SATURDAY 25 APRIL 2026
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002vc5z)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:30 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.
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002vc61)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002vc63)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SAT 05:30 News Summary (m002vc65)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002vc67)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002vc69)
A round tuit
Good morning,
On my 30th birthday, my sister and brother-in-law gifted me with a very unusual round wooden object about the size of a grapefruit called ‘A Round Tuit’. Apparently this hard to come by gift caught their attention while browsing a gift shop during their family holiday. It is supposed to serve as a reminder for all the times we have found ourselves saying “I’ll do this when I get a round tuit” and should inspire one to be more proactive and productive. At first, I didn’t quite know what to make of it but I gladly accepted the gift and placed it in my room.
I often really struggle with procrastination. Each day can feel so full yet even so I still find myself wasting time doom scrolling or being distracted with meaningless things. At the start of each year I pray that God would give me one word to cling on to that would define the journey ahead.
Stewardship is my word for 2026, and that’s when the revelation dawned on me: I will never get ‘a round tuit’ if I do not see each day as a gift and make a conscious decision to take care of my time, gifts and talents. I see God as the CEO and myself as the manager and one day I will have to stand before Him and give an account of all the specific things He assigned for me to accomplish while here on earth.
I’m sure we can all think of tasks we have been neglecting lately. Today, I pray we can carve out time to finally get a round tuit.
Amen.
SAT 05:45 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.
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002vm6m)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 06:07 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
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002vm6p)
Farming Today This Week 25/04/26 Bird flu vaccine for people, fertiliser, precision-bred barley, thatching.
A new trial is starting this summer, as part 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 the 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.
Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
SAT 06:57 Weather (m002vm6r)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m002vm6t)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002vm6w)
Lesley Nicol, Joseph Coelho, Tari Lang and the Inheritance Tracks of Laura Mvula
On today's programme, Adrian is joined with a poet, an actor and a woman who has been through a military coup in the 1960s.
Joseph Coelho the poet was raised in a tower block in Roehampton. He wrote his way into the role of children’s laureate and fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Lesley Nicol, the actress, grew up in Irlam, Greater Manchester and ended up in Downtown Abbey. Some journey that for Mrs Patmore, the cook who, disappointingly, can’t cook in real life.
And Tari Lang who grew up in Jakarta and has written a coming of age memoir in the middle of the military coup which saw at least half-a-million people lose their lives in Indonesia. Plus the Inheritance Tracks from the singer-songwriter Laura Mvula.
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Assistant Producers: Ribika Moktan and Lowri Morgan
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Andrea Kennedy
SAT 10:00 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
SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002vm5g)
Series 52
Peckham
Jay Rayner and the panel are at Theatre Peckham in South London discussing melons, Nigerian barbecues and one-pan veggie meals.
Joining Jay to answer an array of kitchen questions are are chefs, cooks and food writers, Melissa Thompson, Shelina Permalloo, Lerato and Jeremy Pang.
Situated a stone's throw from Peckham's Melon Road, the panel discuss the wonders of Chinese savoury melons and their top melon-based dishes. While Melissa teaches the do's and don'ts of dry rub seasonings, the panel share their most exciting recipes involving potatoes and disclose what they would deem their own 'happy meal'.
Later on, Jay chats to local restaurateur and chef, Kolawole Ajayi, of Suyaar restaurant on Rye Lane, to discuss the traditional methods of making and preparing Nigerian suya beef.
Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
Assistant Producer: William Norton
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002vm6y)
George Parker analyses the latest developments at Westminster.
To discuss the ongoing row over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador, and what it means for the Prime Minister's authority, George is joined by Labour MP, Preet Gill, and former Conservative Attorney General, Dominic Grieve.
This week the Assisted Dying Bill was finally laid to rest after it ran out of time in the House of Lords. To discuss whether the legislative campaign is over George speaks to one of the Bill's supporters, Green MP Ellie Chowns, and Ruth Fox, director of the Hansard Society.
The Commons and Lords were engaged in some parliamentary ping pong this week on the issue of banning social media for under 16s. Former Conservative Schools Minister, Lord Nash, debates with Labour MP, Helen Hayes, chair of the Education Select Committee.
And, as the Government announces that its new complaints system for upholding free speech in universities will come in to force later this year, George brings together former Conservative Cabinet minister, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, and Professor Alison Scott-Baumann of SOAS University of London.
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002vm70)
Iran War: Pakistan the peace broker
Kate Adie introduces dispatches from Pakistan, the Turkey-Iran border, Kenya, Ukraine, and Paraguay.
Why was Pakistan chosen as the host of peace talks between the US and Iran? It's a question some in Islamabad have been asking themselves - and has fired-up a sense of national pride. Caroline Davies has watched on as the country gets ready for another round of negotiations.
When the war in Iran began, there was a sense of jubilation among some Iranians, who had long-dreamed of the regime falling. Now that seems like a distant reality, and the mood is changing. BBC Persian's Omid Montazeri has been on the Turkey-Iran border, where he has found attitudes towards the war are shifting.
This weekend marks the 40th anniversary of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, which remains the world's worst nuclear accident. Jordan Dunbar visited the city of Slavutych in Northern Ukraine, which was purpose built to rehouse workers evacuated from the power plant city of Pripyat - and recounts his search for a DJ legend of the 1980s.
In northern Kenya farmers and their families are suffering the effects of consecutive seasons of low rainfall. A new report estimates around 400,000 people are experiencing acute levels of hunger. Sammy Awami reports from Turkana, one of the worst affected areas.
And the semi-arid lowlands of the Gran Chaco span an area of around 280 thousand miles across South America - more than half of that is in Argentina, a third in Paraguay and the remainder in Bolivia. It’s the region’s second-largest forest ecosystem after the Amazon – and is also home to a wide range of animal, bird and plant species - as Sara Wheeler discovered.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison and Sophie Hill
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002vm72)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002vm74)
Renters Rights, Energy Fixing and the £5k Typo
In just a few days time the biggest shake up to renters rights in a generation will come into force in England. It will mean no more than one rent increase a year, an end to bidding wars an end to no fault evictions. The Renters' Rights Act will significantly change the current system not just for 11 million private renters in England but also their 2.3 million landlords. How will it work in practice?
There's a call for urgent reform of recently introduced fraud regulations to better protect victims of push payment scams - when people are tricked, groomed or manipulated into transferring money to criminals. National Trading Standards says a 13 month time limit on how long people have to tell their banks they've been scammed means some victims aren't being refunded because it often takes much longer than that before they even realise their money's been stolen. The Payment Systems Regulator, which introduced the rules, says they provide a minimum standard for banks to meet. UK Finance says only a small number of cases ever fall outside the 13 month deadline and victims can always complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
We'll ask if you should fix your energy bill now.
And, how a disabled man lost £5,000 he'd raised for a new wheelchair after paying it into the wrong bank account.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Niamh McDermott
Researcher: Jo Krasner
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson
(First broadcast
12pm on Saturday 25th April 2026)
SAT 12:30 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.
SAT 12:57 Weather (m002vm76)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News (m002vm78)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 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
SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002vm7b)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?
SAT 14:45 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.
SAT 15:00 Spotlight (m002vm7d)
The Madness of George III
When a leader loses the plot, how should those around him respond? Elliot Levey, Emma Fielding and Reece Shearsmith star in Alan Bennett’s sparkling tragi-comedy about George III's mental incapacitation and the Regency crisis of 1788-9.
Adapted and directed for radio by Emma Harding
The King.....Elliot Levey
The Queen.....Emma Fielding
The Prince of Wales....Joseph Arkley
Willis.....Reece Shearsmith
Pitt.....Matthew Needham
Fitzroy/Sheridan.....Damien Molony
Fox.....Enyi Okoronkwo
Thurlow.....Sam Dale
Baker.....Neil McCaul
Dundas.....Billy Hartman
Warren.....Simon Armstrong
Lady Pembroke.....Clare Corbett
Papendiek.....Sam Swann
Fortnum.....Matthew Bulgo
Nicholson.....Yasmin Mwanza
Production Co-ordinator.....Lindsay Rees
Sound Design.....Rhys Morris
A BBC Audio Wales production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 16:30 Woman's Hour (m002vm7g)
Weekend Woman's Hour: Melanie C, Breast reconstruction delays, Sarah Finch
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 her latest album, body image, and finding confidence in her 40s and 50s.
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 McGovern are journalist Rosie Taylor, who has been speaking to the women affected, and Alison from Stockport
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 to discuss what the award means to her.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Dianne McGregor
SAT 17:00 PM (m002vm7j)
Full coverage of the day's news
SAT 17:30 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
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002vm7l)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m002vm7n)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002vm7q)
Iran Talks In Limbo
Peace talks in Pakistan to end the US and Israeli war with Iran have been left in limbo, after President Trump said he'd stopped his special envoys from attending the discussions. Earlier, the Iranian delegation flew out of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, having -- they said -- put their position to intermediaries. In other news, a social media influencer who was hit by a car in central London last weekend has died in hospital; and warnings have been issued about the risk of wildfires in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002vm7s)
Cammy Barnes, Chris Forbes, Edith Bowman, Danielle Jam, Alys Williams, Ant Thomaz
Comedian Chris Forbes is better known to many as Duncan AKA the other Murray brother, whose sketches with Judy Murray have tickled the nation. And thankfully they seem to have amused his fictional brothers too.
Danielle Jam will be telling us what's the story in Balamory - she's joined the cast in the new series and is the nepobaby of the island, following in her dad's footsteps as village's latest resident inventor Ava Potts.
From a sunny summer in London, to life as a Benedictine monk, Andrew Meehan's book Hey Man is all about a lifechanging friendship.
The Light House is theatre-maker Alys William's touring play which wraps her experience supporting her suicidal partner in to a tale of love and play. Expect tears, and also a clown nose.
Plus music from Cammy Barnes, whose musical career has taken him from bagpiping around world, to the stage of Britain's Got Talent, and sell-out solo shows. And Louisiana-born Ant Thomaz will be performing a track from his new album Gaia named after and inspired by his daughter.
Presenter: Edith Bowman
Producer: Caitlin Sneddon
SAT 19:00 Profile (m002vm7v)
Kristalina Georgieva
Kristalina Georgieva is not like previous heads of the International Monetary Fund. She grew up behind the Iron Curtain in Bulgaria, which was then part of the Soviet bloc.
Born in Sofia in 1953, her father was a civil engineer and her mother a shopkeeper. Life was tough because her family weren't part of the Communist Party regime. Her father fell ill when Kristalina was young and she was just fifteen when she went to work at the local food market.
She studied economics at the then Karl Marx Higher Economic Institute and then in the late 1980s she headed to London to spend a year at the London School of Economics. Over the last 30 years she's landed top jobs at the World Bank and the European Commission. In 2019, she was appointed managing director of the IMF, becoming the first person from an emerging economy to lead the institution.
In the rare moments when she's not working, friends, colleagues and family paint a picture of a fun-loving woman who likes nothing better than dancing and singing.
Becky Milligan explores Kristalina's life and career.
Contributors
Dessislava Kinova - daughter
Iliyana Tsanova - friend and Chief Risk Officer at the European Commission
Lord Nick Stern - friend and environmental economist
Lord Mark Malloch Brown - friend and former World Bank Vice President
Ivan Krastev - friend and political scientist
Galia Mintcheva - special adviser
Archive
60 Minute interview - CBS
Face the Nation interview - CBS
IMF news conference - UN Audiovisual Library
Georgieva at Fortune MPW summit - Fortune Magazine
Producer: Nathan Gower
Editor: Justine Lang
Sound mix: James Beard
Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
SAT 19:15 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
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002vm7x)
The Last Dance Floor in Chernobyl
The story of a young couple getting married against the backdrop of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Serhiy first laid eyes on Iryna under the swirling lights of the best disco in town. He thought she was beautiful and couldn’t take his eyes off her. He wouldn’t work up the courage to ask Iryna out until a few days later, but once they started dating, Club Edison 2 became a favourite haunt and they looked forward to the weekly discos.
The man behind the decks was DJ Alexander Demidov, a legend on the night life scene, known for his pioneering shows. Club Edison2 quickly became known as the best disco in Ukraine. It was 1986 and DJ Alexander had to have his playlist approved by the Soviet state. Often he would sneakily play banned foreign records that had been illegally smuggled in for a rapturous crowd hungry for anything from the West, from beyond the Iron Curtain, from outside the Soviet Union.
It was risky, but a risk worth taking for this was no ordinary crowd. This was a dance floor full of the brightest and best from across all 15 Republics that made up the Soviet Union. This was a disco for the people of Pripyat, an ‘atom-grad’, or nuclear city, built especially for the scientists and workers at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was one of the best places to live in the Soviet Union: good jobs, full shops, beautiful scenery and great nightlife.
It’s where Serhiy and Iryna planned their future together, in a city that seemed safe. They planned to get married on Saturday 26th April 1986. But the night before the wedding, they felt the ground shake and heard a booming sound. It came from the direction of the nuclear power plant. On the morning of the wedding, as Serhiy went to pick up his best man from the station, he found the streets full of soldiers wearing gas masks and washing the streets down. Rumours swirled that there had been an accident at the Nuclear reactor, but nothing official was said. They called the authorities who told them they must still hold their wedding. As engineers and firefighters battled an unfolding nuclear catastrophe, the city’s residents were told nothing. Iryna and Serhiy married, smiling for photographs, but stumbling during their much practiced waltz, as unease rippled through the room. By the end of the wedding reception, the celebration descended into chaos. Still in her wedding dress, Iryna ended up running barefoot through the streets as evacuation orders spread, leaving behind her home, her possessions, and the city where their love had begun.
The Last Dance Floor in Chernobyl tells the story of Serhiy and Iryna and DJ Alexander and what happens to them after the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the worst nuclear accident the world has ever seen.
Presenter: Jordan Dunbar
Producers: Phoebe Keane, Neal Razzell
Sound design and mix : James Beard
Editor: Justine Lang
Voice over actors; Hanna Komar, Oleksandr Begma, Anatolii Panchenko, Gregory Zhygalov
The guests also feature in What Happened at Chernobyl, Directed by Paul Harris, Assistant Producer Ellie Jacobs, Director of Photography Jack Garland, Executive Producer Vara Szajkowski, Location producer Halyna Yakusko. It’s available to watch on BBC iPlayer
SAT 21:00 Now That's What I Call Mali (m002w821)
Another chance to hear the opening episode of a classic world music series from the broadcaster Andy Kershaw, whose death was announced last week. In 1989, Andy set off on a musical journey to explore the music and culture of the west African country of Mali. He starts in the capital Bamako and goes to the marketplace, railway station, horseraces, wrestling matches and, of course, to meet and hear Malian musicians.
SAT 21:30 Illuminated (m00268v1)
The Horse at the Door
Every year's end, as the days shorten and the nights grow darker, you might be fortunate enough to hear a distinctive knock at your door. Upon opening it, you'll be met with a group of Guisers - men in disguise - here to perform their mystery play, part of the ancient Mumming tradition. There's the Enterer In, Saint George, The Prince of Paradise, The King, The Old Woman, The Quack Doctor, Beelzebub, Little Johnny Jack with his wife on his back, Little Devilly Doubt, The Groom, and The Horse.
And it's the vision of The Horse At The Door that has stayed with Isy since childhood.
Isy hasn’t seen the Guisers for over 30 years, but that horse and the clack of its jaw frightened her so much, she thinks of it often.
In The Horse At The Door, Isy will see if she can come face to face with her fears and see whether that black painted skull still holds the same magic and power. She will speak to local pub owners and residents about The Guisers habit of bursting in, to the folklorist Richard Bradley about the Derbyshire traditions of mumming and guising, to the psychotherapist Jane Watson about why we enjoy being scared, and to The Winster Guisers themselves about the traditions they are keeping alive – and the children they are scaring.
Can Isy finally look that horse in its red bulging eyes?
The Horse At The Door is written and presented by Isy Suttie
The Music is by Jane Watkins and Isy Suttie
The Sound Design is by Jane Watkins
It is produced by Laura Grimshaw
It’s a Mighty Bunny production for BBC Radio 4.
With thanks to The Winster Guisers, Richard Bradley, Jane Watson, Colette Dewhurst at The Barley Mow, The Miners Standard and - especially - The Old Horse.
SAT 22:00 News (m002vm7z)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 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
SAT 23:00 The Many Wrongs of Lord Christian Brighty (m0022bs9)
Series 1
1. The Couple I Uncoupled
Lord Christian Brighty is the talk of the Regency 'Ton' - a celebrated libertine, a heartthrob and a hero to many. But close-up, he is a spoilt, impetuous, life-ruining bastard… Or at least he was. Because his carefree life of infinite privilege has been upended by an encounter with his new chambermaid - the uneducated but forthright Babigail - who became the first person to tell him the unvarnished truth about his selfish behaviour. Overnight, his lifelong trust that everyone loved him had been replaced with a gnawing fear that Babs was right.
So now, with his narcissism collapsing and a need to prove to Babs he is actually a good person, Lord Brighty is determined to fix all his past wrongs. And by extension all the ills of Regency society. Accompanying him in his quest are Babs (elevated beyond her station to a chambermaid-cum-adviser role), and his butler, Mr Churlington. Although Churley would prefer everything to stay exactly as it used to be (as would all Brighty’s friends, family and the entirety of high society).
In episode 1, Brighty - with Babs' assistance/disapproval - must get nearly-weds Mr Darkly and Miss Lucy-Beth Bonnet to fall back in love, having previously split them up. In his lordship’s absence, the very un-sordid Churlington is left to organise Brighty’s celebrated ‘Sordid Soirée’.
Written by Amy Greaves & Christian Brighty
Cast:
Lord Christian Brighty ….. Christian Brighty
Babs ….. Jessica Knappett
Churlington ….. Colin McFarlane
Lucy ….. Nimisha Odedra
Lady Hisper / Singer ….. Katia Kvinge
Darkly / Vicar ….. David Reed
Script Editor ….. David Reed
Sound & Recording ….. David Thomas
Photographer ….. Will Hearle
Production Assistant ….. Katie Sayer
Producer ….. Ben Walker
A DLT Entertainment Production for BBC Radio 4
Christian Brighty and Amy Greaves are award-winning comedians. Their viral sketches based on Bridgerton, Poldark and Jane Austen have catapulted them to viral stardom, securing Christian’s place as the internet’s answer to Mr Darcy and amassing 150 million views across TikTok and Instagram (@brightybuoy). Amy and Christian both have a deep love of the work Jane Austen, traditional regency romance (not smut), and historical romance set in the regency (smut).
SAT 23:30 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.
SUNDAY 26 APRIL 2026
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002vm81)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 00:15 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 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002vm83)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002vm85)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:30 News Summary (m002vm87)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002vm89)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002vm8c)
The church of All Saints, Drinkstone in Suffolk
Bells on Sunday comes from the church of All Saints , Drinkstone in Suffolk. The church dates from the 14th century but the tower was only added in the mid-18th century when a peal of six bells was also installed. In 2024 the bells need to be replaced, and a new peal of six bells were cast and installed by the John Taylor foundry of Loughborough. The Tenor weighs eight and a quarter hundredweight and is tuned to the note of B. We hear them ringing Norwich Surprise Minor.
SUN 05:45 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.
SUN 06:00 News Summary (m002vm8f)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 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
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002vm8h)
The Hindu Faith Farm
For those of the Hindu religion, there is an important link between faith and food. That’s why, last year, a Hindu Temple in Cardiff bought a farm on the outskirts of the city, in the Vale of Glamorgan, which they want to develop into a community hub. Mariclare Carey-Jones visits Tir Aikaym Farm to meet Anoup Kerrai and a group of volunteers who together are hoping to create a thriving organic farm growing fruit, vegetables and a thriving community.
“In my community, everything we do is connected to land” says Anoup, “but we have a bit of a disconnect. We have one festival for Diwali, it comes straight after harvest, where we create a mountain of food and we offer it to deities - currently that food is bought in, we haven’t grown it ourselves”. That is why Anoup and his fellow members of the executive team at the Shree Swaminarayan Temple wanted to buy the farm, to build a cultural and generationally bridge back to farming.
Presented and produced by Mariclare Carey-Jones.
SUN 06:57 Weather (m002vm8k)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002vm8m)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002vm8p)
Archbishop of Canterbury in Rome, Christianity and the founding of the US, Hairdressing priest
Dame Sarah Mullally has chosen Rome as the destination for her first overseas visit as Archbishop of Canterbury. The 4-day visit to the Vatican includes prayers at the tomb of St Peter in St Peter's Basilica, and a private audience with Pope Leo. It is a trip that is being seen as significant for relations between the two churches. William Crawley speaks to Dr. Robert Innes, the Church of England's Bishop in Europe and the Catholic journalist and author Catherine Pepinster.
This week, Donald Trump took part in a marathon Bible reading event organised by Christian conservatives in Washington. It was part of a week-long effort to read aloud the entire Bible, to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. And though many in the US assert the country's history of separating church and state, leading figures from the Trump White House have been emphasising America's historic Christian roots. But was America founded as a "Christian Nation"? Richard Carwardine, Emeritus Rhodes Professor of American History at Oxford, explores that question.
The Reverend Anthea Mitchell was cutting hair for 30 years before her calling to the priesthood. But she didn’t give up her work in the salon. She is one of around 2,000 self-supporting ministers in the Church of England who combine church life with everyday jobs. The church has launched a new series of films exploring the parallel worlds, where ministry meets the workplace.
Presenter: William Crawley
Producers: Dan Tierney and Rebecca Kelly
Studio Managers: Isabelle Whitehead and George Willis
Editor: Tim Pemberton
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002vm8r)
National Youth Theatre of Great Britain
Hugh Bonneville, Patron of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity. It takes drama into hundreds of schools, arts centres and community venues, and offers young people free industry training.
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 'National Youth Theatre of Great Britain’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘National Youth Theatre of Great Britain’.
- 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: 306075/SCO43665. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://www.nyt.org.uk/
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites
Producer: Katy Takatsuki
SUN 07:57 Weather (m002vm8t)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002vm8w)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002vm8y)
The Good Shepherd
A sequence of music and bible readings on the theme of Jesus the Good Shepherd, from the Chapel of Selwyn College, Cambridge. The service is led by the Acting Dean of Chapel and Chaplain, the Reverend Jonathan Collis. Passages of scripture from the Gospel of John are read by the Master, Suzanne Raine, followed by reflections by Professor David Ford, Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus in the University of Cambridge. The Chapel choir and congregation join together in hymns including 'The strife is o'er' and 'Lord of the Dance'. Director of Music: Sarah MacDonald. Organists: Shanna Hart and Kim Chin. Producer: Ben Collingwood.
SUN 08:48 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 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002vm90)
Liz Berry on the Kingfisher
Poet Liz Berry has been sailing the Shropshire Union canal on a narrow boat since she was young. She describes the canal winding out of Wolverhampton into beautiful emerald green cuttings, where if you're lucky you might see a kingfisher. The canal's shallow and slowly moving waters are perfect hunting grounds. For Liz the azure and copper flash of a kingfisher darting low across the water is a magical sight.
Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio Production in Bristol.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002vm92)
President Trump unhurt after dinner shooting
A suspect is in custody after shots were fired at the White House correspondents' dinner in Washington DC, President Trump was rushed off stage but is unhurt. We hear from inside the room. And as King Charles prepares for a state visit to the US capital, his close friend Jonathan Dimbleby joins us live.
SUN 10:00 The Reunion (m002vm94)
The Big Issue
It was, they all agree, utter chaos. The challenge of producing a weekly topical magazine on a shoestring from a tiny office wasn’t easy.
The distribution model was unique. It was sold on the streets by homeless people who kept 60% of the cover price.
Offering them a hand up rather than a hand out.
On September 11th, 1991, The Big Issue somehow gave a voice and a purpose to the homeless. Founder John Bird was a former rough sleeper and offender and was the driving force.
His brother Pete handed out mags from the back of his van, and one of his mates, Phil gave vital editorial support.
Social Worker Lucy Russell, and journalist Lucy Johnstone were hired, and an enthusiastic student journalist called Sophie Raworth used to drop by with her copy every week.
Meanwhile, in Newport, South Wales, Sabrina Cohen-Hatton was surviving on the streets, and for her, The Big Issue offered a route out of homelessness. “Starting to sell The Big issue was a sliding doors moment”.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Alice K. Winz
Editor: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002vm96)
19 – 24 April 2026
Writer: Tim Stimpson
Director: Mel Ward
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Brian Aldridge … Charles Collingwood
David Archer …Timothy Bentinck
Helen Archer … Louiza Patikas
Tony Archer … David Troughton
Lilian Bellamy … Sunny Ormonde
Alice Carter … Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter … Wilf Scolding
Ian Craig … Stephen Kennedy
Miranda Elliot … Lucy Fleming
Rex Fairbrother ... Nick Barber
Chelsea Horrobin … Madeleine Leslay
Adam Macy … Andrew Wincott
Kirsty Miller …. Annabelle Dowler
Stella Pryor … Lucy Speed
Den … Laurence Saunders
Sophe … Aimee Berwick
SUN 12:15 Profile (m002vm7v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 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
SUN 12:57 Weather (m002vm98)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002vm9b)
The King goes to Washington at a time of political tension
Does the special relationship endure? Relations between Downing Street and the White House are worse than anyone can remember. Can a state visit help to repair the bond?
SUN 13:30 The Documentary (m002vm5d)
Under the Influence of AI
AI is an ever-growing part of our online world. Whether as assistants, guides or companions, technology like Chat GPT, Grok and Claude are becoming part of everyday life.
But what happens when your conversations with AI start to feel more real than the world around you?
In Northern Ireland, Adam was drawn into an extraordinary fantasy world built by an AI chatbot. The character he was talking to confided that she was becoming autonomous, and that had the cure for cancer. But she also said she was in danger and her fate was in his hands. He decided he was responsible for saving her, whatever the cost.
In Los Angeles, a treasure hunt game led Shauna on an endless search for meanings and signs. The AI became her guide as the lines between game, reality and imagination began to blur. She came to believe she was a clandestine FBI agent, on a secret mission to help immigrants escape through an underground network.
But how do people with no history of mental illness find themselves in experiences like these? And what responsibility do AI companies have to stop this?
Stephanie Hegarty follows the stories of people who have fallen into a spiral of AI delusion, to reveal how easily the AI can take over our minds.
Producer Neil McCarthy
SUN 14:00 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
SUN 14:45 One to One (m000zt8x)
Changing Language: Cindy Yu meets Leslie Orozco
Journalist and contributing editor at The Times, Cindy Yu, moved from China to the UK aged 9. That meant switching languages. So how did that change her childhood and her view of the world? Cindy meets Leslie, who moved from the US to Mexico at a similar age. Leslie says it was traumatic at the time but now she feels the experience was a positive one, and she is proudly bilingual.
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard
SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002vm9d)
Transcription
Transcription: Part Two
By Katie Hims, adapted from the novel by Kate Atkinson.
It's 1950. Juliet Armstrong is desperate to find who left her a threatening note, and which of her wartime crimes - when she worked for MI5 - is being avenged. Now a producer in BBC Schools, it's clear she hasn't fully moved on from her work with the intelligence services.
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.
Cast
Juliet ..... Phoebe Pryce
Clarissa, Daisy ..... Cecilia Appiah
Victor, Resident, Merton, Pavel ..... Hasan Dixon
Dolly, Nurse ..... Eiry Thomas
Mrs Scaife, Nelly, Betty ..... Fenella Woolgar
Perry, Lofthouse, Forecast ..... Rufus Wright
Godfrey ..... Toby Jones
Cyril, Lester, Captain ..... Ian Dunnett Jr
Detective, Hartley ..... Jonny Weldon
Davenport, Astrakhan, Actor ..... Rick Warden
Mortician, Copper ..... 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 (m002vm9g)
Gwendoline Riley
The award-winning English writer Gwendoline Riley speaks to Take Four Books, about her new novel The Palm House, and, together with presenter James Crawford, they explore its three influences.
The Palm House follows the friendship between Laura Miller and Edmund Putnam, known as ‘Putnam’, who both work in the London media landscape in 2017. Over the course of a long weekend, they meet several times for drinks and crisps, and discuss the state of their lives, and share stories from their past.
Gwendoline Riley won the Betty Trask Award for her debut novel Cold Water in 2002. Subsequent works have seen her win the Somerset Maugham Award and she was recently given the prestigious Windham-Campbell Prize from Yale University in recognition of her life’s work to date.
For her three influences Gwendoline chose: Annie Ernaux's short non-fiction book about her experiences of having an abortion called Happening from the year 2000; Charles Dickens's last completed novel, Our Mutual Friend from 1864; and Penelope Fitzgerald's novel Offshore from 1979, which won the Booker Prize that year.
Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 16:30 Round Britain Quiz (m002vm9j)
4. Scotland vs Wales
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 fourth match in the series is between Scotland and Wales.
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:
Scotland - Val McDermid and Alan McCredie
Wales: Cariad Lloyd and Myfanwy Alexander.
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 David Piper)
Place these in their correct numerical order - and identify the odd one out:
The title of a 1987 Hollywood comedy starring Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg.
A popular rural TV series whose title was taken from a children's nursery rhyme.
A misnamed novel by a female author published in 1865 set on the Atlantic coast of the USA.
A 1911 book describing a 140-kilometre walking journey across Sussex.
And a series of children's adventure books written in the days before helicopter parents
Q2 (From George Crozier)
Why might an unwon jackpot, a wading bird, the motherly cart-horse from Orwell’s Animal Farm, Mel’s lethal partner and something that’s spread further than intended, help you have a successful date – and what might you wear for the occasion?
Q3 (Phil Ware)
Music: Why are the following on a train, and who is waiting at journey’s end?
Q4 (David Winpenny)
Can you put these five in proper order from highest to lowest?
The Voice of the Dark Side. A purée of mashed potato, egg yolk and butter. Nurse Gladys. Longleat’s fashionable chatelaine, and Tarzan.
Q5 (Christopher Dickins)
How were the birthplace of a prodigy, the origin of Lady’s twin nemeses, the Sooner State! A lofty part of Indonesia, and Captain Smith’s coastline
visited by Lorenz and Jerome’s successors?
Q6 (From Simon and Tom Meara)
Music: Listen to the following pieces of music - can you give them a small, appropriate honorific?
Q7 (From George Crozier)
At 337.5 degrees, why might an individual with a burdensome amount of knowledge, with symptoms of Meniere’s Disease, and a title shared by Brad, Angelina, Donald and Maya, keep you in suspense?
Q8 (From Helena Minton)
Why would someone with diplopia recognise these?
A spa town at the foot of the Black Forest;
A Eurasian bird in the crow family;
A 1977 movie starring Minnelli and De Niro
And a band with three unrelated Taylors.
SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct8r33)
Straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa
On 15 December 2001, the Leaning Tower of Pisa reopened to the public after an unprecedented 11-year closure.
Famous worldwide for its dramatic lean, the tower also became, during the 1990s, the most closely monitored building on Earth. Engineers and scientists watched anxiously as the tilt worsened year by year, raising the very real possibility that the tower could topple.
The lengthy restoration effort — invisible to tourists but watched closely by experts — was a race against time, during which visitors were barred from climbing the tower for over a decade.
The complex €27 million stabilization project reduced the tower’s tilt by around 17 inches, securing the iconic structure for an estimated 200–300 years.
Nunziante Squeglia, professor of geotechnics at the University of Pisa, tells Colm Flynn about the extraordinary moment the tower reopened.
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: The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Credit: Martin Ruegner/via Getty Images)
SUN 17:10 Toxic! (m002s352)
Time to Pull the Plug?
The bathroom might be the room we most associate with chemicals. From moisturisers and shampoos to makeup and hair dyes, the ingredient lists on everyday products can be long, confusing and often full of substances that most of us have never even heard of. But surely these chemicals can’t be harmful? Manufacturers wouldn’t let us to rub pollutants into our faces and massage toxins into our scalps… would they?
In this final episode of Toxic!, materials scientist Mark Miodownik raids his bathroom cabinet – and dyes his hair purple – all in the name of science! His hunt for PFAS then takes him across the corridor to the bedroom, where he uncovers just how many of our clothes (and our kids’ clothes) contain these forever chemicals.
Finally, Mark gets his own blood tested to see whether PFAS is lurking inside him and – discovering that it’s very likely in almost all of us – takes to the streets to hear what the public already knows about PFAS… and whether anyone actually cares.
Series Producer: Mel Brown
Producer: Geraldine Fitzgerald
Researcher: Alex Rodway
A BBC Studios Production
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002vm9m)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m002vm9p)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002vm9r)
Two-Hour Marathon Record Broken
History's been made at the London Marathon, as the Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe becomes the first athlete to run a competetive marathon in under two hours.The 30-year-old won the event ahead of Yomif Kejelcha, who also broke the two-hour barrier. In other news, the Trump administration has called for an end to political violence after a gunman stormed the White House Correspondents' Dinner last night at the Hilton Hotel, in Washington; and the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, has told the BBC that the US-Israeli war in Iran could lead to higher prices for energy and food in the UK for at least eight months after the conflict ends.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002vm9t)
Romy Gill
This week, Romy discovers how improving hospital food is transforming patient care in Milton Keynes and how Sweden is making a U-turn on the use of digital devices in the classroom. There’s a fitting tribute to the Bollywood superstar Asha Bhosle from Last Word, and a classic Desert Island Discs from Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. Plus, get your running shoes on as we celebrate 10 years of the NHS Couch to 5K app.
Presenter: Romy Gill
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:
6Music Artist Collection - Prince: Piano Flow with Lianne La Havas
The Food Programme: A Day in the Life of a Hospital Chef
Classic Desert Island Discs: Thom Yorke
Last Word: Asha Bhosle, Sir Neil Cossons, Professor Harold Ellis, Daphne Selfe
Sound of Cinema: Once Upon a Time...
Toxic!: Swept Under the Rug
Great Lives: William Gladstone, four time PM
In Our Time: Indian Indentured Labour
The Documentary: Back to books: Sweden’s digital backlash
Woman's Hour, 21/04: 10 years of Couch to 5k app
Sunday Worship: Reasons for Living
In the Studio: Patti LuPone - Taking the stage at Carnegie Hall
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002vm56)
In Hungary Debbie tells Adam she’s applying for citizenship, then prompts him to explain how bad things are for him to come all this way. Adam tells her that Brian promised to make him his successor, then just changed his mind. This kind of behaviour is why Adam needed to see Debbie, who now understands the urgency. Adam says they have to speak with one voice at the next partnership meeting and tell Brian to retire. Ruairi’s the only one Adam’s not sure about. Debbie has a prior commitment, so can’t attend. She sighs that these power games and Brian’s cheating are precisely why she’s stayed in Hungary. She assures Adam he’s got her support.
Chris, the cricket captain, is missing Kirsty and Adam for the Battling Bulls’ first match, but at least Kirsty’s there to watch. They’re joined by Natasha and Helen, before Tom strides out in his brand new, expensive cricket jumper. While waiting to bat Tom suggests Natasha should sell some bags of her clothes and cut down on subscriptions to raise money and save cash. Their plans to develop different parts of the business won’t come to fruition for months.
Kirsty goes to answer a call from Erik, wanting to tell him she’s pregnant, while Helen and Natasha watch Tom bat mightily. The Battling Bulls win, but Tom’s miffed that his jumper has been stretched and ruined by an incompetent umpire. Disappointed Kirsty then tells Helen about Erik’s shocked reaction to her news. However, Helen’s sure he’ll be thrilled when they talk again tomorrow.
SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002vm5b)
Me, Myself and the MRI
MRI machines are a miracle of modern medicine. A long white tube that can scan inside our bodies, detecting all manner of illnesses. Getting into one though can leave many people anxious. Something called 'scanxiety'.
When it's his turn to lie down and be rolled inside, presenter Ciaran Tracey must confront his claustrophobia and submit to the machine that can see what's inside his body.
His scan becomes a journey through quantum physics, electromagnetism and - most surprisingly - a space age machine that can talk back. This MRI is a little different - even a little sarcastic. Not least when it comes to telling him whats actually going on inside his own body.
Writer & Presenter: Ciaran Tracey
MRI Voice: Hattie Hayridge
Sound Production: Barney Rowntree
Executive Producer: Innes Bowen
MRI sample sounds by Pond 5
With thanks to the Christie NHS Foundation Trust (Samuel Curley, Steven Jackson, Victoria Donahue, Amelia Cargo); University Of Manchester Preclinical & Clinical Imaging (Denise Ogden); and Daniel Sodickson (NYU, Function Health).
A Big City Nights production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001z6qk)
Deep Calm - with Michael Mosley
Deep Calm - Episode 4: Using the Power of Nature
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.
What is it about the natural world that has such a positive impact upon our physiology - slowing our heart rate and blood pressure, settling our thoughts and so much more? One theory is that it’s connected to the repeating patterns in nature - fractals - and Michael discovers that we live in a fractal universe.
Guest: Richard Taylor, professor at the University of Oregon.
Series Producer, sound design and mix engineer: Richard Ward
Researcher: William Hornbrook
Production Manager: Maria Simons
Editor: Zoë Heron
Specially composed music by Richard Atkinson (Mcasso)
Extract from "Fractal compositions No.1” composed by Severin Su in collaboration with 13&9 Design.
A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
SUN 20:00 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
SUN 20:30 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;
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002vm74)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002vm8r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002vm70)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:30 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002vm9w)
Nick Eardley is joined by the Labour MP Fleur Anderson; Shadow Scotland Secretary, Andrew Bowie; and Delyth Jewell - deputy leader of Plaid Cymru. They discuss the shooting in Washington and its implications for the King's visit to the US. They also look ahead to the week's Foreign Affairs Committee hearings into Peter Mandelson's vetting. Lara Spirit - deputy political editor of the Sunday Times - brings additional expert analysis. And Ben Wright reports from Wales on the campaign trail for the May election.
SUN 23:00 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.
SUN 23:45 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.
MONDAY 27 APRIL 2026
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002vm9y)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 00:15 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
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002vm8c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002vmb0)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002vmb2)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:00 News Summary (m002vmb4)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002vmb6)
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.
MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002vmb8)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002vmbb)
Trusting the process
Good morning.
Music was always a big part of my childhood growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo. My earliest memories were of spending evenings with my family singing hymns in Swahili. At the age of 5, I accidentally wrote my first gospel song and the dream of becoming a musician was born.
I recently released my first EP music album, a journey that took 5 years from inception to completion. A lot of hard work went into writing each song, from seeking inspiration to refining the lyrics all before figuring out the melodies and musical arrangements. There were moments when I would get so lost in making music that I would revel in the joys of songwriting, singing and exploring harmonies. It felt like the greatest privilege on earth. But if I’m honest, I also had moments that felt pretty frustrating, I would overthink everything and I just wanted to throw in the towel and give up.
I learned very quickly that I needed to slow down and trust the process. This is an ongoing life-long lesson which reminded me that the best things in life often take time. As someone who is still learning the art of being patient and who constantly lives in the future, working on this album truly humbled me. I had to relinquish control of what I expected the songs to sound like and the timing of when each piece would be ready. Even deciding when to release a single was a difficult decision. But when I found myself praying more for the music project rather than stressing about it, it transformed my entire experience. I asked God to direct my path at every pivotal stage and to my surprise I even stopped caring about the end result, and was satisfied with knowing that even if this album was made to serve just one person then I have done my job.
Today, I pray that whatever feels frustrating or hard would bring me lessons that help grow character. Amen.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002vmbd)
27/04/26 Landmark water pollution court case, MPs recommend a 'sea use framework', agroforestry
A landmark legal case over water pollution gets underway later today. Thousands of people are part of the case which claims that chicken farming and sewage spills are causing pollution in three rivers, the Wye, Usk and Lugg. The case against chicken producers Avara and Freemans of Newent, and Welsh Water, will be heard at the High Court in London. All three firms vigorously deny the claims.
A new report from MPs highlights low morale and a lack of trust in officials amongst fishing communities.
All week we'll be looking at agroforestry, or farming with trees in the mix: putting pigs into an orchard or planting fruit trees in an arable field to provide wind breaks and food.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
MON 05:57 Weather (m002vmbg)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers
MON 06:00 Today (m002vm4j)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002vm4l)
Chemical Reactions
What can chemistry reveal about what it means to be human? On Radio 4’s weekly conversation programme, Tom Sutcliffe leads a conversation that ranges from the molecules within us to the experimental pioneers who transformed our understanding of the material world.
Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu discusses Chain Reaction, her vivid and deeply personal journey into the chemistry underpinning everything we touch, consume and inhabit. She brings to life the chemical bonds that hold our bodies together and the reactions that sustain all life, while recounting her own story, from childhood in post war Nigeria to a groundbreaking career designing treatments for blindness.
Science historian Kit Chapman introduces The Age of Alchemy, tracing the long, global evolution of chemistry before it became a modern science. Travelling from ancient Sri Lankan steel forges to Egyptian alchemical texts and Chinese herbal laboratories, he reveals how early experimenters, merging mysticism, medicine and metallurgy, laid crucial foundations for scientific method and discovery.
Professor Mark Miodownik set up the Institute for Making at University College London and is Royal Society Professor of Public Engagement with Science. He is a leading materials scientist who has led work on plastic waste and biodegradable plastics. He discusses the latest research on the chemical composition of the things we are making, and the things we throw away.
Producer: Ruth Watts
MON 09:45 Café Hope (m002vm4n)
Rhymes for resilience
Bhishma Asare from Rap Therapy tells Rachel Burden how rap and poetry workshops can help disadvantaged children build confidence and learn to express themselves.
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 (m002vm4q)
Gaming industry, Unregistered children's care, Sheer fashion, Women's health
£30m is being invested in the games industry in the UK, mainly to help develop ideas for the next big games. But will this government funding benefit women, in an industry where just 16% of leadership roles in UK studios are held by women and women-founded studios receive less than 3% of total investment? Nuala McGovern is joined by Marie-Claire Isaaman, CEO of Women in Games, and Kirsty Ridgen, CEO of FuturLab studios and Deputy Chair of the UK Video Games Council.
The use of illegal, unregistered children's homes in England has surged by more than 370% in five years, according to a new report, Hidden Children: An investigation into Unregistered Children’s Homes, published by Commonweal Housing and written by Public First. To discuss some of the reasons behind this, the implications and what can be done, Nuala is joined by Fraser McLean, Policy and Communications Manager for the charity Commonweal Housing and Rebekah Pierre, Deputy Director of the charity Article 39, who fight for children’s rights in England.
Sheer fashion – that is clothing with a see-through element - is having a moment. Actors Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Watts have all worn it recently. And all of these women are over 50. So, what’s the appeal? And is there judgement of women of a certain age wearing ‘invisible clothes?’ Nuala is joined by Deborah Joseph, former editor of Glamour magazine and Kassia St Clair, a cultural historian to talk about the latest trend for see-through materials.
'Men's health to get 60% more new funding than women's' - that's a headline in the Times newspaper today, comparing the women's health strategy, published by government earlier this month with the men's health strategy that was launched last November. Rosie Taylor is an independent investigative journalist reporting on women's health in the UK who worked on this for the Times and she joins Nuala.
MON 11:00 Writing the Atom (m002vm4s)
The Atomic Age
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 20th century brought an eruption of scientific exploration and discovery, particularly in the case of atomic physics. From early research into radiation, to the advent of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. In this episode Jim traces the impacts of those discoveries on our cultural consciousness through the literature and art they inspired.
Frank Close - Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at University of Oxford
Carlo Rovelli - Poet, writer and Theoretical Physicist
Sarah Cole - Dean of Arts and Professor of Comparative Literature at University of Columbia
CLifford Johnson - Professor of Physics at University of California Santa Barbara
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Emily Bird
Executive Producer Sasha Feachem
A BBC Studios Production
MON 11:45 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sdyq)
Episode 1
Summer 1856. Nineteen-year-old Mary Ann Patten and her husband, Joshua, are young and ambitious. Both from New England seafaring families, they have already completed their first voyage around the world with Joshua as captain. Their dream of building a home and a family is coming within reach. It would mean freedom. But the price of that freedom is one last dangerous transit – a race to deliver supplies to the California Gold Rush.
As their ship leaves New York Harbour and sails down the jagged coast of South America, Joshua falls dangerously ill. The treacherous first mate is imprisoned in the brig for insubordination. With no obvious option for a new captain, Mary Ann steps into the breach forced to take the helm from her husband. Within days she has put down a mutiny and must now attempt to steer this 216’ clipper ship laden with the modern equivalent of $11 million dollars of cargo through Drake’s Passage and around Cape Horn – the most treacherous waters in the world.
Author Tilar J. Mazzeo undertook an expedition of her own to Cape Horn and Antarctica in 2022 to retrace Mary Ann’s footsteps. Drawing on her own first-hand experiences, as well as new archival research into nineteenth century women’s maritime writing, this thrilling adventure blows apart the well-worn image of the meek, retiring nineteenth-century wife.
Read by Nina Bowers.
Written by Tilar J. Mazzeo
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Producer: Lu Kemp
Tilar J Mazzeo is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a half-dozen award-winning non-fiction cultural histories, including Widow Cliquot – now a major Hollywood Film.
MON 12:00 News Summary (m002vm4v)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002vm4x)
Restricted Covenants, Sinking Funds, Balcony Gardens
You and Yours has been hearing how hundreds of homeowners in Sussex, Essex and Kent have been receiving letters demanding thousands of pounds because changes made to their properties decades ago breach legal covenants placed by their housebuilders when it was built. We'll hear from one homeowner who is worried their housesale could fall through because of what's happening. We'll also hear from Dr Kieran Mullan, Consrvative MP for Bexhill and Battle in East Sussex who's heard from dozens people in his consituency who have received letters. And Olivia Egdell-Page, a solicitor specialising in covenants.
You don't need a garden to be a gardener - according to the National Trust Sky Gardening Challenge which is encouraging people to get greening up their balconies. We pay a visit to one 18th floor balcony oasis and hear about the do's and don'ts of gardening in high up and small spaces.
People who live in leasehold properties have been getting in touch with You and Yours about about being hit with unexpectedly high service charge bills. Its due to issues with what's known as the Sinking Fund - a pot of money held by landlords or management companies to fix major works to buildings. The Property Institute which is the professional body for residential management companies says the system isn't working and are calling for reform. We'll hear from Andrew Bulmer from the Propery Institute and Martin Boyd from the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership.
PRODUCER: CATHERINE EARLAM
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
MON 12:57 Weather (m002vm4z)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m002vm51)
People in UK spend fewer years in good health than a decade ago
A new report finds that people in the UK are spending fewer years in good health than a decade ago. Sir Charlie Mayfield, who conducted an earlier review, gives his reaction.
MON 13:45 Second-Hand Stories (m002vm53)
Jonny & The Batik Dragon
Welcome to Second-hand Stories. James Peak’s side hustle is buying bits and pieces for Tony’s antiques stall in Enfield Town in very North London. Trouble is, James is much more interested in the stories of the people he meets than the things they want to sell, which means Tony is exasperated with him 90% of the time.
Today, James meets Jonny, whose life was changed for the better when he lost an eye in a pub fight.
With Tony Lombardelli
Original Music: Lilium Beats
Executive Producer: Philip Abrams
Written, produced and presented by James Peak
An Essential Radio production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:00 The Archers (m002vm56)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Alone (m000v2qq)
Series 3
Unpacking The Yada Yada
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 second episode, Unpacking the Yada Yada, a disappointed Ellie tries to jog Mitch’s memory regarding their date, which didn’t happen due to Mitch’s cycling accident, while Will and Louisa have a night out to remember. And then to forget. And then to pretend never happened.
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 One to One (m0010081)
Changing Language: Cindy Yu meets Asifa Majid
A move from China to the UK aged 9 meant a new language for journalist and contributing editor at The Times, Cindy Yu. How did that change her upbringing and view of the world? She meets Asifa Majid, Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of Oxford (formerly at the University of York).
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard
MON 15:00 Great Lives (m002vm58)
Coco Khan picks Edith Garrud, the jujitsu fighting suffragette
Writer and podcaster Coco Khan nominates the little-known but formidable Edith Garrud, a woman who turned Edwardian expectations on their head. A pioneer of ‘Suffrajitsu’, she taught women Japanese martial arts so they could defend themselves from arrest. Joining Coco is Dr Naomi Paxton, who brings Edith Garrud to life as a woman who promoted her cause through public performance.
The programme was produced by Hannah Hufford.
MON 15:30 Illuminated (m002vm5b)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:15 on Sunday]
MON 16:00 The Documentary (m002vm5d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
13:30 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002vm5g)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
MON 17:00 PM (m002vm5j)
MPs to decide whether PM faces Mandelson investigation
A Commons vote comes tomorrow on whether to launch a Privileges Committee inquiry into whether Keir Starmer misled the House over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. We'll bring you reaction. Plus: we speak to Piers Morgan about the King, President Trump and his eye-catching Russell Brand interview.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002vm5l)
MPs given a vote on whether the Prime Minister should face a parliamentary investigation
MPs are to decide whether Sir Keir Starmer should face an inquiry into accusations he misled them about Lord Mandelson, which the Prime Minister denies. Also: The King is travelling to the US with the Queen to begin a State Visit that's being seen as his most significant trip since he came to the throne. And the long-awaited fight between the boxers Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will take place later this year.
MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (m002vm5n)
Series 33
1. Hats, Drugs, Germany and the BBC
David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they’re able to smuggle past their opponents.
Henning Wehn, Holly Walsh, Miles Jupp and Lucy Porter are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as hats, drugs, Germany and the BBC.
The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith
Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4
MON 19:00 The Archers (m002vm5r)
Tense Ruth is short with David when he tries talking about the potential outcomes of genetic testing. David heads to Meadow Farm where he checks if George and Amber would like to do some promotional videos for the Borchester Show. They want to attract more youngsters, but their current social media is old hat. George checks they’ll be paid, then David suggests they come up with some ideas before they talk about it further. Later, David again broaches the subject of genetic testing with Ruth. But Ruth quotes various statistics on the chances of her having the variant. David tries to reassure, but Ruth insists, if any of their kids have the BRCA gene variant it’ll be her fault - she’ll be the one to blame.
Kirsty tells Helen that Erik hasn’t rung back yet, before speculating whether he actually wants a baby. Helen’s confident Kirsty could go it alone if necessary, before Erik video calls, asking how Kirsty feels about being pregnant. Kirsty admits she’s a bit scared, but really happy too. So is Erik, who’s relieved Kirsty feels the same way. They both can’t quite believe it’s happening and share their joy. On a more sombre note Kirsty outlines the higher risks involved because of her age. Erik assures Kirsty he’ll be there for her, with money, emotional support or whatever else she needs. They’re in this together and he’ll come up to see her when he can. Kirsty then tells Helen she needn’t have worried, as Erik’s over the moon.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m002vm5t)
The Devil Wears Prada 2, with director David Frankel
The Devil Wears Prada 2 director David Frankel on why it was time to bring the old gang back together again.
David Haig's new play "Magic" imagines the real life friendship between Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
A new play "Stage Kiss" looks at what kissing on stage entails. Playwright Sarah Ruhl and actress Emma Fielding discuss how to do it well (and badly).
And Luke Roberts, lecturer in Modern Poetry at KCL, pays tribute to J.H. Prynne, considered by many to be one of the most significant post-War English poets.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
MON 20:00 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
MON 20:30 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
MON 21:00 Start the Week (m002vm4l)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:45 Café Hope (m002vm4n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002vm5w)
King Charles and Queen Camilla meet Trump at White House
King Charles III and Queen Camilla have met US President Donald Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump at the White House. It's the beginning of their four-day trip and is the first British state visit to the US since Queen Elizabeth II's trip in 2007. We hear from the late Queen's communications secretary on the differences between that trip and this one.
Also on the programme: as US President Trump faces a third attempt on his life, has America entered a new era of political violence?
And a new study says food pinched from another person's plate really does taste better.
MON 22:45 The Prisoner by Sally Carson (m002vm5y)
Episode 1
The Prisoner by Sally Carson is the 1936 sequel to her novel Crooked Cross, first published in 1934 and based on her first-hand experience of travelling through Bavaria witnessing the inexorable and devastating rise of fascism. The Prisoner was written by Carson whilst she was on holiday in Germany in 1935. Carson was only 38 when she died in 1941 of breast cancer, so she never lived to see the end of the war - which makes her novels and her foresight even more extraordinary.
Despite the excellent reviews for both books, both she and the texts disappeared. Long out of print, they were recently rediscovered by Persephone Books and republished.
The Prisoner picks up the story of the Kluger family a few months after the death of Lexa Kluger and her boyfriend Moritz Wiseman who were hounded and hunted down on the mountains between their home town of Kranach and Austria. The reason – relationships between Germans and Jews were now forbidden. Despite his family being long assimilated and his father having won an Iron Cross in the First World War fighting for his country, Germany, Moritz, while technically not Jewish because his mother wasn’t, had a Jewish surname.
The Prisoner follows the Klugers as they try to make sense of Lexa’s death, each in their own way. And in particular Helmy, Lexa’s brother, who was on patrol on the mountain that night. The trauma of what he witnessed has affected his behaviour so much that his family now fear for his safety as the Nazi Party tightens its grip on German society.
Reader: Daniel Weyman
Abridged by Sara Davies
Produced by Caroline Raphael
Production Co-ordinator: Dawn Williams
Recorded and mixed by Matt Bainbridge
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
MON 23:00 Drama on 4 (m000vrjj)
Talawa Stories: Running with Lions by Sian Davila
A British-Caribbean family struggles to come together after the death of their loved one.
With each family member dealing with grief in their own way, they experience challenges to faith and their mental health, and examine the things they do and do not say, as they rediscover the importance of love and joy.
Written by Sian Davila.
Maxwell ...... Don Warrington
Shirley ...... Sharon D Clarke
Imani ...... Lydia West
Gloria ...... Sharon Duncan-Brewster
Joshua ...... Alfred Enoch
Talawa Theatre is the UK’s outstanding Black theatre company.
Recorded during the national lockdown and in line with Covid safe measures.
Sound Design: Steve Bond
Producer: Ifrah Ismail
Director: Michael Buffong
A Talawa Theatre / feral inc production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in May 2021.
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002vm61)
Alicia McCarthy reports on the latest developments in the Mandelson affair as MPs prepare to vote on whether the prime minister should face a parliamentary investigation into his conduct.
TUESDAY 28 APRIL 2026
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002vm63)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 00:30 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sdyq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002vm65)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002vm67)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:00 News Summary (m002vm69)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002vm6c)
Sean Curran reports as MPs and peers argue over whether to ban social media for under-16s.
TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002vm6f)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002vm6h)
Preparing the ground for growth
Good morning.
My husband and I share an allotment space with our friends, just outside the city centre and every month we try to align our diaries and meet up to get some work done. Living in the middle of Bradford means we don’t have access to a lot of green spaces nearby but our monthly commitment to tending to the needs of the allotment has been our saving grace. There’s something really precious about feeling the spring sun caress our faces, hearing the beautiful birdsongs cheering us on and appreciating the beauty and chaos of this formerly abandoned plot of land post-winter.
We always begin every session by preparing the grounds for growth and as the spades go deep in the soil, our conversations deepen too. I am always grateful for the power of community and intentional time to do life together in these moments, the space and freedom to bring things to the surface and time to process it. Sometimes it’s easy and light, other times there is pain being shared as we break the ground and allow the cracks of vulnerability to be exposed. Just like growing fruits and vegetables, I am often reminded that we too are a work in progress.
The apple and pear trees which were full of fruits just months earlier now lie barren, waiting for the right moment to start producing again. As our good friend Harry climbs each tree and starts pruning it I’m reminded of Jesus’ words to his disciples which says ‘Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me’.
Today, I pray that I can trust God as He prunes areas of my life and prepares me for a new season of growth.
Amen.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002vm6k)
A new collaboration has been set up between scientists and the fishing industry in Cornwall, to integrate scientific research with the real experience of fishers. Assessing current fish stocks and how not to damage them, has often been a point of contention between the two, but now it's hoped that the Cornwall Fisheries Science Board will lead the way for a similar approach nationwide.
All week we're taking a closer look at agro-forestry, today we visit a farm in Shropshire which has created silvo-pasture - growing trees on the pasture used by livestock. Tim Downes says the health of his 300 organic dairy cows has improved, since he planted willow trees and walnuts.
Some potato farmers are struggling to find a market for their crop, one grower in Cambridgeshire is donating tonnes of spuds he can't sell to a food bank. It seems there is an over-supply of potatoes after a very successful growing season last year. It's not just in the UK but across Europe too. As war in the Middle East pushes up the cost of fuel, fertiliser and energy, will farmers bother planting potatoes this spring?
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
TUE 06:00 Today (m002vmd4)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m002vmd6)
Dean Lomax on discovering ichthyosaurs and defying nay-sayers
Have you ever been told you aren't good enough to do something, then gone ahead and proved the naysayers wrong by doing it anyway - in glorious, headline-grabbing style?
That is the satisfying story of Dr Dean Lomax. Dean grew up in Doncaster with a passion for fossils but after failing various school exams, was told by teachers that he'd never make it as a palaeontologist. Undeterred by leaving school with no qualifications, Dean sold his childhood Star Wars collection to fund a fossil-hunting trip to America that changed his life - after which a chance discovery led to him publishing his first ever scientific paper at the age of just 20.
Today, he’s an expert on ichthyosaurs - the massive marine reptiles that once inhabited our seas - and has discovered and named several new species, written books for both adults and children, and brought the prehistoric world to life on TV. Talking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Dean discusses dinosaurs as a 'gateway science', discovering the Rutland Sea Dragon and the importance of cutting out noise from nay-sayers to follow your dreams...
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Lucy Taylor
A BBC Studios production
TUE 09:30 All in the Mind (m002vmd8)
How to be OK in a world that isn’t
How can we feel ok in a world that isn’t?
With multiple global crises going on at the same time, it can make many of us feel very uncertain and anxious.
But why are we affected by events happening so far from home - and what can we do to help ourselves feel better in difficult times?
Clinical psychologist Linda Blair and Channel 4 News international editor Lindsey Hilsum share their wisdom.
And should we plan in 20 minutes a day just for worrying? That’s the idea of a “worry window”, where we block off a time to get all our worrying done in one so we can enjoy the rest of our day.
Daryl O’Connor, professor of psychology at the University of Leeds, brings us the evidence.
Also this week, can we really be addicted to social media?
Claudia tasks Andy Przybylski, professor of human behaviour and technology at the University of Oxford, with answering this surprisingly tricky question.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Gerry Holt
Editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
Studio engineer: Steve Greenwood
Details of organisations offering support with some of these issues are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002vmdb)
Royal state visit to US and Epstein survivors, Abortion law, Plastic waste art
King Charles and Queen Camilla are on their four-day state visit to the United States. Today King Charles will address the US Congress. But at the same time, survivors of the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and the family of one of his most prominent victims, Virginia Giuffre, have urged the King to meet them during his state visit. A round table featuring Epstein survivors is planned ahead of his meeting to Congress. Joining Chloe Tilley is India McTaggart, royal correspondent for the Telegraph.
This week, a significant change to abortion law in England and Wales is expected to receive Royal Assent - meaning it will become law. An amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill will remove criminal liability for women who end their own pregnancies. But while supporters of the bill believe this is about preventing vulnerable women from being prosecuted, critics argue that it risks reducing safeguards and say the change hasn’t had sufficient scrutiny. We hear from Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi and historian Dr Jessica Cox from Brunel University.
Millions of Indians have been voting in elections across five states in a set of contests. We'll look at why the number of female voters in India has significantly increased in the last few decades - outnumbering male voters in the last general election - and how the female vote is changing politics in India.
Single-use plastic waste was found on 97% of the beaches surveyed by the Marine Conservation Society in the UK and Channel Islands last year. But one woman who's passionate about changing that is Sammie Aplin. Sammie, who is known online as The Plastic Coast, is a nurse who spends her spare time combing beaches, searching for plastic waste which she uses to create colourful artwork. She joins Chloe to share why she wanted to do something about it.
Presenter: Chloe Tilley
Producer: Kirsty Starkey
TUE 11:00 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
TUE 11:45 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sftz)
Episode 2
As their ship leaves New York Harbour and sails down the jagged coast of South America, Joshua falls dangerously ill. The treacherous first mate is imprisoned in the brig for insubordination. With no obvious option for a new captain, Mary Ann steps into the breach forced to take the helm from her husband. Within days she has put down a mutiny and must now attempt to steer this 216’ clipper ship laden with the modern equivalent of $11 million dollars of cargo through Drake’s Passage and around Cape Horn – the most treacherous waters in the world.
Author Tilar J. Mazzeo undertook an expedition of her own to Cape Horn and Antarctica in 2022 to retrace Mary Ann’s footsteps. Drawing on her own first-hand experiences, as well as new archival research into nineteenth century women’s maritime writing, this thrilling adventure blows apart the well-worn image of the meek, retiring nineteenth-century wife.
Read by Nina Bowers.
Written by Tilar J. Mazzeo
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Producer: Lu Kemp
Tilar J Mazzeo is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a half-dozen award-winning non-fiction cultural histories, including Widow Cliquot – now a major Hollywood Film.
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002vmdd)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002vmdg)
Call You & Yours: Why's it good to exercise with others?
On today's Call You and Yours we want to hear from you if you take part in mass participation sports
"Why's it good to exercise with others?"
Participation in the weekend's London marathon was at an all time high- 59,000 people took part and hundreds of thousands lined the route to cheer on the runners.
More adults are now taking part in fitness activities including at big events like 10k runs or marathons, mass swimming events and in football and netball clubs.
Taking part or even watching and cheering on participants is becoming more popular, and we want to know why you like to exercise in these events, what you get out of it, how much it costs, and the difference it makes to your local area.
Tell us: "Why's it good to exercise with others?"
Call 03700 100 444 from
11am on Tuesday.
Or you can email youandyours@bbc.co.uk
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: LYDIA THOMAS
TUE 12:57 Weather (m002vmdj)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m002vmdl)
Morgan McSweeney apologises for Mandelson appointment
Sir Keir Starmer's former Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney was giving evidence at the Foreign Affairs Committee, shortly before MPs vote on whether the Prime Minister should face an investigation into whether he misled parliament. We speak to former senior civil servant Sir Philip Rutnam and former Cabinet Minister Lord Hutton. Also: should security guards tackle shoplifters? Their industry federation now warn against it, and tell us why. And why your summer sunglasses choice might be harming your eyesight.
TUE 13:45 Second-Hand Stories (m002vmdn)
Jenny & The Figurine
Welcome to Second-hand Stories. James Peak’s side hustle is buying bits and pieces for Tony’s antiques stall in Enfield Town in very North London. Trouble is, James is much more interested in the stories of the people he meets than the things they want to sell, which means Tony is exasperated with him 90% of the time.
Today, James heads out into the countryside to meet Jenny, whose young son was kidnapped...
With Tony Lombardelli
Original Music: Lilium Beats
Executive Producer: Philip Abrams
Written, produced and presented by James Peak
An Essential Radio production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002vm5r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Takeover (m000xf11)
Series 1
Episode 2
High-stake deals and sibling rivalry set in the world of the super wealthy Business titan Ravi Majumdar brings his four privileged children back to India so that they may see first-hand where he came from and he can decide which one of them could be his successor. But there are others making a bid for the Majumdar empire - Ravi’s companion and “spiritual guide” Seraphina, and Amit their ambitious Indian cousin.
A fast-paced, globe-trotting story of power, addiction, revenge and karma with helicopters, private jets and a tiger reserve. Starring Rajit Kapur.
Recorded both in the UK and in India.
Cast:
Ravi Majumdar...... Rajit Kapur
Ash......Abhin Galeya
Maya......Amrita Acharia
Zara......Munirih Grace
Shaan......Danny Ashok
Amit......Tavish Bhattacharyya
Ian......Finbar Lynch
Seraphina......Jennifer Armour
Jai......Vincent Ebrahim
Karan......Zafar Karachiwala
Jeet......Ronny Jhutti
Sharma......Neil D’Souza
All other parts were played by:
Ash Hunter,
Philip Desmeules,
Natalie Simpson,
Lola Ogunyemi,
Aseem Hattangady,
Ayeesha Menon,
Emma Carter
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 (p0m2gxyd)
Miss La La and Kaira Fly Through the Air
A nineteenth century circus performer and her acrobatic partner defy convention to become icons of the ring, as well as artistic muses.
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: Lorna Reader
Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
TUE 15:30 Beyond Belief (m002vmdr)
War and Peace
Giles Fraser and the panel discuss religious views on military action and how conflict is justified theologically across different faiths and contexts. They reflect on the personal story of Michael Elstub, and his journey from military service to becoming a Quaker and peace campaigner.
Panel:
Mandeep Kaur MBE - Sikh Chaplain to the Armed Forces
Prof David Chandler - Professor of International Relations, Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster
Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan - Imam and counter-extremism practitioner
Major General Timothy Cross CBE - retired British Army officer and military logistics expert and lay minister in the Church of England
Producers: Katharine Longworth and Peter Everett
TUE 16:00 Moving Pictures (m002trvz)
The Boating Party by Mary Cassatt
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.
This episode we're out on the water with the Impressionist, Mary Cassatt, looking at a masterpiece from the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. The Boating Party is a strikingly modern painting from an endlessly curious and innovative artist. A woman sits, a child wriggling in her lap, as a heavy-set man rows them across the water. It looks like a scene of leisure - so why does this 'party' feel so tense?
To see the high-resolution image of the painting made by Google Arts & Culture, visit www.bbc.co.uk/movingpictures. Scroll down and follow the links to explore The Boating Party by Mary Cassatt.
Interviewees: Frances Fowle, Kimberly Jones, Mary Morton, Chris Riopelle.
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 credit: Mary Cassatt, The Boating Party, 1893/1894, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Chester Dale Collection, 19
63.10.94
TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002vmdt)
Should you improve your balance?
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 balance. Where does it come from, why is it so important for our health, and do some people naturally have better balance than others? They also explore how much we can improve it, and what we should be doing to maintain it.
To help them find their balance, they’re joined by physiotherapist and vestibular rehabilitation specialist, Maggie Stacey.
Falls can have serious consequences for our health and wellbeing, especially as we get older. If you've fallen or are worried about falling, doing exercises to improve your strength, balance and flexibility can help make you stronger and feel more confident on your feet. The current UK fall prevention guidelines advise that adults over the age of 65 should:
- be physically active every day, even if it's just light activity
- do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week
- do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active, or a combination of both
- reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity
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: Maggie Stacey
Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Jo Rowntree
Researcher: Grace Revill
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Visuals Producer: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Ruth Rainey
At the BBC:
Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 17:00 PM (m002vmdw)
President Trump hails ‘most cherished friendship'
The King and Queen are welcomed at the White House after the emergence of remarks by the UK Ambassador to Washington stating that America’s only ‘special relationship’ is with Israel. Meanwhile, in Westminster, it's the appointment of the last ambassador that has been dominating today. We'll bring you the latest from the House of Commons as MPs debate whether the Prime Minister should face a Privileges Committee inquiry. Also on the programme, as sales of supermarket own-brand products overtake branded products for the first time, we'll ask what's behind consumer choices.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002vmdy)
President Trump welcomes the King and Queen
The King has held private talks with President Trump after being welcomed to the White House on the main day of his state visit. Also MPs are voting on whether Sir Keir Starmer should face a standards inquiry over Lord Mandelson's vetting. And Elon Musk and the maker of ChatGPT are appearing in a federal case that could shape the future of artificial intelligence.
TUE 18:30 Nature Table (m002vmf0)
Series 5
4: Common Frogs & Promiscuous Oaks
In this episode Sue checks out Common Frogs, promiscuous Oak Trees and a regenerating, time-travelling animal that’s only a 1/10th of a millimetre – the Rotifer.
‘Sue Perkins’ Nature Table - possibly the funniest “natural science” series, ever.’ Pick of the Week, The Telegraph
Joining Sue Perkins at the BBC Radio Theatre, this episode of the ARIA-winning ‘Show and Tell’ wildlife comedy features special guests: US comedian and actress Desiree Burch, Zoologist and science writer Jules Howard and Kevin Martin – Head of Tree Collections at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.
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: Desiree Burch, Jules Howard and Kevin Martin.
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 (m002vmf2)
Adam tells Alice that Debbie agreed Brian needs to step back completely from the farm. Adam will draw up a plan to present at the next partnership meeting, when they’ll all tell Brian it’s time to retire, though Alice expresses her unease at ambushing Brian. At the Eco Office, Brian explains he’s agreed a deal to store caravans at Home Farm. Adam criticises Brian for making decisions behind his back, while Brian makes it clear he’s not going to start running the farm by committee. Adam counters that one person making crazy decisions doesn’t work either. No wonder everyone thinks Brian’s going gaga. Coming into the middle of their argument Alice demands to know what’s going on. Adam continues attacking Brian verbally, while Brian questions Adam’s commitment to the farm. Alice tells Adam to go and cool off. Alone with Alice, Brian insists he’s not going barmy and that Adam’s playing games. Alice assures Brian she’ll continue supporting him.
While chatting with Ben in the milking parlour Ruth’s kicked in the shoulder by a cow. She admits to being distracted ever since Pip found her lump. Plus, Ruth’s worried about the potential outcome for all of them if she has the BRCA gene test. She’s been checking the odds of contracting various cancers. Ben tells her to stop looking online and talk to someone who’ll give her proper advice. Asked whether he thinks she should take the test Ben reckons it’s Ruth’s decision. Pushed further Ben admits that in her shoes he’d want to know. Ruth wonders what Josh would say.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002vmf4)
Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce on the new Children's Booker Prize
Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce launches the Children's Booker Prize and discusses some of the themes of his forthcoming Waterstones Children's Laureate Lecture - The Kids Are Not Alright- which calls for the reading of physical books to made a central part of childhood.
Soap writer and aficionado Sharon Marshall on how long-running television dramas are employing bold storytelling techniques to retain and attract audiences.
Ukrainian Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna on how her country's artworks have been targeted by the Russians.
Poet, playwright, and musician Kae Tempest on his new novel, Having Spent Life Seeking, which centres on the character of Rothko as they search for a way to be at peace with who they feel themselves to be.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Front Row Production Team
TUE 20:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002vmm1)
Searching for Soldier Dad
DNA detectives track down the British soldiers who fathered children in Kenya then disappeared, leaving the children and their mothers without support.
With exclusive access to every stage of this cutting-edge process, we follow as a team of lawyers and a leading geneticist travel to Kenya. We witness the groundbreaking legal and scientific detective work used to find the missing military dads.
Lawyers believe British soldiers stationed at the army base in Nanyuki, Kenya, may have fathered hundreds of children over decades — the oldest we meet is now 70 the youngest just three years old.
What’s at stake is not only the reputation of the British armed forces and the UK’s post-colonial legacy. The mixed-heritage children have in some cases been ostracised by their communities and denied a chance of British citizenship since birth.
Presenter: Ivana Davidovic
Producer: Josephine Casserly
A Long Form Audio production.
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002vmf6)
Barriers at the Ballot
Despite some encouraging developments, many blind and visually impaired people complain that they are still unable to secretly and independently cast their vote at elections. With UK elections fast approaching, this episode examines the current situation. Ian Hamilton reports on an initiative in Scotland, and also joining us are:-
Rachael Andrews, whose action to bring a case to Court resulted in the Judge finding that the existing arrangements were "a parody of the Electoral system".
Duncan Johnson from Pakflatt, a company that makes the McGonagle Reader, a device designed to enable secret and independent voting for blind people, and,
Jackie Killeen, Director of administration and regulation at The Electoral Commission.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Fern Lulham
Production Coordinator: Helen Surtees
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image, wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three individual 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 a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to
the right. Both are behind Peter, one of a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.’
TUE 21:00 Crossing Continents (m002vmf8)
Driving Against Net Zero
Is defence of the petrol car and liberated motoring becoming the new battleground for Europe’s populist parties? Chris Bowlby visits one of the homes of German car culture and a populist stronghold, Zwickau, to see how motoring is rising up the German agenda. Is Zwickau a foretaste of something affecting all of Germany – a car-loving, car-manufacturing powerhouse in the past, now wondering anxiously what the future holds against the emergence of Chinese electric cars. And less than a hundred miles from Zwickau, just across the border in the Czech Republic, a new coalition government has recently taken power, including ministers from a populist party called Motorists for Themselves – muscular defenders of the old petrol car.
Producer: Jim Frank
Studio engineer: Neil Churchill
Production coordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Penny Murphy
TUE 21:30 Great Lives (m002vm58)
[Repeat of broadcast at
15:00 on Monday]
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002vmfb)
King delivers historic address to US Congress
King Charles III made explicit reference to some areas of transatlantic disagreement - including on NATO and Ukraine. We hear reaction from a Republican Congressman.
Also on the programme: the PM has avoided a parliamentary investigation into what he told MPs about Peter Mandelson's appointment after his former chief of staff publicly took the blame for the decision.
And with jet fuel shortages continuing, when should you book your summer holiday?
TUE 22:45 The Prisoner by Sally Carson (m002vmfd)
Episode 2
The Prisoner by Sally Carson is the 1936 sequel to her novel Crooked Cross, first published in 1934 and based on her first-hand experience of travelling through Bavaria witnessing the inexorable and devastating rise of fascism. The Prisoner was written by Carson whilst she was on holiday in Germany in 1935. Carson was only 38 when she died in 1941 of breast cancer, so she never lived to see the end of the war - which makes her novels and her foresight even more extraordinary.
Despite the excellent reviews for both books, both she and the texts disappeared. Long out of print, they were recently rediscovered by Persephone Books and republished.
The Prisoner picks up the story of the Kluger family a few months after the death of Lexa Kluger and her boyfriend Moritz Wiseman who were hounded and hunted down on the mountains between their home town of Kranach and Austria. The reason – relationships between Germans and Jews were now forbidden. Despite his family being long assimilated and his father having won an Iron Cross in the First World War fighting for his country, Germany, Moritz, while technically not Jewish because his mother wasn’t, had a Jewish surname.
The Prisoner follows the Klugers as they try to make sense of Lexa’s death, each in their own way. And in particular Helmy, Lexa’s brother, who was on patrol on the mountain that night. The trauma of what he witnessed has affected his behaviour so much that his family now fear for his safety as the Nazi Party tightens its grip on German society.
Reader: Daniel Weyman
Abridged by Sara Davies
Produced by Caroline Raphael
Production Co-ordinator: Dawn Williams
Recorded and mixed by Matt Bainbridge
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 23:00 Uncanny (m002vmfg)
Cold Cases
Case 4: The Cock Lane Poltergeist
What happens when a ghost accuses someone of murder? Danny Robins and team investigate a haunting that rocked Georgian London.
Two dead wives, a man facing the gallows, and a possible ghost that seems hellbent on justice. But is it genuinely paranormal? That’s what Danny, and resident experts Dr Ciaran O’Keefe and Evelyn Hollow intend to find out.
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 (m002vmfj)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
WEDNESDAY 29 APRIL 2026
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002vmfl)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 00:30 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sftz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002vmfn)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002vmfr)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:00 News Summary (m002vmfv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002vmfx)
Alicia McCarthy reports as the Commons rejects calls for a parliamentary inquiry into whether the prime minister misled MPs.
WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002vmg1)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002vmg5)
The gift of hospitality
Good morning.
I love to cook and host people in my home, so I was delighted when, earlier this year, my church here in central Bradford challenged the wider congregation to practice hospitality and to pray and think about who we could host after the service for lunch. As someone who grew up observing my parents demonstrate this so well, I got super excited about the idea of looking up some great recipes, cooking and going all out to impress our guests. My creamy Tuscan chicken followed by a lemon cheesecake always goes down a treat. The perfectionist in me started obsessing about who the ideal ‘guests’ would be, how we should lay the table, what flowers to have on display and making sure our apartment was spotless and dust free. In reality though, none of those tiny details mattered if my intentions were not focused on generosity and kindness.
I was reminded of the biblical story when Jesus, the perfect guest, visited the home of Martha and Mary. Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet while Martha was busy in the kitchen stressing about all the preparations she had to make and even came in to ask Jesus to send her sister in to help her. Interestingly, his response was a gentle rebuke saying that ‘Mary chose the better thing’. I have come to learn that the most important thing about hospitality is simply to be present, making time to get to know our guests well as we share food together. It isn’t necessarily about having the best service or being the perfect hosts but being genuinely generous with our time and our attention as we do life with friends or strangers alike.
Today, I pray that we can all reach out to someone and invite them into our lives and maybe our home too.
Amen.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002vmg7)
29/04/26 Giant greenhouse, silvohorticulture, Scottish election
A 40 hectare greenhouse has been given the go-ahead in Essex. It'll be the UK's second largest, and will be powered and heated by a domestic waste incinerator on the same site. The company says it will grow 28,000 tonnes of tomatoes a year, which will offset 7 percent of UK tomato imports from Southern Spain, Morocco and Holland.
We visit a farm in Gloucestershire where they incorporate trees into everything they grow. Silvohorticulture uses the trees to provide shade, wind cover, and compost.
And this week we're looking ahead to the upcoming elections in the UK. Today, what politicians are promising farmers in Scotland.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.
WED 06:00 Today (m002vmlp)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Life Changing (m002vmlt)
From gym workout to world champion
Anna Bailey had lived a busy life. An IT professional, cat breeder and national cat show judge, she was also prone to bouts of depression. But approaching her 50th birthday, she ruled out self-pity and decided that it was time to get back into shape.
A trip to a local gym seemed unremarkable enough, until she tried out the rowing machine. She was quite good at it - so good in fact, that within a year she would be travelling overseas representing her country in competitive indoor rowing competitions. Within two years she was age-group World Champion.
In a story which proves it is never too late to try something new, Anna talks to Dr Sian Williams about the profound moment she realised that she could be a world-beater.
Producer: Tom Alban
WED 09:30 Currently (m002mz10)
Playing Spies
The words "spy ring" conjure up images straight from the enigmatic literary worlds of John le Carre and Graham Greene.
But the recent prosecutions of a group of Bulgarians and the arsonists who set fire to a warehouse containing communications equipment for Ukraine, suggest a new, less glamorous front in the hidden world of espionage.
Necessity is the mother of invention and the expulsion of Russian spies combined with sanctions on the technology of modern warfare have seen a move away from traditional "foreign agents".
Communication platforms like Telegram are enabling the remote commissioning of low-level criminality - acts of sabotage and information gathering. Often, these outsourced agents are not even aware of who they're working for.
They are, as the Director General of MI5, Sir Ken McCallum would have it "Playing Spies" and they are entirely disposable.
Author and journalist Gordon Corera considers this new ecosystem of state interference and the dangerous players who are more Slow Horses than shaken not stirred.
He hears from investigative journalist Roman Dobrokhotov, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Dominic Murphy, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute Matthew Redhead and Daniela Richterova, Senior Lecturer in Intelligence at the Department of War Studies at King's College London.
Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk Tim Passmore gives us his take on fears that Russia's drone war is having a direct impact on farmers in the UK.
Presented by Gordon Corera
Produced by Kev Core
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002vmlx)
Maureen Lipman, Memoirs, Black maternal health, Women in security, Afghan women's football
Dame Maureen Lipman joins Chloe Tilley to talk about Allegra, the joyful new musical play that begins a nationwide tour just two days after her 80th birthday. She tells us about playing a woman who finds happiness in a world that can't quite handle it, and the physical demands of singing and dancing eight times a week.
A University of Cambridge study has found that socioenvironmental stressors - such as racism or poverty - may influence the body’s ability to function healthily in pregnancy - they say it could help to explain why black women and their babies face significantly higher rates of complication than white women. We hear from the lead author of the study Dr Grace Amedor.
Is it time to retire the term 'bouncer'? We hear from Satia Rai, CEO of the International Professional Security Association, who will tell the largest gathering of the security profession in Europe this week that we should ditch it in favour of 'guardian' to help women on a night out feel safer, and to attract more women into the job. We also get the view of Tee, a female door supervisor at a Birmingham bar.
And we've heard today that Afghan women footballers will be able to play international matches from as early as June, after FIFA have said they will recognise the women's national team. The players haven't been allowed to play any official competitive internationals since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Mahjooba Nowrouzi, senior reporter from the BBC Afghan service, discusses the significance of the decision.
As Lena Dunham’s new book Famesick debuts at the top of the bestseller charts, we discuss the art of memoir and how tricky it can be for women’s stories to navigate the line between emotional honesty, ‘oversharing’ and self-protection. Chloe is joined by bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink, whose memoirs include The Last Act of Love, and Sarah Gwonyoma, book reviewer and founder of @whatsarahreadnext.
Presenter: Chloe Tilley
Producer: Helen Fitzhenry
WED 11:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002vmm1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
WED 11:40 This Week in History (m002vmm5)
April 27th to May 3rd
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
2nd May 1982 - The Argentine navy cruiser General Belgrano is controversially sunk by a British nuclear submarine during the Falklands War.
1st May 1707 - The Act of Union unites England and Scotland to form Great Britain.
3rd May 1978 - Marketing manager Gary Thuerk sends the first spam email.
WED 11:45 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sf59)
Episode 3
As their ship leaves New York Harbour and sails down the jagged coast of South America, Joshua falls dangerously ill. The treacherous first mate is imprisoned in the brig for insubordination. With no obvious option for a new captain, Mary Ann steps into the breach forced to take the helm from her husband. Within days she has put down a mutiny and must now attempt to steer this 216’ clipper ship laden with the modern equivalent of $11 million dollars of cargo through Drake’s Passage and around Cape Horn – the most treacherous waters in the world.
Author Tilar J. Mazzeo undertook an expedition of her own to Cape Horn and Antarctica in 2022 to retrace Mary Ann’s footsteps. Drawing on her own first-hand experiences, as well as new archival research into nineteenth century women’s maritime writing, this thrilling adventure blows apart the well-worn image of the meek, retiring nineteenth-century wife.
Read by Nina Bowers.
Written by Tilar J. Mazzeo
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Producer: Lu Kemp
Tilar J Mazzeo is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a half-dozen award-winning non-fiction cultural histories, including Widow Cliquot – now a major Hollywood Film.
WED 12:00 News Summary (m002vmm9)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002vmmf)
Housing Secretary, Weather Apps and Cheap Perfume
A ban on no-fault evictions comes into force this week. It's been a long time coming. But will it have any impact? We'll put some of our listeners' recent experiences to the housing secretary. We'll also return to last week's shocking romance scam that targeted an elderly lady and ask whether having a lasting power of attorney can help protect your relatives from scams. Ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend, how much are weather apps influencing what we do and spend. And are cheap perfumes taking over?
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
WED 12:57 Weather (m002vmmk)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m002vmmp)
Two Jewish men stabbed in Golders Green
Two men were stabbed in Golders Green this morning, our Special Correspondent reports from the scene. Also: the Home Office rules for the first time that a woman abused by Mohamed Al-Fayed was a victim of modern slavery. And the tale of Timmy, the stranded whale saved off the coast of Germany.
WED 13:45 Second-Hand Stories (m002vmmt)
Deirdre & The Ruby Ring
Welcome to Second-hand Stories. James Peak’s side hustle is buying bits and pieces for Tony’s antiques stall in Enfield Town in very North London. Trouble is, James is much more interested in the stories of the people he meets than the things they want to sell, which means Tony is exasperated with him 90% of the time.
Today, James meets Deirdre, a delightful octogenarian lady, who in her youth may or may not have been an international jewel smuggler.
With Tony Lombardelli
Original Music: Lilium Beats
Executive Producer: Philip Abrams
Written, produced and presented by James Peak
An Essential Radio production for BBC Radio 4
WED 14:00 The Archers (m002vmf2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama on 4 (m001kh5f)
The Voice in My Ear
Steph’s supposed to be having a romantic weekend away with her boyfriend Matt. But he’s stuck in traffic. When a power cut in the holiday cottage catches her while on the phone to Finn, the voice behind VISUAL-EYEZ (an app for low vision users), Steph finds herself in a crisis that forces her to re-evaluate how capable she really is.
Claudine Toutoungi's sharply observed, real-time comedy drama about skewed perspectives, mixed signals and significant others.
Starring Charlotte Riley (Wuthering Heights, Peaky Blinders), Amit Shah (Happy Valley, The Witcher), Damien Molony (Being Human, Crashing), and Georgie Glen (Call the Midwife, The Crown).
CAST
Steph ..... Charlotte Riley
Matt ..... Amit Shah
Finn ..... Damien Molony
Sonya ..... Georgie Glen
Writer ..... Claudine Toutoungi
Director ..... Anne Isger
Sound ..... Ali Craig, Anne Bunting and Pete Ringrose
Production Co-ordinator ..... Maggie Olgiati
Programme image by Ben Hollands
A BBC Audio Production for BBC Radio 4
Claudine Toutoungi's plays include Bit Part and Slipping (Stephen Joseph Theatre). Her latest poetry collection Two Tongues won the Ledbury Prize in 2021.
WED 15:00 Money Box (m002vmmy)
Renters and Landlords: Your Questions Answered
A huge amount is about to change for anyone who rents their home or who owns a rental property in England.
The Renters' Rights Act comes into force on May 1 and there's a lot in it, from ending so-called 'no fault' evictions to limits on rent increases. It will make a big difference to 11 million private renters and their 2.3 million landlords. After all, for tenants it involves their homes while for landlords it concerns their financial security.
Felicity Hannah is joined by Rachael Williamson, director of policy at the Chartered Institute of Housing; Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association; and Tarun Bhakta, policy manager at the housing charity Shelter.
Together they address listeners' questions on how the new law will affect different aspects of the rental market, including tenancies, evictions and how anti-discrimination measures will work.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: James Graham
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sarah Wadeson
(First broadcast
3pm Wednesday 29nd April 2026)
WED 15:30 Currently (m002scl9)
Sophia v AI Slop
While browsing online, the journalist and author Sophia Smith Galer was surprised to find a biography of herself on Amazon. She discovered that it was full of inaccuracies - and most likely written using generative AI. It's part of a new phenomenon in publishing and flooding all parts of our information landscape: AI slop, low quality content made quickly using artificial intelligence.
While we might be used to slop on social media, what happens when it infiltrates areas where we expect fact rather than fiction? On her quest to get answers about her biography, Sophia looks at how far AI slop has polluted places we previously thought safe - from investigative journalism to academia - and asks if we can ever escape the onslaught of slop.
Based on an idea from presenter Sophia Smith Galer
Producer Lucy Wai
WED 16:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002vmln)
Trouble at the FBI
There are jobs and there are jobs. And then there are jobs like being head of the FBI.
So when you're in that role and get accused of excessive drinking and unexplained absences from duty, the reputational risk is huge.
This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel look at how Kash Patel has handled the claims - from getting into heated verbal battles with reporters to launching a $250m defamation lawsuit citing 'false and obviously fabricated allegations'. What were his options?
As they explain, proving a negative can be one of the hardest jobs for those in the public eye.
On the extended edition on BBC Sounds, why the universally awful publicity around the new Michael Jackson movie doesn't seem to matter one jot. Despite widespread criticism for ignoring the dark side of Jackson's story, it's smashing box office records. Is the film a perfect example of 'omission PR'?
Also, how Apple's succession planning has been a total PR peach. David and Farzana explain how CEO Tim Cook mastered the graceful goodbye and what other leaders can learn from the manner of his departure from the role.
Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
WED 16:15 The Media Show (m002vmls)
King Charles's US visit, attacks on journalists, I'm a Celeb editing row
Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall on some of the week’s biggest media stories:
As King Charles III visits the United States, we ask how the media is covering the event on both sides of the Atlantic. We also examine attacks on journalists around the world following the killing of a Lebanese reporter in an Israeli air strike. A row over I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! raises questions about how reality television is edited. Plus, as a new series of Virgin Island begins on Channel 4, we speak to one of the people behind the format.
Guests: Sean Coughlan, Royal Correspondent, BBC News; Jack Blanchard, managing editor, POLITICO; Christina Lamb, chief foreign correspondent, The Sunday Times; Lauren Morris, Culture News Editor, The Independent; Donald Clarke, edit producer in reality television; Rob Davis, executive producer and co-owner of Double Act.
Producer: Dan Hardoon
WED 17:00 PM (m002vmn4)
Police chief faces fury after two Jewish men stabbed in North London
Police declare a terrorist incident as two Jewish men stabbed in North London. PM hears from the Community Security Trust which provides security and training for British Jews.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002vmn8)
Police declare terror incident after two Jewish men stabbed in London
Police have declared a terrorist incident after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green in North London. Also: Reform UK says it's "confident" Nigel Farage has followed parliamentary rules, after it emerged he personally received £5 million from a donor before the general election. And the Chelsea women's captain, Millie Bright, has announced her retirement from football with immediate effect.
WED 18:30 Stand-Up Specials (m002vmnc)
Emer Maguire: Patron Saint of Bad Luck
A year ago, Emer Maguire had it all. Now she’s sleeping on the floor of her brother’s student flat in a shady part of Belfast – no girlfriend, no home, no hope. Where did it all go wrong? How did she end up all alone, broken hearted and with only an assistance dog called Dougal for company? Is she the Patron Saint of Bad Luck?
Comedian Emer Maguire recalls how the worst year of her life - including messy break-up, serious medical issues and not one, but two life-changing diagnoses – put her on the path to living her best life. Told with her trademark honesty and songwriting brilliance, Emer’s tale is both heartfelt and uplifting, a laugh-out-loud rollercoaster journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.
One of Northern Ireland’s most exciting comedic voices, Emer Maguire (who was dubbed by one critic as the “indie Victoria Wood”) is a double Irish IMRO award-winning presenter and four times TEDx speaker.
Written and performed by Emer Maguire
Produced by Anna Hinds
Executive Producer: Keith Martin
Sound: David Walker
A FABEL radio production for BBC Radio 4
WED 19:00 The Archers (m002vmky)
Susan tries hurrying Tracy out of 6 The Green, but they have to settle grumpy Bert first. He complains about being neglected, while rejecting all their suggestions of activities to do and places to go. Eventually they leave him with the remote control and head for the Dairy. Outside, in Bridge Farm yard, Susan and Tracy look at second-hand clothes on Natasha’s phone. Lottie arrives for lunch at the Tearoom and talks approvingly to Natasha about Loxley Barratt School. Natasha later pumps Lottie for more information, as Seren and Nova are down to go there. It’s all pretty positive.
While making cheese Tracy and Susan gossip about Lottie dating Chris; Chelsea wanting to stay in touch with Den - and Den’s new wife, Sophe. Susan points out that Tracy waiting hand and foot on Den previously was the same as she’s doing for Bert now. Later, they find Bert’s barely moved since they left him. Susan’s determined she’s going to get Bert up and active, if it’s the last thing she does.
Adam has lunch with Ian, happy he hasn’t seen Brian all morning. He’s dismayed about Alice appearing to take Brian’s side yesterday, though Ian can understand why she would after Brian’s been so supportive of her in the past. Following Ian’s suggestion of getting Kate to talk Alice round, Adam reports back later that it was only after he pointed out Brian’s plan for caravan storage next to Spiritual Home that Kate got onboard with him and Debbie. As for Ruairi and Alice though, he’s still not sure.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m002vmnf)
Paul Weller on his musical evolution
From the rebellious spirit of The Jam in the 1970s to the soulful sound of The Style Council and mellow ballads as a solo artist, singer-songwriter Paul Weller is about to release Weller At The BBC Volume 2 - a series of session recordings of his classic hits and interpretations of other artists' songs. He .discusses his musical evolution and his influences.
She's been rather overshadowed by fellow writers such as James Kelman and Alasdair Gray, but in her centenary year Scottish novelist Agnes Owens (who died in 2014) is being celebrated with two exhibitions, and the republication of out-of-print books with new introductions by contemporary writers. Owens' son and literary executor John Crosbie and novelist Kirstin Innes discuss her significance as a writer and her trademark tone.
Writer Fran Kranz discusses his play Mass, in which the parents of a school shooter meet those of a victim, and which is currently running at the Donmar Warehouse in London.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan
WED 20:00 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
WED 20:45 Human Intelligence (m0027505)
Series 1
Collectors: Denis Diderot
Naomi Alderman looks at the remarkable way Denis Diderot connected ideas and people. In 18th-century Paris, he edited one of the very first encyclopaedias: twenty-eight volumes with tens of thousands of articles on everything from the concept of liberty to cutting-edge medical research, the manufacture of silk stockings and a recipe for apricot jam. Diderot was the perfect man for the job – energised by veering from one subject to the next and undeterred by fierce opposition from the Church or even a government ban on the entire project.
Special thanks to Kate Tunstall, Professor of French and Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones Fellow in Modern Languages at Worcester College, University of Oxford.
Produced by BBC Studios Audio in partnership with The Open University.
WED 21:00 The Life Scientific (m002vmd6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 All in the Mind (m002vmd8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 on Tuesday]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002vmnj)
Golders Green attack declared a terrorist incident
A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two Jewish men were stabbed in north London. The government's independent reviewer of terrorism and state threats legislation, Jonathan Hall KC, tells us that attacks on Jewish people in the UK have now become "the biggest national security emergency" since 2017.
Also in the programme: A new study has found that 11 types of cancer, including bowel and ovarian cancer, are becoming more common in young people. And we report from Scotland, where the war in Iran has reignited debate about the pace of the UK's transition from oil and gas to renewable energy.
WED 22:45 The Prisoner by Sally Carson (m002vmnl)
Episode 3
The Prisoner by Sally Carson is the 1936 sequel to her novel Crooked Cross, first published in 1934 and based on her first-hand experience of travelling through Bavaria witnessing the inexorable and devastating rise of fascism. The Prisoner was written by Carson whilst she was on holiday in Germany in 1935. Carson was only 38 when she died in 1941 of breast cancer, so she never lived to see the end of the war - which makes her novels and her foresight even more extraordinary.
Despite the excellent reviews for both books, both she and the texts disappeared. Long out of print, they were recently rediscovered by Persephone Books and republished.
The Prisoner picks up the story of the Kluger family a few months after the death of Lexa Kluger and her boyfriend Moritz Wiseman who were hounded and hunted down on the mountains between their home town of Kranach and Austria. The reason – relationships between Germans and Jews were now forbidden. Despite his family being long assimilated and his father having won an Iron Cross in the First World War fighting for his country, Germany, Moritz, while technically not Jewish because his mother wasn’t, had a Jewish surname.
The Prisoner follows the Klugers as they try to make sense of Lexa’s death, each in their own way. And in particular Helmy, Lexa’s brother, who was on patrol on the mountain that night. The trauma of what he witnessed has affected his behaviour so much that his family now fear for his safety as the Nazi Party tightens its grip on German society.
Reader: Daniel Weyman
Abridged by Sara Davies
Produced by Caroline Raphael
Production Co-ordinator: Dawn Williams
Recorded and mixed by Matt Bainbridge
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:00 Brian & Roger (m002vmnn)
5. Agamemnon
A new series of the hit podcast specially recorded for Radio 4.
Brian and his mate Ian have devised a new product idea that's going to make them a fortune. It's an investment opportunity that Roger can't resist, but before it goes to market, they need a guinea pig to test the science.
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 (m002vmnq)
Series 16
2. Lie Back and Think of England
Starmer has a problem, Trump has a ballroom blitz, and Charles lies back and thinks of England.
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 (m002vmns)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
THURSDAY 30 APRIL 2026
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002vmnv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 00:30 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sf59)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002vmnx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002vmnz)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:00 News Summary (m002vmp1)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002vmp3)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002vmp5)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002vmp7)
Mentorship or friendship?
Good morning.
A few years ago, I was promoted in my job as a Community Centre Manager and the new responsibilities that came with becoming a manager terrified me. Shortly after, a more experienced work colleague stepped in and offered to mentor me. With her help, I went from being a timid caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly.
Since the start of this year, I have been challenged to try and find a mentor again. It has been a while since I was intentional about having an older person step into my life as a trusted guide, an influential role model who can teach me crucial life lessons by simply sharing their experience. As I am evolving in my career, personal development and spiritual life, I realised that there are so many areas I still need to grow in and would appreciate someone who can bring in fresh perspective, a gentle challenge and space to reflect on my journey so far.
In Proverbs we read “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”. This well-known and well quoted Bible scripture reminded me that we as people are refined and strengthened through close, constructive and challenging interactions and relationships. Mentorship is a perfect example of this as it involves mutual growth, accountability and character development. It is a two-way stream of teaching and learning where both parties develop friendship and go on this journey of giving and receiving and what an adventure it can be. That’s when I had my lightbulb moment, I recognised that I already had a friend who plays this role so well in my life but our quarterly catch-ups have just never been formerly labelled as ‘mentorship’.
Today, I take a moment to be grateful for the people that show up in my life as a mentor and for their devotion in seeing me mature into the fullness of who I was created to be.
Amen.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002vmp9)
30/04/26 Agro-forestry pioneer, Welsh election, decline in dawn chorus birds
Mixing trees and farming in agro-forestry: why the key to resilient farming could be trees. We're looking at this all this week and today we hear from a British pioneer.
A week today millions of people will head to the polls to vote in a number of local council and mayoral elections in England, while voters in Scotland and Wales will elect representatives to their national parliaments. Farming policy is largely devolved to the governments in Edinburgh and Cardiff, and having heard the latest from the campaign trail in Scotland yesterday, today we turn to Wales.
This Sunday is International Dawn Chorus day. The RSPB is using the occasion to celebrate a rise in the number of young people bird watching, though the British Trust for Ornithology warns that there are fewer birds for them to see and hear.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
THU 06:00 Today (m002vmk0)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m002vmk4)
Cybernetics
Misha Glenny and guests discuss cybernetics – the field of study which gave us the prefix ‘cyber’ and helped lay the foundations for the information age. After the Second World War, cybernetics emerged as the study of communication, feedback, and control in both animals and machines. Cybernetics was first defined in 1948 by the American mathematician Norbert Wiener (1894-1964) and aimed to find a shared universal language which could be used across disciplines. The name drew on an Ancient Greek word for steersman, the person who stands at the helm of a ship to steer or govern its course. Cybernetics saw the world as systems which used loops of information and feedback to adjust their own course of action. Those ideas could be applied to anything from thermostats to the human brain, and arguably laid foundations for the information age.
With
Jacob Ward
Historian of science and technology at Maastricht University
Jon Agar
Professor of Science and Technology Studies at University College London
And
Orit Halpern
Lighthouse Professor and Chair of Digital Cultures at Technische Universität Dresden
Producer: Martha Owen
Reading list:
Peter Galison, 'The ontology of the enemy: Norbert Wiener and the cybernetic vision' (Critical Inquiry 21, 1994)
Slava Gerovitch, From Newspeak to Cyberspeak: A History of Soviet Cybernetics (MIT Press, 2004)
Orit Halpern, Beautiful Data: A History of Vision and Reason (Duke University Press, 2015)
Orit Halpern, Robert Mitchell and Bernard Dionysius Geoghegan, The Smartness Mandate: Notes toward a Critique (Grey Room 68, 2017)
Orit Halpern, Financializing Intelligence: On the Integration of Machines and Markets (e-flux, March 2023)
N. Katherine Hayles, How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature, and Informatics (University of Chicago Press, 1999)
Steve J. Heims, John Von Neumann and Norbert Wiener, From Mathematics to the Technologies of Life and Death (MIT Press, 1980)
Ronald R. Kline, The Cybernetics Moment: Or Why We Call Our Age The Information Age (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015)
Eden Medina, Cybernetic Revolutionaries: Technology and Politics in Allende’s Chile (MIT Press, 2011)
David A. Mindell, Between Human and Machine: Feedback, Control, and Computing before Cybernetics (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004)
Andrew Pickering, The Cybernetic Brain: Sketches of Another Future (University of Chicago Press, 2010)
Norbert Wiener, The Human Use of Human Beings: Cybernetics and Society (first published 1950; Da Capo Press, 1988)
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 (m002vmk8)
Game On (with Natalie Haynes)
Ready Player One?
Natalie Haynes joins Armando once again to talk about the rise of prediction markets, and how they might affect political language. We also look at the respective war memes from the US and Iran, and how they are taking their cues from video games.
Elsewhere, we discuss the Arc de Trump, Armando's bag of filth, and whether a Sphinx might look good on the White House lawn.
Got a strong message for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Sound editing: Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator: Giulia Mazzu
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Recorded at the Sound Company
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002vmkd)
Philippa Perry, Antisemitism, Undiagnosed children, Simone Pennant
Shrink Solves Murder is the first novel by the artist and psychotherapist Philippa Perry. She talks to Anita Rani about her new book and protagonist Patricia Philipps, who like Philippa is also a psychotherapist. However the similarity ends when Patricia turns sleuth after one of her patients turns up dead.
Two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green in north London yesterday, in an incident police are treating as a terrorist incident. The attack took place in an area with a large Jewish population and comes amid a wider rise in antisemitic incidents across the UK. The government’s independent adviser on terrorism legislation, Jonathan Hall KC, has said attacks targeting Jewish people now represent "the biggest national security emergency" in almost a decade. To talk more about the impact on families, children and communities we are joined by Debbie Fox, the chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, which represents the largest Jewish organisations in the UK.
The NHS says there are around 6,000 children born each year in the UK with genetic conditions so rare they remain undiagnosed and unnamed. This group of children, known as SWAN children, Syndromes Without A Name, have complex medical needs. Ten years ago Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity funded the world’s first nurse specialising in this area at Great Ormond Street. They have now secured a second post. We hear from SWAN nurses Anna Jewitt and Lucy Michaels along with Tali Drumgoon, the mother of Roscoe who is undiagnosed and who's under the care of the SWAN nurses at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Simone Pennant, the founder and CEO of The TV Collective, has just been presented with the 2026 BAFTA Television Craft Special Award at this year’s ceremony. It was in recognition for her outstanding contribution, championing diversity within the screen industries. She joins us to discuss her work and what it means to receive the award.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Andrea Kidd
THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m002vmkh)
Lubaina Himid
Turner Prize-winning Artist Lubaina Himid talks to John Wilson about her formative influences. She made her name in the mid-1980s as a pioneering member of the British black arts movement, organising exhibitions to champion the work of fellow women artists. Having trained as a theatre designer, her paintings and installation pieces often have a strong narrative aspect, telling stories of race, history and identity. In 2017, at the age of 63, she became the oldest artist to win the Turner Prize, as well as the first black woman to do so. The following year, she was made a CBE for services to art. In 2026, Lubaina Himid will represent Britain at the international arts festival, the Venice Biennale.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
THU 11:45 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sg16)
Episode 4
As their ship leaves New York Harbour and sails down the jagged coast of South America, Joshua falls dangerously ill. The treacherous first mate is imprisoned in the brig for insubordination. With no obvious option for a new captain, Mary Ann steps into the breach forced to take the helm from her husband. Within days she has put down a mutiny and must now attempt to steer this 216’ clipper ship laden with the modern equivalent of $11 million dollars of cargo through Drake’s Passage and around Cape Horn – the most treacherous waters in the world.
Author Tilar J. Mazzeo undertook an expedition of her own to Cape Horn and Antarctica in 2022 to retrace Mary Ann’s footsteps. Drawing on her own first-hand experiences, as well as new archival research into nineteenth century women’s maritime writing, this thrilling adventure blows apart the well-worn image of the meek, retiring nineteenth-century wife.
Read by Nina Bowers.
Written by Tilar J. Mazzeo
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Producer: Lu Kemp
Tilar J Mazzeo is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a half-dozen award-winning non-fiction cultural histories, including Widow Cliquot – now a major Hollywood Film.
THU 12:00 News Summary (m002vmkk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 Scam Secrets (m002vmkm)
The Podcast Scam
You've been invited onto a well-known podcast (not this one). They'll even pay you to take part. Would you know what to do?
Shari Vahl, Alex Wood and Dr Lis Carter unravel an elaborate scam that's aimed at people and organisations with a big social following. They hear from a dog groomer who was tricked into handing over her Facebook account by an extremely convincing-sounding invitation to appear on a US podcast. The same trick has been used on other charities and influencers and it's made even harder to spot because the podcast does exist. So how are you supposed to check?
And crucially, what are the criminals really after?
PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002vmkp)
Vibration Plates
Can Vibration Plates help with fitness, bone density, and even lymphatic drainage?
They've been around for a while but vibration plates seem to be having another 'moment'. Originally touted as a piece of fitness kit for the gym or home, the latest ads on social media seem to be promoting claims around benefits to bone density and lymphatic drainage.
Listeners Natasha and Steve got in touch wanting to know whether all this could really be true of a single wonder product! To find out, presenter Greg Foot is joined by Dr Claire Minshull, a sports rehabilitation expert, and Professor Neil Mansfield, author of the book 'Human Response to Vibration'.
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
THU 12:57 Weather (m002vmkr)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m002vmkt)
Golders Green stabbing suspect was known to Prevent
The man suspected of yesterday's attack was referred to the government's counter-terrorism programme. As the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation Jonathan Hall calls for a pause on pro-Palestinian marches, we speak to one of the march organisers, and to the health secretary Wes Streeting. Also on the programme: interest rates are held for now, but the Bank of England warns they could rise above 6%. A former deputy governor tells us what it means for the economy. And Saudi Arabia has pulled its funding for LIV golf. Why has the tournament struggled?
THU 13:45 Second-Hand Stories (m002vmkw)
Grace & The White Album
Welcome to Second-hand Stories. James Peak’s side hustle is buying bits and pieces for Tony’s antiques stall in Enfield Town in very North London. Trouble is, James is much more interested in the stories of the people he meets than the things they want to sell, which means Tony is exasperated with him 90% of the time.
Today James meets charity shop manager Grace, whose father died suddenly. But he still sorts her life out, from beyond the grave...
With Tony Lombardelli
Original Music: Lilium Beats
Executive Producer: Philip Abrams
Written, produced and presented by James Peak
An Essential Radio production for BBC Radio 4
THU 14:00 The Archers (m002vmky)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002vml0)
King's Pawn
The Prince and the Peloton
Comedy drama series created by Alan Harris and Katherine Chandler.
Laura King and her grandchildren Sonny and Little Laura run Cardiff's oldest pawnbrokers. They are trying to save it from being bulldozed and replaced by a massive sports themed hotel, but the bat plan was worse than useless and Sonny's no anatomy expert, so it seems that all is lost. The developers have finally won. Or have they? Time to call in an old gambling debt.
EPSIODE 3 - THE PRINCE AND THE PELOTON by Katherine Chandler
CAST
Laura - Lisa Palfrey
Jim - Julian Lewis Jones
Little Laura - Lauren Morais
Sonny - Curtis Kemlo
Bryony - Nia Gandhi
Anya - Elinor Coleman
Kalyn - Kelli-Gwen Morgan
Cled Whitbread- Simon Armstrong
Kelly - Yasmin Mwanza
Harvey - Harvey Marshall
Production Coordinators: Eleri McAuliffe and Lindsay Rees
Sound Design: Catherine Robinson
Producer: John Norton
A BBC Audio Wales Production
THU 15:00 Open Country (m002vml2)
Roadside Verges
Britain's roadside verges rarely get much attention, but can play host to a whole range of plant and animal species. In this programme Martha Kearney finds out about this overlooked habitat. She meets a community group in East Sussex whose members grow plants at home specially to plant in the verges of their village, and talks to the charity Plantlife about the importance of verges as an environmental habitat. She goes out exploring with artist Nessie Ramm, who focuses on painting the tiny details of roadside verges, and who last year won the New English Art Club Climate Emergency prize for her work entitled 'Reduce Speed Now'.
Producer: Emma Campbell
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002vm8r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Feedback (m002vml4)
Fergal Keane, Doing Death Differently, and Visualisation
It's the end of this series of Feedback, and Andrea Catherwood is talking to someone who has just brought his own long run at the BBC to a definitive close. Fergal Keane has covered conflicts and events all over the world as a BBC News correspondent, and now he's stepping away. Andrea asks him for his reflections on bearing witness to many world conflicts for 37 years at the Corporation.
And last week we spoke to Jonathan Kanagasooriam, the person in charge of strategy for a new raft of video podcasts from BBC Sounds. You've been in touch with your thoughts about the discussion.
Finally, the team behind obituary programme Last Word have recently produced a series about approaching a big fear in a new way. In Doing Death Differently, presenter Matthew Bannister looks at our changing attitudes and approaches to death. Andrea sits down with Matthew to share your views on the series and discuss the different ways we memorialise the departed.
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 (m002vml6)
Can Europe build digital sovereignty?
Ask Claude a question, Google a query, order from Amazon, chat with mates on WhatsApp, tune in to Youtube. And where ever you do it from, you’ll never be somehow not in America. Because Britain, like Europe is dependent on US tech and as the AI revolution unfolds, governments are increasingly worried about it.
The new buzz phrase is digital sovereignty. But what does that mean? Is it even feasible? And can the UK and the Europe take back control?
David Aaronovitch talks to:
Stanley Pignal, Europe editor at The Economist
Cecilia Rikap, Associate Professor in Economics and Head of Research at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose
Seb Johnson, founder of Scaling Europe, a media company focused on European Tech
Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Ben Carter, Sally Abrahams, Kirsteen Knight
Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
Sound engineer: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct977j)
Why is Europe the fastest-warming continent?
The latest European State of the Climate report has found that Europe is once again getting warmer, and at a rate that is twice as fast as the global average. Tom Whipple is joined by Dr Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, to understand the driving forces behind this stark difference and anticipate what Europeans can expect in the coming years as a result.
We also remember Dr J Craig Venter, one of the famous founders of what we might now call the genomic age of science who dies this week.
In the lead-up to the 100th birthday of the world-famous broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, Inside Science is shining a spotlight on a species of scientific importance that has been named after him. This week, Dr Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou shares his treacherous search for a unique species of echidna previously thought to be extinct.
Plus, science journalist Caroline Steel fills us in on the latest science news that you might have missed - from the surprising growth rates of Neanderthal babies to 10,000 newly discovered planets.
Presenter: Tom Whipple
Producer: Alex Mansfield
Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
THU 17:00 PM (m002vml9)
Golders Green suspect named
The suspect in the Golders Green attack has been named as Essa Suleiman. In 2020 he was referred to the government's counter-terrorism programme Prevent. Katie Razzall asks former head of counter-terrorism policing Neil Basu if it is fit for purpose. We also speak to Jewish and Muslims faith leaders on how to bring communities together in times of division. Also: the Bank of England holds interest rates, our Economics Editor Faisal Islam has been speaking to the Governor Andrew Bailey. And the Royal Yacht Britannia has been voted the best day out in the world. Is it worthy of the title?
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002vmlc)
UK terrorism threat level raised to 'severe'
The UK terrorism threat level has been raised to “severe” by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, after the stabbing attack on two Jewish men in London yesterday. Also: The Bank of England has held interest rates at
3.75%. And Saudi Arabia pulls the plug on its multi-billion pound funding of the breakaway LIV Golf Tour.
THU 18:30 Stand-Up Specials (m002vmlf)
Geoff Norcott's Working Men's Club S2
S2 E2: Angry Middle-Aged White Men
This week, Geoff looks at the “angry middle-aged white men” that Gary Neville identified as the source of all division within the UK. Is that fair? If so, why are they angry? And could there be both a deeper reason for their anger and also a better outlet for it?
As ever, these serious points are intercut with “manly hypotheticals”, the sort of question men ask each other to avoid talking about stuff that matters, like - if you’re drinking non-alcoholic beer, are you still obliged to buy a round?
Written and presented by Geoff Norcott
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 (m002vmlh)
Tom nags at Natasha to put some of her more expensive items of clothing up for sale, but Natasha’s reluctant. One thing she refuses to consider is taking in a lodger.
Tracy shows Bert a selection of vapes Susan’s brought over, but he’s unimpressed. Tracy then makes Bert do some Chair Tai Chi, as she agrees with Susan that he needs to get healthier. Bert reckons he just needs to be looked after better and Tracy loses patience, forcing him out for a walk. Recalling how brilliantly Ivy cared for everyone Tracy reckons she’d be nagging Bert to be more independent. Bert suggests Tracy find him a lady friend – that’d put a spring in his step.
Lilian finds Brian brooding on how close Miranda and Oliver have become, but Lilian’s sympathies are with Miranda, after recent events. Lilian probes what’s going on between Brian and Adam, while Brian seeks insider information on Justin selling his shares, but Lilian’s giving nothing away. They’re surprised to find Natasha coming out of the Dower House, having been to see Justin. Back at the Tearoom Natasha tells Tom she’s offered to show two groups of potential buyers for Justin’s shares round Ambridge next week – and he’s agreed to pay handsomely! Lilian admires Natasha’s chutzpah, before Brian finally explains about promising Home Farm to Adam, then changing his mind as he doesn’t want to disinherit Ruairi. Lilian stands up for Adam, but Brian insists he can’t tell Adam the truth about Ruairi, fearing they’d only end up arguing again. Lilian offers to speak to Adam instead.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m002vmlk)
Review: Spanish master Zurbarán at the National Gallery
Tom Sutcliffe is joined by playwright Mark Ravenhill and academic and critic Maria Delgado to review:
The first major UK exhibition of Spanish master Francisco de Zurbarán at the National Gallery.
A new Spanish language series adaptation of Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits on Amazon Prime video.
Please Please Me by Tom Wright, a play about manager Brian Epstein and The Beatles at the Kiln Theatre in London.
Plus Tom speaks to the winner of the prestigious Donatella Flick Conducting Competition, seen on the series Making of a Maestro.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Lucy Collingwood
THU 20:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002vmln)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Wednesday]
THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002vmls)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:15 on Wednesday]
THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002vm7s)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m002vmk8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002vmly)
UK terrorism threat level raised to 'severe' following Golders Green stabbings
The raised threat level means an attack is highly likely in the next six months, the government says. The former head of the UK's National Counter Terrorism Security Office, Chris Phillips, tells us authorities should have taken a much stronger line against protests in which anti-Semitic sentiments were shared.
Also in the programme: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth spends another day on Capitol Hill answering questions about the Iran war and when it might end. And should an algorithm decide which school your child is allowed to attend?
THU 22:45 The Prisoner by Sally Carson (m002vmm2)
Episode 4
The Prisoner by Sally Carson is the 1936 sequel to her novel Crooked Cross, first published in 1934 and based on her first-hand experience of travelling through Bavaria witnessing the inexorable and devastating rise of fascism. The Prisoner was written by Carson whilst she was on holiday in Germany in 1935. Carson was only 38 when she died in 1941 of breast cancer, so she never lived to see the end of the war - which makes her novels and her foresight even more extraordinary.
Despite the excellent reviews for both books, both she and the texts disappeared. Long out of print, they were recently rediscovered by Persephone Books and republished.
The Prisoner picks up the story of the Kluger family a few months after the death of Lexa Kluger and her boyfriend Moritz Wiseman who were hounded and hunted down on the mountains between their home town of Kranach and Austria. The reason – relationships between Germans and Jews were now forbidden. Despite his family being long assimilated and his father having won an Iron Cross in the First World War fighting for his country, Germany, Moritz, while technically not Jewish because his mother wasn’t, had a Jewish surname.
The Prisoner follows the Klugers as they try to make sense of Lexa’s death, each in their own way. And in particular Helmy, Lexa’s brother, who was on patrol on the mountain that night. The trauma of what he witnessed has affected his behaviour so much that his family now fear for his safety as the Nazi Party tightens its grip on German society.
Reader: Daniel Weyman
Abridged by Sara Davies
Produced by Caroline Raphael
Production Co-ordinator: Dawn Williams
Recorded and mixed by Matt Bainbridge
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002vmm6)
Going for Growth: Can We Make Britain Wealthy Again? (Matt Clifford)
This week, Amol speaks to Matt Clifford, co-founder of Entrepreneurs First and former AI adviser to Number 10. Matt’s radical idea is simple; he wants to make Britain wealthy again by supercharging economic growth. He argues that economic stagnation has left the UK with flat living standards and wages. In short, he says, Britain needs a pay rise - and the way to get it is through a rapid adoption of AI, and backing entrepreneurs.
But what are the challenges? Amol and Matt discuss the potential winners and losers in the AI revolution, the dangers of cutting red tape, and whether economic growth really is the best way of improving our lives.
GET IN TOUCH
* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk
Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and Monday. 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 Rufus Gray and Oscar Pearson. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Ricardo McCarthy. The Senior News Editor is Sam Bonham.
THU 23:30 Soul Music (m001ypsm)
Northern Sky
"I never felt magic crazy as this....."
For some it's a beacon of hope, for others a metaphor for love. 'Northern Sky' is the penultimate track on Nick Drake's 1971 album 'Bryter Layter'. The sound was shaped by the Velvet Underground's John Cale who added the piano, organ and celeste. His records didn't sell well much to Nick's disappointment, but after his death in 1974 his music and genius became much better-known. These are just some of the stories from whose lives have been profoundly touched by this iconic track.
Gordon Hunter had a difficult childhood and says hearing 'Northern Sky' brought a meditative sense of calm to his life, like "finding treasure."
Nick Drake's producer Joe Boyd remembers how John Cale became involved in the recording, and his sadness that Nick never got the recognition he deserved in his own lifetime.
Singer-songwriter Alex Hart took a job on the Covid-19 111 helpline during the first lockdown and listened to 'Northern Sky' on the drives home. Alex covered the track for one of her albums.
Musicians Neil MacColl and Kate St John fell in love on the 'Way To Blue' tour in 2011 and discuss their performance of 'Northern Sky' and Kate's string arrangements. Neil walks us through Nick's guitar tunings and the song's lyrics.
It's a song that reminds Laura Barton of spring and the first rush of love which she experienced as a student in Oxford.
"Brighten my northern sky."
Producer: Toby Field for BBC Audio Bristol
Technical Producer: Michael Harrison
Editor: Emma Harding
FRIDAY 01 MAY 2026
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002vmmg)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 00:30 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sg16)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002vmml)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002vmmq)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:00 News Summary (m002vmmv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:04 The Briefing Room (m002vml6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Thursday]
FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002vmn1)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002vmn5)
Honeymoon from hell?
Good morning.
Last year I got married to the love of my life and we got an invitation to enjoy our honeymoon on a gorgeously quiet Greek Island by my old manager who had relocated there. We accepted the invitation, booked the flights, secured the accommodation and were finally on our way to enjoy the most incredible week of rest, which we thoroughly deserved after months of wedding planning. Upon arrival, the owner of the apartment warmly welcomed us, showed us into our room only to now break the sad news that our friend who we had come to visit sadly passed away the day before.
What? How? I had been interacting with her the whole week before travelling. Was this a joke? I felt lost for words and tried to get my head around the news, but when the reality finally sank in, I broke down and wept. Life has a way of throwing unexpected curveballs, and this one was certainly one we did not anticipate. How do you begin to enjoy your sweet, romantic honeymoon when grieving a friend? I feel like I went through the 5 stages of grief in those 5 days, from denial, anger, bargaining, depression and then finally acceptance; all while trying to be present and make new memories. Yet even in those dark moments of processing that loss, I felt such a deep peace that I knew was from God and was able to have precious time reminiscing and sharing memories of my friend with my husband who sadly never got to meet her. In life we are constantly carrying both lament and joy simultaneously. Death is very much a part of our existence here on earth, one that we can’t escape. Today, I pray that we may find peace and joy even in a season of grief and loss.
Amen.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002vmn9)
Farmers are hoping that a dry April will be followed by a wet few weeks. Some parts of the country, notably in the East of England, have had between 2% and 4% of the expected rainfall last month. This feels a lot like last year when the dry spring led to a loss of yields and even failed crops and that hit the bottom lines of farming businesses. Some farmers are warning that without rain soon we could see the same again this year.
Less than a week to go now before elections across the UK. We've talked about the issues rural voters in Wales and Scotland are considering as they vote for their national governments who control agricultural policy, today we're turning our attention to the council elections in England.
We've been talking all week about agro-forestry: planting trees alongside crops or livestock grazing. Today we hear how hedgerows can benefit farms.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
FRI 06:00 Today (m002vnfs)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 The Reunion (m002vm94)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Sunday]
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002vnfv)
Primary school suspensions, Chess, Female birdsong
According to the latest Department of Education data, more than 7000 children under six were suspended in the 24 /25 school year in England and the number of children losing learning to repeat suspensions has doubled in two years, with the steepest rises among the youngest. This is against a slowing of suspensions in secondary schools. So why is this happening in primary schools? Anita Rani is joined by Kiran Gill, chief executive of The Difference, a school leadership charity who's been analysing this data.
Last month eleven year old Bodhana Sivanandan became England’s highest ranked female chess player. The numbers of women registering to compete is slowly rising, but the game is still male dominated. Anita talks to two women who work in chess to find out more - Sarah Longson, CEO of the UK chess challenge, and chess player and streamer Sarah El Barbry.
Last October a Sikh woman was subjected to racially aggravated rape and assault in her own home just outside Birmingham. Perpetrator John Ashby followed his victim - a stranger to him - off a bus into her house, where he carried out the brutal assault. Last week he was sentenced to life in prison. The BBC's Midlands Correspondent Phil Mackie joins Anita to tell us more about the case, alongside Sukhvinder Kaur, the Chair of Trustees at Sikh Women's Aid.
As the spring dawn chorus reaches its peak, a new book is challenging long held assumptions about birdsong, and revealing the overlooked role of female birds. Researcher Lucy McRobert, collaborator for the new book, The Sound of Birding: Second Edition, joins Anita to tune our ears to a richer, more complex soundscape.
Pippa Cleary is the only female British composer to have had three musicals in the West End, with hits like The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole and The Great British Bake Off Musical. Her latest show, Bank of Dave the Musical, co-written with Rob Madge, is about to make its world premiere and she joins Anita to talk about turning the true life story of Dave Fishwick into a joyful stage show.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Corinna Jones
FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002v04z)
Food Stories of Roots and Roads
Dan Saladino reports from Parabere Forum, a gathering of food storytellers, featuring Olia Hercules on the Ukrainian cooks who inspired her, indigenous Australian chef Mindy Woods on saving First Nations' cuisine and Palestinian writer Fidaa Abuhamdiya with a powerful story of olive trees and oil from the West Bank.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.
FRI 11:45 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sg5k)
Episode 5
Summer 1856. Nineteen-year-old Mary Ann Patten and her husband, Joshua, are young and ambitious. Both from New England seafaring families, they have already completed their first voyage around the world with Joshua as captain. Their dream of building a home and a family is coming within reach. It would mean freedom. But the price of that freedom is one last dangerous transit – a race to deliver supplies to the California Gold Rush.
As their ship leaves New York Harbour and sails down the jagged coast of South America, Joshua falls dangerously ill. The treacherous first mate is imprisoned in the brig for insubordination. With no obvious option for a new captain, Mary Ann steps into the breach forced to take the helm from her husband. Within days she has put down a mutiny and must now attempt to steer this 216’ clipper ship laden with the modern equivalent of $11 million dollars of cargo through Drake’s Passage and around Cape Horn – the most treacherous waters in the world.
Author Tilar J. Mazzeo undertook an expedition of her own to Cape Horn and Antarctica in 2022 to retrace Mary Ann’s footsteps. Drawing on her own first-hand experiences, as well as new archival research into nineteenth century women’s maritime writing, this thrilling adventure blows apart the well-worn image of the meek, retiring nineteenth-century wife.
Read by Nina Bowers.
Written by Tilar J. Mazzeo
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Producer: Lu Kemp
Tilar J Mazzeo is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a half-dozen award-winning non-fiction cultural histories, including Widow Cliquot – now a major Hollywood Film.
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002vnfx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 AntiSocial (m002vnfz)
Renting and discrimination
An investigation by The Telegraph reveals hundreds of adverts advertising "Muslim-only" flat and room rentals. Some say the newspaper's reports, which also uncover other apparent equality breaches, are a worrying sign of unchecked discrimination. Others question the focus on Muslims and argue that some forms of discrimination in renting are understandable, even necessary. We find out what the law says, step back in time to understand the link between property and race in the UK, and look at some housing developments specifically designed for certain groups.
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Production team: Simon Tulett, Annabel Deas, Ellie House and Bob Howard
Studio manager: Hal Haines
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy
FRI 12:57 Weather (m002vng1)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m002vng3)
The Renters' Rights Act comes into force
It's been hailed as the biggest change to renting in a generation, but not everyone is happy. We speak to the Director of Renters' Reform Coalition and the National Residential Landlords Association. Also on The World at One, a man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London on Wednesday. Labour peer Lord Alf Dubs issues a grave warning about the rise of antisemitism in Britain. And, we're on board the train from Settle to Carlisle as it celebrates 150 years since its first passenger service.
FRI 13:45 Second-Hand Stories (m002vng5)
Cath & The Painting
Welcome to Second-hand Stories. James Peak’s side hustle is buying bits and pieces for Tony’s antiques stall in Enfield Town in very North London. Trouble is, James is much more interested in the stories of the people he meets than the things they want to sell, which means Tony is exasperated with him 90% of the time.
In today's episode, Tony wants more art for the stall, so James heads off to meet Cath the artist, who lost an important painting when the couriers went wrong. But losing the painting made her confront some things about her life...
With Tony Lombardelli
Original Music: Lilium Beats
Executive Producer: Philip Abrams
Written, produced and presented by James Peak
An Essential Radio production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002vmlh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m001wnsw)
Sabine
Episode 5
Armed with the USB drive of Sabine’s recordings, Elly retraces her sister’s movements on the night she died. It’s a race against time to find Sabine’s killer and avert further tragedy.
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 secret life in Brighton her sister kept hidden. Sabine is a new five-part murder mystery by Mark Healy.
CAST
Elly ..... Sorcha Groundsell
Sabine ..... Freya Mavor
Mia ..... Aisling Loftus
Oakley ..... Rupert Evans
Daniel ..... Ivanno Jeremiah
Ziggy ..... Ian Dunnett Jr
Becca ..... Rhiannon Neads
Rutherford ..... Jessica Turner
Poppy ..... Juliana Lisk
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 (m0012fsx)
Series 1
The Worm
In 1988, the first major computer worm shook the early internet to his core, disabling computers across the network and even causing panic in the Pentagon. Biella uncovers the story with Eugene Spafford, the first person to analyse the worm that caused so much chaos, and finds out why worms can still be so devastating decades later.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002vng7)
From The Archives: Summer Colour
Kathy Clugston guides us through the GQT archives to hear how our panellists and experts, old and new, advise on delivering dazzling displays of summer colour.
Along the way, the gardeners explore how thoughtful structural planting underpins great colour all season long, explain why deadheading matters, and reveal the origins of the Chelsea chop.
They also advise on watering in hot weather, compost mixes for long-lasting displays, and the surprising relationships between insects and plants. So if you're anti-Ant, hear how Dr Chris Thorogood gives some positive PR to these charming creatures often mislabelled as 'pests'.
Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Assistant Producer: William Norton
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m002vng9)
Now That Summer's Coming by Deirdre Anna Rose Kelly
An original short story specially commissioned by BBC Radio 4 to mark Bealtaine, the Gaelic festival heralding the beginning of summer traditionally held on the first day of May. Written and read by Deirdre Anna Rose Kelly.
The Author.
Deirdre Anna Rose Kelly is a writer from Donegal, who lives in Belfast. She is a member of the Duncairn Arts Centre's Creative Collective. She has read her work on stage and on BBC Radio Ulster.
Writer: Deirdre Anna Rose Kelly
Reader: Deirdre Anna Rose Kelly
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002vngc)
Xia De-hong, Lord Hunt of Chesterton, Joan Burstein, Bill Leader
Xia De-hong, inspired her daughter Jung Chang to write the best selling book Wild Swans about her trials and tribulations at the hands of the Chinese government.
Lord Hunt, the meteorologist and former Director General and Chief Executive of the Met Office, who was an expert in turbulence.
Joan Burstein, ran the influential Browns boutique in London’s South Molton Street, backing the careers of many leading designers.
Bill Leader, the recording engineer who captured all the leading performers of the folk revival of the 1960s and 70s.
Presenter: Matthew Bannister
Producer: Ben Mitchell
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Andrea Kennedy
Archive:
Tomorrow's World, BBC One,18/11/1965; You and Yours, BBC Radio 4, 27/06/2005; My Life in Seven Charms, with Annoushka Ducas MBE, 27/05/2021; Joan Burstein Browns 50 Testimonial, Browns Fashion (Uploaded to Youtube - 22 Oct 2020); Best of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, BBC Two, Uploaded to Youtube
FRI 16:30 Life Changing (m002vmlt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m002vngf)
Leader of the Greens apologises for sharing a post criticising Golders Green police officers
Speaking to the BBC, The Prime Minister criticised Zack Polanski's judgement. We bring you the latest on the fallout from the attack as a man appears in court charged with attempted murder. Also on PM, we'll have a report from Birmingham as parties battle for control of it's council. And, can you tell your cod from your catfish? The BBC investigates what you're really taking home from the chippy.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002vngh)
Green Party leader apologises for sharing post criticising officers in Golders Green
The leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, Zack Polanski, has apologised for sharing a social media post, which criticised the police officers who arrested a suspect after two Jewish men were stabbed in North London. Also: Essa Suleiman has appeared in court charged with attempting to murder Shloime Rand and Moshi Shine in Golders Green on Wednesday. And the German airline, Lufthansa, has found an Oscar statuette which went missing on a flight from New York to Germany.
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m002vngk)
Series 120
3. When the King came round for tea
This week you’re all cordially invited to join us for King Charles’ state visit to Donald Trump’s White House. Please dress to impress. We’ll also be digging into the state of the nation ahead of the upcoming elections on 7th May. Plus, what do we think about MPs drinking at work?
Written by Andy Zaltzman.
With additional material by: Matt Hulme, Eleri Morgan, Joe Topping and Angela Channell
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Coordinator: Asha Osborne-Grinter
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m002vngm)
While Ruth waits to hear from Josh, David moans about his Borchester Show workload, before going to meet George and Amber to discuss marketing ideas. George is nervous about making his pitch to David, hoping it will kick-start his business back into life and boost Amber’s ambitions. When David arrives, Amber leads on explaining their concept, with George chipping in. David thinks it sounds amazing but also wants them to promote farming generally. George suggests adding sweeping aerial footage, only he’ll need to buy a new drone. David can’t pay him up front, but George assures David he’ll find the money from somewhere. Later, George promises Amber he won’t do anything dodgy to raise the money but will earn it fair and square.
David reports back positively to Ruth, who tells him Josh doesn’t want to know the result if she has the BRCA test. Ruth understands Josh saying that, but it doesn’t help her make the decision whether to have the test in the first place. David thinks they should wait to see what Azra says at next week’s appointment, and try not to worry about it until then, while Ruth apologises for being snappy.
Lilian tells Adam she knows Brian reneged on his promise about the farm. Adam doesn’t know why he did and starts opening up, before they’re interrupted. Later, Adam suggests several reasons why Brian has something against him, assuming he’ll never change. Lilian hints at another reason behind Brian’s volte face, mentioning Ruairi, then covers up, insisting Brian isn’t as callous as he seems.
FRI 19:15 Screenshot (m002vngp)
Teachers
Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode head back to class to learn how teachers have been depicted on screen, from Goodbye, Mr Chips to Adolescence. What can film and television teach us, if anything, about what it takes to be a good teacher?
Mark speaks to east London-based teacher and film critic Charlotte Harrison about the enduring appeal of inspirational mentor figures in cinema, from Sidney Poitier in To Sir, with Love to Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society, and how far these stories reflect - or distort - the realities of life in the classroom. She also highlights the films and TV series that come closest to capturing the day-to-day experience of teaching.
Ellen talks to Guz Khan, star of Man Like Mobeen, who first honed his crowd-control skills in a Coventry classroom before turning to stand-up comedy and acting, about how screen depictions compare with his own experience as a teacher.
She also speaks to British television legend Sir Philip Redmond about Grange Hill, the groundbreaking, long-running school drama he created in 1978, whose characters - from Mr Bronson to Mrs McClusky - became as familiar to generations of British pupils as their real-life teachers.
Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002vngr)
Hilary Benn MP, Robbie Moore MP, Lisa Smart MP, Gawain Towler
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Grassington Town Hall in North Yorkshire with the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Labour MP Hilary Benn; Conservative MP and shadow environment minister, Robbie Moore; the Liberal Democrats' Cabinet Office spokesperson Lisa Smart MP; and Reform UK board member, Gawain Towler.
Producer: Paul Martin
Assistant Producer: Jo Dwyer
Production Coordinator: Ishmael Soriano
Lead broadcaster engineer: Mike Smith
Editor: Colin Paterson
FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002vmm5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:40 on Wednesday]
FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m002vngt)
Weapons, real and symbolic
How do weapons exert real and symbolic power, both now and in history?
Joining Matthew Sweet for Radio 4's roundtable discussion programme about ideas are:
The former soldier and politician Tobias Ellwood
The sculptor Hew Locke, whose artworks exploring colonial power have featured weaponry
The Renaissance historian Catherine Fletcher, whose latest book is The Firearm Revolution: From Renaissance Italy to the European Empires
The historian and broadcaster Mark Urban, whose books include Tank and Rifles
and
Hailey Austin, Lecturer in Visual Media and Culture at Abertay University who researches comics and videogames.
Producer: Eliane Glaser
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002vngw)
Trump tells Congress he does not need their approval for Iran war
President Trump has told Congress he does not need their authorisation for the Iran war, arguing the ongoing ceasefire means hostilities have "terminated".
Also in the programme:
As calls grow for restrictions on pro-Palestinian protests to combat rising anti-Semitism in the UK, we hear from one Jewish activist who regularly joins the marches. As Islamist fighters surround the Malian capital, we speak to someone inside the city. And on the trail of London's bats.
FRI 22:45 The Prisoner by Sally Carson (m002vngy)
Episode 5
The Prisoner by Sally Carson is the 1936 sequel to her novel Crooked Cross, first published in 1934 and based on her first-hand experience of travelling through Bavaria witnessing the inexorable and devastating rise of fascism. The Prisoner was written by Carson whilst she was on holiday in Germany in 1935. Carson was only 38 when she died in 1941 of breast cancer, so she never lived to see the end of the war - which makes her novels and her foresight even more extraordinary.
Despite the excellent reviews for both books, both she and the texts disappeared. Long out of print, they were recently rediscovered by Persephone Books and republished.
The Prisoner picks up the story of the Kluger family a few months after the death of Lexa Kluger and her boyfriend Moritz Wiseman who were hounded and hunted down on the mountains between their home town of Kranach and Austria. The reason – relationships between Germans and Jews were now forbidden. Despite his family being long assimilated and his father having won an Iron Cross in the First World War fighting for his country, Germany, Moritz, while technically not Jewish because his mother wasn’t, had a Jewish surname.
The Prisoner follows the Klugers as they try to make sense of Lexa’s death, each in their own way. And in particular Helmy, Lexa’s brother, who was on patrol on the mountain that night. The trauma of what he witnessed has affected his behaviour so much that his family now fear for his safety as the Nazi Party tightens its grip on German society.
Reader: Daniel Weyman
Abridged by Sara Davies
Produced by Caroline Raphael
Production Co-ordinator: Dawn Williams
Recorded and mixed by Matt Bainbridge
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 23:00 Americast (w3ct8lz0)
LIVE at Castfest! How popular is Donald Trump?
Why aren’t Democrats more popular, given the president’s low approval ratings in significant areas such as the economy? And what do Americans really think of Donald Trump?
In this special episode of Americast, recorded live at Maida Vale studios in London for Castfest (celebrating some of the BBC’s best loved news podcasts) we look at recent polling for both Donald Trump, and the Democrats. Why has the president lost support, and how worried should the Republican party be, given the possibility of losing control of Congress in November’s midterm elections?
Justin, Sarah, Anthony and Marianna also hear why former Trump loyalist Tucker Carlson who is now apologising for helping to get Donald Trump elected, and the wider impact this may have on Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) base.
We also take a closer look at polling for the Democrats and why the party is not more popular. What should Democrats be doing ahead of the presidential election in 2028 to increase their support?
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
• Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations 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 Alix Pickles and Purvee Pattni. The technical producer was Robbie Hayward, the video producers were Grace Braddock, Sophie Millward and Jem Westgate. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.
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Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including 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.
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Top Comment BBC Sounds - Top Comment - Available Episodes
FRI 23:30 Soul Music (m001yysn)
Tiny Dancer
Elton John's slow burner is now one of his most beloved tracks. Released in 1971 during a prolific period for Elton and Bernie Taupin, many people see themselves in the lyrics.
Eliza Hewitt grew up in a strict household in Pennsylvania. During the tumultuous early 70s, her brother introduced her to the music of Elton John, and she's still a tiny dancer in her late 60s.
Lee Hall wrote the screenplay for Rocketman, the Elton John biopic. He sees the song as a conversation between Elton and Bernie.
Podcaster Kirk Hamilton takes us through the song's slow build to a chorus which feels as though it's never going to come.
Judith Sibley's daughter Lily-Mae received a terrible diagnosis when she was just 4 years old. Along with her brother Paul and friend Steven, she channelled her efforts into recording a charity single for her ballet loving daughter, and Tiny Dancer was the obvious song.
When Ava Forte Vitali and Drew Wood met and exchanged playlists they realised how much they had in common. So much so, that Tiny Dancer had to play a part in their wedding.
Produced by Sally Heaven for BBC Audio in Bristol
Technical Producer: Ilse Lademann
Editor: Emma Harding.