SATURDAY 08 FEBRUARY 2025

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m0027ldl)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst (m0027lc3)
5. Shipwreck and Marriage

In Sophie Elmhirst's story of endurance and love 117 days have passed since Maurice and Maralyn were cast adrift on the Pacific Ocean after a whale struck their boat. Hopes of rescue have faded daily. Dorothy Atkinson reads.

Maurice and Maralyn tells the story of what happened when a husband and wife decided to escape their suburban life in 1970s Derby, and instead build a boat and sail to New Zealand. Their dream crumbled after a perilous encounter with a whale left them adrift on the Pacific ocean on a tiny raft. A fight for survival followed, as well as a test of their endurance and their love for one another. Maurice and Maralyn is the Nero Books Awards 2024 Non-Fiction Winner.

Sophie Elmhirst is a prize-winning journalist. In 2020 she won the British Press Award for Feature Writer of the Year. She first came across Maurice and Maralyn Bailey's story when she was researching a piece on the desire to escape. This is her first book.

Dorothy Atkinson is well known for her work in theatre, film and television. She has appeared in several films by Mike Leigh most notably Mr Turner. She is also well known for playing Pauline in the sitcom Mum. Recent work includes Ludwig, Joan, Saltburn, Without Sin, Pennyworth, Harlots and Call the Midwife.

Abridged by Richard Hamilton.
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0027ldn)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0027ldq)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0027lds)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m0027ldv)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0027ldx)
Reckoning with Our Stories

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier.

Good morning. Today marks the anniversary of two events that have cast a long shadow, particularly where I’m from in the American South. On this day in 1861, the Confederacy was formed, and in 1915, The Birth of a Nation premiered. The latter, a groundbreaking yet deeply controversial film, glorified the Confederacy, vilified African Americans, and played a role in reviving the Ku Klux Klan. Both moments, though distant, produced and shaped narratives of division, racism, and inequality, the effects of which linger on into the present.

I’m standing here now in Brecon, at my church St Mary’s, next to a memorial to Bishop Thomas Coke that offers a counterpoint. A pioneer of the abolitionist cause, Coke heard the call of Christ’s reconciling love and acted upon it, crossing oceans to proclaim the dignity of all people. His life reminds us that faith is not a passive inheritance but an active labour.

We must cherish what is true and confront what is painful. Renewal requires rejecting the falsehoods we’ve inherited and may be tempted to perpetuate. As Paul writes to the Ephesians, the walls of hostility have been broken down in Christ, making us one people. Let us, therefore, tell stories that encourage us to live not as strangers but as neighbours.

Lord of justice and mercy, We confess the sins of division and hatred in our world and in ourselves. Give us courage to confront the truths that pain us and the grace to embrace them. May Your peace renew our hearts, and Your truth set us free; through Christ our Lord. Amen.


SAT 05:45 Why Do We Do That? (m0027lck)
Series 2

3. Why do we have grandmas?

Grandmothers are a bit of a mystery, biologically speaking. If the biological purpose of life is to survive and have children, why are they so important even once they've stopped being able to reproduce?

Of course, as we all know, grandma's are the rock of most families, and it turns out, biologically also incredibly useful. Grandmothers are a logical necessity, your mother and father also had mothers so that equals two grandmas for you.

But the evolutionary role they play in many of our lives has been less easily explained until now. Why are they so helpful? Why do they stop having children of their own? Why do we have grandmothers?!

Ella speaks to anthropologist Dr Emily Emmott, and midwife, educator and grandmother Sheena Byrom OBE

BBC Studios Audio Production
Producer Emily Bird
Additional production Olivia Jani
Series Producer Geraldine Fitzgerald
Executive Producer Alexandra Feachem


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m0027swy)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.


SAT 06:07 Ramblings (m0027jy0)
Capel y ffin and the Twmpa

Clare meets a passionate proponent of walking today on a hike around Capel y ffin and the Twmpa in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. Andrew Green has just published a book called Voices on the Path, a History of Walking in Wales and for him it’s not just a case of putting one foot in front of the other and admiring the scenery, it’s “an activity loaded with all kinds of social, cultural and economic associations”.

Their immediate surroundings have long attracted writers and artists from across the generations including William and Dorothy Wordsworth, JMW Turner, Bruce Chatwin and Allen Ginsberg. Also drawn to the beauty of Capel y ffin was the poet and painter, David Jones, described in 1965 as the 'best living British painter' by the then Director of the National Gallery. Peter Wakelin's book 'Hill Rhythms' tells Jones' story, which he wanted to share with Clare on the walk but a twisted ankle meant he had to remain at base, however he used the time to seek out the potential location of one of Jones's best loved paintings.

They met at the tiny Capel-y-ffin chapel on the Monmouthshire/Powys border and walked up the Twmpa - also known as Lord Hereford’s Knob - in the Black Mountains returning via the valley of Nant Bwch. A walk of just over six miles.

Grid Ref for where they met: SO253316

Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m0027sx0)
08/02/25 Farming Today This Week: illegal meat imports, call for bird flu housing order, NFUS report on inappropriate language

MPs are told that animal products from Germany continued to enter the UK after an import ban was put in place because of the foot and mouth outbreak there.

Egg producers want their chickens ordered inside to protect them from bird flu.

A new report finds farming leaders in Scotland must do more to call out racist, misogynistic and homophobic language from union members.

We visit a prize winner of the Westmorland Agricultural Society's annual hotly contested silage competition.

And we speak to The Crown Estate about its new rural strategy, offering tenants 'environmental farm business tenancies' or green leases.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


SAT 06:57 Weather (m0027sx2)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m0027sx4)
Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m0027sx6)
Nisha Katona, Mark Thompson, Phoebe Smith, Jesse Eisenberg

Nisha Katona, former barrister now Mistress of Spices, Mowgli restaurant mogul, TV presenter and host of new show Home Kitchen - she’s described herself as a culinary Womble.

Astronomer Mark Thompson is famous for unravelling the mysteries of the universe and the world of STEM., on TV and on tour, telescope in one hand and a sense of wonder in the other.

Phoebe ‘Wander Woman’ Smith is with us, adventurer, author, extreme sleeper and podcaster whose latest book weaves together her personal journey with insights into the ancient pilgrim paths of Britain.

All that plus the Inheritance Tracks of Oscar nominated auteur Jesse Eisenberg.

Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw Stephens
Producer: Ben Mitchell


SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m0027sx8)
Legends of King Arthur: from medieval literature to modern myth

Greg Jenner is joined in medieval Europe by Dr Mary Bateman and comedian Mike Wozniak to learn all about the legends of King Arthur.

Most of us have heard of Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table. But where do these legends come from? Arthur first appears in the writings of a 9th-Century monk, but he’s not the king we know today: no Merlin or Lancelot, no Excalibur, and no Camelot. These elements were added later, as the legends were retold and rewritten across Europe.

This episode traces the stories of Arthur and his knights from their early medieval origins, exploring the changes made as they were adapted over the centuries by everyone from French romance authors to Victorian poets, and taking in some famous medieval texts, including the Welsh Mabinogion and Malory’s Morte d’Arthur, as well as some lesser-known tales. Along the way, we also look at the places in modern Britain that still bear Arthurian names and the wacky artefacts that have been associated with the legendary king, and ask the crucial question: did King Arthur really exist?

If you’re a fan of heroic quests, knights in shining armour and fantastical medieval stories, you’ll love our episode on the legends of King Arthur.

If you want more from Mike Wozniak, check out our episode on Charles Dickens at Christmas. And for more lovely legends, listen to our episodes on Atlantis and Norse Literature.

You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Hannah Cusworth and Jon Norman-Mason
Written by: Jon Norman-Mason, Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: James Cook


SAT 10:30 What's Funny About... (m0027sxb)
4. Alma's Not Normal

Peter Fincham and Jon Plowman are joined by Sophie Willan to hear the story of how she created her BAFTA winning series Alma’s Not Normal.

Sophie talks about Alma’s combination of fearlessness and fragility, and how important the cocktail of those traits are to her character. And she tells us about her sense of mission around the series - the importance of telling authentic stories that show how people’s lives have been impacted by cuts to social care services.

Producer: Owen Braben
An Expectation Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m0027sxd)
Sonia Sodha of The Observer assesses the latest developments at Westminster.

How should the British government respond to Donald Trump? That question was again asked this week after the American President suggested the US could take over Gaza, removing Palestinian residents in order to redevelop the strip. Earlier in the week the President also threatened tariffs against allies such as Mexico, Canada and the EU. To discuss how the UK should navigate this tricky diplomatic terrain, Sonia speaks to Lord Darroch, former UK ambassador to the US, and Sir David Lidington, a former Conservative Cabinet minister and now chairman of the defence think tank RUSI.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, gave a major speech on Monday setting out her vision for England's schools. It follows criticism of her Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which is currently going through Parliament. To debate the reforms Sonia is joined by Mary Bousted, a former general secretary of the National Education Union and now a Labour peer, and Neil O'Brien, a Conservative MP and former minister.

Is the UK becoming less cohesive? Sara Khan, the government's former independent adviser on social cohesion and resilience, explains why she thinks there is a risk to democracy from declining social cohesion.

And, as a new book charting Keir Starmer's rise to power sends the Westminster gossip machine into overdrive, Sonia speaks to one of the co-authors, Gabriel Pogrund of The Sunday Times, and Labour peer, Ayesha Hazarika.


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0027sxg)
Rebuilding lives in DR Congo

Kate Adie introduces stories from DR Congo, Israel, Ecuador, Malaysia and Germany.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the ongoing conflict in the DR Congo. Amid the violence, a clinic in Goma is helping civilian casualties recover and rehabilitate. Hugh Kinsella Cunningham met some of the people trying to rebuild their lives.

Regional leaders in the Middle East are focusing their attention on the second stage of the ceasefire – and the continuation of the hostage and prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas. Some hardliners in the Knesset are demanding a resumption of the war, which worries families still waiting for their relatives to be released, reports Wyre Davies.

Ecuador goes to the polls this weekend, in a vote which is seen by many as a referendum on President Daniel Noboa's hardline war on the country's criminal gangs, which critics say has led to innocent people arrested and detained. Ione Wells reports from Guayaquil.

A recent survey in Malaysia revealed more than 70 per cent of young Malaysians are in debt. Officials says this is down to a ‘shopping addiction’ and the growth of ‘flex culture’ on social media. Hannah Gelbart went to find out more.

In an age of translation apps achieving fluency in a foreign language can perhaps seem a futile exercise. Undeterred, Lucy Ash recently moved to Berlin to learn German. After making little progress, she moved to the country’s Baltic coast where she volunteered as a farm hand - and could finally escape the multitude of English-speakers in the capital.

Series producer: Serena Tarling
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production coordinators: Katie Morrison & Sophie HIll
(Image: Naomi at the Shirika La Umoja centre in Goma. Taken by Hugh Kinsella Cunningham)


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m0027sxj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m0027sxl)
Back Billing Continued and Tax on Savings

The Chair of the House of Commons Energy Security Committee has told Money Box that the behaviour of the energy firms is "outrageous" following our investigation into so called back-billing. That's when energy firms send out a new bill for gas or electricity which was used more than 12 months before. Last week we reported that thousands of people have complained that is still going on.

Energy UK, which speaks for the big suppliers said if customers think they are being asked to pay for energy covered by the back-billing policy, they should contact their supplier as soon as possible to resolve the complaint quickly and efficiently.

The Department for Work and Pensions asks executors and families to repay state pensions it has sent to people who have already died. It says it asks for it back to protect public funds, but do you have to pay?

And high interest rates means more people paying tax on interest savings, but how do you know and what are the rules?

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researchers: Jo Krasner and Eimear Devlin
Editor: Sarah Rogers

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 8th February 2025)


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m0027lcy)
Series 116

5. Tariffs, Tabloids and Typewriters

On The News Quiz this week, Andy Zaltzman is joined by Ayesha Hazarika, Susie McCabe, Geoff Norcott and Pierre Novellie to discuss Britain's attempts to court the US and the EU, Trump's tariff turmoil, new report cards from Ofsted, and Starmer's uncovered voice coaching.

Written by Andy Zaltzman.

With additional material by: Jade Gebbie, Alex Kealy, Christina Riggs and Stuart McPherson.
Producer: Rajiv Karia
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
An Eco-Audio certified Production


SAT 12:57 Weather (m0027sxn)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News (m0027sxq)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m0027ld4)
Lord Frost, Bronwen Maddox, James Murray MP, Steve Richards

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from The Bishop's Stortford High School in Hertfordshire, with Conservative peer and former chief Brexit negotiator Lord Frost; Bronwen Maddox of the international affairs think tank Chatham House; treasury minister James Murray MP; and writer and broadcaster Steve Richards.

Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Rob Dyball


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m0027sxs)
Call Any Answers? to have your say on the big issues in the news this week.


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m0027ld0)
Tracy heads off to Rochelle’s Well-being event. Chris didn’t know anything about it until Chelsea suggested bringing Martha to her movement workshop. Tracy’s running a mindfulness colouring workshop because Brad’s dropped out.

When Zainab and Chelsea arrive at the barn the lights aren’t on and the door’s locked. Ben arrives with a key, but none of them have heard from Rochelle for weeks. Chelsea tries to ring her but the phone’s switched off. They decide to go ahead with the event anyway.

Chelsea apologises to Zainab about her behaviour around Brad and Zainab’s sorry too. Chelsea explains people often assume she’s thick because of her accent and doesn’t go to university. Zainab counters she doesn’t go to uni either and that her job is delivering take-aways. When Chelsea asks why Zainab doesn’t date, she explains it’s because she’s a Muslim and that’s important to her. Chelsea checks that Zainab definitely doesn’t fancy Ben, before putting away her Cupid’s Bow.

Later Chelsea reports to Tracy that Rochelle left Ambridge without sorting anything out. Joy was really embarrassed when Ben spoke to her. But it’s not a total flop and Martha’s had the time of her life!

As Chris and Tracy head home, Tracy wonders if Chris will stay single. He reckons he’s pretty happy as he is and is enjoying being friends with Alice.

After they’ve cleared up Ben suggests heading off for a pizza to Zainab. He’s disappointed when Chelsea says she’ll come too. Zainab quietly thanks her, and Chelsea comments that’s what friends are for.


SAT 15:00 Drama on 4 (m0027sxv)
Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville

'It was on the third day, I think, of his being with me, that I abruptly called to Bartleby to examine a small paper with me. Imagine my consternation, when Bartleby in a singularly mild, firm voice, replied, “I would prefer not to.”'

Alex Jennings reads Herman Melville's classic tale of a lawyer's attempts to make sense of the perplexing defiance of his mild-mannered office clerk. Beloved of Kafka and Camus, and widely regarded as one of the greatest short stories ever written, Bartleby the Scrivener was first published in 1853.

Produced by Mary Ward-Lowery for BBC Audio
Editing and Sound Design by Mair Bosworth
Abridged by Sara Davies
Studio Engineering by Mike Etherden
Mixed by Ilse Lademann


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m0027sxx)
Weekend Woman's Hour: Emma Webber & Sinead O'Malley Kumar, Gender Dysphoria research, Daisy May Cooper

Anita Rani speaks to Emma Webber and Sinead O’Malley Kumar, mothers of Barnaby and Grace, both 19, who were killed in Nottingham in June 2023. They’ll be responding to the findings of a major review of the NHS care of Valdo Calocane, the man who attacked their children.

The Oscar-nominated actress Mikey Madison tells Clare McDonnell about playing the title role in Anora, a film about a sex worker in New York. Mikey spent months embedded in a strip club to fully immerse herself in the world. The film is nominated for six Academy Awards as well as BAFTAs and Golden Globes.

New research has quantified for the first time how many young people have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria by GPs in England. Anita hears from Professor of Health Policy, Tim Doran, about the work academics at the University of York are doing. They studied a decade’s worth of NHS records and discovered a 50-fold increase in this particular diagnosis between 2011 and 2021. However each general practice will only see one or two such patients each year.

The West End star Marisha Wallace, the latest actor to play Sally Bowles in Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club in London, performs a song from the show.

The actor and writer Daisy May Cooper talks to Clare McDonnell about the second series of the BBC female-friendship thriller, Am I Being Unreasonable, which she both co-wrote and stars in.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Rabeka Nurmahomed
Editor: Rebecca Myatt


SAT 17:00 PM (m0027sxz)
Full coverage of the day's news.


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m0027sy1)
The Zia Yusuf One

Who is the 38-year-old, Muslim, second-generation immigrant chairman of Reform UK?

Zia Yusuf joins Nick in the Political Thinking studio to tell his story, lay out his party's path to power, and share his thoughts on Boris Johnson, Elon Musk, Suella Braverman and his boss, Nigel Farage.

Producer: Daniel Kraemer


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0027sy3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m0027sy5)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0027sy7)
Israel has expressed shock at the gaunt appearance of hostages released by Hamas in Gaza.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m0027sy9)
Kevin Clifton, Liz Lochhead, The Hebridean Baker, Wild Rose, Mama Terra

Kevin Clifton entertained the nation for years on Strictly, now he can often be found treading the boards instead – and is currently starring in Chicago as it tours the country.

Poet and former Scots Makar Liz Lochhead talks about her collection of poems A Handsel ahead of her appearance at the Winter Words Festival in Pitlochry.

Coinneach MacLeod, best known as The Hebridean Baker, has found a global audience for his Scottish recipes. His latest release is The Hebridean Baker: The Scottish Cookbook.

Olivier Award-nominated Dawn Sievewright’s next project is Wild Rose, a stage musical adaptation of the 2018 film. She shares a track from the show ahead of it’s premiere in March.

Jazz/soul ensemble Mama Terra perform from their new album Chameleons: Live Interpretations of Herbie Hancock.


SAT 19:00 Profile (m0027syc)
Kendrick Lamar

He is regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists of his generation, and this weekend will take to the stage for the biggest performance of his career.

Kendrick Lamar, who grew up in the deprived city of Compton, California, is about to headline the 2025 Super Bowl half time show.

He credits his father with keeping him on the right path and providing the balance that some of his peers were missing. His lyrical journey explores violence, depression, religion and also the limits of fame and fortune.

After his success earlier this week, the rapper has now won more than 20 times at the Grammy Awards and in 2018 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music. The first time a piece of music from outside the classical or jazz genres had scooped the award.

But away from the microphone, he’s endured a back-and-forth feud with fellow rapper Drake over the last 12 months. So, Mark Coles finds out more – and takes us closer to the first solo rap artist in history to headline the Super Bowl.

Production Team:

Producers: Sally Abrahams, Arlene Gregorius, Chloe Scannapieco
Editor: Ben Mundy
Sound: James Beard
Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Jack Young


SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m0027jx1)
David Hare

The premiere of David Hare’s play Plenty at the National Theatre in 1978 marked him out as one of the UK’s most skilled and socially conscious playwrights. Plenty transferred to Broadway, Hare adapted it into a film starring Meryl Streep, and in the following years he became known as a writer for whom the political and the personal are deeply entwined. Often referred to as Britain’s pre-eminent ‘state of the nation playwright’, his plays in the 1980s examined a wide range of social and political issues, including the Church of England in Racing Demon, the judiciary in Murmuring Judges and party politics in The Absence of War. He tackled international geopolitics in Via Dolorosa - about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - and the invasion of Iraq with Stuff Happens and the Vertical Hour. Equally skilled as a screenwriter, his film screenplays for The Hours and The Reader saw him twice nominated for Academy Awards. David Hare was knighted in 1998 for ‘services to theatre’.

He talks to John Wilson about how his lower-middle class background and family life in Bexhill-on-Sea stimulated his imagination. He pays tribute to some of the most formative people in his life: his Cambridge university tutor, the Welsh writer and academic Raymond Williams, whose maxim that ‘culture is ordinary’ had a profound effect on his life as a writer; the actress Kate Nelligan, who starred in several of Hare's plays, including Plenty; and his wife Nicole Farhi who, he says, transformed his idea of himself and who inadvertently helped inspire one of his best loved plays, Skylight.

Producer: Edwina Pitman


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m000j7h8)
The Empire Strikes Back

40 years ago George Lucas risked all on the creation of the first Star Wars sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. Or rather Episode V in what is now the middle trilogy of the Star Wars saga. On this the fate of the Star Wars universe rested. Having your first screen writer die on you whilst the ink had barely dried on the first draft was an inauspicious start. Then came fire and ice. Elstree studios endured conflagration as Stanley Kubrick's The Shining went up in smoke. The first weeks of filming in Norway (a.k.a. Hoth) were a white out and the film went over schedule & over budget,. But in May 1980 the world was treated to a space opera classic that for many remains the defining film of the Star Wars universe.

Mark Burman returns to a snowbound Finse, Norway to hear from some of the veteran crew, draws on his own archive of key personnel from director Irvin Kershner to the hands and face behind Yoda. Stuart Freeborn. Listen to this you must.

Featuring the voices of Dave Barclay,Christian Berrum, Jim Bloom, Leigh Brackett, Stuart Freeborn,Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Nilo Rodis Jamero, Gary Kurtz, George Lucas ,Peter MacDonald, Frank Oz, Ken Ralston, Peter Suschitzsky, Phil Tippett, Robert Watts & John Williams.

Producer: Mark Burman


SAT 21:00 Buried (m0027syf)
The Last Witness - Omnibus Part 1

When reporters Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor are handed a box of unseen evidence, they begin a new investigation - into a chemical secret. A witness says he found deformed cows, and worried a toxic chemical had entered the food chain. But the witness had a warning for the future: "It's buried, isn't it? But it's going to come back."

Buried is the award-winning true-crime series digging into some of the most disturbing environmental stories in history. In this series, Dan and Lucy team up with the film star Michael Sheen, who recorded the witness before he died. Was the witness right?

Produced and presented by Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor
Research by Georgie Styles
Sound design and mixing by Jarek Zaba
Original music and sounds by Phil Channell
Executive Producers: Philip Abrams and Anita Elash
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A Smoke Trail production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:00 News (m0027syh)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m0027lc1)
Broken Policies

It's 2025, and the same old questions are still being asked about food and health—how do we get people eating better, reduce obesity, improve health, and ease pressure on the NHS? Despite decades of policies and campaigns, the challenge remains. In this episode, Sheila Dillon is joined in the studio by three people whose work is dedicated to finding answers: Dr Dolly Van Tulleken, a visiting researcher at Cambridge University's MRC Epidemiology Unit, who has examined UK government obesity policy, documenting its repeated failures and interviewed several leaders about what can be learned from them; Anna Taylor, head of the Food Foundation, whose organisation has been researching the impact of poor diets, particularly on those living in poverty; and Ben Reynolds, formerly of Sustain, where he played a key role in some of the most successful food campaigns and is now working on food and farming policy across Europe as Executive Director of the Institute for European Environmental Policy.

Also featured are Henry Dimbleby, author of The National Food Strategy; Welsh food historian Carwyn Graves; and two Food Ambassadors for The Food Foundation Dominic Watters and Magda Rechnio.

Together, they discuss what’s gone wrong, what’s worked, and, as the new government announces plans for a fresh food strategy, what must be put in place to ensure it delivers real change.

Presented by Sheila Dillon
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan


SAT 23:00 What? Seriously?? (m0027syk)
6. Votes, Greed, and Cheese

In this episode, Dara and Isy are joined by the star of Great British Menu Louisa Ellis, to learn about the the power of cheese - with some diverting conversations about goose trading, feasting, and weaponised dairy.

What? Seriously?? is a new podcast which combines comedy with quirky history, hosted by Dara and Isy who unravel an extraordinary real-life tale each week with the help of a celebrity guest.

The stories are definitely true, but also kind of unbelievable at the same time - the sort of stories that make you go ‘What? Seriously??’ when you hear them, but you resolve to tell them in the pub the first chance you get.

Across the series, Dara and Isy will be joined by I’m A Celeb winner Georgia Toffolo, the Aussie comedian Rhys Nicholson, the broadcaster Stuart Maconie, Master Chef star Louisa Ellis, Miles from The Traitors, the comedian Richard Herring, the astronaut Helen Sharman, and Slow Horses star Chris Chung.

‘What? Seriously??’ with Dara Ó Briain and Isy Suttie and special guest Louisa Ellis
Format co-developed by Dan Page. Story compiled by Gareth Edwards and Dan Page.
Producer: Laura Grimshaw
Executive Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 23:30 Counterpoint (m0027l2g)
Series 38

Heat 6, 2025

(6/13)
Another three contenders join Paul Gambaccini at the Radio Theatre in London, to answer questions on the widest possible spectrum of music. Paul will be testing their knowledge of the classical repertoire as well as musical theatre, jazz, folk, world music and sixty years of the pop charts - with plenty of musical extracts to identify.

Appearing in today's heat are:
Eleanor Ayres from Cambridge
Nancy Braithwaite from East London
Mike Sarson-Rowe from Wiltshire.

As well as fielding general questions on music, the competitors will have to choose a special subject on which to answer solo questions in the spotlight - with no prior warning of the topics on offer. How wise will their spur-of-the-moment choices turn out to be?

Counterpoint is a BBC Studios Audio production.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria

SUNDAY 09 FEBRUARY 2025

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m0027sym)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 00:15 Bookclub (m0027l2d)
Sara Collins

This month, BBC Bookclub, presented by James Naughtie, speaks to the writer Sara Collins, as she takes questions from a live audience about her award-winning debut novel, The Confessions of Frannie Langton. Sara was the Costa Book Awards First Novel Winner in 2019. She has also adapted the book for television.

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


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0027syp)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0027syr)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0027syt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m0027syw)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m0027syy)
St Peter’s Church in Petersfield, Hampshire

Bells on Sunday comes from St Peter’s Church in Petersfield, Hampshire. It's believed that the first church on this site, a chapel of ease for the local Manor, was built in the 11th century before the establishment of the town. The church tower was raised to its present height during the 14th century and holds a ring of eight bells by various founders. The Tenor bell was cast by the Pack and Chapman foundry of Whitechapel, London in 1770. It weighs fifteen and a half hundredweight and is tuned to the note of F. We hear them ringing Stedman Triples.


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m0027lvm)
Unknown Unknowns!

What are the things you don't know that you don't know?!

That was the question posed to us by blind listener Lexi Hibberd who told us that there were aspects of everyday life like eye contact and other body language which hadn't been explained to her. What else then, she asked, didn't she know?

We were so intrigued by Lexi's question that we thought we should explore it further. Joining us to do just that is blind writer and broadcaster Lyndall Bywater, audio description writer Liz Gutman, Richard Lane who lost his sight in his early 20s, and of course Lexi herself. We discuss a range of issues that arise from Lexi's question, including what it was that inspired her to ask it.

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Fern Lulham
Production Coordinator: David Baguley

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.’


SUN 06:00 News Summary (m0027tc8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Thinking Allowed (m0027lv7)
Touch

When, where, and who gets to touch and be touched, and who decides? How does touch bring us closer together or push us apart? These are urgent contemporary questions, but they have their origins in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century Britain. Laurie Taylor talks to Simeon Koole, Senior Lecturer in Liberal Arts and History at the University of Bristol about his new study of the way in which the crowded city compelled new discussions about touch, as people crammed into subway cars, skirted criminals in London's dense fogs and visited tea shops, all the while negotiating the boundaries of personal space. How did these historical encounters shape and transform our understanding of physical contact into the present day?

Also, digital touch. Carey Jewitt Professor of Technology at the Institute of Education, London, explores the way technology is transforming our experience of touch. Touch matters. It is fundamental to how we know ourselves and each other, and it is central to how we communicate. So how will the the digital touch embedded in many technologies, from wearable devices and gaming hardware to tactile robots and future technologies, change our sense of connection with each other. What would it be like if we could hug or touch digitally across distance? How might we establish trust or protect our privacy and safety? How might radically different forms of touch impact our relationships and the future?

Producer: Jayne Egerton


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m0027tcb)
Healthy Soil, Healthy People

Dr Johnny Wake believes a healthy society, healthy food, and healthy soil are all connected.

Eleven years ago, he took over the running of his family’s Courteenhall Estate in Northamptonshire, on top of working as a GP. Soon, he found himself so immersed in farming, and setting up new enterprises, he left medicine altogether.

Sarah Swadling finds out how he’s started from the soil up in reshaping the way the estate’s farmed: adopting regenerative crop growing techniques, reintroducing native rare breed cattle, and restoring habitats.

Human wellbeing is important, too. Dr Wake co-founded New Leaf Learning, a scheme bringing primary school children, struggling with mainstream education, into the outdoors. Sarah hears from special educational needs teacher Alex Preston, who explains how nature-based outdoor learning can transform children’s confidence and behaviour in the classroom.

Presented and produced by Sarah Swadling


SUN 06:57 Weather (m0027tcd)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m0027tcg)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m0027tcj)
Synod & Safeguarding; Religion & Gen Z; USAID

Former International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell talks to Edward Stourton about the move to dismantle USAID after Vice President JD Vance accused it of 'spreading atheism'.

We hear from author Christopher Gasson and his poll of Gen Z and their views on religion which suggests a majority describe themselves as 'fairly spiritual'.

Independent safeguarding is the big topic at General Synod this week. Madeleine Davies of the Church Times tells us about the debates already underway about the best way to keep people safe in the C of E.

And the public are being asked to give their views on the qualities needed in the next Archbishop of Canterbury. If you have any thoughts let us know - sunday@bbc.co.uk, @BBCR4SUNDAY on social media.


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m0027tcl)
Family Fund

Ken Bruce makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Family Fund.

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 ‘Family Fund’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Family Fund’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4

Registered Charity Number 1053866, Scottish Charity Number SC040810. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://www.familyfund.org.uk
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites


SUN 07:57 Weather (m0027tcn)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m0027tcq)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m0027tcs)
Love's Journey

Writer and broadcaster Richard Littledale is joined by some friends as they walk up and over the Great Orme, a rocky headland in North Wales. What is the longer view of love in life’s ups and downs?

Producer: Andrew Earis


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m0027ld6)
Geese, Aristotle and Migration

Walking along the muddy tracks of the River Ouse near her home a few days ago, Rebecca Stott reflects on migration.

She contemplates the lives of the Canada geese that frequently fly over her home, as well as Aristotle's own studies of bird migration - and his extraordinary life as a migrant - while considering the historic links between the migration of people and human progress.

Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Liam Morrey
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m0027tcv)
Megan McCubbin on the Capercaille

A new series of Tweet of the Day for Sunday morning revealing personal and fascinating stories from some fresh voices who have been inspired by birds, their calls and encounters.

In early spring in the Caledonian forests of Scotland male capercaillie are strutting their stuff.. These large members of the grouse family have gathered at first light to lek, where the fittest male birds vie for a female. The male capercaillie plumage is both stunning and remarkable, however it is the low frequency sound they produce which captivates zoologist and presenter Megan McCubbin. a sound which carries for a long distance indeed.

Producer : Andrew Dawes for BBC Audio in Bristol
Studio Engineer : Ilse Lademann


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m0027tcx)
Triaging President Trump

How should we discern substance from rhetoric in the US President’s pronouncements? Andrew Neil, Christiane Amanpour and Lord Darroch attempt to answer the question. Reviewing the papers: Christopher Hope, Christina Lamb and Ben West.


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m0027tcz)
Stephen Mangan, actor

Stephen Mangan is an award winning actor who is also a presenter and writer. His prolific career includes comedic roles in TV hits Green Wing; Episodes and Adrian Mole. He also plays the much loved Nathan in BBC drama The Split and has appeared in many award winning theatre productions in the UK and on Broadway.

Born in London to Irish immigrant parents, Stephen studied Law at Cambridge University. His passion though was for acting and after taking time out to care for his mother, he spent three years at RADA before pursuing a successful career on stage, screen and film.

Stephen lives in London with his wife and three sons.

DISC ONE: King of the Road - Roger Miller
DISC TWO: I Recall A Gypsy Woman - Don Williams
DISC THREE: Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - John Lennon
DISC FOUR: Who Knows Where the Time Goes - Fairport Convention
DISC FIVE: Stayin Alive - Bee Gees
DISC SIX: Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major, M. 83: II. Adagio assai. Composed by Maurice Ravel and performed by Martha Argerich (piano) and Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Claudio Abbado
DISC SEVEN: Rhapsody in Blue. Composed by George Gershwin and performed by New York Philharmonic, conducted by Zubin Mehta
DISC EIGHT: (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher - Jackie Wilson

BOOK CHOICE: Collected Works of Seamus Heaney
LUXURY ITEM: A piano
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Stayin Alive - Bee Gees

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Sarah Taylor


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m0027td1)
Writer: Sarah Hehir
Director: Dave Payne
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Ben Archer…. Ben Norris
Jolene Archer….. Buffy Davis
Kenton Archer…. Richard Attlee
Tom Archer….. William Troughton
Harrison Burns….. James Cartwright
Alice Carter….. Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter….. Wilf Scolding
Chelsea Horrobin…. Madeleine Leslay
Tracy Horrobin…. Susie Riddell
Zainab Malik…. Priyasasha Kumari
Hannah Riley…. Helen Longworth
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
Lynda Snell…. Carole Boyd
Robert Snell…. Michael Bertenshaw
Laurence…. Rupert Vansittart


SUN 12:15 Profile (m0027syc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 Just a Minute (m0027l61)
Series 94

3. Hesitation, Repetition, Deviation or Enunciation

Sue Perkins challenges Josie Lawrence, Ivo Graham, Sara Pascoe and Daliso Chaponda to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, deviation or hesitation. Subjects include Glastonbury Festival, Negotiating with A Toddler, and Those Listening At Home.

Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Producer: Rajiv Karia
An EcoAudio certified production.

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.


SUN 12:57 Weather (m0027td3)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m0027td5)
President Trump turns focus to Ukraine

Jim Naughtie assesses what might be a part of negotiations over a ceasefire in Ukraine. We hear voices from Kyiv, Moscow and Washington. Plus, our Russia editor Steven Rosenberg looks back at the Soviet-era song contest 'Intervision' - which is set to be revived.


SUN 13:30 Indebted: The Story Behind National Debt (m0027t6q)
The nation's debt is in the news - headlines shout about borrowing, bonds and yields. Dharshini David speaks to debt managers, traders and watchers to explore how we should think about the UK's debt - its history, how it works, who owns it, and how worried we should be about it.

Dharshini is joined by:

Sir Robert Stheeman, former Chief Executive of the UK Debt Management Office
Ruth Curtice, Chief Executive at the Resolution Foundation
Sonja Laud, Chief Investment Officer at Legal and General Asset Management
Richard Hughes, Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility
Peter Blair Henry, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University
Ralston Hyman, financial analyst and former member of Jamaica's Economic Programme Oversight Committee

Presenter: Dharshini David
Producer: Camellia Sinclair


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m0027lcm)
From the Archives: Planting for Wildlife

Peter Gibbs guides us through the GQT archive, which includes some much needed advice on how to make your garden more wildlife friendly.

The GQT team have pruned through 77 years of questions and answers to reveal useful advice provided by our various horticultural experts. This includes tips on how to attract bats to the garden, advice on rabbit proof plants and the benefits of snakes in the garden

Later, we listen back to when Kirsty Wilson visited Glenarm Castle and discussed how we make our gardens to safe for hedgehogs.

Producer: Bethany Hocken
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m0027td7)
That Hideous Strength - Episode 1

John Yorke looks at CS Lewis’s novel That Hideous Strength, the third in a trilogy of science fiction works. Published in the aftermath of the Second World War, it offers a bleak vision of a world where unchecked scientific research is masking much more sinister aims. A couple, Jane and Mark Studdock, are set on different paths, both threatened by external and internal forces on a dark journey into a dystopian future.

In this episode, John examines the key themes in That Hideous Strength and finds the unique blend of mythology and science fiction which permeates this complex novel.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and he shares his experience with listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production, he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy, he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative - including many podcasts for R4.

Contributors:
Professor Robert Maslen, University of Glasgow
AN Wilson, author of CS Lewis A Biography

Readings: Matthew Gravelle
Sound: Sean Kerwin
Production Hub Coordinator: Nina Semple
Producer: Mark Rickards
Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 15:00 CS Lewis: That Hideous Strength (m0027td9)
The people from NICE

We're not in Narnia anymore. It's the late 1940s and an exhausted Britain is trying to recover from the war. The establishment of NICE (National Institute for Coordinated Experiments) seems to offer a positive future. There are confident predictions of a cure for cancer and new treatments for antisocial behaviour that will made prisons redundant. A tech revolution is blooming without restraint and NICE are secretly experimenting with the creation of trans-human beings of superior intellect. C S Lewis's 'modern fairy tale for grown-ups' warns of a world where technocrats are kings.

Jane (Anneika Rose) is tormented by terrible nightmares about a severed head that talks. She tries to talk to her husband Mark (Joel MacCormack) about it, but he's preoccupied with his work as a new college fellow at the University. And when his Mark's college sell Bragdon Wood to NICE, he's surprised to find himself offered a job at the organisation. There's an old myth that Merlin is buried under Bragdon Wood. Could that be why NICE is so keen to own it?

CAST

Jane ..... Anneika Rose
Mark ..... Joel MacCormack
Curry / Ransom ..... Oliver Hembrough
Feverstone / Briers ..... Simon Armstrong
Hardcastle ..... Jane Slavin
Mrs Dimble ..... Siobhan Redmond
Grace ..... Jane Gurnett
Wither ..... Matthew Bulgo
Frost / Hingest ..... David Menkin
Alcasan / Taxi Driver ..... Kiren Kebaili-Dwyer

Dramatised by Melissa Murray

Production co-ordinators: Lindsay Rees and Eleri Sydney McAuliffe
Sound design by Catherine Robinson and Nigel Lewis
Directed by John Norton and Emma Harding

A BBC Audio Wales production


SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m0027tdd)
Emma Healey

This week Take Four Books, presented by James Crawford, talks to best-selling author Emma Healey about her new book – Sweat – and the three books that inspired its creation. Emma’s choices were: Dare Me by Megan Abbott (2012); Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss (2018); and The Harpy by Megan Hunter (2020).

Producer: Rachael O’Neill
Editor: Annie McGuire
Take Four Books is a BBC Audio Scotland production.


SUN 16:30 Counterpoint (m0027tdg)
Series 38

Heat 7, 2025

(7/13)
Paul Gambaccini welcomes three more music lovers to Media City in Salford, for the latest contest in the long-running music quiz. Today's winner will go through to the semi-finals and increase their chances of becoming the 38th BBC Counterpoint champion. Paul's questions along the way cover the gamut of music, from the Carpenters to Richard Strauss, Ella Fitzgerald to Jasper Carrott - and that's just in the first round.

Today's competitors are
Robbie Carnegie from Buxton
Diane Hallagan from Leeds
Malcolm Holt from Wolverhampton.

Counterpoint is a BBC Studios Audio production.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria


SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct5yqm)
The Purple Heart Warriors

During World War Two, a Japanese American battalion became one of the most decorated army units in US military history.

The 442nd Regimental Combat Unit earned more than 4,000 Purple Hearts and seven Presidential Unit Citations for extraordinary heroism in battle.

The unit was set up in 1943, just over a year after Japan bombed the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. Following the attack, 120,000 Japanese Americans living on the west coast were sent to internment camps, but many were keen to show their loyalty to the US.

They volunteered to join the 442nd RCT and fight in Europe. Hundreds of recruits came from the camps, while thousands of others were from the Japanese American community in Hawaii.

Among them was 19-year-old Matsuichi Kusatsu. His son Clyde tells Jane Wilkinson about how the unit fought prejudice to prove their loyalty, and a warning, this story includes racist language of the time.

Actor Clyde stars in the BBC World Service drama Purple Heart Warriors. To hear this six-part season search for Dramas, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Matsuichi Kusatsu in 1944. Credit: Family photo)


SUN 17:10 The Verb (m0027tdk)
Don Paterson, Zena Edwards, John McAuliffe on Michael Longley

The beauty of flower names, time-thieving hedgehogs, the poetry of fertile earth, and the absurdity of English spelling - all appear in The Verb this week.
Ian McMillan's guests are the poets Don Paterson, Zena Edwards, and John McAuliffe who's celebrating fellow poet Michael Longley - and we also hear a new 'eartoon' on the origin of words for numbers, by Stagedoor Johnny ( Richard Poynton).

Don Paterson shares a brand new poem in which the speaker is a hedgehog who knows 'one big thing' - a big thing that challenges the way we might think about time. Don is also a musician, and a memoirist - his most recent book is 'Toy Fights' - described by the writer Geoff Dyer as 'devastatingly funny'. His award winning collections include 'Rain', 'Landing Light' and 'God's Gift to Women'.

Zena Edwards is a poet and theatre maker who has collaborated with many different artists. Her passion for the natural world shines out in her poem 'Tincture' which she shares on the show, and which came about because of a project called We Feed the UK – which brings together spoken word poets from the climate science and poetry organisation Hotpoets, and regenerative farmers – coordinated by the Gaia Foundation.

John McAuliffe is poet, and a director of the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester. He has published six poetry collections - and his latest - 'National Theatre' (Gallery) is out now. John celebrates the 'miniature but not minor' poem 'Thaw' by the Belfast born poet Michael Longley who died in January.

And we hear another installment of a satirical history of the English language by Stagedoor Johnny - in which the letter 'U' has a crisis of confidence.


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0027tdm)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m0027tdp)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0027tdr)
New hope for an end to the war in Ukraine as Trump reveals he has spoken to Putin


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m0027tdt)
Julie Hesmondhalgh

This week, it’s been truly moving audio on the move – with Claire Balding rambling in South Wales, to Tim Dee reflecting on the travels he’s taken as he scatters his dad’s ashes. We also hear about the future of legacy – can "digital ghosts" help or hinder us as we deal with grief? Word of Mouth considers the construction of imaginary languages or "conlangs" and we’re brought back to some classic political gobbledygook of Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.

Presenter: Julie Hesmondhalgh
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Coordinator: Jack Ferrie

A BBC Northern Ireland Audio production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m0027t6g)
Fallon has been experimenting with Wayne’s recipes in The Bull but is finding that the customers are not too keen on her new lighter pie crusts, preferring Wayne’s more stodgy and filling pies. Jolene, trying to be subtle, suggests that she concentrates on Harrison before he leaves for his secondment. Fallon is keen to focus on getting on with things, such as new recipes for the pub. Jolene has to be more blunt and reminds her that Wayne’s menu is really popular, and that the customers won’t want change. When Jolene later hears that there are plans for Southern Barbecue Brisket and Korean Style Chicken to be offered to customers, she puts her foot down – the menu is not up for discussion. It would not be fair on Wayne to return from his cruise to new dishes.

Ben helps Zainab move some of her Dad’s unpacked boxes to the Maliks’ utility room, as they were cluttering her room. She explains to Ben that her Dad has been in Pakistan since her Grandad became very ill and then passed away. Putting his complicated affairs in order has taken some time. She hopes that he’ll be back soon - she misses him and his cooking - but admits she doesn’t let her Dad know this. Ben jokes with her about ‘treating mean and keeping keen’ and follows this with an invitation to go for some food with him sometime. She politely declines. When Ben leaves, Azra makes it clear she thinks it’s great that he is focussed and good to have around. She thinks he’ll make an excellent nurse.


SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m0027tdw)
Bellboy

The 2001 Foot and Mouth crisis forced North Devon farmers into a traumatic 6 month lockdown, cut off from their neighbours and living with the death and destruction of their animals. When restrictions were finally eased, the ringing of church bells signalled the end of the lockdown, bringing communities back together.

For artist and farmer Marcus Vergette it was a sound that would change his life.

Marcus was struck by the ancient power of bells to unite and resurrect a community and he embarked on a project that would span the length and breadth of the UK. His Time and Tide Bells project is a monumental work of both sculpture and social enterprise, 13 massive bells mounted along the British shoreline, each one ringing out twice a day with the tide and telling a unique story about its surrounding community. In Harwich a teacher uses the bell as a catalyst for marine biology lessons. In Aberdyfi, a town on the verge of collapse, their bell might just pull a disintegrated community back together. And in Par, their bell is facilitating conversations between generations that were once impossible.

But closer to home, Marcus faces an urgent challenge. The church bells in the village of Highampton - the ones whose sound signalled the end of the Foot and Mouth outbreak - are under threat. In a story that is common across the country, the church has seen a steep decline in use and has become redundant. The tower is crumbling, and if the tower goes, the bells go too.

Aside from their personal connection to Marcus, these bells have historic significance, dating as they do from between 1200 and 1500 AD. Marcus is determined to save them, but the forces of bureaucracy are against him.

We follow Marcus on his quest to save the Highampton Bells and learn about the lives he has touched through the bells he created.

A Sound & Bones production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001vtkf)
Do a Plank

Michael adds a plank into his exercise routine and is surprised to learn of its huge benefits to our physical health. Dr Jamie O'Driscoll, a Reader of Cardiovascular Physiology at Canterbury Christ Church University, reveals how the plank is a form of isometric exercise, where muscles are held still, neither stretching nor contracting. Jamie shares his research that found these exercises, including the plank and the wall-squat, could massively reduce our blood pressure. Michael also explores how the plank can even be better than crunches of sit ups for your abs and core muscles. Our volunteer Penelope takes on the plank, excited to learn that this small addition to her fitness regime could wield great results.

Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Science Producer: Catherine Wyler
Researcher: Sophie Richardson
Researcher: Will Hornbrook
Production Manager: Maria Simons
Editor: Zoe Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.


SUN 20:00 Word of Mouth (m0027jy4)
Creating Languages for Film and Television with Professor David Adger

David Adger is Professor of Linguistics at Queen Mary University of London. He's created new languages for TV series and films and he explains to Michael Rosen how he goes about it. For his latest language he used existing Creole languages for his 'conlang', or constructed (artificial) natural language. He talks Michael through the grammar and language principles he applies to his creations and lets him try his hand at the monsters' language he invented for a televised version of Beowulf.

Producer: Maggie Ayre


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m0027lcr)
Tony Martin, Pete Wilkinson, Loretta Ford, Marianne Faithfull

Matthew Bannister on

Tony Martin, the Norfolk farmer who shot dead a burglar and started a national debate about the rights of householders to defend themselves.

Pete Wilkinson, the co-founder of Greenpeace UK, known for his high-profile direct-action campaigns.

Loretta Ford, who pioneered the role of nurse practitioner in American health care.

Marianne Faithfull, the singer and actress who came to fame in the 1960s and overcame drug addiction and ill health to continue performing.

Producer: Ed Prendeville

Archive:
The World at One, BBC, 1985; Today, BBC, 1985; Sizewell Power Station Protest, 2009; What to do with nuclear waste?, TV Eye, 1981; GREENPEACE SHIP SUNK BY BOMB, BBC News, 1985; Close Up: Marianne Faithful – Keeping the Faith, BBC2 7th October 1999; Including a performance of “As Tears Go By – written by Mick Jagger Keith Richards & Andrew Loog Oldham on Decca record; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 28th May 1995; BBC news 23rd August 1999; Newsnight – 19th April 2000; BBC News 15th August 2023; Loretta Ford Documentary - University of Colorado College of Nursing, Sue Hagedorn and Seed Works, uploaded to Youtube 15 Nov 2019; This is your life 05 Jan 1998


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m0027sxl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m0027tcl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0027sxg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m0027tdy)
Ben Wright and guests discuss the key stories of the day and preview the week ahead at Westminster

Ben Wright's guests are the Labour MP Mark Ferguson, Conservative peer Tina Stowell, and former ministerial adviser Salma Shah. They discuss the sacking of Andrew Gwynne from the government, the rise of Reform UK and developments over Ukraine. Ben also interviews Lord Blunkett about the latest crackdown on irregular migration and his own experience of dealing with the issue. Kevin Schofield - political editor of Huffpost UK - brings additional insight and analysis.


SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m0027jwv)
Sir John Soane

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the architect Sir John Soane (1753 -1837), the son of a bricklayer. He rose up the ranks of his profession as an architect to see many of his designs realised to great acclaim, particularly the Bank of England and the Law Courts at Westminster Hall, although his work on both of those has been largely destroyed. He is now best known for his house in Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London, which he remodelled and crammed with antiquities and artworks: he wanted visitors to experience the house as a dramatic grand tour of Europe in microcosm. He became professor of architecture at the Royal Academy, and in a series of influential lectures he set out his belief in the power of buildings to enlighten people about “the poetry of architecture”. Visitors to the museum and his other works can see his trademark architectural features such as his shallow dome, which went on to inspire Britain's red telephone boxes.

With:

Frances Sands, the Curator of Drawings and Books at Sir John Soane’s Museum

Frank Salmon, Associate Professor of the History of Art at the University of Cambridge and Director of the Ax:son Johnson Centre for the Study of Classical Architecture

And

Gillian Darley, historian and author of Soane's biography.

Producer: Eliane Glaser
In Our time is a BBC Studios Audio production.

Reading list:

Barry Bergdoll, European Architecture 1750-1890 (Oxford University Press, 2000)

Bruce Boucher, John Soane's Cabinet of Curiosities: Reflections on an Architect and His Collection (Yale University Press, 2024)

Oliver Bradbury, Sir John Soane’s Influence on Architecture from 1791: An Enduring Legacy (Routledge, 2015)

Gillian Darley, John Soane: An Accidental Romantic (Yale University Press, 1999)

Ptolemy Dean, Sir John Soane and the Country Estate (Ashgate, 1999)

Ptolemy Dean, Sir John Soane and London (Lund Humphries, 2006)

Helen Dorey, John Soane and J.M.W. Turner: Illuminating a Friendship (Sir John Soane’s Museum, 2007)

Tim Knox, Sir John Soane’s Museum (Merrell, 2015)

Brian Lukacher, Joseph Gandy: An Architectural Visionary in Georgian England (Thames and Hudson, 2006)

Susan Palmer, At Home with the Soanes: Upstairs, Downstairs in 19th Century London (Pimpernel Press, 2015)

Frances Sands, Architectural Drawings: Hidden Masterpieces at Sir John Soane’s Museum (Batsford, 2021)

Sir John Soane’s Museum, A Complete Description (Sir John Soane’s Museum, 2018)

Mary Ann Stevens and Margaret Richardson (eds.), John Soane Architect: Master of Space and Light (Royal Academy Publications, 1999)

John Summerson, Architecture in Britain 1530-1830 (9th edition, Yale University Press, 1993)

A.A. Tait, Robert Adam: Drawings and Imagination (Cambridge University Press, 1993)

John H. Taylor, Sir John Soane’s Greatest Treasure: The Sarcophagus of Seti I (Pimpernel Press, 2017)

David Watkin, Sir John Soane: Enlightenment Thought and the Royal Academy Lectures (Cambridge University Press, 1996)

David Watkin, Sir John Soane: The Royal Academy Lectures (Cambridge University Press, 2000)

John Wilton-Ely, Piranesi, Paestum & Soane (Prestel, 2013)


SUN 23:45 Short Works (m0027lcp)
Soft Play

An original short story for radio, written and read by Eley Williams.

Dazed by the primary colours of a local soft play centre, a parent finds it difficult to be fully present. She is distracted by something on her phone, a clip looping over and over of a gesture that has gone viral. She doesn't know how to interpret it, and its potential for harm, until an unexpected moment involving her five year old son forces her to confront its implications.

Eley Williams' short fiction appears in anthologies including The Penguin Book of the Contemporary British Short Story, and has been shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award. Her debut collection 'Attrib. and Other Stories' won the James Tait Back Memorial Prize for fiction, and her second collection 'Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good' is longlisted for this year's Dylan Thomas Prize.

Writer: Eley Williams
Producer: Becky Ripley

A BBC Audio Bristol Production for BBC Radio 4.

MONDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2025

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m0027tf0)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


MON 00:15 The Battersea Poltergeist (p094c7b4)
Episode 1: 63 Wycliffe Road

63 Wycliffe Road is an ordinary house on a quiet South London street, but in 1956 it becomes famous as the site of an alleged poltergeist.

The strange events focus around teenager Shirley Hitchings – but is it a haunting or hoax?

Ghost hunter Harold Chibbett arrives to investigate.

This series blends drama and documentary to explore an intriguing paranormal cold case. As we hear the original haunting brought to life, host Danny Robins begins his own present-day investigation – what really happened to terrify the Hitchings family 65 years ago?

Written and presented by Danny Robins, starring Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials), Toby Jones (Detectorists), Burn Gorman (Torchwood) and Alice Lowe (Sightseers).

With original theme music by Mercury-nominated Nadine Shah and Ben Hillier, this gripping 8-part series interweaves a chilling supernatural thriller set in 50s London with a fascinating modern-day investigation into Britain’s strangest ever haunting – a mystery unsolved... until now.

Shirley Hitchings........Dafne Keen
Harold Chibbett.........Toby Jones
Wally Hitchings........Burn Gorman
Kitty Hitchings..........Alice Lowe
Ethel Hitchings..........Sorcha Cusack
John Hitchings........Calvin Demba
Mrs Cameroo..........Amina Zia

Written and presented by Danny Robins
Experts: Ciaran O’Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow
Sound Designer: Richard Fox
Music: Evelyn Sykes
Theme Music by Nadine Shah and Ben Hillier
Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard
Directed by Simon Barnard

Consultant: Alan Murdie
With thanks to James Clark, co-author of 'The Poltergeist Prince of London'

A Bafflegab production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in March 2021.


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m0027syy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0027tf3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0027tf5)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0027tf7)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:30 News Briefing (m0027tf9)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0027tfc)
Persistent Prayer in a Divided World

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier.

Good morning. Today, we remember St. Scholastica, a 6th-century Italian woman of faith whose life teaches us the power of prayer, love, and reconciliation. Like her brother, St. Benedict, she devoted herself to God through a life of monastic simplicity and prayer. In one cherished story, when Benedict planned to leave their annual meeting, Scholastica prayed for a storm to delay him so they could continue their holy conversation. Her prayer was granted, a reminder of the divine power of love and persistence in seeking connection.

But, this day also recalls a darker moment in history: the St. Scholastica Day’s riot of 1355 in Oxford. A quarrel between townsfolk and scholars escalated into violence, leaving many dead. This tragic event underscores how pride and division can lead to devastating consequences. Yet, even as we acknowledge this painful history, we can turn to St. Scholastica’s example and see in her faith the transformative power of prayer.
As we reflect, we are called to confront the divisions in our own time. In a world so often fractured by misunderstanding and conflict, we can choose a different path. Scholastica’s life invites us to persist in love, to seek holy conversation, and to trust in the reconciling power of Christ.

Lord of peace, through the example of St. Scholastica, you teach us the power of prayer and love. Heal the wounds of division in our world, And grant us hearts that seek unity and peace. May we persist in love and trust in your reconciling grace. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m0027tff)
10/02/25 - Animal protein in livestock feed, hare coursing and community care

Should meat be allowed in some animal feed? Measures brought in to control BSE banned feeding animal protein to farmed animals, but the Government says those rules no longer reflect the scientific evidence and is consulting on various proposals to use processed animal protein in feeds.

Gangs of hare coursers have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to farm land and infrastructure after about 25 vehicles swept through fields in Cambridgeshire in a single weekend. We hear from one of the farmers affected.

And as part of a week long feature, we're hearing from rural community champions - the unsung heroes who are making a real difference in their villages and towns. In this episode, we visit the coastal village of Solva in Pembrokeshire where 86-year-old Fran Barker joined a handful of other villagers to set up and run a unique support system looking after the most vulnerable people in the village.

Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced by Heather Simons


MON 05:57 Weather (m0027tfh)
Weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m0027t54)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (m0027t58)
Wages for Housework – then and now

From the early 1970s feminist activists from across the globe campaigned under a single demand – Wages for Housework. The historian Emily Callaci traces the lives and ideas of its key creators in her new book, Wages for Housework: The Story of a Movement, an Idea, a Promise. The campaign highlighted the need to change the way work, and especially what has been traditionally deemed women’s work, is valued.

Although men are still paid more than women, and women still play a greater role in the home, recent polling reveals that nearly half of Britons say women's equality has gone far enough. And that figure has been rising significantly in the last decade. Rosie Campbell, Professor of Politics at King’s College London also points out that a growing number of young men believe it will be harder to be a man than a woman in 20 years’ time.

So is it time for women to stop campaigning and #JustBeKind? Definitely not, according to the writer Victoria Smith. In her new book, UnKind, she unpicks the kindness trend that emerged in the 2020s, and argues that women and girls have again been coerced into a passive role.

Producer: Katy Hickman


MON 09:45 Café Hope (m0027t5d)
Hops and jobs

Co-founder of Tap Social Movement, Tess Taylor, tells Rachel Burden how the social enterprise trains and employs prisoners and prison leavers in their craft brewery and bakery.

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


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0027t5j)
England Netball win, Body positivity movement, Author Emilia Hart

England have won the Netball Nations Cup for the first time after beating South Africa. It proved sixth time lucky for the Vitality Roses after being defeated in the five previous finals. To celebrate, Nuala McGovern is joined by head coach Jess Thirlby and former England Netball captain, Pamela Cookey.

Last month, Eleanor Frances received a settlement of £116,000 from two Whitehall departments that she worked in as a civil servant, the agreement was reached without liability. She had claimed constructive dismissal after raising concerns about a lack of impartiality in HR policies on gender and sex. DCMS and DSIT are now revising their Gender Reassignment policies. In her first broadcast interview, Eleanor tells Nuala why she brought the case.

With New York fashion week in full swing we take a look at the decline of the body positivity movement. As with everything in fashion, trends come and go but when the body positivity movement hit the catwalk and more diverse models were used many thought the change was here to stay. To discuss, Nuala is joined by fashion writer Victoria Moss and plus-sized model Enrika.

Laila Souief has been on hunger strike for 134 days, campaigning for the release of her British-Egyptian son Alaa Abdel Fattah, who is being held as a political prisoner in Egypt. Today she is calling for the Prime Minister to take more decisive action in getting him released. She tells Nuala how she’s dealing with the hunger strike aged 68, and what she wants from the government.

Inspired by the convict ships that transported prisoners from Ireland and England to Australia and the misogyny that’s travelled down through generations, Emilia Hart’s new book, The Sirens, explores the healing power of water and sisterhood.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Emma Pearce


MON 11:00 How Boarding Schools Shaped Britain (m0027t5m)
2. Codes

What did it mean to grow up in the type of boarding schools where codes of tradition, privilege, and resilience dictated life?

In the second of three programmes, Nicky Campbell hears from ex-boarders about the unspoken rules and survival mechanisms forged in these elite institutions - places that have shaped leaders, but left some with profound scars.

The structures and hierarchies were created to forge great men, but could also be extremely traumatic for some, and could empower abusers. Some men say being sent away at an early age left them in dangerous, violent hands, and has cast long shadows.


MON 11:45 Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To (m0027t5r)
Bagging an Heiress

1: How to Be a True Gentleman

Comedian and broadcaster Sunil Patel invites you to join him in his new get-rich-quick scheme by marrying an Heiress. In this episode, Sunil meets with a premium dating agency, learns how to conduct himself on a date with an etiquette coach and goes on a megadate.

Written and Performed by Sunil Patel
With Additional Material from Charlie Dinkin, Em Humble and Benjamin Sutton
Featuring Helen Bauer
Sound Design and Mix by Andy Goddard
Produced by Laura Shaw and Benjamin Sutton

A Daddy’s SuperYacht Production for BBC Radio 4


MON 12:00 News Summary (m0027t5y)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m0027t61)
Trading Standards, Mystery Holidays, Village Takeover

On this week's programme, a new Which? investigation has exposed a trading standards postcode lottery, with inadequate staffing levels in many areas. They say that's leaving millions exposed to crime, fake and dangerous products and scams. We hear from John Herriman Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Trading Standards and Lisa Webb from Which?.

Also on programme, we hear about the growth in companies offering 'mystery holidays' and the people being tempted to go on them. What are the things you need to bear in mind before you book?

And we visit the Lancashire village where the community has taken over the pub, the library, the shop and community centre to hear how they did it and why.

PRODUCER: CATHERINE EARLAM
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON


MON 12:57 Weather (m0027t65)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m0027t6b)
Concern at Government 'blitz' on illegal immigration

The new, tougher approach to illegal workers prompts a backlash from the left of the Labour Party. We speak to Diane Abbott and the convenor of the Red Wall group of Labour MPs. Plus: the award aspiring to be the Grammys of dance.


MON 13:45 The Lion, the Witch and the Wonder by Katherine Rundell (m0023y8s)
Magnificent Disasters

In this gripping investigation of children’s fiction, award-winning author Katherine Rundell makes a passionate argument for a literature that is often underrated, yet whose magic can live on inside us for the rest of our lives. The best children’s books need to be good enough both for the hungriest child and the wisest, sharpest adult.

In the first of five original essays, Katherine Rundell examines how some of the greatest writers in literature have failed in their attempt to write for a young readership, from Tolstoy’s bleak and bloodthirsty stories to Graham Greene’s cute picture books. Being a great writer does not guarantee that you will have the same brilliance when it comes to younger readers.

For Oxford academic Katherine Rundell, creating books for children is the most challenging writing of all. She explores what it takes to write for children and why it can bring out the best or worst in writers.

Katherine Rundell is an acclaimed writer for children, winning Author of the Year and Book of the Year for Impossible Creatures at the British Book Awards 2024 and winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award.

Written and presented by Katherine Rundell
Producer: Jo Glanville
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Production Co-ordinator: Heather Dempsey
Studio Engineer: Dan King

A Loftus Media Production for BBC Radio 4

Quotation credit:
Toni Morrison interview - "Art and Social Justice": A conversation on Broadway with Toni Morrison, Ta-Nehisi Coates and Sonia Sanchez, Wednesday, June 15, 2016, Ambassador Theatre, New York

Photo credit: Nina Subin


MON 14:00 The Archers (m0027t6g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 A Charles Paris Mystery (m0027t6j)
Charles Paris: Situation Tragedy

Episode 3

CHARLES PARIS ..... Bill Nighy
FRANCES ..... Suzanne Burden
MAURICE ..... Jon Glover
ASH AMOS ..... Phaldut Sharma
JUDY GILMORE ..... Christine Kavanagh
STEVIE DEAN ..... Tony Turner

Written by Jeremy Front from a story by Simon Brett
Technical Producers ..... Peter Ringrose & Alison Craig
Production Co-ordinator ..... Luke MacGregor
Directed by Sally Avens

Charles has landed a role on Tim's Got A Thing - a sitcom with no gags. Things become even less funny when both a PA and a Director have grisly accidents.
Charles is sure that there is murder afoot and his suspicions turn to his fellow cast members.


MON 14:45 Marple: Three New Stories (m001gjs8)
The Unravelling by Natalie Haynes

The Unravelling (Part 3)

Agatha Christie’s iconic detective is reimagined for a new generation with a murder, a theft and a mystery where nothing is quite what it seems.

The Unravelling by Natalie Haynes
When an itinerant farm hand is found dead outside Weaver’s Haberdashers it’s chalked up as a brawl gone tragically wrong - until the body is moved and an arrow found lodged in his heart. Mr Weaver has just been released thanks to a rock-solid alibi and Jane Marple is starting to wonder if she's been looking at this crime the wrong way round.

Read by Monica Dolan
Abridged and produced by Eilidh McCreadie

Almost 50 years since the publication of Agatha Christie's last Miss Marple novel, 'Marple: Twelve New Stories' is a collection of ingenious stories by acclaimed authors who also happen to be Christie devotees.


MON 15:00 A Good Read (m0027t6l)
Nicci Gerrard and Sean French

Books featured:

True Grit by Charles Portis
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson

Nicci Gerrard and Sean French write collectively as Nicci French. They not only write together, they're also a married couple and they love to read.

Sean chooses True Grit by Charles Portis, better known for the film versions with John Wayne and Jeff Bridges. But Sean passionately believes that to really experience the brilliance of the story you have to read the book, in which the 14 year old female protagonist hires a gunslinger to track down her father's killer.

Harriett's choice is a story of mental illness and family fallout. Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason documents the life of Martha, who seems to be in permanent self-destruct mode and is unaware of the effects her behaviour have on those around her.

Nicci picks Tove Jansson's Moominland Midwinter, a book she read and loved as a child and continues to love today. Unlike Jansson's other books, which are set in summer, this story set in deep dark winter is a coming of age story about taking responsibility and conquering fears.

Producer: Maggie Ayre

Photo copyright Johnny Ring


MON 15:30 History's Heroes (m0027t6n)
History's Youngest Heroes

History's Youngest Heroes: 10. Vasily Arkhipov and the End of Days

Deep in the waters of the Caribbean Sea, a young Soviet Naval must make a decision that could either save the world or trigger its destruction.

Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history. Join her for 12 stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Producer: Suniti Somaiya
Assistant Producer: Lorna Reader
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann
Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts


MON 16:00 Indebted: The Story Behind National Debt (m0027t6q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics (m001tbgh)
Series 9

Athene

Athene is charismatic and bloodthirsty, goddess of wisdom, war and...handicrafts.

Owl-eyed Athene is not interested in love, although she is very fond of the hero Odysseus and gives him a leg-up whenever she can. War is Athene's thing, the bloodier the better. She's perfectly happy to humiliate and degrade her enemies, including the feisty and talented weaver Arachne, who challenges Athene to a weaving competition. Athene loves a scrap so it's game on: looms at dawn. She weaves a depiction of her own glorious success over Poseidon in the battle for Attica. Arachne creates a tapestry which shows scenes of gods tricking, seducing, assaulting and kidnapping mortal women. Her message is that the 'protection' of the gods is not worth the cost. Athene is speechless and it's clear who has won the challenge. But Arachne has to pay a price for victory.

Rock star mythologist’ and reformed stand-up Natalie Haynes is obsessed with the ancient world. Here she explores key stories from ancient Rome and Greece that still have resonance today. They might be biographical, topographical, mythological or epic, but they are always hilarious, magical and tragic, mystifying and revelatory. And they tell us more about ourselves now than seems possible of stories from a couple of thousand years ago.

Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery


MON 17:00 PM (m0027t6s)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0027t6v)
Hamas suspends the release of hostages, accusing Israel of attacking Palestinians


MON 18:30 Just a Minute (m0027t6x)
Series 94

4. Does the second turning of the tide amount to repetition?

Sue Perkins challenges Tony Hawks, Ian Smith, Zoe Lyons and Charlotte Ritchie to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, deviation or hesitation. Subjects include Preferred Socks, Hayfever, and Getting It Started On The Dancefloor.

Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Producer: Rajiv Karia
An EcoAudio certified production.

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4


MON 19:00 The Archers (m0027t6z)
Susan and Helen have a nice chat at Bridge Farm about Neil’s recent trip to meet Nelly and Helen’s house plans. Then a shocking incident stops everything, as a tide of raw sewage comes spilling out of the brook. Pat, Tony and Tom are desperate to stop it from reaching the house and dairy. Pat goes to warn Helen and Tom says he’ll call David – they need Brookfield’s yard scraper - while Tony fetches the power hose. Meanwhile, Pat tells Helen to save what she can in the dairy with Susan, before the sewage reaches the storage room.

Ben arrives with the scraper while Tom explains there’s been a discharge from the treatment station into their brook and it’s overtopped the banks. Tom takes the driver’s seat in the scraper as Ben goes to help Helen at the Dairy. Susan and Helen work frantically to load cheeses onto trolleys and shift them out of the danger area, while Clarrie is sent to check on the Tearoom and Shop. Despite their best efforts many cheeses have already been ruined by the time Ben joins the fight to save as many of the rest as they can.

Later, Pat, Helen and Ben survey the damage. The shop and Tea room seem ok, although the stench has driven customers away. Henry’s planned carpark event is ruined, but Helen says he’ll have to deal with it. Helen tries to calm catastrophising Pat, who remembers the e-coli disaster. Pat reckons the water company has a lot to answer for - but how are they going to get through this?


MON 19:15 Front Row (m0027t71)
Robert de Niro, Gladiators exhibition, Festen: Mark Anthony Turnage and Lee Hall's new opera

Hollywood legend Robert De Niro explains why he's starring in his first ever TV series Zero Day, where he plays a former US President out to find the culprits behind a deadly cyber-attack on America. He's joined by the show's screenwriter Eric Newman. With the British Council facing financial pressures it is considering the sale of its art collection, we hear from Jenny Waldman, Director of the Art Fund about what this might mean. Mark Anthony Turnage and Lee Hall talk about their new opera Festen, based on the Danish film by Thomas Vinterberg, which explores the impact of a dark family secret revealed at a birthday party. And, curator Anna Villi and author Elodie Harper discuss the British Museum and Colchester and Ipswich Museum's Gladiators of Britain exhibition.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Ruth Watts


MON 20:00 Rethink (m0027jy6)
Rethink... crime prevention

In 2024, more than two million crimes went unsolved in England and Wales, with police unable to identify a suspect. That figure has increased by 180,000 since 2022, despite there being 86,000 fewer crimes in the same period.

So with detection rates down, and constant financial pressures on the police services across the UK, should crime prevention play a greater role in policing? Targeting preventable crimes and the people most likely to commit them, a process called "focused deterrence" is being trialled at five sites in England. Police services already have better intelligence resources available than in any time in history, and they are also working with care services and other agencies to flag up potential problems.

How could crime prevention be taken further? Would a more academic approach to policing result in knowledge being spread more quickly, and how could police be better prepared for emerging crimes as society and technology change?

Ultimately, could it lead to lower crime rates and financial savings, and is there any evidence to suggest it does either?

Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Ivana Davidovic
Editor: Clare Fordham

Contributors:
Katrin Hohl, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at City University
Alexander Murray, Threat Leadership at the National Crime Agency and the Chair of the Society for Evidence Based Policing
Alex Sutherland, Professor in Practice Criminology & Public Policy at Oxford University
Dr Rick Muir, Director of the Police Foundation


MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m0027jy8)
The World’s Biggest Iceberg

It’s the biggest story of recent weeks. Literally.

Trillion-tonne iceberg A23a is on the move. But where is it headed and why – and what might it mean for the scientists and penguins in its path?

And from a giant ‘megaberg’ to a giant pile of highly radioactive material, we find out what locking away a load of radioactive waste has in common with baking a cake.

And we’re joined by science journalist Caroline Steel to guide us through this week’s science news.

We’ll hear about the first study into whether banning phones in schools works, why scratching an itch might have benefits beyond just satisfaction, and the perfect formula to boil an egg...

Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Ilan Goodman & Gerry Holt
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinators: Jana Bennett-Holesworth & Josie Hardy

Science-backed boiled egg recipe:

- You need two pans… and exactly 32 minutes
- Keep one pan at 100 degrees Celsius (boiling) and the other pan at 30 degrees Celsius
- Move the egg between the two every two minutes for 32 minutes

Enjoy!

To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.


MON 21:00 Start the Week (m0027t58)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:45 Café Hope (m0027t5d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m0027t73)
Hamas delays release of Israeli hostages

Hamas says it's postponing the next scheduled release of Israeli hostages, blaming what he said were Israeli violations of the ceasefire deal. Three hostages held in Gaza are due to be freed on Saturday in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Israel's defence minister called the announcement "a complete violation of the ceasefire agreement". The uncle of an Israeli hostage tells us US President Donald Trump should avoid commenting on Gaza until all the hostages are released.

Assisted dying cases would no longer have to be signed off by the High Court under changes suggested by the bill's supporters. We speak to Labour MP Jess Asato who says the change undermines assurances the bill would be tough on safeguarding.

And would you attend a concert in the dark?


MON 22:45 Vidya Wade by Timothy X Atack (m0027t75)
Episode 1

Spine-tingling original fiction by Timothy X Atack, read by Amanda Lawrence.

'Phasing visitations' is the term Vidya Wade prefers in her work as an extra-natural mediator. You don't call them 'hauntings' anymore.
She's looking for just such phasing visitations in a north London supermarket when she gets the call from Maya Khan, who thinks her modest new home in Leicester has a ghost.

You don't call them that anymore, either. Creates unhelpful expectations.

Maya and her husband Ben need help. Vidya's is the only number they can find. And her visit to their household leads to an unforgettable discovery.

Timothy X Atack is a writer, composer, and sound designer based in Bristol. His work includes the eco sci-fi thriller FOREST 404 for BBC Sounds (WGGB and ARIA awards for best audio drama 2020) stage play HEARTWORM (winner of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2017) among other audio dramas for BBC Radio. In June 2025 his play DELAY – a queer sci-fi heartbreaker for the stage – will be produced at Bristol Old Vic Theatre.

Reader, Amanda Lawrence
Music by Timothy X Atack
Producer, Mary Ward-Lowery


MON 23:00 Limelight (m001hp53)
The Incident at Ong's Hat

The Incident at Ong’s Hat - Episode 2: The Traveller

Sarah and Charlie meet a mysterious stranger at Ong’s Hat who claims to be an interdimensional traveller… and who knows a lot about Sarah.
Can he be trusted, or has a dangerous online stalker just made his IRL entrance…

Cast:
Charlie - Corey Brill
Sarah - Avital Ash
Rodney Ascher - Himself
Det. Stecco - James Bacon
Casey - Hayley Taylor
Ringo - Benjamin Williams
Kit - Randall Keller
Denny Unger - Himself
Joseph Matheny - Himself
Newscasters: Elizabeth Saydah, Dean Wendt

Created and Produced by Jon Frechette and Todd Luoto
Inspired by Ong’s Hat: The Beginning by Joseph Matheny
Music by Blue Dot Sessions, Jon Frechette, Chris Zabriskie, Anthéne, Macrogramma (under Creative Commons)
Editing and Sound Design - Jon Frechette
Additional Editing - Brandon Kotfila and Greg Myers
Special Thanks - Ben Fineman

Written and Directed by Jon Frechette
Executive Producer - John Scott Dryden

“Ong’s Hat Survivors Interview” courtesy of Joseph Matheny
Visit thegardenofforkedpaths.com and josephmatheny.com

A Goldhawk production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0027t78)
Alicia McCarthy reports as MPs debate the government plans to tackle illegal migration.

TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2025

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m0027t7b)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 00:30 Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To (m0027t5r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0027t7d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0027t7g)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0027t7j)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m0027t7l)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0027t7n)
Hope Among Ruins

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier.

Good morning. In a world fraught with turmoil—conflicts, political upheavals, and rapid change—it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Hope can be difficult to find amidst such uncertainty. Standing here at Brecon Cathedral, once a monastery dissolved during Henry VIII’s reign, I am reminded that even in destruction we can find the seeds of renewal.

Monasteries were not merely buildings; they were vibrant communities of prayer and service, living out hope daily. That same calling belongs to us today—to strive to be beacons of hope in a despairing world.

As Romans 15:13 declares: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Faith anchors us in this truth: even when the world groans, God’s purposes remain steadfast. We are called to light candles in the darkness, to mend rather than tear apart, and to embody Christ’s transformative love.

As the American poet Wendell Berry writes, “Be joyful though you have considered all the facts.” Hope is not denial but defiance—a refusal to let despair have the final word. Together, we can remind one another and the world that the light always shines, especially in the deepest darkness.

God of hope, When despair presses close, turn our hearts to you. Grant us courage to live as witnesses to your light. May we build communities of love and renewal, trusting in your promise that all things are being made new. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m0027t7q)
11/02/25 - Inheritance tax protest and farming mental health

As many as one and half thousand tractors have converged on Westminster as farmers continue their protest over the Government's plan to re-introduce inheritance tax on farm business assets from next year. The Government says imposing the tax on farms worth more than a million pounds is fair, and will raise much needed public funds. But some farmers argue the move could see family farms put out of business.

And as part of a week long feature, we're hearing from rural community champions - the unsung heroes who are making a real difference in their villages and towns. In this episode, we hear from Andy and Lynda Eadon, who started campaigning for better awareness of mental health in agriculture after their son, Leonard, took his own life three years ago. He was 22 and had just finished his agriculture degree.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Heather Simons


TUE 06:00 Today (m0027tqx)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 The Long View (m0027tqz)
Trade Tariffs

As Donald Trump raises a 25% levy on all imports of steel and aluminium into the USA, as well as other tariffs on trade with friends and competitors alike, Jonathan Freedland looks back to the Corn Laws, measures introduced to protect British farmers and land owners from competition following the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. The Corn Laws and the campaign to repeal them transformed British politics and economics. How do events then compare to Donald Trump's policies and actions today?
With:
Professor Lawrence Goldman, Emeritus Fellow in History at St Peter's College, Oxford
Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics at St Edmund Hall, Oxford

Producer: Luke Mulhall


TUE 09:30 Inside Health (m0027tr1)
Dementia: Your questions answered and lion's mane mushrooms in the lab

You sent in your questions on dementia and now we're tackling them. Professor Tara Spires-Jones, Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, joins James Gallagher to go through the insidehealth@bbc.co.uk mailbag.

James also visits mushroom grower the Bristol Fungarium which has teamed up with the University of the West of England to examine a mushroom called lion's mane.

Lion's mane has a lot of hype about it online as well as a long history in traditional medicine and neuroscientist Dr Tim Craig and his team are taking it into their to lab to investigate whether it might harbour properties that could benefit people with dementia.

Thanks to everyone who sent in questions after listening to our episode 'What next for Alzheimer's treatment' which is available on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0024ng7

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Tom Bonnett
Editor: Holly Squire


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0027tr3)
Maternal mental health, Syria's missing, poet Caitlin O'Ryan

Laura Kyrke-Smith MP wants more care and support for new mothers struggling with their mental health. Her own friend died by suicide just 10 weeks after giving birth and she recently led a debate in parliament on the subject. She joins Nuala McGovern to talk about the changes she wants to see, along with perinatal psychologist Dr Alain Gregoire from the Maternal Mental Health Alliance.

What does the word 'ambition' mean to you? A study from the University of California has shown women may be put off applying for jobs when words such as 'ambition' or 'drive' appear in the ad, as they can feel intimidated. Nuala talks to Tiffanie Darke, the former CEO of female unemployment charity Smart Works, about women’s relationship to ambition and what they’re really looking for in a job.

Wafa al Mustafa has been searching for her father for 13 years, ever since he was arrested at their home in Damascus in 2013. She has become the face of the campaign by hundreds of Syrian families to find their loved ones who have disappeared. She tells us how her search is going, and the difference the fall of Assad’s regime has made.

Performance poet Caitlin O'Ryan's poem about women walking home has struck a chord with thousands of people online. She joins us to perform At What Point and share what made her want to get up on stage at a poetry open mic night for the first time a couple of years ago.

What happens when your child with special educational needs or disabilities, otherwise known as SEND, gets older? We hear from Laura Kerr from People First Dorset, a charity which aims to tackle loneliness amongst young people with learning disabilities, and Jo White, whose 17-year-old son Leon is autistic and non-verbal and has just left education.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths


TUE 11:00 Screenshot (m0027ld2)
Video Shops

With physical media sales on the rise and streaming fatigue setting in, Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode explore the life, death and rebirth of the video shop.

Ellen takes a trip to one of the UK's few remaining stores, 20th Century Flicks in Bristol, which has a strong claim to being the longest-running video shop in the world, first opening in 1982. She speaks to manager Dave Taylor about the evolution of the shop over the last 43 years, and finds out how he feels about how video shop clerks have been depicted on screen.

Mark talks to American filmmaker Alex Ross Perry about his new essay film Videoheaven, which explores the history of videotape as a medium and video stores as physical locations, told entirely through their depiction in film and TV shows.

And Mark also speaks to writer and producer Kate Hagen about her search for the world's last great video stores.

Produced by Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 11:45 Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To (m0027tr5)
Bagging an Heiress

2: How to Infiltrate Chelsea

Chelsea gets it’s latest debutante, Comedian Sunil Patel, as he takes to the streets of SW3 looking for love and a healthy financial base
Sunil visits a Savile Row tailor, meets the best and brightest of the Chelsea and gets on the wrong side of a pack of dogs.

Written and Performed by Sunil Patel
With Additional Material from Charlie Dinkin, Em Humble, Kit Riley and Benjamin Sutton
Featuring Helen Bauer and Alison Thea-Skot
Sound Design and Mix by Andy Goddard
Produced by Laura Shaw and Benjamin Sutton

A Daddy’s SuperYacht Production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m0027tr7)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m0027tr9)
Call You and Yours: Renting, Buying and Selling

There's plenty going on in the housing market at the moment.

House prices have risen slightly with people trying to get deals done before April's stamp duty increases. Last week's interest rates cut should be good news for people looking for a mortgage.

Meanwhile, rents outside London are falling for the first time in years. We want to know how all this is affecting you. Are you trying to move house - if so, how's it going? Is moving even an option given the costs involved? Are you a renter or a landlord affected by the changes in that market?

Please get in touch - email youandyours@bbc.co.uk, and leave a number so we can call you back. From 11am on Tuesday you can call us on 03700 100 444.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY


TUE 12:57 Weather (m0027trc)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m0027trf)
What would get the Gaza ceasefire back on track?

Spokespeople for the Israeli government and Hamas discuss their hopes for the coming days. We also hear from the AfD's deputy leader ahead of the German election. And Sir Tim Rice joins us to talk about why he wants subtitles in the theatre.


TUE 13:45 The Lion, the Witch and the Wonder by Katherine Rundell (m0023yd2)
The Lion and the Witch

In this gripping investigation of children’s fiction, award-winning author Katherine Rundell makes a passionate argument for a literature that is often underrated, yet whose magic can live on inside us for the rest of our lives. The best children’s books need to be good enough both for the hungriest child and the wisest, sharpest adult.

In the second of five original essays about children’s fiction, Katherine reveals how the fashion of writing for younger readers has changed - from the moral instruction of the earliest literature, telling children what to do and who to obey, to books that offered children intellectual freedom and huge worlds.

Katherine explores the visions of some of the greatest writers, including Tove Jansson, CS Lewis and Tolkein. She discovers a world of literature that opens up spaces of imagination that can enchant or terrify, introducing us to characters and ideas that captivate us.

Katherine Rundell is an acclaimed writer for children, winning Author of the Year and Book of the Year for Impossible Creatures at the British Book Awards 2024, and winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award.

Written and presented by Katherine Rundell
Producer: Jo Glanville
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Production Co-ordinator: Heather Dempsey
Studio Engineer: Dan King

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Photo credit: Nina Subin


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m0027t6z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 This Thing of Darkness (p0h2jy00)
Series 3

The Dandelion and the Orchid

by Frances Poet with monologues by Eileen Horne

Part Five – THE DANDELION AND THE ORCHID

Dr Alex Bridges is an expert forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist, assessing and treating perpetrators of serious crime.

This gripping drama explores the psychological impact of murder on perpetrators and follows the fortunes of participants in a Long Sentence therapy group.

How thin is the line between love and hate?

Dr Alex Bridges ….. Lolita Chakrabarti
Anthony ….. Lorn Macdonald
Finn ….. Reuben Joseph
Dani ….. Elysia Welch

Sound Design: Fraser Jackson

Series Consultant: Dr Gwen Adshead

Series format created by Lucia Haynes, Audrey Gillan, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams.

Thanks to Victoria Byrne, Barlinnie Prison, Vox Liminis Distant Voices Project and Prof Fergus McNeill.

Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane and Kirsty Williams

A BBC Scotland Production directed by Gaynor Macfarlane


TUE 15:00 The Gift (m00255x1)
Series 2

5. Donor

When testing your DNA becomes an obsession.

It’s the perfect gift for the person who already has everything. It promises to tell you who you really are, and how you’re connected to the world. A present that will reveal your genetic past – but could also disrupt your future.

In the first series of The Gift, Jenny Kleeman looked at the extraordinary truths that can unravel when people take at-home DNA tests like Ancestry and 23andMe.

For the second series, Jenny is going deeper into the unintended consequences - the aftershocks - set in motion when people link up to the enormous global DNA database.

Reconnecting and rupturing families, uprooting identities, unearthing long-buried secrets - what happens after technology, genealogy and identity collide?

Presenter: Jenny Kleeman
Producer: Conor Garrett
Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett
Editor: Philip Sellars
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

The Gift is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 15:30 Thinking Allowed (m0027trh)
Wealth

Wealth: Laurie Taylor talks to Brooke Harrington, Professor of Economic Sociology at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, about the world of offshore finance, how it works and its impact, globally. As part of her research, she earned her own wealth management certificate and spent nearly eight years interviewing other professionals in the field, as well as visiting the 18 most popular tax havens in the world—from Mauritius, off the southeast coast of Africa, to the Cook Islands in the middle of the South Pacific - observing and interviewing the experts who keep the secrets and protect the fortunes of the global ultra-rich. Does offshore finance have costs for all of us at a time when democracies seem under threat and deepening inequalities are destabilising the world? Also, Guido Alfani, Professor of Economic History at Bocconi University, Milan, explores a 1000-year history of the super-rich in the West from the medieval period to today. He finds that their position within society has long been fragile and precarious. How have the uber rich been viewed by society, over time, and are they ripe for a re-appraisal?

Producer: Jayne Egerton


TUE 16:00 Moving Pictures (m0027trk)
An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump by Joseph Wright of Derby

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 on 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 looking at an 18th century masterpiece from the collection of the National Gallery, London: An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump by Joseph Wright of Derby. The painting takes us to a dark room in a grand house where a scientific experiment is being conducted by candlelight. A cockatoo struggles in a vacuum created by an air pump. Around the table, a group of family and friends watch – their differing reactions so lifelike and subtly portrayed, we’re drawn into the cruel drama. Will the bird live or die?

To see the high-resolution image of the painting on Google Arts & Culture, visit www.bbc.co.uk/movingpictures. Scroll down and follow the link to explore An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump.

Interviewees: Christine Riding, Lucy Bamford, Amina Wright and Leah Kharibian.

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.
Picture credit: NG725: Joseph Wright ‘of Derby’, An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump, 1768, oil on canvas, 183 x 244cm, © The National Gallery, London.


TUE 16:30 When It Hits the Fan (m0027trm)
Inside the woke war room, puff quote PR and WhatsApp comms

David Yelland and Simon Lewis take you inside the woke war rooms in which some of the world’s biggest companies have been sitting these last few weeks with their PR teams, working out whether to abandon their diversity, equity and inclusion programmes following Donald Trump’s ban. With net zero and US foreign aid also coming under the umbrella of what Elon Musk calls the 'woke mind virus’, is the war on woke the great PR distraction trick of our time?

Also, 'Illuminating and electrifying!' Are book endorsements dead in the age of the influencer?

And how can PR professionals keep a handle on the WhatsApps and private communications of their CEOs?

Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 17:00 PM (m0027trp)
Trump meets Jordan's king, as tensions rise again in Gaza

Trump meets Jordan's King, as tensions rise again in Gaza. On PM, we hear a dispatch from the Jordanian capital, and we speak to a former US diplomat who worked for Donald Trump in the region.
Also: the Met Police says it no longer can legally sack officers accused of misconduct, the head of the Welsh rugby team has quit after a 14 consecutive defeats, and a couple get a refund on their £32 million mansion after finding a severe moth infestation.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0027trr)
Benjamin Netanyahu says the ceasefire will end unless hostages are released on Saturday


TUE 18:30 Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar (m001df6c)
Series 4

The Revolving Door

Alexei contemplates the revolving door between politics and big business and makes a case for becoming the UK’s defence minister.

A mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of an imaginary sandwich bar.

Written and performed by Alexei Sayle.

Producer: Joe Nunnery

A BBC Studios Production


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m0027trt)
The exhausting task of cleaning Bridge Farm and the Dairy is in operation. Tom disposes of the morning’s milk. The dairy machinery clean up will take days, even before swabs can be sent off for the lab to show them clear of contamination and so all production is on hold. Tom and Helen hope there will not be further pollution after another wet night.

As Mick and Joy enjoy breakfast, a gurgling noise and terrible smell stops them. As untreated sewage spills from the plugholes, shower and toilet, they try to stop the flow from the utility and shower room through the house.

Meanwhile at their neighbours, The Maliks are horrified to find themselves in the same situation. Azra warns Zainab and Khalil to stay clear, leave the house and not to touch anything, it’s moving fast and could be full of disease.

The affected Beechwood neighbours gather in the street. Zainab and Khalil remember they have left their tablets and laptops in the lounge but Azra forbids them to re-enter. Joy is distraught – her beautiful house and so many contents are destroyed. Zainab feels terrible - she’d moved her dad’s boxes of precious books and photos to the utility room, which will now be unsalvageable.

Joy calls Tom and Helen with the bad news from Beechwood – their home’s ground floor has been filled with sewage and has also ruined Henry and Jack’s boxes, packed for moving. Joy confirms that none of them will be able to live in their houses as they are, and they’ll all need to move out.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m0027trw)
25 Years of 21st Century: Books

Front Row continues to look at how culture has changed in the first 25 years of this century with an edition focusing on books.

Tom Sutcliffe is in the Front Row studio with two writers who've helped to shape the literary landscape over those years – the novelists Zadie Smith and Andrew O'Hagan. They are joined by the presenter of Radio 4's A Good Read and World Book Club, Harriett Gilbert, who's chosen Smith's White Teeth as one of her key books so far this century. Plus Editor of The Bookseller Philip Jones joins the discussion to reflect on the changes in publishing and the impact of technology on our reading habits

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Ciaran Bermingham


TUE 20:00 The Great Post Office Trial (m0027try)
18. Now What?

2024 was the year when the Post Office's victimisation of sub-postmasters became a ubiquitous national story, after the airing of an ITV Drama. "Mr Bates vs the Post Office" was viewed by more than 10 million people, and brought political momentum to the resolution of the ongoing injustices associated with the scandal. Before the election, the government passed landmark legislation to cut through the achingly slow judicial process and speedily overturn hundreds of convictions in one fell swoop. It was a major victory for Sub Postmasters and campaigners - but does it mean the scandal is over?

In a new episode of "The Great Post Office Trial", Nick Wallis goes behind the scenes of the efforts to get that legislation passed, hearing from the then Justice secretary and Post Office minister on the complex negotiations against the clock that got it through. And he also hears about the key compromise that helped reduce criticism from the judiciary - but has left some convicted sub-postmasters still out in the cold.

He also explores the question of accountability at the top, as the police investigation grinds on, revisiting the evidence given by former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells, which was pushed out of the news cycle by the announcement of the election.

And he hears from Sub Postmasters who are still frustrated by the pace and quantity of compensation payments, as more victims of this scandal continue to be put through the ringer in pursuit of the compensation the government has promised; he puts their concerns to Gareth Thomas MP, who has taken over since the election as the minister responsible, and Neil Brocklehurst, the Post Office's interim CEO.

Producer: Robert Nicholson
Executive Producer: Will Yates
Sound Design: Emma Barnaby
Research: Artemis Irvine

A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m0027ts0)
Update on Touch Screen Card Machines

Back in November 2021, In Touch looked at accessibility problems with touch screen payment card machines. Fast forward to 2025 and the amount of contact we're still getting about this suggests very little progress has been made.

In this episode, we talk to representatives from RNIB and the hospitality and finance industries to ask why card machines are still so high on our list of accessibility gripes. We also hear what manufacturers of these machines have to say on the matter, and we report on the development of a card which is raising hopes of a solution.

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Fern Lulham
Production Coordinator: Liz Poole

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 World Of Secrets (m00263c9)
The Bad Guru

The Bad Guru: 3. The Transformation

“I don't have my passport. I don't have my phone. I don't have my bank card… I have nothing.” Miranda is driven through Paris with her eyes covered to meet the guru Gregorian Bivolaru at a secret location. Why is her spiritual guide in hiding?

This episode contains sexual content.

Host: Cat McShane
Producers: Emma Weatherill and Cat McShane
Sound design: Melvin Rickarby
Production Coordinator: Juliette Harvey
Unit Manager: Lucy Bannister
Executive Producer: Innes Bowen
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams


TUE 21:30 The Bottom Line (m0027jx9)
DEI: Are Businesses Dumping Workplace Diversity?

Major US businesses have begun ditching or scaling back their diversity initiatives. Will UK firms be next? Evan Davis is joined by three guests who specialise on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) schemes, as well as environmental and sustainability issues. Do they see signs of UK companies shifting their stance? And to what extent is the DEI industry - and their jobs - under threat?

Guests:

Daniel Fellows, General Manager of Diversio UK and EU
Erinch Sahan, busines and enterprise lead at Doughnut Economics Action Lab
Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK

Production team

Producers: Farhana Haider, Simon Tulett and Eleanor Harrison-Dengate
Sound: James Beard
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Matt Willis


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m0027ts2)
US secures release of American prisoner held in Russia

Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East flew to Moscow to collect American prisoner Marc Fogel. Could Fogel’s release signal a thaw in US-Russian relations, and what does it mean for American support for Ukraine? We speak to former US ambassador to Moscow Michael McFaul.

Also on the programme: we'll be live in Jerusalem as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the ceasefire in Gaza will end if Hamas doesn't release hostages on Saturday; and we hear from the Essex headteacher whose school gives detention to pupils who score less than 90% on their maths homework.


TUE 22:45 Vidya Wade by Timothy X Atack (m0027ts4)
Episode 2

Spine-tingling original fiction by Timothy X Atack.

Vidya decides to help the nice young couple in Leicester, who sound as if they might never sleep in their own home, ever again.
They need an extra-natural mediator, and Vidya's is the only number they can find.

Her visit to their household leads to an unforgettable discovery.

Reader, Amanda Lawrence
Music by Timothy X Atack
Producer, Mary Ward-Lowery


TUE 23:00 Uncanny (m001slfz)
Series 3

S3. Case 4: Elton’s Phone

Christmas 1982, and 6-year-old Elton loves playing with his younger sister's present, a toy telephone. But joy turns to fear when it starts ringing by itself.

Can an object really be haunted? Or is something unseen playing with the telephone?

Written and presented by Danny Robins
Editing and sound design: Charlie Brandon-King
Music: Evelyn Sykes
Script edtor: Dale Shaw
Theme music by Lanterns on the Lake
Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard

A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0027ts8)
Sean Curran reports as MPs question the government about the renewal of steel and aluminium tariffs by the US.

WEDNESDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2025

WED 00:00 Midnight News (m0027tsb)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 00:30 Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To (m0027tr5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0027tsd)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0027tsg)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0027tsj)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 05:30 News Briefing (m0027tsl)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0027tsn)
Beauty Etched on the Soul

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier.

Good morning. I’m standing here now with amidst the beauty of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The quiet of this scenery puts me in mind of how beauty can stand as a quiet teacher, reminding us of the harmony we were created to inhabit. The golden light of dawn, the arc of a bird in flight, or the intricate pattern of frost on a windowpane—all speak of a truth that words often fail to capture. Beauty invites us into stillness, into gratitude, into reverence.

Virtue, too, is a kind of beauty—not outward adornment, but the steady grace of a life well-lived. Like a field carefully tended, virtue grows when we commit to small, daily acts of kindness, honesty, and courage. It aligns us with what is good and true, shaping us into people who reflect the beauty we see in creation.

Beauty reminds us of the sacredness of our world that God loved into existence and calls us, like Adam, to tend and keep. In beauty, we glimpse the hand of the Creator; in virtue, we respond to that call, choosing lives that nurture rather than harm, restore rather than destroy. As we attend to beauty, may we be stirred to live virtuously, honouring God in the work of our hands and the meditations of our hearts.

Creator God, we thank you for the beauty that surrounds us and the call to reflect it in our lives. Grant us hearts attuned to wonder and the courage to walk in virtue, that we may be faithful stewards of your grace. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.


WED 05:45 Farming Today (m0027tsq)
12/02/25 Farm minister at Norfolk Show, rural foodbanks, deer and woodland.

Farmers have vowed to continue protesting at the government's decision to implement inheritance tax on their businesses. The rate at which they are taxed is half that of other businesses, 20 percent, but farmers still say many of them will have to sell up, to pay it. We speak to the farm minister Daniel Zeichner who took questions at the Norfolk farming conference. He said the money raised from inheritance tax was necessary to support public funds. He said the government was trying to help farmers become more profitable, and that they must take up new opportunities to secure their businesses.

All this week we’re looking at rural community champions, the people who make a difference to the communities where they live. Today we meet a pair who run a food bank which helps people in rural Essex.

Wild deer are often considered by landowners as something of a pest. They eat new growth and damage young trees and mature woodland. However, scientists at Bangor University studied fallow deer in North Wales and by analysing the DNA in the deer droppings, found the animals were browsing more brambles than young trees.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


WED 06:00 Today (m0027tzv)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 Sideways (m0027tzx)
71. Tempting Fate

Tempting fate is often seen as a fine line between courage and foolishness. It’s rooted in the belief that pushing certain boundaries or showing too much confidence might invite some kind of cosmic retribution.

Even those who don’t believe in fate hesitate to take chances, driven by an instinctual fear of what might go wrong. Matthew Syed explores why we’re both drawn to and wary of tempting fate, and why our minds often trick us into a bit of magical thinking.

By unpacking the dynamics of hubris, overconfidence, and the possibility of universal retribution, we explore whether challenging fate is a self-defining act - or a dangerous game.

With pilot Amelia Rose Earhart, professor of Behavioural Science Jane Risen and philosopher Simon Critchley.

Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten
Series Editors: Georgia Moodie
Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson
Theme music by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4


WED 09:30 Intrigue (m0027tzz)
Word of God

Word of God: 1. In the Beginning Was the Word

In July 2017, Dr Jeff Kloha is preparing to start his dream job as Director of Collections at Washington DC's new Museum of the Bible when he discovers his new employer’s biggest donor has been caught up in a government investigation.

The donor, Hobby Lobby, has been ordered to return 3,500 artefacts and pay a $3 million settlement.

Through exclusive interviews with museum officials and evangelical scholars, investigative journalist Ben Lewis pieces together the extraordinary story of how the Green family - owners of the Hobby Lobby craft store empire - embarked on an unprecedented collecting spree of biblical treasures. Their ambitious mission: to create a museum showcasing the Bible's history through ancient objects.

But as Lewis discovers, their rush to acquire 40,000 items in just three years would bring them into the orbit of a complex network of antiquities dealers in problematic ways.

And it sparks a scholar turned super sleuth to start asking questions…

Presented by Ben Lewis
Produced by Clem Hitchcock
Executive producers: Philip Abrams and Jago Lee
Story editor: Andrew Dickson
Sound design by Richard Courtice
Original music composed by Max de Wardener
Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Assistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital: Chris Walsh-Heron

A TellTale production for BBC Radio 4.

Episodes of Intrigue: Word of God are released weekly on Wednesdays, wherever you get your podcasts, but if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0027v02)
Parole and victims, Met Police vetting, Women’s Prize for Non-fiction

Ellie Wilson, a rape survivor, is campaigning for the right for victims to be able to appear at parole hearings, after being denied permission to attend one for her attacker. She tells Nuala McGovern why she wants the law changed in Scotland, and barrister Harriet Johnson explains more about the process.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley says that rooting out people who should not be in the force, has been made harder due to a High Court ruling that an officer accused of rape could not be dismissed because the process was fundamentally unfair. So, what does this ruling mean exactly and what could the wider impact be on women? Nuala McGovern discusses with the BBC's Senior UK correspondent Sima Kotecha and former Met Detective Superintendent Shabnam Chaudhri.

Did you know anyone can legally call themselves a nurse, regardless of qualifications? Labour MP Dawn Butler introduced a ten minute rule bill in Parliament yesterday seeking to make 'nurse' a protected title in UK law. Professor Alison Leary, Deputy President of Royal College of Nursing joins Nuala to explain why she believes this move is important.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Women’s Prize for Fiction which was established to recognise the literary achievements of female writers. There have been huge improvements in sales for fiction written by women since then, however only 34 per cent of the top 500 non-fiction books in 2022 were written by women. The Women's Prize awarded its inaugural non-fiction category last year and have just released their 2025 longlist. Will it have the same impact as the Fiction Prize? Nuala is joined by Women’s Prize co-founder Kate Mosse and this year’s Chair of the Non-Fiction Prize, journalist and author Kavita Puri.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Lottie Garton


WED 11:00 The Great Post Office Trial (m0027try)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Tuesday]


WED 11:45 Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To (m0027v05)
Bagging an Heiress

3: How to Be a Pretty Woman

On his quest to marry rich, Sunil Patel dusts off his CV and searches for an upper-class job in a stately home.
After watching several film adaptations of classic novels, Sunil is keen to woo a lady in the guise of one of the staff.

Written and Performed by Sunil Patel
With Additional Material from Charlie Dinkin, Em Humble and Benjamin Sutton
Featuring Helen Bauer and Ninette Finch
Sound Design and Mix by Andy Goddard
Produced by Laura Shaw and Benjamin Sutton

A Daddy’s SuperYacht Production for BBC Radio 4


WED 12:00 News Summary (m0027v09)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 You and Yours (m0027v0c)
Fake Bailiffs, Heat Pump Tourism and Supermarket Loyalty Cards

Beware the fake bailiffs trying to scare people into paying for debts they don't have. It is a scam so new, even the government had not heard about it until we told them.

Having a heat pump fitted can be expensive and often involves quite a bit of work. This makes some people wary about switching to one. But what if you could actually see a heat pump running in someone else's home first?

Subsidies for EVs were scrapped back in 2022. Since then, EV sales have kept growing since but they haven't been hitting official targets. The Financial Times is reporting that ministers are drawing up plans to subsidise EV purchases by guaranteeing consumer loans.

The battle for consumers between supermarkets is hotting up. And loyalty card features are at the heart of the efforts to capture consumers. There have been changes to the way that some loyalty cards work with the emphasis on more personal offers.

Has claiming on your motor insurance become more complicated that it ought to be?

Presenter, Shari Vahl
Producer, Kevin Mousley.


WED 12:57 Weather (m0027v0f)
The latest weather forecast


WED 13:00 World at One (m0027v0h)
MI5 lied to courts to protect neo-Nazi agent

The domestic intelligence agency issues a rare apology after a BBC investigation. Plus the schools leaking and crumbling as PFI repair contracts break down.


WED 13:45 The Lion, the Witch and the Wonder by Katherine Rundell (m0023y00)
The Ingredients

In this gripping investigation of children’s fiction, award-winning author Katherine Rundell makes a passionate argument for a literature that is often underrated, yet whose magic can live on inside us for the rest of our lives. The best children’s books need to be good enough both for the hungriest child and the wisest, sharpest adult.

In the third of five original essays about children’s fiction, Katherine reveals some of the ingredients that make a successful book. There are threads that run through the history of children’s literature and that still enthral readers today, including secrets, animals and jokes. The greatest children’s writers have always acknowledged their readers’ intelligence and have never been afraid to include sophisticated ideas or irony.

It’s the promise of the young reader’s imagination that appeals to Katherine herself as a children’s author - when you write for a child, you’re writing for someone who is in the process of becoming the person they will be.

Katherine Rundell is an acclaimed writer for children, winning Author of the Year and Book of the Year for Impossible Creatures at the British Book Awards 2024, and winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award.

Written and presented by Katherine Rundell
Producer: Jo Glanville
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Production Co-ordinator: Heather Dempsey
Studio Engineer: Dan King

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Photo credit: Nina Subin


WED 14:00 The Archers (m0027trt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0027v0k)
When Alan Met Ray

Paul Whitehouse and Harry Enfield star in a new drama set in 1948 in Milford Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Surrey.

Told he has only six weeks to live, 18-year-old Ray begins painful treatment to limit the spread of the infection. By chance he meets Alan - the same age - who has just been given last rites following a severe haemorrhage. Striking up a friendship, they discover shared interests - football, girls, watching comedy films and listening to the hospital radio.

Set against the banal routine of sanitorium imprisonment, the play's production and sound design recreate the intense loneliness, horror and abandonment experienced by both young men in the prime of their youth, alongside the camaraderie, period music and the lasting friendship between Alan and Ray, forged in such a challenging environment.

They're surrounded by a range of characters trapped in this regimen - fellow patients, compassionate nurses and an unempathetic head doctor who enforces the rules for all patients.

Alan and Ray start writing comedy sketches which they aim to perform on the sanatorium hospital radio. But first they have to get past the notorious radio committee - headed, of course, by the Chief Physician and the presenter of the dismal hospital radio service, Alastair 'Mac' McGuire.

Alan Simpson ..... Paul Whitehouse
Ray Galton ..... Harry Enfield
Young Ray ..... Don Gilet
Young Alan ..... Lee Ross
Dr Ducaine ..... Tony Gardner
Sylvia ..... Mika Simmons
Harry ..... Simon Greenall
Wally ..... Phil Cornwell
Dr Franklin ..... Toby Longworth
Mac Maguire ..... Andrew McGibbon
Junior Doctor ..... Ian Pearce
Alan’s Mum ..... Karen Bartke

Written by Ian Pearce and Andrew McGibbon

Script Editor: David Quantick

Original music composed by Ozzie Temple and arranged by Duncan Lamont

Produced and Directed by Andrew McGibbon

A Curtains for Radio production for BBC Radio 4


WED 15:00 Money Box (m0027v0m)
Money Box Live: How to Retire Well

We all dream about what we will do when we don't have to work anymore. The perfect retirement looks different for everyone, from travelling the world and luxury holidays to spending more time with family and friends, but the cost of stopping work can be bit of a wake-up call.

In this Money Box Live we'll look at how to make the most of the savings you have as retirement approaches to how to start planning for retirement at the start of your career.

Felicity Hannah is joined by Sangita Chawla, Managing Director at Standard Life and Zoe Alexander, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association to answer your questions - and offer tips on how to plan for a good retirement.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Catherine Lund
Editor: Jess Quayle

(This programme was first broadcast at 3pm Wednesday 12th February, 2025.)


WED 15:30 The Artificial Human (m0027v0p)
Can AI Save Darth Vader?

Aleks and Kevin step into the world of actors “banking” their voices for use after death. With the help of AI your favourite actor can continue to appear on screen for years after they've gone. But what does that really mean? What’s a performance without the actor behind it?

Benjamin Field is the producer behind the AI Sir Michael Parkinson podcast, where the late interviewer talks to new guests thanks to AI technology. Benjamin explains how the technology works, and the ethical concerns that it poses. Plus he describes how he sees the technology as a way to create more work for actors.

Impressionist Alistair McGowan has portrayed everyone from Alfred Hitchcock to John Major to Boris Johnson. He explains that a voice is more than sound waves, but about soul, character and personal strength. Can those elements be replicated by AI? And do we want them to be?

Produced by Emily Esson
Researched by Juliet Conway

A BBC Audio Scotland production.


WED 16:00 The Media Show (m0027txq)
In the room with Trump and Musk, BBC Media Action answers its critics, what makes tech bros tick?

What happened at Elon Musk’s unexpected White House press conference alongside President Trump? Reuters’ Jeff Mason was there. Semafor’s Max Tani and First Amendment expert Katie Fallow discuss Trump’s $20 million lawsuit against CBS News. We also examine the impact of US AID cuts on global media, with BBC Media Action’s Simon Bishop addressing claims of foreign influence. Wired’s Lauren Goode profiles venture capitalist Marc Andreessen in a new series on Silicon Valley elites and MSNBC’s Chris Hayes discusses his book The Siren's Call, all about the attention economy and big tech’s grip on our focus.

Guests: Max Tani, Media Editor, Semafor; Katie Fallow, litigation expert, Knight First Amendment Institute; Simon Bishop, CEO, BBC Media Action; Chris Hayes, Host, MSNBC, Lauren Goode, Senior Writer, Wired; Jeff Mason, White House Correspondent, Reuters

Presenter: Katie Razzall
Producer: Simon Richardson
Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai


WED 17:00 PM (m0027v0r)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0027v0t)
Trump says talks on the war in Ukraine war are to begin immediately after call with Putin.


WED 18:30 ReincarNathan (m0027v0w)
Series 4

1. Rat

Nathan Blakely was a popstar. But he was useless, died, and was reincarnated. The comedy about Nathan’s adventures in the afterlife returns for a fourth and final series, starring Daniel Rigby, Ashley McGuire, Freya Parker and Henry Paker.

In this first episode of the final trilogy, Nathan is brought back to life as a rat in a London sewer. As usual, Nathan has a mission to complete - this time he needs to save an abandoned terrapin who's lost in the sewers from the clutches of a disgruntled crocodile. And Nathan also has his own demons to battle - can he come to terms with the failed pop career he had as a human?

Cast:
Ashley McGuire - Carol
Daniel Rigby – Nathan
Henry Paker - Terry the Terrapin
Freya Parker - Crocodile
Tom Crowley - Music Manager

Writers: Tom Craine and Henry Paker
Producer: Harriet Jaine
Sound: Jerry Peal
Music Composed by: Phil Lepherd

A Talkback production for BBC Radio 4


WED 19:00 The Archers (m0027tx0)
Helen and Joy survey the damage to their homes, where heavy machinery has been pumping out the drains all night. Helen is also worried about delayed production at the dairy and their reputation– even loyal customers will be put off by sewage. Joy and Mick spent the night in their car, not wanting to spend money on accommodation until the insurance assessor’s visit. Helen insists that they take up Tony and Pat’s offer to stay at Bridge Farm, which Joy accepts. Helen and Joy are frustrated with Borsetshire Water, saying they are not investing enough in their infrastructure, knowing winters are getting wetter, and blame them for the damage to homes and businesses.

The Maliks are staying with Lynda at Ambridge Hall, and a heartbroken Zainab confides in Lynda that she’s upset that the boxes she moved, containing precious family photos of her parents’ wedding and her late grandparents are ruined.

Fallon is unpacking a food delivery at The Bull and stops in her tracks – her dad Wayne has a regular delivery of frozen pastry for his pies! Harrison teases her about false advertising when Fallon points out their menus show ‘Homemade Pies’. She is exasperated with her dad – where else is he cutting corners? Later, Harrison suggests that they just take the word ‘Homemade’ off, but Fallon dismisses the idea, saying it will lead to questions from customers. She admits that she’s discovered this is not Wayne’s only deception - the Cod & Chips on the menu actually uses a cheaper fish: whiting. She’s going to have to tell Jolene.


WED 19:15 Front Row (m0027v0z)
Future of TV soaps, Joseph O'Connor's new book, stage version of Murakami short stories

As scheduling changes are made to ITV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale, and as the 40th anniversary of EastEnders is celebrated with a live special on BBC One, how is the future looking for continuing drama on TV? Former Executive Producer of EastEnders John Yorke and Entertainment Journalist Emma Bullimore discuss the impact of the audience's viewing habits on commissioning.

Renowned Irish novelist Joseph O'Connor talks about his latest historical book, The Ghosts of Rome, a story of heroism set in Italy during World War Two.

And we hear about Vanishing Point theatre company's stage adaptation of acclaimed writer Haruki Murakami's short stories Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey, which is a co-production with the Kanagawa Arts Theatre of Japan.

Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan


WED 20:00 AntiSocial (m0027lc7)
Surrogacy

An online debate about whether surrogacy should be allowed was energised this week after actress Lily Collins and her partner announced they had a baby by surrogate on Instagram. In this episode, we explore what surrogacy is like when you're not a celebrity including hearing from woman who was a surrogate for her best friend. In the UK surrogacy is legal but it can't be done for money. We assess calls to change the law and find out where the movement in opposition to surrogacy comes from.

Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Josephine Casserly, Beth Ashmead Latham and Emma Close
Production coordinator: Janet Staples
Editor: Penny Murphy


WED 20:45 How They Made Us Doubt Everything (m001yxq6)
Talc Tales: 5. Talc on trial

When we send off make-up for testing, the lab finds an asbestos fibre in two of the samples. Brunel University’s Experimental Technique’s Centre says they need to find at least 3 fibres to confirm the asbestos fibre came from the make-up sample, despite having strict protocols to ensure their lab is not the source of the contamination.

This isn’t the first test of this kind. Back in 2021, the UK government’s Office for Product Safety and Standards ordered tests of 60 low-cost eye shadows and face powders and 24 child appealing make up products on sale in the UK. In 1 child appealing product, they found 1 asbestos fibre and in two of the low-cost samples, they found five and three asbestos fibres.

So are there any health implication if we are exposed to trace amounts of asbestos? The World Health Organisation recognises no safe level of exposure to asbestos. The Institute of Cancer Research’s mesothelioma immunologist Dr. Astero Klampatsa weighs up the risk. She says she would personally choose talc free make- up products.

In 2023, Johnson and Johnson stopped using talc as an ingredient in its baby powder worldwide.

Meanwhile, British cancer patient Hannah Fletcher sues the companies that made her favourite talc based cosmetics. Lawyers fly in to leafy Surrey from America to question her.

Presenter and Producer: Phoebe Keane
Sound mix: James Beard
Series Editor: Matt Willis


WED 21:00 Sideways (m0026nnc)
25 Years of the 21st Century

25 Years of the 21st Century: 5. The Age of Artificial Intelligence

Geoffrey Hinton's work laid the foundation for today's artificial intelligence systems. His research on neural networks has paved the way for current AI systems like ChatGPT.

In artificial intelligence, neural networks are systems that are similar to the human brain in the way they learn and process information. They enable artificial intelligence to learn from experience, as human beings would.

But Geoffrey Hinton has warned that machines could one day outsmart humans. He has even warned that autonomous weapons could be active on the battlefields of the future. In this final episode of 25 Years of the 21st Century, Matthew Syed interviews Professor Hinton.

Historian and author Margaret MacMillan and Baroness Joanna Shields also join Matthew in discussion. Baroness Shields has been working in the field of technology for forty years, holding senior roles at both Google and Facebook. She was the UK’s first Minister for Internet Safety and Security. She’s also a Conservative life peer in the House of Lords. Does she agree with Geoffrey Hinton's concerns for the future?

For 25 Years of the 21st Century, is this the age of artificial intelligence?

Production team
Editor: Sara Wadeson
Producers: Michaela Graichen, Marianna Brain, Emma Close
Sound: Tom Brignell
Production Co-ordinators: Janet Staples and Katie Morrison

Archive
Steve Jobs launches the Apple iPhone, 2007


WED 21:30 Inside Health (m0027tr1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Tuesday]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m0027v12)
US President Trump says he’ll meet Putin in Saudi Arabia

US President Donald Trump says he’ll meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, probably in Saudi Arabia, in the “not too distant future”. He was speaking after a 90 minute phonecall with Putin where they agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine “immediately”. We ask what the diplomatic move means for European security.

US politicians and commentators are saying the country is headed for a “constitutional crisis” due to President Trump’s actions. We explored what the term means.

And a Roman basilica is being excavated in the basement of a London office block.


WED 22:45 Vidya Wade by Timothy X Atack (m0027v14)
Episode 3

Spine-tingling original fiction by Timothy X Atack.

Vidya is trying to sleep on the sofa in Ben and Maya's house in Leicester. She can't shake off an ear-worm, and a feeling that some part of the invisible universe is trying to tell her something.

Then the message comes from Ben, a single word: here.
The spirit has appeared in their bedroom doorway.

Reader, Amanda Lawrence
Music by Timothy X Atack
Producer, Mary Ward-Lowery


WED 23:00 Bunk Bed (m0027v16)
Eviction: Patrick Marber and Peter Curran feel the wind of change beneath their duvets.

Start of the final series, with late night musings from Peter Curran and Patrick Marber - a horizontal gigglefest on the subject of creeping Cycle Paths, misunderstood clowns, what you leave the kids if you're a hoarder, the uneasy looks of chart-topping duos and, of course, death - what to wear in your open casket.

Featuring some extraordinary BBC archive on pen-friends and philosophy, there's also a brief echoes of famous visitors on the pull-out mattress over the decade of Bunk Bed - Kathy Burke, the late and loved Benjamin Zephaniah, Harry Shearer, Andi Oliver, Sir Richard Eyre, Rhys Ifans, Jane Horrocks, and Cate Blanchett.

A Foghorn Company production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:15 Jamie MacDonald: Life on the Blink (m000vq6b)
Series 1

The First Hurdle

Jamie MacDonald is a Glaswegian stand-up comedian who found himself rapidly going blind in his teens. This series shows how Jamie used humour to turn denial into acceptance. He managed to find the spotlight as the darkness descended and has turned some pretty dark experiences into hilarious stories and anecdotes.

Produced by Julia Sutherland at Dabster Productions.


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0027v18)
Alicia McCarthy reports on Prime Minister's Questions, where the focus of the clash between the prime minister and Kemi Badenoch was immigration.

THURSDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2025

THU 00:00 Midnight News (m0027v1b)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 00:30 Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To (m0027v05)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0027v1d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0027v1g)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0027v1j)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 05:30 News Briefing (m0027v1l)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0027v1n)
Justice

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier.

Good morning. Today marks the anniversary of Emperor Justinian’s commission to compile the Corpus Juris Civilis, or Body of Civil Law: a monumental effort to bring clarity and fairness to the laws of his time. This work became a foundation for Western legal traditions, shaping how societies understand justice and governance.

Laws are not just rules; they are the framework within which communities flourish. At their best, they protect the vulnerable, promote fairness, and guide us toward peace—answering the call of Scripture: “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
Today, as we reflect on justice from the old courthouse here in Brecon, we’re reminded that justice carries both responsibility and the opportunity for hope.

Throughout history, the church has sought to play a pivotal role in advocating for laws that reflect these values. It has championed human dignity, called out injustice, and tried to embody Christ’s example of sacrificial love. Even in its many failures, it has often been judged by the standards it established in the first place. These tell us that justice isn’t only about standards: it must take root in the small, everyday acts of fairness and integrity that shape our communities. These are the seeds of transformation for a broken world.

Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of justice and those who labour to uphold it. Inspire our leaders with wisdom and integrity, and guide us to act with fairness and love in all we do. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.


THU 05:45 Farming Today (m0027v1q)
Free Range egg producers say the Government's latest measures to combat bird flu don't go far enough. The Chief Vet says that from Sunday, poultry in a further five English counties, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire, must be brought inside, joining restrictions already imposed in Hull, East and North Yorkshire, York, Norfolk, Suffolk and Shropshire. Gatherings of poultry have also been banned in England, and enhanced biosecurity measures are already in force across the country, but Gary Ford from the British Free Range Egg Producers Association tells us they want a stronger response.

The British Trust for Ornithology says there's been an increase in the number of wild birds infected with avian flu, and as many species have had a massive shock to their population, it's all about whether they can recover and how long it will take.

All this week we are celebrating rural community champions and today our reporter Sarah Swadling takes us to the winding lanes of the Exe valley in Devon. There a Church of England minister rides her Highland pony to services, and to visit parishioners in their homes.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


THU 06:00 Today (m0027tw9)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (m0027twc)
Catherine of Aragon

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), the youngest child of the newly dominant Spanish rulers Ferdinand and Isabella. When she was 3, her parents contracted her to marry Arthur, Prince of Wales, the heir to the Tudor king Henry VII in order to strengthen Spain's alliances, since Henry's kingdom was a longstanding trade partner and an enemy of Spain's greatest enemy, France. For the next decade Catherine had the best humanist education available, preparing her for her expected life as queen and drawing inspiration from her warrior mother. She arrived in London to be married when she was 15 but within a few months she was widowed, her situation uncertain and left relatively impoverished for someone of her status. Rather than return home, Catherine stayed and married her late husband's brother, Henry VIII. In her view and that of many around her, she was an exemplary queen and, even after Henry VIII had arranged the annulment of their marriage for the chance of a male heir with Anne Boleyn, Catherine continued to consider herself his only queen.

With

Lucy Wooding
Langford Fellow and Tutor in History at Lincoln College, University of Oxford and Professor of Early Modern History at Oxford

Maria Hayward
Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Southampton

And

Gonzalo Velasco Berenguer
Lecturer in Global Medieval and Early Modern History at the University of Bristol

Producer: Simon Tillotson
In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production

Reading list:

Michelle Beer, Queenship at the Renaissance Courts of Britain: Catherine of Aragon and Margaret Tudor, 1503-1533 (Royal Historical Society, 2018)

G. R. Bernard, The King's Reformation: Henry VIII and the Remaking of the English Church (Yale University Press, 2007)

José Luis Colomer and Amalia Descalzo (eds.), Spanish Fashion at the Courts of Early Modern Europe (Centro de Estudios Europa Hispanica, 2014), especially vol 2, 'Spanish Princess or Queen of England? The Image, Identity and Influence of Catherine of Aragon at the Courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII' by Maria Hayward

Theresa Earenfight, Catherine of Aragon: Infanta of Spain, Queen of England (Penn State University Press, 2022)

John Edwards, Ferdinand and Isabella: Profiles In Power (Routledge, 2004)

Garrett Mattingley, Catherine of Aragon (first published 1941; Random House, 2000)

J. J. Scarisbrick, Henry VIII (first published 1968; Yale University Press, 1997)

David Starkey, Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII (Vintage, 2004)

Giles Tremlett, Catherine of Aragon: Henry's Spanish Queen (Faber & Faber, 2011)

Juan Luis Vives (trans. Charles Fantazzi), The Education of a Christian Woman: A Sixteenth-Century Manual (University of Chicago Press, 2000)

Patrick Williams, Catherine of Aragon: The Tragic Story of Henry VIII's First Unfortunate Wife (Amberley Publishing, 2013)

Lucy Wooding, Henry VIII (Routledge, 2009)


THU 09:45 Strong Message Here (m0027twf)
Build, Baby, Build!

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

This week, Starmer has suggested that Britain adopt a 'Build, Baby, Build' strategy. Sound familiar? We thought so too, so Helen and Armando are looking at why politicians copy their opponents. Is it a sign of strength or weakness, and do the public think it sounds convincing?

Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King
Production Coordinator - Katie Baum and Caroline Barlow
Executive Producer - Pete Strauss

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.
An EcoAudio Certified Production.


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0027twh)
EastEnders 40th anniversary: A Woman's Hour special

As part of the EastEnders 40th anniversary Woman’s Hour celebrates this iconic soap’s track record of featuring strong female characters and exploring some of the most pressing, contentious and emotional issues for women over the past four decades.

Anita Rani presents live from the Fox & Hair salon in Walford. The salon is managed by Diane Parish’s character Denise Fox, whose love triangle storyline will be at the centre of the soap’s live interactive episode on Thursday 20th February. Viewers will be able to vote on whether her future should be with Jack or Ravi. She joins Anita to discuss the storyline.

Anita also speaks to Kellie Bright who plays Linda Carter, Michelle Collins who plays Cindy Beale and Heather Peace whose character Eve Unwin recently was part of the first lesbian wedding on the show.

With two thirds of the soap's audience being women, the executive producer Chris Clenshaw talks about his vision for putting female characters front and centre,, with lead storylines including explosive murder mystery The Six - and he explains how sensitive issues, such as Linda's alcoholism, are tackled with the help of charities and experts.

When BBC One launched its first twice-weekly serial drama, on 19th February 1985 and it was based around a solidly working class community set in Albert Square in the East End of London. Anthony McNicholas is a retired academic, reader in communications and researcher on the history of the BBC and Jaci Stephen is the Soap Critic for the Daily Mail. They discuss the original idea for the series, the public service remit and celebrate the Square’s most formidable matriarchs over its 40-year history and discuss their impact.

Presented by Anita Rani
Producer: Louise Corley
Editor: Deiniol Buxton


THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m0027twk)
Theaster Gates

The internationally acclaimed and hugely influential artist Theaster Gates was born, raised and works in Chicago. He trained as a ceramicist, and still makes pottery, but it’s just one part of a diverse artistic output that also includes painting, sculpture and vast installations, in works which often explore the black experience in contemporary America. He is best known for redeveloping derelict buildings for community projects, using art to transform run-down neighbourhoods of his city. A recipient of the prestigious Artes Mundi Prize, Gates is a professor at the University of Chicago and received the French government’s prestigious Légion d’Honneur. Theaster Gates is part of the creative team behind the Barack Obama Presidential Centre currently under construction in Chicago.
In 2022 he created the annual Serpentine Pavilion in London, a piece called Black Chapel which was conceived as a monument to his father. His most recent exhibition is 1965: Malcolm in Winter: A Translation Exercise at White Cube gallery.

Theaster Gates tells John Wilson about the influence of his family upbringing. The youngest of nine siblings, and the only boy, he recalls assisting his father as he worked as a roofer. Later, when he was an established artist, and having inherited his father's tools and tar kettle, Theaster began to make paintings using hot bitumen in tribute to his father's labour. He also explains how, as a high achieving pupil, he was 'bussed' to a predominantly white school far from his home neighbourhood, and benefited from cultural opportunities that he may not have received otherwise. He also chooses the experience of spending a year in Japan learning ancient pottery techniques, and beginning his practise as a ceramicist.

Producer Edwina Pitman


THU 11:45 Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To (m0027twm)
Bagging an Heiress

4: How to Chat Up Rich Dads

With his quest to find a wealthy woman to marry waning, Sunil shifts his focus to Dad’s. Sure he doesn’t understand women, but he does know how to tickle the fancy of a middle aged man.
Sunil goes on a yacht, an office kitted out to look like a private jet, and meets a real life dragon. Touker Suleyman.

Written and Performed by Sunil Patel
With Additional Material from Charlie Dinkin, Em Humble and Benjamin Sutton
Featuring Helen Bauer and Alison Thea-Skot
Sound Design and Mix by Andy Goddard
Produced by Laura Shaw and Benjamin Sutton

A Daddy’s SuperYacht Production for BBC Radio 4


THU 12:00 News Summary (m0027twp)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 The Bottom Line (m0027twr)
Repairs: How Can Businesses Make Money From Fixing Things?

With the success of the BBC programme The Repair Shop, Evan Davis examines the business opportunities of companies which offer to repair things from clothes through to electronics. Is it easier to try and fix something yourself or pay for it to be done professionally? Do we still have the skills that previous generations had to do even relatively simple things like sewing on buttons? With Kyle Wiens, CEO of Ifixit, Katharine Beacham, Head of Sustainability, Clothing & Home at Marks and Spencer and upholstery repair expert and Repair Shop presenter Sonnaz Nooranvary.


THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m0027twt)
Plant Food

Edinburgh gardener Alan got in touch with Sliced Bread, to ask if he really needs to be spending money on buying and applying plant food or fish, blood and bone meal to his roses and woody perennials?

He was keen to know what is in these commercial plant foods that come as a solid, liquid or granule, how often he is supposed to use them, whether they make as much of a difference as they claim, and if he can save money by making his own “mulch” out of fallen leaves?

Greg Foot investigates with the help of Gardener’s Question Time’s expert and botanist, Pippa Greenwood – as well as Head of Fertilisers from the Agricultural Industries Confederation Jo Gilbertson. They “dig in” to the claims on the packets, and try to determine if pricey plant foods are the best thing since Sliced Bread?

We are looking for more of YOUR suggestions of products to investigate. 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.

PRESENTER: GREG FOOT

PRODUCER: KATE HOLDSWORTH


THU 12:57 Weather (m0027tww)
The latest weather forecast


THU 13:00 World at One (m0027twy)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.


THU 13:45 The Lion, the Witch and the Wonder by Katherine Rundell (m0023x8m)
The Magic of Magic

In this gripping investigation of children’s fiction, award-winning author Katherine Rundell makes a passionate argument for a literature that is often underrated, yet whose magic can live on inside us for the rest of our lives. The best children’s books need to be good enough both for the hungriest child and the wisest, sharpest adult.

In the fourth of five original essays, Katherine Rundell asks what fantasy fiction is for. Writers have been inventing mythical creatures for centuries. Some serve as warnings to navigate our own terror, others are a vehicle for thinking about enchantment and power. Fantasy fiction opens a space for bold ideas and for feeding our imagination, which should never be considered an optional extra. And it’s children’s books that can keep that imagination alive, even in adulthood.

Katherine Rundell is an acclaimed writer for children, winning Author of the Year and Book of the Year for Impossible Creatures at the British Book Awards 2024 and winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award.

Written and presented by Katherine Rundell
Producer: Jo Glanville
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Production Co-ordinator: Heather Dempsey
Studio Engineer: Dan King

A Loftus Media Production for BBC Radio 4

Quotation credits:
Diana Wynne Jones: in Diana Wynne Jones: An Exciting and Exacting Wisdom, by Teya Rosenberg et al. Peter Lang Publishing, 2002, p170
Ursula K. Le Guin, The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction, Ultramarine Publishing, 1979, p. 204
Ursula K. Le Guin, 'Some Assumptions About Fantasy', a speech by Ursula K. Le Guin, presented at the Children’s Literature Breakfast BookExpo America, Chicago, 4 June 2004

Photo credit: Nina Subin


THU 14:00 The Archers (m0027tx0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0027tx2)
Only One Word for Love

by Peter Souter and Susie Dent

Daisy ..... Jessica Raine
Dylan ..... Rupert Evans

Technical Producers ..... Andrew Garratt & Alison Craig
Production Co-ordinator ..... Sara Benaim & Jenny Mendez
Director ...... Sally Avens

A romance with some rowing thrown in.
There are a quarter of a million words in the current Oxford Dictionary of English but there’s only one word for ‘love’:
When lexicologist, Daisy, decides to learn how to scull as part of her recovery from a mastectomy, she discovers her coach is as tongue-tied as she is garrulous.
Over ten lessons as Daisy swaps lexicological nuggets for tips on her technique we discover why Dylan is so monosyllabic and
witness as they both begin to define themselves other than by what they have lost.

WRITERS:
Susie Dent is best known as the resident lexicographer and adjudicator for the letters rounds on Channel 4's longest-running game show, Countdown.
She has published several books including the novel 'Guilty By Definition'.
Peter Souter is an award winning writer He has written for film, television, theatre and radio, including the screenplay for the ITV six-episode comedy-drama television miniseries Married Single Other and the Animation film That Christmas.

CAST:
Jessica Raine is best known for her role as Jenny Lee in 'Call The Midwife' and has recently been seen in 'Becoming Elizabeth' and 'The Devil's Hour'.
Rupert Evans is known for ' Man In The High Castle', 'Charmed' and 'Bridgerton'.


THU 15:00 Ramblings (m0027tx4)
Rerouting the Shropshire Way

Clare meets a group of passionate walkers responsible for the redesign and relaunch of the Shropshire Way long distance footpath.

Back in 2016 they got together, in collaboration with the local Council, to reroute it and improve the waymarking. And now they have a 200 mile footpath in a figure of eight, centred on Shrewsbury.

For Ramblings they met Clare at the Benthall Hall National Trust carpark and set off on a 5.5 mile linear route crossing the world famous Iron Bridge, onto Loamhole Dingle, Braggers Hill and Little Wenlock.

Leading the way were Amanda Hartley-Newton and Audrey Menhinick (who with her late Ramblers colleague, set up the Shropshire Way Association). They, along with a handful of fellow volunteers, tell Clare what a satisfying – if challenging – project this has been.

OS MAP: OS Explorer 242 Telford, Ironbridge and the Wrekin Grid Ref: SJ 657 024 https://shropshireway.org.uk/

Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m0027tcl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Word of Mouth (m0027tx6)
Talking Cockney

Michael Rosen's parents both grew up in the East End, and now he talks cockney with Andy Green and Saif Osmani from the Modern Cockney Festival. Including some mythbusting about rhyming slang, a discussion about how cockney has evolved, and of course a mention of Dick van Dyke.

The Modern Cockney Festival takes place from March 1st to 31st with a month-long programme of online and offline activities.

Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven
Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz


THU 16:00 Rethink (m0027tx8)
Rethink...medical data

Sir Keir Starmer says that the NHS is well placed for an AI revolution in health care.

The Health Secretary Wes Streeting says it could lead to huge advances in health care, from patient passports, which enable doctors to easily access a patient's full medical history, to early intervention - being able to assess a child's risk of disease from birth.

The NHS has a vast pool of information about our health, and unlocking its power is a noble aim: but can everything really be thrown straight into an AI, which will then pump out answers?

Inputting it presents a mammoth task; NHS data is in many places, the bits of information are not always compatible, nor are they easily accessible.

Also, medical records are hugely sensitive and private, so what safeguards need to be put in place before data researchers and medical tech companies can be given access?

What will be the most likely, realistic and achievable benefits of using AI in our healthcare system, and - if the NHS gets this right - what are the potential rewards for patients?

Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Ravi Naik
Editor: Clare Fordham

Contributors:
Dr Jess Morley, postdoctoral research associate at the Yale Digital Ethics Centre
Professor Andrew Morris, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and Director of HDR UK, the national institute for health data science
Michael Shenouda, Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Medical Officer at Open Medical, and board member for the ABHI, The Association of British HealthTech Industries
Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m0027txb)
US science in chaos

The United States is the world’s science superpower. But right now, much of its research community is in a state of confusion.

In the past few weeks, the Trump administration has issued a huge number of orders – amongst them, large funding cuts for scientific institutions. We unpick what the implications are for the country’s role on the global scientific stage.

Also in the programme, we take another look at phone bans in schools. Why are the results of a recent study so different to the personal experience of teachers and students?

And Britain has a new snake – and it’s apparently thriving. Where has it come from and should we be worried?

To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.

Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producers: Ilan Goodman & Sophie Ormiston
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Josie Hardy


THU 17:00 PM (m0027txd)
US rejects claims it is making concessions to Putin

European leaders have been responding to the Trump administration's position on Ukraine peace negotiations - we get reaction from London, Brussels and Washington. We also hear from two leading historians about the historical parallels resonant in current events.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0027txg)
Questions raised about Rachel Reeve’s CV and use of expenses while working at a bank


THU 18:30 P.O.V. (m0027txj)
Series 1

Enter, if you dare, the scariest house ever

The internet's best comedy creators bring you a sketch show that features the scariest haunted house ever, a radio legend's funeral, a robotic chat gets serious, and what you should post on Threads.

Written and performed by Kylie Brakeman, Emma Doran, The Exploding Heads, Matt Green, Rosie Holt, Kathy Maniura, Morton, Burke & Fry, Kelechi Okafor, Leah Rudick, Ali Woods and Ed Night & Paddy Young.

Recorded in London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Los Angeles and Manchester.

Edited by Rich Evans at Syncbox Post
Produced by Ed Morrish

A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4


THU 19:00 The Archers (m0027txl)
Jolene is furious when she hears about Wayne’s menu lies. Fallon defends her father, arguing that he was trying to save The Bull money but acknowledges that she would never mislead her own customers. Jolene is adamant – Wayne should be sacked. Fallon pleads for a second chance for him, but Jolene has had years of experience of Wayne and has had enough. If he is sacked, it will not be Fallon’s fault for exposing him, he did the damage himself.
At Ambridge Hall, Lynda meets Lawrence to prepare for tomorrow’s interview with the cricket magazine. Khalil arrives home from school and is keen to walk Monty. Lynda explains that The Maliks have been welcomed to stay because of their home being affected by the sewage spill. As Khalil returns from his dog walk, Lawrence is heading for his car and asks if any more of his family will be arriving, as he heard that not just The Maliks, but his uncle had also stayed at Ambridge Hall. He reminds Khalil that Lynda should not be taken advantage of. Khalil explains that they are paying for their rooms.
His sister Zainab, who has been to see the damage at Beechwood, reports that most of the family photos are now in the skip. Khalil tells her that he sometimes misses Solihull and she picks up on his unease following his exchange with Lawrence. Furious, Zainab confronts Lynda and tells her to keep Lawrence away from her brother. Lynda is sure that there’s been a misunderstanding. But when he returns to collect his glasses, Lawrence makes flippant remarks about race to Lynda.


THU 19:15 Front Row (m0027txn)
Review: Bridget Jones; Linder Stirling exhibition; Memoir of a Snall animation

Robbie Collin and Louisa Buck join Tom Sutcliffe to review the fourth Bridget Jones film Mad About the Boy staring Renée Zellweger, the Oscar nominated animation Memoir of a Snail and pioneering artist Linder's Danger Came Smiling retrospective at the Hayward Gallery in London.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Claire Bartleet


THU 20:00 The Media Show (m0027txq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Wednesday]


THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m0027sy9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m0027twf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m0027txy)
Trump says he trusts Putin wants peace

US President Donald Trump repeated his pledge to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, and said US and Russian officials would meet at the Munich Security Conference beginning on Friday. Speaking to reporters in the White House, Trump said Ukraine would also be included in the negotiations.

The parents of female Israeli hostages released by Hamas have spoken to the BBC about what their loved ones endured.

And we hear from the centenarian who refuses to give up her favourite pastime: horse-riding.


THU 22:45 Vidya Wade by Timothy X Atack (m0027ty2)
Episode 4

Spine-tingling original fiction by Timothy X Atack.

Vidya's research in Brazil has drawn a blank, and she's feeling desperate for Ben and Maya, who are increasingly terrified by the spirit who seems to have taken up residence in their home. They've nicknamed her 'Sweetheart' to try and mitigate their fear.

Then one night Vidya gets a call from Maya to say that Sweetheart has appeared on the stairs. And she's holding a knife.

Reader, Amanda Lawrence
Music by Timothy X Atack
Producer, Mary Ward-Lowery


THU 23:00 The Today Podcast (m0027ty6)
What’s up with Gen Z?

New research has found that young people seem to be disillusioned with life in Britain, so Amol (Millennial) and Nick (Baby Boomer) are joined by Labour MP Nadia Whittome (Generation Z) and former Conservative minister Lord Willetts (Baby Boomer) to discuss why that might be - and what can be done about it.

And Nick explains how he discovered that his X/Twitter account had been hacked after a tweet was posted saying that he and the Today programme had launched a new cryptocurrency.

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you hit subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

GET IN TOUCH:
* Send us a message or a voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346
* Email today@bbc.co.uk

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

This episode was made by Lewis Vickers with Nadia Gyane and Grace Reeve. Digital production was by Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Fiona Fairmaner. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0027tyb)
Sean Curran reports as MPs ask the government how it will continue its support for Ukraine.

FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2025

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m0027tyg)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 00:30 Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To (m0027twm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0027tyl)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0027tyq)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0027tyv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m0027tyz)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0027tz3)
The True Nature of Love

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier.

Good morning. Today, we remember St Valentine, a third-century bishop who, according to tradition, was martyred for his faith and commitment to the sanctity of love and marriage. His witness reminds us that true love is never merely sentimental. It’s steadfast, self-giving, and rooted in the goodness of God.

In our culture, Valentine’s Day celebrates romantic love, and rightly so—it’s a gift. Yet, love, in its fullness, is broader and deeper than romance. Romantic love may begin with a spark, but it flourishes when it’s cultivated with care and persistence in the rhythm of shared life. Christian love, or agape, reminds us that love isn’t confined to one kind of relationship. It’s the daily labour of seeking the good of another—whether a spouse, a friend, a stranger, or even an enemy.

Love takes root in the ordinary: in the shared work of neighbours, the tending of a garden, or the unspoken trust between old friends. It’s found wherever we choose to nurture rather than harm, to bless rather than exploit. True love roots us in community and creation, calling us to honour the good in each other. This kind of simple love is like birdsong to our ears: a beauty that uplifts us with its presence.
On this Valentine’s Day, let’s remember that love isn’t a fleeting feeling but a sacred calling—an echo of the love God shows us in Christ.

Lord of love, we thank you for the gift of love in all its forms. Teach us to love as you love—steadfastly, sacrificially, and with joy. Help us to nurture love in our relationships, our communities, and your creation. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m0027tz7)
14/02/25 Prime Minster and a tractor protest, the global effect of pesticides on nature, farmers' choir in Northern Ireland

Pesticides are killing plants, insects and animals that they're not aiming to control, the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the University of Sussex have joined international researchers to analyse 1,700 lab and field studies of 471 insecticides, herbicides and fungicides used in agriculture or commercially around the world. Their report identifies 'wide ranging negative effects' on a range of species and while the authors acknowledge that without pesticides global food production would likely collapse, they conclude that these chemicals are a major contributor to the biodiversity crisis.

A tractor protest disrupted the Prime Minister's visit to a building site in Buckinghamshire. Farmers campaigning against the reintroduction of inheritance tax on farms took their tractors to the site near Milton Keynes yesterday, sounding their horns, Sir Keir Starmer then abandoned plans to make a speech. Speaking afterwards, he said the protest highlighted the difficult choices the Government had to make.

This week we have been featuring rural champions, unsung heroes making a difference to the lives of people in rural communities. Barkley Thompson, from a farming family in Co Antrim, is a music teacher at Ballymena Academy and it’s there of an evening that as musical director, he gathers some 60 or so men and women from the surrounding community under the banner of The Farmers’ Choir of Northern Ireland. 

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


FRI 06:00 Today (m0027v3j)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m0027tcz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0027v3l)
Hayley Atwell, Grandparenting, Post-natal depression

Hayley Atwell and Tom Hiddleston are currently playing Beatrice and Benedict the sharp-witted sparring friends in Much Ado About Nothing on stage at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London. Hayley joins Anita Rani in the Woman’s Hour studio. Is Shakespeare’s much-loved comedy Much Ado the original rom com? And how much fun is it to be on stage with a friend of 20 years standing? We find out.

The BBC have revealed MI5 gave false evidence to three courts over the handling of a paid informant, known as Agent X a neo-Nazi misogynist. He attacked his former partner, Beth, with a machete and used his role at the security service to coercively control her. She has been speaking out about what happened. Anita is joined by Daniel de Simone BBC investigation correspondent and Kate Ellis CWJ lawyer representing 'Beth'.

On Tuesday Nuala spoke to Labour MP Laura Kyrke-Smith who is pushing for more care and support for new mothers struggling with their mental health. Her own best friend, Sophie, died by suicide in 2021 - just 10 weeks after giving birth to her third child. You got in touch with your experiences, with your questions and with information about the non NHS support that’s out there for new mums. We hear from two of those listeners - one we are calling Lucy who has experienced perinatal mental health problems, and also Lauraine Cheesman who founded the charity Shine PND Support in Gloucestershire, after her own experience of postnatal depression.

One in three people over the age of 50 has grandchildren. These grandparents are the first generation to be both psychologically aware and very hands-on. Terri Apter, psychologist and author of Grandparenting: On Love and Relationships Across Generations, discusses with Anita the integral role grandparents play and gives some tips for navigating these complex relationships.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Kirsty Starkey
Editor: Karen Dalziel


FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m0027v3n)
Second to Nan

Sheila Dillon revisits the idea of our grannies’ cooking and how it shapes us, hearing from listeners who sent in their own stories. Why does learning to cook from your granny seem to be such a powerful experience? What about those grannies who leapt at the chance technology offered to escape the endless cycle of cooking from scratch? And – for those of us who feel we’re relying too much on processed food - can we find a granny substitute to help us put down the takeaway menu and pick up a peeler?

Guests include:
Dr Polly Russell - food historian
Alicia Weston - founder of Bags of Taste
Sophie Beckett - Public Health Research Officer at Birmingham Museums Trust
Jonny Murphy "The Hungry Hooker"

We'd like to thank all of the listeners who wrote in to us following the broadcast of the programme "Nan the Wiser", but we'd like to say a special thanks to Matthew, Lynn, Mary, Tony, Marie, Peter, Rob and Giselle.

Presented by Sheila Dillon
Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Beth Sagar-Fenton. The Assistant Producer was Jo Peacey.

Archive from Birmingham's Food and Drink Oral Histories Project:
Interviewee: Doris Evans, 1984. From the City Sound Archive, courtesy of Birmingham Museums Trust
Interviewee: John Baker, 1984. From the City Sound Archive, courtesy of Birmingham Museums Trust


FRI 11:45 Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To (m0027v3q)
Bagging an Heiress

5: How to Become a Lord

Sunil Patel becomes a nobleman (technically) and goes on a real life date with a real life heiress on his newly acquired country estate.
In the final episode of this comprehensive guide, Sunil will once and for all teach you everything you need to know to find happiness.

Written and Performed by Sunil Patel
With Additional Material from Charlie Dinkin, Em Humble and Benjamin Sutton
Featuring Helen Bauer and Alison Thea-Skot
Sound Design and Mix by Andy Goddard
Produced by Laura Shaw and Benjamin Sutton

A Daddy’s SuperYacht Production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 12:00 News Summary (m0027v3s)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 AntiSocial (m0027v3v)
Should signs be in English only?

This week a Member of Parliament for Reform UK posts a picture of Whitechapel train station in East London. On the entrance of the station, it has the name in English and then also in Bengali. Rupert Lowe MP said: "The station name should be in English and English only."

We'll find out how the station got its bilingual sign and look at the data on the language skills of immigrants. How are non-English speakers accommodated in other walks of life? We take a look at translation and interpreting costs to public bodies.

Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Arlene Gregorius and Beth Ashmead
Studio manager: Hal Haines.
Production coordinator: Janet Staples
Editor: Richard Vadon.


FRI 12:57 Weather (m0027v3x)
The latest weather forecast


FRI 13:00 World at One (m0027v3z)
Can Europe defend itself?

After the US Defence Secretary says Ukrainian membership of Nato is "unlikely", President Zelensky says his country still wants membership of the defence block and will not accept handing over territory to Russia. Can Europe defend itself without US support? Plus one man's experience of being up close to a humpback whale.


FRI 13:45 The Lion, the Witch and the Wonder by Katherine Rundell (m0023yfr)
The Looking Glass

In this gripping investigation of children’s fiction, award-winning author Katherine Rundell makes a passionate argument for a literature that is often underrated, yet whose magic can live on inside us for the rest of our lives. The best children’s books need to be good enough both for the hungriest child and the wisest, sharpest adult.

In her final original essay, Katherine Rundell argues that children’s books are not a luxury, but fundamental to our culture and to the society we build. Reading for pleasure can change your life and books can offer a vision of the world as it is, and as it might be. So we have to fight to ensure that all children have the opportunity to seek out books.

Katherine Rundell is an acclaimed writer for children, winning Author of the Year and Book of the Year for Impossible Creatures at the British Book Awards 2024 and winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award.

Written and presented by Katherine Rundell
Producer: Jo Glanville
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Production Co-ordinator: Heather Dempsey
Studio Engineer: Dan King

A Loftus Media Production for BBC Radio 4

Photo credit: Nina Subin


FRI 14:00 The Archers (m0027txl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Limelight (m0027v41)
Exemplar - Series 2

Exemplar - Episode 3

Audio analysts Jess and Maya are hired to support a police sting operation to infiltrate a suspected drugs gang. A terrified teenager agrees to carry a wire when he goes to collect a package – Jess and Maya have to try to work out how to trap the drug runner, using sound cues from the route he takes.

Exemplar: “an audio recording made by a forensic analyst to recreate the precise audio conditions of a piece of evidence in a criminal or civil case.”

The return of a modern day thriller set in the world of audio forensics. In Exemplar, Gina McKee plays Jess, a forensic analyst born and bred in the North East. Together with her colleague Maya, she undertakes a different sound challenge in every episode. When DS Serena Gray comes into their world, things become a little bit more complicated.

Created by leading sound designers, Ben and Max Ringham, and rooted in factual research. The first series of Exemplar won Best Series at the 2022 BBC Audio Drama Awards.

Jess ….. Gina McKee
Maya ….. Shvorne Marks
Killian ….. Benjamin Cawley
DS Gray ….. Clare Perkins
Luke Watson ….. Malcolm Ridley
Lara ….. Jessica Taylor

Writers: Ben and Max Ringham, with Dan Rebellato
Audio forensic consultants: James Zjalić, plus Dr Katherine Earnshaw and Bryony Nuttall, forensic specialists in speech and audio at the Forensic Voice Centre
Police consultant: Alex Ashton
Sound recordist: Alisdair McGregor
Production coordinator: Annie Keates Thorpe
Sound design: Ben and Max Ringham with Lucinda Mason Brown
Original music: Ben and Max Ringham
Directors: Polly Thomas and Jade Lewis
Executive producer: Joby Waldman

A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 14:45 Why Do We Do That? (m0027v43)
Series 2

4. Why do we love dogs?

Ella Al-Shamahi asks why do we love dogs? Dogs evolved from wolves but why did they choose us humans to be their best friends?

They say dogs are a man’s best friend but all dogs, even chihuahuas are descended from wolves, the grey wolf, a majestic, fierce and incredibly dangerous species. How did this happen but more importantly, why did we start trusting wolves? And when did wolves turn into dogs?

Dogs have been a part of our story for a long time. They are depicted in cave and rock art and dogs are a part of our story because of how useful they are. From the mundane everyday hunting and guarding to the epic stories of life saving dogs . But how did we get here?
Oxford Professor Greger Lawson studies ancient dog DNA and thinks the evolution from wolves into dogs began when we both realised we could help each other.


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m0027v45)
Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival: Anaerobic Digestion, Apple Maggots and  Pyramid Orchids

Snowdrops - do you mulch, feed, or leave them alone? What's the difference between anaerobic digestion and aerobic digestion? How do I get rid of apple maggots?

Peter Gibbs and the GQT team of experts return to Shepton Mallet to solve various gardening conundrums. On the panel this week are house plant guru Anne Swithinbank, pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood, and garden designer Matthew Wilson.

Later in the programme, Anne Swithinbank and Dominic Weston discuss all things snowdrops ahead of Shepton Mallet's upcoming snowdrop festival.

Producer: Daniel Cocker
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 15:45 Short Works (m0027v47)
The Mercator Projection

In a short work for Valentine's Day by Heather Parry, a cartographer redraws the map for those she loves.

Read by Lesley Hart
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie

Heather Parry's debut novel ORPHEUS BUILDS A GIRL was shortlisted for the Saltire Society Fiction Book of the Year Award and longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize. From South Yorkshire, she's based in Glasgow. Her new novel, CARRION CROW, is published at the end of this month.

A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.


FRI 16:00 Last Word (m0027v49)
Nigel McCrery, Andrée Dumon, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Diana Melly

Matthew Bannister on

Nigel McCrery, the former police officer who created the popular TV series “Silent Witness” and “New Tricks”.

Andrée Dumon, who rescued many allied service men during the Second World War by escorting them along “The Comet Line” from Brussels to Paris.

Lord Elis-Thomas, the former leader of Plaid Cymru and the first Presiding Officer of the National Assembly.

Diana Melly, the author known for her unconventional marriage to the jazz singer and art expert George Melly.

Interviewee: William Ivory
Interviewee: Dr Helen Fry
Interviewee: Professor Laura McAllister
Interviewee: Kezzie Moynihan

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

Archive used:

Silent Witness, BBC Promo, 2005 & 2025; Nigel McCrery interview, Saturday Live, BBC Radio 4, 02/11/2024; Nigel McCrery interview, Midweek, BBC Radio 4, 04/11/2013; Nigel McCrery talks about the life of Professor Helen Whitwell, Last Word, BBC Radio 4, 09/08/2024; Silent Witness, Series 1 , Episode 1, BBC ONE, 22/02/1996, Directed by Harry Hook; New Tricks, Promo, BBC Studios, 08/08/2008; Andrée Dumon, a Comète escape line organiser and courier, interview, source:
www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/andree-dumon/ ; Dafydd Ellis Thomas elected to the House of Commons, BBC News, 1974; Dafydd Elis Thomas Interview , Good Morning Wales, BBC Radio Wales, 20/06/1972; Dafydd Elis Thomas becomes President of Plaid Cymru and interview, Conference Report, BBC News, 28/10/1984; Presiding Officer address to the National Assembly for Wales, The Second Term, BBC News, 2003, Diana Melly interview, Last Word, BBC Radio 4. 06/07/2007; Diana Melly interview, Private Passions, BBC Radio 3, 15/01/2023;


FRI 16:30 Sideways (m0027tzx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]


FRI 17:00 PM (m0027v4c)
US vice-president criticises Europe in scathing speech

European leaders and diplomats are gathered at the Munich Security Conference with Ukraine top of the agenda. US vice-president JD Vance is there and has delivered a tough speech on democracy and free speech in Europe. We hear from the Vice Chair of the America First Policy Institute in Washington – a Trump-supporting think-tank. Plus, we look at how likely it is that an asteroid will hit earth in 2032 - and we examine why we like to eat puddings after dinner.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0027v4f)
Zelensky attempts to keep US onside as he holds talks with VP


FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m0027v4h)
Series 116

6. Corruption Leagues and Leaked Whatsapps

On The News Quiz this week, Andy Zaltzman is joined by Ria Lina, Lucy Porter, Daniel Finkelstein and Alice Fraser to discuss the many Whatsapp woes of Labour, Kemi Badenoch rallying the Gen-Z's, the UK's ongoing success in the corruption leagues, and the overdue return of the woolly mammoth.

Written by Andy Zaltzman.

With additional material by: Tasha Dhanraj, Cameron Loxdale, Ralph Jones and Christina Riggs.
Producer: Rajiv Karia
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
An Eco-Audio certified Production


FRI 19:00 The Archers (m0027v4k)
Writer: Naylah Ahmed
Director: Julie Beckett
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Ben Archer…. Ben Norris
Helen Archer…. Louiza Patikas
Jolene Archer…. Buffy Davis
Pat Archer…. Patricia Gallimore
Tom Archer…. William Troughton
Tony Archer…. David Troughton
Harrison Burns…. James Cartwright
Alice Carter.... Hollie Chapman
Susan Carter…. Charlotte Martin
Mick Fadmoor…. Martin Barrass
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Azra Malik…. Yasmin Wilde
Khalil Malik…. Krish Bassi
Zainab Malik…. Priyasasha Kumari
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
Lynda Snell…. Carole Boyd
Lawrence…. Rupert Vansittart


FRI 19:15 Screenshot (m0027v4p)
Weddings

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode celebrate weddings in film and TV, from Muriel's Wedding to Married at First Sight.

Mark speaks to Richard Curtis about the inspiration behind the classic British wedding film, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and about Curtis' own recent wedding to long-term partner Emma Freud. And he gets critic Manuela Lazic's rundown of some of the most memorable cinematic weddings, from The Godfather to The Graduate.

Meanwhile, Ellen talks to actor Susan Wokoma about her favourite wedding romcoms - including the Julia Roberts-starring My Best Friend's Wedding. And she attempts to get to grips with the world of wedding reality TV with comedian Ashley Ray.

Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m0027v4t)
Sir John Hayes MP, Christine Jardine MP, Chi Onwurah MP, Sebastian Payne

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Hutton Rudby Village Hall in North Yorkshire with the Conservative MP Sir John Hayes, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Women & Equalities and Scotland Christine Jardine MP, the Labour MP Chi Onwurah who is Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee and the Times journalist Sebastian Payne

Producer: Robin Markwell
Lead broadcast engineer: Phil Booth


FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m0027v4y)
Weekly reflections on topical issues from a range of contributors.


FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m0027v52)
All we need is love

From classical thinking to the romcom films in cinema today: Why do we yearn to find our "other half" but struggle with the reality of long term relationships? To discuss Rana Mitter is joined by:
Dr Susie Orbach: a psychotherapist and author of Fat is a Feminist Issue as well as many other books
Classicist Prof Armand D'Angour: he has just published a book about Plato's thinking on love - How to Talk about Love: An Ancient Guide for Modern Lovers
Dr Vittoria Fallanca: She has new research on the opposite figure to Eros - Anteros - the god of requited love, and the avenger of unrequited love, and his place in the history of philosophy
Catherine Wheatley: She is Professor of Film and Visual Culture at Kings College London
Mary Harrod: She is Professor of French and Screen Studies at the University of Warwick.

Producer: Lisa Jenkinson


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m0027v55)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.


FRI 22:45 Vidya Wade by Timothy X Atack (m0027v57)
Episode 5

Spine-tingling original fiction by Timothy X Atack, read by Amanda Lawrence.

Vidya has discovered that the spirit in Ben and Maya's house is called Pedrina Benicio. She originates from a district of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil.
So why is she in Leicester? And is she a danger to Vidya?

Vidya's visit to Ben and Maya's household will lead them to an unforgettable discovery.

Reader, Amanda Lawrence
Music by Timothy X Atack
Producer, Mary Ward-Lowery


FRI 23:00 Americast (m0027v59)
Could Donald Trump stretch the power of the presidency?

In the first weeks of his second term, President Donald Trump has wasted no time in using Executive Orders to suspend all new asylum claims, freeze government hiring and spending, strip back agencies established by Congress, and offer a buyout deal for thousands of federal workers.
So far, the courts have been the only substantive roadblocks to Trump’s agenda, but is the President ready to defy the courts? The White House has accused the media of "fear mongering the American people".

As Trump pushes the limits of presidential power - and with legal challenges from Democrats, unions and legal groups, is the U.S. heading for a constitutional crisis? If Donald Trump is willing to break the law, experts are asking who will stand up for the democratic system of government set up nearly 250 years ago?

HOSTS:

- Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
- Sarah Smith, North America Editor
- Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

GUEST:

- Elie Honig, CNN Senior Legal Analyst

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This episode was made by George Dabby with Rufus Gray and Catherine Fusillo. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0027v5c)
Susan Hulme with the latest deliberations on the assisted dying bill, a controversial drug facility and the heartbreak of losing comrades in war.