby name ideas. They bump into Rex who shares cricketing woes - and ideas for a new, different venture. George stops to relieve himself, reacting to a passing car horn.
After going for a ride with Alice, Rex offers to help make Martha’s birthday cake, but Alice worries about him being in the house. Rex wonders why they need to keep their relationship a secret. Alice agrees to tell Chris, but only after Martha’s birthday. Kate arrives and they wonder if she saw them kissing, before Kate grills Alice on her plans for Martha’s party tomorrow. Rex gives Alice a gift for Martha, while Alice tries to put Kate off thinking there’s anything between her and Rex.
Later, Kate reveals she saw the kiss and they joke about Brian thinking he brought Alice and Rex together. Alice asks Kate not to tell anyone, but admits she’s thrilled. However, Kate soon drops Kirsty an obvious hint. Kirsty isn’t shocked, but realises she played gooseberry when her, Rex and Alice went out recently, before telling Kate about her next exciting trip with Erik. They binge-watch their favourite TV show, before challenging each other’s will-power over screen addiction and keeping secrets.
SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002sclz)
The Alpenpost: A Girl's Guide to Fighting Hitler and Stalin
Historian Maurice Casey reveals the story of an anti-Nazi resistance network and the family at its heart, told through a newspaper crafted by two young girls.
In the dusty corners of a Galician villa on Spain’s northern coast, Casey uncovered a forgotten archive of revolution, resistance and love. Among the documents was something extraordinary. The Alpenpost - a newspaper lovingly hand-crafted by Elisa and Alida Leonhard, two girls raised on Europe’s 1930s refugee routes.
Created every fortnight from late 1935 until 1940, The Alpenpost charted the activities of the two Leonhard girls and their mother Emmy, a veteran of the repressed world of Weimar German communism. With a mixture of cartoons, light stories and precocious political analyses, the girls charted their unusual upbringing as the children of an anti-fascist father and an exiled revolutionary mother.
Each issue was posted to the girls’ ‘papa’ Edo Fimmen, separated from his family, constantly travelling to maintain a network of activists and informants. Fimmen led the powerful International Transport-Workers’ Federation in continual resistance to fascism. Reading The Alpenpost, Edo could chart his daughters’ flight through 1930s Europe. Both a love letter to a father seperated from his family by dangerous work and a remarkable document of a childhood lived in flight from totalitarianism.
This is a tale of survival against the odds - not only the survival of a family that lived under grave political threats, but an archive that survived a journey across countries and generations.
Contributions from Pedro Ewald, Dieter Nelles, Rene Dumont, Bob Reinalda
Voices of The Alpenpost: Hannah Nehb, Juno Nehb, Neva Nehb with Arjan Schipper
Producer: Mark Burman
A Storyscape production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 19:45 Lent Talks (m002scm1)
Power and Relationships
A series of personal reflections on power inspired by the story of Jesus’ Passion.
Six essays tracing the hidden currents of power in everyday life: how it shapes us, how it works, how it wounds, and how it can be resisted, claimed, and reclaimed.
In this episode, Susie Masterson – a psychotherapist and survivor of sexual violence – explores power and relationships.
Producer: Dan Tierney.
SUN 20:00 Feedback (m002s3g0)
News Avoidance, Counterpoint, and Ukrainecast Follow-Up
The main news this week has been about the US-Israel attacks on Iran - but how is BBC Radio handling its coverage? We'll hear from you on the situation.
And in light of that, is there a chance that more and more people might be switching the news off? BBC Radio 4 recently aired a series of programmes all about positive news items, which many listeners felt was a relief to hear. Presenter Andrea Catherwood talks to Nic Newman, a founding member of the BBC News website and currently a Senior research associate with the Reuters Institute for the study of journalism, to find out what's fuelling the trend towards news avoidance.
Following our piece last week about the end of regular episodes of Ukrainecast, we'll hear more of your thoughts on what you'll miss about the podcast.
We also hear from listeners concerned that the music quiz programme Counterpoint is no longer recorded in front of a live audience.
And there's information about how you can give your thoughts in the UK government's ongoing open consultation on the BBC's Charter Renewal, which closes at midnight on 10th March. The survey can be found on the government's website, under the heading Britain's Story: The Next Chapter.
Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Pauline Moore
Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Executive Producer: Mark Rickards
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002s4q9)
Neil Sedaka, Drusilla Beyfus, Professor Dame Carole Jordan, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Matthew Bannister on
Neil Sedaka the prolific songwriter who had Sixties hits with Oh Carol and Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen and made a Seventies comeback with Solitaire and Love Will Keep Us Together. Graham Gouldman pays tribute.
Drusilla Beyfus, the journalist best known for her books on etiquette. Her daughter Alexandra Shulman shares her memories.
Professor Dame Carole Jordan, the leading astronomer who was an authority on the coronae of the sun and cool stars.
And Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran for over thirty years who was killed in an air strike.
Interviewee: Nazila Fathi
Interviewee: Lisa Verrico
Interviewee: Graham Gouldman
Interviewee: Professor Mike Lockwood
Interviewee: Alexandra Shulman
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Glyn Tansley
Archive used:
Revolution In Iran, BBC News, 11/02/1979; The death of Ayatolla Khomeni, BBC News, 04/06/1989; Iran street protests, BBC News, 1999 and 2009; Protests in Iran, BBC News, 29/06/2023; BBC News report, 01/03/2026; Neil Sedaka: King of Song, BBC Four, 28/10/2018; The Sky at Night: Exploring the ultraviolet sky, BBC 1, 07/05/1989; Drusilla Beyfus, recorded by Susan Irvine, 08/08/2018; Drusilla Beyfus interview, Castle in the Country, BBC Two, 18/03/2005; Drusilla Beyfus interview, Eight for Eight fifteen, BBC Radio 4, 12/06/1988;
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002scm3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002sckl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002scm5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:30 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002scm7)
Reaction from Westminster to the war in the Middle East
Ben Wright is joined by defence expert Karin von Hippel; Labour MP and former Royal Marine, Alex Ballinger; Conservative MP George Freeman; and Danny Kruger from Reform UK. They discuss the war in the Middle East and the repercussions for the United Kingdom, including the potential damage to the "special relationship". On the domestic front, the panel consider the government's proposals to restrict access to a jury trial in some criminal cases. The Labour backbencher Karl Turner explains why he's so passionately opposed to the plans and how they might fare in the House of Commons. Rosa Prince - UK political commentator for Bloomberg - brings additional insight and analysis.
SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m002s3dq)
Margaret Beaufort
Misha Glenny and guests discuss the woman who, as a child bride, became mother to the boy who would eventually become the first king in the Tudor dynasty. Lady Margaret Beaufort (c1443-1509) was twelve when she married Edmund Tudor, half his age, and gave birth to their son Henry when she was thirteen and Edmund was already dead from the plague. Margaret Beaufort made it her life's work to protect Henry during the Wars of the Roses, which had begun soon before his birth and, as many more obvious successors to the crown died or were killed in the wars, she pivoted to supporting Henry when he became the strongest contender against Richard III. She was to survive Richard III declaring her a traitor and went on to see Henry become Henry VII, the first Tudor king, and herself become the King's Mother. Outliving her son by a few months, she was then to help her grandson Henry VIII succeed and the Tudor dynasty continue.
With
Joanna Laynesmith
Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Reading
Katherine Lewis
Honorary Professor of Medieval History at the University of Lincoln and Research Associate at the University of York
And
David Grummitt
Staff Tutor in History at the Open University
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Reading list:
Nathen Amin, The House of Beaufort (Amberley Publishing, 2017)
Rachel Delman, 'The Vowesses, the anchoresses, and the aldermen's wives: Lady Margaret Beaufort and the Devout Society of Late Medieval Stamford' (Urban History 49, 2022)
David Grummitt, A Short History of the Wars of the Roses (revised edition, Bloomsbury Academic, 2025)
Michael Hicks, The Wars of the Roses (Yale University Press, 2010)
Lauren Johnson, Margaret Beaufort: Survivor, Rebel, Kingmaker (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025)
Michael K. Jones and Malcolm G. Underwood, The King's Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby (Cambridge University Press, 1991)
Rebecca Krug, Reading Families: Women's Literate Practice in Late Medieval England (Cornell University Press, 2008), especially the chapter ‘Margaret Beaufort's Literate Practice: Service and Self-Inscription'
J.L. Laynesmith, Cecily Duchess of York (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017)
Susan Powell, The Household Accounts of Lady Margaret Beaufort, 1443-1509 (The British Academy, 2022)
Nicola Tallis, Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch (Michael O'Mara, 2019)
Micheline White (ed.), English Women, Religion, and Textual Production, 1500-1625 (Ashgate, 2016), especially ‘Lady Margaret Beaufort’s Translations as Mirrors of Practical Piety’ by Brenda M. Hosington
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.
SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002s4q7)
He Who Conquers Himself Is the Mightiest Warrior by Bernie McQuillan
An original short story specially commissioned by BBC Radio 4 from the writer Bernie McQuillan. Read by Caoimhe Farren.
The Author
Bernie McQuillan is an Irish writer, based in Belfast with her husband and four children and works in health and social care. Her short stories have won awards and been published in journals including The Honest Ulsterman and Women's Way (Ireland). She is an Irish PEN/John Hewitt 2024 Freedom to Write Awardee. Her debut novel The Lobster Pot (2026) was shortlisted by Watson Little x Indie Novella Prize, longlisted by the Caledonia Novel Award and highly commended by Irish Novel Fair.
Writer: Bernie McQuillan
Reader: Caoimhe Farren
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
MONDAY 09 MARCH 2026
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002scm9)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 00:15 Soul Music (m002qggy)
Make You Feel My Love
"When the rain is blowing in your face / And the whole world is on your case / I could offer you a warm embrace / To make you feel my love"
Written by Bob Dylan for his Time Out of Mind album, 'Make You Feel My Love' went on to become a huge hit for Adele and has been covered by Billy Joel, Ane Brun and many more.
With its promise of unfaltering love, we find out what the song means to different people around the world. It has inspired a translation into a 65,000 year old language and a choral version with the comfort of a psalm; it has soundtracked heartbreak and grief; and become a lullaby of parental love.
Featuring music writer Annie Zaleski, musicians Ane Brun and Dyagula, organist and conductor Anna Lapwood, Howard Simons, Aly Halberstadt, and Adele's manager Jonathan Dickins.
Produced by Mair Bosworth
A BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002scmc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002scmf)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002scmh)
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 (m002scmk)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002scmm)
Alicia McCarthy reports as peers mark International Women's Day. MPs share their views ahead of the debate on jury trials. And is the Palace of Westminster falling down?
MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002scmp)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002scmr)
Midnight Calls and Angelic Touches
Good Morning, we all know the dread of a call in the night. The first time this happened was in 2019, my dad had insisted on going to Pakistan despite our protests, when my brother and I escalated our opposition to the chief (our mum) she quietened us with her response, “this may be his last chance to visit the graves of his parents, see his siblings, touch the land he was born in.” We piped down, but sure enough one week into his trip, we got the midnight call; dad was in hospital on life support. I took the first flight out. I hadn’t been back to Pakistan for almost 15 years, and I’d certainly never travelled there without my parents. I felt anxious, unmoored, alone. On the plane I ended up seated next to an older couple, I immediately called them aunty and uncle as per our cultural norms, they naturally called me “beti”, daughter. When I told them the cause for my visit, uncle told me they’d actually booked a flight for the day before but had arrived 5 minutes too late and had been prevented from boarding so he’d had to book this next flight out. He said, “now we know why that happened, God wanted us to bring this daughter to Pakistan”. They showed such kindness and gentleness the whole trip. I felt graced by angels in my most difficult of times.
The Prophet Muhammad (S) said, “Allah is kind and He loves kindness and confers upon kindness what he does not confer upon harshness and does not confer upon anything else besides it.” Is there anything that touches, connects, builds, like kindness, even between strangers?
I pray for a world brimming, healed, and prospering in kindness, ameen.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002scmt)
09/03/26 Lead shot ban could hamper deer control, fertiliser, new loom for wool mill
The Government's decision to ban lead shot from 2028 will impact the ability to control deer numbers - that's according to the British Association for Shooting and Conservation which says that the new legislation, which will cover England, Scotland and Wales, will ban the ammunition used by many deer stalkers. Last month the Government released its 10 year English deer strategy, which estimated that one-third of England's woodlands are damaged by deer, with urgent action needed to protect trees and wildlife.
A new loom is being built for a woolen mill in Wales which closed down 50 years ago. Cambrian Mill is in an area once known as the 'Huddersfield of Wales' as it was so important to wool production, and when it closed down it became the National Wool Museum which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Farmers use a variety of things to add nutrients to soil and plants to improve the quality and quantity of crops, from organic fertilisers like manure and compost to sewage sludge and man made fertilisers like liquid nitrogen. We're talking about all of them this week, as well as their impact on the environment.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
MON 05:57 Weather (m002scmw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers
MON 06:00 Today (m002sdyg)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002sdyj)
Under the sea
What lies beneath the world's oceans? From the phenomenal infrastructure of telecoms cables to shipwrecked galleons and treasure and the sea creatures of the literary imagination - we explore the mysteries of the deep. Adam Rutherford chairs Radio 4's discussion programme which starts the week. His guests are:
The writer Julian Sancton is the author of Neptune's Fortune which tells the story of Roger Dooley, a diver who went in search of a lost ship. An accidental discovery in the archives led the unlikely treasure hunter to search for the shipwreck of an eighteenth century galleon, the San José. Laden with riches on its way to the New World, it was sunk in a fierce battle and its location was forgotten for centuries. The pursuit is a tale of maritime archaeology, rival treasure hunters, legal and political obstacles and the challenge of narrowing the search to a small area of the sea bed.
We think of the internet as wireless, but it is connected by nearly 900,000 miles of fiber-optic cables at the bottom of the ocean, stitching whole continents together. In The Web Beneath the Waves, the journalist Samanth Subramanian explains the secretive cable-laying operations behind the world of undersea infrastructure. He discovers the environmental risks to them, corporate interests over them and the acts of “grey zone warfare” when ghost ships cut the cables of other countries.
Joan Passey is a senior lecturer in English at Bristol University and a BBC Arts and Humanities Research Council New Generation Thinker. She is the co-founder of the Haunted Shores Network and a leading researcher in literary study of coasts and seascapes, combining an understanding of folklore, myth and technology.
Producer: Ruth Watts
MON 09:45 Like and Subscribe: How YouTube Changed the World (m002b6rj)
We're vlogging our way to YouTube stardom
One of the earliest YouTube viral videos Charlie Bit My Finger is a slice of normal family life. But one bite sparked the rise of a new type of celebrity - The YouTuber - and forever changed the digital world.
In part two of our five part series, Sophia Smith Galer sits down with American YouTuber Hank Green, who opens up about the wild ride of early YouTube stardom and how the platform’s evolving business model reshaped everything. UK YouTube sensation Joe Sugg shares the intense pressures of content creation, while Crystal Abidin, an anthropologist studying internet cultures, breaks down why this new breed of influencer has taken over.
It's the story of Youtube, told by the content creators who were there.
Presented by Sophia Smith Galer
Producer: George McDonagh
Executive Producer: Leonie Thomas
Commissioning Editor: Tracy Williams
Artwork by Uptown Style
Mix and Mastering by Hannah Varrall
An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002sdyl)
Iran's women's football team, Menopause and mental health, Katherine Priddy
Iran has a new Supreme Leader, the hard-line cleric, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has succeeded his father who was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli war against Iran. This morning, Iran's woman’s football team are facing building pressure as they prepare to leave Australia’s Gold Coast after being eliminated from the Asian Cup on Sunday. Fears for their safety has been growing since they failed to sing the national anthem ahead of their first match against South Korea last week. The decision prompted fierce criticism within Iran and in subsequent matches the players sung, or at least mouthed, the anthem’s words. Katy Watson, the BBC's Sydney correspondent, is on the Gold Coast where the tournament is being held and talks to Nuala McGovern about what's been happening.
There has been a surge of understanding about the menopause and we are better informed on many aspects. However three quarters of women surveyed for a YouGov poll do not know that a new mental illness can be triggered by the hormonal changes associated with the menopause. Those figures come from a YouGov poll commissioned by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The College wants to raise awareness about mental health and menopause and the implications for clinical practice.
To tell us more about why this was needed now, Nuala is joined by Dr Lade Smith, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Do you have a "hassler" in your life? If so, they could be making you age faster. That's according to new research funded by the US National Institute of Aging. A third of all respondents in the study said they had at least one hassler in their life - that is someone who is creating problems and making your life harder. The study also shows that the impact on your health is worse if they are a family member. Psychotherapist and writer Lucy Cavendish explains how to deal with that difficult person in your life.
The singer/songwriter Katherine Priddy played her first gig at the O2 and has since performed at the BBC Proms, and at festivals such as Glastonbury, Green Man and Cambridge Folk, where she was awarded the Christian Raphael Prize for best emerging artist. Katherine tells Nuala about her newly released third album, These Frightening Machines, and performs her track Madeline.
Why do some women who commit crimes come to be seen as a definition of evil? The Moors murderer Myra Hindley became an enduring symbol of female wickedness but she is not the only one. Professor Joanna Bourke has written a new book, Five Evil Women. It looks at the fascination with these figures and finds it often reveals as much about society as it does about the crimes themselves. Joanna tells Nuala why she chose these five women and they're also joined by BBC Radio 4 New Generation Thinker, criminologist Professor Stephanie Brown.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Andrea Kidd
MON 11:00 Understand (m002sdyn)
How Reading Made Us
1. How Reading Made Our Brains
Reading seems an unremarkable skill. After all, everyone can read. Even small children. When we say something is as “easy as ABC”, we mean it is very easy indeed. In fact, learning to read has dramatic and irreversible consequences for people and for societies. Learning to read permanently alters your brain. It changes the emotions you experience and the way you relate to others. When a society learns to read the consequences are dramatic: wars break out, revolutions erupt and new political systems spring into being. Reading made us who we are.
For centuries people have been reading more and more. Recently the trend has gone into reverse. The number of people who pick up a book has been falling steadily for twenty years. Now half of adults no longer read regularly.
How will this change us?
Over three episodes, Times writer James Marriott explores how reading made us, and what might happen if we stop.
In this first programme, James finds out how unnatural the process of reading is, and the complex alchemy our brains create to make words on the page make sense to us, and asks what we gain - and lose - when we learn to read.
Guests include:
- Professor Maryanne Wolf, Director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at UCLA
- John Burn-Murdoch, chief data reporter for the Financial Times
- Naomi Alderman, writer and presenter
- Dr Joseph Henrich, Professor of Anthropology at Harvard University
Producer - Beth Sagar-Fenton
Editor - Chris Ledgard
MON 11:45 Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On (m001k0cg)
1. The Decision
Why did the US want regime change in Iraq? Was it really about the threat of terrorists getting hold of weapons of mass destruction after the September 11th 2001 attacks, or was the desire much deeper? And what was the British government's reaction?
This series was first broadcast in March 2023, to mark the 20th anniversary of the war in Iraq.
Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions
Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown
Series Editor: Penny Murphy
MON 12:00 News Summary (m002sdyt)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002sdyw)
Oil Heating, Pension Scams, Dual Nationals
Costs have more than doubled for people who use oil to heat their homes. We hear from listeners who suddenly found themselves with a large bill just as their tanks were empty, at the end of winter. Global oil prices have risen because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East - and the energy price cap is protecting households from the rising price of gas and electricity until July - but this cap doesn't apply to heating oil.
There's an appeal for more victims of pension investment fraud to come forward, with potentially millions of pounds available to be reclaimed.
Plus there are changes to the rules around passports for dual nationals entering the UK. Listeners who have been caught unawares by the changes tell us what it's meant for them.
MON 12:57 Weather (m002sdyy)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m002sdz0)
Video shows US Tomahawk missile strike next to girls’ school in Iran
Experts say film shows a US missile hitting a military base near a primary school in Iran. Former head of UK armed forces Lord Richards gives his analysis of UK and US relations.
MON 13:45 Artworks (m002sdz2)
Waugh: What Is He Good For?
6. Brideshead Revisited - Not Quite Our Class Darling
Many people hold Evelyn Waugh among the best British writers of the 20th Century -Russell Kane is one of them. To mark the 60th anniversary of his death, Russell delves into seven of Waugh’s most important works.
While Waugh has been unfashionable for some time, Kane believes it’s high time to turn back to him. He says he was way ahead of his time and, in his books, he reveals ourselves to ourselves and uncovers clues for how we should live our lives today.
Over seven episodes, Waugh tells us everything we need to know about the cluttered corridors of English culture - its class system, media, cult of masculinity, colonial hang-ups: everything it’s made of, good and bad. Not only does Waugh show our society for what it is, but he demonstrates how it can be hacked - infiltrated by savvy interlopers like himself. And Russell sees a kindred spirit.
Waugh may be a divisive figure, with the public reputation of a pantomime villain. Some say Waugh’s vitriolic streak, cultural insensitivity and idolisation of the upper classes should condemn him to the male, pale and stale literary past - but Russell believes he is prescient, not reactionary, that he was ahead of his time. Waugh holds the least flattering of mirrors up to us - and actually, it’s not Waugh but what we see that we don’t like.
In episode 6, we look to Brideshead Revisited (1945) – a book about class, which was a lifelong obsession for Waugh, the toad that sits at the heart of British society. Russell looks at how he and Waugh interrelate, and how to find ways through the labyrinth.
Contributors:
Dr Paula Byrne, author of Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead
Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye magazine
Archive:
Face to Face (BBC television, 1960) - interview with Evelyn Waugh by John Freeman
Producer: Dom Byrne & Freya Hellier
Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Sound Mix: Jon Calver
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:00 The Archers (m002sclx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Prepper (m000wts4)
Series 2
We're All Preppers Now
Sylvia Garrett, a cut-throat shop-managing baby boomer (Sue Johnston), and 27 year old Rachel Olende, self-obsessed and having a quarter-life crisis (Lydia West) continue their podcast for anyone interested in surviving the coming breakdown of society - Prepper.
Preppers are a large and rapidly growing global community who have taken Armageddon readiness one step further than most. They’re actively skilling up, laying down supplies and readying themselves for ‘the end of the world’, in whatever form it comes. If people in south Manchester are prepping, it’s probably time to worry.
Aimed at both long-time preppers and the newly curious, Prepper gets to grips with the day-to-day challenges of getting ‘Armageddon-ready’ through pre-recorded features, on-air debates and interaction with listeners around the world. The real story of Prepper, however, is the warped mother-daughter relationship between the two hosts, as Rachel’s deep seated neediness rubs up against Sylvia’s iron self-reliance.
The first series of Prepper won the Writers Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Comedy 2020. This second series, written by Caroline Moran, was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. No, the irony did not escape us.
In this series, while Sylvia (Sue Johnston - The Royle Family, Downton Abbey) continues to broadcast from her well-appointed double garage in south Manchester, Rachel (Lydia West - It's a Sin, Years and Years) is banished to a gazebo in the garden.
Cast:
Sylvia is played by Sue Johnston OBE
Rachel is played by Lydia West
Written by Caroline Moran
Technical Presentation: Jerry Peal
Producer: Steve Doherty
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:45 Prime Ministers' Props (m001rjfb)
Series 3
Lloyd George, the Welsh Wizard
Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop can come to define a political leader. In this episode - Lloyd George, the Welsh Wizard.
When David Lloyd George died in 1945, Winston Churchill did not stint in his praise, calling him, ‘the greatest Welshman which that unconquerable race has produced since the age of the Tudors'. But as is often the way with eulogies, it was far from being the whole truth. While Lloyd George steered Britain though the First World War, his later political record was often controversial. Lloyd George came of age during the Welsh national reawakening, so it was only a matter of time before the ‘Man Who Had Won the War’ was hailed as ‘Welsh Wizard’. But by 1922, when Lloyd George had lost his magic touch, he seemed not so much a winning wizard as a corrupt trickster, and the ‘wizard’ associations were turned against him.
David visits Lloyd George’s family home in Llanystumdwy, North Wales and he speaks to historian Mike Benbough-Jackson about how Lloyd George expressed his Welshness, and deliberately cultivated his ‘wizardly’ persona.
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Readings by Will Huggins
A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4
MON 15:00 A Good Read (m002sdz4)
Lolita Chakrabarti and Dr Guy Leschziner
This week's books are:
How to Measure a Cow by Margaret Forster (chosen by Lolita Chakrabarti)
The House of God by Samuel Shem (chosen by Guy Leschziner)
A Very Easy Death by Simone de Beauvoir (chosen by Harriett Gilbert)
The producer is Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio Bristol
Join us over on Instagram @agoodreadbbc
MON 15:30 You're Dead to Me (m002scqj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Saturday]
MON 16:00 Currently (m002shs8)
48 Hours in Isfahan
Witnesses from a city in Iran describe seeing forces loyal to the Islamic regime kill countless demonstrators in a brutal crackdown on the massive street protests held in January. Seen through the eyes of people who were in Isfahan, this programme pieces together a snapshot of events from the 8th and 9th of January. That’s when huge numbers of people took to the streets to protest decades of oppression and call for an end to the Islamic Republic. Thousands of people across the country were killed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's armed forces. The regime blamed the bloodshed on what it called rioters and street terrorists backed by the countries enemies. The UN has called for an independent investigation. However, any prospect of clarity about what happened is at risk of being overshadowed by the current conflict engulfing the country. The first waves of US and Israeli military strikes on Iran killed Ali Khamenei. There are reports of hundreds of civilian casualties too on a population that’s already paid a heavy human price for standing up to the regime.
MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002scql)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
MON 17:00 PM (m002sdz6)
Chancellor warns of possible inflation rise due to war
We speak live to the Chief Executive of the Confederation of British Industry Rain Newton Smith as the UK deals with the economic fall out of the war in the Middle East, and hear an update on the latest events in the region. Also on the programme we'll bring you the latest on the Iranian women's football team as five team members flee whilst competing in Australia and we hear what impact the early findings of a new study into prostate cancer treatment could have on the side effects of treatments.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002sdz8)
G7 finance ministers say they're ready to take measures to support the global energy supply
Ministers from the G7 group of leading industrialised nations have said they are ready to take "necessary measures" to support the global supply of energy after the US-Israel war with Iran led to a big increase in the international price of oil. At one point this morning, it reached nearly $120 a barrel before falling back to less than $100. Also: Investigations have begun into what caused yesterday's fire in Glasgow city centre, which destroyed a Victorian building and forced the neighbouring Central Station to close. And: King Charles has attended the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey along with other senior royals.
MON 18:30 Just a Minute (m002rd20)
Series 96
6. The time I spent New Year's Eve with Sue Perkins
We're back in Bradford for the final episode of the series. Zoe tells us why she's not as cool as a cucumber, Chris explains who Bradford Jesus is and Lucy offers her thoughts on Taylor Swift.
Host: Sue Perkins
Players: Paul Merton, Zoe Lyons, Chris Cantrill, Lucy Porter
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Additional material by Ruth Husko
An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
MON 19:00 The Archers (m002sdzb)
Kirsty’s happy for Rex, promising she won’t tell anyone about Alice. Rex teases Kirsty over her pact with Kate not to watch TV for a week, encouraging Kirsty to break it while Kate’s out for the evening. Rex then joins Kirsty watching the next episode of her favourite TV programme. Kate arrives home unexpectedly early though and busts them, before confessing she had the same idea – she was planning to sneak off and catch up with it on her phone. Relieved Kirsty admits to having zero willpower, as they settle in with popcorn to watch together.
Kate admires Alice’s cake for Martha – Jennifer would be proud. Brian and Jakob play with Martha, who’s become obsessed with trains. Brian notes to Kate how well Martha is doing – Alice clearly doesn’t need to worry. Kate’s resigned to missing some of the little moments of Peg growing up. She doesn’t think Phoebe will return to settle in Ambridge.
Chris and Alice are pleased at how well Martha’s party went. Chris spots the gift from Rex and as they get talking Alice admits that they have been seeing each other. Chris didn’t imagine Rex was Alice’s type, but he’s cool about it.
Over a pint, Brian tells Chris he feels fortunate being able to enjoy these important moments, big and small, with Martha and Xander. Chris reflects on co-parenting with Alice. As the subject of Chris and Alice’s relationship comes up, Chris admits that they’re definitely not getting back together, now that she’s seeing Rex. Brian’s pleased for Alice, while Chris reflects that he’ll get used to the idea.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m002sdzd)
Cillian Murphy on Peaky Blinders, plus Timothee Chalamet's opera backlash
Cillian Murphy talks to Samira Ahmed about the return of Tommy in new film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Timothee Chalamet's disparaging comments on opera and ballet have caused a stir. Matthew Hemley, editor of the stage, responds to what the Oscar nominee actually said.
As London Book Fair begins, and new data suggests adult fiction sales are increasing, we ask why non-fiction seems to be in decline? Toby Mundy, director of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, and Bea Carvalho, Waterstones' Head of Books, discuss current trends.
And Deepa Anappara, the Indian author behind the widely-praised Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, returns with an exploration of 19th century Tibet in new novel The Last of Earth.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Ciaran Bermingham
MON 20:00 How Did We Get Here? (m002rvn7)
Israel and the Palestinians
5. From WWII to the First Arab-Israeli war
In the fifth of ten programmes exploring the origins and tracing the history of the Middle East conflict, we reach the key years of 1945-49, when the United Nations voted for two states in Palestine, the State of Israel was established, and Israel and its Arab neighbours fought their first war – by the end of which 700,000 Palestinians had lost their homes.
Presenter Jonny Dymond is joined by Gudrun Kraemer, Professor of Islamic Studies at the Free University of Berlin, historian Simon Sebag Montefiore and the BBC’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen, author of ‘The Making of the Modern Middle East’.
They discuss the impact of the Second World War on British-ruled Palestine, British attempts to prevent Jewish immigration into the country after the Holocaust, Jewish paramilitary attacks on British targets, the UN decision in 1947 to partition Palestine, the outbreak of civil war between Jews and Arabs, the British withdrawal in 1948, the declaration of Israeli statehood, and the invasion of what had been British Palestine by neighbouring Arab states. They conclude by discussing how the 1948-9 war ended, and the origins of the Palestinian refugee problem.
'How Did We Get Here? Israel and the Palestinians' is a BBC News Long Form Audio production.
The presenter is Jonny Dymond and the editor is Penny Murphy.
The Radio 4 commissioners are Hugh Levinson and Dan Clarke.
The studio engineers are Neil Churchill, James Beard, Rod Farquhar, Mike Regaard and David Crackles.
MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8ty2)
How is war being fought in space?
This week Inside Science comes from Space Comm Expo in London, one of the biggest space conferences in the world. Tom Whipple explores the conference with Suzie Imber, Professor of Planetary Science at the University of Leicester.
Tom also speaks to Dr Everett Dolman, Professor of Space Strategy at John Hopkins University in the USA, about the role of space in modern warfare.
Jodie Howlett, who oversees in-orbit manufacturing at the UK Space Agency talks about why the unique physics of space could be the perfect environment in which to manufacture the next generation of medicines.
And Daniela Schmidt, Professor of Earth Sciences at Bristol University tells us why new research shows how we’ve drastically underestimated our measurements of sea level.
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, Alex Mansfield and Clare Salisbury
Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
Editor: Martin Smith
MON 21:00 Start the Week (m002sdyj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:45 Like and Subscribe: How YouTube Changed the World (m002b6rj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002sdzg)
President Trump says US "hasn't won enough" in Iran war
President Trump tonight described the war in Iran as "a short term excursion" after he'd told CBS the war was "ahead of schedule" and "very complete, pretty much".
He spoke as the economic impact of the war became clearer. With oil prices rising - and inflation likely to rise as well - we hear advice on how to drive more efficiently.
Also on the programme: After chaotic ticket sales for Taylor Swift's Eras tour, Live Nation and Ticketmaster settle a lawsuit in the United States. What will it mean for ticket prices here?
MON 22:45 Nobody's Perfect by Lionel Shriver (m002sdzj)
The Artist
A new serial from Lionel Shriver in which a 30 something London millennial traverses the urban jungle in search of the perfect match.
Kayleigh Cooper dips her toe in the frenzied waters of dating apps.
Read by Yasmin Mwanza.
Written by Lionel Shriver.
YASMIN MWANZA won the Spotlight Prize Winner 2017 for ‘Best Screen Actor’. She is known for her work in Marvel’s Spiderman: Far From Home and The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde (dir: Kenneth Branagh). Yasmin is currently part of the BBC’s Radio Drama Company.
LIONEL SHRIVER’S novels include the National Book Award finalist So Much for That, the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian and the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Her most recent novel, A Better Life - provocative new novel addressing contemporary immigration, Lionel Shriver was published earlier this month (Harper Collins, February 2026).
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 23:00 Limelight (p0dl3g0w)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Firewall
Episode 8
By James Swallow
Dramatised by Paul Cornell
Episode 8
Final part of the thrilling action-thriller set in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell universe. Fourth Echelon Agents Sam and Sarah Fisher are caught in a race against time to execute their mission; to secure the dangerous cyberwarfare technology, Gordian Sword and stop it falling into the wrong hands. Sarah is forced to face her past, as she steels herself to take a life. And Sam finally comes face to face with his old nemesis Dima Aslanov.
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
Stone ..... Mihai Arsene
Eighteen ...... Olga Fedori
Guard ...... Roger Ringrose
Sound design by Sharon Hughes
Directed by Nadia Molinari
Series Co-Produced by Jessica Mitic, Nadia Molinari, Lorna Newman
A BBC Audio Drama North Production
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002sdzm)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the Chancellor warns that the crisis in the Middle East could lead to price rises.
TUESDAY 10 MARCH 2026
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002sdzp)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 00:30 Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On (m001k0cg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002sdzr)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002sdzt)
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 (m002sdzw)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002sdzy)
Sean Curran reports as Chancellor Rachel Reeves warns MPs the Middle East crisis could lead to higher inflation in the UK.
TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002sf00)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002sf02)
From Michael to Muhammad
Good morning. I’ve loved Michael McIntyre for years. His wit, cheekiness and contagious joie de vivre make him a favourite in many households. But the other day my youngest was especially excited, because McIntyre’s guest was KSI.
Yes, dear listener, I too wondered, who is KSI? If you have a Gen Z or Alpha in your home, you may know the name. Now, McIntyre is about my age, while KSI belongs to a generation that can feel almost alien to ours. It’s a tale as old as time: the gap between generations. Yet their exchange was a masterclass in bridging it. Mcintyre showed curiosity in KSI’s work intrigue at this new social media driven career path, and rising respect as KSI’s successes were enumerated, ending with enthusiastic congratulations and all the best wishes for KSI’s future. McIntyre didn’t belittle him, roll his eyes, he didn’t diminish KSI once, even though it would have been so easy to do so. Instead he showed laughter is best when its not generated through demeaning others, and is so much more powerful when it is uniting us in our differences rather than alienating us further.
From Michael I was reminded of Muhammed, the Prophet of Islam and his love of children, how he spoke with them according to their interests and understandings, how he came across a little boy crying over his pet bird dying and the Prophet spontaneously made a rhyme out of the little boy’s name, turning his frown into a smile.
I pray for the fortitude of being curious not threatened by difference, of being excited not afraid of change, ameen.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002sf04)
The meat industry say increased charges for Food Standards Agency staff such as abattoir vets and inspectors could threaten some operations. New charges come into force at the end of this month, and the hourly rate for some services will be more than 20% higher. The Food Standards Agency says a global vet shortage means it is having to pay more to recruit and retain them, and there are other inflationary pressures across the sector. We speak to the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers.
Food producers, manufacturers, importers and exporters are all being asked to get prepared early for the new trading system under the EU/UK Trade Agreement, which is expected to come in next year. The new agreement will include a relaxation of the food biosecurity paperwork, known as SPS or Sanitary and Phytosanitary rules. The International Chambers of Commerce say this is good news.
And trade disruption caused by the war in the Middle East has pushed oil and fertiliser prices up. Farmers here are worried there could be shortages of imported fertiliser. With this in mind, some farmers are looking at ways of mitigating the situation. David Morgan keeps a large herd of beef cattle at Peterchurch in Herefordshire’s Golden Valley. He’s invested in slurry separating equipment to help produce better home grown fertiliser.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
TUE 06:00 Today (m002sftv)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m002sf6b)
Jim Ashworth-Beaumont on how a near-fatal accident made him a better clinician
It's a rare thing to encounter a medical specialist who has experience of his field from the expert and the patient perspective - but not unheard of...
Jim Ashworth-Beaumont is an orthotist and prosthetist who spent years helping people adapt to life with artificial limbs and musculoskeletal supports, before a near-fatal accident left him relying on both.
This twist of fate might have derailed many - but Jim drew on reserves of resilience and determination forged long before his accident; initially in the army, then by returning to education to earn the qualifications he missed out on as a youngster. He put himself through night school before earning a place to study Prosthetics and Orthotics at the University of Strathclyde. Later, while working at London’s Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Jim completed a Master’s in Neurorehabilitation, and a PhD in Health Studies – driven by a fascination with how the human body adapts under pressure.
But in 2020, while training for a triathlon, Jim was involved in a catastrophic cycling accident that nearly killed him - and cost him an arm.
He tells Jim Al-Khalili how the incident gave him a whole new insight into his patients’ experience and made him more determined than ever to achieve his goals.
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Lucy Taylor
A BBC Studios production for Radio 4
TUE 09:30 Inside Health (m002sf6d)
What causes vaccine hesitancy?
There have been nearly 200 cases of measles in the UK so far this year.
Measles can be prevented with vaccines - but the proportion of children being immunised is declining across the UK, particularly in parts of London.
James visits Hackney, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, to find out why and to see what is happening to tackle this issue.
And have you tried an adaptogenic drink? They claim to relax the mind, without giving you a boozy hangover.
James samples some in the lab and then gets behind the wheel of a simulator to see what it does to his driving skills…
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Gerry Holt
Researcher: Thomas Hunt
Editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stuart Laws
Sound engineer: Giles Aspen
Inside Health was made by the BBC’s Audio Science Unit in collaboration with The Open University.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002sftx)
Rape investigations, Ashley Dalton MP, Winter Paralympics, Comic novel Motherfaker
The government’s independent advisor on rape, Professor Katrin Hohl, is warning that despite an overhaul on how to investigate rape, there is a lack of awareness of the changes across courts in England and Wales which is affecting the outcomes of trials. Also today, the Justice Secretary David Lammy is launching a new national Legal Advisors service for rape victims, as well as a pilot project that will look at shifting the focus of rape court cases from the victim to the perpetrator. It will be led by Professor Hohl who joins presenter Nuala McGovern to discuss it along with Nogar Ofer from the Centre for Women's Justice.
As the Winter Paralympics get underway, we look at why women remain under-represented. Only 26.5% of Paralympians are expected to be women, and just 24% of Team GB. Meanwhile research from Activity Alliance and Women in Sport shows that disabled girls are far less likely than boys to see a future for themselves in sport. So what’s holding them back, and what needs to change? We’re joined by Phil Smith of ParalympicsGB, Kate Baker from UK Sport, and Paralympic champion Kelly Gallagher, all live from Italy.
Ashley Dalton, the MP for West Lancashire, announced last week that she was stepping down from her role as Health Minister to focus on constituency work and her health. Last year she revealed that her breast cancer had returned, and metastasised. This means living with advanced breast cancer everyday – it can’t be cured, but it can be managed. She joins Nuala to discuss her decision.
How far would you go for a year off work? The character at the centre of new comic novel Motherfaker is prepared to fake a pregnancy. After her husband disappears with her life savings, teacher Barri Brown is dreaming of escape and a new life, but has limited options. So begins her great pregnancy heist. Anna Brook-Mitchell discusses the inspirations for her debut novel and its key themes from grief to connection and being child-free by choice.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths
TUE 11:00 Add to Playlist (m002s4qn)
Andrew Roachford and Carol Jarvis celebrate a former taxi driver
Trombonist Carol Jarvis and singer and songwriter Andrew Roachford join Jeffrey and Anna to add five more tracks to the playlist. Starting with a famous composer and former taxi driver, they head to some classic boogie-woogie, a female kora virtuoso, and hit the road again with one of country's finest.
Producer Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Etudes: No 6 by Philip Glass
Pyramid Song by Radiohead
Hassle Attack by Ann Rabson
Ballaké Sissoko by Sona Jobarteh
On the Road Again (Live) by Willie Nelson
Other music in this episode:
Mary Ann by Buddy Guy
With Love by Thin Lizzy
Sex Machine by James Brown
Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell
Diary of a Taxi Driver by Bernard Herrmann
TUE 11:45 Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On (m001k0mp)
2. The Commitment
The US was set on war with Iraq. But why did Tony Blair commit Britain to joining it? Twenty years on, how does the former Prime Minister reflect on his decision?
Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions
Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown
Series Editor: Penny Murphy
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002sfv1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002sfv3)
Call You and Yours: Smart Meters
Complaints about smart meters are one of the most common things you contact us about at youandyours@bbc.co.uk. So with the government and Ofgem announcing new rules to try to improve the service, we thought it was a good time to ask for your experiences. Are smart meters working for you? A working smart meter can mean more accurate bills, access to cheaper smart tariffs and the ability to monitor and adapt your energy use. There could be wider benefits too - a more flexible energy system that's less reliant on fossil fuels and less vulnerable to price fluctuations. But it doesn't always go to plan, and millions of smart meters aren't working properly.
Tell us your experience, good or bad. Perhaps you've made use of the sort of flexible tariffs that are available to smart meter customers - or have you capitalised on cheaper off peak rates? Is the smart meter system working for you? Email us on youandyours@bbc.co.uk and please include a phone number. And after
11am on Tuesday 10 March, you can call us on 03700100444.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
TUE 12:57 Weather (m002sfv5)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m002sfv7)
The United States says it is "crushing the enemy" in Iran
The US Defence Secretary sets out Washington's objectives, saying the war will not stop “until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated”. As he describes the 'most intense' day of US attacks so far, we'll hear from people inside Iran. Meanwhile, a Royal Navy Ship is placed in ‘heightened readiness’ to evacuate Britons from the region. We'll bring you the latest developments and analysis from former head of MI6, Sir John Scarlett. Also on the programme, the Government announces the first V-Level subjects to be rolled out in England. We'll speak to a teenager, a headteacher and a recruiter about how new vocational qualifications might work.
TUE 13:45 Artworks (m002sfv9)
Waugh: What Is He Good For?
7. Sword of Honour Trilogy - Boys with Guns
Many people hold Evelyn Waugh among the best British writers of the 20th Century -Russell Kane is one of them. To mark the 60th anniversary of his death, Russell delves into seven of Waugh’s most important works.
While Waugh has been unfashionable for some time, Kane believes it’s high time to turn back to him. He says he was way ahead of his time and, in his books, he reveals ourselves to ourselves and uncovers clues for how we should live our lives today.
Over seven episodes, Waugh tells us everything we need to know about the cluttered corridors of English culture - its class system, media, cult of masculinity, colonial hang-ups: everything it’s made of, good and bad. Not only does Waugh show our society for what it is, but he demonstrates how it can be hacked - infiltrated by savvy interlopers like himself. And Russell sees a kindred spirit.
Waugh may be a divisive figure, with the public reputation of a pantomime villain. Some say Waugh’s vitriolic streak, cultural insensitivity and idolisation of the upper classes should condemn him to the male, pale and stale literary past - but Russell believes he is prescient, not reactionary, that he was ahead of his time. Waugh holds the least flattering of mirrors up to us - and actually, it’s not Waugh but what we see that we don’t like.
In episode 7, we browse the Sword of Honour trilogy (1952-61) – books about war. These current fragile times create the ideal opportunity to explore this trilogy and its themes of the futility of war and traditions that fail to stand up to modernity.
Contributors:
Dr Paula Byrne, author of Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead
Patrick Hennessy, former soldier and author of The Junior Officers’ Reading Club
Archive:
Frankly Speaking (BBC Home Service, 1953) - interview with Evelyn Waugh by Charles Wilmot, Jack Davies & Stephen Black
Monitor (BBC television, 1964) - interview with Evelyn Waugh by novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard
Producer: Dom Byrne & Freya Hellier
Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Sound Mix: Jon Calver
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002sdzb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002sfvc)
The Book Club
Maggie is a 75 year feminist, whose memories of campaigning at Greenham Common are still fresh. But that was over 40 years ago, and attitudes to protest have changed. Veronica Roberts stars in David Morley's play, set against a backdrop of our changing laws on protest.
Cast:
Jade Alkema: Young Maggie
Philip Franks: Judge Hufurr, the Sergeant, Prosecuting Barrister
Isabelle Methven: Heidi
Alana Ramsey: Simone, Defence Barrister, the Policewoman
Veronica Roberts: Maggie
Wilf Scolding: Clive, the Detective, the Soldier
Writer: David Morley
Producer: David Morley
Sound Design: Tom Maggs
A Perfectly Normal production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 15:00 History's Heroes (p0lmnx58)
Gertrude Ederle: Ruling The Waves
A nineteen-year-old American woman sets out on an extraordinary feat of endurance. Will Gertrude Ederle become the first woman to swim the English Channel?
Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.
A BBC Studios Audio production.
Producer: Lorna Reader
Series producer: Suniti Somaiya
Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
TUE 15:30 Thinking Allowed (m002sfvg)
Debt and Wealth Inequality
What does an 18-month study of residents on a housing estate in southern England tell us about living with debt? Laurie Taylor talks to Ryan Davey from Cardiff University about his new book The Personal Life of Debt - Coercion, Subjectivity and Inequality in Britain, which tries to understand how debt affects people emotionally as well as economically.
Laurie is also joined by Sarah Kerr (LSE International Inequalities Institute), whose book, Wealth, Poverty and Enduring Inequality - Let’s Talk Wealtherty, investigates the stubborn persistence of inequality in the UK. Kerr argues that the gap between top and bottom earners has become entrenched and normalised across generations.
Producer: Natalia Fernandez
TUE 16:00 Artworks (m002sfvj)
Landays: Poems of Afghan Rebellion
Lyse Doucet, the BBC's Chief International Correspondent and regular visitor to Afghanistan, talks to female Afghan poets about the landay: a 22 syllable Pashtun verse form they create, perform and share to speak of love, sex, war and hardship. Translator and editor Eliza Griswold describes her discovery of this oral tradition, which led to a project to collect and publish some of these anonymous poems.
Landays read by Shala Nyx
Translated interview voiced by Yasmin Mwanza
Landays translated by Eliza Griswold and published in I Am the Beggar of the World: Landays from Contemporary Afghanistan (Farrar, Strauss, Giroux)
Made with the assistance of journalist and translator Zarghuna Kargar
Produced by Emma Harding, BBC Audio Wales
TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002sfvl)
How can you avoid toothache?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken get to the root of what shapes our health and wellbeing.
In this episode, they ask why our teeth so often cause pain and problems. They look at how teeth work, why they’re so prone to decay, and what actually causes toothache. They ask when it’s time to see a dentist, what helps with the pain, and whether there’s anything we can do ourselves to prevent it.
To help answer these questions, they’re joined once again by Praveen Sharma, Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant at the University of Birmingham.
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 Praveen Sharma
Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Jo Rowntree
Researcher: Grace Revill
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Visual Producer: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Ruth Rainey
At the BBC:
Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 17:00 PM (m002sfvn)
HMS Dragon departs Portsmouth
We bring you the latest on day Ten of the Iran conflict as the Royal Navy's HMS Dragon departs Portsmouth to head to the Eastern Mediterranean and we hear the conflicted feelings of one young Iranian woman about the war. Also on the programme, an update on digital IDs as the government announces the launch of a public consultation, and we hear from the former CEO of Sony and President Clinton's former Chief of Staff on their new book reflecting on their catastrophic mistakes.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002sfvq)
The US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says today will see the most intense strikes on Iran since the war began
The US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said that air strikes on Iran today will be the 'most intense' so far of the eleven-day war. In a news conference at the Pentagon, Mr Hegseth said America was achieving its war goals and winning with 'brutal efficiency' - and that Iran would be 'decisively defeated'. Also: Some local commuter services are expected to resume at Glasgow Central station tomorrow -- three days after a large fire in a neighbouring building forced it to close. And: On the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, Lossiemouth -- trained by the leading Irish trainer, Willie Mullins -- stormed to victory in the Champion Hurdle, the first big race of the meeting.
TUE 18:30 Wing It (m002sfvs)
Series 2
2. In AI's Defence...
Cariad Lloyd, Thomas Mayo, Emma Sidi, and Lola Rose-Maxwell embark on more improv mayhem. Host Alasdair Beckett-King presides over a series of games featuring a visit from the grim reaper, overly protective mothers, and a passionate defence of AI.
"No Script. No Prep. No Clue."
Presented by Alasdair Beckett-King.
Starring Cariad Lloyd, Thomas Mayo, Emma Sidi, and Lola Rose-Maxwell
Devised by Sam Holmes
Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Baum
Sound Editor: Chris Maclean
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m002sf5m)
George’s probation officer, Reg, has bad news – someone’s made a complaint about George’s ‘public urination’ on Sunday. George protests to Amber; he was barely visible. Reg meets George and asks about his future plans, and mentions some worrying patterns of behaviour linked to drinking. There won’t be a prosecution, but Reg will recommend an alcohol tag for thirty days. George is incensed, but Amber tells him to suck it up. No-one will spot the tag under his jeans, so he can tell his family he’s staying sober to support her.
Ruth and David are busy lambing and there’s no rest for David, chair of the Borchester Show. Ben can’t help as he has to work at the surgery today. They miss Josh, whose being merely polite with them currently, and want to make him feel better before he goes away. David suggests throwing a big party. Ben agrees to ask Josh if he’s up for it.
Lily and Ben chat as she has a routine blood test. As Ben mentions the party idea, Lily sympathises with Josh’s antisocial mood, recalling her own inheritance issues at Lower Loxley. Ben’s happy to not be in the running at Brookfield. Lily asks him about moving back into the Stables when Josh goes.
Later, David and Ruth want to discuss their ideas for Josh’s party. Lily then reports Josh isn’t up for it. Ben suggests Josh would enjoy a meal out. Ruth starts booking a fancy sushi place, but David worries it won’t be enough to convince Josh he’s not the ‘Spare’.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002sfvv)
Howard Jacobson's new book, Howl
Booker Prize-winning author Howard Jacobson discusses his new novel, Howl.
Musician Thea Gilmore talks about her latest project The Echo Line, where she creates music from anonymous messages. Thea also performs the song Silvie live, which is the second track from the project.
A book containing 10,000 writers' names entitled Don't Steal This Book is being given out at the London Book Fair as a stand against AI using copyrighted material. Tom talks to bestselling author Philippa Gregory about the book and why her name is included in it.
And we delve into the popular world of micro-dramas also known as vertical dramas which are a booming in East Asia. Episodes only last a few minutes and move at a breathtaking pace, all filmed in the portrait, phone-friendly format that gives the genre its name. We speak to UK based director Dan Lowenstein, and the BBC's Seoul correspondent Jake Kwon, to find out if vertical dramas have a future here too.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Lucy Collingwood
TUE 20:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002sf55)
Fight on the Right: The MAGA Civil War
President Donald Trump won multiple elections thanks to support from the Maga movement - but cracks have begun to emerge in the broad coalition of America's political right.
The schism first emerged online as Maga supporters-turned-detractors began to criticise President Trump, saying he has failed to deliver on campaign promises they voted for. Maga congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene - once one of President Trump's most vocal supporters - quit Congress last year after becoming increasingly critical of the president over issues such as continued US involvement in foreign wars, the failure to tackle the cost of living in America - and failure to release all of the FBI's files on the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
But two months prior to her quitting, it was the murder of conservative influencer, Charlie Kirk, which really sent a shockwave through the movement. A power vacuum at the top has been filled by some curious characters, as other activists have fought for control of the space Kirk once dominated.
And when former Fox News host Tucker Carlson - perhaps the most influential thought leader in conservative America - invited Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes onto his podcast, a vicious debate kicked off which continues to this day.
Some Maga influencers say they'll welcome anyone into the fold, but more mainstream Republicans continue to call for the rejection of these elements - and are concerned they could cost the party votes in November's midterm elections.
Warning: This programme features and discusses some anti-Semitic and racist points of view.
Presenter: Mike Wendling
Producer: Lucy Proctor
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002sfvx)
Usher Syndrome Helpline, Eye Matter
In Touch hears about a helpline that has been specifically set up for people with Usher Syndrome. Usher Syndrome is a dual disability that causes combined deafness and blindness. The helpline is provided and operated by Deafblind UK, Nikki Morris is their CEO and she describes why there was a need for a specific helpline for the group of people living with this condition.
Continuing this week's theme of services for visually impaired people, In Touch speaks with Suzie Simons who is the founder and Coordinator of Eye Matter. They are a charity based in London who provide national services online, such as grief counselling, book clubs and training opportunities, along with many in-person events and holidays throughout the year.
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 The Law Show (m002s4hz)
The plans to limit jury trials in England and Wales
The courts system in England and Wales is in an unprecedented crisis. The backlog has reached 80,000 cases, and some defendants are being told they won't be able to have a criminal trial until 2030.
The government has introduced the Courts and Tribunals Bill, which contains a raft of measures to tackle delays and bring down the backlog; but the Justice Secretary David Lammy has admitted that things are going to get even worse before they get better.
The most controversial change is a plan to restrict the number of jury trials. The right to judgement by your peers has existed for more than 800 years, but for some offences, that's going to end.
Defendants will lose the right to choose between a jury trial or a magistrate's hearing in so-called "either-way" offences.
Magistrates will get increased sentencing powers - up from 12 months to 18 months.
More serious criminal cases, with likely sentences of up to three years will now be heard by a single judge - and no jury.
And only the most serious "indictable" offences, like murder, manslaughter and rape and any other offence with a sentence of longer than three years will be heard by a jury.
But will the reforms make a difference?
Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan
Producers: Ravi Naik and Charlotte Rowles
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Contributors:
Sarah Sackman KC, courts and legal services minister
Chris Kinch, KC, who until 2024 was a senior judge at Woolwich Crown Court in south London
David Ford, national chair of the Magistrates Association
TUE 21:30 The Bottom Line (m002s3fc)
Entrepreneurs: Your Questions Answered
Evan is joined by a panel of top entrepreneurs to answer your listener questions.
How do you make your business stand out in a crowded market? Where can you find the information you need to start your own business? Why don't we hear about the failures along the way to success? And how do you know which risks are worth taking?
Evan and his guests answer listeners' questions and discuss the ins and outs of starting your own business, as well as the unique challenges of being an entrepreneur.
Guests:
Trinny Woodall, CEO and founder of Trinny London
Sarah Willingham, CEO and founder of Nightcap
Brent Hoberman, serial entrepreneur and investor
Production team:
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound engineers: Jack Graysmark and Dave O'Neill
Editor: Matt Willis
The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002sfvz)
Met police: Al-Quds march in London should not go ahead this weekend
The BBC understands the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has written to the home secretary saying the controversial Al Quds Day march - which was set to take place in London this weekend - should not be allowed to go ahead. The annual event has been criticised for representing the views of the Iranian regime and for antisemitic and anti-Israel hostility. We'll hear from Lord Walney who supports a ban, and from one of the organisers of the march.
Also on the programme:
The creator of Wordle tells us why he's moving from a simple word game to cryptic crosswords:
And if you're a woman who drives an Uber or hails one in the United States, you can now ask for a women-only journey. We talk to a female cabbie and the owner of a new women's taxi business here in the UK.
TUE 22:45 Nobody's Perfect by Lionel Shriver (m002sfw1)
The Entrepreneur
A new serial from Lionel Shriver. Kayleigh Cooper, a 30 something London millennial continues to peruse the urban jungle in search of the perfect match.
Finding dating apps to be the wild west of matchmaking, Kayleigh moves to a bespoke agency designed to find her the perfect match.
Read by Yasmin Mwanza.
Written by Lionel Shriver.
YASMIN MWANZA won the Spotlight Prize Winner 2017 for ‘Best Screen Actor’. She is known for her work in Marvel’s Spiderman: Far From Home and The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde (dir: Kenneith Branagh). Yasmin is currently part of the BBC’s Radio Drama Company.
LIONEL SHRIVER’S novels include the National Book Award finalist So Much for That, the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian and the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Her most recent novel, A Better Life - provocative new novel addressing contemporary immigration, Lionel Shriver was published earlier this month (Harper Collins, February 2026).
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:00 Illuminated (m002sclz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:15 on Sunday]
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002sfw3)
Sean Curran reports as MPs debate a controversial bill that would abolish some jury trials.
WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH 2026
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002sfw5)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 00:30 Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On (m001k0mp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002sfw7)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002sfw9)
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 (m002sfwc)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002sfwf)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament
WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002sfwh)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002sfwk)
Value without Love
Good Morning, a friend of mine recently told me a story of a Sufi Sheikh from the subcontinent. This sheikh sat down for his midday meal in the subcontinent. A man of a cast considered untouchable passes nearby. The Sufi calls him over and insists on sharing his food and eating together. The man is stunned. Not only because a religious scholar has addressed him, but because sharing food would violate cast purity laws. The man says I am not fit to sit with you. The Sufi replies then how am I to sit with God, if I refuse to sit with you. The man protests that the Sufi will lose his Social standing. The Sufi response what is a religion worth that cannot survive love?”
The Sufi is risking his reputation, but he is choosing ethical divine truth over profane social approval. He is undoing his own ego’s attachment to rank and status. It would be much easier to avoid the man, maintain the illusory structures of manmade hierarchies, but what kind of believer would that make him?
I pray for a life that not only survives but thrives on love, Ameen
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002sfwm)
It's less than a month before the new inheritance tax comes in for farmers, and the Government's Finance Bill reaching the report stage is a last chance for any amendments to be considered. After a Government u-turn at the end of the year, the tax threshold was increased, but there are concerns the policy still doesn't give Tenant Farmers, who don't own their land, the same advantage. The Tenant Farmers Association share their concerns.
A farm vets practise in Gloucestershire is offering free workshops for Young Farmers groups to spend time with their vets asking questions and taking part in practical workshops. Marie Lennon went to Tyndale Vets for one of the sessions.
For decades, farmers have used sewage sludge, or bio solids as fertiliser. That's the waste that comes from us after it's been cleaned up in water treatment plants. Compared to imported artificial fertiliser, its very cheap - it can even be free.
But there's concern that sewage-derived fertiliser may contain microplastics, pharmaceuticals and some so-called forever chemicals. The government is proposing to tighten the rules on using sewage sludge on farmland Scotland introduced tighter rules a few months ago – and Wales is also looking to reform. Tom Heap reports.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Marie Lennon
WED 06:00 Today (m002sf4x)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Sideways (m002sf4z)
84. Absurdity on Toast
A morning routine. A cup of tea brewing. Toast almost ready. It’s Monday, and a young man is getting ready to leave for work, when there’s a knock at the door. Two police officers stand outside with news that will change his life - he’s under arrest.
He’s stunned. There must be a mistake. What has he done? “I’m afraid we can’t share that information yet,” one of the officers says. He’s never been in trouble with the law. But now he is - and no one will tell him why.
Matthew Syed invites us to confront the absurd - the moments when life stops making sense, when there’s nothing to grasp or explain. He asks whether we have grown used to the absurdity woven into our lives and whether there is a way to push against it.
With author Michael Foley, Professor of Anthropology Nina Holm Vohnsen (University of Aarhus) and Mathijs Bal, Psychologist and Professor of Management (University of Lincoln).
With special thanks to Tom Wright and Joe Savage.
Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten
Editor: Katherine Godfrey
Sound Design and Mix: Mark Pittam
Production Coordinator: Joe Savage
Theme music by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
WED 09:30 Everything Is Fake (m002sf51)
Everything Is Fake and Nobody Cares
1. Fake it. Make it. Podcast it.
Jamie Bartlett is not Steven Bartlett. People mix them up more than you might think - but there is an important difference: Steven Bartlett is one of the most successful podcasters on the planet, and Jamie is not.
So what does Steven have that Jamie doesn't? And what does the answer tell us about the world we now live in?
In this first episode, Jamie digs into the origin stories of the UK's podcast kings - and discovers that in 2025, working out what's true, what's embellished, and what's just a really good story is harder than it sounds.
He also builds himself an AI companion, Jimmy Botlett, because if he's going to get to the bottom of how fakery took over the world, he's going to need all the help he can get.
Credits:
Presenter: Jamie Bartlett
Series Producer: Tom Pooley
Sound Design: Rob Speight
Production Coordinator: Neena Abdullah
Original music: Coach Conrad
Editor: Craig Templeton Smith
A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002sf53)
Leeds maternity review, Women vets, The term 'rough wooing'
The health secretary Wes Streeting has appointed senior midwife Donna Ockenden to lead a review into maternity and neonatal services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The appointment came after a sustained campaign by bereaved and harmed families who said that she was the only one they trusted to lead the review into failings in Leeds. BBC reporter Divya Talwar tells us about breaking the story and Donna Ockenden joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her new appointment as well as her ongoing review into Nottingham university hospitals.
We look at the changing gender split in the veterinary profession, 61% of working vets are women and 80% of recently qualified vets - what's behind the shift? Dr Christianne Glossop is Honorary Professor and Honorary Fellow at the Royal Veterinary College and Wales' first Chief Veterinary Officer, she joins Nuala.
During World War One, women working in munitions factories formed football teams. They would sometimes play in front of thousands of people, until the Football Association banned women's football in 1921, a ban that lasted for 50 years. This is the focus of a play at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, The Ladies Football club. One of the stars is Ellie Leach, formerly in Coronation Street and who won Strictly Come Dancing in 2023. She joins Nuala alongside director Elizabeth Newman.
Dr Amy Blakeway, Senior Lecturer in 16th Century Scottish History at the University of St Andrews, talks to Nuala about the history of the term 'rough wooing', and why she thinks its time we stopped using it.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Helen Fitzhenry
WED 11:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002sf55)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
WED 11:40 This Week in History (m002sf57)
March 9th to March 15th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
March 11th - In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev was named the Soviet Union's new leader.
March 11th - In 1702, Britain's first daily newspaper - The Daily Courant - began publication.
March 15th - In 44BC - the Ides of March - the Roman emperor, Julius Caesar, was assassinated by a group of senators.
WED 11:45 Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On (m001k0x1)
3. The Spies
The case for war would be made based on the idea of a threat from Weapons of Mass destruction. And spies would be used to help sell it. It would leave some on the inside of British intelligence feeling deeply uncomfortable.
Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions
Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown
Series Editor: Penny Murphy
WED 12:00 News Summary (m002sf5c)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002sf5f)
Money and Mental Health, Magazines, Evri Customer Service Scams
Have you ever tried to solve a problem with a company through social media? Our reporter Shari Vahl speaks to someone who thought they were dealing with parcel delivery firm Evri but were in fact dealing with criminals trying to obtain their bank details.
On Sunday, there was a large fire in a Victorian building next to Glasgow Central station. It has caused huge disruption to the city, with the station yet to fully re-open and more than a hundred businesses impacted. We’ll hear about the recovery efforts and what help will be on offer for those affected.
According to mental health charity Mind, one in ten people in the UK will report symptoms of severe mental illness in any week. This has increased from one in twenty in the early 1990s. At the same time, our financial lives have also become more complicated, with price comparison website GoCompare estimating that we each have an average of thirty active accounts. We’ll hear from Martin Lewis’ charity about why the system needs simplifying for vulnerable people.
When was the last time you bought a magazine? The amount of money that the average consumer spends on magazines fell by 62% from 2010 to 2024, according to Enders Analysis, and the latest ABC figures show an average 9% drop in print sales. We’ll discuss the future of the magazine industry and hear from the editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar UK, a magazine that is bucking the trend.
WED 12:57 Weather (m002sf5h)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m002sf5k)
Three shipping vessels struck in the Strait of Hormuz
More cargo ships are hit in Strait of Hormuz. We hear about the impact of the conflict on all areas of the global economy. Sir Keir Starmer says the plan to increase fuel duty in September is kept under review. We speak to Luke Pollard, the Minister for Defence Procurement, and Claire Coutinho, the Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, and we hear from a spokesman for the Israeli government. Ahead of elections in Scotland in eight weeks' time, Jim Naughtie reports from the country, examining whether or not the issue of immigration has changed the self-perception of the Scottish people.
WED 13:45 Prime Ministers' Props (m001rjf8)
Series 3
Clement Attlee's Family Car
Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop can come to define a political leader. In this episode - Clement Attlee's family car.
While he was campaigning for the 1945 election, Clement Attlee travelled around the country in his family car, driven by his beloved wife, Vi. Attlee’s projected image was of a man who was both modest but also opposed to the ruling elite, spurning the grandeur of a chauffeur. It was both enlightened, modest, and very modern. His quiet message of reform was heard, and he subsequently delivered one of Labour’s largest election victories. The Attlee’s repeated their road trip during the 1950 election, travelling the length and breadth of the county to rally Labour support in their Hillman 14, a middle-class car owned by the sorts of voters Attlee was seeking to convince.
David visits Haynes Motor Museum near Yeovil to learn more about the Attlee family's motor cars and to explore how Clement Attlee’s choice of cars showed he was a man of the people and quintessentially British built.
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Readings by Will Huggins
A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4
WED 14:00 The Archers (m002sf5m)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama on 4 (m001n8pb)
Of a Night
By Paul Jones
From the winner of the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2021 for Northern writers new to radio, comes a new pressure cooker drama, delving into the realities of Britain's social housing crisis. Set over one busy night shift in an understaffed, overworked Liverpool Housing Association call centre, we meet the people on the front line fielding emergency calls.
Tony's been here six years, tonight he's training up newbie Julie. 'Calls in the queue' flash repeatedly on screen. Mhairi's got no leccy and Mrs Jarosz's got a leak in her kitchen. Then there's Mr Davies who's got a long list of complaints- welcome to social housing...
Tony ..... Neil Caple
Julie ..... Sue Jenkins
Mhairi ..... Izzy Campbell
Peter/ Frank ..... Jason Done
Cathy/ Mrs Jarosz ..... Emily Pithon
Mr Davies/ Carl ..... Paul Duckworth
Production Co-ordination by Lorna Newman
Sound design by John Benton
Spot FX by Simon Highfield
Produced and Directed by Jessica Mitic
A BBC Audio Drama North production
Note for press:
Writer, Paul Jones won the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2021. The Alfred Bradley Bursary Award is a £5000 award for a Northern writer who is new to radio. The winner also gets a 12 month mentorship with a BBC Radio Drama producer and the opportunity to gain a BBC Radio 4 drama commission. 'Patterdale' Paul's winning play broadcast on Radio 4 in 2022, this is his second drama for radio. Paul has worked in a Housing Association call centre.
WED 15:00 The Law Show (m002sf5p)
Is it legal for police to use live facial recognition technology?
The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says she makes “no apology” for announcing the roll-out of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) to all the police services in England and Wales.
Under a government white paper on policing, the number of Live Facial Recognition vans will increase from 10 to 50.
Police say it’s groundbreaking technology in the fight against crime, but civil liberties groups say it’s authoritarian and a step towards a "surveillance state".
Facial recognition cameras are already used in shops; the difference with LFR is that the software used by police tracks faces against a watchlist - a specific database of faces - from a live video feed.
But the legal framework regulating the use of the technology is a patchwork of common law, human rights legislation and police guidelines, which has been challenged in the High Court.
There is also concern about a lack of oversight over how police watchlists are compiled, and why the number of people on the list now stretches into the thousands.
So is LFR legal?
Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan
Producers: Ravi Naik and Charlotte Rowles
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Contributors:
Sonja Jessup, BBC London’s home affairs correspondent
Professor Karen Yeung, Interdisciplinary Professorial Fellow in Law, Ethics and Informatics, Birmingham Law School
Dr Asress Gikay, Senior Lecturer in AI, Disruptive Innovation and Law, Brunel, University of London
Richard Ryan a barrister from Blakiston’s, specialising in drone and unmanned aviation law
WED 15:30 The Curse (m002sf5r)
For generations, young, seemingly healthy men were mysteriously dying on the Canadian island of Newfoundland.
They dropped dead doing normal everyday things like eating dinner, walking across the beach or shovelling snow. Locally, it became known as The Newfoundland Curse and it has been terrorising families for centuries.
It turns out that these families have a rare genetic heart condition called Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy, or ACM for short. If left untreated, ACM will kill 80% of the men who have it by the time they are 50 and, until recently, it was practically undetectable.
In 1995, genetic counselor Dr Kathy Hodgkinson was introduced to The Curse. Determined to understand why this was happening, she made it her mission to uncover the truth with the goal of ending it once and for all.
Produced & Sound Designed by Rebecca Nolan
Executive Producer & Editor: Dennis Funk
Mix Engineer: Jeff Emtman
Photo: Oak Mountain
A Written in Air production for BBC Radio 4
WED 16:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002sf5t)
A Gulf in Communications
When your country's PR plan relies on the projection of safety and security, how do you keep that image alive when you're under attack?
This week, David Yelland is joined by global PR expert Farzana Baduel to examine how countries in the Gulf have managed their comms since the start of the war in Iran.
In Dubai especially, social media influencers have been used as foot soldiers in the reputation battle. But has the relentlessly on-brand, 'we feel safe' messaging been successful? David and Farzana explain why it depends which end of the PR telescope you're looking through.
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 (m002sf5w)
The people shaping American media including Mehdi Hasan, Jeffrey Goldberg, Sarah Smith and Johnny Harris
This week on The Media Show, Ros Atkins is in Washington DC, speaking to some of the most influential voices in American journalism. He talks to Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor in Chief of The Atlantic, Mehdi Hasan, Editor in Chief and CEO of Zeteo, the BBC’s North America Editor Sarah Smith, and filmmaker and YouTube creator Johnny Harris. Together, they reveal how very different media organisations are covering President Trump’s war with Iran and how they see the US media landscape at this moment.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Content Producer: Lucy Wai
WED 17:00 PM (m002sf5y)
First set of Mandelson files released
The files show that Keir Starmer was advised that Peter Mandelson's relationship with Epstein posed a "general reputational risk" ahead of his appointment as Ambassador to the US. We'll unpack their contents. Plus: did the Trump administration miscalculate the Iranian response when it started the war?
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002sf60)
Government documents on Lord Mandelson's appointment released
Documents released by the government show that Sir Keir Starmer was warned that Lord Mandelson's links to Jeffrey Epstein posed a "general reputational risk" if he was appointed as the UK's ambassador to the US. The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, told MPs that the due diligence process had "fallen short of what was required". The BBC understands that Lord Mandelson maintains he did not act criminally or for personal gain.
WED 18:30 Stand-Up Specials (m002sf62)
Live from the UK
S2 E3: What's In Your Briefcase?
Angela Barnes is trekking around the country, and finding what their comedy clubs have to offer.
So, if you want to know what percentage of body fat is ideal, why renaissance statues rub Liam up the wrong way, and an idea for a new, inclusive phone advert, this is the show for you.
In this episode, you can hear;
Steffan Alun at the Swansea Grand
James Ellis at Brighton Komedia
Liam Bolton at Hot Water Comedy Club in in Liverpool
Diona Doherty at the Empire Music Hall in Belfast
Additional Material by Ruth Husko
Recorded by David Thomas and Davy Neil
Sound design by David Thomas
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.
WED 19:00 The Archers (m002sf64)
Azra’s grateful to Ben for coming into work at short notice and as he eats a late breakfast they discuss Azra’s fasting. He tells Azra about Josh’s upcoming working holiday in Patagonia and the possibility of moving back to the Stables. Ben feels ready, despite the slight memory of his breakdown. They then talk about this year’s big push on mental health awareness. Later Ben reports he’s contacted Radio Borsetshire; they’ve suggested doing a live interview with Azra next week, linking it with their own mental health campaign. Azra’s nervous about getting her message right, but thinks a call to action might be her best approach.
While Jakob attends to a horse with Alice, Brian pops by and notes Rex has a spring in his step. Jakob admits he knows Alice and Rex are an item.
Brian’s keen to check in with Ruairi, while Alice suggests Ruairi’s a bit down because of Paul being away. They discuss Miranda’s purchase of Home Farm and debate where to plant a Mother’s Day rose for Jennifer. Brian compliments Alice on looking so well, smugly taking credit for her and Rex. Brian’s worried about Kate and talks to Jakob. Limited to video calls with Phoebe, Brian’s convinced Kate wants to live in Scotland, nearer her daughter and granddaughter. He’s keen to check with Jakob how he’d feel if Kate admits she wants to move. Jakob isn’t averse in theory, but as Kate hasn’t mentioned anything to him Jakob admits a slight panic and wonders whether Kate even wants him to go with her.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m002sf66)
James McAvoy on his directorial debut, California Schemin'
Actor James McAvoy who has starred in everything from Shameless to X Men talks about turning director for his debut feature, California Schemin'. The film, which is billed as being "based on a true lie", tells the story of two young rappers from Dundee who pretended to be American in order to be taken seriously by the record industry - and ended up touring with Eminem in the 2000s.
BBC One's new Sunday evening drama series The Other Bennet Sister tells the story of Pride and Prejudice through the eyes of Mary Bennet, often regarded as less remarkable than her sisters Jane and Elizabeth in Jane Austen's classic novel. Screenwriter Sarah Quintrell speaks about adapting Janice Hadlow's bestselling book which offers a new perspective on the much-loved book and stars Bridgerton's Ella Bruccoleri in the lead role, as well as Ruth Jones as mother Mrs Bennet, with Richard E Grant as Mr Bennet.
And 800 years on from his death, we are joined by art historian Joost Joustra and Franciscan Friar Brother Samuel to consider the cultural legacy of St Francis of Assisi.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m002sf68)
Pragmatism and Principle: what is the role of morality in foreign policy?
Relations between Britain and the United States have rarely been described as simple, but they have long been called special. Yet in recent days that relationship has come under strain, after a sharp exchange between Donald Trump and Keir Starmer over the latest international crisis and Britain’s response to it. For more than eighty years the United Kingdom has defined its place in the world partly through its alliance with the United States. But moments like this raise uncomfortable questions about how Britain should act amid a shifting global order.
Some argue that foreign policy must ultimately be guided by national interest. In an uncertain world, they say, Britain cannot afford to jeopardise its most important alliance. Presidents come and go, but the strategic relationship between the two countries endures. In that view, the moral case is one of engagement, diplomacy, influence and the long-term security and prosperity of British citizens.
Others believe that alliances cannot come at the expense of values. The Canadian prime minister Mark Carney recently warned that the world has entered an “age of rupture”, where the rules and norms that once governed international relations are beginning to fray. When Britain disagrees with its closest ally – particularly on questions of war and peace – it has a responsibility to defend those principles, even at the risk of friction or isolation.
So in these extraordinary times, should foreign policy be guided primarily by principle or by pragmatic self-interest? What should the balance be between ethical idealism and strategic reality? Can interests and values truly align? And ultimately, what is the role of morality in foreign policy?
Chair: Michael Buerk
Panel: Matthew Taylor, Giles Fraser, Ash Sarkar and Tim Stanley
Witnesses: Jan Halper-Hayes, Peter Oborne, Christopher Hill, Jamie Gaskarth
Producer: Dan Tierney
Assistant Producer: Jay Unger
Editor: Chloe Walker.
WED 21:00 The Life Scientific (m002sf6b)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 Inside Health (m002sf6d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 on Tuesday]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002sf6g)
Keir Starmer was warned about risk of Mandelson's links to Epstein
The prime minister was warned that Lord Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein posed a "reputational risk" before he was confirmed as US ambassador.
Documents released by the government include advice sent to the prime minister which said the pair's relationship continued after the financier's conviction for procuring an underage girl in 2008. We’ll hear from Karl Turner, the Labour MP for Kingston Upon Hull East.
Also on the programme: Why more than 400 of the UK's church pipe organs are being junked or falling silent.
And English language music is losing its stranglehold on the charts, according to new data from music streaming giant Spotify. We speak to the Welsh rock duo, Alffa.
WED 22:45 Nobody's Perfect by Lionel Shriver (m002sf6j)
The Farmer
A new serial from Lionel Shriver. Kayleigh Cooper, a 30 something London millennial continues to peruse the urban jungle in search of the perfect match.
Kayleigh Cooper, a 30 something London millennial, tries a more traditional route of introduction in her search for the perfect match. The recommendation of a friend. A financial advisor himself in search of new life – as a farmer.
Read by Yasmin Mwanza.
Written by Lionel Shriver.
YASMIN MWANZA won the Spotlight Prize Winner 2017 for ‘Best Screen Actor’. She is known for her work in Marvel’s Spiderman: Far From Home and The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde (dir: Kenneith Branagh). Yasmin is currently part of the BBC’s Radio Drama Company.
LIONEL SHRIVER’S novels include the National Book Award finalist So Much for That, the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian and the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Her most recent novel, A Better Life - provocative new novel addressing contemporary immigration, Lionel Shriver was published earlier this month (Harper Collins, February 2026).
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:00 Stand-Up Specials (m002s5ts)
Slim's Guide to Life
4. Thirties
Comedian and legend of the black circuit, Slim, remembers his thirties.
With his children all grown up, and his comedy career on the rise, Slim is looking forward to a decade of freedom and success. However, he finds himself in a new role. Carer. His father is now elderly and living with diabetes, so Slim is looking after him. His dad's refusal to give up sugar, and his sneaky ways with the doctor might frustrate Slim at the time, but can he also learn valuable life lessons from his old man?
Written and performed by Slim
Script Edited by David Ajao
Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Recorded at Up The Creek comedy club by Chris Maclean.
Sound design by Chris Maclean
Music by Slim
Slim's Guide to Life is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies, and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
WED 23:15 Stand-Up Specials (m002sf6l)
Aurie Styla: Tech Talk
S2 E3. Battle of the A, B, Y and X's
Comedian Aurie Styla returns to rampage through the history of technology, through his own experience as a self-confessed tech nerd growing up in the 90s, and various things you thought you’d forgotten.
With his interactive, wildly funny style, tonight he hones in on one of his specialist subjects - how we got from queueing up for Pacman arcade machine to playing on games consoles so powerful you don't always know where reality begins and ends.
An Impatient production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002sf6r)
PMQs; and the Mandelson files.
THURSDAY 12 MARCH 2026
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002sf6t)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 00:30 Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On (m001k0x1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002sf6w)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002sf6y)
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 (m002sf70)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002sf72)
Sean Curran reports on Prime Minister's Questions - and the release of government files on Peter Mandelson's appointment as the UK's Ambassador to the United States.
THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002sf74)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002sf76)
Beeeeee like the Bee
Good Morning, last year I signed my husband and I up to a 6-month beekeeping course. It was the best thing we did that year. It was a lovely way for us to learn something new together, to join a new community, to breakaway from the rigmarole of life. But we learned lessons from the bees that I had not envisaged. Here are just 3:
1. Good leaders leave Egos behind. From the Queen Bee we learned about excellent leadership, to be focused on the needs of your team, providing them with what they need to do the best in their roles, but not micromanaging or interfering; trusting them to thrive.
2. Communication is key. Bees do a waggle dance to communicate to their hive where nectar can be found. A bee in need of grooming has a different sort of dance to express their need, and a fellow bee won’t hesitate to groom and relieve them. If the Queen is lost, the bees will seek her out and when they do, they’ll lean towards her turning the bodies into arrows indicating the way. Compassionate community can only truly be built on attentiveness, communication and hard work.
3. Sustainable Efficiency. Bees are efficient, but not in the soulless corporate sense of efficient but in the wholesome sense of being focused and driven, seeing their work through to conclusion in a way that doesn’t harm their environments but strengthens the ecosystem. After all, the existence of all life would likely soon disappear if all bees did!
The Qur’an has a whole chapter named the Bee and tells us to look to the Bee for lessons, this hardly surprises me.
I pray for the humility to learn from all of God’s creatures, Ameen
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002sf78)
British tomato growers say they may be forced to end their growing season early and import more tomatoes because of the increasing costs of heating.
They say the conflict in the Middle East has raised the price of gas, with some growers' bills doubling in the last 2 weeks.
Growing tomatoes (and other crops) in glasshouses is an energy hungry industry, and with similar problems across Europe growers say consumers can expect price rises.
Simon Conway is Chair of the British Tomato Growers Association.
All this week we've been talking about fertiliser - and today its manure and slurry, or muck.
There are rules governing this, which, as agriculture is devolved are slightly different across the UK. In Northern Ireland its the Nutrients Action Programme which covers the whole country, in the rest of the UK we have Nitrate Vulnerable Zones - NVZ's - which cover 55% of England, five areas of Scotland, and the whole of Wales. They all restrict WHEN farmers can spread muck, and how much per hectare.
But as the weather becomes less predictable, farmers particularly in Wales say the rules are too restrictive. Sally Challoner reports
A concession had allowed around 75 shearers from Australia and New Zealand to work here for the season without a work visa - the policy was due to end this year. After warnings that ending it would impact sheep welfare the government now says it will allow shearers in, but there will be more checks and they will have to get a visa at a cost of £682.
Jill Hewitt is from the National Association of Agricultural Contractors, Charlotte Smith asked her if the cost of this year's visa could put shearers off coming to the UK.
Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Marie Lennon
THU 06:00 Today (m002sg0y)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m002sg10)
Archaea
Misha Glenny and guests discuss one of the most remarkable scientific discoveries of the 20th century: the archaea microorganisms. In the 1970s the American microbiologist Carl Woese (1928-2012) realised that the tiny bacteria-sized organisms he was studying were not actually bacteria but from an entirely different branch of the tree of life. It became clear that archaea, as he named them, share aspects of the cells in all plants and animals even if they often live in places where other life struggles including salty lakes, acidic pools, under the sea bed and in the gut. While aspects of what followed from Woese are still under debate, further discoveries suggest that life on Earth has been on a journey of separation and reunion: that the first cells developed into bacteria and archaea billions of years ago and that some of those later combined to form the complex cells from which we are made.
With
Christa Schleper
Professor of Genetics and Microbiology at the University of Vienna
Thorsten Allers
Professor of Archaeal Genetics at the University of Nottingham
And
Buzz Baum
Group leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Reading list:
John Archibald, One Plus One Equals One: Symbiosis and the evolution of complex life (Oxford University Press, 2014)
Buzz Baum, ‘I’: A Biography of the Biological Self (Allen Lane, forthcoming 2027)
Franklin M. Harold, In Search of Cell History: The Evolution of Life's Building Blocks (University of Chicago Press, 2014)
Nick Lane, Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life (Oxford University Press, 2005)
David Quammen, The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life (Simon & Schuster, 2018)
Jan Sapp, Evolution by Association: A History of Symbiosis (Oxford University Press, 1994)
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 (m002sg12)
I Understand the Anxiety (with Ria Lina and Coco Khan)
Armando is joined by Ria Lina and host of Pod Save the UK, Coco Khan, to look at the political language around anxiety.
How do we engage with difficult headlines? Can we switch off an just read about the rugby? Is AI starting to feel as anxious as us? and are we more sympathetic because of the personal language it uses?
We also discuss the origins of international women's day, the death of the public intellectual, and a workplace acronym to watch out for.
Got a strong message for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Sound editing: Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator: Asha Osborne-Grinter
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Recorded at The Sound Company
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002sg14)
Dunblane 30 years on, Catfishing, Forgetting birthdays
Ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Dunblane massacre on Friday, presenter Anita Rani speaks to three women whose lives changed for ever that day; Melanie Reid, a journalist who was one of the first at the scene in Dunblane that morning, Rosemary Hunter, one of three women leaders of The Snowdrop Campaign that changed UK gun laws and Anna Hall, who grew up in Dunblane and is the director of a Channel 4 documentary about the shootings, The Dunblane Tapes.
How would you feel if everyone in your household forgot your birthday? After a woman's social media post saying her family had forgotten hers went viral, Anita talks to the author Poorna Bell and the journalist Nell Frizzell about whether forgetting a spouse's birthday is simply a careless moment or the sign of something deeper.
Catfishing is the act of creating a fake online persona to deceive others for romantic, financial, or malicious reasons. This happened to 19-year old Sasha-Jay Davies, from Aberdare in Wales who for almost four years has been accused of leading men on, arranging to meet them and not showing up, and been harassed by complete strangers, all because someone else has been using her photos without permission on social media. BBC Wales reporter Eleri Griffiths has been covering the story and joins us along with Reagan Brien, a solicitor at Cohen Davis who has worked on similar cases.
New research carried out by the University of California in the US has revealed that a blood test can detect dementia in women, years before they have symptoms. Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, explains the research findings and what it could potentially mean for women's dementia diagnosis in the future.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt
THU 11:00 The History Podcast (m002gjdr)
The Second Map
1. Bonnie Laddie
We all know the heroic story of Britain fighting the Nazis in World War Two. But what’s less well-known in popular memory is the war on the Asian front, against Japan. Yet it touched many families across Britain. Their descendants are still uncovering stories today.
On the same day as Japan’s attack on the US Naval bases at Pearl Harbor there were simultaneous strikes on British territories in South East Asia.
Episode 1 of The Second Map charts the humiliating defeats that the British suffered by Japanese forces as they rapidly took key colonies in South East Asia. We hear from eyewitnesses who were in Singapore when it fell, and were then later captured and held prisoner. We hear from a 104-year-old veteran, who desperately wanted independence for India, but decided to fight alongside the British against Japan. And we explore why this part of the war is not as well known as the one against the Nazis.
This is the other story of the Second World War.
Creator, Writer and Presenter: Kavita Puri
Series Producer: Ellie House
Script Editor: Ant Adeane
Sound designer: James Beard
Series Editor: Matt Willis
Production Coordinators: Sabine Scherek, Maria Ogundele
Commissioners for Radio 4 and The World Service: Dan Clarke, Jon Zilkha
Original music: Felix Taylor
Archive Curator: Tariq Hussain
Voice actor: Dai Tabuchi
Translators: Hannah Kilcoyne, Sumire Hori
With thanks to Dr Diya Gupta, Dr Vikki Hawkins, Dr Peter Johnston, Professor Rana Mitter and Tejpal Singh Ralmill.
Includes archive material from ‘Singapore 1942: End of Empire’ (2012), Electric Pictures.
THU 11:45 Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On (m001k11f)
4. The Inspectors
While politicians were making bold claims about weapons of mass destruction, inside Iraq UN inspectors were hunting for them and finding nothing. Why did this not stop the march to war?
Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions
Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown
Series Editor: Penny Murphy
THU 12:00 News Summary (m002sg18)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 Evan Davis's Heat Pump Challenge (m002sg1b)
Episode 1: Heat Pumps in the home
In this new series, Evan Davies explores the challenges the government faces to encourage us to have heat pumps in our homes. Heat Pumps are a technology that's been around for years, and are installed in homes in other, colder European countries. They're now being installed into new build homes as standard. They're far more efficient than the gas boilers that UK homes are used to. But, it's the way our traditional housing stock is built that's the problem - many are old, not very well insulated, and need upgrades to make the heat pumps a cost effective replacement.
The government is offering incentives like grants to encourage take up - but we're still hesitant about the extra costs of installing one, alongside insulation, under floor heating and new radiators if we need them.
In this first programme Evan finds out how heat pumps work, and speaks to people having them installed in their homes. With an expert panel, he will have advice and expertise to make sure you have the information to make a decision on how this technology could be right for your home.
If you have any questions for the panel you want answering about heat pumps, you can email evanschallenge@bbc.co.uk
PRESENTER: EVAN DAVIS
PRODUCER: LYDIA THOMAS
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002sg1f)
Dough - The Office
What will the office be like in future?
Greg Foot, host of BBC Radio 4's 'Sliced Bread' brings you 'Dough', examining the rise of future wonder products.
Greg is joined by experts, entrepreneurs and industry innovators to discuss the trends we're seeing today and where they may lead us tomorrow, before a leading futurist offers their predictions on what life might be like within five, ten and fifty years.
This time we’re looking at the future of the office - asking whether in years to come, we’ll even need one?
If so, is the ‘conference room’ soon to be a thing of the past, replaced with cafes, comfy chairs, and table tennis tables?
And will our future HQs be home to service robots and AI receptionists?
Greg learns how the Covid-19 pandemic changed office working and the trends transforming the look of high-end office developments. He is joined by the futurist Tom Cheesewright and guests including:
- Professor Matt Davis, University of Leeds
- Jane Clay, Strategy Leader and Principal at Gensler which designs and refurbishes buildings around the world
- Mike Dalloz, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of The Meeting Pod Company.
Produced by Jon Douglas. Dough is a BBC Audio North Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
THU 12:57 Weather (m002sg1h)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m002sg1k)
Largest disruption to oil market "in history"
The International Energy Agency describes the situation in the Gulf as "the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market", as Iran attacks three more ships. We bring you an update on the latest developments. In her first UK interview since the start of the war, the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks to us frankly about Europe's deteriorating relationship with America. Plus, why the government has backtracked on visas for overseas sheep shearers.
THU 13:45 Prime Ministers' Props (m001rjfd)
Series 3
Harold Macmillan as Supermac
Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop can come to define a political leader. In this episode - Harold Macmillan as Supermac.
In the mid 1950s, both Harold Macmillan and Superman were on upward trajectories, albeit very different ones. Yet suddenly, and unexpectedly, towards the end of the decade, their careers intersected and overlapped. The person who brought them together was Victor Weisz, the cartoonist. He was a talented artist with left-leaning sympathies, whose cartoons appeared in British newspapers under the by-line of ‘Vicky’.
Vicky’s heyday coincided with Harold Macmillan’s rise and fall as a Prime Minister. And it was while at the Evening Standard that Vicky produced his most famous caricature of Macmillan, introducing ‘Supermac’ to the world. It was an image Macmillan quickly appropriated to enhance his image, but once his popularity was on the wane, the Supermac image was finally turned against him in the way that Vicky had originally intended.
David visits the cartoon archive at the University of Kent, and he speaks to the cartoonist Steve Bell about how Vicky’s caricatures have influenced his own take on a more recent Prime Minister, John Major.
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Readings by Will Huggins
A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4
THU 14:00 The Archers (m002sf64)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002rkpn)
Good People
5. The Landslide
Sonia’s the guest of honour at her old University college. But journalist Gabe is on her tail...
Her return to Cambridge brings back memories of 2024, when her marriage to Kieran was an excuse to avoid difficult conversations in Branwich. But she couldn't stay away forever. And as Kieran launched his bid for MP, Sonia would have to confront the very people she once promised to fight for.
Series Overview
Four young idealists - Sonia, Kieran, Indigo and Ayad - fall under the spell of charismatic thinker Faith Abbott at university and channel her ideas into a bold political experiment: Project Hope. Thrown into a struggling coastal town vulnerable to the far right, they try to reinvent politics from the ground up, backed - and sometimes undermined - by the unpredictable Abbie.
Project Hope captures global attention, but when Faith denounces them from beyond the grave, the group are forced to confront their shared history, and the moral compromises they've made to remain “good people”.
Good People is a fictional story set against our very real political moment, examining the rise of populism, the perceived failure of politics-as-usual, and the deep divisions that run though our country and beyond. This is the fifth episode in an ambitious six-part state of the nation drama from award-winning political writer Steve Waters.
CAST
Sonia ..... Natalie Simpson
Kieran ..... Nicholas Armfield
Abbie ..... Iona Champain
Ayad ..... Ikky Kabir
Faith ..... Anastasia Hille
Jackie ..... Jasmine Hyde
Nick ..... Clive Hayward
Jake ..... Jimmy Walker
Gabe ..... Django Bevan
Lars and Hustings Chairperson ..... Nigel Pilkington
Writer ..... Steve Waters
Sound ..... Andy Garratt, Keith Graham, Sam Dickinson
Casting Manager ..... Alex Curran
Script Development ..... Abigail Le Fleming
Production Co-ordinator ..... Kate Gray
Assistant Producer ..... Luke MacGregor
Director ..... Anne Isger
A BBC Studios Audio production
THU 15:00 Open Country (m002sg1m)
The Rock Houses of Staffordshire
Martha Kearney visits the unique cave dwellings at Kinver Edge that were lived in until the 1960s. Cosy cottages were built into the soft red sandstone with windows and doors and families lived in them for generations. Martha looks around a cottage which has been restored as it was when it was lived in and hears about the family that lived there. She also finds out about the heathland restoration project which is bringing rare wildlife back to this valuable sandscape. And she meets Brett Westwood to try and track some of it down.
Producer Beth O'Dea
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/shropshire-staffordshire/kinver-edge-and-the-rock-houses
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002sckl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Feedback (m002sg1p)
Illuminated, Charter Renewal, News Avoidance
Illuminated is Radio 4's home for powerful, original audio storytelling - and recently we've heard from listeners who were moved by a documentary called Functioning, about the effect of alcohol addiction on two women's lives. Andrea Catherwood talks to the programme's producer Jodie Taylor, and Radio 4 documentary commissioner Hugh Levinson, and hears a remarkable insight into how the programme came to be.
Feedback's listeners are pretty clued up when it comes to giving their thoughts to the BBC, but we came across one last week who seemed to know more than most - as it turned out, he did a PhD on charter renewal. Andrea talks to Dr Tom Chivers, academic at Goldsmiths, University of London, about what the BBC can do to reach its audience during a consultation that could result in radical change.
And following our discussion of news avoidance on last week's programme, we hear from a listener who has discovered his own method for avoiding news that feels excessive, or irrelevant.
Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Pauline Moore
Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
THU 16:00 The Briefing Room (m002sg1r)
Why does the war with Iran threaten the global economy?
It could be that the US-Israel war with Iran ends soon. That was the message from Donald Trump this week. But it may not. The longer the war continues the more collateral damage to the world economy. Mostly because of the impact of energy prices. But why are we all so vulnerable still to events in one small part of the world and one tiny channel, the infamous Strait of Hormuz? David Aaronovitch asks what it tells us about the problems of global energy and oil dependency and what could be done to alleviate them.
Guests:
Ben Chu, Policy and Analysis Correspondent, BBC Verify
Duncan Weldon, Economist and author
Bill Farren-Price, Senior Research Fellow and Head of Gas Research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
Rosemary Kelanic, Director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Nathan Gower and Kirsteen Knight
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8ty3)
Is the Earth warming faster than we expected?
This week new research suggests that in recent years the Earth has been warming faster than we predicted. But scientists are undecided on whether this change is going to be permanent. Laura Wilcox, Professor of Aerosol-Climate Interactions at the University of Reading explains.
Tom Whipple is joined by Kit Yates, Author and Professor of Mathematical Biology and Public Engagement at the University of Bath. They mark the ten year anniversary of a game of ‘Go’ in which a computer programme called AlphaGo beat human Go champion Lee Sodol. Computer scientist at Google DeepMind Thore Graepel was witness to the game and talks about why the event has become a crucial moment in the story of AI.
Kit also brings Tom his pick of the science news.
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
Producers: Clare Salisbury and Alex Mansfield
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
THU 17:00 PM (m002sg1w)
Is Iran's new Supreme Leader seriously hurt?
Iran's new Supreme Leader has issued his first statement but only in writing, renewing speculation about the extent of the injuries he suffered in the bombing that killed his father. Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva tells PM that Mojtaba Khamenei is "safe and quite capable of leading the country". The statement from Khamenei said Iran will keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping channel. The retail veteran Lord Rose talks us through what he believes the economic consequences will be for Britain. Plus, PM comes from Southend where a university campus is being closed to save money, and the author John Lanchester reveals why he's lampooned the relationship between baby boomers and millennials, in his latest black comedy.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002sg1y)
Iran's new supreme leader speaks — or does he?
Iranian state television has broadcast a statement attributed to the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei – in which he pledges to maintain his country's blockade of the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway.
Israel is ramping up its offensive against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah – telling many more people in southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes.
In other news: a woman from Tewkesbury has been jailed for 13 years for keeping a vulnerable woman as a slave, and Lloyds Banking Group is investigating after customers reported seeing other users' transactions on their apps.
THU 18:30 The Matt Forde Focus Group (m002sg20)
Series 2
1. The Politics of Boredom
Can boredom really explain modern politics? It might just be the most honest answer anyone's given in Westminster for years.
Top political comedian Matt Forde convenes his Focus Group in front of a live theatre audience with a brilliantly eclectic panel — chef and campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, political journalist Miranda Green, and German stand-up Henning Wehn — to get to the bottom of one of politics' least glamorous but most powerful driving forces.
Written and performed by Matt Forde
Additional writing from Karl Minns, Katie Storey and Richard Garvin
Producer: Richard Garvin
Co Producer: Daisy Knight
Broadcast Assistant: Sahar Rajabali
Sound Design and Editing: David Thomas
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4
THU 19:00 The Archers (m002sg23)
Rex tries talking to Chris about Alice, but Chris only agrees to a pint later in the week, claiming he’s busy tonight. Then Alice appears, wanting to share news of Martha’s star of the week award. Rex slinks off, while Alice checks with Chris that everything’s okay between him and Rex.
Lily persuades Kirsty to head to the Bull for a drink instead of Grey Gables, though Kirsty’s keen to avoid gate-crashing Rex and Alice’s date.
At the Bull, Chris confesses to Jakob that he feels awkward about meeting Rex now he’s dating Alice, but feigns indifference when Lilian greets Alice and Rex as ‘lovebirds’. Lilian shares her idea of a new Bull cricket team, with Alice, Chris, Rex, Lily and Kirsty all up for playing. Lilian wonders who would be captain. Alice suggests Rex, who agrees – but only if Chris shares the role.
Jakob admits to Chris he’s worried about Kate potentially leaving. Chris offers to ask Alice what she knows, reiterating that he and Alice are still a strong pair with a daughter to raise together – no matter who Alice dates. Later, Chris catches Alice, insisting things aren’t awkward with Rex. Chris is keen to chat about Kate, for Jakob. Alice insists Brian has got it wrong about Kate wanting to move away. Chris then asks about Mother’s Day. Alice mentions planting the rose she and Kate bought for Jennifer. She and Martha will do something too. Alice reassures Chris that Rex won’t be joining them – but assumes Chris will. Relieved Chris says he’d like that.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m002sg25)
Review: David Hockney in Normandy, and Asako Yuzuki's new novel
Art critic Ben Luke and writer Sarah Crompton join Samira Ahmed to review David Hockney’s first exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery in London: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting, which includes new works and a digitally created ninety-metre-long frieze which was inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry.
They also discuss Hooked by Asako Yuzuki, the author behind the award-winning bestseller Butter.
And they review The Tasters, which tells the story of the women who were the food tasters for Adolf Hitler towards the end of World War II.
Plus, BBC National Short Story Award judge Tahmima Anam talks about this year's competition and offers tips for writers.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Claire Bartleet
THU 20:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002sf5t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Wednesday]
THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002sf5w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:15 on Wednesday]
THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002scrw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m002sg12)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002sg27)
Israeli strikes on Tehran continue as Iran vows to block Strait of Hormuz
Israeli strikes in Tehran are continuing tonight after Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader said the country would keep blocking the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane through which 20% of the world's oil supply flows. Mojtaba Khameini, son of former leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini, provided a statement that was read out on state TV, his physical condition remains unknown. We hear from Iranian refugees at the border with Turkey and from inside Lebanon, where Israel has expanded its operation against Hezbollah.
Also on the programme: does the resignation of the head chef at one of the world's most highly-esteemed restaurants auger a change in kitchen culture? We speak to a protege of Gordon Ramsey.
And after a widely praised speech on the scrapping of jury trials in the House of Commons by Geoffrey Cox, we analyse the ancient art of oratory.
THU 22:45 Nobody's Perfect by Lionel Shriver (m002sg29)
The Activist
A new serial from Lionel Shriver. Kayleigh Cooper, a 30 something London millennial continues to peruse the urban jungle in search of the perfect match.
Kayleigh Cooper, a 30 something London millennial, is surprised by a chance romantic encounter at a political protest in Whitehall.
Read by Yasmin Mwanza.
Written by Lionel Shriver.
YASMIN MWANZA won the Spotlight Prize Winner 2017 for ‘Best Screen Actor’. She is known for her work in Marvel’s Spiderman: Far From Home and The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde (dir: Kenneith Branagh). Yasmin is currently part of the BBC’s Radio Drama Company.
LIONEL SHRIVER’S novels include the National Book Award finalist So Much for That, the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian and the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Her most recent novel, A Better Life - provocative new novel addressing contemporary immigration, Lionel Shriver was published earlier this month (Harper Collins, February 2026).
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002sg2c)
Taking Back Control: Why ‘Agency’ Could Be The Next Big Idea In Politics (James Kanagasooriam)
On this week’s episode, leading pollster James Kanagasooriam explains how a sense of powerlessness amongst voters is shaping politics.
His research suggests that people who feel like they have control over their lives are more likely to vote for traditional parties whereas those who don’t tend to vote for populists promising to change the status quo.
So what can we learn from this and how could the idea of ‘agency’ help solve some of Britain’s problems?
TIMECODES
(
00:04:12) Why James thinks agency is the next big idea in politics
(
00:11:34) What does agency say about politics today?
(
00:16:30) Degradation of civic institutions and cultural loss
(
00:29:29) Cultural pessimism
(
00:34:41) The attention economy
(
00:40:17) Trade-offs
(
00:45:19) The impact of Covid
(
00:48:29) James’ radical solutions
(
00:52:06) 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 and Jem Westgate. Technical production was by Dave O'Neill. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002sg2f)
David Cornock reports as the Security Minister unveils plans to protect political candidates from intimidation and abuse. Also, the newest MP - the Green Party's 'Hannah the Plumber' makes her maiden speech.
FRIDAY 13 MARCH 2026
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002sg2h)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 00:30 Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On (m001k11f)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002sg2k)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002sg2m)
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 (m002sg2p)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002sg2t)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the Government announces fresh moves to tackle harassment and violence against people who put themselves up for election.
FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002sg2w)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002sg2y)
Stitching Community
Good Morning, I started to crochet in November 2025. My first proper project was a wonky hat for my husband followed by a head warmer for my daughter. Here’s a lesson I picked up: A single lone stitch is easily undone. A single chain of yarn is easily pulled apart. But a loop linked to a loop, tied to another, becomes strong. And the more rows of stitches, the stronger the bond until this gentle material so soft and malleable becomes unbreakable. This is one lesson of crochet; strength is in connection, and the more we connect with, the greater our strength.
In the Qur’an we are told, “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favour of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His Grace, brothers and sisters..."
This is in reference to the first generation of Muslims who found families divided as some believed in this new Prophet whilst others didn’t. It led to boycotts, oppression and eventually wars, but those same people who once held such enmity in their hearts were able to forge community in place of hatred, and a siblinghood in place of alienation.
I pray for the ability to stitch together communities that are strong, beautiful and comforting, like the wonky hat I made my husband. ameen
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002sg30)
13/03/26 The foods of the future, farm incomes, chicken muck
Lab-grown meat, edible insects and 3D printed mash could be on plates in the next couple of decades. A new report from the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland looks at the innovative food technologies most likely to reach us consumers by 2035 - and how they can be regulated to make sure they're safe.
The government forecast for farm business income in England for this financial year has been released. The figures underline the difficult financial decisions many are facing. With the exeception of dairy farms and some lowland grazing businesses, all farming is forecast to see a drop in income in comparison with last year - and as the figures were compiled in February, the recent falls in the milk price may yet have an impact on that.
This week we're looking at fertilisers - one husband and wife team, who're engineers, have developed a system using enzymes to process chicken muck. They say this type of fertiliser is more efficient to use and will help stop pollution running off farmland into rivers.
Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
FRI 06:00 Today (m002sg5c)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m002sckz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Sunday]
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002sg5f)
CPR on women, AI toys, Maimuna Memon
New figures out from Thames Valley Air Ambulance show that women are less likely than men to receive bystander CPR, with one in three female cardiac arrest patients getting no CPR until crews arrive on scene. The CEO of Thames Valley Air Ambulance, Amanda McLean will join Anita Rani to talk about what is causing this reluctance, and we'll be joined by Chloe Lipton, a woman who is campaigning for female manikins to be mandatory in CPR and defibrillator training.
Yesterday, Mandy Wixon was jailed for 13 years for keeping a vulnerable woman captive in her home for 25 years. She was found guilty of two counts of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour and four charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Gloucestershire police have said that the victim was kept in 'squalid conditions'. BBC West of England Journalist Chloe Harcombe picks up the story with Anita Rani.
Cambridge University have conducted research into AI toys, which are marketed to children as young as three. But what are they, and what is the impact of this tech on such young children? Joining Anita is Dr Emily Goodacre from the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Education.
Monika Radojevic tells Anita why she took the inspiration for her debut novel Strangerland, from her own parents' love story. Set in the early 1990s, these two immigrants from Brazil and Montenegro, then part of Yugoslavia, fall deeply in love in London. However, it takes journeying across continents and into the start of a civil war for them to be together. She joins Anita.
Maimuna Memon is an actress, singer, composer, and playwright. Last year, she won a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in the musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at the Donmar in London. Maimuna talks to Anita about the real-life stories behind her latest show Manic Street Creature.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones
FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002sg5h)
Posh Water
Should we be taking water more seriously? The emergence of the water sommelier would suggest so. Jaega Wise visits a Cheshire restaurant that now offers its own water menu as well as a Peak District pub with a water bar and a borehole to draw its own spring water. She talks to the co-founder of the Fine Waters Academy Michael Mascha who believes that water should be appreciated as a product with its own terroir and hears from Dr Natalie Lamb, a water industry expert who has been trained to appreciate the virtues of tap water. Whether hard or soft, still or sparkling - the Food Programme takes a closer look at the liquid we all too often take for granted.
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Robin Markwell
Programme contains a clip of the Only Fools And Horses Episode "Mother Nature's Son", written by John Sullivan, first broadcast on BBC TV on 25th December, 1992
FRI 11:45 Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On (m001k149)
5. No Way Out
As the clock ticks down Tony Blair’s options begin to run out. Diplomacy fails and the limits of British influence are revealed. So was war really the only option?
Presenter: Gordon Corera
Series Producer: John Murphy
Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions
Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown
Series Editor: Penny Murphy
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002sg5m)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 Rare Earth (m002sg5p)
Lakes, Lochs and Loughs
Plunge into the chilly embrace of the UK's lakes and you enter troubled waters. They're a place for recreation and an inspiration for our greatest poets but they're also on the frontline in the battle against pollution. The biggest lake in the British Isles, Lough Neagh, is plagued with toxic green algae that sucks the life out of its waters, but nobody seems able to stop the relentless flow of agricultural, industrial and domestic pollution that feed it. Meanwhile, Lake Windermere, birthplace of the Romantic movement, is suffering from a record number of illegal sewage spills that make wildwater swimming a dicey business.
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski paddle through the history and legends of our lakes and lochs, search for solutions to their present day problems and celebrate the natural life that still flocks to these beautiful places.
Producer: Emma Campbell
Assistant Producers: Rebecca Rooney and Toby Field
Rare Earth is produced in association with the Open University
FRI 12:57 Weather (m002sg5r)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m002sg5t)
US lifts sanctions on some Russian oil
We speak to the former UK ambassador to Iran, Robert Macaire, as the US temporarily loosens sanctions on Russian oil at sea, and discuss the relationship between Russia and Iran during the conflict in the Middle East. Also on the programme, the UK economy failed to grow in January: we hear how this is impacting the construction industry. And following our interview with the daughter of a man killed by someone cycling an e-bike on the pavement, we hear how cycling practice can be improved.
FRI 13:45 Prime Ministers' Props (m001rjfg)
Series 3
Edward Heath's Yacht
Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop can come to define a political leader. In this episode - Edward Heath's yacht.
Edward Heath took up sailing at the relatively late age of 50, and his mid-life career as a sailor developed with extraordinary speed - he bought his first yacht Morning Cloud in 1969 and won the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race later that year. He then captained Britain's winning team for the Admiral's Cup in 1971, while Prime Minister. It was a huge sporting achievement and the idea of yachting emphasised risk taking and competence. But Heath's passion for yachting also reflects something of the extraordinary isolation of his personality. The fact that Heath’s third yacht was sunk in a storm and two crew members died in 1974, seemed a tragic metaphor for the demise of his political career.
David goes to Broadstairs Sailing Club to find out how it all started, and he visits Sir Edward's former home, Arundells, in Salisbury, to look at the bow section salvaged from the wreckage of Morning Cloud III, which has been put on display in the garden.
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Readings by Will Huggins
A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002sg23)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m002rw5w)
The Dentist
Episode 3
Darkly comic crime thriller by D.C. Jackson.
When Kerry makes the snap decision to assume her dead sister’s identity, she doesn’t think through the consequences of posing as a dentist.
And those consequences turn out to be pretty fatal...
Cast:
Leanne … Gabriel Quigley
Kasia … Leah Byrne
Bob and Toby… Grant O’Rourke
Stewart … Jonathan Watson
DI Hickman … David Ireland
Jaconelli … Gavin Mitchell
Studio Production: Andy Hay and Gav Murchie
Production Coordinator: Ellie Marsh
Original music and sound design: Fraser Jackson
Additional keyboards: Tony Graham
A BBC Audio Scotland Production directed by Kirsty Williams
FRI 14:45 Life Without (m002sg5w)
Life Without Bees
No more buzzing, no more honey, no more bees – so then what? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks at how dependent we are on the existence of our busy little friends.
From how they impact our diets to the medicinal qualities of their produce (honey and beeswax), we learn what is missing from the shelves, when bees are missing from our lives.
This episode features Simon Potts ecologist and Professor of Biodiversity at Reading University and Alison Benjamin co-founder of Urban Bees and author of A World Without Bees.
An ITN production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002sg5y)
Sully & District: Blooming Cacti, Shallow Depth and Signs of Spring
What climbing plants thrive in shallow soil? How can you coax your Christmas cacti into a dazzling display? What’s your favourite first sign of spring?
Kathy Clugston brings a hand‑picked panel of horticultural experts to Sully, Wales, where they tackle a lively audience’s gardening questions with insight, warmth and plenty of good humour.
Joining Kathy are garden designer Chris Beardshaw, houseplant specialist Anne Swithinbank, and Bethan Collerton, head gardener at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Together, they share their practical know‑how, creative ideas, and passion for all things green.
Pippa Greenwood meets Samantha Smith from the Horticultural Trades Association to explore the new Simpler Recycling initiative, and what it means for clearing out old pots, containers, and other garden clutter.
Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Junior Producer: William Norton
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m002sg60)
The Shrinking by Nicola Rayner
A new short story for Radio 4, inspired by the news that some GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are soon to be available in pill form. The Shrinking imagines a parallel world where women can shrink to their “perfect height” with the help of a seemingly miraculous new medication. But the treatment has some unexpected side-effects.
Born in South Wales, Nicola Rayner is a novelist and journalist. She is the author of The Girl Before You, which was described as "the new Girl on the Train” by the Observer and translated into multiple languages. Her second novel, You and Me, another psychological thriller, was published in October 2020. A work of historical fiction, The Paris Dancer, was published in 2025. In her day job as a journalist, Nicola writes about dance and travel and her articles have appeared in a number of publications including the Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, The Stage and Dancing Times.
Read by Clare Corbett
Produced by Mair Bosworth for BBC Audio
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002sg62)
Paul Conroy, Kenith Trodd, Astrid Llewellyn, Jo Purvis
Matthew Bannister on
Paul Conroy, the photojournalist who worked extensively in war zones in the Middle East and the Balkans. He was with the Sunday Times reporter Marie Colvin when she was killed in Syria.
Kenith Trodd, the TV producer best known for his work with Dennis Potter on series like Pennies from Heaven and The Singing Detective. Stephen Poliakoff pays tribute.
Astrid Llewellyn who skippered the first all-female crew to take part in a Tall Ships Race.
Jo Purvis, the DJ who promoted LGBTQ+ ballroom dancing events in the 1970s and 1980s.
Interviewee: Stephen Poliakoff
Interviewee: Tim Llewellyn
Interviewee: Toni Krause
Interviewee: Peter Flockhart
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Glyn Tansley
Archive used:
Paul Conroy interview, Music on the Front Line, Music Matters, BBC Radio 3, 03/05/2025; Paul Conroy: My Escape from Homs, Outlook, BBC World Service, 22/01/2013; Caught on a Train, Play for Today, Playhouse, Director: Peter Duffell, Writer: Stephen Poliakoff , BBC Two, 31/10/1980; The Ballroom of Romance, Play for Today, Playhouse, Director: Pat O'Connor, Writer: William Trevor, BBC Two, 05/11/1982; Pennies From Heaven, Episode 4: Better Think Twice, Director: Piers Haggard, Writer: Dennis Potter, BBC One, 28/03/1978; The Singing Detective, BBC Promo, 1991; The Singing Detective, Night Waves, BBC Radio 3, 16/06/2014; Sunday Feature: Dennis Potter - With Aggressive Affection, BBC Radio 3, 04/08/2015; Astrid Llewellyn interview and actuality, The Tall Ships Race 1974, BBC Television, 07/08/1974; Jo Purvis interview, Purvette, taken from the film ondon. Director: Alex Eisenberg, Courtesy of Alex Eisenberg, 2024;
FRI 16:30 Sideways (m002sf4z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m002sg64)
Petrol prices hit an 18-month high
Petrol bosses are called into Downing Street, as forecourt prices reach an eighteen month high. The Petrol Retailers Association claims "incorrect and inflammatory language" exposes its members to abuse. Paddy O'Connell hears from the manager of a service station and a senior figure from the RAC. As the Pentagon say the most intense wave of strikes hits Iran, PM assesses what degree of equipment the regime needs to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed. We're in Paris, where a right wing candidate aims to seize the mayoralty of the city, and we hear from the scientist whose work has suggested spider silk could be used to help repair damaged nerve tissue.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002sg66)
Six US military personnel dead in operations against Iran
The US has confirmed that all six members of the crew on board a military refuelling aircraft were killed when it crashed in western Iraq. European leaders have criticised the Trump administration for easing sanctions on Russian oil to curb price rises caused by the conflict. UK Petrol prices surpass £
1.40 a litre - the highest in 18 months. Also: John Lennon's piano fetches nearly £2.2 million at auction.
FRI 18:30 The Naked Week (m002sg68)
Series 4
The Naked Week team party like it's the 2003 Iraq War.
The Naked Week team party like it's the 2003 Iraq War, and then re-enact it with the help of a Viking.
From The Skewer’s Jon Holmes and host Andrew Hunter Murray comes The Naked Week, a fresh way of dressing the week’s news in the altogether and parading it around for everyone to laugh at.
With award-winning writers and a crack team of contemporary satirists - and recorded in front of a live audience - The Naked Week delivers a topical news-nude straight to your ears.
Written by:
Jon Holmes
Katie Sayer
Gareth Ceredig
James Kettle
Jason Hazeley
Additional Material:
Karl Minns
Ali Panting
Helen Brooks
Pete Redfern
Cooper Mawhinny Sweryt
Joe Topping
Darren Phillips
Investigation:
Cat Neilan
Guests: Rosie Holt, Jimmy The 11th Century Welsh Viking.
Production Team: Tony Churnside, Jerry Peal, David Riffkin.
Production Coordinator: Molly Punshon
Assistant Producer: Katie Sayer
Executive Producer: Philip Abrams
Produced and Directed by Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m002sg6b)
Jakob challenges Brian’s assertion that Kate is unsettled and wants to move to Scotland, given Kate’s enthusiasm for her work at Spiritual Home. Brian then wonders if Kate is just not letting on how unhappy she is, which gets Jakob wondering if Kate wants to split up.
Amber arrives at Spiritual Home for a massage from Kate, who’s a bit cool with her. Amber apologises for being horrible last time and things thaw a bit as they discuss her pregnancy. Later, Amber surprises George at Meadow Farm with a picnic. Amber’s glad she went for her massage and, following her conversation with Kate, encourages George to be more proactive in reading up on pregnancy. She wishes Ambridge had a young mum community. Georges looks forward to a future shepherding, then he gets an email from Reg: his court date’s set for March 23rd. George assures Amber he’ll stick to the rules with the tag – with a baby on the way they have to properly grow up now.
Having spoken to Alice Kate challenges Brian on the crazy rumour he’s started about her wanting to leave Ambridge. Brian insists he did the right thing, giving Jakob the heads-up, but angry Kate insists she’s not going anywhere. Brian then tells Kate to put Jakob’s mind at rest, as he’s in quite a state. Kate clears things up with mightily relieved Jakob, but does she need to worry about erratic Brian? Jakob thinks not. He has to go, but not before he and Kate declare their love for one another.
FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m002sg6d)
Nicholas McCarthy and Amy Harman watch the clock
Bassoonist Amy Harman and concert pianist Nicholas McCarthy are the studio guests of Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe as they add five more tracks. Kicking off with an internationally famous track written in Ostend in Belgium, they end up in a gravel pit via a ticking clock or two.
Producer Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye
Clocks by Coldplay
The Clock (the 2nd mvt) from Symphony No 101 in D Major by Haydn
Precipitato (the 3rd mvt) from Piano Sonata No 7 in B Flat Major by Prokofiev
Gravel Pit by Wu-Tang Clan
Other music in this episode:
Etudes: Op 8 No 12 in D-Flat Minor by Scriabin, played by Nicholas McCarthy
Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D-Major by Ravel, played by Nicholas McCarthy
On the Road Again (Live) by Willie Nelson
Who'll Buy My Memories by Willie Nelson
Impulse by Hans Zimmer
Lux Aeterna by Clint Mansell
Nautilus by Anna Meredith
It's a Man's Man's Man's World by James Brown
Da Mystery of Chessboxin by Wu-Tang Clan
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002sg6g)
Sir Chris Bryant MP, James Evans MS, Delyth Jewell MS, Darren Millar MS
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from the Princess Gwenllian Centre in Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire with the Labour MP and trade minister, Sir Chris Bryant; Reform UK Senedd member James Evans; Plaid Cymru's deputy Senedd leader, Delyth Jewell; and Darren Millar, leader of the Welsh Conservative group in the Senedd.
Producer: Paul Martin
Assistant producer: Jo Dwyer
Production co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano
Lead broadcast engineer: Caitlin Gazeley
Editor: Glyn Tansley
FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002sf57)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:40 on Wednesday]
FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m002sg6j)
Taste
'It's all in the best possible taste'. But what does it mean to have good taste? And does pursuing good taste lead to favouring style over substance? Who are the thinkers who have considered a philosophy of aesthetics?
Matthew Sweet hosts Radio 4's late night ideas discussion programme. His guests are:
Film historian and New Generation Thinker Sarah Smyth, who lectures in film and TV at the University of Essex
Philosopher Dr John Callanan, who lectures on Kant at King's College London
Writer and management consultant Peter York, whose books include Style War, co-author of The Official Sloane Ranger handbook
Broadcaster and writer Emma Dabiri who co-presented Britain's Lost Masterpieces for BBC 4 and whose latest book is Disobedient Bodies: Reclaim Your Unruly Beauty
Opera singer Le Gateau Chocolat
Producer Luke Mulhall
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002sg6l)
US military to send Marines and more warships to Middle East, reports say
The US is expected to send a marine unit and more warships to the Middle East, two officials tell the BBC's US partner CBS News. It comes as the Trump administration loosens sanctions on Russian oil as prices spike because of the US-Israeli war against Iran. US Democratic Senator Jack Reed tells us the decision is "a great gift to Russia".
Also in the programme: Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel says his government is in talks with the Trump administration to find solutions to the two countries' differences. We hear from a resident of Havana where residents struggle to afford food.
And ahead of Oscars on Sunday, we explore how small controversies about Academy Awards nominees can make big headlines.
FRI 22:45 Nobody's Perfect by Lionel Shriver (m002sg6n)
The Best Friend
The final part of a new serial from Lionel Shriver. Kayleigh Cooper, a 30 something London millennial search of the perfect match might have reached a dead end.
Kayleigh’s perfect date with a man who works in BBC Development ends in disaster. As usual, she rushes to her best friend Rhys Pickering, to tell all.
Read by Yasmin Mwanza.
Written by Lionel Shriver.
YASMIN MWANZA won the Spotlight Prize Winner 2017 for ‘Best Screen Actor’. She is known for her work in Marvel’s Spiderman: Far From Home and The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde (dir: Kenneith Branagh). Yasmin is currently part of the BBC’s Radio Drama Company.
LIONEL SHRIVER’S novels include the National Book Award finalist So Much for That, the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian and the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Her most recent novel, A Better Life - provocative new novel addressing contemporary immigration, Lionel Shriver was published earlier this month (Harper Collins, February 2026).
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 23:00 Americast (w3ct8bz8)
Is Cuba Trump’s next target after Iran?
President Trump has renewed his threat of a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, saying the island is in deep trouble and that the Cuban government is desperate to make a deal. In this episode, Justin and Anthony look at how seriously we should we be taking these threats, and look into the talks taking place between the US and Cuba.
Pressure on Cuba has been building since the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro earlier this year, a long-time ally of Cuba’s government. The Trump administration has effectively cut off oil supplies into Cuba by stopping shipments of Venezuelan oil, and threatening to impose tariffs on any country which supplies the island with oil.
With the prospect of a worsening humanitarian crisis, as Cuba deals with mass blackouts - its electricity grid is powered by oil - affecting all areas of Cuba’s economy and society including schools, hospitals, agriculture and tourism, will the country make a deal with the US? Who is involved in the talks, and how does Trump’s approach differ from other US presidents?
We speak to Peter Kornbluh, co-author of Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana, who is also a senior analyst at the National Security Archive about the talks between the US and Cuba.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
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• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by Purvee Pattni, Mhairi MacKenzie, Grace Reeve and Rufus Gray. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002sg6q)
Susan Hulme examines the issues of voting for war, women in parliament and stablecoins.