BBC Radio 4 Podcasts

Andy is joined by Ian Smith, Holly Walsh, Andy Parsons and from The Spectator, Kate Andrews. This week the panel discuss the war in Ukraine one year on, Keir Starmer's missions, and the editing of Dahl.Hosted and written by Andy Zaltzman with additional material from Alice Fraser, Catherine Brinkworth, Jade Gebbie, and Will Hall.Producer: Sam Holme…

In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspectiveBy BBC Radio 4

30 MAR 23By BBC Radio 4

Ria Zmitrowicz talks about her role in The Power, the TV adaptation of Naomi Alderman’s novel. She plays Roxy Monke, the daughter of a notorious crime boss whose aspirations to join the family business are realized when she gains a mysterious new power. Tom Sutcliffe is joined by author Michael Arditti and critic Alexandra Coughlan review the ENO’s…

Jim grills David for some key information, and why is Brian being so mysterious?By BBC Radio 4

Thomas Cashman shot the girl after chasing a convicted drug dealer into a house.By BBC Radio 4

Science writer Philip Ball has followed the relationship between government and its scientific advisors throughout the pandemic. He discusses the role of scientific advisors in the light of conflicting information following the leak of a number of former Health Minister Matt Hancock’s WhatsApp messages. Phil tells us why he believes greater transpe…

Retirement villages, recently made very famous by the Thursday Murder Club series of books, are becoming a popular choice for older people who want to, and can afford to, live within a supportive community environment but still retain their independence. For this episode of Ramblings, Clare is walking with Stephen Walsh and his partner, Pat, who li…

In his first state visit since becoming monarch, the King has told a banquet in Berlin the UK and Germany stand united. We hear from a senior German MP about how timely this trip could be in forging a post-Brexit relationship between the two countries.Also on the programme:As tributes flood in for Paul O'Grady, we hear about his role in the LGBT co…

Is sourdough the best thing since sliced bread?It’s the last episode in the current series, so I thought it was about time I investigated this! Listener Janet got in touch wanting to know whether sourdough really does live up to the hype. Is it better for our digestive health than other breads? Is it made with fewer additives? And do the cheaper so…

Jon Holmes's award-winning satire twists itself into current affairs. This week - Laughing Gas Policeman, Death Wish Starmer, and Inflation Goes Up To 11. Producer: Jon HolmesAn unusual production for BBC Radio 4By BBC Radio 4

By BBC Radio 4

Kate Adie presents stories from the US, Indonesia, Finland, Turkey and AustraliaBy BBC Radio 4

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss megaliths - huge stones placed in the landscape, often visually striking and highly prominent. Such stone monuments in Britain and Ireland mostly date from the Neolithic period, and the most ancient are up to 6,000 years old. In recent decades, scientific advances have enabled archaeologists to learn a large amount a…

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss megaliths - huge stones placed in the landscape, often visually striking and highly prominent. Such stone monuments in Britain and Ireland mostly date from the Neolithic period, and the most ancient are up to 6,000 years old. In recent decades, scientific advances have enabled archaeologists to learn a large amount a…

The Cotswold Hunt has been has been suspended by the British Hound Sports Association, after hunt saboteurs released video footage of a fox which had been tied inside a bag and appeared to have been hidden underground so it could be released later for hounds to chase. The allegations were revealed by Channel 4 News. Gloucestershire Police have conf…

Rain Dogs, billed as ‘a love story told from the gutter,’ is a new comedy drama series starring Daisy May Cooper. Shahidha Bari is joined in the studio by the writer and creator of the series, Cash Carraway.Ahead of the BAFTA Games Awards we discuss the state of play in the UK games industry with Chris Allnutt, gaming critic for the Financial Times…

Neil and Oliver discover that their visitors are not a from retirement village but a school. Instead of a pensioners’ tour group, Oliver and Neil are hosting Year Sixes! Oliver’s relieved to know there’s a similarly named retirement village and he’s not going mad. Oliver and Neil try to find a way out but Elizabeth says they’ll just have to do the …

Some of the biggest figures in technology have called for the development of advanced Artificial Intelligence to be paused until safety measures are in place.By BBC Radio 4

Uncanny is back... and in Season 2 Danny will continue to explore listeners' chilling tales of the paranormal, encompassing everything from poltergeists to cryptids to UFOsBy BBC Radio 4

29 MAR 23By BBC Radio 4

In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspectiveBy BBC Radio 4

She talks to Nuala McGovern about how she’s learned to cope with the condition in the elite sports world as well as the work she’s been doing to support other neurodivergent athletes to fulfil their potential.There’s a new book out, The Equal Parent: how sharing the load helps the family thrive. Paul Morgan-Bentley, head of investigations at The Ti…

The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, is expected to introduce measures in his March Budget to encourage people who have retired early to return to work in-order to help revive the economy. In this podcast, we speak to people who are retired, people who are over 50 and looking for a new job, and some who are continuing to work after 70. With them, we identi…

Releases of millions of game birds in Wales could be subject to licensing laws. Natural Resources Wales is advising the Welsh Government to launch a consultation about general licensing for all releases and special licences in sensitive areas. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation has called the move ' a systematic attack' against g…

Singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant talks to Samira Ahmed about Keep Your Courage, her first album in nearly a decade.Libraries were awarded the smallest amount of money from the Cultural Investment Fund, which was announced last week. Front Row speaks to Nick Poole, Chief Executive of CILIP, the Library and Information Association.And Victoria Aduk…

Ed and Will weigh the Texel lambs. Will mentions Clarrie’s still trying to persuade him to allow George to have an eighteenth birthday party. Ed says Susan’s been doing the same with him and Emma. George must have been coaching them both.Delayed by planning for Bridge Farm’s big open day, Tom’s busy but Natasha has an important update on the Schaef…

It means an attack is considered highly likely.By BBC Radio 4

Waves crashing on the shore, footsteps crunching on the forest floor. Stress levels plummet when we immerse ourselves in nature. Nick Luscombe meets the Japanese scientists working to bring the healing power of nature into the heart of the city. Nature's secret, they believe, isn't the sound you can hear, it's the high frequencies you can't hear. O…

Josie Long presents short documentaries and audio adventures about life on wheels. A woman cyclist rolls solo though the Scottish landscape, a car park becomes a vortex of roller skaters and Jungle music at night, and listening to the rhythms of all that spins.Carpark Cruisers and Jungle MoversProduced by Olivia DaviesWheel TalkComposed and produce…

The Woman's Hour Power List 2023 reveal show is here! This is your chance to hear from the women on our list, showcasing the 30 most remarkable women in sport in the UK right now. Join Nuala McGovern, our judges Jessica Creighton, Ebony Rainford Brent and a studio audience live from the Radio Theatre.Producers: Emma Pearce and Alex WebbPresenter: N…

28 MAR 23By BBC Radio 4

In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspectiveBy BBC Radio 4

In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspectiveBy BBC Radio 4

There are almost a million people in the UK living with dementia, and Alzheimer’s is the most common form. But the disease actually starts long before any noticeable symptoms appear, and over the past decade, studies have shown that it is much more complex than previously thought. Julie Williams has been at the forefront of this effort, uncovering …

DEFRA has failed to file dozens of reports on environmental legislation, which it is legally bound to do. The reports are essential because they show the public and campaign groups how effective laws are at achieving their goals. The findings are published in a report by the Office for Environmental Protection, or OEP, which was set up to monitor h…

Are we running out of water? Britain may be known for its rain but, as our climate changes, there are warnings we could be closer than we think to our taps running dry. In this episode of Troubled Water, James Gallagher asks why our pipes are being pushed to the brink and what can be done about it, all from the comfort of his bathroom. Huddled in t…

How difficult is it for a police force to change? A review of the Metropolitan police by Baroness Louise Casey says racism, misogyny, and homophobia are at the heart of the force. The Met's commissioner Sir Mark Rowley admits 'we have let Londoners down'. Everyone agrees change must happen – but where to start?Margaret Heffernan meets experts on po…

Award-winning journalist Barbara Demick’s book 'Nothing to Envy' has been short-listed for this year’s Baille Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction Winner of Winners Award; North Korean defectors spoke about love, family life and the terrible cost of the 1990’s famine.Front Row examines the controversy surrounding Dungeons and Dragons, the world's most pop…

Oliver complains to Elizabeth that he’s been allocated the scullery for the next month as a Lower Loxley guide. Elizabeth thinks it’s best he speaks to Freddie. Neil joins them – Oliver’s surprised to find Neil’s task today is even less interesting than his own – minding visitors’ belongings at the main entrance. Oliver joins Neil mid shift to comp…

It follows a hard-fought contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon.By BBC Radio 4

"Right now, and I mean this instant, delete every digital trace of any menstrual tracking. Please." This is a tweet that went viral in the wake of the repeal of Roe V Wade in the United States. Fearing a clamp down on reproductive rights, suddenly people were looking at their online data in a very new way. What does my fitness app say about the sta…

Three semi-finalists join Paul Gambaccini to compete for a place in the Final of the quizBy BBC Radio 4

Earlier this month, the Conservative MP Miriam Cates said in the House of Commons that children were being exposed to 'graphic' and 'age inappropriate' material during their sex education classes. The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has decided to bring forward a planned review of the Department for Education’s Relationships and Sex Education guidance i…

27 MAR 23By BBC Radio 4

Lucy Worsley looks at the crimes of women from the 19th and early 20th centuries from a contemporary, feminist perspective. Lucy explores the story of Margaret Garner, an enslaved mother in 1850s America, who commits a murder that transforms her into an icon of tragedy and resistance. Her life inspired Tony Morrison’s Pulitzer-winning novel Beloved…

Dartmoor MPs are calling for an 'independent process' to work out the balance between farming and conservation on the moors. This follows what some called 'rewilding by the back door' - Natural England's recent decision not to renew some farmers' Countryside Stewardship agreements on the moor, unless the number of livestock was significantly reduce…

Steph McGovern asks some seriously funny minds to offer definitive answers to the great questions of our age. Or not.Welcome to the world's most devious game of Would You Rather? With guests Zoe Lyons and Dane Baptiste.Host: Steph McGovernGuests: Zoe Lyons and Dane BaptisteDevised and written by Jon Harvey & Joseph MorpurgoWith additional material …

Tom, Natasha, Helen and Lee have a day out at Netherbourne Hall with the kids and the agreement that they won’t talk about work at Bridge Farm. Tom and Natasha report the approach they’ve had for a modelling job for Nova and Seren for a multinational company. Helen’s relieved to hear they’re not planning to accept, as amongst the company’s products…