SATURDAY 21 MARCH 2026

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002snjt)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On (m001k83m)
10. Legacy

Have new generations of Iraqis got the freedom they were promised? What is the legacy within Iraq today particularly for a new generation seeking democracy? And the BBC's Security Analyst Gordon Corera asks how those directly involved in events reflect on the legacy of war twenty years on?

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


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002snjw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002snjy)
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 (m002snk0)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002snk2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002snk4)
Celebrating Difference

Good morning,

In my diary I keep a list of people I admire in the world. Whenever I look at it, it inspires me to see the bigger picture. These people have shaped me profoundly. Some are no longer alive - my parents and sister Linda, then there’s saints and pioneers, writers and artists. I like to imagine interviewing these people about what they’d make of our current times. Can they show me a new perspective? A different way of seeing and being?
A rabbi asked his students how they can tell when night has ended and day has begun.
One said: "Is it when you can look at a tree in the distance, and tell whether it is a fig tree or a peach tree?"
"No," answered the rabbi.
"Well then, when is it?" the students asked.
"It is when you look on the face of another human being and see that he or she is your brother or sister. Because if you cannot do that, then no matter what time it is, it is still night."

Today the United Nations celebrates International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It originally commemorated the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa where peaceful anti-apartheid protestors were killed. This day still serves as an urgent and global call to action against racism and other forms of discrimination; as well as promoting positive racial equality and understanding.
I pray that we celebrate our wonderful diversity of cultures, languages and nationalities.
May we build inclusive societies free from hate and rich in mutual dignity.
Let us recognise our brothers and sisters - no matter what time of day or night it is.
Amen.


SAT 05:45 Lent Talks (m002smxk)
Power and Vulnerability

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.

Mina Smallman is a retired vicar whose two daughters, Bibaa and Nicole, were murdered, in a case that resulted in two police officers being jailed for sharing photos of their bodies. In this episode, she explores power and vulnerability.

Producer: Dan Tierney.


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002t0zv)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (m002sr4r)
Stroudwater's missing mile

The Stroudwater canal in Gloucestershire was built in the 1770s. It brought coal to the mills along the Stroud valleys, which had become an important centre for the manufacture of woollen cloth, but the arrival of the railways in the mid 19th century led to the canal's decline and eventual abandonment. A mile-long section of it was filled in when the M5 motorway was built in the 1960s, cutting the canal off from the rest of the inland waterways network. Now ambitious multi-million plans are underway to restore and re-open the "missing mile" and reconnect the canal.

Martha Kearney visits the Stroudwater canal to see how the work is going. She talks to volunteers, and finds out what difference the work will make to the canal - as a local amenity, as a tourist attraction and as a wildlife corridor.

Producer: Emma Campbell


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002t0zx)
21/03/26 Farming Today This Week: Land Use Framework; heating oil help; new livestock worrying law; oat drink.

The government's launched its long-awaited land use framework for England. It describes it as a "blueprint to protect food security". The farming minister says it won't tell farmers, developers or local authorities what they must do, but it will give them better, more comprehensive data - including the creation of a national soil map. What difference will it make? We hear from farmers, environmentalists and the Countryside Alliance who are worried about what it means for field sports.

Rural households struggling to pay for heating oil are to receive government help with their bills. The war in the Middle East has had a massive impact on global supplies of oil, gas and fertiliser - pushing up prices. The Prime Minister has pledged to help people who have seen their bills soar: energy prices will be capped until the end of June; the cut in fuel duty has been extended until September; and the government's allocated £53 million to help vulnerable rural households with their heating oil bills.

New laws to protect livestock from dog attacks have come into force. It's the first time the law around livestock-worrying has changed since it was introduced more than 70 years ago The changes include new powers for police; the use of DNA testing to identify dogs which attack; and dog owners can now be ordered to pay for the cost of seizing and detaining their dog. There'll also be scope to issue an unlimited fine - previously the maximum penalty was one thousand pounds.

All week we've been looking at food processing - today we see how you add value to oats by turning them into a drink.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


SAT 06:57 Weather (m002t0zz)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m002t101)
Today (Saturday)


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002t103)
John Lloyd, Sailing, Punk Rock, and the Inheritance Tracks of Dr Sian Williams

Adrian spends the hour in the company of renowned TV producer John Lloyd, the modest genius mind behind such national institutions as Spitting Image, QI and Blackadder.

Also on the porgramme, Kala Subbuswamy who saw no reason why a middle-aged woman couldn't start a punk band, so did just that.

And Jazz Turner didn't let her disability stop her sailing solo around the British Isles, and now she plans to take on the world.

And the Inheritance Tracks of former presenter of BBC Breakfast and Saturday Live, now a consulting psychologist, and still broadcasting, most notably with the Radio 4 series Life Changing, Dr Sian Williams.

Presenter: Adrian Chiles
Producer: Lowri Morgan
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell & Alice McKee
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Glyn Tansley


SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (p0frndnq)
Medieval Irish Folklore (Live)

In this special live episode, recorded at the Hay Festival, Greg Jenner is joined by Dr Gillian Kenny and comedian Seán Burke to learn about medieval Irish folklore.

We’re focusing on the lore and stories from Gaelic Irish culture. Gaelic culture remained the dominant set of cultural and societal beliefs on the island of Ireland well into the 17th century until it was destroyed by a succession of English invasions.

But what were these beliefs and how did the Christianisation of Ireland from the 5th century onwards amalgamate pre-Christian stories into it?

From fairy darts to banshees, through some unusual ways of warding off the evil eye, this is a jovial jaunt across some ancient myths and legends.

Research by Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow
Written by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner
Produced by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner
Assistant Producer: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow
Project Management: Isla Matthews
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey

You’re Dead To Me is a production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002t107)
Series 51

Bolton

Jay Rayner and the panel are answering questions from an audience of keen home cooks in Bolton.

Joining Jay are chefs, cooks and food writers, Mallika Basu, Rob Owen Brown, Tim Hayward and Nisha Katona.

They discuss new ideas for cooking with paneer, suggest interesting recipes using the humble sliced white loaf, and recommend the best seasoning mixes for a listener starting a new spice business.

Later in the show, they chat all things paneer with Nomy Rauf from local Pakistani restaurant, Ayaan's Restaurant in Bolton.

Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
Assistant Producer: William Norton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002t109)
Isabel Hardman assesses the Iran conflict, three weeks in, with Labour's Dame Emily Thornberry MP who chairs the Foreign Affairs select committee and the former Conservative deputy Foreign Secretary Sir Andrew Mitchell MP.

The chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, Ruth Curtice and the business journalist and crossbench peer Patience Wheatcroft, who sits on the Lords Economic Affiars Committee discuss rising energy costs caused by the conflict and whether the government should intervene.

Legislators in Scotland and Westminster have been debating assisted dying this week. Labour MP Beccy Cooper is a doctor, who supports assisted dying and Robert Lisvane was Clerk of the House of Commons and now sits as a crossbench peer. Is it inevitable that the bill will run out of time in Westminster?

And the Labour MP Naz Shah told Isabel about her childhood shaped by hardship and injustice within a British Pakistani family in Bradford and her journey to become a parliamentarian.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002t10c)
Iran War: A sharp escalation in the Gulf

Kate Adie introduces stories on how Qatar and Saudi Arabia are feeling the effects of the US-Israel war against Iran, the post-Maduro mood among young Venezuelans, BBC Russia celebrates it's 80th anniversary, the rise of South Korea's 'micro dramas', and the Winter Swimming World Championships in freezing Finland.

The US-Israeli war with Iran saw a marked escalation this week with strikes on some of the world’s biggest gas fields. Israel’s attack on Iran’s south Pars gas field triggered a swift response from Tehran, who launched strikes on the Ras Laffan terminal – the world’s largest liquefied natural gas facility, and other gulf countries. The attacks caused oil and gas prices to spike. Frank Gardner has been in Riyadh and Doha.

In Venezuela, billboards and banners of former President, Nicolas Maduro still line the roads of Caracas after he was seized in January by US forces. Washington has outlined a plan for Venezuela and eased sanctions but hasn’t provided a timeframe for elections. And many young Venezuelans are sceptical that much will change, says Ione Wells.

Next week the BBC’s Russian Service marks its 80th anniversary. The service’s editor Jenny Norton reflects on how the team have found ways to adapt after the clampdown on media freedoms and the invasion of Ukraine, and setting up a new base in Latvia.

In South Korea, a new genre of movies is taking the entertainment world by storm: the 'micro-drama'. They’re carefully curated one- or two-minute-long shows with intense plotlines, made to be watched on your phone. Jake Kwon in Seoul went behind the scenes.

The BBC's climate editor, Justin Rowlatt, isn’t just interested in our warming world, he’s also a keen cold-water swimmer. And he recently found himself competing in the Winter Swimming World Championships in Oulu, a town in northern Finland, about 100 miles south of the Arctic circle.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill
Editor: Richard Vadon


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002t10f)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002t10h)
Heating Oil Guide and Banknotes

The government has promised more than £52mn to help people in the UK hit by huge rises in the price of heating oil. Around 1.5 million households in rural areas and particularly in Northern Ireland rely on heating oil for their central heating and the price has more than doubled since the Middle East conflict began. The help will be targeted at vulnerable households but how will it work in practice?

As the Bank of England decides to hold rates at 3.75%, figures show almost 1,000 mortgage deals have disappeared off the market since the start of last week.

How do thieves persuade sensible people to part with thousands of pounds? It's a question many of you have been asking, especially after the item on the programme a fortnight ago about civil servant Sara. She put $250 into what she thought was a cryptocurrency investment but ended up having £337,000 stolen. We'll ask a criminologist about the tricks and tactics that thieves use.

And, which animal did you decide should be on the Bank of England's new banknotes?

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Sarah Rogers and Jo Krasner
Researcher: Luke Jarmyn
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 21st March 2026)


SAT 12:30 The Naked Week (m002snj6)
Series 4

Shipping, Shopping and Shagg... you know what, never mind

The team launch the Naked Week Investment Portfolio for Hard Done-By Young People and go shipping, shopping and shagg...you know what, never mind.

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
Viverinne Hopley Jones
Cooper Mawhinny Sweryt
Darren Phillips
Kevin Smith

Investigation team:
Cat Neilan
Katie Sayer
Becky Pinnington
Abigail Mableson
Mia Jones
Ben Stanton
Nathaniel Peutherer
Cailtin Holtzman
Paola Matha

with thanks to Richard Danbury.

Guests: Rosalie Minnitt, Jo Saunderson, and the voice of the Shipping Forecast Amanda Litherland.

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 (m002t10k)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News (m002t10m)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002snjd)
Jess Brown-Fuller MP, Dame Meg Hillier MP, Peter Hitchens, Paul Holmes MP

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from The Point Theatre in Eastleigh with Liberal Democrats MP and Justice Spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller, Labour MP and Treasury Committee Chair Dame Meg Hillier, Conservative MP and Shadow Housing Minister Paul Holmes, and author and columnist Peter Hitchens.

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Assistant producer: Jo Dwyer
Production co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano
Lead broadcast engineer: Phil Zentner
Editor: Glyn Tansley


SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002t10p)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002snj8)
Helen tells Alan about Carol’s fall, suggesting more people should call in on her. Alan offers to go round later, before Helen apologises for adding to Alan’s burden. When Alan visits, spiky Carol tells him he looks dreadful. Alan mentions her fall and Carol thinks Anna and Helen are as bad as each other, fussing over her. Alan then hands her a list of various services offering help and friendship, but Carol rebuffs his overtures. However, after he leaves, Alan reports to Helen that he could barely get away as Carol was so clearly desperate for company – and notes how frail she looks. Helen suggests he could ask Carol to help with a church activity and Alan says he’ll have a think about something she could do over Easter.

Brian asks George for a word about Ruairi, then tells him to leave Ruairi alone. George defends himself, suggesting Ruairi needs more help than Brian can give him. Brian accuses George of winding Ruairi up, but George reckons Brian is manipulative and has made plenty of mistakes of his own. Later, at The Bull, Tracy expresses surprise that Brian even gives George the time of day, after what he did to Alice. Brian thinks it’s better for everyone to move on, but does wonder how George will cope financially, with a baby on the way. Brian then tells George to stay away from Ruairi, offering him a one-off payment to do so. George wants to know how much. Brian suggests helping help with his drone business, but insists George must cut off all contact with Ruairi.


SAT 15:00 Spotlight (m002t10r)
The Bacchae

Euripides’ Greek tragedy reimagined by Katherine Soper. In this new version, myth entwines with modernity to explore the root causes of rebellion.

When a group of young women discover the mysterious and charming Bacchus online, they instantly form an unshakeable devotion to him and to each other. It has awakened something inside of them that cannot be contained. Is this a supportive sisterhood or something more dangerous?

Bacchus ….. Colin Morgan
Joy ….. Francesca Amewudah-Rivers
Song ….. Ella Bruccoleri
Love ….. Matilda Tucker
Freedom ….. Tia Bannon
Agave ….. Clare Corbett
Pentheus ….. Sam Swann
Tiresias ….. Sam Dale
Semele ….. Yasmin Mwanza
Libation ….. Madeleine Clarke

Directed by Gemma Jenkins

Production Co-ordinator: Sara Benaim
Casting Manager: Alex Curran
Sound Design: Keith Graham, Sam Dickinson and Andrew Garratt

The Bacchae by Katherine Soper after Euripides was commissioned and first performed as part of the Springboard Trainee Programme at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in July 2023.


SAT 16:30 Woman's Hour (m002t10t)
FIFA's women's football tournaments, Glasgow fire, Pilgrimages

New regulations state that every team in FIFA's women's football tournaments must include at least one female head coach or assistant coach.
The requirements will come into effect during the under 17s and under 20s Women's World Cup and Women's Champions Cup competitions this year. Kylie Pentelow caught up on the news with Fern Buckley, sports presenter and former Talksport commentator, and Claire Buzzeo, a football coach at the Sunderland football academy.

Women in Glasgow are pulling together after a fire near the city’s Central Station forced several female‑run salons and small businesses to shut their doors. For nearly two weeks, nail technicians and hairdressers have been unable to trade after their businesses were destroyed by the blaze. But amid the shock and uncertainty, a powerful network of local women has stepped in—rallying support, fundraising, and even donating equipment to help these business owners get back on their feet. Anita speaks to Carolyn Currie from Women's Enterprise Scotland, a membership body for businesswomen and Carina McCreedy who runs Bonos Nail Salon and who has received some of that help.

Dame Sarah Mullally, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, is on a walking pilgrimage from St Paul’s Cathedral to Canterbury. She is walking the ancient Becket Camino which was once travelled by medieval pilgrims, and her office believes she is the first Archbishop of Canterbury to do this. It will be part of her spiritual preparation for her role. Rev Sally Hitchiner, who knows Dame Sarah and is the Parish Priest of North Lambeth, where she worked alongside the Archbishop when she was Bishop of London joins Nuala to talk about the pilgrimage experience.

Presenter: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Dianne McGregor


SAT 17:00 PM (m002t10w)
Iran 'targets' UK base on Diego Garcia

One missile reportedly failed in flight, while the other was intercepted by a US warship. We'll explore the growing backlash against the government over a change in its policy over the US use of UK bases.


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002t10y)
'It's been a whirlwind': Zack Polanski on storytelling, Zionism and Zackonomics

Few people have done more to shape politics in recent months than the Green Party Leader in England and Wales, Zack Polanski. In his Political Thinking debut, he tells Nick Robinson about his 'whirlwind' journey since becoming leader, saying that becoming PM is now 'in his mind' .
He talks about his upbringing and Jewish identity and why he has now become a prominent critic of Israel. He explains his strong opposition to the war in Iran. He describes his plans to transform the capitalist model with a revolution based on 'Zackonomics'.
And, asked about his earlier career as a hypnotherapist, he admits to 'cringing' when reminded that he once participated in a trial to help a woman increase her breast size.

Producers: Leela Padmanabhan and Flora Murray
Editor: GIles Edwards


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002t110)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m002t112)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002t114)
UK criticises Iran for firing missiles at Diego Garcia

The UK has criticised Iran after it fired missiles towards Diego Garcia. Farmers say the war will increase food prices. The former FBI Chief, Robert Mueller, has died.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002t116)
Sam Lake, One Day: The Musical, Alana Jackson, Candice Chung, Stuart Maconie, Vitamin String Quartet

Stuart Maconie soaks up Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

He is joined by comedian Alana Jackson who went viral with her stories of Glasgow funerals, took home the prestigious So You Think You're Funny? award in 2024, and took time out of her line dancing schedule last year to enjoy a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Festival.

Plus stand-up Sam Lake, who asks guests on his podcast - I've Had A Rosé, Let's Talk About Feelings - to join him on a deep chat with a beverage of their choice. But why did jelly change the way he flies forever?

Writer and restaurant critic Candice Chung delves her relationship with her family and how food says things that words can't in her memoir - Chinese Parents Don't Say I Love You.

With music from Vitamin String Quartet, whose classical pop-covers help bring the world of Bridgerton alive, and the cast of One Day: The Musical share a track from the new production.

Producer: Caitlin Sneddon
Production Coordinator: Lauren Stewart


SAT 19:00 Profile (m002t118)
Ed Miliband

Former Labour leader, Ed Miliband, is now Secretary of State for Energy. A role more important than ever with surging energy costs due to the conflict in Iran.

Born in 1969, Ed grew up in London’s Primrose Hill. His father, a Marxist academic, and his mother a human rights activist, Ed’s life was steeped in politics from the beginning. After attending a local state school in North London, he followed in the the footsteps of his older brother, David, to Oxford University and then to the Labour party where Ed climbed the ranks from advisor to MP.

The Miliband brothers battled for the leadership in a historic contest that played out in front of the nation. Ed pipped David at the post, becoming leader of the Labour party in 2010.

After losing the general election to David Cameron in 2015, Ed Miliband stepped away from front line politics. But after coming back into the political spotlight when Keir Starmer appointed him Energy Secretary in 2024, does he have his eye on leadership again?


SAT 19:15 The History Podcast (m002gjdt)
The Second Map

2. The Secrets in the Safe

In Episode 2 of The Second Map, the war against Japan enters a new phase. Some of the most significant battles of the Second World War were fought on the Asian front - including by the 14th Army, which was known as ‘The Forgotten Army’, even at the time. It was formed after a string of defeats to Japan and was made up of nearly a million men, the majority from India and across the British empire. Their main aim: to win Burma back. Assisting them was a remarkable British woman from North London who became known as “The Jungle Queen,” and the tribal group she was living with. Their intervention would be critical. And we hear rare voices from Japanese forces, as the war shifts against them. 

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.


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002fvbx)
Into the Ether

What happens to a documentary medium which evaporates into the air? In this Archive on 4, we explore how our memory for radio documentaries might shape the sound of their future.

Unearthing audio treasures from the radiophonic past and fragments of lost features, this documentary explores the creative invitations of radio’s past and asks whether the imaginative possibilities of the medium might change if we chose to remember it differently.

Featuring an interview with David Hendy, Emeritus Professor in Media and Cultural History at the University of Sussex and author of The BBC: A People's History.

Archive featured (in order of appearance):
SOS (a work for voices by Barry Bermange, 1978)
Savoy Hill (produced by Denis Lewell, 1959)
The Afterlife (by Barry Bermange with composer Delia Derbyshire, 1965)
People Talking: Night in the City (by Denis Mitchell, 1955)
I Remember (produced by Maurice Brown, 1962)
Jason and the Thunderbirds (produced by Mairi Russell, 1992)
Spools of Time (by Chris Brookes, 2007)
Sound in Mind (produced by Desmond Briscoe and Michael Smee, 1979)
Private Dreams and Public Nightmares (produced by Donald McWhinnie with music and sound by Daphne Oram, 1957)
Heartsong (produced by Sara Conkey, 1998)
Symphony of the Body (by Michael Bright, 1978)
Setting Sail (produced by Piers Plowright, 1985)

Quotations from The Art of Radio by Donald McWhinnie (1959) and research support from Dr David Butler and the John Rylands Library.

Original music by Phil Smith, with additional music by Eleanor McDowall

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


SAT 21:00 Moral Maze (m002sr18)
Economic shocks: is there a duty to accept sacrifice?

Rising oil prices triggered by war have renewed fears of an economic shock. Governments are already under pressure to step in: to cap prices, cushion bills and shield households from the consequences. Yet crises were once understood differently. During earlier shocks, citizens were often told to tighten their belts, to accept rationing, higher prices and shared sacrifice. But memories of past hardship can also be misleading. There is sometimes a tendency to romanticise earlier generations’ stoicism. Today the assumption seems different: if living standards fall, the government must intervene.

The idea of sacrifice raises difficult questions. Who exactly is the “we” being asked to shoulder the burden? A rise in energy costs may be uncomfortable for some but devastating for those already living precariously. Hardship is rarely shared equally. If sacrifice is demanded, how should it be distributed? There is also a deeper question about what we mean by sacrifice at all. The word is often used simply to mean going without. Yet traditionally it carried a stronger philosophical meaning: the willingness to give something up for a higher purpose or the common good. Some argue that modern democracies have become reluctant to ask citizens for such things, fearing the political cost. Governments promise protection instead, even when the resources to deliver it are limited.

And yet the challenges ahead may demand difficult choices. From energy shocks to climate change, societies may have to decide whether they are prepared to accept lower living standards in pursuit of wider goals. So in a democracy, should citizens expect protection from every crisis? Does the government have a duty to be open and honest with us about the hard choices we face? Or do we have a duty to accept sacrifice when circumstances demand it?

Chair: Michael Buerk
Panel: Matthew Taylor, Ash Sarkar, James Orr and Ella Whelan.
Witnesses: James Bartholomew, Grace Blakeley, Rupert Read and Adrian Pabst
Producer: Dan Tierney
Assistant producer: JayUnger
Editor: Tim Pemberton


SAT 22:00 News (m002t11b)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002sngs)
Is Food Processing the ‘Missing Middle’?

Much focus goes on food growing and selling, but is the missing link in increasing the UK's food self sufficiency actually food processing?

It might be all about Ultra Processed Foods in the news, but there is another, much older, side to food processing that plays an integral role in getting food from fields to our plates.

Beans, peas, oats, veg and barley can all be produced in the UK in abundance, but producers often have to transport their crops for miles to reach basic processing facilities like cleaning, sorting, de-hulling or grading. The UK’s processing factories are part of a globalised food supply chain, importing vast volumes of grains and pulses from overseas as ingredients in our food. But it wasn’t always the case, as we hear from a Sheffield historian who has uncovered the city’s link with pea canning and the female pea pioneer who transformed the processing industry.

From the farmer making oat milk in his own barn, to the UK’s last remaining processing facility for peas and beans, Sheila Dillon lifts the lid on this hidden part of the supply chain, and finds an industry at a crossroads.

Produced by Nina Pullman.


SAT 23:00 The Matt Forde Focus Group (m002sr53)
Series 2

The Politics of Incentives

Governments are constantly trying to nudge, cajole, bribe and even threaten people into behaving differently. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it goes badly wrong.

Top comedian Matt Forde convenes his Focus Group in front of a live theatre audience, with a politically eclectic panel — Baroness Ayesha Hazarika, former Tory MP Dehenna Davison, and Green Party MP Siân Berry — to dig into one of politics' most fascinating and frustrating puzzles: why do incentives so often produce exactly the opposite of what was intended?

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


SAT 23:30 Counterpoint (m002smx2)
Series 39

Semi-final 2, 2026

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

This week, in the second semi-final of the series, our three contestants pick from topics including ‘Phrase and Fable', 'Pop Goes The Weather' and 'Music Behind The Mask'.

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 22 MARCH 2026

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002t11d)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m002smx0)
Susan Choi

The writer Susan Choi speaks to Take Four Books about her novel Flashlight, and, together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its connections to three other literary works.

The novel, which began life as a short story in the New Yorker in 2020, and won the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award in 2021, begins with ten-year-old Louisa and her father taking a walk out on the breakwater. They are spending the summer in a coastal Japanese town while her father Serk, a Korean émigré, completes an academic secondment from his American university. When Louisa wakes hours later, she has washed up on the beach and her father is missing, probably drowned. The disappearance of Louisa’s father shatters their small family unit. As Louisa and her American mother, Anne, return to the US, this traumatic event reverberates across time and space, and the mystery of what really happened to Serk slowly unravels.

The book was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize and has recently been longlisted for the 2026 Women's Prize.

For her influences, Susan chose: Jenny Erpenbeck’s Visitation, from 2010; the Selected Stories of Alice Munro from 1996; and George Eliot’s Middlemarch, from 1871.

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


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002t11g)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002t11j)
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 (m002t11l)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002t11n)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002t11q)
The church of Saints Peter and Paul Lavenham, Suffolk

Bells on Sunday comes from the church of Saints Peter and Paul Lavenham, Suffolk. The medieval wool town of Lavenham greatly prospered from the wool trade in the 15th and 16th centuries. This trade financed the building of the church, regarded as one of the finest examples of Late Perpendicular Gothic architecture in England. There are eight bells the earliest of which date from 1603. The Tenor weighs twenty one hundredweight and is tuned to the note of D-flat. We hear them ringing Double Norwich Court Bob Major.


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002sn51)
The 50th Winter Paralympic Games

In Touch reflects in the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympic Games. Although the GB team did not return home flush with medals, ParalympicsGB are taking these games as a win in terms of some stand-out performances and future stars. In Touch digs into the visually impaired team's overall performance, how the sighted guiding works when plummeting down a mountain at speeds of 100mph and above and the experiences of the debutant athletes. Guests include six-time medal winning alpine skier Menna Fitzpatrick, debutants Hester Poole and Fred Warburton, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Phil Smith and BBC commentator and reporter Ed Harry.

Clips featured within the programme are courtesy of Channel 4.

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 (m002t11s)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vpx)
The Divine Gift of Sex

Sex therapist Dr Rica Cruz is on a mission to destigmatise sex in the deeply Catholic Philippines.
As a practicing Catholic herself, she believes sex is a divine gift and should be intertwined with faith rather than in conflict. Using social media to advocate for this, she earned a strong following which led to her own TV programme, Private Convos with Doc Rica. But that show was banned by the country’s broadcast TV regulator, the MTRCB.
Jay Behrouzi speaks with Dr Cruz about her fight for better sex education which she believes is the key to a safer society for women and girls.

[Photo Description: Dr. Rica Cruz leading advocate for sexual health, giving her talk, "Unprude Awakening: Embracing Sexual Health as a Foundation to Wellness, at The Glass House, Rockwell Nepo Center. Photo Credit: Rica Cruz]

Presenter: Jay Behrouzi
Producers: Matt O'Donoghue
Editor: Rajeev Gupta
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002t11v)
Dumpies, ducks and dentures

There's a small croft at the far end of a dead-end road on the Isle of Lewis that's unremarkable - apart from the crofter's day job!
Paul Rowlston has kept rare breed sheep, cattle, pigs and poultry on his windswept croft at North Tolsta for around 20 years, but when he relocated there from South Yorkshire he also brought his specific skill set and equipment that has made him an invaluable asset to the dental profession on the island.
Nancy Nicolson makes the trek to Tolsta on a typically wild and windy island day to meet Paul, his family and their menagerie to find out how he marries making dentures with carving out a life as a crofter.

Produced and presented by Nancy Nicolson


SUN 06:57 Weather (m002t11x)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002t11z)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002t121)
The enthronement of Archbishop Sarah Mullally at Canterbury Cathedral

Sunday guides you through the time-honoured rituals of the enthronement of an Archbishop of Canterbury - and how the service will break new ground with an anthem based on the words of 14th century female mystic Julian of Norwich, put to music by Joanna Marsh.

We will be hearing the stories of people in Iran as they mark Persian New Year and Eid in the midst of war.

And the story of a new film that brought the first Christian hymn from papyrus to the big screen.


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002t123)
Comic Relief

Broadcaster Helen Skelton makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Comic Relief. The charity supports projects across the UK which help alleviate poverty.

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 ‘Comic Relief’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Comic Relief’.
- 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 in England and Wales: 326568 and in Scotland: SC039730. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://www.comicrelief.com/
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites.

Producer: Katy Takatsuki


SUN 07:57 Weather (m002t125)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002t127)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002t129)
A Journey Through Lent - Cleansed and made new

This service from Manchester Cathedral, explores the idea of cleansing and purification in a sequence of scripture, prayer, music and reflection.

Bishop David Walker explores the Cleansing of the Temple in Matthew's Gospel, as Jesus drove out the money-changers from the Temple precinct in the days leading up to his death. He reflects on what it means for us as individuals to be cleansed and made new and how that has particular resonance in the season of Lent.

The service is led by the Very Revd Rogers Govender, Dean of Manchester. Manchester Cathedral Choir are directed by Ben Collyer and the organist is Simon Mercer.

MUSIC:
Hymn: Blest are the pure in heart
Hymn: Passion Chorale
Remember not, Lord, our offences (Henry Purcell)
Set me as a seal (Walton)
Turn thy face from my sins (Attwood)
Wash me throughly (SS Wesley)

READINGS:
Matthew 21.12-17
Titus 2.11-14
Holy Sonnet XIV (Donne)

Producer: Katharine Longworth


SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct5yld)
Paul Keating's Redfern speech

On 10 December 1992, Australia’s Prime Minister, Paul Keating, addressed a crowd in a Sydney suburb called Redfern, to mark the UN’s International Year of the World’s Indigenous People. What started as a low-key affair, is remembered as one of the most powerful speeches in Australian history. It was the first time an Australian Prime Minister took moral responsibility for the horrors committed against Indigenous Australians.

The speech received significant backlash, but it’s often credited with paving the way for a later Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, to issue a formal apology to Indigenous Australians. In 2007, ABC radio listeners voted it the third most unforgettable speech in history behind Martin Luther King’s 'I have a dream' speech and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Don Watson wrote the speech. He speaks to Ben Henderson.

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.

(Audio of Redfern speech: National Archives of Australia)

(Photo: Prime Minister Paul Keating at Redfern. Credit: Pickett/The Sydney Morning Herald/Fairfax Media via Getty Images)


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002t12c)
Mike Dilger on the Cetti's Warbler

Naturalist and TV presenter Mike Dilger remembers spending a bird breeding season 30 years ago surveying the Cetti's warbler. The Cetti's has a secretive nature, and like most birders Mike is more familiar with its explosive song rather than it's appearance, which has been described as ‘someone dropping a saxophone in a reed-bed’. Since Mike's foray into the world of conservation science in the mid-nineties the population of the Cetti's warbler has increased rapidly in the UK, most likely due to milder winters.

Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.

This programme features audio from Xeno-Canto recorded by Simon Elliott (Cetti's Warbler - XC792549).


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002t12f)
Israeli military warns that Tehran could target London

The US gives Tehran 48 hours to open up the Strait of Hormuz, as missiles hit Israel. And as the IDF warn Tehran's missiles could reach London, we'll be joined by Sir Richard Shirreff who was NATO’s Deputy Supreme Commander Europe. Also on BH, we meet the stonemason celebrating Wednesday's installation of the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in fourteen hundred years. And we bring you the first play of new music to celebrate the countryside with composer Debbie Wiseman at the piano.


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002t12h)
Sara Pascoe, comedian and writer

Sara Pascoe is a comedian and writer who has appeared on programmes including QI, Taskmaster and the Great British Sewing Bee. She is also a screenwriter and the author of three books including her debut novel Weirdo which won the inaugural Jilly Cooper Prize for fiction last year.

Sara was born in Dagenham and grew up in Romford. She joined a drama club when she was 14 and set her heart on an acting career but failed to get a place at drama school. She read English Literature at the University of Sussex and after graduating took on various jobs to make ends meet including a stint as a London tour bus guide.

In 2007 she performed her first comedy gig to an audience of 12 people in a south London pub. Even though no-one laughed at her jokes, she was well and truly bitten by the stand-up bug and the following year was joint runner-up at the Funny Women Awards. In 2010 she performed her first show at the Edinburgh Festival and appeared on the BBC’s Live at the Apollo two years later.

She is currently touring her latest stand-up tour, I Am A Strange Gloop. Sara lives in London with her husband Steen Raskopoulos and their two children.

DISC ONE: Rhythm Of Life - Sammy Davis Jr. And Ensemble (from Sweet Charity)
DISC TWO: Never Forget - Take That
DISC THREE: Telemachus - Pascoe & Martin
DISC FOUR: Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
DISC FIVE: Gett Off - Prince & The New Power Generation
DISC SIX: Rock Star - N.E.R.D
DISC SEVEN: Best Friend - 50 Cent
DISC EIGHT: Wizardry - Self Esteem

BOOK CHOICE: 1984 by George Orwell
LUXURY ITEM: A typewriter
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Telemachus - Pascoe & Martin

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Paula McGinley


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002t12k)
Writer: Katie Hims
Director: Peter Leslie Wild
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge… Charles Collingwood
Jolene Archer … Buffy Davis
Helen Archer … Louiza Patikas
Tom Archer … William Troughton
Neil Carter … Brian Hewlett
Ruairi Donovan … Arthur Hughes
Justin Elliott … Simon Williams
Alan Franks … John Telfer
George Grundy … Angus Stobie
Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell
Azra Malik … Yasmin Wilde
Esme Mulligan … Ellie Pawsey
Lynda Snell … Carole Boyd
Anna Tregorran … Isobel Middleton
Carol Tregorran … Mia Soteriou
Olivia the Solicitor … Emma Amos


SUN 12:15 Profile (m002t118)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 Unspeakable (m002sn98)
Series 3

1. Skedaddling Squirrels

In this episode we hear Tim Vine's word for suspicious squirrels, Olga Koch with an improvement on 'Googling oneself', and Aurie Styla's word for leaving a party early.

Ever struggled to find the right word for a feeling or sensation? Unspeakable sees comedian Phil Wang and lexicographer Susie Dent invite celebrity guests to invent new linguistic creations, to solve those all too relatable moments when we're lost for words.

Hosts: Phil Wang and Susie Dent
Guests: Olga Koch, Aurie Styla and Tim Vine
Created by Joe Varley
Writers: Matt Crosby and James Farmer
Recorded by Jerry Peal
Producer: Jon Harvey
Executive Producers: Joe Varley and Akash Lockmun

A Brown Bred production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 12:57 Weather (m002t12m)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002t12p)
Are we in a global conflict?

Do the ties between the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine mean we should regard this as one, single, conflict? Peter Loge teaches at George Washington University and assesses the way the White House has presented the campaign so far. The military historian Sir Hew Strachan places recent developments in context, and the International Rescue Committee's UK Executive Director Flora Alexander describes their humanitarian cost. The New Statesman's deputy editor Will Lloyd has recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, where people told him of their fears that the Iranian conflict will soak up defensive missiles that could have been used to repel Russian attacks as well as conveying their belief that a third world war is already underway. We hear the thoughts of Nathalie Tocci, who has advised EU foreign policy chiefs, and Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia under President Obama, as we seek to answer the question of whether or not recent events are the continuation of a war that started four years ago.


SUN 13:30 Profile (m002tkc2)
Benjamin Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu was born in Tel Aviv in 1949, the year after the State of Israel was founded. One of three brothers, Netanyahu spent much of his early years in the United States pursuing his education.

But following his older brother’s death, Netanyahu found himself drawn into a career in the public eye. Using his military experience to advise on security matters, in 1984 Netanyahu became Israel’s Ambassador to the UN and established himself as a champion of Israel on the international stage. But soon, his attention was drawn closer to home.

He returned to Israel and entered the world of politics; in 1993, he became the leader of the Likud party, and was elected prime minister in 1996, a position he's held for much of the following decades.

During his time in power Netanyahu has tried to portray himself as Israel’s protector. However, in recent years, allegations of corruption and lapses in national security have damaged his reputation and polarised Israelis' views about him. His handling of the conflict in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7th attacks has drawn criticism at home and abroad.

Now, Netanyahu has joined forces with the US president Donald Trump to conduct what they termed as ‘major combat operations’ against Iran. But will this war restore Netanyahu’s reputation as ‘Mr Security’, or draw Israel into another intractable conflict?

Mark Coles profiles the longest-serving Israeli prime minister.

Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Nick Holland and Mhairi MacKenzie
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound: Morgan Roberts
Editor: Justine Lang


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002snhj)
From the Archives: Water

Kathy Clugston steers the ship through the deep waters of the GQT archive where a variety of panellists, old and new, discuss solutions to a variety of water related gardening challenges.

They debate the question of rainwater vs tap water for plants, restoring waterlogged clay soil and alternatives to water butts in narrow terrace gardens. There's also advice on flood‑damaged garden recovery and recommendations for trees for flood‑prone & drought‑prone parkland.

Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Assistant Producer: William Norton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m002t12t)
Flight - Episode One

Flight was the second novel by one of twentieth century’s America’s most influential figures, Walter White. Published in 1926, it asks questions about race and identity when its central character chooses to ‘pass’ as a white woman. A prime mover in the Harlem Renaissance, White was a celebrated writer and activist but his book has largely been forgotten. John Yorke looks at the man and his work.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for over 30 years and shares his experience as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. He created the BBC Writers Academy and trained a generation of screenwriters - now with thousands of hours of television to their names. His acclaimed books Into the Woods and Trip to the Moon explore the structure and power of narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of storytelling, including many podcasts for R4.
Written and presented by John Yorke.

Contributors:
Kenneth Janken, Professsor of African American history at the University of North Carolina and author of White: The Biography of Walter White, Mr. Naacp.
Gayle Wald, Professor of English and American studies at George Washington University and author of Crossing the Line; Racial Passing in TwentiethCentury U.S Literature and Culture. .

Reading by Eric Stroud
Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith
Production Coordinator: Dawn Williams
Researcher: Henry Tydeman
Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002t12w)
Flight: Part 1

A music-fuelled reimagining of Walter White’s seminal novel about the Black American experience in the opening decades of the 20th century.

Mimi has lived a happy and comfortable middle class life within the Creole community of New Orleans.

Her sense of identity is enriched and deepened when she migrates to Atlanta and falls in love. But when she finds herself in the midst of the Atlanta Race Massacre, she makes a decision that will change the course of the rest of her life…

Adapted and directed by Adura Onashile as part of the Story of America collection.

Story of America is a major collection of dramatisations of milestone American titles marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence and the foundation of the United States.

Warning: this programme contains strong and discriminatory language and behaviour

Mimi … Harmony Rose-Bremner
Jean…Jason Barnett
Mary…Mercy Ojelade
Mrs Plummer…Natasha Cottriall
Mrs King…Michelle Chantelle Hopewell
Carl…Reuben Joseph
Priest…Simon Donaldson
Conductor…Michael Guest

‘Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen’
Vocalist: James Emmanuel
Piano: Geoff Angus

‘Hear Me Talkin To You’
Vocalist: Kimberley Mandindo
Trumpet: Charles Dearness
Double Bass: Ashwari Panesar
Piano: Isodore Smart Sammy
Guitar: Nathan Somevi

BBC Audio Scotland Production

Music Technical Producer: Fraser Jackson

Studio Production: Gav Murchie
Sound Editor: Joanne Willott

Production Co-ordinator: Bethany Woodhead
Producer: Kirsty Williams

Adapted and directed by Adura Onashile


SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m002t12y)
Jan Carson

Northern Irish writer and multi‑award‑winning novelist Jan Carson talks to James Crawford about her new book and the three key influences that shaped it.

Her latest novel, Few and Far Between, transports readers to an alternative Northern Ireland, where the country’s great inland loch is partially drained in the 1960s, leaving behind a chain of islands that become a refuge for those seeking to escape political strife.

For her influences, Jan chose: The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (1971); Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin (2017); and Excellent Women by Barbara Pym (1951).

Producer: Rachael O'Neill
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.


SUN 16:30 Counterpoint (m002t130)
Series 39

Semi-final 3, 2026

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

This week, in the third semi-final of the series, our three contestants pick from topics including ‘Pop It In The Post', 'Jazz At The Movies' and 'The Music Case of Benjamin Britten'.

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 (w3ct7470)
Breaking the sound barrier

On 14 October 1947, American Chuck Yeager became the first pilot to fly faster than the speed of sound.

Despite having two broken ribs, Chuck reached Mach 1.06 – a speed of more than 1,100km per hour.

He flew an orange, single-seated, rocket-powered Bell X-1, 13,000m above the Mojave Desert in California.

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

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.

For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.

(Photo: Captain Chuck Yeager standing next to the Bell X-1 at Muroc Army Air Force Base, California, in 1947. Credit: Underwood Archives/Getty Images)


SUN 17:10 Understand (m002qj04)
An American Journey

2. A More Perfect Union

James Naughtie continues his look at the ideas tying America's founding to the modern United States, as he looks at what it means to be an American.

In Chicago, he joins the Columbus Day parade - an exuberant celebration of Italian-American identity - and hears about the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to northern cities like Chicago. In Wisconsin, he visits the birthplace of the Republican Party, and in Ohio the Governor shows him the spot where Abraham Lincoln heard he had been formally confirmed as President-Elect. James considers how the social movements of the 1960s moved the centre of gravity of American politics from economic to social issues, with all that meant for political polarisation.

Producer: Giles Edwards


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002t133)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m002t135)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002t137)
Iran threatens to completely shut off Strait of Hormuz

Iran has warned it will completely close the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route -- if President Trump follows through on his threat to bomb the country's power plants. A Cabinet Minister has said there is "no assessment to substantiate" a claim by Israel that Iran has long-range missiles capable of reaching London. One of the UK's largest energy suppliers, Centrica, has said an increase in household bills is "inescapable" if oil prices remain high due to the Iran war.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002t139)
Sean Cooney

This week, Sean Cooney invites us into his Sheffield garden to have a listen to some amazing stories of cave houses in Staffordshire, and jump into the deep end of Cardiff International Pool under the direction of poolside instructor Jimmy. If that's all a bit too exciting, don't fret - we get exclusive access to a meeting of the Dull Men's Club. Plus, as St Patrick's Day passes by, we step into a world of reimagined Irish myth, and look back on the life of folk singer Dolores Keane.

Presenter: Sean Cooney
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Coordinators: Caroline Peddle and Caoilfhinn McFadden


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002t13c)
Miranda tells Lilian that Brian really doesn’t seem himself. She’s been worried about some of Brian’s strange behaviours for a while now. Lilian wonders if it’s the thought of moving back into Home Farm, but Miranda doesn’t think so. When Justin joins them, Miranda suspects he knows what’s wrong with Brian. Justin suggests Brian’s worried about his children, especially the ones who can’t stand on their own two feet. Miranda singles out Ruairi as particularly fragile, though Lilian reckons Brian’s always worried about Alice and Kate too. However, both Justin and Lilian feel Miranda shouldn’t worry too much about Brian. Miranda and Lilian then mock Justin for admitting his relief he's never had children to worry about.

Ruth and David are discussing a going-away present for Josh when Ben tells them Josh is leaving tomorrow. He’s decided to go early to explore Patagonia before starting work, but is worried how David and Ruth will react. Ben also reckons Josh wants as little fuss as possible, so no farewell dinner or gift – though he might agree to a meal at The Bull. Ruth’s determined Josh won’t go without at least saying goodbye. Later, after the meal, David, Ruth and Ben reflect on getting through the evening without too much ill feeling or awkwardness. David and Ruth then agree that nevertheless, it feels like Josh is leaving to get away from them, after the inheritance decision. Ruth hates the though of Josh leaving under a cloud and just hopes he comes back in one piece.


SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002t13f)
Outpatient

In 2018, the writer and actor Harriet Madeley found out that she was going to die.

At least, that’s what she heard when a doctor diagnosed her with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, a progressive disease for which there is no medical treatment, no cure, poor understanding and a long list of frightening Google stats..

None of her loved-ones knew how to respond to this bombshell. Her best friend kept crying. Her parents preferred not to talk about it. And her fiancée? She took it upon herself to cure the thing.

In the midst of a confrontation with looming death, Harriet’s closest relationship began disintegrating.

Harriet's response? To write a comedy about it.

This is the story of how Harriet used her creativity to come to terms with a life-changing diagnosis, and how it helped her to rebuild her relationships and decide how to face the future.

The play featured (slightly) fictionalised versions of the people closest to her. The script was a monologue, in which her own flaws and those of her loved-ones are magnified for the paying audience.

But how will those loved-ones respond? Will they be horrified? Or will the play force a meaningful conversation at last?

Harriet is still alive and kicking, facing a finite future. But then again, aren’t we all?

Writer: Harriet Madeley
Producer: Andrew Wilkie
Sound Design: Micky Curling and Bella Kear
Voices of theatre team: Madelaine Moore, Mark Knightley, Jessica Clark
With heartfelt thanks to Abi Mowbray
Photo: Karla Gowlett

A PRA production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Lent Talks (m002t13h)
Power and Wealth

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, Kristin Breuss – an Anglican vicar who previously worked in the banking industry in the City of London for two decades – explores power and wealth.

Producer: Dan Tierney.


SUN 20:00 Feedback (m002sr4t)
Inside Health, Radio 4 Extra, and Jeremy Bowen on Today.

A recent episode of Radio 4's Inside Health, presented by James Gallagher, reported a groundbreaking advance in the biomedical study of ME - myalgic encephalomyelitis, sometimes known as chronic fatigue syndrome. On Feedback, we've heard from listeners with ME who were encouraged by the good news but wanted more personal stories that gave a message of hope. Andrea Catherwood talks to Dr Charles Shepherd, honorary medical advisor to the ME Association, about the change in attitudes to ME.

It's also a big moment for all fans of Radio 4 Extra - it's time for another All Request Weekend. We hear from a listener who put something forward for selection, and talk to the station's Editor Richard Culver about how it all works.

And we hear from listeners reacting to the Today programme's unusual decision to air an 11 minute monologue from BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen about the strands of history of US interventions in the Middle East and involvement of US Presidents.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Pauline Moore
Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002snht)
Yanar Mohammed, MP Phil Woolas, Professor Robin Weiss, Jane Lapotaire

Matthew Bannister on

Yanar Mohammed who campaigned for women’s rights in Iraq and set up a secret network of shelters for those fleeing abusive relationships. She was shot dead on 2nd March.

Phil Woolas, a key figure in the New Labour project who became MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth.

Professor Robin Weiss, the eminent virologist who carried out important work to understand HIV.

Jane Lapotaire, the classical actor who won a Tony Award for her portrayal of Edith Piaf.

Interviewee: Nawal Al-Maghafi
Interviewee: Nick Jones
Interviewee: Jonathan Weber
Interviewee: Zoë Wanamaker

Producer: Ribika Moktan
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Glyn Tansley

Archive used:
Outlook, BBC World Service, 09/05/2005; News 1800, BBC Radio 4, 14/12/2003; BBC News, 1/04/1992; BBC News, 02/05/1997; Daily Politics: 2010 Election, Debates: The Immigration Debate, 4/05/2010; BBC News at Ten, BBC, 07/05/2009; BBC News at One, 09/12/2010; BBC News, 21/11/1986; Frontiers, BBC Radio 4, 24/02/1996; Piaf, playwright Pam Gems, director Howard Davies, production by Royal Shakespeare Company, broadcast on Arena: Theatre, BBC 12/02/1979; The 35th Annual Tony Awards, dir Clark Jones, Producer Alexander H. Cohen, produced and written by Hildy Parks, A Bentwood Television Production, CBS, 07/06/1981; Desert island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 22/08/1986; Richard II, dir Gregory Dean, The Royal Shakespeare Company, 2013; Woman's Hour, Radio 4, 24/04/2003


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002t10h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002t123)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002t10c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002t13m)
War and the cost of living

Ben Wright's guests are the Labour MP Polly Billington, Conservative former Treasury minister John Glen and the domestic policy expert, Sam Freedman. They discuss the latest developments in the Iran war and its impact on UK domestic politics - especially on energy bills and the cost of living. They also consider the government's changes to immigration rules and the row within Labour over how long people should have to wait before getting indefinite leave to remain. Lucy Fisher - Whitehall Editor of the Financial Times - brings additional insight and analysis. And Ben explores the significance of a political leader's class and educational background to their career success.


SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m002sr43)
Dadaism

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the provocative artistic phenomenon that first startled audiences in 1916 in Zurich. There, at the Cabaret Voltaire at the Holländische Meierei on the Spiegelgasse, Emmy Hennings and Hugo Ball and others gathered on a small stage, sometimes dressed in cardboard, often performing nonsense poems. This was the start of Dada, a spirit more than a movement which spread to other cities in Europe during the war. In part the Dadas (as they called themselves) were protesting against the inevitability of constant wars on the continent and in part this was an artistic experiment around the absurd; they were creating poems, songs, costumes and art that made no obvious sense, just as the war around them made no sense to the artists, designers and poets at the Cabaret Voltaire.

With
Dawn Ades
Emeritus Professor of Art History and Theory at the University of Essex

Ruth Hemus
Professor of French and Visual Culture at Royal Holloway, University of London

And

Stephen Forcer
Professor of French at the University of Glasgow

Produced by Martha Owen

Reading list:

Dawn Ades (ed.), The Dada Reader: A Critical Anthology (Tate Publishing, 2006)

Hugo Ball (trans. Ann Raimes and ed. John Elderfield), Flight out of Time: A Dada Diary (first published 1927; University of California Press, 1996)

Stephen Forcer, Dada as Text, Thought and Theory (Legenda, 2015)

Ruth Hemus, Dada's Women (Yale University Press, 2009)

David Hopkins, Dada and Surrealism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2004)

Jed Rasula, Destruction was my Beatrice: Dada and the Unmaking of the Twentieth Century (Basic Books, 2015)

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 (m002snhn)
The Real Housewives of the Wife House

Corinthia is starring in a new reality show called The Wife House. It keeps her SO busy – what with the preparations for the Galas, and throwing wine at all the other wives – that she barely even has time to think! Which is probably a good thing, because if she did have time to think, she might be wondering: why aren’t any of the Wives allowed to leave the Wife House? Are there really monsters in the woods? And... is she even actually called Corinthia?

An uncanny new comedy by Andrew Doherty, read by Ambika Mod.

Andrew Doherty is the writer of Gay Witch Sex Cult (“the funniest fringe horror since Garth Marenghi” – The Guardian)

Ambika Mod is a multi-award-winning actor and writer, and the star of One Day and This Is Going To Hurt

Directed by David Tyler

Produced by David Tyler and Katie Sayer

A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4

www.pozzitive.co.uk

MONDAY 23 MARCH 2026

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002t13p)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 00:15 Great Lives (m001zdf1)
Harriet Harman on Maria Callas

The legendary opera star Maria Callas was lauded for her magnetic stage presence and extraordinary vocal range. Born in New York in 1923 to Greek immigrant parents, she moved with her mother and sister to Greece aged 13. In 1939 she attended the Athens Conservatoire where she embarked on a rigorous vocal training in the Italian "bel canto" tradition. After the Second World War she moved to Italy, where she was mentored by the leading conductor Tullio Serafin, and became one of the most celebrated opera stars of the day, making triumphant appearances at La Scala in Milan, Covent Garden in London and the Metropolitan in New York.

Labour MP and former Deputy Prime Minister Harriet Harman is a lifelong fan, who says that despite Callas' tremendous talent and hard work she was unfairly vilified for behaving like a "diva" in the pejorative sense. She says that Callas was one of the first celebrities to get the full "tabloid treatment", and endured prurient press interest in her relationship with the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. We hear from Robert Sutherland, a pianist who accompanied Maria Callas during her world tour in 1973-1974, about their friendship. Joining Harriet and Matthew in the studio is singer, musician, teacher and researcher Nina Horrocks, also known by her stage name Ziazan. She specialises in the "bel canto" technique that Callas trained in, and has a YouTube channel dedicated to the subject called Phantoms of the Opera (https://www.youtube.com/c/PhantomsoftheOpera).

Archive includes:
Maria Callas in conversation with Edward Downes, 1967, Angel Records
Maria Callas: Today interview with Barbara Walters, 1974, NBC

Presenter: Matthew Parris
Producer: Beth McLeod for BBC Studios Audio


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002t11q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002t13r)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002t13t)
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 (m002t13w)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002t13y)
Peers continue their debate on the assisted dying bill.


MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002t140)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002t142)
Mirror Image: Narcissus and Echo

Good morning,

I’m an identical twin. When I was a child I used to look at my twin sister and wonder what I was doing over there. Seeing myself reflected in another person, now much older, is still an unsettling experience. And it’s different from how I see myself in the mirror.
The Greek myth of Narcissus tells the story of a beautiful hunter who rejected all his admirers, including the talkative nymph, Echo. Echo was punished for her distracting chatter by the goddess Hera. Hera condemned Echo to repeat only the last words spoken to her. Having fallen in love with Narcissus, Echo was tragically unable to tell him of her love. But as punishment for his vanity, the gods made Narcissus fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. From then on, gazing on his image to the exclusion of all else he wasted away until he died, when the narcissus flower sprung up in his memory.

The present season of Lent is a sustained time of reflection. Unlike Narcissus who focused entirely on himself to the exclusion of everyone else - looking but not seeing, we are invited to reflect on the bigger picture. Focusing on the detail can be a gift, and it can save countless lives, but when self-preoccupation blinds us to each other’s needs, we can become lost. Narcissus and Echo had failed to consider each other as well as the wider horizon.
I pray that we learn to see with hearts as well as eyes,
mirroring kindness, integrity and truth.
As we approach Easter,
may we never lose sight of the world and therefore, our deepest self.
Amen.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002t144)
23/03/26 Potato oversupply, history of change in farming, new crop tech research centre

A farmer with six hundred tonnes of potatoes he can't sell is blaming changing consumer tastes. GB Potatoes says this year is a “tough market” for growers, as a bumper crop this year has caused an oversupply.

This week we're looking at the history of farming and what that tells us about what drives change in farming and food.

One of the biggest seed and chemical crop protection companies in the world is expanding their operation in the UK.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton


MON 05:57 Weather (m002t146)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m002t1db)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002t1dd)
Growing Up

How do the stories we inherit, and the ones we tell, shape our journey from childhood into adulthood? In Radio 4's weekly discussion programme, Naomi Alderman and guests examine the shifting boundaries between youth, experience and societal expectation across memoir, history and fiction.

Booker Prize winner David Szalay talks about Flesh, his stark, propulsive novel tracing one boy’s path from adolescence in Hungary to adulthood among London’s super rich, exploring desire, power, class and the ways childhood experiences reverberate across a lifetime.

Filmmaker and writer Penny Woolcock grew up in a British enclave in Argentina. Her coming-of-age memoir, The Man Who Gave Me a Biscuit: Love and Death in Argentina, interweaves memories of teenage rebellion with the buried histories of genocide, authoritarianism and a society built on repression.

The historian Laura Tisdall discusses We Have Come to Be Destroyed, her vivid account of growing up in Cold War Britain, revealing how young people challenged the world adults made for them - from activism and anxieties about the future, to everyday resistance against narrow expectations.

Producer: Katy Hickman
Assistant Producer: Natalia Fernandez


MON 09:45 Like and Subscribe: How YouTube Changed the World (m002b719)
What happens when YouTube gets political?

As cat videos were being shared, and music hits like Gangnam Style went global, YouTube was quietly reshaping how we consume information. People were turning away from traditional media, trusting unsourced, unverified content.

For some, it’s been liberating - for Egyptians like Hadil El-Khouly, who were inspired to join the Arab Spring. But it’s also raised concerns. Could YouTube threaten democracy itself? Researcher Jillian C. York warns of YouTube’s power to spread unchecked information, while author of YouTubers Chris Stokel-Walker questions the platform’s role in spreading misinformation.

And in this fourth episode of our five part series, presenter Sophia Smith Galer asks Hank Green what’s next?

It's the story of Youtube, told through 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 (m002t1dg)
Dame Jenni Murray remembered, Elizabeth Moss and Kate Mara, Jane McDonald

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

We start today's programme with the sad news that Dame Jenni Murray has died. For 33 years she brought her sharp intellect, wit and passion for women's stories to generations of listeners, having conversations with some of the most famous women on the planet from Margaret Thatcher to Nicole Kidman. And yet it was her intuition for understanding women's lives - the struggles and the opportunities - and her openness about the challenges in her own life that endeared her to so many. To help us remember her, Kylie Pentelow is joined by former Woman's Hour editor Jill Burridge, who worked closely with her for many years.

Emmy award-winner Elisabeth Moss, best known for Mad Men and The Handmaid’s Tale, and Kate Mara from House of Cards and The Martian join Kylie in the Woman's Hour studio. Playing best friends – they discuss their new drama series, Imperfect Women.

Experts at the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) are highlighting the urgent need for clearer, evidence-based guidance on the use of medicines during pregnancy and breastfeeding. They want to draw attention to what they say are significant evidence gaps, inconsistent advice for patients, and the longstanding exclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women from clinical trials. Kylie speaks to Dr Emma Magavern, a clinical lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology at Queen Mary University and a fellow of the BPS, and Nikki Wilson, CEO of The Maternal Mental Health Alliance, who decided to go onto antidepressants when pregnant with her second child.

Singer and showbiz legend Jane McDonald talks about her new album, Living the Dream.

Presenter: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Kirsty Starkey


MON 11:00 Understand (m002t1dj)
How Reading Made Us

3. How Reading Made Our Politics

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. With time spent reading - and even reading ability - starting to nosedive, Times writer James Marriott explores how reading changed humanity, and what might happen if we stop.

In this episode James digs into the question of whether literacy led to the invention of democracy, asks whether reading helps us proof ourselves against misinformation, and asks what happens to our politics if reading dies out?

Contributors include
- Jung Chang, author
- Robert Darnton, historian
- Steven Pinker, professor of psychology at Harvard University
- Naomi Alderman, writer and presenter
- John Burn-Murdoch, chief data reporter for the Financial Times
- Nick Harris, ideas editor at the New Statesman
- Professor Maryanne Wolf, Director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at UCLA

Producer - Beth Sagar-Fenton
Editors - Chris Ledgard & Alasdair Cross


MON 11:45 A History of Mystery by Cal Flyn (m002sn8p)
The Cult of Mystery

Award-winning writer Cal Flyn explores the profound power of mystery and the provocation of the unknown.
In the beginning were the gods of the ancient world - and the rituals which developed around their worship.

Written and read by Cal Flyn
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


MON 12:00 News Summary (m002t1dl)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002t1dn)
LPG Price Rises, Travel Uncertainty, Upsizing Issues

Liquid Petrolium Gas users say they feel ‘forgotten’ as fuel costs rise and supplies tighten. 200,000 off-grid households use LPG across the UK. Like heating oil the price of LPG is not regulated but it has not as yet been included in the Government's £53m support package.

Three weeks into the Iran war travel uncertainty continues for people who've booked upcoming holidays to the region including Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey and Dubai. We hear from someone about the issues they've faced cancelling and getting their money back for a holiday in Dubai and we have the lastest advice on safe travel destinations and your rights if you're seeking to change plans.

Plus the challenge of upsizing as the gap between the price of an average first-time and second-time buyer home growns to a 25 year peak. We'll have advice and information on to better your chances of making that next step up on the property ladder.

PRODUCER: CATHERINE EARLAM
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON


MON 12:57 Weather (m002t1dq)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m002t1ds)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4


MON 13:45 What Do Our Politicians Need to Know Now? (m002t1dv)
Too much, too fast, too loud?

Does Britain's political class have the skillset to measure up to the challenges of AI, shifting geopolitical alliances and the pace and fury of our national debates? Political journalist Isabel Hardman talks to politicians including Harriet Harman and Westminster observers like Rafael Behr about the skills that politicians need to develop to thrive today.

A Soundworks Media production for BBC Radio 4


MON 14:00 The Archers (m002t13c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Prepper (m000x7tq)
Series 2

Making a 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.

Sylvia Garrett, a cut-throat shop-managing baby boomer, and 27 year old Rachel Olende, self-obsessed and having a quarter-life crisis, continue their podcast for anyone interested in surviving the coming breakdown of society - Prepper.

In this week's episode, we find out exactly what happened to turn Sylvia from a mild-mannered shop assistant into the prepping demon that we know and love, today. On reflection - we're not sure she was ever mild-mannered, but she has a story about a trip across the Pennines that she will never forget. And neither will you. There's also news of the passing of Beryl Arbuthnot, another heroine of the north-western prepper community. The Vikings have nothing on prepper funerals. All this and a super-volcano, too.

The first series of Prepper won the Writers Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Comedy 2020.

On this new series: "A comic book and kitchen sink drama" - The Radio Times; "A timely return for the sharply written comedy" - The Guardian; "As enjoyably unhinged as the first series" - Daily Mail.

In this series, while Sylvia continues to broadcast from her well-appointed double garage in south Manchester, Rachel is banished to a duvet-lined 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 Opening Lines (m002t12t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Sunday]


MON 15:00 A Good Read (m002t1dx)
Maryam Moshiri and Doug Naylor

Newsreader Maryam Moshiri and Red Dwarf creator Doug Naylor discuss their chosen books, including Bridget Jones's Diary, with Harriett Gilbert.

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding, chosen by Maryam Moshiri

Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise by Katherine Rundell, chosen by Doug Naylor

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, chosen by Harriett Gilbert

Join us over on Instagram @agoodreadbbc

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Sally Heaven


MON 15:30 You're Dead to Me (p0frndnq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Saturday]


MON 16:00 Profile (m002tkc2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002t107)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


MON 17:00 PM (m002t1dz)
Trump says US and Iran 'want to make a deal'

President Trump says USA and Iran have been in talks to end the conflict. Is this a breakthrough? Also: HS2 could the trains have their speeds limited?


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002t1f1)
President Trump says talks are taking place to end the war with Iran

President Trump has said the US and Iran have found "major points of agreement" and he's called off the immediate threat of strikes on Iranian power plants. Also: The Governor of the Bank of England joins Sir Keir Starmer at emergency Cobra talks to discuss how to tackle the rising cost of living. And trains on the new HS2 rail line between Birmingham and London may run slower than planned.


MON 18:30 Unspeakable (m002t1f3)
Series 3

2. Bursting with Lethargy

This episode we hear Alison Spittle's word for dodgy mediums, Sam Nicoresti's hatred for unpopular winners, and Mark Watson's word for when you've gotta go but you're too lazy to be bothered.

Ever struggled to find the right word for a feeling or sensation? Unspeakable sees comedian Phil Wang and lexicographer Susie Dent invite celebrity guests to invent new linguistic creations, to solve those all too relatable moments when we're lost for words.

Hosts: Phil Wang and Susie Dent
Guests: Sam Nicoresti, Alison Spittle and Mark Watson
Writers: Matt Crosby and Katie Storey
Recorded by Jerry Peal
Producer: Jon Harvey
Executive Producers: Joe Varley and Akash Lockmun

A Brown Bred production for BBC Radio 4


MON 19:00 The Archers (m002t199)
Helen finds Tony with his Anguses, but he’s unwilling to talk about them. Later though Helen ambushes Tony in the kitchen, before launching into the farm audit’s conclusion that the Anguses are a drain on Bridge Farm’s finances. Tony argues strongly that the cattle represent years of tradition. Helen has no idea how much they mean to him. Helen takes refuge in the Farm Shop with Tracy, telling her she’s clashed with Tony. It sounds terrible, but she’s sure she’s in the right. Helen then discovers her offer has been accepted for the house on the Green. Helen’s suggestion to celebrate becoming new neighbours proves awkward though, with Helen not appreciating the contrast between her and Tracy’s circumstances.
It’s the day of George’s court hearing, but he hasn’t told his parents it’s happening. He has second thoughts though, and Amber goes to see if Emma will accompany them. Emma has to lie to Tracy to get out of helping her with Bert. Amber explains to Emma the hearing is because George was reported for urinating in public, by Derek Fletcher who boasted about reporting him. They both think it’s unfair, before Amber mentions the possibility of George being given an alcohol monitoring tag and Emma agrees to go. Under Emma’s instruction George braces himself for whatever will happen next. Afterwards, frustrated George hates being told by Amber and Emma that he’s better off not drinking. The tag’s going to be fitted on Wednesday, the same day as Esme’s celebration and the last thing George wants is her or anyone else to know about it.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m002t1f5)
Saturday Night Live arrives in the UK

The UK now has its own SNL, 50 years after the US original. But is it funny? Culture journalist Natalie Jamieson gives her verdict.

As the BFI begins a season of boxing films, we explore why the sport has inspired so much influential cinema, with BFI curator Dr Clive Chijioke Nwonka and boxing broadcaster Steve Bunce.

Phil Dunster, best known for his role in Ted Lasso, discusses his new comedy Rooster.

Folk trio Leveret improvise live in the Front Row studio.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Harry Graham


MON 20:00 How Did We Get Here? (m002rvnb)
Israel and the Palestinians

7: From the Six Day War to the Lebanon War

The seventh of ten programmes exploring the origins and tracing the history of the Middle East conflict takes the story from the aftermath of the Six Day War in 1967 to its invasion of Lebanon in 1982.

Presenter Jonny Dymond, the BBC’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen, and Mark Tessler, Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan, USA, begin by discussing the impact of Israel’s victory on both Israel itself and on Palestinians, many of whom now found themselves under Israeli occupation. They go on to look at the Palestinian struggle for nationhood in this period – and at terror attacks by some Palestinian groups, including the killing of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

They examine the beginning of Israeli settlement on the occupied West Bank, the electoral earthquake of 1977 in Israel which brought the right wing to power for the first time – and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat’s historic visit to Jerusalem, which led in 1979 to the signing of an Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement, the first between the Jewish state and an Arab country. The episode finishes by asking why Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 – and what the consequences were for Palestinian refugees there, and for Israel itself.

'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 (w3ct8ty4)
Is quantum computing having its moment?

In a bid to invest in the future of computing and keep emerging quantum companies on their shores, the UK government has announced a £2 billion ‘Quantum Leap’ fund. Tom Whipple heads to ORCA Computing in London to find out exactly how close we are to realising that quantum future and the industries that may be revolutionized in the process.

After Iranian missiles have hit a key helium production plant in Qatar, stability of the global supplies of the element have been called into question. Dr Rebecca Ingle from University College London clues us in on just how much of the world relies on Helium and why it is the irreplicable “cryogenic king” of the elements.

Plus, can potatoes grow on the moon? And what can pythons tell us about weight loss? Reporter Gareth Mitchell joins Tom for their pick of this week's science news.

Presenter: Tom Whipple
Producer: Alex Mansfield and Katie Tomsett
Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
Editor: Martin Smith


MON 21:00 Start the Week (m002t1dd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:45 Like and Subscribe: How YouTube Changed the World (m002b719)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002t1f7)
Donald Trump says the US and Iran have held talks on the "complete and total resolution of hostilities" in the Middle East

But Iran's parliamentary speaker denies discussions have taken place, saying "fake news" is being used to "manipulate" the oil markets. We speak to President Trump's former deputy national security advisor KT McFarland and former Obama and Biden era US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley.

Also on the programme: Hong Kong police can now demand phone or computer passwords from those who are suspected of breaching the wide-ranging National Security Law.

And why are so many people obsessed with their pets? Shaun Ley visits the 'Pets & their People' exhibition at the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford to find out.


MON 22:45 The Woman Who Saw Atoms by Pippa Goldschmidt (m002t1f9)
Observation

On the eve of the Anschluss, a Jewish scientist fixes an image of a proton and changes physics for ever. Pippa Goldschmidt's new serial imagines the hidden life of unsung pioneer Marietta Blau.

Read by Liza Sadovy
Written by Pippa Goldschmidt
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 23:00 Limelight (m001ljtw)
An Eye for a Killing

2. The Lost Girl

Welcome to hell. The true story of Scotland’s notorious serial killers, Burke and Hare.

Mary Paterson is 18 when she meets William Burke in a drinking dive in Edinburgh’s Old Town in 1828. By the end of the day she will be dead and her body sold for £10 to one of the city’s leading anatomy teachers, Dr Robert Knox.

In the witness box at the High Court in Edinburgh William Hare is cross-examined on his knowledge of another murder. In fact, he has detailed knowledge of 16 murders because he’s one of the killers – but he can never be charged because the authorities have given him immunity.

Powerful five-part drama-documentary series from BBC Radio 4 with bonus scenes on BBC Sounds.

Written and dramatised by Colin MacDonald.

Narrator ….. Jack Lowden
Mary Paterson ….. Helen Mackay
William Hare ….. James Boal
Burke ….. Gavin Mitchell
Galbraith ….. Andy Clark
Robert Knox ….. Simon Donaldson
Henry Cockburn ….. Jimmy Chisholm
David Paterson ….. Stuart McQuarrie
Janet Brown ….. Nicola Roy
Other parts played by the cast.

Producer/director: Bruce Young


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002t1fc)
Sean Curran reports as the prime minister is grilled by senior MPs on the Iran war, his relationship with Donald Trump and what the conflict might mean for the UK economy.

TUESDAY 24 MARCH 2026

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002t1ff)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 00:30 A History of Mystery by Cal Flyn (m002sn8p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002t1fh)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002t1fk)
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 (m002t1fm)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002t1fp)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the Prime Minister condemns the arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity and faces questions from MPs on the Middle East.


TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002t1fs)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002t1fx)
Losing my Shoe

Good morning,

A while ago I boarded a rickety old train heading for Brighton. As I got on, one of my shoes caught in the door. In struggling to free it, the shoe came off and fell into the railway tracks. Before I could work out how to retrieve it, the doors shut and the train sped off. Feeling totally self-conscious in my one shoe, I sat down planning an early exit strategy to the nearest available shoe shop. After arriving at Brighton station, it was easier to go barefoot than walk lopsided - yet the walk into town seemed interminable.
While walking on cold, hard and cracked pavements without any shoes was awkward, I knew I’d soon be buying another pair. And I began to reflect on all the homeless people across the planet who cannot afford such a luxury. For them, walking without proper daily protection and in all weathers, is an ongoing social and economic injustice.
I thought of what the old saying ‘to walk a mile in another person’s shoes’ actually means if they don’t possess any shoes of their own?
Such a basic part of our humanity can so easily be taken for granted. Yet suddenly, walking down that High Street shoeless, pretending everything was just fine, the permanent plight of others filled my mind. And life’s fragility broke into my everyday awareness.

I pray that today we will walk the path of compassion
and notice the needs of those around us.
May we recognise the poverty in front of us, the suffering that hides in plain sight,
and as best we may, clothe each other with gentleness and care.
Amen.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002t1g1)
24/03/26 Middle East conflict and supply chains, processing shellfish, medieval farming.

Conflict in the Middle East will continue to have an impact on global supply chains even after hostilities cease, so say The Agricultural Economics Society who are marking their 100th birthday at their annual conference in Oxford. Will it impact food prices in the supermarket too?

Seafood processors say they're concerned that imports of shellfish won't meet new regulations which recognise crustaceans like lobsters as sentient beings which can feel pain. Under the Animal Welfare Strategy they must be dispatched before they're cooked, as painlessly as possible.

All week we're taking a step back in time, and looking at the history of farming over the last couple of centuries. Today we're rewinding to experience the country's last remaining example of the medieval three field crop rotation system, in the village of Laxton in Nottinghamshire.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


TUE 06:00 Today (m002t18p)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m002t18r)
Lucy Carpenter on how our oceans are destroying ozone

Working on a remote tropical island in the Atlantic might sound like some sort of romantic idyll - but trying to conduct scientific research on a windy, isolated volanic outcrop is no picnic, as Lucy Carpenter can attest!

Lucy is an atmopsheric chemist and a Professor at the University of York, whose work has helped to transform understanding of how oceans shape the air above them. She was one of the founding scientists behind the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory, established on São Vicente in 2006 and now a key global monitoring site. Measurements made there helped overturn a long-standing assumption: ozone loss is not solely a human-made problem. Lucy and her colleagues showed that gases released by natural marine processes can trigger chemical reactions that destroy ozone - demonstrating that the sea is not simply a passive backdrop to climate change but an active participant; affecting aerosols, clouds and ultimately the climate itself.

More recently Lucy's expertise has taken her into the policy arena, co-chairing the scientific assessment panel for the Montreal Protocol: the international agreement designed to protect the ozone layer.

In conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Lucy dicusses her journey from sampling ocean air to turning the tide of global environmental policy - and explains why her passion for duathlons could arguably be seen as an easier pastime than scientific research.

Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Lucy Taylor
A BBC Studios production


TUE 09:30 Inside Health (m002t18t)
Could the Kent meningitis outbreak happen again?

Little over a week on from the first meningitis cases in Canterbury, many crucial questions remain.

So this week we're taking an in-depth look at those questions and what we’ve learnt from this outbreak - and could it happen again?

James also hears from author Michael Rosen whose son Eddie died from meningitis aged 18 about just how quickly the disease struck and how he deals with his grief.

And would you trust health advice from an AI chatbot?

We hear from someone who regularly turns to ChatGPT and from GP Dr Margaret McCartney about her concerns.

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Gerry Holt
Content editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stuart Laws
Studio engineer: Donald MacDonald

Inside Health was made by the BBC’s Audio Science Unit in collaboration with The Open University.


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002t18w)
Naz Shah, 'Alpine divorce', Sexism at football matches

Naz Shah has been the MP for Bradford West since 2015, after a battle with George Galloway’s Respect Party, but her personal journey into politics is remarkable. Naz was born in Bradford but sent to Pakistan at the age of 12, to escape the attentions of her mother’s abuser. Then when she was 20 her mother was convicted of his murder. For years Naz looked after her younger siblings, while campaigning alongside Southall Black Sisters for her mother’s release and was instrumental in achieving a reduction in her mother’s jail term. She joins presenter Kylie Pentelow to discuss her story as she publishes her memoir Honoured: Survival, Strength and My Path to Politics.

Have you heard about the ‘alpine divorce’ trend? Women on social media are describing it as an extreme style of breakup in which a man leaves his partner stranded during a hike or outdoor adventure. Jo Hemmings, a Behavioural Psychologist and Relationship Counsellor, and broadcaster and author Mary-Ann Ochota discuss this troubling new relationship trend and how women can feel safe while navigating the outdoors.

The Anti-discimination charity Kick it Out has received 131 reports of sexist incidents at football matches from the start of the men's season until the end of February this year. That's more than double than for the same period last season, with comments to female fans including, 'What do you know about football? You should be in the kitchen getting your husband's tea." We discuss why this sexism is increasing and what can be done about it with BBC Sport senior journalist Sally Freedman, who's written a book about her expereinces, and Sarah Collins, head of Safeguarding at Stockport County Football Club.

In the new play, John Proctor is the Villain, high school girls in small town America are studying The Crucible, Arthur Miller's allegorical portrayal of the Salem witch trials. The play takes place just as the #MeToo movement catches fire, and comes close to home. As the Broadway hit premieres in the UK at London's Royal Court Theatre, playwright Kimberly Belflower and director Danya Taymor join Kylie to discuss viewing Miller's classic through a #MeToo lens.

Presenter: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths


TUE 11:00 Add to Playlist (m002snjb)
Anne Dudley and Guy Barker are Thunderstruck

Trumpeter and bandleader Guy Barker and composer and arranger Anne Dudley join Jeffrey and Anna as they add five more tracks, taking us from a high-octane heavy-metal classic to Run-D.M.C. via signature stage moves and dreamy Ella.

Producer Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe

The five tracks in this week's playlist:

Thunderstruck by AC/DC
I Got You (I Feel Good) by James Brown
Hommage à Rameau by Claude Debussy
My Reverie by Ella Fitzgerald
Peter Piper by Run-D.M.C.

Other music in this episode:

Love's Theme by The Love Unlimited Orchestra
Gravel Pit by Wu-Tang Clan
Surrender by Swing Out Sister
It's a Man's Man's Man's World by James Brown
Reverie by Debussy, performed by Lang Lang
A-Tisket A-Tasket by Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb
Humpty Dumpty by Aimee Mann
All The King's Horses by Dusty Springfield
Take Me To The Mardi Gras by Bob James
Take Me To The Mardi Gras by Paul Simon


TUE 11:45 A History of Mystery by Cal Flyn (m002sn3v)
Arts & Mysteries

Cal Flyn explores the profound power of mystery and the provocation of the unknown.

Today the award-winning writer uncovers the links between the unknown and the medieval guilds that developed to protect artisanal secrets.

Written and read by Cal Flyn
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002t18y)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002t190)
Call You and Yours: Consumer Confidence

On this week’s Call You and Yours, we're asking how confident do you feel about spending right now?

Since the conflict in the Middle East began, consumer confidence has taken a knock. According to new KPMG research, fewer than half of the people they surveyed — just 42% — expect to make any major purchases in early 2026.

There are some positives though. Around one in four say they do plan to put money toward a holiday.

What about you? Are you happy to open your wallet, or are global tensions and rising prices making you a bit more cautious?

Get in touch now - email youandyours@bbc.co.uk and please include a phone number so we can call you back. You can also call us on 03700 100 444 after 11am on Tuesday 23rd March

PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: LINDA WALKER


TUE 12:57 Weather (m002t192)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m002t194)
Reeves planning support for 'those who need it most'

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, confirms contingency plans are being made to offset the energy price shock for vulnerable households but assures the markets she'll stick by her fiscal rules. We hear from businesses already struggling with the additional costs caused by the war in Iran and former trade minister Lord O'Neil assesses the Chancellor's approach. Plus, Irvine Welsh on his new creation, Trainspotting: The Musical.


TUE 13:45 What Do Our Politicians Need to Know Now? (m002t196)
A school for MPs?

The pace and challenge of political life is putting our MPs under pressure like never before, Do MP's get enough on the job training? Isabel Hardman speaks to Ruth Fox of the Hansard Society and Reform MP Danny Kruger about the need for training for MPs, and what it could look like.

A Soundworks Media production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002t199)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Faith, Hope and Glory (m002t19c)
41. Joy and Glory

Set in 2016, Joy, a 70-year-old grandmother, is plunged into crisis when the state declares it has no record of her existence. As the Hostile Environment tightens its grip, her daughter Glory seeks help from Serena Hope, a lawyer whose return reopens old tensions. At the same time, Joy’s half sister Jean uncovers buried evidence that could decide Joy’s fate.

Faith, Hope and Glory is an ambitious Radio 4 drama series telling intimate domestic stories that together illuminate the emergence of modern Britain. The story began in 1946, when Hope and Jim’s baby was entrusted to Eunice, later known as Faith, to take home to Antigua, but never made that journey and was taken in by Gloria and Clement. Named Joy, the child becomes the emotional centre of the series, her life unfolding across decades as personal lives intersect with social change.

Joy . . . . . Doreene Blackstock
Glory . . . . . Cat Simmons
Serena Hope . . . . . Rakie Ayola
Jean . . . . . Nadine Marshall
Keeley . . . . . Clare Corbett
Receptionist . . . . . Yasmin Mowanza

Writer: Carol Russell
Director: Jade Williams
Producer: Jessica Dromgoole
Sound design: Keith Graham, Sam Dickinson, Sharon Hughes

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 15:00 History's Heroes (m002t19f)
Xuanzang Levels Up

A seventh century monk sets out on a perilous journey from China to India and back to find lost knowledge. In the process, he becomes a folk hero. This story would also later inspire the popular game Black Myth: Wukong.

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
Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts


TUE 15:30 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq5)
From American Pastor to Whirling Dervish

Former Christian Minister Craig Fentor was in the midst of a deep spiritual void when he first picked up a book of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi’s poetry in his local LA bookshop. The writings of Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic have long inspired people across faiths. And Rumi’s poetry on divine love and the soul’s journey toward God would captivate Craig, inspiring him to leave behind his Californian home, to begin a new life as a whirling dervish in Turkey.

The BBC’s Emily Wither travelled to meet Craig Fenter - now known as Ismail - in the Central Anatolian city of Konya. Konya is known as Rumi’s resting place and is now an important pilgrimage site for his followers. It is here where Ismail joined the Mevleni order, became a disciple of Rumi and converted to Islam.

Ismail is now working on a new English translation of Rumi’s most famous work, the Masnavi-yi Maʿnavi, 25,000 verses of rhymed couplets in Persian. Ismail believes it is his calling to work on a modern translation of Rumi’s greatest work, for which he has the blessing of Rumi’s 22nd generation direct descendants.

[Photo Description: Whirling dervish Ismail Fentor stands in front of the Mevlana Museum and tomb site of 13th century Persian poet and Islamic scholar, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi in Konya, Turkey. Photo Credit: Emily Wither]

Producer/presenter: Emily Wither
Series Producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
Music: Ismail C Fentor


TUE 16:00 Artworks (m002t19j)
The Last Sweeping Beams

Helen Mort explores the allure of lighthouses, as one by one their sweeping beams are turned off.

Lighthouse optic lenses are things of beauty, their concentric glass prisms refracting light into a powerful beam that sweeps across the sea. But these lights need to evolve over the next decade to remain fit for purpose – the reliance on mercury in the rotating system is hazardous; the new LED lights can be powered by solar. The rotating, sweeping beam is replaced by a flash, which reports suggest look largely the same to the mariner at sea, but as each lighthouse has its lens mechanism overhauled, the people who live around them notice the difference and many mourn the change.

Some of the romance of lighthouses has already been stripped away in reality – they were automated through the 1980s and 1990s, so there are no manned lighthouses now. Working lighthouses are becoming an endangered species, as they are decommissioned to become tearooms and holiday lets. But they remain iconic structures, and an enduring source of fascination for poets.

In 'The Last Sweeping Beams' Helen meets those who have felt a lifelong pull towards the hypnotic sweep of their lights. For Edward Peppitt, the beam from Dungeness lighthouse passing along his bedroom wall as a child led to an obsession with lighthouses, culminating in a 3,500-mile cycle ride to visit every onshore and offshore lighthouse around England and Wales, despite a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. Helen talks to Emma Stonex, author of 'The Lamplighters', who immersed herself in the lives of lighthouse keepers in researching her book, which revisits the story of the vanishing of three keepers from a Scottish lighthouse in 1900. It's a story also told in Wilfrid Wilson Gibson's poem 'Flannan Isle', and a mystery still unsolved. Poet Glyn Maxwell explores the significance of the lighthouse beam in his mentor Derek Walcott's poem 'The Lighthouse', and writer Joe Moran explains his fascination with the iconic structures: the warning light reaching out to invisible others is a concrete symbol of our common humanity, of the fact that people we may never meet are also our concern.

At the heart of the programme, a new poem by Helen reflects on the lives that used to be spent in lighthouses, and explores the meaning of the sweeping light that has been sent out to sea for centuries.

With location recordings made at Portland Bill Lighthouse, Dorset

Producer: Megan Jones
Sound design: Catherine Robinson
A BBC Audio Wales production for Radio 4


TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002t19l)
Can buildings make us healthier?

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the building blocks of our health and wellbeing.

In this episode, they step outside into the built environment to ask: can buildings affect our health? From light and air to noise, materials and design, they explore how architecture shapes the way we feel, think and function.

They visit Coal Drops Yard to see how a former industrial site was transformed into a modern public space, ask whether wellbeing is something architects actively design for, and explore what small changes we can all make to create healthier spaces. To help answer these questions, they’re joined by architect Lisa Finlay from Heatherwick Studio.

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: Lisa Finlay
Producer: Faye Lyons-White
Visuals Producer: Leon Gower
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Jo Rowntree
Assistant Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Researcher: Grace Revill
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Olga Reed

At the BBC:

Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 17:00 PM (m002t19n)
Iran war: is escalation or de-escalation more likely?

Israel and Iran carry out fresh strikes on each other while talk of negotiations continues. Plus: we speak to a house builder as the government confirm solar panels and heat pumps will be required for new houses built in England from 2028.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002t19q)
The owner of Royal Mail apologises for late deliveries

The owner of Royal Mail, Daniel Kretinsky, has apologised for the late arrival of millions of letters, but has denied that the business is in decline. Also: China's foreign minister has joined efforts to broker talks between Iran and the United States. And the Snooker World Championship will stay at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre until at least 2045.


TUE 18:30 Wing It (m002t19s)
Series 2

4. Under A Cover

Cariad Lloyd, Thomas Mayo, Emma Sidi, and Alexander Jeremy join host Alasdair Beckett-King for more improv comedy chaos. Featuring love at the turkey farm, a harrowing snowfall fight, and a screaming toilet.

"No Script. No Prep. No Clue."

Presented by Alasdair Beckett-King

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 (m002t19v)
David and Tony exchange thoughts on Esme’s Lady Day gathering and Josh’s sudden departure. David then confides his and Ruth’s doubts over their handling of the Brookfield inheritance. Tony sympathises, telling David about the Anguses and how he thinks Tom and Helen might see the future of Bridge Farm. Having your children tell you what to do is so hard, they agree. It’ll be the same with Pip before long, David thinks, before hoping he and Tony get more time for more chats like this.

Brian confesses to Alice that he’s nervous about moving back into Home Farm, before Alice suggests he’s been acting out of character lately. Even Lynda thinks something’s up. Brian dismisses their concerns, assuring Alice he’s fine, before conceding he occasionally fears he’s failed his children. Alice disagrees, even if Ruairi has had a wobble recently. More cheerfully Brian then claims full credit for bringing Rex and Alice together. Later, Miranda joins Brian and Alice for supper. Alice tells Miranda she’s happy about them moving into Home Farm, reassuring Miranda that Brian is happy too. If he's been stressed recently it’s nothing to do with the move or her. After the meal Brian admits he hears Jennifer’s voice in his ear when he’s cooking, before Alice leaves. Miranda then pulls Brian up on an earlier comment that the Home Farm house will be hers, not his. She wants it to feel like his home too, but queries whether it’s what he wants. Brian promises her he does, with all his heart.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002t19x)
Noah Wyle on hit hospital drama The Pitt

The much anticipated, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning medical drama The Pitt finally hits HBO max screens in the UK this week. Samira talks to lead actor Noah Wyle who plays Dr ‘Robby’ Robinavitch, about being back in a high octane emergency department drama decades after making his name as Dr Carter in ER.

The Elizabethan composer John Dowland died 400 years ago this month. Next weekend there will be a celebratory Weekend of his music performed at London's Wigmore Hall. We speak with two musicians who will be celebrating Dowland's music: Counter tenor Iestyn Davies and lutenist Elizabeth Kenny.

Does opera need to be telling new stories? The ENO’s former artistic director John Berry, and playwright Mark Ravenhill join us to discuss.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed


TUE 20:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002t19z)
The battle for hearts and lungs: Transplants in trouble.

The UK was once a world leader in heart and lung transplantation. Pioneering surgeons attracted patients from all over the world. But the NHS has not kept pace with medical and technological developments and today the UK lags far behind most similar countries. It carries out fewer transplants and a lack of resources mean it doesn’t routinely use modern technologies. Many of the health service’s leading surgeons have left to work overseas in recent years, frustrated, they say, at the lack of attention transplant services have received from NHS England.

Through speaking to patients, surgeons and experts, File on Four Investigates looks at what the UK needs to do to update and transform this life-changing service.

Reporter Michael Buchanan
Producers: Adam Eley & Paul Grant
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley
Editor: Tara McDermott


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002t1b1)
Technology Training in Northern Ireland

Jackie Brown of STRIVE Ability delivers technology training to visually impaired pupils across Northern Ireland. The training Jackie provides is supplementary to the tailored support pupils receive from Qualified Teachers of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (QTVIs) and classroom assistants. In Touch tags along with Jackie to visit two pupils in two schools as she delivers training on the technology that is making so much more possible for this generation.

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 (m002sr0n)
When is it legal to go to war?

Under international law, when can a country declare war on another?

Was it legal for Israel and the United States to have carried out "pre-emptive" airstrikes across most of Iran’s provinces, which started the war? The USA says the attacks were justfied, because of an imminent threat from Iran's nuclear programme, and Israel claims it acted in self-defence.

The Israeli President went further - telling the BBC that focusing on the legality of the war instead of regional security is "mind-boggling" to him.

And what of Iran's response? Was it reasonable under international law? In the last few weeks, practically all its Gulf-state neighbours have been targeted, as well as its drones or missiles landing in Syria, Cyprus, Turkey and Azerbajan.

So does the Iranian retalliation justify the American and Israeli attacks under international law?

And if any country breaks international laws - are there any real consequences?

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan
Producers: Ravi Naik and Charlotte Rowles
Editor: Tom Bigwood

Contributors:
Susan Breau, Professor of International law at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London
Christian Henderson, Professor of International Law, University of Sussex
Éamon Chawke, intellectual property, data protection and commercial law solicitor, Briffa Legal


TUE 21:30 Evan Davis's Heat Pump Challenge (m002sr4f)
Episode 2: The Spark Gap

Heat Pumps use electricity rather than the gas in our traditional boilers - but electricity is more expensive. This can often put people off installing a heat pump because they're worried their energy bills will go up.
In this episode Evan explores where our electricity in the UK comes from; how the government is trying to change that to greener sources, and also for the UK to be more self sufficient, and less reliant on global energy markets.

Evan's joined by Greg Jackson, the Chief Executive of Octopus Energy. Octopus Energy is the biggest installer of heat pumps in the UK. At the moment they cater for the simpler install - end of the market, but are investing and researching to make more powerful heat pumps, that they hope could go into other homes that arn't so straightforward.

Dale Vince also joins Evan, the founder of Ecotricity. Despite having a heat pump himself installed in his home Dale doesn't believe heat pumps will work for everyone and come with significant install costs a typical family can't afford. He talks to Evan about what he thinks the government strategy should be.

We also hear from Claire Dykta, Director of Strategy and Policy at the National Energy System Operator, as well as Martin McCluskey, Minister for Energy Consumers, about the government's drive to install heat pumps.

In this series Evan, along with his expert panel of guests will equip you with the information you need to know about heat pumps. From cost, to how they work, to the people you need to speak to if you're considering one in 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


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002t1b3)
Trump says Iran wants deal to end the war "so badly"

Donald Trump says negotiations to end the Iran war are happening "now" and the "people" the US are speaking to "want to make a deal so badly". His comments come a day after Iranian officials denied any contact with the US had taken place, calling claims of talks "fake news". We speak to a Republican Congressman about whether the military operation has increased President Trump's leverage.

Also on the programme: calls grow for the government to permit drilling of North Sea oil and gas. And Daphne Selfe, the world's oldest fashion model still working, has died aged 97. We explore how the fashion industry has come to embrace older women.


TUE 22:45 The Woman Who Saw Atoms by Pippa Goldschmidt (m002t1b5)
Measurement

As Austria sends its men to war, the new female graduates take their place at the laboratory bench. There, Etta is about to break new ground in atomic photography. Pippa Goldschmidt's new serial imagines the hidden life of unsung physics pioneer Marietta Blau.

Read by Liza Sadovy
Written by Pippa Goldschmidt
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 23:00 Illuminated (m002t13f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:15 on Sunday]


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002t1b8)
Alicia McCarthy reports from Westminster, as the Chancellor promises to help the poorest families with rising energy bills following the Iran war

WEDNESDAY 25 MARCH 2026

WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002t1bb)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 00:30 A History of Mystery by Cal Flyn (m002sn3v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002t1bd)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002t1bg)
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 (m002t1bj)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002t1bl)
Sean Curran reports as MPs question the chancellor about support with energy bills.


WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002t1bn)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002t1bq)
Feast of the Annunciation to Mary

Good morning,

Sometimes we’re caught completely unaware – with no warning, knowledge or time to reflect. And we have to make a big decision. Or, we receive information we cannot prepare for and a quick response is required - news about our health, a critical job change or a complex situation among family and friends. What happens next can define the months or years to come. And staying with the “what ifs…” can fragment our minds and hearts rather than reconcile us to whatever we are called to face.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation in the Christian calendar. This is the event in Luke’s gospel, chapter 1 when the Archangel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that she will conceive through the Holy Spirit and give birth to a boy named Jesus, who is the Son of God.
Mary could have said “no, I don’t think so – it’s not a good time”. Yet despite fear and questions, she still says “yes” to God. This was not a role she’d considered - it didn’t make any sense. And she would no longer be free to follow the life she planned with Joseph her fiancé. But she trusted that God would guide her. In the context in which Mary lived, not yet married and poor, this demanded enormous faith and courage. And her “yes” changed the course of Christian history.
I pray that Mary’s encounter with an Archangel
will encourage in us an openness to the new.
May we embrace the unexpected with a ready spirit,
and find a quiet peace that gives meaning to our every day
amid the joys and trials which we face.
Amen.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002t1bs)
25/03/26 Environmental regulation, geese, The Enclosure Act and the farming landscape.

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee have called for the merger of the Environment Agency and Natural England. In a new report the committee criticises both organisations - saying that environmental regulators are 'spread too thin to protect nature while delivering reforms'. We speak to Wildlife and Countryside Link which represents dozens of conservation groups to see if they think a merger would work.

Farmers and crofters are calling for more help to control geese. Warmer winters mean more geese are staying in Scotland over the winter and farmers say they're ruining crops and soiling grazing. Some species can be shot, but others are protected. NFU Scotland is calling for urgent action to help reduce their numbers.

This week we've been taking a look back through history, to discover the foundations of our farming and landscape. If you've ever wondered why we have so many hedges or why rural Britain looks like it does today you have to go back to one of the most seismic events which happened over 200 years ago - The Enclosure Act. It not only shaped what we see in the countryside but also changed rural communities forever.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


WED 06:00 Today (m002t1h9)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 Sideways (m002t1hc)
86. The Talent Trap

From a very young age, Holly Mathieson showed remarkable ability at the piano. With the support of her concert pianist grandmother, she nurtured a rare talent for music, and later explored ballet and choral singing as well. A path toward excellence in classical music opened before her and, for nearly 20 years, she followed it diligently as an internationally renowned conductor.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, she realised it was time to reclaim a life that had been defined by her abilities rather than by her choices.

Matthew Syed, himself a national table tennis champion at just age 10, explores our relationship with talent and the pressures - both internal and external - to fulfil it. Through Holly Mathieson’s story, he asks whether we own our talents or whether they own us. He considers why it is that gifted people are seldom allowed to walk away from their abilities without the accusation and condemnation that they are wasting their lives, remaining trapped by the idea that they owe it to the world to fulfil their potential.

With Holly Mathieson, psychologist and author Pippa Grange and Elizabeth Anderson, philosopher at the University of Michigan.

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 (m002styf)
Everything Is Fake and Nobody Cares

3. My Truth, Your Truth, and Anything But the Truth

In 1987, the same year Hulk Hogan body-slammed Andre the Giant, something else happened that would change America's relationship with the truth forever - a Washington regulator abolished the law that required broadcasters to present both sides of an argument.

What followed was Morton Downey Jr, a furious chain-smoking provocateur who discovered that outrage was more compelling than accuracy. And Oprah Winfrey, who found that sincerity and emotional honesty could be just as powerful. Together, they popularised an idea that has quietly shaped the world we live in - that your truth is just as valid as the truth.

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 (m002t1hf)
First female Archbishop of Canterbury, Schiaparelli exhibition, Swiftynomics

Today marks a historic moment for the Church of England as Dame Sarah Mullally is installed as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church’s 1,400‑year history. What unique skills and priorities will she bring to the role, and what challenges lie ahead for her as she takes on one of the most influential positions in the Anglican Church? Joining Kylie Pentelow to explore these questions are the Bishop of Gloucester, Rachel Treweek; the Reverend Martine Oborne, chair of WATCH Women and the Church; and Professor Andrew Atherstone, author of a new biography of the Archbishop.

A campaign backed by charities, MPs and peers is urging for more checks on pornography websites to protect children and vulnerable people. It’s looking to change the law to get websites to verify the age of people appearing in the content that’s published, and to guarantee that their consent has been given. To discuss the proposals, Kylie is joined by Baroness Bertin, author of an independent review into the regulation of online pornography, and Naomi Miles, founder of the Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation charity.

The revolutionary Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli is being celebrated in a dazzling new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Sonnet Stanfill, Senior Curator of Fashion at the V&A and curator of Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art and fashion historian, Justine Picardie, author of Fashioning the Crown, discuss her life and work.

What can Taylor Swift teach us about the economy? Associate Professor at the University of Kansas, Misty Heggeness, explains how her concept of Swiftynomics shines a light on the true value of women’s work and influence.

Presenter: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Emma Pearce


WED 11:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002t19z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Tuesday]


WED 11:40 This Week in History (m002t1hh)
March 23rd - March 29th

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

23 March 1900 - Excavations begin at Knossos, Crete, revealing the Bronze Age Minoan civilisation
27 March 1963 - The Beeching report is published, leading to mass railway closures in the UK
26 March 1778 - Beethoven gives his first concert at the age of 7, he dies on the same day in 1827


WED 11:45 A History of Mystery by Cal Flyn (m002sr06)
The Secrets of Nature

An award-winning writer explores the profound power of mystery and the provocation of the unknown.
Cal Flyn explains how the Scientific Revolution changed our relationship with the natural world.

Written and read by Cal Flyn
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


WED 12:00 News Summary (m002t1hk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002t1hm)
Recovery Fraud, NCP and Vet Bills

Being scammed and losing money isn't the end of the story for many victims - there's a type of fraud that targets these people with bogus offers of help. We trace the story behind letters received by an elderly man who lost £10,000 in an investment scam. Also on the programme - action is finally being taken on spiralling vet fees. But will the Competition and Markets Authority's measures make any difference? And we'll have the latest on the demise on NCP, one of the UK's largest parking companies, which is in administration. What will happen to its car parks, and what does it mean if you've paid for tickets in them?

PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY


WED 12:57 Weather (m002t1hp)
The latest weather forecast


WED 13:00 World at One (m002t1hr)
Iran: Strait of Hormuz to open to "non-hostile" ships

We'll assess what this would mean for immediate commercial traffic through the strait and for the wider conflict. Plus: we'll be live at Canterbury Cathedral ahead of the appointment of the first female spiritual leader of the Church of England.


WED 13:45 What Do Our Politicians Need to Know Now? (m002t1ht)
Reaching the public

Does technological innovation threaten our political system or enable new kinds of engagement? Isabel Hardman speaks to constitutional expert Professor Andrew Blick of Kings College London about the promise and peril of AI and asks Becca Hutson, Editor in Chief of the News Movement which of our MPs have mastered the art of teaching the electorate through new media.

A Soundworks Media production for BBC Radio 4


WED 14:00 The Archers (m002t19v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Faith, Hope and Glory (m002t1hw)
42. Joy

Set in 2022, Joy is now 76 and living in a care home, where sharp humour and fierce independence help her navigate a world increasingly shaped by care, compromise and other people’s decisions. When someone from her distant past unexpectedly reappears, Joy is stirred into rethinking who she is and what she still wants. As her daughter Glory wrestles with responsibility, fear and unfinished grief, long-standing family tensions resurface, testing ideas of love, loyalty and control.

Faith, Hope and Glory is an ambitious Radio 4 drama series telling intimate domestic stories that together illuminate the emergence of modern Britain. The story began in 1946, when Hope and Jim’s baby was entrusted to Eunice, later known as Faith, to take home to Antigua, but never made that journey and was taken in by Gloria and Clement. Named Joy, the child becomes the emotional centre of the series, her life unfolding across decades as personal lives intersect with social change.

Joy . . . . . Doreene Blackstock
Benny . . . . . David Hounslow
Glory . . . . . Cat Simmons
Suveer . . . . . Lolita Chakrabarti
Bernadette . . . . . Tanya Moodie

Writer: Rex Obano
Director: Femi Elufowoju, jr
Producer: Jessica Dromgoole
Production Co-ordinator: Kate Gray
Casting Manager: Alex Curran
Sound design: Keith Graham, Sam Dickinson, Sharon Hughes

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 15:00 The Law Show (m002t1hy)
How tough are the UK's asylum laws?

The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s Restoring Order and Control policy is underway. It's based - in part - on measures carried out in Denmark which cut asylum claims there to a 40 year low.

From now on in the UK, people granted asylum - refugees - will face a review every two and a half years. If their country of origin is regarded as safe, they may be encouraged, or even forced, to go back.

There are lots of other changes. If someone is refused asylum, they’ll only be allowed a single appeal. If an asylum seeker breaks the law, works illegally or can financially support themselves, they’ll lose their benefits or accommodation.

Alongside the asylum reforms, there are also major changes to settlement in the UK, affecting both refugees and people on work and study visas. From now on, they will have to wait at least 10 years before they can obtain indefinite leave to remain, which means they can settle in the UK without restrictions.

You may be forgiven for thinking -"these are pretty big changes, I don’t recall there being a big debate in parliament or any votes?" And you’d be correct. This was all done through secondary legislation, meaning that it’s a change to existing rules.

But what are the possible legal battles for the government as it tries to introduce some of the toughest asylum laws in Europe?

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Producers: Ravi Naik and Charlotte Rowles

Contributors:
Dr Peter Walsh, Senior Researcher and lead on asylum at the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford
Catherine Barnard, Professor of European Law at the University of Cambridge
Baroness Levitt, Family Justice Minister


WED 15:30 Money, Influence and the NHS (m002t1j0)
It’s Time Patients Knew

GP and academic, Dr Margaret McCartney continues her story of a 20-year quest to reveal conflicts of interest in medicine. What might be the financial influences that can impact your treatments and how do they affect trust? Margaret tracks progress in 2016, with a new way to find out if your doctor has had payments from industry. And explores some surprising evidence that being more open about commercial relationships might play out differently than expected.


WED 16:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002t1j2)
When Poachers Turn Gatekeepers

What happens when you cross enemy lines and join the other side?

As King Charles hires a Sky Royal correspondent for a top comms job at the Palace, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel discuss what happens when journalists switch to PR.

Crucially, they need to learn how to go from broadcast to mute. No more fabulously indiscreet anecdotes involving the rich and powerful over dinner - they're now your clients and your job is to protect their reputation.

And that's just for starters. There are a whole load of different rules and shifts in power dynamics that can take years to fully understand.

Also, on the extended edition on BBC Sounds, why Harry and Meghan have a window of golden PR opportunity - that could slam shut if they don't get their timing spot on. As David and Farzana explain, it's all to do with something called 'brand adjacency'.

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 (m002t1j4)
Matt Brittin profile, How to cold call a president, The Policing and Media Charter, Jamie Bartlett

As Matt Brittin is confirmed as the BBC’s new Director-General, we discuss his in-tray with Alex Farber from The Times. We look at the relationship between the press and police with Alan Woods from the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Rebecca Camber from the Daily Mail, who were involved in putting together the new Policing and Media Charter. Natalie Fahy from The Nottingham Post also joins us to discuss her experience of reporting the Nottingham attacks as the public inquiry continues. Plus, how to cold-call President Trump. Edward Luce from the Financial Times and Max Tani from Semafor give their top tips. And the journalist and writer Jamie Bartlett takes us behind the scenes of his new BBC Radio 4 series Everything is Fake (And Nobody Cares).


WED 17:00 PM (m002t1j6)
New Archbishop of Canterbury installed

Edward Stourton takes us through the afternoon’s proceedings at Canterbury Cathedral, and we discuss Dame Sarah’s rise through the ranks of the Church of England. Today the programme is broadcast from Manchester, where we explore the site of one of the government's proposed new towns. Plus, we get an update on the landmark social media addiction trial that has found that Meta and Google intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed the mental health of a 20-year old woman.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002t1j8)
Meta and Google are found liable for a woman's addiction to social media

A jury in California has found the owners of Instagram and YouTube liable for a young woman's addiction to social media from early childhood. Also: Iran appears to have rejected a US proposal to end the war, with a senior security official saying the fighting would stop only when its conditions were met. And Dame Sarah Mullally is officially installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.


WED 18:30 Stand-Up Specials (m002t1jb)
Live from the UK

S2 E5: It's Raining Pineapple Chunks

Angela Barnes traverses the country once again to the best comedy clubs in the country, bringing you the funniest stand ups around.

So if you want to know why you shouldn't buy your dad a Gwyneth Paltrow candle, what a Belfast grandad thinks of Rupaul's Drag Race, and when you should intervene with bad parenting, then this is the programme for you.

In this episode, you can hear;

William Thompson at the Empire Music Hall in Belfast
Eleri Morgan at the Swansea Grand
Ruairi Woods at the Empire Music Hall in Belfast
Phil Ellis at the Hot Water Comedy Club in Liverpool

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 (m002t1jd)
George promises Esme he’ll be back after his dentist appointment to help with the Lady Day celebration of her tenancy – unless she’s changed her mind about wanting him there. Esme insists they’re a team, before George tells her the truth about going to his tag fitting. He then wonders to Amber if he’s done the right thing.
Ed and Eddie choose cider for the celebration at Meadow Farm. Ed’s worried some of his regular work clients haven’t been in touch.

Pat tells Esme it’s the forty-eighth anniversary of their tenancy at Bridge Farm, so they can celebrate that too. Walking back with Amber, George admits he’s dreading seeing Esme after rushing off before. Ed and Eddie arrive with the cider, helped by Amber, while George goes ahead. Ed then realises why his clients are ghosting him: because Eddie left them in the lurch, selling his regular supply of hay to the highest bidder instead.

When George offers Esme his notice she turns it down, telling him she couldn’t manage without him. She offers to write a support letter to Reg, his probation officer, countering Derek Fletcher’s complaint. George then introduces Esme before she makes a speech, thanking people including Pat and Tony for all their help and generosity. Esme finishes by thanking George, her righthand man. She declares he’s such a hard grafter, she’s really fallen on her feet. George turns down the offer of a cider from Eddie, then whispers to Amber that Esme’s offered him a year’s contract. He hopes he can finally put the last year behind him.


WED 19:15 Front Row (m002t1jg)
Actor Forbes Masson on the stage production of cult sitcom The High Life

Actor Forbes Masson on the National Theatre of Scotland's stage musical revival of cult sitcom The High Life in which he starred alongside Alan Cumming as air stewards working the commuter route between London and Scotland.

The writers behind the hotly anticipated whodunnit novel The Ending Writes Itself - billed as being by Evelyn Clarke but in fact written by Cat Clarke and VE Schwab - talk about satirising the publishing industry and about the challenges and pleasures of writing collaboratively.

And as The Coming of Age - a new exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in London - explores experiences and perceptions of ageing, art historian Richard Cork and artist Clare Shenstone reflect on how older people have been represented in art and culture.

Plus why is the V&A Dundee seeking a design team to makeover its galleries less than ten years since it opened? Architect and former editor of The Architects Journal Rory Olcayto explains.

Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan


WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m002t1jj)
Is an Established Church Morally Defensible?

The Church of England marks a historic moment: the installation of its first female Archbishop of Canterbury. A symbol, many would say, of progress in an institution often accused of resisting it. And yet, even as she takes office, around 600 churches reportedly refuse to recognise the authority of ordained women. For them, this is not prejudice but principle. An adherence to theological conviction.

It comes amid fresh scrutiny about the Church’s place in national life - from Prince William signalling a more modern, personal relationship with it, to the Green Party reopening the question of disestablishment. The Church of England is not just a religious body. As the established church, it is entwined with the state. Its bishops sit in Parliament. Its role extends, at least in theory, to the whole nation. It claims to be “a church for everyone.” And yet it operates with exemptions from equality law, particularly in its approach to women’s leadership and same-sex relationships. Defenders argue that religious freedom must include the freedom to dissent from prevailing social norms. Critics counter that an institution with constitutional privilege cannot also claim the right to discriminate.

But there is a further tension. The Church speaks as a national institution at a time when fewer people identify with it at all. Attendance has declined steadily. Belief itself is becoming more marginal in a society that is increasingly secular. For many citizens, religion is not just optional but irrelevant.

So what does establishment mean in such a society? Should the Church be brought into line with equality law or separated from the state altogether? And more fundamentally: can an established church still claim moral authority in a nation that is steadily moving away from it?

Chair: William Crawley.
Panel: Carmody Grey, Tim Stanley, Mona Siddiqui and Anne McElvoy.
Witnesses: Andrew Copson, Bishop David Walker, Jonathan Chaplin and Rev Charlie Bączyk-Bell.
Producer: Dan Tierney
Assistant producer: Jay Unger
Editor: Tim Pemberton.


WED 21:00 The Life Scientific (m002t18r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Tuesday]


WED 21:30 Inside Health (m002t18t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Tuesday]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002t1jl)
Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark trial

A California jury has found the social media giants Meta and Google liable for harming a young user's mental health by deliberately making their products addictive. We hear from a former Facebook employee.

Also on the programme: amid talk of peace, many Iranians continue to flee their country. We hear from one who took part in January's bloody anti-regime protests.

And: the BBC has a new director general. Will the appointment from the world of tech help the corporation navigate a changing media landscape?


WED 22:45 The Woman Who Saw Atoms by Pippa Goldschmidt (m002t1jn)
Flight

Etta resolves to move past her issues with troublesome assistant Hertha and concentrate on the science, now that her initial experiments have yielded such spectacular results. Pippa Goldschmidt's new serial imagines the hidden life of unsung physics pioneer Marietta Blau.

Read by Liza Sadovy
Written by Pippa Goldschmidt
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.


WED 23:00 Stand-Up Specials (m002s5tw)
Slim's Guide to Life

6. Fifties and the Future

Comedian and legend of the black circuit, Slim, has been telling us about his his life, and we've caught up to the decade he's in now. His fifties.

Children have flown the nest, he's the Godfather of black British comedy, so what's next? Looking forward, Slim inspires us that dreams aren't just for the young, but is 53 even old these days? He's trying to be a better, more modern man than his parents generation - trying to understand the menopause, and taking his own health seriously. Without getting too morbid, he turns attention to his funeral, and what black people can learn from the brief, buttoned funerals of his white friends.

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 (m002t1jq)
Aurie Styla: Tech Talk

Series 2 Ep 5. Home Smart Home

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 considers the gadgets around us in our houses. Smart homes are the future - but are they making US smarter?

An Impatient production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002t1js)
Sean Curran with PMQs and more.

THURSDAY 26 MARCH 2026

THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002t1jv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 00:30 A History of Mystery by Cal Flyn (m002sr06)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002t1jx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002t1jz)
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 (m002t1k1)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002t1k3)
Alicia McCarthy reports on Prime Minister's Questions, plans to curb overseas interference in UK elections and the last FMQs before the Scottish Parliament elections.


THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002t1k5)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002t1k7)
The Joy of Lists

Good morning,

I love lists. Making lists and ticking things off is highly satisfying if you’re trying to wrestle with all that’s outside of your control. I always remember one list I wrote aged seven: I thanked my Mum for being a wonderful mother, right in the middle of items I was hoping she’d buy me for a midnight feast. The spelling wasn’t great but she accepted it with grace.
We depend on lists for all sorts of activities and services: shopping ingredients, prescriptions, legal advice, instruction manuals, travel destinations, computer codes, mobile numbers and music downloads. There is always a list we rely on to navigate life’s functions, and in every language and format – text, image, braille, widget or AI.

The Bible is full of lists – perhaps God finds them useful too! Genealogies, battles, prophecies, measurements for the Ark, details of Temple furnishings, gifts of the Spirit and mysterious visions of the End Times. One of the best lists for me is Jesus’ ‘Beatitudes’ in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. In contrast to the ‘You shall nots’ of the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes open with ‘Happy’ - such as Happy are the peacemakers.’
This list with its focus on righteousness, mercy and compassion, has become a charter for millions who work to create the necessary conditions for a better world.
I pray that we might seek and support these values -
in the corners of our hearts and on the corners of our streets,
rather than just see them as items on a list.
Happy is everyone who offers a helping hand and an open spirit,
without hesitation or judgement to those in need.
Amen.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002t1k9)
26/03/26 Scottish rural policy, green gas, Victorian farming.

The Scottish Government's published details of its support system for farmers. Agriculture is devolved and since Brexit, each of the UK's four governments has set up its own system for financially supporting farmers. In Scotland, farmers and crofters have been digesting the details of the new five-year plan. Payments will be allocated up to 2031 with the biggest changes coming in the last year. It's been broadly welcomed by NFU Scotland but others have described it as 'stuck in the past.'  

Leaders from the UK gas sector have written to the energy secretary urging the Government to help reduce the UK’s reliance on foreign gas imports. They say with war in the Middle East, ministers need to support the production of biomethane. Farming can play a significant part in producing biomethane as anaerobic digesters use a huge range of ingredients, including animal byproducts, non-food crops and food waste.

All week we're taking a step back in time and looking at some of the pivotal moments in farming history. Victorian innovation and technology lead to big agricultural and social changes. As populations grew rapidly, farmers in the 19th century strove to advance the way they grew crops, bred more profitable animals and took advantage of new inventions.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


THU 06:00 Today (m002t2v0)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (m002t2v2)
Silicon

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the physics, biology and chemistry of the element silicon which is at the heart of some of the most useful and beautiful objects on the planet. While it is still being created throughout the universe, the silicon we have here was made billions of years ago in dying stars. In its compounds we have long used silicon for glass and, more recently, purified silicon has become the foundation of modern electronics. Perhaps less appreciated is the role silicon compounds play in the biology of life on Earth, on the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the cycling of elements between land, oceans and atmosphere that sustains us.

With

Kate Hendry
Oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey and Bye-Fellow of Queen’s College, University of Cambridge

Andrea Sella
Professor of Chemistry at University College London

And

Monica Grady
Professor Emerita in Planetary and Space Sciences at the Open University

Produced by Martha Owen

Reading list:

Christina De La Rocha and Daniel J. Conley, Silica Stories (Springer, 2017)

Bernard Quéguiner, The Biogeochemical Cycle of Silicon in the Ocean (John Wiley & Sons, 2016)

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 (m002t2v4)
We're Here to Listen (with Stewart Lee in Laugharne)

Armando is joined by Stewart Lee at the Millennium Hall in Laugharne.

Taking the audience's most loathed political soundbites, we discuss 'existential threats', 'let me be clear', and 'we're working very hard'.

We also hear about Armando's train driver getting caught in an infinity loop, treating Nicky Wire with the greatest of respect, and whether feeling in your bones or gut indicates your political persuasion.

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

Sound editing: Chris Maclean
Recorded by Searle Whittney and Dyfan Rose
Production Coordinator: Asha Osborne-Grinter
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Recorded at the Millennium Hall in Laugharne

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


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002t2v6)
Meta and Google trial, The Pitt actor Katherine LaNasa, Polyamory

A young woman in the US has successfully sued Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp - and Google, owner of YouTube, over her childhood addiction to social media. In an unprecedented case, a jury in Los Angeles has found that the companies intentionally designed addictive platforms that harmed the 20-year-old's mental health. The woman, known as Kaley, has been awarded $6 million dollars (£4.5m) in damages. Both tech companies say they disagree with the verdict and will appeal. Anita Rani is joined by BBC Tech reporter Shiona McCallum.

Non-monogamous relationships appear to be having a pop culture moment, with polyamorous couples on our screens and open marriages profiled in numerous books on the topic, alternative relationships appear to be everywhere currently. Anita will discuss polyamory with Molly Roden-Winter, author of the memoir More: A Memoir of Open Marriage, and The Times journalist, Sarah Ditum.

Spain is to formally pardon 53 women survivors who were among thousands incarcerated by the Franco regime for being supposed 'fallen' women. Anita speaks to BBC Mundo journalist Alicia Hernandez and freelance journalist Cristina Garcia Casado about what happened in the 1940s when, as adolescents, the women were locked up by the Board for the Protection of Women, a collection of institutions run by religious orders and overseen by Carmen Polo, the wife of the dictator Gen Francisco Franco.

Actor Katherine LaNasa is starring in the second series of HBO’s award-winning TV medical drama The Pitt. She plays Dana Evans, a nurse; a part for which she won an Emmy. Katherine talks to Anita about nearly throwing in the boot before landing this role, how she and the rest of the cast were trained for hospital scenes and how her real-life experience of being diagnosed with breast cancer has impacted her work.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rebecca Myatt


THU 11:00 The History Podcast (m002gjdw)
The Second Map

3. The Battered Suitcase

As people back home partied in the streets, celebrating victory in Europe in May 1945, war wasn’t over for the many thousands of soldiers and civilians on the Asian front. For those in Japanese prison camps, or fighting in distant jungles, it wasn’t always over on the day Japan announced its unconditional surrender on August 15th.

Episode 3 of The Second Map traces the complex remembrance of the war on the Asian Front in Britain, India, and Japan, 80 years after it ended. We hear of the trauma of those who lived as prisoners and how they coped with life once back in Britain. And we learn how the horrors of war returned to veterans in their nightmares, and speak to descendants across Britain who are making new discoveries today about what their family members did in the war on the Asian Front. 

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: Bhasker Patel

With thanks to Dr Diya Gupta, Dr Vikki Hawkins, Dr Peter Johnston, Professor Rana Mitter and Tejpal Singh Ralmill.


THU 11:45 A History of Mystery by Cal Flyn (m002sr49)
Mysterious Girl

Award-winning writer Cal Flyn explores the profound power of mystery and the provocation of the unknown.

As her journey continues, Flyn finds herself face to face with the divine feminine.

Written and read by Cal Flyn
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


THU 12:00 News Summary (m002t2v8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 Evan Davis's Heat Pump Challenge (m002t2vb)
Episode 3: Heat Pumps, Your Questions Answered

In the final episode, Evan asks listeners to get in touch with their questions about heat pumps and we'll get answers from our expert panel.

We'll also be hearing from listeners who've already installed heat pumps and the lessons they've learned...are they saving money on their bills?

Our expert panel is Richard Fitton, Professor of Building Performance at the University of Salford and Emily Seymour the Climate and Sustainability Edtor at Which?

Over the course of the series we asked you what topics you wanted covering in this programme, and you answered in your droves. We've had dozens of emails to our inbox, asking us about finding trustworthy installers, noise and how heat pumps might work in flats.

We'll also be hearing positive heat pump stories but also a nightmare, and what went wrong during the installation.

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 (m002t2vd)
Dough - Food

What will the food of the future look like? Greg Foot finds out.

Greg Foot, host of BBC Radio 4’s Sliced Bread, returns with Dough — the series exploring the rise of future wonder products that could transform the way we live.

Each episode examines the emerging technologies and innovations poised to shape tomorrow’s world. Greg speaks with experts and entrepreneurs to uncover the trends influencing how today’s everyday essentials might evolve, before a leading futurist offers their predictions for life five, ten and fifty years from now.

This episode explores how our food choices could change as the climate becomes hotter and more volatile. Are we heading towards a menu built around ancient grains, 3D‑printed dishes and AI‑tailored nutrition plans? And where does lab‑grown meat sit — both in terms of public appetite and the rules needed to get it on our plates?

Alongside Greg, tucking in to a taste of the future, is futurist Tom Cheesewright, joined by expert guests including:

- Karina Zimerfeld, the Global Vice President of Research & Development at Mars Food & Nutrition
- Charles Banks, Partner & Managing Director of global trends agency The Food People
- Owen Ensor, Chief Executive of Meatly

This episode was produced by Linda Walker

Dough is a BBC Audio North Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds


THU 12:57 Weather (m002t2vg)
The latest weather forecast


THU 13:00 World at One (m002t2vj)
President Trump warns Iran to get serious about negotiations.

We speak to former international negotiator Oliver McTernan as we unpack the core disagreements blocking an Iran–U.S. peace deal. Also on the programme, we hear from Reform UK’s Treasury Spokesperson Robert Jenrick as the party launches its local election campaign, and we bring you a powerful account from former health minister Ashley Dalton on balancing political life with incurable cancer.


THU 13:45 What Do Our Politicians Need to Know Now? (m002t2vl)
The War Parliament?

Is our parliament now effectively a war parliament and are our politicians ready to face the reality of what that means? Isabel Hardman talks to experts including Professor Anthony King of Exeter University about the realities of our new geopolitical situation and how it will impact our politics.

A Soundworks Media production for BBC Radio 4


THU 14:00 The Archers (m002t1jd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Faith, Hope and Glory (m002t2vn)
43. Faith

Set in 2025, Faith is approaching her 100th birthday with her wit, defiance and independence firmly intact. As preparations gather pace, figures from her past begin to press close, voices and memories that refuse to stay quiet. When a song Faith once wrote resurfaces in the present, it draws her back through a life shaped by love, compromise and unfinished business, and strengthens her resolve to be heard at last. While her daughter, Serena Hope, worries about what is memory and what is risk, Faith insists on telling her story in her own way, surrounded by the people who have mattered most to her.

Faith, Hope and Glory is an ambitious Radio 4 drama series telling intimate domestic stories that together illuminate the emergence of modern Britain. The story began in 1946, when Hope and Jim’s baby was entrusted to Eunice, later known as Faith, to take home to Antigua, but never made that journey and was taken in by Gloria and Clement. Named Joy, the child becomes the emotional centre of the series, her life unfolding across decades as personal lives intersect with social change.

Faith . . . . . Shiloh Coke
Serena Hope . . . . . Rakie Ayola
Trevor . . . . . Gary Beadle
Hope . . . . . Danielle Vitalis
Millie . . . . . Yasmin Mowanza
Benson . . . . . Sam Swann
Doctor . . . . . Clare Corbett

Writer: Winsome Pinnock
Director: Roy Williams
Producer: Jessica Dromgoole
Production co-ordinators: Ben Hollands & Kate Gray

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 15:00 Open Country (m002t2vq)
Restoring Wallasea's Wild Coast

Martha Kearney visits Wallasea Island in Essex, the largest manmade coastal nature reserve in Europe. It was created from the 3 million tonnes of London clay that were excavated in the digging out of the Elizabeth Line.
The RSPB project used soil from the Crossrail scheme to raise the land, and flood almost 170 hectares of arable land to create saltmarsh, mudflats and lagoons. This was to mitigate for land loss as sea levels rise and it’s the only place that has raised land in order to bring the sea back. It’s the largest complex of saline lagoons in the UK.
The project tells an unusually positive story about adapting to climate change and coastal erosion before it happens, for the benefit of nature. Martha goes to see the waders and waterbirds that now over-winter there.

Producer: Beth O'Dea


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002t123)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Feedback (m002t2vs)
Woman's Hour, Liza Tarbuck and Desert Island Discs

In light of the death of Jenni Murray who presented Radio 4's Woman's Hour for 33 years, listeners reflect on the impact she made on their lives over the decades.

We also discuss controversy on Radio 4's Woman's Hour, with many listeners questioning the programme's choice of guests for a discussion on “the manosphere” last week.

Reflecting on another much loved BBC broadcaster, Radio Times journalist Simon O'Hagan talks about Radio 2 presenter Liza Tarbuck's decision to step back from the programme which she has presented for the past 14 years. We also hear what Liza means to her loyal Saturday evening listeners.

Kicking off this year's nominations for Feedback's Interview of the Year, we revisit an interview with Jessie Buckley on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. The actress spoke to Lauren Laverne just before she became the first Irish woman to win a leading actress Oscar for her starring role in Hamnet.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Assistant Producer: Jac Phillimore
Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


THU 16:00 The Briefing Room (m002t2vv)
Why is youth unemployment in the UK so high?

It's a tough time for any young person looking for a job at the moment. While overall unemployment is running at just over 5 percent, there’s particular concern about a large group of 16 to 24 year olds - almost a million of them (12.8%) who are not in employment, education or training. And that includes recent graduates in that age bracket. They’re known as NEETS. David Aaronovitch and guests discuss why they're in this situation - is it down to the state of the economy, their own ability to work or that ever present fear - AI?

Guests:

Jack Kennedy, Senior Economist, Indeed Hiring Lab
Lindsay Judge, Research Director, The Resolution Foundation
Xiaowei Xu, Senior Research Economist, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
John Burn-Murdoch, Chief Data Reporter, The Financial Times

Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Nathan Gower, Kirsteen Knight
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound Engineer: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8ty5)
The future of space travel

Are we, at last, getting the spacefaring future we were promised back in the 1960s? This week, NASA has been outlining ambitions for a base on the Moon and, perhaps more surprisingly, the development of a new class of spacecraft powered by nuclear electric propulsion. Dr Hannah Sargeant at the University of Leicester explains the potential of nuclear-powered space travel, how it could take us further into the solar system than ever before, and why it has taken decades for the technology to reach this point.

Meanwhile, a lorry carrying a very unusual cargo has been making careful laps around the campus of CERN in Switzerland. This week science reporter Caroline Steel has been enthralled by the controlled transportation of antimatter. With insights from Dr Harry Cliff at the University of Cambridge, explore why trapping and moving antimatter is such a milestone for physicists.

Plus, rising beaver populations in the UK and the science of brain preservation. Caroline Steel joins Tom for her pick of the week’s science news.

Presenter: Tom Whipple

Producer: Harrison Lewis and Katie Tomsett

Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Editor: Martin Smith


THU 17:00 PM (m002t2vy)
President Trump insists Iran want to negotiate an end to the war

Pakistan has said it's relaying messages between Tehran and Washington. We speak to their former ambassador to the United States on her country's role. Also on PM, the International Olympic Committee has announced that transgender women will be banned from competing as females. We get reaction from a 5-time Olympian. And, the 30th MOBO awards take place tonight in Manchester, British soul singer Beverley Knight reflects on the anniversary.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002t2w0)
Bereaved families who faced delays accessing their relatives' premium bonds will receive refunds

The state-owned National Savings and Investments bank has announced plans to reunite tens of thousands of people with their money, after a fault with its bereavement claim process. Also: Reports from Iran say it has responded through intermediaries to a US plan to end the conflict in the Middle East. And the International Olympic Committee has introduced a ban on transgender women taking part in female categories across all sports.


THU 18:30 The Matt Forde Focus Group (m002t2w2)
Series 2

The Politics of The Tribe

We like to think we vote with our heads. But what if we've always voted with our tribe? Top political comedian Matt Forde convenes his Focus Group in front of a live theatre audience with a razor-sharp panel — former Conservative adviser Salma Shah, ex-SNP MP and broadcaster John Nicolson, and stand-up comedian Pierre Novellie — to ask whether tribal loyalty is the secret engine of political life. From parties haemorrhaging members to rivals, to the flag-wrapped contradictions of nationalist politics, to the question of whether multicultural Britain is importing conflicts it never signed up for, this is an episode about belonging, identity - and the ridiculous places both can lead

Written and performed by Matt Forde
Additional writing from Karl Minns, Ruth Husko and Richard Garvin
Producer: Richard Garvin
Co Producer: Daisy Knight
Broadcast Assistant: Ocean Holder
Sound Design: David Thomas
Editor Chris Maclean
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4


THU 19:00 The Archers (m002t2kw)
Ruth susses something’s up with Ben, who’s been asked by Lily about moving into Josh’s room at the Stables. He’s decided to say no, having seen how upset David and Ruth are about Josh leaving. They admit they are a bit sad, especially with the bad feelings involved. But they’ll try to put things right and hope Josh comes round. As for Ben though, he doesn’t want to abandon them after they’ve been so supportive through his darker moments. They saved his life. Ruth gets a funny message from Josh, then she and David tell Ben he should take the room if he wants to. Later, David and Ruth agree their kids are brilliant.

George asks Brian for the money he promised him and wants to tell Brian his business plan, which no longer involves drones. George persuades Brian to go for a walk, explaining he wants to invest in five rare breed ewes. A farmer has offered to put them to his ram for breeding. George will ask Esme to keep them at Meadow Farm, but one day George plans on having his own farm. Brian’s response is crushing: it’s not going to happen. They agreed the money would be for George’s drone business, not this. It’s far too risky. Brian can only see George coming back to him for more money and he’s not having it. Angry George accuses Brian of lying about the offer to pay him and threatens to expose Brian, who walks off.


THU 19:15 Front Row (m002t2w4)
Review: Riz Ahmed comedy Bait, Schiaparelli at the V&A

On this week's review show, critic and broadcaster Rhianna Dhillon and fashion historian and writer Amber Butchart join Tom Sutcliffe to discuss Riz Ahmed's new comedy series Bait, which follows a struggling actor who auditions for the role of James Bond and has to deal with the fallout.

They give their verdicts on Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art at the V&A in London, featuring the work of designer Elsa Schiaparelli.

And they review Two Prosecutors, the new film from Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa, a bleak comedy following a prosecutor as he attempts to help a political prisoner during the Stalinist Purge of 1937.

Plus, the ongoing story of the novel that was pulled by its publisher after allegations that it was partly written by AI. Tom talks to Alexandra Alter, the New York Times journalist who broke the story, and Anna Ganley from the Society of Authors.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Tim Bano


THU 20:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002t1j2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Wednesday]


THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002t1j4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:15 on Wednesday]


THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002t116)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m002t2v4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002t2w6)
Olympic women's sport will be limited to biological females

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says eligibility will be determined by a 'once-in-a-lifetime' sex test, which would prevent transgender women and those with differences in sexual development (DSD) who have gone through male puberty from competing in women's events. We hear from former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies who supports the move, and UN Special Rapporteur Alexandra Xanthaki who opposes it.

Also on the programme: Should foreign tourists visiting our museums be charged for entry? And the hunt is on in Hampshire for Samba, a nine-month-old capybara, who escaped Marwell Zoo over a week ago.


THU 22:45 The Woman Who Saw Atoms by Pippa Goldschmidt (m002t2w8)
Focus

Driven out of Austria by the Nazi annexation, scientist Etta has found it impossible to build on the pioneering discoveries of her early career.
Pippa Goldschmidt's new serial imagines the hidden life of unsung physics pioneer Marietta Blau.

Read by Liza Sadovy
Written by Pippa Goldschmidt
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.


THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002t2wb)
Over-Diagnosis: Are Too Many People Being Given Medical Labels? (Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan)

Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan thinks that we are getting diagnosis wrong.

In this episode the neurologist and author of The Age of Diagnosis explains how advances in screening have led to certain diseases being over-detected and why she thinks giving a condition a label can sometimes do more harm than good.

And Amol asks about some of the criticism she’s faced since her book was published last year.

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 Cordelia Hemming. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Jonny Hall. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002t2wd)
Alicia McCarthy reports as MPs question the health secretary about the news that resident doctors are going on strike again.

FRIDAY 27 MARCH 2026

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002t2wg)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 00:30 A History of Mystery by Cal Flyn (m002sr49)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002t2wj)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002t2wl)
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 (m002t2wn)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002t2wq)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster as the health secretary tells MPs there will be no more cash on table to try and end a pay dispute with striking resident doctors.


FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002t2ws)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002t2wv)
The Power of Theatre

Good morning,

Since childhood, I’ve enjoyed watching and being in plays. As one of six girls, we formed a small drama group at many of our family celebrations. My eldest sister is brilliant at writing and directing scripts from comedy to tragedy, pantomime to Nativity. I’ve been everything from Cleopatra to Hamlet, the back end of a donkey to a dying swan.

Today is World Theatre Day, established in 1961 by the ‘International Theatre Institute’ as an annual global celebration. It promotes the art of theatre, its cultural significance, and its power to unite people across the world. While the origins of theatre go back to ancient Greece over 2,500 years ago, this form of art continues to develop and challenge us - as it narrates and observes the tiny details of our shared existence, and grapples with the grand themes of living and dying.

Whether we go to the theatre or not, life with all its absurdities, contradictions and richness can sometimes feel like a soap opera - played out over a series of acts and scenes, entrances and exits.

When the curtain closes, the clapping is done, we might ask ourselves – what part did we play? What was our role? Did we prefer the limelight, the interval or the wings?
And if we were given just one more chance to act, what lines would we now want to say?

I pray that in life, as in a play, we may work together,
not outdoing one another, but collaborating - behind the scenes or centre stage.
So that each of us will know and value our part in the rich drama of life.
Amen.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002t2wx)
27/03/26: Trail hunting ban consultation, How WWII shaped farming

The Government has opened a consultation on its proposals to ban trail hunting in England and Wales. There’s already a ban in Scotland. The Westminster Government committed to stopping the practice in its Animal Welfare Strategy published in December. In trail hunting hounds follow a pre-laid animal-based scent. It replaced traditional fox-hunting after that was banned in England and Wales in 2004. Anti-hunt campaigners argue it’s a smokescreen for the continued illegal hunting of foxes. Instead they want ‘clean boot’ hunting, where bloodhounds follow the scent of humans, or strictly policed drag hunting using a non animal scent. Country sports enthusiasts say trail hunting takes place within the law, and those who do break the law are prosecuted under existing legislation.

This week we’ve been taking a whistle stop tour through the history of farming. Today we’re up to the Second World War. When it broke out, it quickly became clear that the British Government needed to completely transform farming practices in order to protect the country’s food supply. The wartime changes would leave a lasting legacy in the form of a modernised, mechanised industry...not without some negative consequences.

Presenter: Caz Graham
Producer: Sarah Swadling


FRI 06:00 Today (m002t2kc)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m002t12h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002t2kf)
Olivia Dean's success, Esports, Andi Osho

It's OIivia Dean's world and we are all just living in it. The 27-year-old music star picked up three MOBO awards last night to add to her four Brit awards and her Grammy for Best New Artist. So what is the secret to her massive success? BBC Newsbeat reporter Naomi Clarke who was at the MOBOs in Manchester last night and joins Anita Rani.

A new investigation by CNN has uncovered online group chats which they say show men from around the world openly exchanging tips on how to drug and rape their wives. It has echos of the Gisele Pelicot case which shocked the world, when a high profile court case in 2024 revealed how she was drugged and raped, whilst unconscious, by her husband. He and 46 other men were convicted of rape, two more of attempted rape and two of sexual assault.
Joining Anita is CNN's Paris Bureau Chief Saskya Vandoorne, who conducted their investigations into online group chats, and Zoe, who also took part in their report.

We’re delving into the world of eSports, also known as electronic sports, as a major video game festival gets underway in Birmingham. eSports is a thriving business with professional leagues and a global, devoted following. To discuss, Anita is joined by Hannah Marie ZT, an eSports and gaming journalist, and Viiki, an eSports gamer and content creator who is competing at the festival.

Actor, writer and comedian Andi Osho’s latest novel, Most Wanted, is about a couple who are so frustrated with not being able to get a foot on the housing ladder, they go on a crime spree to bring prices down. Andi tells Anita how her own demoralising property search inspired the book and why community spirit matters.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones


FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002t2kh)
Consider the Eel: Part 2

Dan Saladino follows up the debate on if the eel should be off the menu.

Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.


FRI 11:45 A History of Mystery by Cal Flyn (m002sngv)
Cosy Mysteries

Award-winning writer Cal Flyn explores the profound power of mystery and the provocation of the unknown.

As her tour around mystery draws to a close, award-winning writer Cal Flyn considers the crime genre and those fans so desperate to dispel mystery that they take the law into their own hands.

Written and read by Cal Flyn
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002t2kk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 Rare Earth (m002t2km)
Hot Sport

The 2026 World Cup is expected to be the most environmentally costly yet. But are there alternative models that provide sporting thrills without the carbon cost?

Helen Czerski and Qasa Alom consider the climate impact of the biggest events and the impact of climate on sport at every level. Whether you're a hugely rich footballer sweltering in a World Cup final or a kid who can't play on a waterlogged pitch, the problem- and perhaps the solution - are the same.

Qasa and Helen are joined by Norwegian international footballer Morten Thorsby and Claire Poole of Sports Positive to discuss the upcoming World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico. Professor of Global History at Oxford University and batsmen for the Croatian national cricket team, Peter Frankopan and Indian cricketer and commentator Abhishek Jhunjhuwn consider the impact of a warming climate on players, professional and amateur, who play their sport in the full glare of the sun for up to eight hours.

Producers: Alasdair Cross and Robin Markwell

Assistant Producers: Toby Field and Rebecca Rooney

Rare Earth is produced in association with the Open University.


FRI 12:57 Weather (m002t2kp)
The latest weather forecast


FRI 13:00 World at One (m002t2kr)
What is the strategy for the Iran war?

We bring you an update on the latest events in the Iran war and consider how aligned the US and Israel's war aims are.  A former member of Israeli intelligence shares his fear that Israel could be left facing a more radical and dangerous Iran.   Also on the programme, ahead of the roll out of the European Entry/Exit System, we have a briefing.  And – as Angela Rayner is set to launch a podcast, what is the role of a political podcast?


FRI 13:45 What Do Our Politicians Need to Know Now? (m002t2kt)
The need to know checklist

In this series Isabel Hardman has collected a series of practical suggestions for how MPs can improve their skills in the face of unprecedented challenges. Here she asks Sam Carling MP and Sir Roger Gale MP - the youngest and oldest MPs in the House of Commons - to compare notes.

A Soundworks Media production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002t2kw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Limelight (m002rw60)
The Dentist

Episode 5

Kerry’s efforts to assume her sister’s identity and pose as a dentist have been disastrous.

Between the high body count and a gangster pursuing her for a quarter of a million pounds, the life of quiet desperation she was previously living seems very attractive right now…

D.C. Jackson’s darkly comical crime thriller concludes.

Cast:
DI Hickman … David Ireland
Paul Rennie… Jonathan Watson
Jaconelli and The Minister… Gavin Mitchell
Leanne … Gabriel Quigley
Kasia … Leah Byrne
Bob … Grant O’Rourke
Sapphire … Sylvia Jackson

Studio Production: Andy Hay and Gav Murchie
Production Coordinator: Ellie Marsh

Original music and sound design: Fraser Jackson
Additional keyboards: Tony Graham

Commissioning Editors: Alison Hindell and Rhian Roberts.

A BBC Audio Scotland Production directed by Kirsty Williams


FRI 14:45 Life Without (m002t2ky)
Life Without Writing

How many of us even use a pen these days and what if we never picked one up ever again? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks at our ancient skill of handwriting. If we could no longer write, would it really matter?

From the feather with ink to our daily ballpoint, writing has been the most personal and poetic way to communicate throughout human history. But as less of us pick up a pencil, would life without writing work?

This episode features Nels Abbey a critically acclaimed writer and Dominic Wyse a Professor of Early Childhood and Primary Education at the UCL Institute of Education.

An ITN production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002t2l0)
Vale of Glamorgan

Kathy Clugston is joined in the Vale of Glamorgan by Bethan Collerton, Anne Swithinbank and Chris Beardshaw, where they tackle horticultural conundrums from a live audience. inspired by the region’s famously fertile landscape - from the mysteries of the old‑fashioned mangelwurzel, to advice for struggling houseplants, and recommendations on how to manage a towering six‑foot cactus.

The team also shares practical advice on reviving a neglected greenhouse, caring for a long‑loved pot‑bound rhododendron, and encouraging lemons and limes to ripen in coastal South Wales.

Later in the show, Pippa Greenwood offers timely spring guidance on staying ahead of slugs and other emerging pests, helping gardeners protect tender new growth as the season gets underway.

Producer: Rahnee Prescod

Assistant Producer: William Norton

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.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qp2f/episodes/guide


FRI 15:45 Short Works (m002t2l2)
My Favourite Holobiont by Ever Dundas

In writer Ever Dundas’ new original story, Joe’s aunt gives a meaningful insight into their experiences with autism in a world built for neurotypicals.
Ever Dundas is a queer, disabled writer living in Edinburgh, predominantly writing literary fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. With an academic background in Creative Writing, Psychology, and Sociology, Ever has had several short stories and dark fairy tales published, as well as two novels in recent years.
‘My Favourite Holobiont’ is read by Ashley Storrie and produced by Bethany Woodhead. It is a BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002t2l4)
Dame Jenni Murray, Len Deighton, Lynda Hale, Jurgen Habermas

Matthew Bannister on

The Woman’s Hour presenter Dame Jenni Murray. Mark Steel joins us to recall her triumphant debut as a stand-up comedian.

Len Deighton who created “anti-James Bond” novels including The Ipcress File, Billion Dollar Brain and Horse Under Water.

Lynda Hale, the footballer who battled against sexism to play in the first official England women’s international in 1972.

Jurgen Habermas, the German philosopher who came up with the influential concept of “the public sphere”.

Producer: Ed Prendeville
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Glyn Tansley

Archive:
Jurgen Habermas interview, YouTube Upload, Davidmeme, 1/02/2007; Jürgen Habermas Interview, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs (Georgetown University), 10/2011; Scotland v England, BBC News, 18/11/1972; South Today, BBC, 29/07/2025; South Today, BBC, 18/07/2022; Nationwide, BBC, 17/11/1972; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 19/06/1976 The Lively Arts: Len Deighton, BBC Two, 18/12/1977; The Truth About Len Deighton, BBC Four, 01/08/2007; The Ipcress File, BBC Radio 4, 04/01/2015; Pebble Mill, BBC One, 13/05/1993; South Today, BBC (via TV Ark), 20/10/1983; Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 19/01/1987; Comic Relief, BBC, 09/03/2011 BBC News, BBC, 21/12/2006; Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 01/10/2020


FRI 16:30 Sideways (m002t1hc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]


FRI 17:00 PM (m002t2l6)
US secretary of state says Iran war will end in 'weeks'

US secretary of state tells G7 foreign ministers that the Iran war will be completed in 'weeks'. Also, nuclear-testing veterans demand answers, and do you trust online reviews?


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002t2l8)
Marco Rubio says the US expects its operation in Iran to end within weeks

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has told a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in France that the war with Iran will continue for another two to four weeks. Also: The conflict in the Middle East has pushed the average price of a litre of petrol in the UK above 150 pence for the first time in nearly two years. And the competition watchdog begins a probe into fake and misleading online reviews.


FRI 18:30 The Naked Week (m002t2lb)
Series 4

Who ya gonna call...? (Clue: It's Donald Trump)

The team tackle Trump's tirades, and very much give the BBC's incoming Director General a problematic in-tray.

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
Sophie Dickson
Darren Phillips
Joe Topping
Kevin Smith

Investigation team:
Cat Neilan
Becky Pinnington
Emily Channon

Guests: Cariad Lloyd, Simon Munday.

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 (m002t2ld)
Tracy asks Lilian if Justin’s decided about keeping the horsebox at the Dower House, before revealing the big part she played in him getting a much better offer for his BL shares. Lilian’s furious that Justin never mentioned this to her and has left Tracy hanging. Later at The Bull, Tracy listens as Helen tells Lilian she’s going to become Tracy’s neighbour. Tracy then tells Lilian she’s nervous at the prospect of living so close to her boss. Sympathetic Lilian tells Tracy she tore a strip off Justin, who’s now agreed to let the horsebox stay as long as they need it to.

Over drinks Tony brings up the Anguses. Having chatted to David Tony’s decided not to fight Helen and to let the Anguses go. He warns Helen not to forget that she and Tom need to farm with their hearts and for enjoyment, not just for profit.

Miranda tells Helen she’s exchanged contracts on Home Farm farmhouse. Helen then reveals she’s had her offer accepted for the house on the Green. Miranda buys wine to celebrate with Brian, but as they raise their glasses Brian tells Miranda he can’t move in with her. He isn’t trying to end their relationship, but Miranda threatens to if he doesn’t explain himself. Brian eventually tells her he doesn’t want to leave Ruairi, who’s very vulnerable right now. None of it makes sense to Miranda, who can’t not buy the house. She shouldn’t have trusted him. Brian wants to move in eventually - but in the meantime what will Miranda do with the house?


FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m002t2lg)
Neil Brand and Matilda Lloyd celebrate the mambo

Pianist and silent film music specialist Neil Brand and trumpeter Matilda Lloyd join Jeffrey and Anna as they add five tracks to the playlist, in the last of the current series. From a celebrated American singer who died aged 27 we head to the most successful artist in the history of the Grammys, via a famous sacred Italian work, appropriate as Good Friday approaches.

Producer Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe

The five tracks in this week's playlist:

Mercedes Benz by Janis Joplin
Stabat Mater Dolorosa by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Mambo Bacan by Sophia Loren
The Pink Panther Theme by Henry Mancini
Say My Name by Destiny’s Child

Other music in this episode:

Toccata by Giovanni Battista Martini, played by Matilda Lloyd
Peter Piper by Run-D.M.C.
My Adidas by Run-D.M.C.
Mambo No 5 by Pérez Prado
Que Rico Mambo by Pérez Prado
Bangers & Mash by Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers
Moon River by Henry Mancini, sung by Audrey Hepburn
Say My Name (Acapella) by Destiny's Child


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002t2lj)
Darren Grimes, Rachel Millward, Baroness Stowell, Anna Turley MP

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Ponteland High School near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with Reform UK board member Darren Grimes, who is deputy leader of Durham County Council; Green Party of England & Wales deputy leader Rachel Millward, who is also deputy leader of Wealden District Council; Conservative peer Baroness Stowell; and Labour Party chair and Cabinet Office minister, Anna Turley MP.

Producer: Paul Martin
Assistant producer: Lowri Morgan
Production co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano
Lead broadcast engineer: Chris Weightman
Editor: Glyn Tansley


FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002t1hh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:40 on Wednesday]


FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m002t2ll)
Humility

From Spinoza's thinking and the approach of different religions to the Dickens' character Uriah Heep and the "humble brag" - in Radio 4's late night ideas discussion programme Matthew Sweet and guests explore humility.

Lamorna Ash is a writer and journalist and the author of Don't Forget We're Here Forever, which explores what it means to be a Christian for young people throughout the UK today and reflected on her own journey into faith.

Sir Robert Buckland is the former Conservative MP for South Swindon, a former Lord Chancellor and Solicitor General. He is a practicing barrister with Foundry Chambers, a visiting law professor at the LSE and the Third Church Estates Commissioner.

Aaron Reeves is Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics and co author of Born to Rule: The Making and Remaking of the British Elite with Sam Friedman.

Ceri Sullivan is a Professor of English Literature at Cardiff University. Her research has encompassed the managerial techniques presented in Shakespeare's history plays, pragmatism in literary texts and devotional poetry.

Dr Dan Taylor is Senior Lecturer in Social and Political Thought at the Open University. He is the author of Spinoza and the Politics of Freedom and is involved in long term projects with long-term projects examining inclusion and housing in Barking and Dagenham; unpaid care in Gateshead; and community in the Fens.

Producer: Ruth Watts


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002t2ln)
UN says Lebanon at risk of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’

The UN says there's no longer any safe space for civilians to find refuge in Lebanon, even in Beirut. With nearly a million people displaced by the war in the country, we speak to one resident from the south who has fled his home.

Also on the programme: we return to Northampton to learn how live facial recognition cameras could eventually be one part of a system to prevent crime. And we talk money, as Donald Trump is set to be the first US President to have his signature on American money.


FRI 22:45 The Woman Who Saw Atoms by Pippa Goldschmidt (m002t2lq)
Exposure

Etta's years of travelling are over as she returns to a Vienna on edge after the Allies' departure. Perhaps it's finally time to carry out the experiment that the Nazis stole from her. Pippa Goldschmidt's new serial imagines the hidden life of unsung physics pioneer Marietta Blau.

Read by Liza Sadovy
Written by Pippa Goldschmidt
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 23:00 Americast (w3ct8bzb)
What is RFK doing to vaccines for children in America?

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from making big changes to vaccines for children in the United States. It’s a blow to Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy - RFK Jr - a longtime vaccine sceptic who was given free rein by Donald Trump to “go wild with health”.

Since taking office a year ago, Kennedy has sought to slash the number of recommended shots for children from 17 to 11. The American Academy of Paediatrics and other large medical groups have sued, saying Kennedy's changes violate federal law and are based on ideology instead of science.

In this episode, Marianna and Justin unpack what this means for Donald Trump’s big plan
to - as he puts it - "Make America Healthy Again” with Dr Debra Houry, the former director of the CDC (Centre of Disease Control and Prevention) who resigned in August 2025.


HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Correspondent

GUEST:
• Dr Debra Houry, former Medical Director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

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This episode was made by Emma Close and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002t2ls)
Susan Hulme with the latest debate on the assisted dying bill. Susan also reports on calls for an apology to unmarried mothers forced to give up their babies for adoption, and she's been speaking to an MP and physiotherapist about her trip to Ukraine to train staff treating those injured in the war.