To give you the best possible experience, this site uses cookies. Review our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service to learn more. Got it!

BBC Radio 4 Podcasts

BBC Radio 4 public [search 0]
More
Download the App!
Get it on App Store Get it on Google Play
show episodes
 
Artwork

1
Strong Message Here

BBC Radio 4

icon100
icon27
icon
Unsubscribe
icon
Unsubscribe
 Weekly
 
In this new series, Helen Lewis and Armando Iannucci investigate which political buzzwords are strong and stable and which are a crock of covfefe. Each week Helen and Armando will crack open the political phrasebook and attempt to decode the doublespeak. Why does everything now have to be 'turbo-charged'? What's the difference between a 'pledge' and a 'mission'? Why has my local MP been 'weaponised' and should I be worried? You'll be treated to a crash course in the dark arts of political la ...
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Intrigue

BBC Radio 4

icon2k
icon97
icon
Unsubscribe
icon
Unsubscribe
 Monthly+
 
Ben Lewis unravels the tangled story of a Christian billionaire family, stolen relics, fake treasures and the scholar turned sleuth who exposed the scandal of biblical proportions. Intrigue: 'Jaw-dropping', 'gripping', 'bingeable,' 'thrilling' - dramatic true stories and investigations that reveal how the world really works.
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
The History Podcast

BBC Radio 4

icon41
icon54
icon
Unsubscribe
icon
Unsubscribe
 Weekly
 
NEW on The History Podcast: Invisible Hands. David Dimbleby traces the history of a hidden force that changed Britain - the free market revolution - and the invisible hands that shaped it. Episodes available weekly.
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Americast

BBC News

icon1k
icon404
icon
Unsubscribe
icon
Unsubscribe
 Weekly+
 
Americast is the authoritative US news and politics podcast from the BBC. Each week we provide audiences with the best analysis from across the BBC, with on-the-ground observations and big picture insights about the stories which are defining America right now. The podcast is hosted by trusted BBC journalists including the BBC’s North America editor, Sarah Smith, BBC Radio 4 presenter, Justin Webb, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, Marianna Spring, and BBC North Americ ...
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
The Life Scientific

BBC Radio 4

icon4k
icon328
icon
Unsubscribe
icon
Unsubscribe
 Monthly+
 
Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires and motivates them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Arts & Ideas

BBC Radio 4

icon2k
icon2k
icon
Unsubscribe
icon
Unsubscribe
 Weekly
 
Leading thinkers discuss the ideas shaping our lives – looking back at the news and making links between past and present. Broadcast as Free Thinking, Fridays at 9pm on BBC Radio 4. Presented by Matthew Sweet, Shahidha Bari and Anne McElvoy.
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Illuminated

BBC Radio 4

icon27
icon46
icon
Unsubscribe
icon
Unsubscribe
 Monthly+
 
Illuminated is BBC Radio 4's home for creative and surprising one-off documentaries that shed light on hidden worlds. Welcome to a place of audio beauty and joy, with emotion and human experience at its heart. The programmes you will find in this feed explore the reality of contemporary Britain and the world, venturing into its weirdest and most wonderful aspects. This is a chance to meet voices that are not normally heard, open secret doors into concealed chambers and, above all, be transpo ...
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
You're Dead to Me

BBC Radio 4

icon4k
icon204
icon
Unsubscribe
icon
Unsubscribe
 Monthly+
 
The comedy podcast that takes history seriously. In each episode of You’re Dead to Me from BBC Radio 4, Greg Jenner is joined by a comedian and an expert historian to learn and laugh about the past. History isn’t just about dates and textbooks – it’s about extraordinary characters, amazing stories, and some very questionable fashion choices. How long did it take to build an Egyptian pyramid? What does the Bayeux Tapestry reveal about medieval life? Why did it take nearly half a millennium fo ...
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Quizzes

BBC Radio 4

icon1k
icon42
icon
Unsubscribe
icon
Unsubscribe
 Monthly+
 
Intelligent and challenging quiz games on BBC Radio 4. Featuring Round Britain Quiz, Counterpoint and Brain of Britain with Quizmasters including Paul Gambaccini, Kirsty Lang and Russell Davies.
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Sliced Bread

BBC Radio 4

icon1k
icon152
icon
Unsubscribe
icon
Unsubscribe
 Weekly
 
Sliced Bread is the series that investigates the latest ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener. Are they really 'the best thing since sliced bread'? Science presenter Greg Foot finds out. Greg speaks to experts on a bunk-busting mission to test the latest consumer trends chosen by listeners. Do they live up to the hype? Or are they just marketing BS? Greg chats to the experts, dives into the data, performs tests and crunches the numbers before ...
…   continue reading
 
Loading …
show series
 
Artwork

1
The Naked Week: Ep6. Tariffs, Theme Parks, and Twister. 28:42

Play Pause
icon
28:42
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
28:42icon
 
The Naked Week team are back to place satirical news-tariffs on current events with a mix of correspondents, guests and, occasionally, live animals. This week we mourn the death of globalisation, take a tour of Keir's new theme park, and play a game of BBC Balance Local Elections Naked Week Joke Twister. From The Skewer’s Jon Holmes and host Andrew…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Tensions between India and Pakistan intensify 30:15

Play Pause
icon
30:15
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
30:15icon
 
India and Pakistan have announced a series of measures against one another after 26 people were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir two days ago. Also: Online safety campaigners say new Ofcom regulations to protect young people don't go far enough. And pianist Igor Levit takes up the challenge of playing the same piece of music 840 times.…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Signal chats, leaks, and sackings... What's going on in the Pentagon? 27:31

Play Pause
icon
27:31
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
27:31icon
 
There’s trouble in the Pentagon - again! Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump have dismissed new reports that the defence secretary sent details of confidential military plans to his wife, brother, and personal lawyer on Signal. They both criticised journalists at the annual White House Easter event between egg related activities, but reports keep coming …
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Is everything we know about the universe wrong? 28:10

Play Pause
icon
28:10
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
28:10icon
 
For the last week or so, the world of physics has had just one conversation. Have we found a new way of understanding the universe? And if so, what does this mean for our understanding of how we all came to exist – and even our fate? These big questions were prompted by new data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument team at the Kitt Peak Na…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Can the UK become an AI superpower? 28:42

Play Pause
icon
28:42
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
28:42icon
 
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer wants the UK to become “one of the great AI superpowers”. Earlier this year the government published a plan to use artificial intelligence in the private and public sectors to boost growth and deliver services more efficiently. Once mainly the preserve of the tech community, AI really entered public awareness wi…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Simon Russell Beale 43:56

Play Pause
icon
43:56
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
43:56icon
 
Actor Sir Simon Russell Beale is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest actors of his generation. He has played many leading roles at National Theatre and RSC, including Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear. He is currently starring in Titus Andronicus at the RSC. His awards include three Olivier Awards, two BAFTAs, and a Tony Award in 2022 for his leadi…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Maurice Merleau-Ponty 59:02

Play Pause
icon
59:02
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
59:02icon
 
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961), who was part of the movement known as phenomenology. While less well-known than his contemporaries Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, his popularity has increased among philosophers in recent years. Merleau-Ponty rejected Rene Descartes’ division between…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
How Much is a Pint of Milk? (with Rob Burley) 32:45

Play Pause
icon
32:45
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
32:45icon
 
Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language. Helen Lewis and Armando Iannucci are joined by the BBC's former Live Political Editor to discuss the art of the political interview. What's a valid question? What's a cheap gotcha? They also discuss Paxman's beard, the best political i…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Jet Lag Products 28:37

Play Pause
icon
28:37
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
28:37icon
 
Are there products that can help you avoid or ease jet lag? If you've travelled long-haul you'll know the feeling; your body feels completely out of sync with the new time zone, leaving you tired, disorientated and quite possibly a tad irritated! So is there anything you can do? Listener Moira suffered the effects of jet lag on a recent work trip t…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
24/04/2025 Warning that changes to planning bill threatens nature; calls for a rare breeds ministerial roundtable, silvopasture 13:44

Play Pause
icon
13:44
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
13:44icon
 
A government amendment to its planning bill would be disastrous for both wildlife and big building projects; that's the warning from the Wildlife Trusts which wants ministers to reconsider. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust releases its latest watchlist today, and says that while there is good news for some native breeds, others like the Manx Locton s…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Reeves could lower US car tariffs in push for trade deal 37:48

Play Pause
icon
37:48
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
37:48icon
 
Chancellor Rachel Reeves signalled openness to lower tariffs Britain imposes on US car imports in order to reach a trade deal with President Trump. A document circulated among US business groups and unions seeking views on a potential deal with the UK, focused on lowering UK tariffs on US cars to 2.5% from their current 10%. The former Chief Execut…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
The ethics of publishing posthumous diaries, Pianist Igor Levit, and Memorials to great women. 42:06

Play Pause
icon
42:06
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
42:06icon
 
As the journals of the American writer Joan Didion (based on conversations with her psychiatrist) are published, writer and journalist Rachel Cooke and Alan Taylor, editor of actor Alan Rickman's diaries, discuss the challenges, responsibilities and ethics of posthumously publishing the diaries of great writers, artists and actors. Acclaimed German…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Americanswers…on 5 Live! Is Elon Musk being forced out of the White House? 30:20

Play Pause
icon
30:20
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
30:20icon
 
Elon Musk says he’s stepping back from his role at DOGE and refocusing on Tesla after the electric car firm reported a huge drop in profit and sales for the start of this year. We look at whether he could be on his way out completely. Donald Trump meanwhile says he’ll be attending the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome this weekend. The late Pope was …
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Money Box Live: Spring Statement 28:34

Play Pause
icon
28:34
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
28:34icon
 
As the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, presents her Spring Statement, Money Box Live sifts through the details about what it all means for your personal finances. Changes to the welfare system have already been announced. It will be harder to claim a disability benefit called Personal Independence Payment (PIP) under plans which the government says will…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Word of God: Introducing Invisible Hands from The History Podcast 12:41

Play Pause
icon
12:41
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
12:41icon
 
From The History Podcast, this is Invisible Hands. This is the story of a hidden force that changed Britain forever — free market capitalism — and the invisible hands that shaped it. David Dimbleby traces the history of an idea that charts his lifespan. It started in a fighter plane in the Battle of Britain, gained traction in shadowy post-war Lond…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Invisible Hands: 5. The Lucky Gambler 29:12

Play Pause
icon
29:12
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
29:12icon
 
James Goldsmith was a billionaire tycoon who thrived in the free-market revolution. He was a corporate raider who conquered both the City of London and Wall Street. He was a playboy – four wives, a host of mistresses and a reputation as outsized as a Bond villain. Then in 1987 he predicted a stock market crash and disappeared from the world stage. …
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
What does IMF's stark forecast mean for UK? 37:44

Play Pause
icon
37:44
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
37:44icon
 
In a stark forecast of the world's economy, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the Trump tariffs and market uncertainty will lead to slower growth and significant change. The IMF has also slashed the UK's growth prospects - we ask what that means for the government's "number one mission". Also on the programme: After last week's definitive …
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Dante's Inferno in Jamaica, Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time re-examined, Shakespeare's first theatre 42:32

Play Pause
icon
42:32
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
42:32icon
 
Jamaica's former poet laureate, Lorna Goodison, on setting Dante's Inferno on the island of her birth; Journalist Joanna Moorhead on Pope Francis' relationship with the arts; Poet and librettist Michael Symmons Roberts on writing a form-breaking book to re-examine French composer Olivier Messiaen's form-breaking masterwork - Quartet for the End of …
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Cultural Religiosity 27:29

Play Pause
icon
27:29
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
27:29icon
 
Giles Fraser meets columnist Giles Coren, who was raised in the Jewish tradition, became an atheist and who now feels at home in a Christian church, to explore what it means to be culturally religious. Is cultural religiosity an oxymoron and totally untenable? Is it on the rise or has it always been there? Is it damaging to traditional religious pr…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Can you be addicted to sugar? 27:40

Play Pause
icon
27:40
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
27:40icon
 
What's the science behind a sweet tooth? James Gallagher explores whether sugar really can be addicted and what happens in our bodies when we want it and when we eat it. He's joined by Professor Susanne Dickson, who specialises in the neurobiology of appetite at the University of Gothenburg, and Professor James Brown from the School of Biosciences …
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Brian Schmidt on Nobel Prize-winning supernovae and the joys of making wine 28:39

Play Pause
icon
28:39
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
28:39icon
 
Have you ever pondered the fact that the universe is expanding? And not only that, it's expanding at an increasing speed - meaning everything around us is getting further and further away? If that isolating thought makes you feel slightly panicked, don't worry: this programme also contains wine! Brian Schmidt is a Distinguished Professor of Astroph…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
The rise and rise of beef prices, carp growing, agroforestry 13:30

Play Pause
icon
13:30
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
13:30icon
 
Charlotte Smith examines what's behind 2025's unprecedented increase in prices paid to UK beef farmers. According to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board fewer cattle are being farmed in the UK, and beyond. This week Farming Today is taking a closer look at Agroforestry, the approach which combines farming crops or livestock with tree…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Dicing with democracy? Romania’s cancelled election 33:47

Play Pause
icon
33:47
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
33:47icon
 
A cancelled election, a cancelled candidate and a divided country – is Romania’s democracy under threat?Last December the country’s Constitutional Court cancelled the presidential election two days before the final vote, citing outside interference, with the nationalist pro-Putin candidate, Calin Georgescu, riding high in the polls. TikTok sensatio…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
The life and legacy of Pope Francis 37:55

Play Pause
icon
37:55
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
37:55icon
 
We're live in Vatican City as Roman Catholics mourn Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the church - who's died of a stroke and heart failure aged 88. We look at his legacy, and ask what might come next for the church. Also in the programme: The head of the Pentagon has come out fighting - following a report he shared sensitive militar…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
JMW Turner: 250th anniversary of Britain's greatest painter 42:24

Play Pause
icon
42:24
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
42:24icon
 
Mr. Turner director Mike Leigh, art historian Charlotte Mullins and senior curator at Tate Amy Concannon join Tom Sutcliffe to celebrate the life and work of JMW Turner, as we approach the 250th anniversary of his birth. Also in this edition, David Hockney on Turner's skill as an artist, Alvaro Barrington talks about his continuing influence on art…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Christianity and British society 42:02

Play Pause
icon
42:02
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
42:02icon
 
As congregations age and dwindle, what are we to make of the decline of Christianity in England? Bijan Omrani argues that Christianity has had a profound and ongoing impact on English society, laws and culture. In his new book, God is an Englishman, he makes the case for the things we stand to lose as a nation as Christianity loses its hold on our …
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Postbag Edition: Belfast Botanic Garden 43:00

Play Pause
icon
43:00
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
43:00icon
 
Why are my potatoes so floury? How do you banish lace bugs for good? And what mysterious plant has the panel stumped? Kathy Clugston and a team of gardening experts explore the various locations of Belfast Botanic Garden. All while digging into the GQT postbag to answer your gardening conundrums. On hand with their wisdom and wit are ethnobotanist …
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Donna Ockenden, midwife 50:58

Play Pause
icon
50:58
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
50:58icon
 
Donna Ockenden is a former clinical midwife who led the Ockenden Review which revealed, at the time, the biggest maternity scandal in NHS history. Published in 2022, the review highlighted serious failings in maternity care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust which contributed to the deaths of more than 200 babies and nine mothers. Don…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Jarvis Cocker 14:38

Play Pause
icon
14:38
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
14:38icon
 
Beloved Britpop band Pulp have released their first new music in almost a quarter of a century, the single 'Spike Island'. Their talismanic frontman Jarvis Cocker has always been the band's star turn, with his second-hand 70s style, mesmeric stage presence and biting lyrics. Following some difficult early years in his hometown of Sheffield, Cocker …
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Back Bills and Benefits 24:58

Play Pause
icon
24:58
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
24:58icon
 
We report from Parliament as the Minister for Energy Consumers and the regulator Ofgem face questions from MPs about the banned process of back-billing. That's when energy suppliers wrongly send new bills for energy use longer than 12 months ago. We'll get reaction from Labour MP Bill Esterson who is the Chair of the House of Commons Energy Securit…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Ukraine’s uncertain future 28:45

Play Pause
icon
28:45
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
28:45icon
 
Kate Adie presents stories from Ukraine, Ecuador, the US, Ghana and Italy Donald Trump's pre-election promise to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours failed to materialise, and this week the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was willing to walk away from talks if a Russia-Urkraine ceasefire deal is not agreed soon. James Waterhouse report…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Charles Collingwood 6:29

Play Pause
icon
6:29
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
6:29icon
 
The Canadian born actor Charles Collingwood has, since 1975, been defined by his role as Brian Aldridge, the upper-class charmer in The Archers. Over the last fifty years…Brian’s had affairs, illegitimate children and ventures into the sausage business. But in real life Charles is very happily married to Judy Bennett, who played Shula in the show. …
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
19/04/25 Farming Today This Week: wildfires, British farm standards, EU meat imports ban, vertical farms, sheep shearing 25:01

Play Pause
icon
25:01
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
25:01icon
 
If you're travelling in mainland Europe this Easter and thinking about possibly bringing back some local delicacies, think again. Following outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in Germany, Hungary and on its border with Slovakia, restrictions on the food you're allowed to bring in, have changed significantly. You are now not allowed to bring in meat…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
The pioneers of proof 8:59

Play Pause
icon
8:59
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
8:59icon
 
Here are More or Less we’ll all about the facts. Every day we use a toolkit of known proofs to try and answer our listeners’ questions. But who do we have to thank for this toolkit and how did they set about proving the unknown? Luckily for us mathematician Adam Kucharski has just written a book about this very topic called ‘Proof: The Uncertain Sc…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
US senator visits man mistakenly deported to El Salvador 37:48

Play Pause
icon
37:48
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
37:48icon
 
Senator Chris Van Hollen has met Kilmar Ábrego García, the man in an El Salvador jail who has now become the new face of US politics. For the Trump administration, he is an example of their policy of deporting people they identify as “criminal illegal aliens”. For Democrats, there is debate about whether his case could sustain the anti-Trump cause.…
…   continue reading
 
Artwork

1
Anne Scargill, Ronnie Appleton, Cecil Wright, Mario Vargas Llosa 27:52

Play Pause
icon
27:52
Play Pause
icon
  Play later
  Play later
  Lists
  Liked
27:52icon
 
Matthew Bannister on Anne Scargill, who founded the Women Against Pit Closures group when her husband Arthur was leading the Miners Strike of the 1980s. The actor Maxine Peake pays tribute. Ronnie Appleton who was Chief Crown Prosecutor for Northern Ireland during the height of the troubles. Cecil Wright, the Jamaican born cricketer who made his ma…
…   continue reading
 
Loading …

Quick Reference Guide

Top Podcasts
The Bill Simmons Podcast
PTI
First Take
Marketplace
Comedy of the Week
The Bugle
How Did This Get Made?
Doug Loves Movies
Planet Money
TED Talks Daily
NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt
The World This Hour
Daily Boost Motivation and Coaching
Radiolab
Science Friday
This American Life
Criminal
Sword and Scale
In The Dark
Player FM logo
Help/FAQ | Upgrade | Advertise
Arts|Business|Comedy|Economics|Entertainment|News|Politics|Religion
Science|Soccer|Sports|Storytelling|Technology|True Crime
Copyright 2025 | Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | | Copyright
Episode being played series thumbnail
icon icon
Speed
Series settings
1x
1x
Volume
100%
icon
icon icon
/

View Player FM in...
Player FM
Browser
Chrome
Safari
Firefox
Listen to this show while you explore
Play