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Download the best satirical comedy from Radio 4, every Friday. Features The News Quiz, Dead Ringers, The Naked Week and Too Long; Didn't Read.
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The Limelight podcast - for fiction and drama serials you won't want to miss from Radio 4.
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Brighten your week with the latest BBC Radio 4 comedy.
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Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain tackle listeners' conundrums with the power of science!
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News-making original journalism documentary series, investigating stories at home and abroad.
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From ghostly phantoms to UFOs, Danny Robins investigates real-life stories of paranormal encounters. So, are you Team Believer or Team Sceptic? Written and presented by Danny Robins Editor and Sound Designer: Charlie Brandon-King Music: Evelyn Sykes Theme Music by Lanterns on the Lake Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
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Tim Harford and the More or Less team try to make sense of the statistics which surround us. From BBC Radio 4
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Historical themes, events and key individuals from Akhenaten to Xenophon.
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Find reading inspiration with favourite books chosen by our guests.
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New research on how society works
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Lucy Worsley investigates the crimes of Victorian women from a contemporary, feminist perspective.
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Leading thinkers discuss the ideas shaping our lives – looking back at the news and making links between past and present. Broadcast as Free Thinking, Fridays at 9pm on BBC Radio 4. Presented by Matthew Sweet, Shahidha Bari and Anne McElvoy.
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A weekly programme that illuminates the mysteries and challenges the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.
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Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently
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NEW on The History Podcast: Half-Life. Drawn to a family legend about his German-Jewish family's dramatic escape from Nazi Germany in 1936, the writer Joe Dunthorne accidentally discovers a far more disturbing history.
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Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language. In this new series, Helen Lewis and Armando Iannucci investigate which political buzzwords are strong and stable and which are a crock of covfefe. Each week Helen and Armando will crack open the political phrasebook and attempt to decode the doublespeak. Why does everything now have to be 'turbo-charged'? What's the difference between a 'pledge' and a 'mission'? Why has my local MP been 'weaponised' and ...
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Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
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National and international news from BBC Radio 4.
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In-depth conversations with some of the world's leading artists and creatives across theatre, visual arts, music, dance, film and more. Hosted by John Wilson.
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Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.
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Scientific principles, theory, and the role of key figures in the advancement of science.
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Every Friday we bring you a new drama from BBC Radio 4 or Radio 3. Exercise your imagination with some of the best writers and actors on radio. Storytelling at its very best.
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Intelligent and challenging quiz games on BBC Radio 4. Featuring Round Britain Quiz, Counterpoint and Brain of Britain with Quizmasters including Paul Gambaccini, Kirsty Lang and Russell Davies.
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Political journalist Jonathan Pie gets a radio phone-in show and as his personal and professional worlds collide we see why he's so incredibly angry about absolutely everything.
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Join comedians Sunil Patel (Alice and Jack, Channel 4) and Chris Cantrill (Icklewick FM, BBC Radio 4) as they try to maintain a long-distance friendship in the face of countryside-grade internet speeds (Cantrill) and staggering apathy (Patel). Produced by Egg Mountain for A Lovely Time Productions.
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Reflections from a faith perspective on issues and people in the news.
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In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and major breaking news from a global perspective
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The big political stories with lively discussion and expert comment and analysis from politicians and journalists, 10pm every Sunday on BBC Radio 4.
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Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers telling stories beyond the news headlines. Presented by Kate Adie.
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David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news
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Combative, provocative and engaging live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories. #moralmaze
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The comedy podcast that takes history seriously. In each episode of You’re Dead to Me from BBC Radio 4, Greg Jenner is joined by a comedian and an expert historian to learn and laugh about the past. History isn’t just about dates and textbooks – it’s about extraordinary characters, amazing stories, and some very questionable fashion choices. How long did it take to build an Egyptian pyramid? What does the Bayeux Tapestry reveal about medieval life? Why did it take nearly half a millennium fo ...
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Weekly discussion programme, setting the cultural agenda every Monday
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Led by James Naughtie, a group of readers talk to acclaimed authors about their best-known novels
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Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires and motivates them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future
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An insight into the character of an influential figure making news headlines
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The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
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Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
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Ever felt like you should be better at feminism? Join comedian Deborah Frances-White and her guests for this comedy podcast, recorded in front of a live audience. Each week they discuss our noble goals as 21st century feminists and the hypocrisies and insecurities that undermine them. Deborah Frances-White is the 2016 Writers' Guild Award Winner for Best Radio Comedy for her hit BBC Radio 4 series Deborah Frances-White Rolls the Dice. She is an Edinburgh Fringe regular, a screenwriter and is ...
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Popular culture, poetry, music and visual arts and the roles they play in our society.
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Investigating every aspect of the food we eat
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Americast is the authoritative US news and politics podcast from the BBC. Each week we provide audiences with the best analysis from across the BBC, with on-the-ground observations and big picture insights about the stories which are defining America right now. The podcast is hosted by trusted BBC journalists including the BBC’s North America editor, Sarah Smith, BBC Radio 4 presenter, Justin Webb, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, Marianna Spring, and BBC North Americ ...
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Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them
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Presenter James Crawford looks at an author's latest work and delves further into their creative process by learning about the three other texts that have shaped their writing.
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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 Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world. History fans can learn about pivotal wars and societal upheavals, such as the rise and fall of Napoleon, the Sack of Rome in 1527, and the political intrigue of the Russian Revolution. Those fascinated by the lives of kings ...
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Andy Zaltzman is joined by Armando Iannucci, Ria Lina, Ian Smith and Cindy Yu for more topical comedy quizzing. This week they explore Trump’s tariff turmoil, the King’s Canadian holiday, mixed messages in the Middle East and how the Department of Justice is having trouble finishing its sentences. Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material …
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Police in India say at least 260 people have been killed in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. We're live in the city of Ahmedabad where an investigation is underway tonight - and we've been meet people in the UK who've been affected. Also tonight: The prime minister of Bangladesh tells us he's disappointed Sir Keir Starmer hasn't taken up his…
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Professor John Mullan and writer Lucy O’Brien join Tom to review More, Pulp's first album in nearly 24 years. They also discuss exhibitions by the 20th century British artists Edward Burra and Ithell Colquhoun which are running in parallel at Tate Britain. Plus they give their verdict on Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, inspired by actual experiences o…
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At least 200 people killed in Air India plane crash
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An Air India flight has crashed moments after taking off from Ahmadabad in western India. There were 242 people on board including 53 British passengers. Also: the economy has shrunk more than expected. And the makers of the BBC One panel show "Would I Lie to You" have apologised after David Walliams reportedly made a series of Nazi salutes during …
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There’s been a fair amount of focus on the concept of pronatalism recently and debate over whether it is left or right wing for governments to introduce policies that encourage women to have more babies. Others argue that the matter is too big to be consumed by the culture wars. This week, the United Nations Population Fund issued its strongest sta…
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40 years ago scientists in Antarctica discovered a hole in the Ozone layer. The world acted quickly, phasing out harmful CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons. Evidence suggests the hole has been getting smaller. But in 2025, there are new pollutants threatening to slow progress. Eloise Marais is Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Quality at Universi…
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Explainer: Putin’s motivation for war with Ukraine
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As the Ukraine war grinds on with little sign of Russian president, Vladimir Putin agreeing to a ceasefire we trace the evolution of his attitude towards Ukraine. David Aaronovitch spoke to Vitaly Shevchenko who is Russia editor for BBC Monitoring and co-presenter of the BBC’s Ukrainecast. This is part of a new mini-series called the The Briefing R…
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Michael Rosen talks to sociolinguist Dr Haru Yamada about how we listen in different ways across different cultures and social groups. It's the side of conversation that is not about talking, but which is equally - if not more - important to how we communicate. Haru is the author of 'Kiku: The Japonese Art of Good Listening', and she believes that …
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Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys remembered.
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Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys remembered Turner Prize winning artist Rachel Whiteread talks about her retrospective exhibition at the brand new Goodwood Art Foundation in Sussex. We celebrate the centenary of the National Library of Scotland and hear about its plans to send important items from its collection to museums around the country - from N…
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Composer Alan Menken is the winner of more Academy Awards in competitive categories than any other living person. He’s best known for his scores for the animated Disney films including The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. His first big hit was the musical Little Shop Of Horrors - one of several he created with lyricist …
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12 JUN 25By BBC Radio 4
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In 1710, the British Parliament passed a piece of legislation entitled An Act for the Encouragement of Learning. It became known as the Statute of Anne, and it was the world’s first copyright law. Copyright protects and regulates a piece of work - whether that's a book, a painting, a piece of music or a software programme. It emerged as a way of ba…
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I Regret Some of My Posts (with Sara Pascoe)
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This week, Helen Lewis is still away, so comedian Sara Pascoe steps in to join Armando. They reminisce over their first meeting on the set of a classic episode of The Thick of It - which was also in a radio studio - and then go on to discuss politicians on both sides of the Atlantic having thunderous breakups, and then making up in record time. Mus…
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Farming Today (12/06/2025): Farming reaction to the spending review
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Farmers say they're relieved that feared cuts to nature-friendly farming budgets didn't materialise during the chancellor's spending review. More money has been allocated to farming schemes, though Defra's budget itself is facing cuts of 2.7% in real terms. We speak to the Wildlife Trusts and the National Farmers' Union. The biggest event in the ar…
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Will voters feel better off from Chancellor's spending plans?
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What would you do with a trillion pounds of public money over the next four years? The Chancellor says "renewing Britain" is at the heart of her plans. So when will voters start to feel better off? We ask a Treasury Minister. Also on the programme: After the US Ambassador to Israel told us that Muslim countries should give up their land to create a…
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Did Donald Trump deliberately provoke the LA protests?
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Sarah and Anthony are joined by Miles Taylor to discuss events in LA and to ask whether the President is deliberately stoking protest for political ends. Miles was the Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security during Donald Trump’s first term but has since become a vocal critic. He talks about President Trump’s ambition to enact similar…
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The Chancellor sets out her spending plans for the rest of the decade
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The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has said her long-awaited spending review is an investment in a national renewal, as she set budgets for every government department until the end of the decade. Also: The UK has agreed a deal with the European Union over Gibraltar's status after Brexit. And Brian Wilson, the frontman and co-founder of the Beach Boys,…
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110625: Bluetongue, journey of a loaf, food waste
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There are calls for Wales and Scotland to join England in imposing a country-wide bluetongue restriction zone to try to contain the virus. Neither Wales nor Scotland currently have cases of the disease, which affects sheep, cattle and goats; if they don't join the restriction zone, livestock will effectively be banned from crossing the borders. Thi…
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Second update from Gaza nurse Alaa Al-ghoul.mp3
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Emergency Episode: Gaza nurse Alaa Al-ghoul Deborah Frances-White in conversation with Gaza nurse Alaa Al-ghoul Recorded 8 June 2025. Released 11 June The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Support Alaa by visiting her Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/nurse_alaa_alghoul Thank you to our amazing Patreon supporters. To support the …
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11 JUN 25By BBC Radio 4
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How do you make something 10-times more lethal?
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What does the government mean when it commits to developing a “10-times more lethal” army? Why was the much-missed Sycamore Gap tree said to be worth a strikingly exact £622,191? Are there really twice as many people teaching Yoga as there are in the fishing industry? Is the number of workers per pensioner really falling from 4 to 3 to 2? And what …
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US condemns British government sanctions on Israeli ministers
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The US has condemned a decision by the British government, alongside Canada, Norway, New Zealand and Australia, to sanction two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers. Foreign Minister David Lammy says Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich will both be banned from entering the UK and will have any assets in the UK frozen over "repeated incitements of v…
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Sarah Moss, the celebrated author of Ghost Wall, discusses her new novel Ripeness, which oscillates between tension-filled contemporary Ireland and a heady summer in 1960s Italy. Dylan Jones discusses his new book 1975: The Year The World Forgot and debates whether this was the best year for music with chief music critic of the Daily Telegraph, Nei…
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The UK sanctions two far-right Israeli ministers
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The UK and four allies have imposed sanctions on two Israeli far-right ministers for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are now banned from entering the UK. Also: Ten people have been shot dead at a secondary school in southern Austria - by a former pupil, who then killed himself. And the f…
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Seth Rockman, Associate Professor of History at Brown University, talks to Laurie Taylor about his study into the stories of the plantation goods which reveal how the American national economy was once organised by slavery. He tracks the shoes made by Massachusetts farm women that found their way to the feet of a Mississippi slave and the entrepren…
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Lucy Worsley is back with a brand new series of Lady Swindlers, where true crime meets history - with a twist. Lucy and her team of all female detectives travel back more than a hundred years to revisit the audacious and surprising crimes of swindlers, hustlers and women on the make. Women trying to make it in a world made for men. In this episode …
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Farming Today (10/06/2025): Sea pollution, genetic modification, farming bread
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As the UN Ocean Conference continues in Nice, the Marine Conservation Society aims to remind us that all land and river-based pollution, including agricultural run-off, will end up in the ocean. They're calling for a more joined-up approach to farming and fishing more sustainably. Scientists at Rothamsted Research have genetically modified an oil s…
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10 JUN 25By BBC Radio 4
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Neil Lawrence on taking down the 'digital oligarchy' and why we shouldn't fear AI
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When you think of Artificial Intelligence, does it inspire confidence, or concern? Although it's now generally accepted that this technology will play a major role in our future, a lot of conversations around AI and machine learning come back to the argument over us losing control and robots taking over. Happily, Neil Lawrence has a more optimistic…
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Ketamine was designed as an anaesthetic but its use as a recreational drug is growing fast, particularly among young people. It can have life-changing health consequences, yet the use of the drug increased by 85 per cent between 2023 and 2024. Paul Kenyon investigates the ketamine trade and discovers how tonnes of the drug are able to find their wa…
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Sunil drives a hard bargain, Chris fondly remembers the blandest of foods and James runs a website for nocturnal thrillseekers. One of the team also crosses a serious red line. Chris is doing the last ever performance of his Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated show at The Stand in Newcastle this Saturday 14th June. Grab your tickets now! You can also …
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Three-quarters of pensioners to get winter fuel payment after U-turn
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More than three-quarters of pensioners will receive the winter fuel payment this year after Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirms a major U-turn. We look at the new policy and the politics of the decision. Who are the Palestinian gunmen shooting at those trying to collect aid parcels in Gaza? And best-selling author Lee Child pays tribute to The Day of…
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Twin Peaks creator plus Ian Rankin on Frederick Forsyth
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Ian Rankin pays tribute to the best-selling thriller author Frederick Forsyth, whose death was announced today. Samira talks to Twin Peaks' co-creator Mark Frost and podcaster Mike Munser about the show's enduring legacy 35 years on, as Twin Peaks is re-released and celebrated at the BFI Film on Film Festival. Playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti talks …
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Americanswers... on 5 Live! Why has Donald Trump sent the National Guard to protests in LA?
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Donald Trump has defended his decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles despite criticism from Democrats and California officials. The US president says LA would have been "completely obliterated" otherwise and hits out at Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom, who says he's suing the Trump administration. Trump deployed 2,000 Nation…
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Millions of pensioners are getting their winter fuel payments back
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Just over ten months after the Government withdrew the winter fuel allowance from the vast majority of pensioners in England and Wales, the details of the policy's almost total reversal have been announced. Also: The head of NATO, Mark Rutte, has called on all countries in the alliance to agree to significantly increase defence spending. And Freder…
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AN INSTANCE OF THE FINGERPOST by Iain Pears, chosen by Peter KosminskyHEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING by Will Arbery, chosen by Jack ThornePERFECTION by Vincenzo Latronico, chosen by Harriett Gilbert Thorne and Kosminsky are great friends, but don't fully agree on the books discussed. Topics raised by their choices include toxic masculinity, empathy, …
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Raymond Blanc on Professor Nicholas Kurti
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The chef Raymond Blanc nominates his mentor and friend, the physicist Professor Nicholas Kurti.Kurti was born in Hungary but fled to Oxford when Hitler came to power. Pushing the frontiers of low-temperature physics during his career, he went on to create‘molecular gastronomy’ in retirement. Raymond Blanc approached Kurti after a lecture the profes…
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439. The New Age of Sexism with Laura Bates and Desiree Burch
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The Guilty Feminist Book Club. The New Age of Sexism Presented by Deborah Frances-White and Desiree Burch with special guest Laura Bates Recorded 2 June 2025 at Waterstones Piccadilly. Released 9 June. The Guilty Feminist theme composed by Mark Hodge. Get Deborah’s new book with 30% off using the code SIXCONVERSATIONSPOD https://store.virago.co.uk/…
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There is a parallel world which operates under different rules and benefits those with money and power. That’s the argument made by the journalist Atossa Araxia Abrahamian in her new book The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the world. She traces the rise of a freeports, charter cities and offshore havens. Danny Dorling contends that we’re not very g…
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09 JUN 25By BBC Radio 4
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09/06/25 Onshore salmon farm plans, breeding wheat, dual-purpose poultry.
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Grimsby could become home to the UK’s first large-scale onshore salmon farm. A judicial review has upheld North East Lincolnshire council’s decision to grant it planning permission. An animal rights group had challenged the development on fish welfare grounds. However a high court judge ruled that animal welfare concerns could be a key planning con…
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This week, we have a very special guest, Jon Stewart! Jon joins Armando and Helen to discuss whether Trump is the political equivalent of Miles Davis, the quaintness of UK politics compared to the US, Jon does a flawless Margaret Thatcher impression and they answer the age old question... are escalators the most emasculating form of travel? To hear…
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The spending review, ID cards, and Thatcher's shadow.By BBC Radio 4
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President Trump deploys National Guard in LA
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National and international news from BBC Radio 4By BBC Radio 4
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The Guilty Feminist watches And Just Like That - Season 3, Episode 2 with Jessica Regan
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The Guilty Feminist watches And Just Like That Presented by Deborah Frances-White with Jessica Regan Season 3, Episode 2: “The Rat Race” More about Deborah Frances-White https://deborahfrances-white.com https://www.instagram.com/dfdubz https://www.virago.co.uk/titles/deborah-frances-white/six-conversations-were-scared-to-have/9780349015811 https://…
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Kirsty Lang referees a contest between Northern Ireland and The North of England.By BBC Radio 4
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Take Four Books, presented by James Crawford, speaks to the writer Andrew Miller about his novel, The Land In Winter, and explores its connections to three other literary works. Recorded in front of an audience at the Hay-on-Wye books festival, the supporting contributor for this episode is the writer Joanne Harris. Andrew's new novel centres on tw…
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Actor Danny Dyer became a household name when he joined the cast of EastEnders as Mick Carter, landlord of the Queen Victoria pub. He recently stole the show from some stiff competition playing Freddie Jones in the television adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel Rivals which won him a Royal Television Society Award for Best Supporting Actor. Danny wa…
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