SATURDAY 18 APRIL 2026
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002v06m)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:30 City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death and the Search for Truth in Tehran by Ramita Navai (m002v053)
Asghar and Pari
Ramita Navai was a journalist in Tehran when she began writing City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death and the Search for Truth in Tehran, published in 2014.
It tells the real stories of people whose lives were affected by the regime - stories that were often censored. Names and some details have been changed to protect people.
City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death and the Search for Truth in Tehran is written and read by Ramita Navai.
It was abridged and produced by Lu Kemp.
Asghar is a famous former gangster. With mounting debts, he sets up an illegal gambling den in Tehran - and breaks a promise he made to his beloved wife Pari.
Ramita Navai is a double Emmy and Robert F. Kennedy award winning foreign affairs journalist, documentary maker and author who has reported from over 45 countries.
After starting her career as the Tehran correspondent for The Times, she joined Channel 4’s acclaimed foreign affairs documentary series Unreported World. Her investigations included the war in South Sudan, blood diamonds in Zimbabwe, sex trafficking in Mexico, gang assassins in El Salvador, and the war in Syria.
Her investigative documentaries on the war against ISIS, Shia militias in Iraq, sexual abuse among UN peacekeepers, corruption and rape in India and women’s rights in Afghanistan have won many awards. Her latest documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack for Channel 4 has been nominated for a BAFTA.
Her book City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death and the Search for Truth in Tehran won the Debut Political Book and was awarded the Royal Society of Literature's Jerwood Prize for non-fiction. It has been translated into six languages.
She is the creator and host of THE LINE OF FIRE, a top 10 Apple podcast about the moment of facing death.
She is the recipient of the Women in Film and TV Award recognising outstanding achievement by a woman in news.
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002v06r)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002v06w)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SAT 05:30 News Summary (m002v070)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002v074)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002v078)
Building peace
Good morning.
Over the May bank holiday weekend, around 2,000 Quakers in Britain will gather for our Yearly Meeting. It’s our opportunity to spend time together as a community, in worship.
This year, we will be asking how we allow the Spirit to guide us to peaceful resolutions when conflicts arise. Hundreds of friends will sit together, in faith and courage, speaking openly about their experiences – including painful ones. This process is really important to Quakers. Our commitment to peace is active, not passive: it doesn’t mean ignoring or avoiding conflict, but acknowledging and working through it, within our communities in the first instance.
We will also bring the challenges currently facing the world into the light of discernment, considering our role as a faith community amidst national and international crises.
It’s easy to feel powerless, even hopeless – those who have the power to make decisions often seem far removed from the consequences of those decisions. What part do we play in building peace beyond our immediate circles? Duncan Wood served as a Quaker representative at the UN, working alongside people in positions of authority. He noticed that “their liberty of action is often circumscribed by the nature of their office: the powerful are not necessarily free”. Those of us who are not in positions of power may actually be “freer … to follow what we believe to be the will of God”, and from this position to “stand beside” those with political power “as they seek for light on the road to peace”.
May I find the courage to “stand beside” those who work for peace, in my local communities and in the wider world.
Thank you, friends.
SAT 05:45 Life Without (m002v05q)
Life Without North America
What would happen to the world if the USA disappears? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies explores a planet earth without the land mass of North America. How would opening up the Atlantic impact us in the UK and what would the disappearance of North American produce and people mean for the rest of the world?
This episode features Dr. Anjana Khatwa an award winning Earth Scientist and author, and Tori Tsui, a climate justice activist, author, and mental health advocate.
An ITN production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002v96x)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 06:07 Open Country (m002v1b5)
Deer Stalking in Essex
Britain’s deer population has surged to around two million. These iconic animals are well-loved, but their growing numbers are putting real pressure on the countryside - stripping young hedges and woodlands, damaging crops, preventing natural restoration and harming other native wildlife. To control the population, hundreds of thousands of deer are shot each year. Critics argue hunting in the name of conservation is inhumane, and a short-term fix. Others baulk at eating ‘Bambi’. Supporters argue that it’s the most sustainable, environmentally-friendly meat you can get. Mary-Ann Ochota heads into the field with a professional stalker to see what deer management really involves, from woodland to wild meat.
Produced and presented by Mary-Ann Ochota
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002v96z)
18/04/26 Farming Today This Week: Uplands report, national parks, impact of the middle east conflict on farms, waste crime
A new independent report, commissioned by DEFRA, examines the unique challenges facing upland farmers and communities in England. We speak to the author of the report Dr Hilary Cottam. She has been asking people living and working in the uplands what they want for the future.
Our National Parks mark their 75th anniversary this week. We hear about the importance of volunteers to the Peak District National Park, and we also visit a peatland restoration project in Bannau Brycheiniog, formerly the Brecon Beacons, in Wales.
As the conflict in the Middle East continues, we've been reporting on the impact on farmers and food producers here in the UK who are facing pressure from increasing fuel and fertiliser costs. After farmers in the Republic of Ireland were offered a 100 million euro support package by their government to help cope with increasing costs, farmers in Northern Ireland are asking the UK government for more financial support too.
Another impact of the war in Iran is the knock-on effect of spiralling fuel prices on the availability and cost of the plastic wrapping used for silage bales. With tractors already out in the fields cutting grass to make silage, an agricultural supply business tells us prices of some crop plastic may go up by as much as 40%.
As the Environment Agency begins to clear thousands of tonnes of domestic and commercial rubbish from a huge flytipping site in Oxfordshire, we hear from the Country Land and Business Association who say that flaws in the application system to become a licensed waste carrier are making it easier for criminals to illegally dump waste at scale.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Jo Peacey. A BBC Audio Bristol production.
SAT 06:57 Weather (m002v971)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m002v973)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002v975)
John Robins, Chelsea Flower Show, Exotic Animals, and the Inheritance Tracks of James McAvoy
John Robins is a critically-acclaimed comic with awards a-plenty, and now a blistering memoir "Thirst; worked around Twelve Drinks That Changed My Life.
Arit Anderson of Gardeners’ World is on her way to the centre of the gardening world, the Chelsea Flower Show, where she’s creating a special space for those with Parkinson's.
Starting with a distressed raccoon she found in a bloke’s garage, Lindsey McKenna’s spent the last 15 years saving two hundred exotic animals.
We'll be thanking six burly men who, 27 years ago, lifted up and carried a car containing a heavily pregnant listener of ours, off the hard shoulder of the M25.
Two brothers are pleased as punch to be reunited, after forty years, with their late father’s Austin 35 racing green, racing car.
And we’ll get the Inheritance Tracks of the actor turned director James McAvoy.
Presenter: Adrian Chiles
Producer: Ben Mitchell
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Colin Patterson
SAT 10:00 What's Up Docs? (m002tzq7)
How can you look after your feet?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where identical twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
In this episode, they turn their attention to our feet. They explore the biology and mechanics of our feet and what happens when that delicate balance goes wrong. They also look at footwear and the little changes that can go a long way in giving our feet the love and care they truly deserve.
Joining them is Anthony Redmond, Professor of Clinical Biomechanics at the Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine. A podiatrist by training, Professor Redmond researches the relationship between mechanics and biology in musculoskeletal conditions, with a focus on the foot and ankle.
If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.
Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
Guest: Professor Anthony Redmond
Producer: Faye Lyons-White
Executive Producer: Jo Rowntree
Editor:
Researcher: Samara Linton
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Visual Producer: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Ruth Rainey
At the BBC:
Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002v977)
Series 52
Stockport
Jay Rayner and the panel are at the Forum Theatre in Stockport answering the questions from a keen audience of home cooks. Joining Jay are chefs, cooks and food writers, Angela Gray, Sarah Rankin, Nisha Katona and Rob Owen Brown.
The panellists discuss how to use orange in savoury dishes, the best uses for leftover celery, and the question on everyone's mind - should orange juice be with bits or smooth?
Jay chats to chef and founder of local Cambodian restaurant, Y Sok about the flavours, techniques and importance of fish sauce in Cambodian cookery.
Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
Assistant Producer: William Norton
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002v979)
The row over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador erupted again this week. Sonia discusses the issues raised over security clearance with Hannah White, Director of The Institute for Government and Caroline Slocock, a former civil servant who was private secretary to Margaret Thatcher and John Major.
Sonia discusses the impact on the UK economy of the war in Iran with Labour peer Stewart Wood, who is a former adviser to Gordon Brown and Chair of the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee. And Rupert Harrison, who worked alongside George Osborne at the Treasury, and is now a senior adviser at the investment management company Pimco.
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister spoke of closer ties with the EU on food and other goods. To discuss this Sonia is joined by Labour MP Catherine West who is a former Foreign Office Minister and Reform UK MP Danny Kruger.
And, last month legislation was finally passed to remove the remaining hereditary peers from the House of Lords. To reflect on their removal Sonia is joined by two hereditary peers: crossbencher Charles Courtenay, the 19th Earl of Devon and the Liberal Democrat Lord Thurso, who is also a former MP.
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002v97c)
Lebanon Ceasefire: An uneasy calm
Kate Adie introduces stories on Lebanon's deadliest day, life in an Israeli under-siege border town, Hungary's victorious new leader, fuel protests in Ireland, and the secrets of a long life in Japan.
President Trump’s announcement of a ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon comes after Lebanon experienced its deadliest day of the conflict so far - what's become known as 'Black Wednesday'. More than 2,100 people have been killed since the conflict began, with more than a million displaced. Hugo Bachega reports from Beirut.
The ceasefire has been cautiously welcomed by some Israeli citizens too - though many are in favour of the war continuing, to defeat Hezbollah which has mounted cross-border attacks against Israel for decades. Nick Beake travelled to Israel's northernmost town of Metula.
The curtain fell last weekend on sixteen years of Viktor Orban’s rule as prime minister of Hungry after he lost the general election in a landslide victory to former ally Peter Magyar. The new leader has promised to repair frayed relations with the EU. Nick Thorpe reports from Budapest.
Roads in and around Irish cities came to a standstill for days last week as farmers, truck-drivers and agricultural workers formed a blockade amid soaring fuel prices which they said were crippling businesses. Sara Girvin was in Dublin.
There’s a seemingly endless interest in unlocking the secrets to living longer. Many people look to the world’s so-called ‘blue zones’ – areas that are home to a high percentage of centenarians. One of the most renowned is the Japanese island of Okinawa - Christine Finn went looking for clues.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002v97f)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002v97h)
Energy Bill Fear and Council Tax Arrears
Are we at the start of a deepening cost of living crisis as nearly half of all adults fear they might not be able afford their energy bills?
And from next year, councils in England will be banned from demanding householders pay their council tax in full if they are only late with one payment.
HMRC warns of scammers as it begins taking back Winter Fuel Payment from more than two million higher income pensioners.
Also, the rise of the poly worker. Why young people are fixing their sights on a portfolio career.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Niamh McDermott
Researcher: Jo Krasner
Editor: Rob Cave
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson
(First broadcast Saturday 18th April 2026)
SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m002v063)
Series 120
1. Messiah or Doctor?
After six weeks off air Andy Zaltzman is back. Helping him kick off the series are Andrew Maxwell, Zoe Lyons, Stephen Bush and Kiri Pritchard-McLean. They’ll be tackling the big questions - how is the country feeling ahead of the potentially seismic elections on 7th May? Why is Donald Trump feuding with the Pope and why are mini-gherkins now harder to find than ever?
Written by Andy Zaltzman.
With additional material by: Mike Shephard, Ruth Husko, Dee Allum and Angela Channell
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Coordinator: Asha Osborne-Grinter
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
SAT 12:57 Weather (m002v97k)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News (m002v97m)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002v06b)
Andrew Griffith MP, Danny Kruger MP, Helen Morgan MP, Baroness Smith
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Adastra Hall in Hassocks, West Sussex with the Conservative MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Andrew Griffith; Reform UK MP Danny Kruger who is the head of the party's Preparing for Government Unit; Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, Helen Morgan MP; and Labour peer and Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Smith.
Producer: Lowri Morgan
Assistant Producer: Jo Dwyer
Production Coordinator: Ishmael Soriano
Lead broadcaster engineer: Lewis Allsopp
Editors: Paul Martin and Colin Paterson
SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002v97p)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?
SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002v066)
Alice admits to Lilian her ongoing concern about Brian’s wellbeing. She’s scared, remembering how things went with Jack Woolley. Lilian plays down the comparison, but Alice is genuinely fearful. She wants the family to talk about the issue openly, including Ruairi. Lilian suggests there’s no need to burden Ruairi, before telling Brian what Alice has said. Brian fears Ruairi would crumble and reveal everything that happened with George. Lilian suggests they could ensure it stayed within the family. Brian admits George knows some of the truth, but thinks Brian attacked him - because that’s what Brian told him. All Brian cares about is protecting Ruairi. Brian then confesses to investing in George’s drones, but fears he might still go to the police. Lilian understands this is behind Brian’s odd behaviour, even at the cost of letting his family think he has dementia. Brian insists he won’t let Ruairi down.
At the Rewilding Pip shows Lottie round. Lottie tells Pip off for not mentioning her lump before, even if it turned out to be a cyst. Pip admits her fears about not being there for Rosie’s future and how stressful it’s been with Stella. However, it’s a huge relief now the cyst has gone and the tension has been lifted. Pip then wants to know how Lottie’s date night went…
Kirsty and Rex chat about Erik, with Rex suggesting they go out as a foursome sometime. He can’t help feeling Alice is out of his league though, but Kirsty tells Rex he’s a catch and needs to believe it.
SAT 15:00 Drama on 4 (m000ym9k)
The Book of Danielle
Danni is a potter, a single mother, and a woman at the end of her rope. The news is relentless, her teenage son is being bullied, and her neighbourhood is going to the dogs. Then a mysterious late-night visitor arrives, and the people making Danni's life a misery start getting their comeuppance in increasingly strange ways. Whether it's coincidence, Jeremy Front's funny, fast-moving comedy couldn't possibly comment.
Narrator/Eli . . . . . Henry Goodman
Danni . . . . . Alexis Zegerman
Joel . . . . . Aaron Gelkoff
Naomi . . . . . Susannah Wise
Mummy . . . . . Sue Kelvin
Kirstie Clarke . . . . . Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Cody . . . . . Jospeh Ayre
Newsreader . . . . . Simon Ludders
Policeman . . . . . Shaun Mason
Written by Jeremy Front.
Directed by Sally Avens.
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m002v97r)
Weekend Woman's Hour: Jessie Ware, Women managaing male footballers, Comedian Susie McCabe
The singer-songwriter Jessie Ware's new album, Superbloom, was released this week. As well as being known for her music, Jessie's family’s passion for food led to the weekly podcast, Table Manners, that she co-hosts with her mother Lennie, featuring celebrity guests like Ed Sheeran and Kylie. Jessie joins Datshiane Navanayagam to talk about her new album, inspired by disco and funk and how she became more confident in her 40s.
We hear about a new report alleging breaches of the Online Safety Act. Children as young as 13 could be recommended sexually explicit content on the social media platform X, according to the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, who say X's algorithm and what it describes as "weak safeguards" mean teenagers are also being exposed to possible direct sexual contact from adults. Imran Ahmed, CEO at the Centre for Countering Digital Hate joins Datshiane to explain.
For the first time, a woman has been appointed to coach a men's team in one of Europe's top five football leagues. Marie-Louise Eta has been named interim Head Coach of Union Berlin in the German Bundesliga, the equivalent of the Premier League here. It's a sudden appointment, until the end of the season, and it follows a string of losses and the dismissal of the previous coach. We talk to Rosi Webb, previously one of the few female coaches in charge of a men's team in England for five years, alongside Laura McAllister, former international footballer and Vice President of UEFA.
Figures show there are close to one million people diagnosed with dementia in the UK, of which two thirds are women. A campaign to highlight the caring duties that fall on the families of those diagnosed with young-onset dementia launches this week. We hear from Emilia, who spent her teenage years tussling with the medical community to get her mother - in her late 40s - diagnosed, and Amy Pagan from the charity Younger People With Dementia.
Scottish comedian Susie McCabe is a stalwart of the BBC comedy scene - from The News Quiz and Breaking the News to Just a Minute and Have I Got News For You? It was in 2024, while touring, that she had a heart-attack. She was only in her mid-forties at the time. It made her not only take a long hard look at her life, but it also inspired her latest show, Best Behaviour. Susie joins Nuala McGovern to discuss making comedy gold out of life's trials and tribulations.
Presenter: Datshiane Navanayagam
Producer: Simon Richardson
SAT 17:00 PM (m002v97t)
Iran fires on tankers in Hormuz Strait
Iran has shut the Strait of Hormuz again and resumed firing on ships after the US refused to end its blockade as part of the ceasefire. Reporting from Tehran, Lyse Doucet lays out the signs that peace talks may go ahead anyway. Plus, why is Sir Keir Starmer seemingly so vulnerable to scandal? John McTernan assesses his leadership capabilities. And should British pies be added to UNESCO's list of foods of cultural significance?
SAT 17:30 Sliced Bread (m002v19t)
Infrared Saunas
Are infrared saunas as effective as traditional ones?
If you've ever sat sweating on a wooden bench in a traditional ('Finnish') sauna wondering if there was an easier way, could infrared be the answer? Infrared saunas work at lower temperatures, ostensibly making it easier to stay in there for longer. Listener Paul got in touch after trying one and wants to know if infrared saunas give you the same purported benefits as traditional ones.
Those claims include: improved cardiovascular health, weight loss, longevity and even benefits to mental health and depression. But what's the evidence and does it amount to a load of hot air?
To get the answers, Greg Foot is joined by Professor Chris Minson, an expert in the effects of heat on the body who's carried out research on infrared saunas.
All of our episodes start with YOUR suggestions. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.
RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM
PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND GREG FOOT
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002v97w)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m002v97y)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002v980)
Iran closes Strait of Hormuz again
President Trump has said that things "are working out very well" with Iran - despite Tehran closing the Strait of Hormuz again, and accusing Washington of "piracy" for its blockade of Iranian ports. Also: A French UN peacekeeper is killed in an attack in southern Lebanon. A former civil servant who was in charge of the Foreign Office has accused Downing Street of throwing one of his successors under the bus. And: A wild otter has caused chaos at a garden centre near Dumfries.
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002v982)
Alfie Boe, Paul Black, Hannah Lavery, Clive Anderson, Amanda Dwyer, Alice Faye
Alfie Boe's album Face Myself is his most personal yet, packed with original songs which let us get to know the man behind the music. He shares one of his new tracks.
Comedian Paul Black has become a star of Scottish social media, with his viral videos reminding us that dads on holiday are all much the same no matter where they're from. His tour Cash Cow brings us more of the characters that people have come to love.
Hannah Lavery's latest book Everything Everyday is a collection of poems that chart protest, grief and hope through the seasons, from the lament of a mourning whale, to the spark of connection of a message notification.
This year's Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award winner was Amanda Dwyer. As a lifelong fan of the Big Yin, this win is propelling her towards her August Fringe run.
Plus music from Alice Faye, whose beautiful songwriting has taken her from Waverley Station on Channel 4's The Piano, to recent wins at the Scottish Album of the Year Award and BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year.
Presenter: Clive Anderson
Producer: Caitlin Sneddon
SAT 19:00 Profile (m002v984)
Tom Fletcher
McFly front man and children's author Tom Fletcher has returned to his first love - musical theatre - penning the songs for Paddington the Musical which has just got its sticky paws on seven prestigious Olivier Awards.
Born in Harrow north west London, Fletcher took inspiration from a family love of musical theatre and it wasn't long before he was treading the boards, performing the role of Oliver in the West End at the age of 10.
He went on to the prestigious Sylvia Young theatre school where he also met his future wife Giovanna. In his late teens he auditioned to join the band Busted where he was briefly accepted before being told his services were no longer needed. But so impressed were the record label with his musical ability they decided to create another band and McFly was born.
He's also sold millions of books, many of which he co-wrote with bandmate Dougie Poynter.
Mark Coles looks back at Tom's life and career so far.
Producers: Ben Carter and Tom Gillett
Social media producer: Grace Braddock
Editor: Justine Lang
Sound mix: Neil Churchill
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m002v19k)
David Szalay
Booker Prize-winning author David Szalay talks to John Wilson about his creative influences. His 2009 debut novel London and The South East, based on his experience of working in telesales, won the Betty Trask Award. The author of six books, his work often defies easy classification: his 2016 novel All That Man Is comprises nine standalone short stories which share the overarching theme of masculinity. His 2018 novel Turbulence follows 12 loosely-linked characters on a dozen flights around the
world. In 2025 he won the Booker with Flesh, a rags to riches story told across several decades.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
Archive used:
Extract from T S Eliot, Preludes 1, read by Jeremy Irons, BBC Radio 4, 25 December 2021
Extract from T S Eliot, The Waste Land, read by Jeremy Irons, BBC Radio 4, 2 January 2022
Clip from trailer of Downhill Racer, Michael Ritchie, 1969
Clip from trailer of Taxi Driver, Martin Scorsese, 1976
Extract from David Szalay, Flesh, read by David Szalay
Clip from Barry Lyndon, Stanley Kubrick, 1975
Clip from 2025 Booker Prize ceremony
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002v986)
The Evolution of The Naked Ape
Almost sixty years ago, The Naked Ape revolutionised our understanding of humans as just another animal species. Published at the height of the 1960s, Desmond Morris’s provocative controversial bestseller recast us as hairless apes driven by our biology and evolutionary impulses.
Using the same zoological methods he’d applied to fish and chimpanzees, it stripped away our perceived separation from nature, placing us firmly within the animal kingdom. Combining serious science with a subversive, accessible style, the book became an unprecedented cultural phenomenon - challenging taboos and capturing the radical, free-thinking, sexually liberated spirit of the Summer of Love.
Science communicator and biological anthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi revisits The Naked Ape to explore its origins, impact and enduring legacy over six decades. Drawing on a new interview with Desmond Morris at the age of 97, and 70 years of archive, she traces its roots in post-war ethology, his work at London Zoo, and the early days of wildlife television, where a young David Attenborough became Morris’s rival and friend.
Ella discovers the book’s influence on scientific research and popular science communication, critiques from feminism and academia, and its cultural impact and controversy.
With contributions from evolutionary biologist Prof. Tiffany Taylor, sexual behaviour evolution expert Dr Matilda Brindle, ape method actor Peter Elliott, and science writer Angela Saini, this is the remarkable story of The Naked Ape.
Presenter: Ella Al-Shamahi
Producer: George Perry
Executive Producer: Leonie Thomas
Mix: Mike Woolley
An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 21:00 In Time to the Music (m001hf90)
My Funny Valentine
In Time to the Music is the story of a piece of music, song, an air or melody travelling through time as a folk tune, a theatre melody, a hymn, a composition, a symphony - reinterpreted across years, centuries or millennia through revival, musical revolution, social fashions or archaeological discovery.
We examine why certain tunes have managed to reach out over time, across genres, class, race and continents, how some are reimagined by oppressors even though they were written by its oppressed, how melodies from earlier periods are borrowed by subsequent composers, and how these illusive musical engravings change genre - from hymn to reggae, from court song to rock and roll - all with the passage of time.
The first episode explores the journey of My Funny Valentine from Broadway musical in 1937 to Chet Baker's theme tune in 1954 and its most recent variations with R&B artist Justina Valentine, Norwegian singing prodigy Angelina Jordan, and Brooklyn based, Neo-Soul singer Hadassah. The programme also examines other music that has travelled through time.
Featuring musicologists Professor Laura Tunbridge and Professor Richard Dumbrill, writer Will Friedwald, jazz pianist and educator Gareth Williams and jazz singer Ian Shaw.
Written and Presented by Andrew McGibbon
Assistant Producer: Saul Sarne
Producer: Nick Romero
A Curtains For Radio production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 21:30 The Chinese Reader (m001q68r)
Chinese literature is a landscape populated by everything from monkey kings, to modernist madmen and imagined future technologies.
Fiction in China has always been political. Classical novels guided readers on appropriate Buddhist conduct, or cunning military strategies. In the modern day, all creative works are expected to contribute positively to the "main melody" - a harmonious and healthy narrative about the nation.
Twentieth century authors like Lu Xun wrote works that precipitated key historical moments. He critiqued centuries of Confucian thought in his psychological short fiction and inadvertently found himself a figurehead of the 1949 Socialist Revolution.
Following years of upheaval, like those of the Cultural Revolution, access to literature was limited, and sometimes even banned. Authors have had to adapt to self-censorship - toeing the line while exploring difficult topics through metaphors and humour.
In a culture that is at the technological cutting edge, Chinese language science fiction has flourished. Titles have travelled far, going on to win international recognition. Online, netizens pore over sprawling libraries of web fiction, written to order by authors finding a way around traditional publishing routes to promote their works.
And where do we draw the line when designating literature as "Chinese"? The Chinese-speaking world extends far beyond the mainland. How much do we limit ourselves when we focus solely on mainland China?
Julie Tsang dives head first into a reading list that explores how the personal relationship between writer and reader can challenge our understanding of Chinese culture.
With contributions from: Ted Hui, Letty Chen, Jing Tsu, Xueting C. Ni, Jung Chang, Megan Walsh, and Xiaolu Guo.
Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Executive Producer Mark Rickards
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:00 News (m002v988)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002vc4d)
A Day in the Life of a Hospital Chef
Francesco Fiore is a chef and Catering Manager at Milton Keynes University Hospital, and over the last few years has made some remarkable changes to the food experience for patients and staff. Awarded the title of “Caterer of the Year” in 2025 by the Hospital Caterers Association, Frank as he's affectionately known by his team, has transformed the quality and variety of the food, reducing waste and inspired colleagues around the hospital to collaborate and come up with new ideas.
Sheila Dillon follows Frank for a day as he goes about his job as catering manager to see the changes in action, and find out more about his passion for food.
Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.
SAT 23:00 The Matt Forde Focus Group (m002v1bn)
Series 2
6. The Politics of the Ban
Every Government promises to protect people. The question is always: from what, and at whose expense? Banning something is the bluntest instrument in politics - and the most revealing. It says: this thing is so dangerous, so wrong, or so offensive that the state must make it disappear.
Top political comedian Matt Forde convenes his Focus Group in front of a live theatre audience with a forensically matched panel — Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Clive Lewis MP, and comedian Geoff Norcott — to ask what the political ban actually is: a tool of principle, a gesture of power, or a way of avoiding the harder question.
Written and presented by Matt Forde
With additional Material from Karl Minns, Ruth Husko and Richard Garvin
Produced by Richard Garvin
Co-Producer Daisy Knight
Sound Design and Edit: David Thomas
Executive Producers: Jon Thoday and Richard Allen Turner
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 23:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002tzm3)
2. Wales v Northern Ireland
Teams from all over the UK will face Kirsty Lang's cryptic questions across the series, with Kirsty offering support and the odd hint where it might be needed.
The second match in the series is between Wales and Northern Ireland.
As always, they'll drop points every time they need a clue from the chair to steer them towards the right solution.
You can follow the questions for this episode which will appear below on the day of the match.
Teams:
Wales - Myfanwy Alexander and Cariad Lloyd
Northern Ireland - Paddy Duffy and Freya McClements
Host: Kirsty Lang
Recorded by: Phil Booth
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: Carl Cooper
A BBC Studios Production
Questions set by Lucy Porter, Martin Mor and by you, the listeners!
Questions in today's edition:
Q1 (From Phil Ware) Why might the chaotic ramblings of a famous French philosopher contain:
a non-lethal weapon, a lacrimal outpouring, a fixed gaze, a family of daisies and a property tax?
Q2 (From Rosie Cullen) Put the following in order, then give the next in the sequence:
A mythical bird, the Paycock's wife, a small pebble, and the author of a series of books about a Canadian orphan.
Q3 (From Simon Meara) Music: Listen to these pieces of music and explain why the fourth is the answer to the first three.
Q4 (From Bill March) If an Austrian physicist priest joined forces with a handy member of a British supergroup, to revisit a Brideshead actress, and those who, biblically, are judged alongside the dead, and all this happened in Slough House… what would they be dancing to?
Q5 (From Joe Wainwright) If you add together:
A dark sticky invention of 1840, that you won’t want to lick now.
A flageolet you won’t want to eat
And a sword bearing minister who you wouldn’t want to cross
What criminal might you sing about, and how much would you be paid?
Q6 Music: If you were hosting a West Egg party and wanted to lure in a specific resident of East Egg, why would these four songs provide the perfect liquid bait?
Q7 (From Joe Wainwright) Whilst eating strawberries, where might you come across…
The late Kurt’s widow, a crystal wedding anniversary, the conflict ended at Westphalia,and an Extra Large Italian...
All of which might be followed by a Beach boys album released in October 1963?
Q8 (From Daniel Kitto) How might:
The one-time Equus burchellii, a stout mascot, Bellerophon's ride, a children’s book, and a short sounding legal thriller...
All be of assistance to a domestic fowl?
SUNDAY 19 APRIL 2026
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002v98b)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m002tzm1)
Jenni Fagan
Scottish novelist and poet Jenni Fagan tells presenter James Crawford about her new novel, The Delusions, in which she takes readers to the afterlife - or, at least, to its entry portal. It is a place where the newly dead are required to queue up and account for the truth of their lives - and extract all their delusions - if they are to have any chance of passing into eternity.
Jenni’s three chosen influences are Nina Cassian’s poem Temptation (1966), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), and Jeanette Winterson’s Weight (2005).
Producer: Rachael O'Neill
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002v98d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002v98g)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:30 News Summary (m002v98j)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002v98l)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002v98n)
The church of St Bartholomew, Rogate in West Sussex
Bells on Sunday comes from the church of St Bartholomew, Rogate in West Sussex With a mostly 19th century exterior the interior features a nave with Noman and 13th century arches. The shingle clad tower houses a ring of six bells all cast by John Taylor foundry of Loughborough in 1904. The Tenor bell weighs eight and a quarter hundredweight and is tuned to the note of A. We hear them ringing London Surprise Minor.
SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002tzqp)
Gardening: Tips and Tricks
Whether you have an interest in planting and growing flowers, plants or vegetables, In Touch provides tips on how to make the best out of gardening with a visual impairment. We have gathered a panel of blind and partially sighted gardeners, that have a range of experience, level of vision and horticultural set ups, to provide their tips, tricks and work arounds.
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 (m002v9j9)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vq8)
When music became a prayer
Concert pianist Yirui Weng, 32, grew up in a communist, atheist family in China, where religion played no part in her life. Music, however, always did. As a gifted young pianist, she immersed herself in the great works of Western classical music — including sacred compositions whose words and meanings were largely unknown to her.
When Yirui moved to Italy to pursue her musical studies, curiosity began to replace indifference. While playing Vivaldi’s Gloria, she found herself drawn not just to the beauty of the music, but to its unfamiliar language: “Lamb of God?” “Son of the Father?” What, she wondered, did these words mean — and why had composers been inspired by them for centuries?
After meeting a Chinese priest in Milan, Yirui began attending catechism classes and encountered the teachings of Jesus for the first time. Ideas such as forgiveness and loving one’s enemies challenged everything she had been taught growing up. She began to pray — quietly at first — and noticed something unexpected: it changed the way she played.
In 2023, Yirui was baptised.
In this edition of Heart and Soul, the BBC’s John Laurenson travels to Rome to meet Yirui Weng. We hear her play, sing, teach and pray as she reflects on her journey of faith and explores a deeper question: why is music — from the Muslim call to prayer to gospel and sacred choral works — such a powerful and universal expression of belief?
Producer/presenter: John Laurenson
Series producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
Photo description: Yirui Eleonora Weng , pianist and opera vocal coach based between Italy and China, specializing in Italian opera repertoire and cross-cultural vocal performance. Photo credit is: Yirui Eleonora Weng )
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002v9jc)
Landscape Recovery in the Lake District
The remote and beautiful Upper Duddon Valley in the south of the Lake District is one of the first of the Government’s new Landscape Recovery projects to get the go-ahead.
It’s a twenty-year plan to restore nature and deliver environmental outcomes like storing carbon and reducing flooding across a wide area of land, 2400 hectares of fells and valley, 10 miles from end to end. But also key to its success, is supporting the culture and tradition of fell farming in South Cumbria.
Caz Graham visits to hear how partnership-working between local farmers, landowners, environmental organisations and the University of Leeds, who are leading the project, is already making this happen.
Presented and produced by Caz Graham.
SUN 06:57 Weather (m002v9jf)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002v9jh)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002v9jk)
Pope Leo and President Trump; Buddhist extremism; Gulf Christians
After a week of headlines that portrayed Pope Leo and President Trump pitted against each other, the pontiff says he regrets his remarks being interpreted as a debate. We hear from a journalist on the papal visit to Africa and Anna Rowlands, Professor at Durham University and a member of the Vatican department concerned with social teaching.
Buddhism with its tradition of meditation and compassion, is not a religion you might associate with violence. However, from Rohingya expulsions by Buddhist mobs in Myanmar, to Sri Lankan riots fuelled by Buddhist militants, religious nationalism can turn monks into political players. Sonia Faleiro has investigated this phenomenon for a book called The Robe and the Sword - how Buddhist Extremism is shaping modern Asia.
The peace deal between the US, Israel and Iran is holding for now but it is not clear when there will be a new round of face to face talks. With up to five million Christians living in the Gulf, we wanted to find out how they were coping with the war. We hear from Bishop Sean Semple, the Anglican Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf and Davide Axtell who chairs the council of Bahrain Cathedral.
Presenter: Emily Buchanan
Producers: Katy Booth and Rosie Dawson
Studio Managers: Helen Williams, Chris Mather and Ben Cuthbertson
Editor: Catherine Murray
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002v9jn)
Magic Bus UK
Trustee of Magic Bus UK Ruby Parmar makes the Radio Four Appeal on behalf of the charity. It runs sports coaching sessions for children in India, with the aim of keeping them in school so they finish their education.
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 ‘Magic Bus UK’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Magic Bus UK’.
- 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: 1124753. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://magicbusuk.org/
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites
Producer: Katy Takatsuki
SUN 07:57 Weather (m002v9js)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002v9jx)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002v9k1)
Reasons for Living
Spring brings quiet signs of renewal, even as the world feels overwhelming and hope can seem in short supply. In this season, filled with the joy of Easter and the promise of the resurrection, Rev Richard Carter, Associate Vicar for Mission of St Martin-in-the-Fields, reflects on how, in difficult times, we can find signs of hope and resurrection in a wounded world. - the lengthening days, new growth, and simple acts of kindness. Drawing on stories from his work with those on the margins of society, he shares moments of struggle and resilience, pain and hidden grace, showing that hope does not ignore life’s challenges, but emerges gently within them, like spring itself.
Producer: Andrew Earis
SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct7454)
My dad created Mr Men and Little Miss
In 1971, advertising writer Roger Hargreaves's eight-year-old son Adam asked him an unusual question: 'What does a tickle look like?'
Inspired, Roger got out his marker pens and created an orange character with a round body, long stretchy arms and a blue bowler hat.
That character would become Mr Tickle, one of the first Mr Men books.
Adam Hargreaves tells Megan Jones how his late father's children's books became a worldwide success.
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: Roger Hargreaves with Mr Wrong. Credit: Gerrit Alan Fokkema/Fairfax Media via Getty Images)
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002v9k5)
Roland Arnison on the Fulmar
Explorer and wildlife filmmaker Roland Arnison has been kayaking along Scotland's west coast on a quest to record the sounds of seabirds. Of all the many species he's encountered, it was the fulmar that really captured his heart.
Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.
This programme features audio recorded by Roland Arnison on the Isle of Mingulay.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002v9k9)
How has Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz again?
Donald Trump claims to have 'obliterated' Iran's navy, so why does it control the strait? BH talks to stranded tanker captain Raman Kapoor and Lyse Doucet assess the prospects for peace live from Iran. Also, Sir Keir Starmer's departure lounge, and Prue Leith on comfort food.
SUN 10:00 The Reunion (m002v9kf)
The Eden Project
In the late 1990s, Cornwall’s economy was in profound decline. The last working mine closed in 1998 and the county was among the poorest in Western Europe. Former music producer Tim Smit was looking for a new challenge. He wanted to create a place where people could learn about plants that changed the world.
He found it at Bodelva – an old clay pit - and the Eden Project was born.
The team endured the wettest winter in Cornish history and convinced Britain’s leading architects to work for free until funds were in place. The days and hours before opening to the public were a logistical nightmare as builders and gardeners worked cheek by jowl to get everything ready.
Joining Kirsty Wark to talk about the genesis of Eden are Tim Smit – co-founder, Gay Coley who secured the millions needed and saved Eden from insolvency, Jo Elworthy who moved to Cornwall to become Eden’s first education co-ordinator, Catherine Cutler who worked tirelessly to help create the right conditions for thousands of exotic species, Andy Jasper who came back to his native Cornwall to lead Research and Evaluation and is now Eden’s CEO, Dave Meneer who gave up a lucrative career in advertising to help convince thousands of locals that Eden would not be a “white elephant”, and Keith Pizzey, senior civil engineer for contractors McAlpine, whose team worked miracles to make the pit safe and secure.
With thanks to Anna Meneer and Robin Kewell for archive footage and Vicky Abbott and Mercedes Kemp for use of their song Our Roots.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Karen Pirie
Series Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002v9kk)
12 – 17 April 2026
Writer: Shaun McKenna
Director: Pip Swallow and Rosemary Watts
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Brian Aldridge … Charles Collingwood
Pip Archer … Daisy Badger
Ruth Archer … Felicity Finch
Lilian Bellamy … Sunny Ormonde
Alice Carter … Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter … Wilf Scolding
Rex Fairbrother ... Nick Barber
Chelsea Horrobin … Madeleine Leslay
Bert Horrobin… David Sterne
Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell
Adam Macy … Andrew Wincott
Azra Malik … Yasmin Wilde
Kirsty Miller …. Annabelle Dowler
Stella Pryor … Lucy Speed
Fallon Rogers …. Joanna Van Kampen
Lottie Summers … Bonnie Baddoo
Ms Shah … Sudha Bhuchar
SUN 12:15 Profile (m002v984)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 Unspeakable (m002v0zf)
Series 3
5. How to Cull Friends and Nickname People
This episode we hear Desiree Burch's word for pruning your friends list, Max Fosh's description for the nicknames that children give you, and Rebecca Front's coinage for bingeing on junk TV.
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: Desiree Burch, Max Fosh and Rebecca Front
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 (m002v9kp)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002v9kt)
A look at the week's big stories and preview of the week to come.
SUN 13:30 The Documentary (w3ct99zf)
Back to books: Sweden’s digital backlash
Sweden, once a global poster child for digital education, is changing course. The Nordic nation previously championed a screen-first approach; laptops and tablets have been the norm in classrooms since the 2010s. Now, the country is pivoting back to basics, reintroducing physical textbooks, limiting screen time, and investing heavily in school libraries.
Stockholm-based reporter Maddy Savage explores why one of the world’s most tech-savvy countries is embracing analogue learning once again. Driving the shift are falling international test scores and growing anxiety over the potential impact of heavy screen use on pupils' concentration, and how children process information.
While the move broadly has political support and backing from the OECD, it has sparked a debate over future-proofing the next generation. In an era of rapid AI integration, critics worry that reducing classroom technology could dent digital literacy and widen the inequality gap. The concern is that children with parents who lack the digital skills to support them will be left behind.
We hear from the teachers, parents, pupils and researchers at the heart of this transition.
(Photo: Swedish high school students opening their books. Credit: Maddy Savage)
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002v05s)
Bolton
Kathy Clugston and the Gardeners' Question Time panel visit the outskirts of Bolton in Lancashire. Kathy is joined by RHS Bridgewater Curator Marcus Chilton-Jones, Garden Designer Matthew Wilson and Plantswoman Christine Walkden.
The panellists tackle what to do about an overwhelming stash of black plastic pots, advise on why a listener's new compost bin is lacking in worms, and suggest plants for shady clay areas beneath mature beech trees.
Other questions cover planting for waterlogged borders, homemade foliar feeds for seedlings, and opening a wildlife-focused garden for the National Garden Scheme.
Later in the programme, Bunny Guinness shares spring propagation tips, including softwood and basal cuttings and using an aeroponic propagator.
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
SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m002v9ky)
Transcription
John Yorke takes a look at Transcription by Kate Atkinson.
First published in 2018, Transcription tells the story of three different time periods in the life of our protagonist, Juliet Armstrong. The interweaving timelines take us from 1940 to 1981, telling of her experiences working in wartime for MI5, working in peacetime for BBC Radio, up to the end of her life in the moments between life and death.
Transcription is a spy novel but it’s the work’s thematic depth that raises it above standard fare. There is gripping action but it’s a trojan horse for wider, darker themes. Each chapter is an item on a ledger, leading to a final adding up of the full cost of guilt and betrayal.
There’s one other element that adds to the book’s power - It’s based on a true story. So while the events in Transcription are very much rooted in real life, reality doesn’t lend itself to Atkinson’s thematic concerns. It's in the way that she takes the raw material and manipulates it that the real strength of the book lies.
In the author’s notes at the end of the book, Atkinson says that she became ‘obsessed’ with the nature of historical fiction while researching the story in the National Archives. She says that “roughly speaking, for everything that could be considered an historical fact in this book, I made something up.” Transcription is a real moment from history, taken on an extraordinary flight of imagination.
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.
Archive
Kate Atkinson discusses Transcription on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour on Monday 10th September 2018.
Kate Atkinson discusses Transcription at a Politics and Prose event at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Washington D.C. on Wednesday 26th September 2018.
Written and presented by John Yorke
Produced by Laura Grimshaw
Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael
Reader: Emily Pithon
Sound: Sean Kerwin
Researcher: Henry Tydeman
Programme Hub Co-ordinator: Dawn Williams
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002v9l1)
Transcription
Transcription: Part One
By Katie Hims, adapted from the novel by Kate Atkinson.
Juliet Armstrong’s life - as a producer in BBC Schools just after the war - is overturned when she sees Godfrey Toby, an old MI5 colleague, who insists he doesn’t know her. Then, when a note is left for her at Broadcasting House, threatening revenge for one of her past crimes, she desperately needs to find out which one.
Kate Atkinson's book is a witty and exciting blend of politics, espionage and personal identity, alternating between Juliet's wartime experiences and her post-war life in the corridors of Broadcasting House. Recruited as a typist in the Second World War, after telling nothing but lies in her interview, orphan Juliet proves herself an interestingly nihilistic prospect.
Cast
Juliet ..... Phoebe Pryce
Godfrey Toby ..... Toby Jones
Trude, Mrs Scaife, Fr Rosenfeld, Headmistress ..... Fenella Woolgar
Dolly, Mrs Ambrose ..... Eiry Thomas
Anna, Receptionist, Clarissa, Dodds ..... Cecilia Appiah
Perry ..... Rufus Wright
Merton, Waiter ..... Hasan Dixon
Cyril, Lester ..... Ian Dunnett Jr
Hartley, Detective ..... Jonny Weldon
Davenport, Astrakhan ..... Rick Warden
Boy, Driver, Dennis, Mortician ..... Xavier Starr
Written by Katie Hims, adapted from the novel by Kate Atkinson
Sound by Pete Ringrose
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole
Produced by Mary Peate
A Hooley production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m002v9l4)
Solvej Balle
Presented by James Crawford Take Four Books speaks to the writer Solvej Balle from her home on an island off the coast of Denmark about her latest instalment of the 'On the Calculation of Volume' series. The novels tell the story of Tara Selter, an antiquarian bookseller who wakes up one morning to find she is endlessly reliving the same day: the 18th of November.
Solvej's influences for this episode are all Danish. She chose: Stories About Tacit by Cecil Bødker from 2016, which is a novel about social outcasts who form a reluctant alliance on an abandoned farm in 1850s Denmark; Inger Christensen's poetry collection, Alphabet, from 1981; and a book of philosophy first published in the year 1843 - Either/Or - by the man often described as the 'father of existentialism' - Søren Kierkegaard.
Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This is a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 16:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002v9l6)
3. Northern Ireland v England
Teams from all over the UK will face Kirsty Lang's cryptic questions across the series, with Kirsty offering support and the odd hint where it might be needed.
The third match in the series is between Northern Ireland and England.
As always, they'll drop points every time they need a clue from the chair to steer them towards the right solution.
You can follow the questions for this episode which will appear below on the day of the match.
Teams:
Northern Ireland - Paddy Duffy and Freya McClements
England - Jenny Ryan and Stuart Maconie
Host: Kirsty Lang
Recorded by: Phil Booth
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: Carl Cooper
A BBC Studios Production
Questions set by Lucy Porter, Martin Mor, Justin Edwards, and by you, the listeners!
Questions in today's edition:
Q1 (From Alan Hay) I have a sentence here that is way too wordy and in desperate need of a prune. How might you improve the following piece of prose?
I place a Hawaiian garland in a grassy meadow while reading a novel about a Finch, then I tell a fib about some caustic soda; when a cow moos and makes me think of Captain Mainwaring, so I go to the bathroom in a Cornish coastal town.
Q2 (From Charles Gilman) What connects:
4 in the Highlands, 50 in Merseyside, 105 in the West Midlands, 550 in County Durham, 900 in Essex, 1000 in Greater Manchester, and 1050 in Lanarkshire?
See if you can crack the code
Q3 Music: These songs celebrate famous people, but what other meaning could they carry with them? And which is the odd one out?
(4 clips)
Q4 (From Pete Armstrong) Why might all these people fit comfortably into a 1995 Britpop anthem…
Michael Palin's co-star in The Missionary;
Sweden's first lady prime minister;
Der Bomber, who scored 68 goals in 62 appearances for West Germany;
Vasco, who sang about Sally;
and the third Spaniard to win the US Masters golf championship?
Q5 (Trevor Hawkes) Starting from absolute basics…
What do Haydn’s clock, a pack of dogs, the number 5 and a fictional room have in common? And how might it help in a minor emergency?
Q6 Why might these clips be united by Bristol, of a fashion? (5 clips)
Q7 Why might a Northumbrian Detective and a Scarlet Witch be digging up potatoes and watching The Rivals in search of a missing person?
Q8 We’re going to finish with a report of some unsettling events that have been sweeping the region. Here’s what we know:
Today’s conditions bring gusts that test the bravest sailor’s grip,
A low, uneasy tremor has unsettled the region,
Farmers warn of unprecedented burn levels in this year’s crop
The strength of nature’s toughest materials is put to the test,
And health officials report concerning variations across the nation’s, shall we say… seven natural categories.
So you’re looking at five measures here. Four tell us how bad things are and the final one is different. It’s up to you to work out why.
SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct7456)
The playboy spy who inspired James Bond
During the 1940s, a playboy spy became one of wartime’s most successful double agents, as well as the reported inspiration behind James Bond.
A gambler and womanizer who spoke several languages, Dusko Popov was approached by a friend working for the Abwehr, Germany’s military intelligence.
But Dusko was vehemently anti-Nazi. He went straight to the British and volunteered his services, adopting the codename 'Agent Tricycle'. Intelligence officers then created realistic - but false - information for Dusko to pass back to his Nazi spymaster.
And it was during this time, that Dusko’s path crossed with a British naval intelligence officer called Ian Fleming, later the creator of James Bond.
Jane Wilkinson tells the story using BBC archives.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
(Photo: Dusko Popov. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)
SUN 17:10 Toxic! (m002rqpk)
Swept Under the Rug
Plastic is fantastic! It can be super tough, super flexible, SUPER durable – all characteristics that have made it indispensable to modern life. But over time, plastics don’t disappear. They break down into tiny fragments called microplastics, and these fragments get everywhere. They’ve been found in bottled water, in Himalayan rock salt, even inside hard-boiled eggs. More disturbingly still, research from the past few years suggests that they don’t just pass through us, but can persist in our bodies (and possibly even our brains).
In this second episode of Toxic!, materials scientist Mark Miodownik investigates how we ingest and inhale microplastics in their thousands every day. He discovers the little practical changes we can all make to reduce our exposure and encounters the cutting-edge technology that may soon allow scientists to “see” microplastics throughout our bodies.
Locking into the living room – but sadly with no time to put their feet up – Mark and producer Mel reveal the surprising hiding places there for microplastics, PFAS and another class of toxin not usually associated with our homes: parasiticides. The pair flea-treat Mel’s cat and uncover the frightening potential human health and environmental impacts of us using these chemicals en masse to keep our beloved pets parasite-free.
Series Producer: Mel Brown
Producer Geraldine Fitzgerald
Researcher: Alex Rodway
A BBC Studios Production
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002v9l9)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m002v9lc)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002v9lf)
US negotiators prepare for second round of ceasefire talks
The White House says that the US vice-President, JD Vance, will lead a team of negotiators in Pakistan tomorrow for a second round of talks to end the war with Iran. Tehran says it won't make a decision about sending a negotiating team, while an American naval blockade is still in place. Also: The Chief Rabbi has warned that attacks targeting the UK’s Jewish community are “gathering momentum”, after another synagogue was targeted by arsonists last night. And: Police in Austria say they’ve found rat poison in a baby food product.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002v9lh)
William Crawley
This week, Donald Trump’s war of words with Pope Leo XIV is the prelude to a gloves off historical tour of papal spats. Meanwhile, Jay Rayner swallows a thesaurus on the Kitchen Cabinet. The BBC’s Russia Editor proves he’s a better pianist than Vladimir Putin, and get ready to party like it’s 1999 as we take a journey through archive of Prince's legacy.
Presenter: William Crawley
Producer: Anthony McKee
Editor: Steven Hobson
Production Coordinator: Caoilfhinn McFadden
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.
Programmes featured in this episode include:
Screenshot: Telephones, 14/04
Everything is Fake and Nobody Cares: F for Fake, 15/04
The World Tonight, 13/04
Craig Charles, 14/05
The Matt Forde Focus Group: The Politics of Denial, 16/04
Archive on 4: The Sarkozy Affair, 11/04
The Global Story: What was the point of Artemis II?, 13/04
Music Matters: Curtain Up: Classical Stories of Musical Theatre - Mid-century maestros, 12/04
The Kitchen Cabinet: Series 52, Postbag, 11/04
Assume Nothing: The Radiation Holiday - Episode 6: Protest Song, 18/04
Currently, About the Girls: The Puberty Puzzle, 12/04
Long Player with Steven Rainey: Björk - Debut, 12/04
Archive on 4: A Night With Prince, 16/04
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002v9lk)
At The Bull Chelsea updates Alice and Lilian on her horsebox and looks forward to styling a bride’s hair on Wednesday. Alice confides in Lilian that she’s spoken to Ruairi about Brian. Flustered Lilian’s relieved to hear Ruairi thinks Brian’s fine, then ushers Alice back to rejoin Rex. Chris and Rex are casting a critical eye over entries for the cricket team logo competition when Alice insists they carry on and leaves them to it. Chris encourages Rex to drink more than he would normally, while apologising for any awkwardness last week at Fallon’s. Rex promises, as Alice’s boyfriend, he won’t cause any issues with Martha, and won’t drink around Alice – suggesting Chris must regret helping to enable Alice’s drinking. Later, Rex is drunk and Chris brooding on what Rex said, before Rex stumbles off to check Alice is okay. Unimpressed Alice lets him into The Nest, but insists he sleep it off on the sofa.
Lilian tells Brian they can’t blame Alice for worrying about Ruairi. Brian says he’ll lie to the police, if necessary, should George tell them and they decide to reinvestigate. He won’t allow Ruairi’s future to be destroyed, claiming Ruairi’s his last chance of leaving a legacy. Lilian rubbishes the idea, but over a whisky Brian reflects on his children not being up to running Home Farm. Lilian speaks up for Adam and Brian reluctantly concedes he’s the best bet. If only Ruairi wasn’t so fragile, Brian thinks, then wonders if changing tack and giving Ruairi more responsibility would be the making of him.
SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002v9lm)
Andy Mycock: Named, Unashamed
Andy Mycock has one of the world’s worst surnames. Despite being a renowned political scientist, his life has been punctuated by friends and strangers making fun of his name.
Daily acts like meeting new people or being called in to see the doctor can be both hilarious and fraught. His surname has impacted on his professional life, meeting a partner, and forming meaningful relationships. But there are positives too - it’s almost impossible to forget Dr Mycock.
As Andy learns to turn a lifetime of difficult first reactions into an opportunity to connect, he discovers he has a superpower and maybe a community too. Join him as he goes on a personal journey to find peace with Mycock.
Presenter: Andy Mycock
Producer: Olivia Swift
Executive Producer: Geoff Bird
Mixing Engineer: Steve Brooke
Location recording: Mike Dunbar and Simon Buckley
A Reform Radio production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001z6bk)
Deep Calm - with Michael Mosley
Deep Calm - Episode 3: Using Your Imagination
Sit back, leave behind the cares of the day and take a sonic journey with Dr Michael Mosley. In this new podcast series, designed to help you let go and unwind, each episode focuses on a scientifically-proven technique for activating the body’s built-in relaxation response, and takes a deep dive to explore what’s happening inside as we find stillness and calm.
If you imagine yourself somewhere safe and relaxing, using something called Guided Imagery, you can activate the body’s relaxation response. Plus brainwaves, pupils and thought-birds.
Guest: Katarzyna Zemla, PhD candidate SWPS / PJATK Universities in Warsaw.
Series Producer, sound design and mix engineer: Richard Ward
Researcher: William Hornbrook
Editor: Zoë Heron
Specially composed music by Richard Atkinson (Mcasso)
A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
SUN 20:00 Feedback (m002v1b7)
Radical with Amol Rajan. Faith, Hope and Glory. Interview of the Year
Listeners have been telling us their thoughts about a recent episode of Radical with Amol Rajan, in which he interviewed Dr Suzanne O'Sullivan, a physician specialising in neurology and clinical neurophysiology. It was an in-depth discussion about the potential dangers of "over-diagnosis" - but some listeners felt that Dr O'Sullivan's views could have been challenged more. We get some answers to your questions.
A long-running and award-winning Radio 4 drama series has just come to an end. Faith, Hope and Glory has run for 43 episodes since 2021, and has recently wrapped up telling its ambitious, generation-spanning story about the emergence of modern multicultural Britain. Listeners have been in touch with their thoughts about the series, and so Andrea Catherwood sits down with one of the writers, Roy Williams, and director Jessica Dromgoole, to talk about how they weaved the story together.
And lastly, there's another nomination for our Interview of the Year award. Listener Maggie nominates the recent interview with legendary photographer Don McCullin on Radio 4's This Cultural Life, who shared his cultural touchstones while reflecting on his challenging experiences in his early life and as a working war photographer. Listen to find out why she thinks it deserves the top spot.
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 (m002v05x)
Asha Bhosle, Sir Neil Cossons, Professor Harold Ellis, Daphne Selfe
Matthew Bannister on
The Indian singer Asha Bhosle who soundtracked countless Bollywood films and collaborated with Boy George, Michael Stipe and Damon Albarn.
Sir Neil Cossons, a leading light in the development of the UK’s museums.
Professor Harold Ellis, the respected surgeon whose long career began at the same time as the foundation of the NHS.
Daphne Selfe, the elegant model who was rediscovered in her seventies and transformed the image of older people in fashion.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Colin Paterson
Archive:
Ironbridge Gorge Museum, BBC News, 01 Jan 1930; Network East, BBC Two, 22 Aug 1987; The Courage to Fail: Nerves of Steel, BBC Two, 02 Nov 1987; Talk of the 80's: Neil Cossons, BBC Two, 21 Dec 1989; Everywoman, BBC World Service, 16 Dec 2002; PM, BBC Radio 4, 02 Jul 2008; Saturday Live, BBC Radio 4, 26 Dec 2009; Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 16 May 2013; Evening News, BBC London, 03 Jul 2018
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002v97h)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002v9jn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002v97c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:30 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002v9lp)
Understanding next month's election in Scotland
Ben Wright's guests are Labour backbencher Laura Kyrke-Smith; senior Conservative MP Sir Bernard Jenkin; and Kirsty Blackman from the SNP. They discuss Sir Keir Starmer's statement to the Commons on Peter Mandelson's vetting and the significance of the latest developments in the controversy over Mandelson's appointment as US Ambassador. Ben reports from Hamilton on the mood of voters ahead of the Scottish election. And the panel debat a potential ban on social media for under-16s. James Heale - deputy political editor of The Spectator - brings additional insight and analysis.
SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m002v19c)
M.C. Escher
Misha Glenny and guests discuss the work of Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972), the graphic artist and printmaker best known for his impossible buildings, paradoxical perspectives, and repeating geometric patterns. Born in Leeuwarden and trained as a printmaker, Escher visited the Alhambra in Granada and found inspiration in the tessellating shapes of Islamic art. Through his career he went on to create some of the most famous images of the twentieth century and has been called a one-man art movement. After his work was exhibited in a 1954 conference, Escher’s work also caught the eye of mathematicians who appreciated his intuitive geometric precision. Escher was influenced by their work, and they were influenced by his – despite Escher never thinking he was actually very good at maths himself.
With
Marcus du Sautoy
Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, Professor of Mathematics and Fellow of New College, University of Oxford
Sarah Hart
Professor Emerita of Mathematics and Fellow of Birkbeck, University of London, and Fellow of Gresham College
And
Judith Kadee
Exhibitions project manager and public programme curator at Hague Historical Museum
Producer: Martha Owen
Reading list:
Marcus du Sautoy, Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity (Fourth Estate, 2025)
Marcus du Sautoy, Finding Moonshine: A Mathematician’s Journey Into Symmetry (Harper Perennial, 2009)
Bruno Ernst, The Magic Mirror of M.C. Escher (Taschen, 2007)
M.C. Escher, M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work (Taschen America Llc, 1992)
Miranda Fellows, The Life and Works of Escher (Siena,1996)
Frederico Giudiceandrea, Escher op reis or Escher’s Journey (Publisher Wbooks, 2018, in Dutch)
Sarah Hart, Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature (Flatiron Books, 2023)
Douglas Hofstadter, Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid (first published 1979; Basic Books, 1999)
Siobhan Roberts, King of Infinite Space: Donald Coxeter, The Man Who Saved Geometry (Profile Books, 2007)
Claudio Salsi, Paolo Branca and Claudio Bartocci (eds.), M.C. Escher. Tra arte e scienza. Catalogo della mostra (24 Ore Cultura, 2025, in Italian)
Doris Schattschneider, “The Mathematical Side of M.C. Escher” (Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Vol. 57, 6, 2010)
Doris Schattschneider, M.C. Escher: Visions of Symmetry (Thames and Hudson Ltd, 2004)
Wouter van Reek, Nadir & Zenith in the World of Escher (Leopold, 2019)
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 (m002v05v)
All the Brightest Colours by Rebecca F John
Annie's always lived in the same tiny community on the sea, in a remote part of West Wales. She spends the day picking cockles from the shore, then walking them miles and miles to market.
There's beauty here too, but how can she protect her son from the future?
A short story for radio, by Rebecca F John.
Read by Alexandra Roach
Produced by Minnie Harrop and Fay Lomas
Studio Manager: Catherine Robinson
Production Co-ordinators: Lindsay Rees and Eleri McAuliffe
MONDAY 20 APRIL 2026
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002v9lr)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 00:15 Crossing Continents (m002tzqr)
Pakistan: hospitals putting children at risk of HIV
Outbreaks of HIV have become regular occurrences in Pakistan. And too frequently it is the children who suffer. In the city of Taunsa, for example, children have tested positive for HIV while their parents have not. So what’s been going on? In Crossing Continents Ghazal Abbasi investigates what and who is to blame. With the help of a staff insider and undercover recording in the city’s main hospital, the BBC finds shocking lapses in medical protocol. Medicine vials and syringes are often re-used for different children. Cross-contamination seems inevitable. But the local authorities deny the hospital is at the centre of the problem.
Reporter: Ghazal Abbasi
Producer: John Murphy
Studio Mix: Neil Churchill
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
BBC Eye editor: Dan Adamson
Crossing Continents editor: Penny Murphy
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002v98n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002v9lt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002v9lw)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:00 News Summary (m002v9ly)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002v9m0)
Who blinks first? "We used to hope that they would blink - and they used to hope that we would blink. We probably both blinked." A former government chief whip reveals to Alicia McCarthy the tensions behind the scenes as ministers try to get new laws on the statute book before the end of the parliamentary session.
MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002v9m2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002v9m4)
Making a holy hole
Good morning.
Just before Easter I had the pleasure of singing Bach’s St John’s Passion with my local choral society. It’s an astonishing piece of music. But most astonishing, in the performance, was the moment that marks the death of Jesus of Nazareth, when the conductor allowed a silence to expand, until it filled the hall like something almost tangible. For me, it was an experience both completely physical and deeply spiritual, connecting me to the whole choir, orchestra, and audience, and across time to all the musicians who have shared this moment, and further back still, to the women standing faithfully at the foot of the cross.
A Quaker friend of mine talks about making a little hole in the world, describing those moments when two or three people settle into quiet and allow a true silence to grow. These silences pierce through the bustle and noise of life, and let the light in. They create a holy hole, a sacred space, and they can happen in the most mundane of settings: when a conversation lapses into quiet, in the face of great joy or great pain; in the gap after bedtime stories, as children settle to sleep; when a group of protesters gathers in loving witness. In my experience it even happens occasionally in a difficult work meeting, when people realise they are safe enough to really listen to one another. Mary Oliver called it “the doorway | into thanks, and a silence in which | another voice may speak”. May I seek opportunities for making a little hole in the world today, for giving thanks and for listening, for allowing the spirit to breathe.
Thank you, friends.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002v9m7)
20/04/26: Soybean ID, greenhouse gas emissions from farming, a moment to rethink fertiliser 'dependency'?
The Ulster Farmers Union is calling for government help for farmers, because of the impact of the war in Iran on fuel and fertiliser prices. Amongst other things it suggests a one-off fertiliser support scheme and transparency in pricing. But a group of global sustainability experts says this is the moment that food systems should end what they call a dependence on synthetic fertilisers. As we've been reporting, the spike in energy prices because of the conflict in the Middle East has meant a spike in fertiliser prices. On top of that, a significant proportion of the world's fertiliser supplies also travels (or not) through the Strait of Hormuz.
This week we're focussing on farmers' innovations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We begin with a look at the scale of the challenge.
Scientists at Kew are using techniques associated with archaeological digs to test where soybeans have been grown. They hope it could help cut tropical deforestation associated with soybean production.
Presenter: Charlotte Smith
Producer: Sarah Swadling
MON 05:57 Weather (m002v9md)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers
MON 06:00 Today (m002v9ns)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002v9nv)
Why Stuff Matters: Objects, Power and the Past
What can the things we create, keep and bury tell us about who we are? On Radio 4's weekly discussion programme, Adam Rutherford explores material culture – the power of objects you can touch – and how they connect us to the past.
Classicist Mary Beard discusses her book Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old, arguing that everyday remnants of antiquity, from bread to paint pots abandoned at Pompeii, still matter. And that Ancient Greece and Rome continue to shape how we see our own world.
Theatre director Greg Doran set himself the task of tracking down the surviving copies of Shakespeare’s First folio, after the death of his husband the actor Antony Sher. He recounts his worldwide quest in Walking Shadow: Love, Loss and Shakespeare, which also reveals the importance of the enduring physical presence of Shakespeare’s work.
Dr Sophia Adams, curator at the British Museum, discusses the extraordinary Melsonby Hoard, the largest collection of Iron Age metalwork ever found in Britain, and what its burnt and buried objects reveal about power, ritual and life before the Roman conquest. The exhibition, Chariots, Treasure and Power: Secrets of the Melsonby Hoard, will go on display at the Yorkshire Museum, York from 15th May 2026.
Producer: Katy Hickman
Assistant Producer: Natalia Fernandez
MON 09:45 Café Hope (m002v9nx)
Reminiscence recordings
The founder of charity Stories for Life, Barbara Altounyan, tells Rachel Burden how she recorded her father's life story when he was at end of life. Seeing how much he benefitted from it, she wanted to help others record their stories as well.
The team of biographers now record end of life patients wherever they're being cared for.
Café Hope is our virtual Radio 4 coffee shop, where guests pop in for a brew and a chat to tell us what they're doing to make things better in big and small ways. Think of us as sitting in your local café , cooking up plans, hearing the gossip, and celebrating the people making the world a better place.
We're all about trying to make change. It might be a transformational project that helps an entire community, or it might be about trying to make one life a little bit easier. And the key here is in the trying. This is real life. Not everything works, and there are struggles along the way. But it's always worth a go.
You can contact us on cafehope@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Rachel Burden
Series Producer: Uma Doraiswamy
Sound Design: Nicky Edwards
Editor: Tom Bigwood
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002v9nz)
Public Toilets, Cheerleading, Women and Conscription
New analysis from the Royal Society for Public Health shows a 14% reduction in the number of public toilets across England since 2016. The report warns that the lack of facilities is contributing to an increase in public urination, creating unhygienic conditions. But is the impact felt equally - or are women disproportionately affected? Nuala McGovern is joined by Gail Ramster, Senior Research Associate at the Royal College of Art who carries out inclusive design research around public toilets and co-author of a book 'Designing Inclusive Public Toilets: Wee the People'
Last week former Major General Tim Cross said UK youngsters on benefits should undertake military service. As anxiety about global conflict increases, what might military conscription look like for UK women? RAF veteran and reservist Amy Hill and Victoria Basham, Professor of International Relations at Cardiff University join Nuala to discuss.
Using cheerleading to appeal to girls and young women to stay engaged with sport is one of several recommendations in a new report from MPs aimed at getting people to move more. After a more than year-long inquiry the Culture, Media and Sport Committee discovered a patchy picture of how well community and school sport is meeting the needs of people in England. So is offering cheerleading the way forward? Sarah Bellew, Head of Communications at Women in Sport and Millie Fannin, who runs Swindon Lightening Cheerleading club discuss.
Four years after Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine, the human cost of the war continues to mount. A new documentary looks back to the months before the invasion, following a group of young female journalists reporting independently as press freedom in Russia were under threat. It captures the danger they faced - and the friendship and humour that sustained them. Director of My Undesirable Friends Part 1: Last Air in Moscow Julia Loktev, and journalist Anna Nemzer, who features throughout the documentary, join Nuala.
In 2018, Rebecca Dale made history when she became the first female composer to sign to the prominent British classical music label, Decca Classics, and the first woman to sign to Decca publishing. Her debut album was programmed around her piece Requiem for my Mother and reached no. 1 in the specialist classical charts. Rebecca has been commissioned to compose by major organisations including the BBC and 20th Century Fox, in addition to having written for choirs and orchestras for studio albums. Rebecca’s latest album - Studies in Disappearing [Music for Screen] - is released on 15 May.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Emma Pearce
MON 11:00 Writing the Atom (m002v9p3)
Ancient Atoms
Jim Al-Khalili is a theoretical physicist and as a science communicator he knows the value of metaphors and imagery to bring theories and equations to life. Translating them into stories that capture the imagination, turning the inconceivable and the obscure into the familiar.
The story of the Atom begins over two thousand years ago, long before laboratories and particle accelerators, when humans first began musing about the nature of matter. In this episode Jim explores the language, literature and metaphor that shaped our earliest atomic visions, from the philosophy of ancient Greece to the flowering of the Renaissance; from Shakespeare’s tragedies to the first wooden ball-and-stick models.
Contributors:
Emily Wilson - Author, translator and professor of Classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania
Natalie Elliot - Academic at St Johns university Santa Fe
Frank Close - Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at University of Oxford
Carlo Rovelli - Poet, writer and Theoretical Physicist
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Emily Bird
Executive Producer Sasha Feachem
A BBC Studios Production
MON 11:45 Self-Help from the Middle Ages by Peter Jones (m002v9p6)
Sloth
Historian Peter Jones explores how the Middle Ages understood the Seven Deadly Sins not as a list of vices, but as a map of the mind — a practical guide to living well.
In the depth of Siberian winter, Peter Jones explores the medieval diagnosis or Acedia – or as we know it today – depression.
Read by Joseph Arkley
Written by Peter Jones
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Producer: Lu Kemp
Peter Jones is a writer and historian who first fell under the spell of the Middle Ages at the age of 9, while visiting the National Portrait Gallery in London. Over his career he has taught at the University of Toronto, University College London, and Complutense University of Madrid. Peter spent several years working at the School of Advanced Studies in Tyumen, Siberia, and his experiences there — especially the class he taught on the Seven Deadly Sins — inspired this book.
MON 12:00 News Summary (m002v9p8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002v9pb)
Holiday plans, Volvo Recall, Federation of Master Builders
We know that bad building work can leave homeowners facing huge financial losses. We hear from one listener who has disputed problems with his builder - and a solicitor tells us why mediation and trade body membership may not offer enough protection when firms fail.
We hear how EU rules banning meat-like terms such as “chicken” and “beef” on plant-based products could be adopted in the UK, at a time when demand for meat substitutes appears to be shifting, with some retailers cutting ranges and more people reportedly returning to meat.
The government’s “Simpler Recycling” scheme aims to expand separate food waste collections across England, though roll-out is delayed in many areas due to council contracts, with hopes it will cut the amount of food currently binned.
Car manufacturer Volvo has recalled 10,000 of its electric cars due to a fire risk from the batteries. Owners tell us despite months of complaints they’ve been given no clear fix, repair timeline or replacement option.
And are fears of heading abroad giving a boost to the UK holiday trade?
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: KAT HARBORNE
MON 12:57 Weather (m002v9pd)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m002v9pg)
How secure is the prime minister's position ?
We speak to Labour grandee Helena Kennedy and former Conservative cabinet minister David Davis ahead of the Prime Minister’s address to Parliament, in which he will explain what he knew about Lord Mandelson’s vetting failure for the role of US ambassador. Ahead of a potential second round of peace talks in Pakistan, we hear from a US official involved in negotiating the 2015 nuclear deal, and we speak to the man campaigning for public loos in every town, village and parish, after a report finds a drop in number over the last decade.
MON 13:45 Last Word: Doing Death Differently (m002v9pj)
Shall we talk about death?
Matthew Bannister is marking twenty years of Radio 4’s Last Word by looking at how our attitudes to death, dying and the way we memorialise our dead have changed. In this episode Matthew reflects on how the audience reaction to the announcement of his mother’s death set him thinking about how our attitudes towards death and dying have changed over the last twenty years. Matthew visits a death café in Sussex where the conversation covered subjects such as direct cremation, funeral costs and end of life plans. And Jimmy Caulty of The KLF speaks to Matthew about his plans to create a ‘peoples pyramid’ made of bricks containing the ashes of those who have died.
Presenter: Matthew Bannister
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Production coordinator: Jesse Edwards
Studio mixer: Dyfan Rose
Editor: Glyn Tansley
MON 14:00 The Archers (m002v9lk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Alone (m000tskr)
Series 3
Remember the Date
A sitcom about five single, middle aged neighbours living in flats in a converted house in north London. Written by Moray Hunter and starring Angus Deayton, Abigail Cruttenden, Pearce Quigley, Kate Isitt and Bennett Arron,
Mitch (Angus Deayton) is a widower and part-time therapist who is looking to put his life back together now that he is single and living with Will (Pearce Quigley), his younger, more volatile and unhappily divorced half-brother. Elsewhere in the building are schoolteacher Ellie (Abigail Cruttenden) who is shy, nervous and holds a secret candle for Mitch. Overly honest, frustrated actress Louisa (Kate Isitt), and socially inept IT nerd Morris (Bennett Arron) complete the line-up of mis-matched neighbours.
In the series opener, Remember The Date, a very relaxed Mitch and an over-excited Ellie are due to go out on their much postponed date, Morris leaves everyone an intriguing, truncated text message while Will just wants to celebrate his birthday with someone, anyone, although preferably not Louisa.
Cast:
Angus Deayton- Mitch
Abigail Cruttenden- Ellie
Pearce Quigley- Will
Kate Isitt- Louisa
Bennett Arron- Morris
Created and Written by Moray Hunter
Script Edited by Ian Brown and James Hendrie
Directed by Moray Hunter and Gordon Kennedy
Recorded and Edited by Jerry Peal
Production Manager: Sarah Tombling
Based on an original idea developed in association with Dandy Productions
Recorded at The Soundhouse Studios
Produced by Gordon Kennedy
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:45 Opening Lines (m002v9ky)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:45 on Sunday]
MON 15:00 Great Lives (m002v9f4)
William Gladstone, four-time PM
"Gladstone became prime minister at 82, and not as a figurehead. That is the Gladstone who has inspired me." Trevor Lyttleton.
Born in 1809, William Gladstone's political life straddled the century - he moved from the tories to the liberal party, was Chancellor of the exchequer and became Prime Minister an unequalled four times. Queen Victoria didn't like him, but campaigner Trevor Lyttleton sees him as a champion for the amazing abilities of older people everywhere. Trevor is the founder of Re-Engage, a long running charity which aims to conquer loneliness among the elderley.
Joining Trevor and Matthew Parris in studio is Dr Ruth Windscheffel from York St John University.
MON 15:30 Artworks (m002l355)
When Kevin Met Sadie
At the beginning of the Troubles, an author called Joan Lingard decided to write a series of novels for young people about a Catholic boy named Kevin and a Protestant girl called Sadie. Set initially in 1970s Belfast, the stories were some of the first written for young people about the conflict in Northern Ireland. BBC Ireland Correspondent Chris Page first read them as a boy and they’ve stayed with him ever since. He hears from generations of readers in Northern Ireland about how the novels shaped their understanding of the place they were from.
He starts in Bangor, near where he grew up, with his friend Ann-Marie Foster who first read the novels in the 1970s. Lingard’s eldest daughter Kersten England tells him how Joan Lingard’s childhood inspired the novels and about how an unlikely visitor shaped their first pages. Writer Jan Carson sits down with Chris in front of Lingard’s manuscripts held at the Linen Hall Library in central Belfast to explore Lingard's continued influence on writers in Northern Ireland.
Chris follows in the footsteps of Kevin and Sadie, walking down the towpath by the River Lagan – a place where the characters retreat. He meets Dr Kevin de Ornellas, Lecturer in Renaissance Literature at Ulster University, to discuss Lingard’s use of Shakespearean stories. Dr Kevin talks to Chris about what he made of characterisation when he read the novels as a young boy.
For Chris, the novels also gave him the idea that young people could strike out for a better future. He explores how the five novels progress, visiting students at Integrated College Dungannon, who have studied Joan Lingard’s novels in class. They tell him what they think Kevin and Sadie would have made of Northern Ireland today.
Presenter: Chris Page
Reader: Aoife Moss
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
Studio Manager: Ilse Lademann
With material from:
Joan Lingard, The Twelfth of July, Hamish Hamilton, 1970
Joan Lingard, Across the Barricades, Hamish Hamilton, 1972
Joan Lingard, Into Exile, Hamish Hamilton, 1973
Joan Lingard, A Proper Place, Hamish Hamilton, 1975
Archive used:
Book Week NI, BBC Radio Ulster, 27 October 2010; Across the Barricades, BBC Radio Ulster, 8 November 1985; Children in Crossfire, BBC TV, 12 March 1974; Treasure Islands, BBC Radio 4, 11 December 1991; Stark Talk, BBC Radio Scotland, 20 October 2011; The Usual Suspects: Joan Lingard, BBC Radio Scotland, 1998; Kevin and Sadie, BBC Radio Ulster, 11 July 2010
MON 16:00 The Documentary (w3ct99zf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
13:30 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002v977)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
MON 17:00 PM (m002v9pl)
Mandelson vetting row: Keir Starmer faces the commons
The PM tells MPs officials made a 'deliberate decision' not to reveal Peter Mandelson vetting failure. Also on the programme: we're broadcasting live from South Wales ahead of Senedd elections. And, following Arsenal's defeat at the weekend, we learn about the psychology of 'choking.'
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002v9pn)
Sir Keir Starmer says officials made a deliberate decision not to tell him that Lord Mandelson failed a security vetting
The Prime Minister says officials made a deliberate decision not to tell him that Lord Mandelson had failed a security vetting for the job of ambassador to the US. Also: President Trump says a US delegation will travel to Pakistan for the next round of peace talks with Iran, although it still isn't clear if the Iranians will attend. And the government says it will introduce a legally binding ban on smartphones in schools in England.
MON 18:30 Unspeakable (m002v9pq)
Series 3
6. Wondrous Words from Wales
This episode we hear Mike Bubbins's word for bad forecasting, Charlotte Church's word for the brief glowing soul of a moment, and Jason Byrne's equally beautiful word for moving around on your chair when you've got an itch down there.
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: Mike Bubbins, Jason Byrne and Charlotte Church
Created by Joe Varley
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 (m002v9dc)
Upbeat Adam talks about his plans for Home Farm now he’s secure in the knowledge he’ll be taking over. Ian’s delighted for him, but rushes to get Xander ready for school.
Helen and Kirsty compare notes on Dane and Erik, before Alice appears. Kirsty asks about Rex, who’s messaged her saying he’s not well. Alice is unsympathetic. Later, Helen tells Kirsty she doesn’t want Dane to move into the new house. She compares their relationship lightly to Kirsty and Erik’s, before declaring she needs to finish with Dane. Kirsty was about to say more about her and Erik but leaves it.
Adam checks in with Brian at the farm, wondering if he’s made an appointment with his solicitor yet. Brian won’t be rushed though, mocking Adam’s ambition, which makes Adam question Brian’s intentions. Brian reacts skeptically to Adam’s ideas for diversification, talking instead about sticking to long-term plans, then telling Adam he may have spoken too soon about handing the farm over. When Adam pushes the issue Brian stuns him, spelling out that he’s changed his mind and refuses to commit to Adam over and above Ruairi and his sisters.
Alice tells Ian about Rex’s drunken antics and how he hasn’t stopped apologising since. Rex has pledged to give up drink, but Alice doesn’t want him overreacting and making a huge issue of it. Adam comes in and fulminates against Brian for reneging on their agreement, only just managing to cover in front of Alice what the terms of that agreement were. For Adam, the situation is unsustainable and something’s got to give.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m002v9ps)
Are straight male novelists avoiding sex scenes? Plus new BBC drama Mint
Director Charlotte Regan on her new BBC thriller, Mint
Have heterosexual male novelists stopped writing sex scenes? We discuss with writer Luke Kennard, author of Black Bag, and editor of the Erotic Review Lucy Roeber.
Poet Laureate Simon Armitage plays live in studio with his band L.Y.R.
Video game writer and critic Cara Ellison joins us to run through the highlights from the recent BAFTA Games Awards.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Harry Graham
MON 20:00 The Briefing Room (m002v1b9)
Is the triple lock pension guarantee sustainable?
This month retired people saw their state pensions rise by 4.8 per cent. That’s comfortably above the current inflation rate and means that some pensioners have increases this year of as much as £575. That’s because of the Triple Lock guarantee which is a formula set 15 years ago and which some economists say is costing the government too much and should be scrapped. But it’s meant that the state pension has risen over recent years, pensioner poverty is far less of a problem and not surprisingly it’s popular with voters. David Aaronovitch asks what exactly is the triple lock, can we still afford it and is there an alternative?
Guests
Carl Emmerson, Partner at London Economics
Sophie Hale, Research Director, Resolution Foundation
Steve Webb, Partner at LCP and former Pensions Minister in Coalition Government
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight, Sally Abrahams
Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound engineers: Rod Farquhar and Dave O'Neill
Editor: Richard Vadon
MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct977g)
Forty years on from nuclear disaster
For 40 years scientists have been fascinated by the exclusion zone surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. Professor Jim Smith from the University of Portsmouth is one of those scientists, a frequent visitor over the past 20 years. He joins Inside Science to explain whether the region still suffers after the nuclear fallout and how how it has shaped European energy production.
It is a month for anniversaries, and with David Attenborough turning 100, each week we take a look at a species which has found itself named after the behavioural ecologist.
And finally, the latest science news in the world of astronomy brought to you by astronomer Dr Jeni Millard.
MON 21:00 Start the Week (m002v9nv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:45 Café Hope (m002v9nx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002v9pv)
Sir Keir Starmer tells MPs that officials didn't tell him Lord Mandelson had failed security vetting
Sir Keir Starmer tells MPs that officials deliberately withheld the news from him that Lord Mandelson had failed security vetting
We look ahead to tomorrow's appearance at a commons committee by the top foreign office mandarin who's been removed..
also: how do teachers feel about the new smartphone ban in english schools..
the New York bookseller who uncovered stolen rarities worth millions..
are US-Iran talks on..or off..
and the author of the Selfish Gene pays tribute to the author of the Naked Ape. Richard Dawkins remembers his friend, Desmond Morris.
MON 22:45 Few and Far Between by Jan Carson (m002v9px)
Episode 6
The stunning new novel from the winner of the EU Prize for Literature, a magically surreal story about history, identity and redemption. Read by Tara Lynne O’Neill (‘Derry Girls.’)
It’s summer 2017 and the last few residents of the Lough Neagh Archipelago, nicknamed the Ark, are facing imminent eviction. The flood planned to combat a devastating algae outbreak will submerge their homes, forcing them back to the Mainland for the first time in fifty years.
Rosemary, Robert-John and Marion Connolly came to the islands as children in the 1970s following their mercurial father RJ; an anthropologist studying the unique society that had developed there. For many, the Neagh Archipelago represented a utopia, a chance to be free of the prejudices and history of Troubles era Northern Ireland. But perhaps this utopia wasn’t all that it seemed.
The four main islands on the Far Side of the Ark are: Tom’s Hard, a ‘popular’ suicide spot; Middle Flat, where the centre for traumatized comatose individuals – commonly known as Sleepers – is based; Church Flat, a kind of limbo populated by the mute ghostly presence of locals hovering between life and death; and Eglish Flat, an illegal dumping ground which appears to consume whatever is deposited there.
Marion and Robert-John have grown accustomed to their haunted existence on the Ark as caretakers of the mysterious islands. How will they cope with a new life on the Mainland? Is it possible to leave the past behind? And will the Ark ever let them go...
Author
Jan Carson is a writer based in Belfast. She has published three novels, three short story collections and two micro-fiction collections. Her novel ‘The Fire Starters’ won the EU Prize for Literature for Ireland 2019 and her subsequent novel ‘The Raptures’ was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Novel of the Year and Kerry Group Novel of the Year in 2022. She is the Seamus Heaney Centre Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast 2025 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Reader: Tara Lynne O’Neill
Writer: Jan Carson
Abridger: Katrin Williams
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 23:00 Limelight (p0fjx0yl)
An Eye for a Killing
5. The Reckoning
Welcome to hell. The true story of Scotland’s notorious serial killers, Burke and Hare.
On Christmas Day in 1828 the jury at the High Court decide that serial killer, William Burke, is guilty of the murder of Madgy Docherty. Burke is sentenced to be hanged and his body publicly dissected. A crowd of 25,000 people turn out to watch him die – while his accomplice, William Hare, walks free from the court.
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
Burke ….. Gavin Mitchell
Boyle ….. Paul Young
Robert Knox ….. Simon Donaldson
Janet Brown ….. Nicola Roy
Mrs Wilson ….. Lucianne McEvoy
Galbraith ….. Andy Clark
John Fisher ….. Robert Jack
Michael Campbell ….. James Rottger
Other parts played by the cast.
Producer/director: Bruce Young
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002v9pz)
Susan Hulme reports as the Prime Minister faces searching questions over the security vetting for Peter Mandelson.
TUESDAY 21 APRIL 2026
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002v9q1)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 00:30 Self-Help from the Middle Ages by Peter Jones (m002v9p6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002v9q3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002v9q5)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:00 News Summary (m002v9q7)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002v9q9)
Sean Curran reports as MPs dial up the pressure on the prime minister over the Mandelson affair.
TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002v9qc)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002v9qf)
Open to new light
Good morning.
Quakers have a proud tradition of campaigning for social justice. The earliest Quakers were motivated by the revelation that there is that of God in every person – a vision of human equality which was revolutionary in the 1600s, and is no less vital now. This principle has defined the Quaker way. Quakers were fundamental to the campaign to end the trade in enslaved people, and have worked continually for criminal justice system reform. They camped at Greenham Common and boycotted apartheid South Africa. Quakers were the first faith group in Britain to recognise and campaign for same-sex marriage. Quakers have campaigned on the climate crisis and created Cities of Sanctuary.
It's a lot of activism for people who are also committed to the idea that we are all spiritual travellers without a precisely defined destination. Quakers have a set of “Advices and Queries”, prompts for reflection and challenge, and one of my favourites ends: “think it possible you may be mistaken”. We only need to turn on the news to see the dangers of certainty – a world in which changing your mind is seen as weakness, and where the language of religious conviction is used to justify the most appalling injustice and violence.
Quakers balance a spiritual commitment to seeking truth, with a practical commitment to working for equality. The two are not always easy to reconcile, and there are not many topics on which all Quakers in Britain agree. I give thanks for a community which is open about the fact that we are feeling our way, checking our bearings. May I be open to new light, from whatever source it might come.
Thank you, friends.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002v9qh)
21/04/26 Sustainable pork production, biochar and chicken muck, rare breed cattle
The pig industry has published a new environmental roadmap to help the sector produce pork more sustainably. It's being led by the AHDB and will focus on things like reducing carbon, improving air quality, managing nutrients and waste and using on-farm energy.
All this week we're looking at reducing emissions from farming - one poultry farmer in South Shropshire is trying out biochar, a type of charcoal, to help tackle the ammonia from chicken muck.
White Park Cattle are an iconic native breed here in the UK, dating back to Roman Times. They're very distinctive, with white coats, black ears and noses. Their falling numbers back in the early 1970's was the start of the establishment of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust or RBST. Today the RBST has placed the breed on to the Most Urgent category of its Watch list, after a 36 percent fall in the number of calves registered since 2022. We visit one of the few remaining herds in Wales.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
TUE 06:00 Today (m002v9cp)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m002v9cr)
Helen Hastie on the future of human-robot relations
What if robots of the future weren’t just clever machines, performing tasks in isolation, but trusted teammates you could have a chat with? That could respond naturally to conversational cues and even explain their work?
Making this relationship a reality is a focus for Helen Hastie, Professor of Human-Robot Interaction and Head of the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh.
Helen’s career has taken her from developing early dialogue systems - the ancestors of today’s generative AI - to working on sophisticated bots that can serve coffee with a side of small-talk, teach struggling kids with empathy, or provide calm and confident decisions as triage nurses. She’s also driven some of the UK’s flagship robotics initiatives, including as co-lead of the National Robotarium.
Talking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili - who reveals he was once told off for rudeness by an early chatbot - Helen explains her hopes for useful, reliable and ultimately trustworthy robots; machines that aren’t just in our world but a welcome part of it.
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Lucy Taylor
A BBC Studios production
TUE 09:30 Through Persian Eyes (b01kjs1j)
Episode 3
Many in the west have described Iran as a rogue state. Yet this so-called rogue state has a recorded history that tracks back more than 3000 years. It is a civilization that has given rise to philosophies and religions, to science and medicine, to architecture and the arts.
By the end of the 18th century Iran was emerging from nearly a century of political and economic turmoil. Imperial frontiers were in disarray and under threat; while its population and economy had suffered the depredations of war. The state was a shadow of its former self.
Professor Alli Ansari begins part three with the story of a very peculiar despot, Agha Mohammad Khan, the founder of the Qajar dynasty. Castrated at the age of 6 - an act of mercy we are told since the alternative was death - Agha Mohammad Khan grew into a very angry young man, determined to secure the throne at all costs. With a combination of ruthlessness and political agility he succeeeded in restoring Iranian greatness.
But within a short period Iran faced the new challenge of European imperialism from both north and south as the Russian and British empires competed for dominance. The modern age had arrived and the Iranian response was typically diverse: resistance, rebellion, revolution and modernisation as despots and democrats fought for the soul of modern Iran. That is a struggle that in the 20th century brought in two great revolutions, one in 1906 was constitutional and the second with Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 was theocratic. And that struggle between constitutional and theocratic revolutions continues today.
Professor Ansari is one of the world's leading experts on Iran and its history. Professor Ansari's books include Confronting Iran and The Politics of Nationalism in Modern Iran.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002v9cv)
Jo Whiley on Couch to 5k, Coercive control and suicide, Queen's legacy
Earlier this year, the UK lost its status as a measles-free country after a rise in deaths from the disease and a fall in the proportion of children having the MMR jab. Yesterday, the House of Lords Childhood Vaccinations Rates in England Inquiry questioned witnesses from a range of healthcare settings, including GPs and practice nurses, health visitors and midwifery experts to find out exactly what is happening and why vaccination rates are falling. Presenter Nuala McGovern is joined by the Chair of that inquiry, Baroness Joan Walmsley.
Women make up 75% of those who have used the Couch to 5k app, which turns 10 years old today. Over the past decade, the running companion has been downloaded more than eight million times and inspired an incredible one billion minutes of movement. Nuala is joined by Jo Whiley, the most popular coach on the app, and Claire Baird and Ellen Morris, who have completed the challenge.
Earlier this month, in a landmark verdict in the Scottish courts, Lee Milne was found guilty of culpable homicide after his wife Kimberly took her own life. Culpable homicide is similar to the charge of manslaughter in England and Wales. His coercive and controlling behaviour was said to have been a significant contributing factor in Kimberly’s death. Laura Buchan, Legal Director with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Kate Ellis, Joint Head of the Litigation Team at the Centre for Women’s Justice, join Nuala to discuss.
On what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday, we explore her enduring legacy, the new monuments that will commemorate her reign, and how future generations may remember her. We hear from Tessa Dunlop, author of Lest We Forget: War and Peace in 100 British Monuments, and BBC Royal Correspondent Daniela Relph.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths
TUE 11:00 Screenshot (m002v068)
Boxing
Ellen and Mark step into the ring to explore cinema's most heavyweight genre, fifty years on from Sylvester Stallone's smash-hit film Rocky. What is it about the boxing movie that makes it not just a sports movie, but a genre of its very own?
Critic Christina Newland gives Mark a punchy rundown of how boxing movies throughout history - from Body And Soul to Raging Bull - have tackled themes of race, class and identity.
Ellen speaks to former world cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew, who moved from the ring to the big screen in 2016, acting in the Creed films.
And Ellen also talks to actor Amir-El Masry, who played the Yemeni-heritage, Yorkshire-born maverick boxing champion Prince Naseem Hamid in the electrifying 2026 biopic Giant.
Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 11:45 Self-Help from the Middle Ages by Peter Jones (m002v9cx)
Pride
Historian Peter Jones explores how the Middle Ages understood the Seven Deadly Sins not as a list of vices, but as a map of the mind — a practical guide to living well.
In the depth of Siberian winter, Peter Jones explores the medieval diagnosis or Superbia – or as we know it today – Pride.
Read by Joseph Arkley
Written by Peter Jones
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Producer: Lu Kemp
Peter Jones is a writer and historian who first fell under the spell of the Middle Ages at the age of 9, while visiting the National Portrait Gallery in London. Over his career he has taught at the University of Toronto, University College London, and Complutense University of Madrid. Peter spent several years working at the School of Advanced Studies in Tyumen, Siberia, and his experiences there — especially the class he taught on the Seven Deadly Sins — inspired this book.
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002v9d0)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002v9d2)
Call You and Yours: What's the rental market like now if you're a tenant or a landlord?
On Call You and Yours today we want to find out what the rental market is like at the moment.
What's the rental market like now if you're a tenant or a landlord?
The Renters Right Act will come into force next Friday May 1st - its the biggest shake up in England's rental market for 40 years.
It'll mean an end to bidding wars and no fault evictions, and it will limit rent increases to once a year.
It's a big win for renter's rights but some landlords say they will struggle to stay in the market.
What's your experience of the rental market right now?
You can call us on 03700 100 44 after
11am.
Or email us youandyours@bbc.co.uk.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: LYDIA THOMAS
TUE 12:57 Weather (m002v9d4)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m002v9d6)
Fired civil servant accuses PM of 'dangerous misunderstanding' over Mandelson affair
Sir Olly Robbins tells MPs that Lord Mandelson never failed his vetting, because it was a borderline case that could be managed with mitigation. The Whitehall mandarin described the pressure the Foreign Office was under to approve Mandelson's appointment, with the process in train well before vetting took place. And he described the Prime Minister as having a "dangerous misunderstanding" of the process. We have full analysis and reaction, with a former national security adviser and friend of Sir Olly, Emily Thornberry MP who chairs the foreign affairs committee, and the BBC's political editor Chris Mason.
TUE 13:45 Last Word: Doing Death Differently (m002v9d8)
The funeral
Matthew Bannister is marking twenty years of Radio 4’s Last Word by looking at how our attitudes to death, dying and the way we memorialise our dead have changed. In this episode Matthew reflects on how the audience reaction to the announcement of his mother’s death set him thinking about how our attitudes towards death and dying have changed over the last twenty years. As the baby boomer generation demands more personalised and bespoke memorial ceremonies, who is a funeral for? The living or the dead? And why are the old conventions being swept away? Matthew visits a celebrants training course in Bedfordshire, attends a very bespoke funeral in Bristol and hears how some people are choosing to have living funerals.
Presenter: Matthew Bannister
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Production coordinator: Jesse Edwards
Studio mixer: Dyfan Rose
Editor: Glyn Tansley
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002v9dc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Takeover (m000xdxv)
Series 1
Episode 1
High-stake deals and sibling rivalry set in the world of the super wealthy. Meet the Majumdars, a family at war… with itself. A new drama serial starring Rajit Kapur. Self-made billionaire, Ravi Majumdar, risks losing everything to defeat a man he once considered his friend and mentor, while his four children - Ash, Zara, Shaan and Maya - fight for their father’s affections and fortune.
A drama on a grand scale, played out like a Shakespearean tragedy.
Recorded both in the UK and in India.
Cast:
Ravi Majumdar......Rajit Kapur
Anya......Dolya Gavanski
Ash......Abhin Galeya
Maya......Amrita Acharia
Zara......Munirih Grace
Shaan......Danny Ashok
Ian......Finbar Lynch
Seraphina......Jennifer Armour
Dr Lincoln......Emma Carter
Jeet......Ronny Jhutti
All other parts were played by:
Neil D’Souza
Ash Hunter
Philip Desmeules
Natalie Simpson
Lola Ogunyemi
Matthew Solon and
Nadir Khan
With original music by Sacha Puttnam
Written by Ayeesha Menon and Matthew Solon
Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore
Sound recording by Paul Clark, Ashyar Bulsara and Ayush Ahuja
Assistant Producer, Eleanor Mein
Production Assistant, Anna Calandra
Produced by Emma Hearn and Nadir Khan
Director and Executive Producer, John Scott Dryden
A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 15:00 History's Heroes (p0m1hykw)
Nellie Bly Goes Undercover
A young reporter sets out to be admitted to a notorious New York asylum. Her aim is to expose its horrors.
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 production.
Producer: Elaina Boateng
Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
TUE 15:30 Heart and Soul (m002v9dh)
Can yoga be Christian?
Yoga is an ancient practice with its roots in Hinduism. It originated over 5,000 years ago in northern India, but for many, has now evolved from a spiritual path into the wellness practice known globally.
In the West, millions now do yoga as a form of exercise and wellbeing. It's an industry thought to be worth tens of billions of dollars.
But as it has boomed, yoga has been interpreted in new and sometimes controversial ways. A growing number of Christian churches and studios are embracing the practice - mixing prayer and physical moves.
What's been dubbed 'Christian yoga' has gained loyal supporters, who say it helps them reconnect body and soul. But not everyone agrees. Some within the Hindu faith argue that Christian yoga risks stripping an ancient practice of its religious roots. Then, there are Christians who say the practice is “not of Jesus,” and warn that it could open the door to non-Christian spirituality.
So, can yoga be Christian?
In this episode of Heart & Soul, Megan Lawton tries to answer those questions - meeting teachers of Christian yoga and those who don't believe yoga and Christianity can ever be compatible.
[Photo Description: Meditation, yoga and top view of woman with prayer hands in home for health and wellness. Meditate namaste, zen chakra and female yogi workout, exercise or training for pilates, mindfulness and peace - stock photo. Photo Credit: Kobus Louw]
Producer: Sam Gruet
Presenter: Megan Lawton
Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno
TUE 16:00 Moving Pictures (m002trvx)
Portrait Miniatures by Nicholas Hilliard
Cathy FitzGerald invites you to discover new details in old masterpieces. Each episode of Moving Pictures is devoted to a single artwork – and you’re invited to look as well as listen, by following a link to a high-resolution image made by Google Arts & Culture. Zoom in and you can see the pores of the canvas, the sweep of individual brushstrokes, the shimmer of pointillist dots.
Tiny paintings with big secrets: this episode explores two jewel-like portrait miniatures by Nicholas Hilliard. Small enough to fit in the palm of the hand, these artworks were deeply personal objects – exchanged as keepsakes, worn close to the body and sometimes hidden from view. What stories do they have to tell about love, sauciness and politicking in the Elizabethan court?
To see the high-resolution images of the paintings, visit www.bbc.co.uk/movingpictures. Scroll down and follow the links to Google Arts & Culture to explore the two miniatures by Nicholas Hilliard of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and Queen Elizabeth I.
Interviewees: Alan Derbyshire, Christina Faraday, Elizabeth Goldring, Rosalind McKever and Emma Rutherford.
Producer and presenter: Cathy FitzGerald
Executive producer: Sarah Cuddon
Mix engineer: Mike Woolley
Art history consultant: Leah Kharibian
A White Stiletto production for BBC Radio 4
Image credits:
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, portrait miniature, by Nicholas Hilliard, 1571 – 54, London, England. Museum no. E.1174-1988. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Queen Elizabeth I, portrait miniature, by Nicholas Hilliard, about 1595 – 1600, London, England. Museum no. 622-1882. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002v9dk)
How do we care for our voices?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tune in to the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.
In this episode, they turn their attention to the voice. Where does it come from, why do we all sound so different, and how much can we really change it? They also explore what we should be doing to take care of our voices.
To help them strike the right note, they’re joined by voice specialist and speech and language therapist, Lydia Hart.
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: Lydia Hart
Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Jo Rowntree
Researcher: Grace Revill
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Social Media: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Ruth Rainey
At the BBC:
Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 17:00 PM (m002v9dm)
Where do Olly Robbins revelations leave Starmer's authority?
The top civil servant involved in Peter Mandelson's vetting, who was sacked last week, said he felt pressured by Downing Street to expedite the process. We'll bring you analysis. Plus: the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police joins us after the force moves a step closer to legal use of live facial recognition technology.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002v9dp)
The senior civil servant sacked from the Foreign Office defends Lord Mandelson's vetting
Sir Olly Robbins who was sacked from the Foreign Office has told MPs there was pressure from Downing Street to confirm Lord Mandelson as US ambassador. Also: President Trump has told US radio he's confident of a deal with Iran, even though there's no confirmation more talks are going ahead. And Alan Osmond, the eldest member of the family group The Osmonds, has died at the age of 76.
TUE 18:30 Nature Table (m002v9dr)
Series 5
3: Unwise Tawny Owls & Mischievous Mitten Crabs
In this episode Sue checks out Tawny Owls (not as wise as people make out), mischievous Mitten Crabs and a glamorous looking chicken that could feature on Ru Paul’s Drag Race.
‘Sue Perkins’ Nature Table - possibly the funniest “natural science” series, ever.’ Pick of the Week, The Telegraph
Joining Sue Perkins at the Natural History Museum, this episode of the ARIA-winning ‘Show and Tell’ wildlife comedy features special guests: US comedian and film actor Rob Delaney (Mission Impossible and Catastrophe), the Natural History Museum’s Queen of Crustacea Miranda Lowe and zoologist Holly Dominique.
Nature Table has a simple clear goal: to positively celebrate our planet’s wonderfully wild (and funny) flora and fauna in a fun accessible way... whilst always having a giggle.
Hosted by: Sue Perkins
Guests: Rob Delaney, Miranda Lowe and Holly Dominique.
Written by: Jon Hunter and Jenny Laville.
Additional material by: Jade Gebbie.
Researcher: Catherine Beazley
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Sound Editor: Jerry Peal
Music by: Ben Mirin
Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow & Sarah Nicholls
Producer: Simon Nicholls
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m002v9dt)
Helen catches Tony, who’s heading off to market with David for the Anguses auction. Helen then leaves a message for Kirsty, telling her she’s dumped Dane. Later, Helen goes into more detail about how upset Dane was, before Kirsty talks about needing to speak to Erik as her period’s late. Kirsty then details their lax approach to contraception. Helen thinks it would be wonderful if Kirsty’s pregnant, but when Tony interrupts they deny they were discussing anything important.
David tells Stella he feels Tony’s pain at losing the Anguses, but he is looking forward to a rare trip to the market. They compare notes on supporting Ruth and Pip - Ruth’s still mulling over being genetically tested. David reckons it has to be Ruth’s decision, even though it affects Pip and the others. While walking Cleo later, Stella extols the virtues of Spring to Adam, who admits ruefully he should never have returned to work with Brian. Stella empathises, she found Brian equally difficult and quit for the same reasons Adam is citing – mainly that Brian ignores the realities of farming today and has no respect for other people’s opinions. Adam’s grateful for the chance to vent, while Stella wishes she could offer more help.
At the market David reckons Tony’s Anguses are the pick of the Primestock Day sale. He tempts Tony with the idea of taking them back to Bridge Farm, but Tony is reconciled to them going – it’s the right decision for the farm’s future. Later, Tony reports that they sold for a higher figure than expected.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002v9dw)
Vivaldi film, author Ben Lerner and V+A East's Music Is Black exhibition
Primavera, a new film about Vivaldi tells the story of his composing for pupils of an institution for abandoned girls. We speak to the film's director Damiano Michieletto, better known as an award-winning opera director, about his film and about Vivaldi himself.
The Music is Black is the inaugural exhibition at London’s new V&A East Museum and it celebrates 125 years of Black British music. Lead curator Jacqueline Springer joins us to discuss the show and wealth of music it showcases, from the early days of jazz via calypso, reggae, two-tone, pop and grime.
Ben Lerner, the Pulitzer-nominated author of Leaving the Atocha Station and The Topeka School, discusses his latest novel Transcription; an exploration of loss, technology and “fiction”.
The Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities in Oxford officially opens its doors next weekend. It combines seven academic faculties with performance spaces including the world’s first ‘Passivhaus’ concert hall, certifying its sustainability.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
TUE 20:00 Today (m002v9dy)
The Today Debate - The future of the monarchy
It is 100 years since Queen Elizabeth II was born. King Charles, her son, has paid tribute to his "darling mama" and said: "Her near-century was one of remarkable change and yet, through each passing decade, through every transformation, she remained constant, steadfast and wholly devoted to the people she served.”
Four years on from Queen Elizabeth's death, Anna Foster chairs a debate on the future of monarchy with an expert panel.
TUE 20:45 In Touch (m002v9f0)
Seeing with My Dog
'Seeing With My Dog' is the latest work from visually impaired playwright Roderick Dungate. The play explores Rod's turmoil with losing his vision and the complexities of training with a guide dog. In Touch's reporter Bethan Langford attended one of the production's rehearsals and she provides her impressions of the experience. Rod also joins the programme, and describes the play's themes and about how access for visually impaired audience members has been prioritised in various ways.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Helen Surtees
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.
TUE 21:00 Crossing Continents (m002v9f2)
In Iceland's Defence
Iceland is an island of great beauty and even greater strategic importance. Its position in the Greenland Iceland UK Gap, the gateway between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, makes it crucial to Nato operations in the High North.
But Iceland is one of the few nations in the world with no military of its own. A country of approximately 400,000 people, its security relies on the umbrella of protection it derives from being a founding member of NATO, a bilateral agreement with the United States signed in 1951 and a highly skilled coast guard and police force. In a climate of fracturing political alliances, is entrusting national defence so heavily on the guarantees of allies a sustainable strategy? Sandra Kanthal travelled to Reykjavik to find out.
Produced and presented by Sandra Kanthal
Studio mix: Neil Churchill
Production coordinator: Katie Morrison
Series editor: Penny Murphy
TUE 21:30 Great Lives (m002v9f4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
15:00 on Monday]
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002v9f6)
Official sacked by Starmer says No 10 attitude to vetting "dismissive"
Former senior official Sir Olly Robbins has accused Downing Street of taking a "dismissive attitude" to vetting during Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador to the US. Sir Olly was sacked as Foreign Office boss last week after it emerged he had cleared Lord Mandelson to take up the role despite officials raising security concerns, without telling Sir Keir Starmer.
Also tonight, President Trump says he's extending a ceasefire with Iran, until negotiations conclude - but will continue to blockade Iranian ports.
And London pays tribute to the Cuban Queen of Salsa.
TUE 22:45 Few and Far Between by Jan Carson (m002v9f8)
Episode 7
The stunning new novel from the winner of the EU Prize for Literature, a magically surreal story about history, identity and redemption. Read by Tara Lynne O’Neill (‘Derry Girls.’)
It’s summer 2017 and the last few residents of the Lough Neagh Archipelago, nicknamed the Ark, are facing imminent eviction. The flood planned to combat a devastating algae outbreak will submerge their homes, forcing them back to the Mainland for the first time in fifty years.
Rosemary, Robert-John and Marion Connolly came to the islands as children in the 1970s following their mercurial father RJ; an anthropologist studying the unique society that had developed there. For many, the Neagh Archipelago represented a utopia, a chance to be free of the prejudices and history of Troubles era Northern Ireland. But perhaps this utopia wasn’t all that it seemed.
The four main islands on the Far Side of the Ark are: Tom’s Hard, a ‘popular’ suicide spot; Middle Flat, where the centre for traumatized comatose individuals – commonly known as Sleepers – is based; Church Flat, a kind of limbo populated by the mute ghostly presence of locals hovering between life and death; and Eglish Flat, an illegal dumping ground which appears to consume whatever is deposited there.
Marion and Robert-John have grown accustomed to their haunted existence on the Ark as caretakers of the mysterious islands. How will they cope with a new life on the Mainland? Is it possible to leave the past behind? And will the Ark ever let them go...
Author
Jan Carson is a writer based in Belfast. She has published three novels, three short story collections and two micro-fiction collections. Her novel ‘The Fire Starters’ won the EU Prize for Literature for Ireland 2019 and her subsequent novel ‘The Raptures’ was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Novel of the Year and Kerry Group Novel of the Year in 2022. She is the Seamus Heaney Centre Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast 2025 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Reader: Tara Lynne O’Neill
Writer: Jan Carson
Abridger: Katrin Williams
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:00 Uncanny (m002v9fb)
Cold Cases
Case 3: The White Mountain UFO
Danny Robins has a close encounter with the original alien abduction case.
On a quiet night in 1961, Barney and Betty Hill are driving home through New Hampshire when they see something in the sky that will change their lives forever. What they recount is a series of experiences so strange that even sceptics struggle to explain them - from missing time to vivid, seemingly impossible memories of an encounter with beings who may not be human.
Dr Ciaran O’Keefe and Evelyn Hollow are on hand as ever to help make sense of what might really have happened. It’s the OG alien abduction story - but what do the team make of it, 60 years later?
Presented by Danny Robins
Experts: Evelyn Hollow and Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe
Story sections by Joel Morris and Will Maclean
Research by Nancy Bottomley and John West
Filming and editing by Robb Leech
Editing and sound design by Charlie Brandon-King
Theme music by Katherine Priddy
Theme co-produced by Jennifer Ann Keller
Incidental music by Evelyn Sykes
Commissioning executive: Paula McDonnell
Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts
Produced by Simon Barnard and Victoria Lloyd
A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002v9fd)
Sean Curran reports as the Foreign Office former mandarin Olly Robbins answers questions about Peter Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador
WEDNESDAY 22 APRIL 2026
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002v9fg)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 00:30 Self-Help from the Middle Ages by Peter Jones (m002v9cx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002v9fj)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002v9fl)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:00 News Summary (m002v9fn)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002v9fq)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as the sacked Foreign Office chief, Sir Olly Robbins, speaks to MPs about the Lord Mandelson vetting row.
WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002v9fs)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002v9fv)
Held in loving arms
Good morning.
My husband and I must each have clocked up thousands of hours rocking our babies through the night over the past eight years. These are hard, weary hours, when it’s easy to switch into panic mode, as tomorrow’s to-do list insists itself to the front of your mind. They can also be lonely hours, although I heard recently about the Norbertine sisters, an order of nuns in California, who wake up every night to keep a “motherhood hour” vigil, praying for parents up with their children. What a beautiful gift of prayerful upholding.
These are the hours when our children’s deep dependence on us is most clear, however independent they want to be during the day. My middle daughter’s catch phrase, when she was a toddler, was “I doing it all my by itself”. With darkness comes the longing for loving arms to settle into, a willingness to capitulate to being helped, and so these are precious and tender hours as well.
When I think back across seasons of darkness in my own life – times of grief, fear, and uncertainty – my experience of the presence of God is very like this: a sense of being tenderly, closely held in loving arms. These painful seasons are the times when my armour of self-reliance cracks open, when I stop trying to do it by myself, and I am open enough to feel the peace of the spirit. Looking back, they are times of deep spiritual comfort for which I am grateful. My prayer today is for everybody currently in a season of darkness. May you feel upheld in love, and experience the peace of the spirit.
Thank you, friends.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002v9fx)
22/04/26 Bird flu jab for people, fairness in supply chain, vertical farming
A new trial is starting this summer, as part of the third phase of a programme to develop a vaccine for people against bird flu. 3000 volunteers are needed from the UK to take part, and 1000 in the USA. Researchers at the National Institute for Health and Care Research are hoping that poultry workers might take part.
Fuel and fertiliser costs are soaring because of disruption caused by the war in the Middle East. That's having a big impact on farmers and it's also putting pressure on food prices as MPs on the Environment Food and Rural Affairs select committee have been hearing. They were told that food prices were 40% higher than before Covid and that the food supply chain needed urgent government support with fuel costs.
All week we're hearing how farming is trying to cut down on the damaging emissions it can cause. One of the biggest growers in the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire says it’s making its crop-growing more environmentally friendly by developing a giant one hectare high-tech greenhouse. The company says it’s drastically reduced crop spoilage, fertiliser and water use, while also making the UK less reliant on imports.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
WED 06:00 Today (m002vbwy)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Life Changing (m002vbx0)
I fell 900ft to the ground - and survived
Growing up in a military family, it was no surprise when Rob Bugden decided to join the RAF. Despite professing that he had no head for heights, he trained to become a parachute instructor – eager to face his fears head-on.
Setting off for a routine training jump one fateful day, he had no idea that a terrifying mid-air collision would send him hurtling 900ft to the ground. Miraculously, Rob survived – but with life-changing injuries.
Armed with a fantastic family and RAF colleagues, a stubborn streak a mile wide, and an infectious sense of humour, he is facing that challenge inch by inch.
Rob talks to Dr Sian Williams about adapting to a new normal and still holding firm to the values and character that make him special.
Producer: Tom Alban
WED 09:30 Currently (m002q287)
Inside ARIA
ARIA is the UK government’s bold new bet on science and technology. Its mission? To chase breakthroughs so radical they could spawn trillion-pound industries and reshape everyday life.
The Advanced Research and Invention Agency was created to be fast-moving - exempt from the usual public sector bureaucracy. No slow funding rounds. No rigid procurement rules. Just speed, agility, and a mandate to take risks. It's backed by MPs across the political spectrum - but is it a smart use of public money?
The idea came from Dominic Cummings, inspired by America’s 'DARPA' - the agency behind the internet, GPS, and personal computing. ARIA launched in 2022 and has already sunk millions into 12 audacious programmes: from designing crops with massively synthetic genomes to building robots on entirely new principles, and developing cutting edge neurotechnologies for psychiatric illness.
Evan Davis goes inside ARIA to meet the people steering this high-stakes experiment and explore the frontier science they’ve chosen to back. Can ARIA deliver world-changing innovation - or will it prove an expensive gamble?
Presented by Evan Davis
Produced by Ilan Goodman and Sophie Ormiston
Research by Tabitha Taylor Buck
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002vbx4)
Naomi Parry, Breast reconstruction delays, Passport Bros
Naomi Parry, the costume designer who worked closely with Amy Winehouse to craft her iconic style, has this week been vindicated in a high court judgement. Amy Winehouse's father brought the case against Naomi, and another of Amy’s friends Catriona Gourlay, challenging their right to auction items that had belonged to the late singer. Naomi joins Nuala McGovern in the Woman’s Hour studio to tell us what Monday’s judgement means to her.
Women have never walked on the Moon until now - at least not for real - but in the living rooms of East Belfast artist, Deby McKnight has made it her mission to get 100 women to take a moonwalk, recreating Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's historic steps in 1969. Using nothing more than imagination, moon boots and a small piece of the moon itself. We hear from Deby and Aislinn Duffield, who has taken part in her project.
At the height of the Covid pandemic, hundreds of women undergoing treatment for breast cancer had mastectomies without reconstruction - procedures that would usually happen at the same time, but were paused because they were considered non-essential. Many women were told they would be able to have reconstructive surgery once the restrictions lifted. But five years on, some are still waiting: living with pain and discomfort, and unable to move on with their lives. Joining Nuala are journalist Rosie Taylor, who has been speaking to the women affected, and Alison from Stockport.
'Passport Bros' is the name given to Western men travelling to countries like Vietnam, searching for what they call "good women" who hold traditional values. A new edition of The Economist’s Weekend Intelligence Podcast has been exploring the phenomenon - what’s attracting these men to relationships abroad and what’s pushing them away from dating in the UK or USA. Reporter Carla Subirana explains more.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Kirsty Starkey
WED 11:00 Today (m002v9dy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
WED 11:45 Self-Help from the Middle Ages by Peter Jones (m002vbx6)
Anger
Historian Peter Jones explores how the Middle Ages understood the Seven Deadly Sins not as a list of vices, but as a map of the mind — a practical guide to living well.
In the depths of Siberian winter, Peter Jones explores the medieval condition or Ira – or as we know it today – Anger.
Read by Joseph Arkley
Written by Peter Jones
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Producer: Lu Kemp
Peter Jones is a writer and historian who first fell under the spell of the Middle Ages at the age of 9, while visiting the National Portrait Gallery in London. Over his career he has taught at the University of Toronto, University College London, and Complutense University of Madrid. Peter spent several years working at the School of Advanced Studies in Tyumen, Siberia, and his experiences there — especially the class he taught on the Seven Deadly Sins — inspired this book.
WED 12:00 News Summary (m002vbx8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002vbxb)
Anatomy of a Romance Scam
UK victims of romance fraud lost more than £100m last year - and the crime is growing.
Turbo-charged by AI, the attacks are becoming ever more sophisticated and elaborate.
A listener got in touch when her mother was in the grip of criminals, who were using false identities and AI fakes to back up their stories.
They tell us first-hand what it's like to be a victim - and we'll hear the moment the daughter confronted the man who was stealing her mother's life savings.
Also on the programme - as food gets more expensive, own-brand products are getting more popular. For the first time, supermarket own‑brands now make up half of all grocery items sold across Europe’s biggest markets.
And we'll hear what the UK's advertising watchdog has decided about bogus expert review sites following a You and Yours investigation.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
WED 12:57 Weather (m002vbxd)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m002vbxg)
How safe is the prime minister's job?
The opposition renews calls for Keir Starmer to resign over the fallout from the appointment of Lord Mandelson. A former senior civil servant and the Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party share their frustrations. Plus, Iran seizes two ships and attacks a third in the Strait of Hormuz. After President Trump extended it indefinitely, can the fragile ceasefire hold?
WED 13:45 Last Word: Doing Death Differently (m002vbxj)
Lay this body down
Matthew Bannister is marking twenty years of Radio 4’s Last Word by looking at how our attitudes to death, dying and the way we memorialise our dead have changed. In this episode, as our society becomes more secular, more people feel like they want to do death their own way. That’s leading to a range of new options for disposing of dead bodies, which has been accelerated by the fact that traditional burial sites – church yards – are reaching capacity. Matthew walks around the first natural burial ground in the UK where his parents-in-law are buried, hears how some crematoriums are adjusting their premises to accommodate the needs of our changing society, looks at the rise of direct cremation and visits the only facility in Europe which offers water cremation.
Presenter: Matthew Bannister
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Production coordinator: Jesse Edwards
Studio mixer: Dyfan Rose
Editor: Glyn Tansley
WED 14:00 The Archers (m002v9dt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002vbxl)
Follow the Money
In 1976, America was still reeling from the Watergate scandal. President Nixon had resigned and public faith in its politicians had been shaken to its core. Into this febrile climate arrived All the President’s Men, a film that would become one of the most celebrated American movies of the 20th century.
But this is not the story as told on screen, it’s the story behind it.
In 1972, as reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s investigation gripped the nation, Robert Redford secured the film rights. He persuaded his friend, Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman, to adapt the book while the scandal was still unfolding. But what began as an exciting collaboration soon became a creative battleground.
While Goldman agonised over structure and clarity with the sprawling investigation material, the journalists argued for accuracy and Redford pushed for urgency. As production intensified, Goldman felt less like an artist and more like a machine, churning out draft after draft to satisfy competing visions until he eventually left the project. The film went on to critical acclaim with Goldman winning another Oscar for his work. But the cost was personal, with his friendship with Redford becoming collateral damage.
50 years on, Follow the Money revisits the creation of a landmark film and the price paid for turning history into art. It’s a drama about power, authorship and Hollywood, a reminder that success is sometimes measured in broken friendships as much as awards.
Written by Ayad Andrews
William Goldman: James Purefoy
Robert Redford: Rupert Evans
Bob Woodward: Tom Brittney
Carl Bernstein: Kevin Bishop
Alan J. Pakula: Matt Addis
Ilene Jones: Lorelei King
Sound Designer: Jon Calver
Producer: Liz Anstee
A CPL production for BBC Radio 4
WED 15:00 Money Box (m002vbxn)
Money Box Live: Your Summer Holidays
Are you worried about whether the global disruption could affect your global travel plans? Whether you've booked a foreign trip, are planning a staycation or simply unsure of what to do, this is the programme for you.
Holidays may not be the most important thing in the world, especially when you consider what's happening in Iran that's causing all the uncertainty, but that doesn't mean they don't matter and they are definitely a big expense.
Maybe you're wondering if a jet fuel shortage could ground your flights or don't really know if you have the right insurance cover. With the inflation rate rising, perhaps you’re worried about the pressure on your holiday budget.
Felicity Hannah is joined by Emma Brennan from ABTA, the trade association for travel agents and tour operators, and Lisa Minot, head of travel at the Sun newspaper to answer your questions.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: James Graham
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sarah Wadeson
(First broadcast
3pm Wednesday 22nd April 2026)
WED 15:30 Lab Rats (m0028syj)
The history of science is full of brilliant inventions, fantastic theories, and world-changing discoveries.
But behind every great discovery, there's an experiment or two.
Science broadcaster Caroline Steel assembles a hit-squad of Lab Rats to recreate one of the most significant experiments in the history of science. One that took three generations of Italian physicists to get right, and which fundamentally changed the way we think about our world. With the help of chemist (and token Italian) Andrea Sella, meteorologist Dr Stephen Burt, and science ignoramus (and comedian) Catherine Bohart, the team will recreate the problems of the past, and explore the fascinating ways they were - after 30 years of trial and error - solved. It'll take a lot of water, several metres of plastic tubing, three flights of stairs, and a whole load of pressure.
With thanks to the Royal Institution, who let us use their labs (and their staircase!)
Presented by Caroline Steel. Produced by Emily Knight.
WED 16:00 The Bottom Line (p0l7c3pq)
The Decisions That Made Me: Richard Farleigh (Dragon’s Den, entrepreneur)
Richard Farleigh grew up poverty-stricken in outback Australia as one of eleven children. When he was an infant, he was taken into care and spent most of his childhood in a foster home. A love of puzzles, a determination to prove himself, and some teachers who believed in his abilities, helped him gain a scholarship to university. From there he became a successful investment fund manager, eventually retiring at 34 to become an entrepreneur, and later an angel investor. The former dragon talks to Evan Davis about his new book Humble Stumbles, and how some of his early entrepreneurial decisions didn’t work out quite as well as he’d hoped.
Production team:
Producers: Eleanor Harrison-Dengate, Georgiana Tudor
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: John Scott
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
(Photo credit: Visual Marvels)
WED 16:15 The Media Show (m002vbxq)
The future of teleshopping, Hungary's media post Orban defeat, Danny Robins from Uncanny, Mandelson vetting row scoop
Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall on some of the week's biggest media stories:
QVC is restructuring its business in the US while remaining popular in the UK, with analysis from Katie Linsell, UK retail reporter at Bloomberg News, alongside Rob Locke, presenter for ITV’s ShopOnTV, and consumer expert Kate Hardcastle, author of The Science of Shopping.
We also examine the Guardian investigation into the vetting of Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK Ambassador to Washington, with Paul Lewis, Head of Investigations at the Guardian, discussing national security, leaks and public trust.
AsHungary elects a new prime minister after sixteen years of Viktor Orbán, we ask what the change could mean for press freedom, with Professor Amrit Singh of NYU School of Law and Hungarian political journalist Iván Nagy.
Plus, Danny Robins, creator of Uncanny, joins us live to talk about turning a Radio 4 podcast into a television series, live stage show and fan phenomenon.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
WED 17:00 PM (m002vbxs)
Full coverage of the day's news
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002vbxv)
Iran says it's seized two cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they've seized two vessels as the country continues to impose restrictions on shipping in and around the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway. Also: Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed that Downing Street did ask about a diplomatic job for his former communications director. And scientists find that monkeys given sweet treats by tourists are eating soil to ease their upset stomachs.
WED 18:30 Stand-Up Specials (m002vbxx)
Matt Hutchinson: Are You Really the Doctor?
The public lost their minds when a Black Dr Who was announced. If they can't handle a make believe, time travelling alien being black, they probably feel the same about brain surgeons.
Matt Hutchinson is a stand-up comic who also happens to be a hospital doctor. He specialises in rheumatology, general internal medicine and making people laugh. This, coupled with his Jamaican/White British heritage are the basis of his show Are You Really the Doctor?
We may be familiar with stories of the NHS struggling through long hours and making difficult decisions, while trying to help people when life has dealt them the worst. Doing this while black is akin to running a marathon with a stone in your shoe, cheered on by a crowd who hope you’re heading back to where you came from, while worrying the police will stop you for speeding.
Alongside his comedy, Matt is a writer, NHS doctor and medical researcher - his recently completed PhD is in molecular virology and immunology at UCL/the Francis Crick Institute.
Written by Matt Hutchinson
Additional Material: Dec Munro
Recording Engineer: David Thomas
Producer: Steve Doherty
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4
WED 19:00 The Archers (m002vbxz)
After making a joke to Alice in front of Rex, about him being drunk on Sunday, Chelsea heads off to cut a bride’s hair. Rex then apologises to Alice for the umpteenth time for turning up drunk, inviting her to dinner to make it up to her. However, when Alice arranges with Chris to babysit Martha, Chris asks if she thinks he enabled her drinking. Alice assures Chris she’s never thought that. Chris doesn’t want her to be angry with Rex for inadvertently suggesting otherwise. Later though, Alice confronts Rex about it. Without Chris she might never have stopped drinking. And she doesn’t want Rex discussing her issues behind her back. Rex apologises for being over-protective of her. Alice just wants him to be there for her – and to apologise to Chris.
The bride is Sophe, who fills Chelsea in on her previous big wedding and the cut-price version she’s having this time. She describes meeting her fiancé, Mr D, telling Chelsea he’s useless, but kind and soft-hearted. When he arrives it turns out Mr D is Den, Chelsea’s dad. Sophe is offended that Den never mentioned her when he met Chelsea at New Year, calling into question if she really knows who Den is. But Sophe still wants to go ahead with the wedding. Later, Den apologises to Chelsea for not telling her about Sophe and getting married. But he does want Chelsea and Brad to be a part of his new family. Sophe then cajoles Den into inviting Chelsea to the ceremony, and she can’t say no.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m002vby1)
Michael Jackson biopic controversy
A new biopic chronicles one of the 20th century’s biggest and most controversial music icons, but appears not to paint the whole picture about his life. We discuss Antoine Fuqua's Michael, which stars the pop legend Michael Jackson's nephew Jaafar in the lead role.
Stand and Deliver is a National Theatre of Scotland production which tells the story of a legendary industrial dispute. In 1981, workers at a Lee Jeans factory in Greenock, barricaded themselves inside for seven months in a protest against the proposed closure of the factory and the loss of 240 jobs. We hear from the play's writer, Frances Poet, and journalist Paul English, whose writing about the women's stories inspired the production.
Director Mark Jenkin tells us about his unique approach to filmmaking, using a clockwork camera and recording sound months after the initial shoot, and about his latest film Rose of Nevada, a mysterious tale of a long-lost fishing boat which returns to a Cornish port decades after disappearing, which stars Callum Turner and George Mackay.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan
WED 20:00 AntiSocial (m002v05c)
Super skinny celebs
Should we call out celebrities we deem too thin, or just leave them alone? That’s the debate prompted by an apparent shift among A-list stars - mostly women - to lose weight. Some people say it’s a worrying trend, fuelled by weight loss drugs, that’s damaging women’s views of their bodies. Others say it’s none of our business what these celebs look like, and that they are the product of a culture that still prizes thinness.
We hear about some of the most prominent celebs to hit the headlines recently, find out what 'body positivity' really means, and explore how some in this debate are linking body shapes to politics.
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Production team: Simon Tulett, Annabel Deas and Ellie House
Studio manager: Andrew Mills
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Vadon
WED 20:45 Human Intelligence (m00274sl)
Series 1
Collectors: Sei Shōnagon
Naomi Alderman wonders at lady-in-waiting, writer and all-round entertainer Sei Shōnagon, who wrote The Pillow Book over a thousand years ago in the Japanese imperial court.
The Empress and her entourage lived in a closed world, glimpsed through half-shut blinds, while political machinations went on all around them. Poetry and wit were highly prized; and Sei Shōnagon was unmatched. In dark times, she picked out the beauty and absurdity in everyday life; and pulled together poetry, anecdote, essays and lists to create a whole new genre in Japanese – miscellany.
Special thanks to Naomi Fukumori, Associate Professor and Director of The Institute for Japanese Studies at The Ohio State University.
Excerpts from The Pillow Book translated by Meredith McKinney (Penguin Classics 2006).
Produced by BBC Studios Audio in partnership with The Open University.
WED 21:00 The Life Scientific (m002v9cr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 Through Persian Eyes (b01kjs1j)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 on Tuesday]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002vby4)
Labour MPs share frustration with embattled Starmer
The Prime Minister is facing hostile briefings from his Labour colleagues after he faced Prime Minister's Questions amid the ongoing scandal over Peter Mandelson’s appointment as Ambassador to the US. We hear from one backbench loyalist and ask how deep the discontent within the Parliamentary Labour Party is.
Also on the programme: Donald Trump says he won't put a timetable on his ceasefire extension, we examine his claim that Iran's leadership is fractured.
And as Leicester City drop to the third tier of English football, we discuss the team’s ups and downs with long time fan of the Foxes, the novelist Julian Barnes.
WED 22:45 Few and Far Between by Jan Carson (m002vby6)
Episode 8
The stunning new novel from the winner of the EU Prize for Literature, a magically surreal story about history, identity and redemption. Read by Tara Lynne O’Neill (‘Derry Girls.’)
It’s summer 2017 and the last few residents of the Lough Neagh Archipelago, nicknamed the Ark, are facing imminent eviction. The flood planned to combat a devastating algae outbreak will submerge their homes, forcing them back to the Mainland for the first time in fifty years.
Rosemary, Robert-John and Marion Connolly came to the islands as children in the 1970s following their mercurial father RJ; an anthropologist studying the unique society that had developed there. For many, the Neagh Archipelago represented a utopia, a chance to be free of the prejudices and history of Troubles era Northern Ireland. But perhaps this utopia wasn’t all that it seemed.
The four main islands on the Far Side of the Ark are: Tom’s Hard, a ‘popular’ suicide spot; Middle Flat, where the centre for traumatized comatose individuals – commonly known as Sleepers – is based; Church Flat, a kind of limbo populated by the mute ghostly presence of locals hovering between life and death; and Eglish Flat, an illegal dumping ground which appears to consume whatever is deposited there.
Marion and Robert-John have grown accustomed to their haunted existence on the Ark as caretakers of the mysterious islands. How will they cope with a new life on the Mainland? Is it possible to leave the past behind? And will the Ark ever let them go...
Author
Jan Carson is a writer based in Belfast. She has published three novels, three short story collections and two micro-fiction collections. Her novel ‘The Fire Starters’ won the EU Prize for Literature for Ireland 2019 and her subsequent novel ‘The Raptures’ was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Novel of the Year and Kerry Group Novel of the Year in 2022. She is the Seamus Heaney Centre Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast 2025 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Reader: Tara Lynne O’Neill
Writer: Jan Carson
Abridger: Katrin Williams
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:00 Brian & Roger (m002vby8)
4. Old Habits
A new series of the hit podcast specially recorded for Radio 4.
Brian’s undergoing a period of reflection, but a discovery at the student digs has him teetering on the brink of revisiting past demons. Can Roger step in and help save Brian from himself?
Brian & Roger are friends that met at a support group for divorced men.
Both are starting again, both are finding it hard.
One of them is nice.
Written and performed by Harry Peacock and Dan Skinner.
Produced by Joel Morris and Sally Harrison.
Music by Bach, arranged by Hywel Davies.
Hywel Davies (piano), Luke Belcher (bass), Tilly Tremayne (vocals).
Executive Producer: Johnny Vegas
A Woolyback production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:15 The Skewer (m002vbyb)
Series 16
1. The Incredible Starmer. (You wouldn't like him when he's angry)
Cogs in the War Machine, Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Mandelson, and The Incredible Starmer. (You wouldn't like him when he's angry.)
The multi-award-winning satire is back for a new run as Jon Holmes mashes up the news with pop-culture to create a current affairs comedy concept album.
Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002vbyf)
Mandelson vetting row at PMQs.
THURSDAY 23 APRIL 2026
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002vbyh)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 00:30 Self-Help from the Middle Ages by Peter Jones (m002vbx6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002vbyk)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002vbym)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:00 News Summary (m002vbyp)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002vbyr)
Sean Curran reports on Prime Minister's Questions as MPs continue to challenge Sir Keir Starmer over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to Washington.
THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002vbyt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002vbyw)
Hamlet’s philosophy
Good morning.
It’s the day we traditionally designate as Shakespeare’s birthday. I was teaching Hamlet recently and reflected again on the line “there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so”. You can see why the idea appeals momentarily to Hamlet, feeling powerless and surrounded by people whom he knows to be acting wrongly – but it’s not a position that the Prince, or the play, can really sustain. There is good and bad in Elsinore, and Hamlet will need to confront it.
People occasionally ask whether the Quaker way is a “pick and mix” religion. Certainly we share a practice rather than an orthodoxy. At my local meeting we had an extraordinary sharing lunch recently where we heard an amazing diversity of spiritual experiences and language. Friends who grew up in the Anglican church, those who draw on wisdom traditions from across faiths, friends who describe themselves as atheist, and friends who use the language of their Muslim faith, each described what they find of God in the precious community which meets to worship in silence on a Sunday morning – why it matters to them that we journey together.
This diversity doesn’t mean that anything goes. Our testimonies of truth, equality, simplicity and peace guide our discernment, and we test our spiritual leadings among the community of friends. Hamlet’s more persuasive observation is that “there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”.
May I try not to limit myself to the language I already know. May I respond to the promptings of truth in my heart, and check that my words arise from love and light.
Thank you, friends.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002vbyy)
23/04/26 Fertiliser, fossil fuels, recycling farm plastics.
A new report warns that UK farming's reliance on imported fertiliser and minerals, puts it at risk in times of geopolitical stress. Analysis, published by the National Preparedness Commission, highlights the fragility of global supply chains on which UK agriculture depends.
All week we've been looking at ideas for cutting emissions on the farm. Today we join Stuart Oates, a 7th generation farmer on The Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. He set himself a long term aim: to remove single-use plastics on the farm and end his family’s reliance on fossil fuels. Towards that goal, he’s taken up a Nuffield scholarship, travelling the world to see if the UK can learn from innovations elsewhere, to reduce emissions. We also hear from an organisation which helps farmers recycle their plastic waste.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
THU 06:00 Today (m002vc9k)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m002vc9m)
Indian Indentured Labour
Misha Glenny and guests discuss how, after the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1833, sugar planters recruited workers from India to replace or compete with their formerly enslaved labourers. Over the next 90 years, more than a million people in India travelled under five year contracts of indenture across the empire from Guyana to Trinidad to Mauritius and Fiji and colonies in between. These indentured labourers were to share vivid accounts of deception and abuse, especially in the early decades. From the outset there were critics and opposition gained pace with Gandhi and others in South Africa arguing the system was close to slavery and calling for the Indian government to stop the practice, which was to happen in 1917 with the last shipments of people in the 1920s. Meanwhile, rather than return after their contracts, a section of indentured labourers stayed where they were for their own reasons, negotiating their new identities alongside formerly enslaved people and the planter culture in a new Indian diaspora.
With
Purba Hossain
Lecturer in Modern History at the University of York
Neha Hui
Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Reading
And
Clem Seecharan
Emeritus Professor of History at London Metropolitan University
Produced by Simon Tillotson
Reading list:
Gaiutra Bahadur, Coolie Woman: The Odyssey of Indenture (Hurst and Co., 2013)
Marina Carter, Servants, Sirdars and Settlers: Indians in Mauritius, 1834-1874 (Oxford University Press, 1995)
Marina Carter and Khal Torabully, Coolitude: An Anthology of the Indian Labour Diaspora (Anthem Press, 2002)
Jonathan Connolly, Worthy of Freedom: Indenture and Free Labor in the Era of Emancipation (University of Chicago Press, 2024)
Maria del Pilar Kaladeen and David Dabydeen (eds.), The Other Windrush: Legacies of Indenture in Britain's Caribbean Empire (Pluto Books, 2021)
Neha Hui and Uma S. Kambhampati, ‘Between unfreedoms: The role of caste in decisions to repatriate among indentured workers’ (The Economic History Review 75:2, 2022)
Neha Hui and Uma Kambhampati, ‘The political economy of Indian indentured labor in the nineteenth century (Journal of the History of Economic Thought 47:2, 2025)
Madhavi Kale, Fragments of Empire: Capital, Slavery, and Indian Indentured Labor Migration in the British Caribbean (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998)
Ashutosh Kumar, Coolies of the Empire: Indentured Indians in the Sugar Colonies, 1830–1920 (Cambridge University Press, 2017)
Brij V. Lal, Girmitiyas: The Origins of the Fiji Indians (Fiji Institute of Applied Studies, 2004)
Brij V. Lal, ‘Kunti’s Cry: Indentured Women on Fiji Plantations’ (Indian Economic & Social History Review 22:1, 1985)
Andrea Major, ‘“Hill Coolies”: Indian Indentured Labour and the Colonial Imagination, 1836–38’ (South Asian Studies 33:1, 2017)
Basdeo Mangru, Indenture and Abolition: Sacrifice and Survival on the Guyanese Sugar Plantation (TSAR, 1993)
Kalathmika Natarajan, Coolie Migrants, Indian Diplomacy: Caste, Class and Indenture Abroad, 1914-67 (Oxford University Press, 2026)
Clem Seecharan, 'Tiger in the Stars': The Anatomy of Indian Achievement in British Guiana, 1919-29 (Macmillan, 1997)
Clem Seecharan, Finding Myself: Essays on Race, Politics and Culture (Peepal Tree Press, 2015)
S. Sen, ‘Indentured labour from India in the age of empire’ (Social Scientist, 44:1/2, 2016)
Hugh Tinker, A New System of Slavery: The Export of Indian Labour Overseas, 1830-1920 (Oxford University Press, 1974)
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 (m002vc9p)
The Process Was Followed (with Tim Shipman)
Tim Shipman steps out of a busy week in Westminster to talk Armando through the language of political crises.
Whether "time will tell", or "the matter has been dealt with", we decode what these phrases you will hear from politicians this week really mean. Looking at recent examples, from Brexit to Partygate and beyond, what causes these crises, and how does the communication - and indeed the messenger - make it better or worse?
Armando imagines an inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic, Tim clears things up by making things more complicated, and we also hear his sweary sliding scale of scandal, which will make you yearn for a good old-fashioned omnishambles.
We also look at the local elections, and why every party turns these multi-faceted choices into a 'referendum' on a particular subject.
Got a strong message for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Sound editing: Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator: Asha Osborne-Grinter
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Recorded at the Sound Company
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002vc9r)
Melanie C, Toddler 'skinfluencers', Bryony Gordon
Melanie C has been a household name for the past three decades, since the Spice Girls burst into the charts with Wannabe and went on to become the world’s biggest ever girl group. She says her new solo album Sweat is a chance to bring together all the different aspects of herself, from pop star to superstar DJ, teenage raver to being fit in her 50s. She joins Anita Rani to discuss why she’s bringing the joy on a quest to get people dancing, and the enduring legacy of the Spice Girls.
Concerns are being raised over a lack of safeguards for ‘child influencers’ after an investigation found children as young as two demonstrating skincare routines on TikTok. The Guardian's Consumer Affairs Correspondent Sarah Marsh tells Anita about their research which found that from 8,000 skincare-related posts on the social media platform, there were hundreds featuring children believed to be under 13, and at least 90 featuring children under five. Dermatologists have said children do not need multi-step skincare routines, which could damage their skin and increase anxiety about their appearance.
Writer and newspaper columnist Bryony Gordon joins Anita to talk about her novel People Pleaser, her first work of fiction after writing seven memoirs about her experiences with addiction and mental health and her attempts to combat those.
Maddie Haining, an 18-year-old wheelchair user from Oldham, posted online her experience of being asked to leave a Manchester nightclub for safety reasons. She described feeling embarrassed and infuriated when told that her wheelchair was a safety risk. Maddie joins Anita to explain what happened and we also hear from Dr Shani Dhanda, Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Consultant.
Calli Hauger-Thackery was bronze medalist in the women's half marathon at the 2024 European Athletics Championships, and a member of the gold medal-winning team in the 2024 European Half-Marathon Cup, held at the same time. She represented Great Britain at the 2024 Paris Olympics and England at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She's just returned from the Boston Marathon which took place on Monday, where she completed the marathon whilst 22-weeks pregnant with her first child. She tells Anita about her achievement.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones
THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m002vc9t)
Robert Icke
Theatre director and writer Robert Icke talks to John Wilson about his formative creative influences. Described by Variety magazine as ‘the great hope of British theatre’ and with his radical new versions of classic plays, Icke has built a reputation for revelatory productions. Born in Stockton on Tees in 1986, he made his name in 2015 with an epic new version of the Greek tragedy Oresteia, which he had adapted himself. It won several awards and, at 29, Icke became the youngest ever recipient of the Best Director award at the Olivier Awards. More acclaim followed for his 2017 production of Hamlet, starring Andrew Scott, his adaptation of the Arthur Schnitzler play The Doctor, and his new version of Oedipus which transferred to Broadway in 2025. His latest West End production is Romeo and Juliet, starring Sadie Sink of Stranger Things fame.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
THU 11:45 Self-Help from the Middle Ages by Peter Jones (m002vc9w)
Gluttony
Historian Peter Jones explores how the Middle Ages understood the Seven Deadly Sins not as a list of vices, but as a map of the mind — a practical guide to living well.
In the depths of Siberian winter, Peter Jones explores how medieval writers diagnosed the sin of Gluttony.
Read by Joseph Arkley
Written by Peter Jones
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Producer: Lu Kemp
Peter Jones is a writer and historian who first fell under the spell of the Middle Ages at the age of 9, while visiting the National Portrait Gallery in London. Over his career he has taught at the University of Toronto, University College London, and Complutense University of Madrid. Peter spent several years working at the School of Advanced Studies in Tyumen, Siberia, and his experiences there — especially the class he taught on the Seven Deadly Sins — inspired this book.
THU 12:00 News Summary (m002vc9y)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 Scam Secrets (m002vcb0)
The Booking.com Scam
You've booked a holiday and the hotel gets in touch to ask for a payment to confirm your booking. They know your name and they've got all the details of your reservation. Would you know what to do? In this episode, people using booking.com are targeted by a hard-to-spot scam where official-looking messages arrive, asking for payment. Needless to say, that payment doesn't go to the hotel. But how do the criminals do it? And what chance do you have of spotting it?
Shari Vahl, Dr Lis Carter and Alex Wood find out, with the help of cyber crime expert Rafe Pilling.
Remember you can contact the programme at scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk.
PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002vcb2)
Hair Removal Devices
Can Intense Pulsed Light devices really "zap" away your unwanted hair?
You may have seen IPL devices advertised on social media - that promise painless hair removal using light to "zap" away body hair.
Listener Karen got in touch to ask if these "Zappers" could possibly free her from having to shave her legs in the summer? How are they supposed to work, are they safe to use, and is it worth the investing in one?
To find out, Greg Foot is joined by Dr Gill Westgate, a skin and hair biologist and honorary visiting lecturer at the University of Bradford.
All of our episodes start with YOUR suggestions. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.
RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM
PRODUCERS: KATE HOLDSWORTH AND GREG FOOT
THU 12:57 Weather (m002vcb4)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m002vcb6)
Outrage at Israeli killing of Lebanese journalist
Lebanese president condemns "Israel's deliberate targeting of journalists". Israel says it's investigating. Plus: a senior civil servant faces MPs over the Mandelson affair.
THU 13:45 Last Word: Doing Death Differently (m002vcb8)
The power of things
Matthew Bannister marks twenty years of Radio 4’s Last Word by exploring how our attitudes to death, dying, and the ways we memorialise the dead have changed. In this episode, many will recognise the enormous emotional challenge of clearing a lifetime’s worth of physical possessions when a loved one dies — and now there is the added burden of dealing with their digital legacy too. So how do we decide what to keep and what to let go? Matthew and his wife visit her childhood home in Colchester to reflect on the emotional impact of clearing the house after her parents died. He speaks to artist and grief coach Charlene Lam about her unique approach to choosing what to keep from her mother’s home. The episode also looks at how some people now find themselves locked out of digital photographs and videos when a loved one dies, and the personal items Matthew and his wife chose to keep to remember their parents.
Presenter: Matthew Bannister
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Production coordinator: Jesse Edwards
Studio mixer: Dyfan Rose
Editor: Glyn Tansley
THU 14:00 The Archers (m002vbxz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002vcbb)
King's Pawn
A Ditty Box
Comedy drama series created by Alan Harris and Katherine Chandler.
Meet the King clan: Laura and her grandchildren Sonny and Little Laura. They run Cardiff's oldest pawnbrokers. But now the church have sold off the land under the shop to developers who want to bulldoze the street and replace it with a massive sports themed hotel. If they want to save the family business, the King family will have to come up with a brilliant foolproof plan to stop them. It's like David and Goliath. Sort of.
EPSIODE 2 - A DITTY BOX by Paisley Jackson
CAST
Laura - Lisa Palfrey
Jim - Julian Lewis Jones
Little Laura - Lauren Morais
Sonny - Curtis Kemlo
Malik - Kyle Lima
Bryony - Nia Gandhi
Mandy - Zoe Davis
Lorenzo - Francois Pandolfo
The Cowboy Builder - Oliver Wood
Harvey - Harvey Marshall
Anya - Elinor Coleman
Production Coordinators: Eleri McAuliffe and Lindsay Rees
Sound Design: Catherine Robinson
Producer: John Norton
A BBC Audio Wales Production
THU 15:00 Open Country (m002vcbd)
Welsh Incident in Criccieth
Jon Gower is in Criccieth in Gwynedd, to explore the area’s connection to Robert Graves’s 1929 poem, Welsh Incident.
Robert Graves wrote the poem after inspiration struck on his train travels in the area with his father, after a Welsh policeman aboard told them a story of having recently seeing a mermaid from the sea caves of Criccieth.
Jon Gower, a writer and poet himself, heads to the source to learn more, hearing about how the poem resonates with current local residents like the clerk of Criccieth Town Council, Catrin Jones, who then commissioned Howard Bowcott, a local artist, to make a playful sculptural interpretation of the poem for the town green.
Producer: Eliza Lomas
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002v9jn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Feedback (m002vcbg)
Visualisation, Long Wave, Elis and John Podcast
The BBC has just released a new raft of visualised podcasts - podcasts productions that you can watch as well as listen to. Some are being released on YouTube and some on iPlayer, but all have audio-only versions available on BBC Sounds too. It's part of a strategy to grow listenership beyond the audiences that usually listens to linear radio. But is it where everything is ultimately headed? Andrea Catherwood talks to Jonathan Kanagasooriam, Managing Editor for Podcast Strategy and Video Podcasts at BBC Sounds, about how he's catering for those who like to watch podcasts.
And the closure of long wave has been set for the end of this year - we hear an update from the BBC.
Finally, we hear from two fans of the longrunning Elis James and John Robins podcast, which has a home on BBC 5 Live. It's been on the airwaves for years, but a recent announcement has indicated that the pod is now moving visualised versions of their recordings behind a paywall on Patreon. Longtime listeners Emma and Chris give their take.
Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Pauline Moore
Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4
THU 16:00 The Briefing Room (m002vcbj)
What's the conflict in Iran doing to the world economy?
It’s almost two months since the United States and Israel went to war with Iran. And in spite of a ceasefire the vital Strait of Hormuz through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes on tankers, is still effectively closed. The oil price remains high, affecting economies around the world. The most recent assessment from the International Monetary Fund warned that the war could throw the world economy “off course” and a prolongued conflict risked causing a global recession. David Aaronovitch asks what this means for us now and whether an end to the conflict could re-set the world’s economies or have conditions changed for good?
Guests:
Joseph Stiglitz, American economist and recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and Professor at Columbia University
Duncan Weldon, author and economist
Diana Choyleva, economist and founder of Enodo Economics.
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Caroline Bayley, Sally Abrahams, Kirsteen Knight
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct977h)
Can we prevent the next pandemic?
A phase 3 clinical trial is underway to determine the effectiveness of an mRNA vaccine for H5N1, a strain of influenza that is currently of concern. The virus, which is commonly found in birds across the world and is rarely transmitted to humans. However, when it is transmitted, the disease is often fatal, and scientists fear that if the virus were to mutate, it could lead to rapid, widespread infection. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world are keen to be better prepared for future threats. These latest efforts aim to develop an mRNA vaccine that could be rolled out on an unprecedented scale if the worst were to happen. John Tregoning, author of Infectious: Pathogens and How We Fight Them and Professor of Vaccine Immunology at Imperial College London, joins Tom to explain how these mRNA vaccines could revolutionise preparedness.
In the lead-up to the 100th birthday of the world-famous broadcaster and behavioural ecologist Sir David Attenborough, Inside Science is shining a spotlight on a species of scientific importance that has been named after him. This week, Dr Frankie Dunn describes her discovery of a fossil that we now know to be the earliest animal predator.
And Lizzy Gibney, senior reporter at Nature, shares the latest science news that may have slipped under the radar but is well worth your attention.
Presenter: Tom Whipple
Producer: Harrison Lewis & Katie Tomsett
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
THU 17:00 PM (m002vcbm)
King's visit could 'absolutely' help repair US-UK relations
Donald Trump speaks to the BBC about Iran, Keir Starmer and the King. Our North America editor, Sarah Smith, describes her call with the President. Also on the programme, the EU gives the green light to it's long awaited loan to Ukraine. We'll have an update on the war and hear what difference the money will make. And, as new official guidance says passwords are the past and passkeys are the future, we'll explore the difference.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002vcbp)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 18:30 Stand-Up Specials (m002vcbr)
Geoff Norcott's Working Men's Club S2
S2 E1: A Gambling Man
This week, Geoff looks at gambling. 80% of problem gamblers are men - that's 4/1 on. What is it about gambling that men seem to find so addictive? Is it the thrill of the risk? Is it the hormonal rush?
Geoff gets to the bottom of the issue with the help of his Newcastle audience - with plenty of tension-breaking hypotheticals in case it all gets a bit too heavy, such as: What’s less 'manly' - chicken korma or lager with a weird name like ‘Elvis Juice’?
Written and presented by Geoff Norcott
Translation services by Marcel Lucont
Recorded by Sean Kerwin
Production Manager: Dawn Williams
Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael
Producer: Ed Morrish
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
THU 19:00 The Archers (m002vc4z)
Helen welcomes Miranda to Ambridge after her move yesterday, before Kirsty asks Helen to be with her for a pregnancy test. Kirsty’s spoken to Erik, but not said anything to him about her situation. When the test shows positive Kirsty cries, thoughts of another miscarriage weighing on her, despite Helen’s reassurances. Kirsty hasn’t really made any plans with Erik, but is sure that he’ll do his bit, before swearing joyful Helen to secrecy.
Ian turns up at the Eco Office with lunch for Adam, who chastises himself for continuing to work there as if nothing’s happened. Ian suggests a walk, vowing to support Adam whatever happens. Adam remembers how Brian first taught him to love the land, but now he sees the damage Brian has done and wants to rectify that before passing the land on to Xander. Adam can’t see how that’s going to happen, though. Ian then suggests the radical step of flying out to Hungary and talking to Debbie.
Alice goes to welcome Miranda into her new home, but finds it difficult seeing how much everything has changed. Alice apologises for Brian’s behaviour before Miranda offers a tour of the house. In Kate’s old room Alice reminisces her childhood, then wonders if Brian was overwhelmed by the thought of too many memories. Miranda thinks it’s to do with Ruairi instead, but doesn’t know what’s going on in Brian’s head. She thinks he’s changed since around New Year, and wishes he’d told her before she exchanged contracts. But really Alice should worry about Brian, not her.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m002vcbt)
Review: Half Man, Richard Gadd’s follow up to Baby Reindeer
Critics Larushka Ivan-Zadeh and Ludovic Hunter-Tilney join Tom to review Half Man, Richard Gadd’s follow up to his hit Baby Reindeer.
They also discuss Anne Hathaway as a faded pop star looking to make a comeback in supernatural thriller Mother Mary.
Plus they assess Deborah Levy’s book My Year in Paris With Gertrude Stein: a fiction.
To celebrate Shakespeare's birthday, author and translator Daniel Hahn reveals the challenges of translating the Bard into different languages.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Claire Bartleet
THU 20:00 The Bottom Line (p0l7c3pq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Wednesday]
THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002vbxq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:15 on Wednesday]
THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002v982)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m002vc9p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002vcbw)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
THU 22:45 Few and Far Between by Jan Carson (m002vcby)
Episode 9
The stunning new novel from the winner of the EU Prize for Literature, a magically surreal story about history, identity and redemption. Read by Tara Lynne O’Neill (‘Derry Girls.’)
It’s summer 2017 and the last few residents of the Lough Neagh Archipelago, nicknamed the Ark, are facing imminent eviction. The flood planned to combat a devastating algae outbreak will submerge their homes, forcing them back to the Mainland for the first time in fifty years.
Rosemary, Robert-John and Marion Connolly came to the islands as children in the 1970s following their mercurial father RJ; an anthropologist studying the unique society that had developed there. For many, the Neagh Archipelago represented a utopia, a chance to be free of the prejudices and history of Troubles era Northern Ireland. But perhaps this utopia wasn’t all that it seemed.
The four main islands on the Far Side of the Ark are: Tom’s Hard, a ‘popular’ suicide spot; Middle Flat, where the centre for traumatized comatose individuals – commonly known as Sleepers – is based; Church Flat, a kind of limbo populated by the mute ghostly presence of locals hovering between life and death; and Eglish Flat, an illegal dumping ground which appears to consume whatever is deposited there.
Marion and Robert-John have grown accustomed to their haunted existence on the Ark as caretakers of the mysterious islands. How will they cope with a new life on the Mainland? Is it possible to leave the past behind? And will the Ark ever let them go...
Author
Jan Carson is a writer based in Belfast. She has published three novels, three short story collections and two micro-fiction collections. Her novel ‘The Fire Starters’ won the EU Prize for Literature for Ireland 2019 and her subsequent novel ‘The Raptures’ was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Novel of the Year and Kerry Group Novel of the Year in 2022. She is the Seamus Heaney Centre Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast 2025 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Reader: Tara Lynne O’Neill
Writer: Jan Carson
Abridger: Katrin Williams
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002vcc0)
Taking Responsibility: Are We Thinking About Success and Ambition All Wrong? (Emma Grede)
This week, the entrepreneur Emma Grede challenges ‘old thoughts’ about work-life balance, money, motherhood and success. She argues that focus, trade-offs and relentless effort matter more than comfort. From growing up in East London to building global businesses, she makes the case that opportunity still exists, if you’re willing to chase it. But are her ideas liberating - or just unforgiving?
Emma Grede is the co‑founder of Skims, created with her husband Jens and Kim Kardashian, and the CEO and co‑founder of Good American, a fashion label known for its focus on inclusivity. She also serves on the board of the Obama Foundation and is an ambassador for The King’s Trust.
GET IN TOUCH
* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk
Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday.
Amol Rajan presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was the BBC’s media editor and the editor of The Independent newspaper.
Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers, Anna Budd, Rufus Gray, and Oscar Pearson. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The Senior News Editor is Sam Bonham.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002vcc2)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster as Cabinet Office permanent secretary Cat Little gives evidence to MPs on Lord Mandelson's security vetting.
FRIDAY 24 APRIL 2026
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002vcc4)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 00:30 Self-Help from the Middle Ages by Peter Jones (m002vc9w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002vcc6)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002vcc8)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:00 News Summary (m002vccb)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002vccd)
Susan Hulme reports as MPs question a senior civil servant about the vetting of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002vccg)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002vccj)
Climb the tree
Good morning.
I sometimes slip into feeling a bit jealous that Jesus got to retreat to quiet places. With three small kids and a busy job, the idea of popping up a mountain, to just be in the presence of nature and of God, sounds impossibly luxurious. But perhaps it wasn’t any easier for Jesus. How many people were tugging on his elbow with their “can you just…” requests as he turned away from the crowds? What did he have to say no to, in order to prepare himself for what was coming next? An early Quaker William Penn said that “true silence... is to the spirit what sleep is to the body: nourishment and refreshment”. Not a luxury, but a necessity.
Usually, my only oasis of quiet in the week is my Quaker meeting for worship. But finding “true silence” within the quiet presents its own set of challenges.
I sometimes imagine myself climbing a tree. Each branch reflects something on my to-do list – an issue that needs thinking through, a worry, a situation I need to reflect on, a decision to be made. The temptation is strong to stop and sit on any one of those branches – I can do useful thinking, in my hour’s silence, and probably make some progress towards understanding, or a decision. But that is not why I come to meeting. I come to worship, to sit in the light, to give myself time beyond words, to precipitate complexity. May I find the courage to keep climbing to the top of the tree, to sit in the sun, to listen rather than talk, and to let the light touch my face.
Thank you, friends.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002vccl)
24/04/26: Cover crop scheme proposal, sourcing thatching materials, gene-edited Barley
Whilst the cost of producing a crop is up, particularly the cost of fuel and fertiliser, the price paid for it hasn't risen by anything like as much. If the situation stays the same by the autumn some farmers may decide not to grow loss-making crops, leaving fields lying fallow. There are calls for the Government to fund a one-off a scheme to protect this land from soil erosion by planting cover crops, and these could also reduce the use of fertiliser. The idea comes from the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, the professional body for farm valuers and advisors.
Thatching is becoming more of a challenge due to issues with some of the materials. Supplies of the right sort of wheat straw can be unpredictable. And, Hazel spars used to attach the thatch to the roof now have to be imported from Eastern Europe. To kick start interest in growing more locally a ‘summit’ of thatchers, farmers and plant scientists was held this week in Suffolk.
We visit a field trial of a gene edited Barley which contains higher levels of fat. Scientists believe this will make it a more efficient livestock feed, and could also reduce methane emissions by making it more digestible.
Presenter: Charlotte Smith
Producer: Sarah Swadling
FRI 06:00 Today (m002vc41)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
Please note: An item in this Today mistakenly referred to a rape case in Bournemouth. This was incorrect. The case was in Brighton: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg090pe65vo
FRI 09:00 The Reunion (m002v9kf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Sunday]
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002vc46)
Sophie Raworth, Maternity deaths, Sarah Finch, Stalking
According to NHS England, every maternity service in England will need to meet new clinical standards set out by the NHS to significantly reduce the number of women who die each year during or after pregnancy. This comes after figures published earlier this year showed a 20% increase in maternal deaths between 2022 to 2024 compared to rates from 2009 to 2011. More than 500,000 babies are born in England every year and to discuss what these announcements mean in practise for pregnant women, Anita Rani is joined by Michael Buchanan, BBC Social Affairs correspondent.
At the age of nearly 40, BBC broadcaster Sophie Raworth thought she was too old to start running. She’d done no exercise for decades. But after being invited to take part in The Great North Run and then seeing a friend do the London Marathon, Sophie decided to give it a go. Although it didn’t quite initially go to plan, she kept going on a path that would take her around the world, from Sydney to New York and the Sahara Desert, completing 20 marathons and 10 ultra-marathons. She tells Anita about her new book, Running On Air, and reveals how in running, she has discovered an unexpected strength, new confidence and great friendships.
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust has published a report spotlighting the link between stalking and homicide to mark National Stalking Awareness week. They say there are huge gaps in recording stalking as a contributing factor to homicide and want to see further research on this. Anita is joined by Saskia Garner, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, and Detective Inspector Karen Butler from the Metropolitan Police, who works in the Stalking Threat Assessment Centre.
On Monday, Sarah Finch became the European recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize, for her work against oil drilling in Surrey, with the Weald Action Group. Their long legal battle led to a landmark judgement on fossil fuel emissions. The Goldman Prize, often referred to as the ‘Green Nobel’, honours grassroots environmental activists from around the world. For the first time since its inception, all six prizes were won by women. Sarah joins Anita from California where the awards took place.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Andrea Kidd
FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002vf5v)
A Life Through Food: Matt Tebbutt
Jaega Wise meets chef and broadcaster Matt Tebbutt at home in South Wales, to discuss his "Life Through Food". Matt has been presenting Saturday Kitchen Life on BBC One for almost a decade, but before he was a TV Presenter he worked as a chef - first in professional kitchens in London (he was in fact sacked by Marco Pierre White) and later ran his own gastropub in south Wales. It was his cooking there at The Foxhunter - which he ran with his wife Lisa - that first got him noticed by the media, and an appearance on the second ever series of the Great British Menu.
To discover what life is like on set for Matt, Jaega also pays a visit to the studios of Saturday Kitchen Live as they are rehearsing, to see how the live cooking show is put together week after week. She meets the team in the backstage "engine room" - the test kitchen - and discovers what they mean when they talk about "heroes", and finds out what happens at
11.30am after the cameras get turned off.
Plus she chats to wine expert Olly Smith about Matt's career and the friendship they've developed while working in food tv.
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan
FRI 11:45 Self-Help from the Middle Ages by Peter Jones (m002vc4k)
Lust
Historian Peter Jones explores how the Middle Ages understood the Seven Deadly Sins not as a list of vices, but as a map of the mind — a practical guide to living well.
Spring is starting to emerge in Siberia as historian Peter Jones explores the sin of Luxuria - or as we think of it today, Lust.
Read by Joseph Arkley
Written by Peter Jones
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Producer: Lu Kemp
Peter Jones is a writer and historian who first fell under the spell of the Middle Ages at the age of 9, while visiting the National Portrait Gallery in London. Over his career he has taught at the University of Toronto, University College London, and Complutense University of Madrid. Peter spent several years working at the School of Advanced Studies in Tyumen, Siberia, and his experiences there — especially the class he taught on the Seven Deadly Sins — inspired this book.
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002vc4n)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 AntiSocial (m002vc4q)
Is the UK a Christian country?
A report by a Christian charity, suggesting a surge in churchgoing is withdrawn due to faulty data, but some Christians in the UK still believe in the finding that there is a 'quiet revival'. Others point to recent data showing the steep decline in Christianity. We get into the story of the report and ask whether data and our institutions can tell us just how Christian the UK really is.
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Production team: Annabel Deas, Simon Tulett and Ellie House
Studio manager: Andrew Mills
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy
FRI 12:57 Weather (m002vc4s)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m002vc4v)
Iranian UN envoy lays out terms for peace.
We speak to the Iranian ambassador to the UN about what might bring the country to the negotiating table, as President Trump says he is in no rush to reach a peace deal. Is the Chair of Marks and Spencer right when he says self-checkouts encourage shoplifting? And we speak to the woman who helped identify the lost romantic letters of John Keats.
FRI 13:45 Last Word: Doing Death Differently (m002vc4x)
Being remembered
Matthew Bannister marks twenty years of Radio 4’s Last Word by exploring how our attitudes to death, dying, and the ways we memorialise those who have died have changed. In this episode, Matthew considers how perhaps the most profound shift in remembrance is being driven by the advance of digital technology into the grieving process. We can now capture so many aspects of a person’s life – in video, photographs and audio – that some believe we can keep them with us forever. But is this a good idea? Six months before she died, Matthew’s wife Shelagh recorded a video reflecting on her life and sharing special memories. Matthew and their son Joe discuss their thoughts on the video and the impact it had on their memories of her. Matthew also speaks to Justin Harrison, the creator of You – Only Virtual, a service that provides virtual personas of those who have died. He also talks to Justin’s mother – who died in 2022.
Presenter: Matthew Bannister
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Production coordinator: Jesse Edwards
Studio mixer: Dyfan Rose
Editor: Glyn Tansley
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002vc4z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m001wnst)
Sabine
Episode 4
Elly’s found a USB drive of Sabine’s secret recordings, meant for Elly’s eyes only. A dangerous side of Sabine’s hidden life is revealed, in the weeks leading up to her death. In this episode, Sabine tells her own story.
When Sabine’s body is found beneath the cliffs in an apparent suicide, her sister Elly is convinced she was murdered. Elly's hunt for the killer takes her deep into the life in Brighton her sister kept secret. Sabine is a new five-part murder mystery by Mark Healy.
CAST
Sabine ..... Freya Mavor
Oakley ..... Rupert Evans
Daniel ..... Ivanno Jeremiah
Becca ..... Rhiannon Neads
Ziggy ..... Ian Dunnett Jr
Rutherford ..... Jessica Turner
Written by Mark Healy
Directed by Anne Isger
Sound by Keith Graham, Ali Craig and Pete Ringrose
Production Co-ordination by Gaelan Davis-Connolly
Sabine is a BBC Audio Production for Radio 4
FRI 14:45 The Hackers (m0012fjh)
Series 1
Phreaks
Biella Coleman explores the earliest hacking subculture - The Phone Phreaks. An entire subculture that learned to manipulate the phone system with plastic whistles and tone generating blue boxes, and played a part in birthing the modern digital world. She talks with Phil Lapsley, author of ‘Exploding the Phone’ and, Belial, a UK hacker who was one of the last generation of traditional phone phreaks, about the joy and the risks of the earliest type of hacking.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002vc51)
The Great Barn: Chillies, Camellias and Consciousness
Peter and Gardeners’ Question Time panel visit the historic Great Barn in Harmondsworth.
Beneath the medieval beams, Peter is joined by Bunny Guinness, Francis Tophill and James Wong as they tackle a wonderfully wide‑ranging set of questions from the audience that are as thought‑provoking as they are informative.
Are plants conscious? Why do camellia buds turn brown and drop? And which plants might humans take to grow on another planet?
Along the way, there’s practical advice on organic ways to keep vine weevils at bay, how to dry lilac flowers, and what to grow in pots in a narrow alleyway with limited light.
Later in the show Chris Beardshaw talks all things pruning - why, when and how.
Producer: Dan Cocker
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 (m002vc53)
A Timeshare in the Heart by Michael Pedersen
A tale of wonder, heartbreak and tenderness during one boy's trip to the Scottish seaside.
Original short story by Michael Pedersen.
Read by Russell Tovey.
Michael Pedersen is a prize-winning Scottish poet and author. He is the current Edinburgh Makar and a former Writer in Residence at The University of Edinburgh. His prose debut 'Boy Friends,' published in 2022, was a Sunday Times Critics Choice and shortlisted for Best Non-Fiction at the Saltire Scottish National Book Awards.
His debut novel 'Muckle Flugga' is a surreal, lyrical story of a lighthouse keeper and his son, whose lives on a remote Scottish island are turned upside down by a visitor from the mainland. It was shortlisted for the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year 2025 and longlisted for the 2026 Author's Club Best First Novel Award.
Producer: Hayley Jarvis
A BBC Audio Scotland production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2026.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002vc55)
Andy Kershaw, Dame Averil Cameron, Dr Judith Rapoport, Desmond Morris
Matthew Bannister on
Andy Kershaw, the radio DJ who championed world music, traversing the globe to bring new and eclectic sounds to a mainstream audience. For a time he was roadie to Billy Bragg who recalls their life on the road together.
Dame Averil Cameron, the leading historian who re-shaped our understanding of the Byzantine empire. Her friend, Professor Mary Beard, pays tribute.
Dr Judith Rapoport, the child psychiatrist who challenged received wisdom about obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD.
And the zoologist, author, artist and TV presenter Desmond Morris, best known for his provocative 1967 bestselling book The Naked Ape.
Producer: Catherine Powell
Assisstant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Andrea Kennedy
Archive
Michael Parkinson, BBC 1, 06/10/69; Michael Parkinson, BBC 1, 07/11/81; The Evolution of The Naked Ape: Archive on 4, BBC Radio 4 18/04/2026; The Likely Lads, BBC 2; The Time of Your Life, BBC 1, 06/08/85; Timewatch: Verdict on the Shroud, BBC 2, 27/07/88; Andy Kershaw Show, BBC Radio 1, 11/05/90; Andy Kershaw Show, BBC Radio 1, 24/09/95; Andy Kershaw Show, BBC Radio 1, 16/03/98; The Hermit Kingdom (North Korea), BBC Radio 3, 28/12/03; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 08/10/04; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 11/03/07; Judith Rapoport on Dimensional Research in Mental Illness, YouTube, 25/06/13; "Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia" With Judith Rapoport, M.D., YouTube, 12/09/13; A History of the World in 100 Objects : The Rise of World Faiths (200 - 600 AD) : Hinton St Mary Mosaic, BBC Radio 4, 11/03/21;
FRI 16:30 Life Changing (m002vbx0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m002vc57)
Time runs out on assisted dying bill
The bill won't become law this parliamentary session. Is this the end of the road? Also on PM, the Government is forced to assert that sovereignty of the Falkland Islands "rests with the UK", after reports the US could review its position on Britain's claim to the territory. A former Foreign Office insider calls for a rethink of the UK's relationship to its overseas territories.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002vc59)
The European anti-fraud office formally opens an investigation into Lord Mandelson's time as trade commissioner
The European anti-fraud office formally opens an investigation into Lord Mandelson's time as trade commissioner. Lord Mandelson has not commented on the allegations but the BBC understands he has denied acting in any criminal manner and was not motivated by financial gain. Also: Downing Street has insisted the sovereignty of the Falklands is "not in question", after documents suggested the US was reviewing its diplomatic position on the islands. And time has run out for the Assisted Dying bill to get through the House of Lords and become law.
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m002vc5c)
Series 120
2. The art of vetting
Some hot topics of conversation this week include the ever evolving Peter Mandelson vetting saga, phones being banned in schools and robots who can take over the world... sorry robots who can take over sports. Helping Andy make sense of it all are Daliso Chaponda, Catherine Bohart, Hugo Rifkind and Ria Lina.
Written by Andy Zaltzman.
With additional material by: Jade Gebbie, Christina Riggs, Henry Whaley and Angela Channell
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinators: Asha Osborne-Grinter & Caroline Barlow
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m002vc5f)
At The Bull, David pumps Chris on how to attract more people to the Borchester Show. Chris mentions online videos of craft skills, then suggests talking to Amber and George, who have great video-making skills and farming knowledge. Brian arrives for Elizabeth’s birthday celebration, before Rex joins Chris and apologises for his remark about Alice’s drinking. Rex admits Alice tore into him, while Chris thinks he was more sensitive to the remark than he should have been. When they argue over who should be cricket captain Alice interrupts – she just wants them to get along.
Adam tells Alice he’s booked a flight to Hungary tomorrow. Alice tells him about Miranda saying she thought Brian’s erratic behaviour was to do with Ruairi. Alice thinks they should convince Brian to see a doctor rather than fly to Hungary, but Adam reckons Brian’s mental state and the farm are all part of the same issue. They agree it’s too big a risk to include Ruairi in their discussions. So, Adam and Debbie will come up with a plan, then they’ll talk it through with Alice and Kate.
Adam calls Brian, who’s not impressed to be told Adam’s disappearing until Tuesday to see a friend who’s having an emergency. Brian harrumphs to David before heading off. Alice intercepts Brian in the car park, then lies that she doesn’t know anything about this friend of Adam’s. For Brian though, it’s confirmation he should never have trusted Adam’s supposed dedication to Home Farm in the first place.
FRI 19:15 Screenshot (m002vc5h)
Nudity
Screenshot lays bare the long, often controversial history of nakedness in film and TV, from shocking and titillating moments, to those that reveal deeper truths about our bodies, vulnerabilities and desires.
Mark speaks to film critic Pamela Hutchinson about the history of nudity throughout film history. They discuss some of cinema's most notable and shocking films as well as how changing attitudes are effecting what we see on screen.
Ellen then speaks to writer and film director Bridgett M. Davis, about her 1996 film, Naked Acts. A film ahead of its time, it explores the nuances of nudity on screen for women, and Black women in particular.
Mark then talks to director Tim Mielants about his existential comedy, Patrick, which takes place in a nudist camp.
Producer: Queenie Qureshi-Wales
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002vc5k)
Poppy Coburn, Richard Fuller MP, James Murray MP, Hannah Spencer MP
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Lymm High School in Cheshire with Poppy Coburn from The Telegraph; the shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Richard Fuller MP; the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, James Murray MP; and Green Party MP Hannah Spencer.
Producer: Paul Martin
Assistant Producer: Jo Dwyer
Production Coordinator: Sam Grist
Lead broadcaster engineer: Carwyn Griffith
Editor: Colin Paterson
FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002vc5m)
April 20th to April 26th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
23rd April 1984 - The virus which causes HIV/AIDS is discovered.
21st April 1509 - Henry VIII accedes to the English throne.
25th April 1859 - The construction of the Suez canal begins.
FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m002vc5p)
Purity
From spiritual cleanliness to purity spirals: Matthew Sweet is joined by guests including David Aaronovitch; Catherine Coldstream, author of Cloistered – My Years as a Nun; Linda Woodhead, Professor of the Sociology of Religion at King's College, University of London; Izabella Scott, author of The Bed Trick; and Louise Brangan, author of The Fallen: The Magdalene Laundries and Ireland’s Legacy of Silence. They’ll be discussing ideas of purity in political ideology, religion, anthropology and the experiences of teenage girls.
Producer Luke Mulhall
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002vc5r)
US could rescind support for British sovereignty in Falklands
An internal Pentagon email has emerged outlining possible options for the United States to punish NATO allies it believes have not supported the war in Iran. The proposals include reassessing Washington's position on Britain's claim to the Falkland Islands. We speak to a Falkland Islander, a former deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and the former head of the Royal Navy.
The daughter of George Robledo, one of the first foreign footballers in the English game, will receive an award to recognise his contribution tomorrow ahead of the FA Cup Semi-Final in Wembley. We speak to her.
And Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the mother of Hersh, describes the agony over her son's abduction and murder after the October 7th attacks on Israel.
FRI 22:45 Few and Far Between by Jan Carson (m002vc5t)
Episode 10
The stunning new novel from the winner of the EU Prize for Literature, a magically surreal story about history, identity and redemption. Read by Tara Lynne O’Neill (‘Derry Girls.’)
It’s summer 2017 and the last few residents of the Lough Neagh Archipelago, nicknamed the Ark, are facing imminent eviction. The flood planned to combat a devastating algae outbreak will submerge their homes, forcing them back to the Mainland for the first time in fifty years.
Rosemary, Robert-John and Marion Connolly came to the islands as children in the 1970s following their mercurial father RJ; an anthropologist studying the unique society that had developed there. For many, the Neagh Archipelago represented a utopia, a chance to be free of the prejudices and history of Troubles era Northern Ireland. But perhaps this utopia wasn’t all that it seemed.
The four main islands on the Far Side of the Ark are: Tom’s Hard, a ‘popular’ suicide spot; Middle Flat, where the centre for traumatized comatose individuals – commonly known as Sleepers – is based; Church Flat, a kind of limbo populated by the mute ghostly presence of locals hovering between life and death; and Eglish Flat, an illegal dumping ground which appears to consume whatever is deposited there.
Marion and Robert-John have grown accustomed to their haunted existence on the Ark as caretakers of the mysterious islands. How will they cope with a new life on the Mainland? Is it possible to leave the past behind? And will the Ark ever let them go...
Author
Jan Carson is a writer based in Belfast. She has published three novels, three short story collections and two micro-fiction collections. Her novel ‘The Fire Starters’ won the EU Prize for Literature for Ireland 2019 and her subsequent novel ‘The Raptures’ was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Novel of the Year and Kerry Group Novel of the Year in 2022. She is the Seamus Heaney Centre Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast 2025 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Reader: Tara Lynne O’Neill
Writer: Jan Carson
Abridger: Katrin Williams
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 23:00 Americast (w3ct8lyz)
Democrats fight back against Trump in Virginia… and win
A small election in Virginia looks set to have a major impact on Donald Trump’s power, and the capacity to derail the rest of the president’s second term in office.
Overnight, voters in Virginia approved a measure to redraw the state’s political map in favour of the Democrats, who now stand to gain as many as four additional seats in November’s midterms. Given Trump’s thin majority in the House of Representatives, that shift could be enough to flip Congress and put Democrats back in control of the nation’s legislature.
The debate around ‘gerrymandering’ began when Donald Trump urged conservatives to push through redistricting in their own states to redraw their own maps in favour of Republicans, sparking retaliation from Democrats in places like California and Utah.
The Democrats argue the Virginia election is about restoring fairness while Republicans have accused the party of acting like hypocrites. Will voters be turned off by the tactics, where does it all end, and which party stands to gain in the midterm elections?
HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast
This episode was made by George Dabby with Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.
US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Radical: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
Top Comment: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001mssm
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002vc5x)
Alicia McCarthy reports on the fall of the assisted dying bill in the House of Lords and asks what's next for campaigners. Also - how MPs work as a pack on high-profile inquiries.