Latest news about BBC Radio 4

Greta Thunberg to guest edit BBC Radio 4's Today programme

The Swedish activist will interview leading figures in the fight against global heating - Greta Thunberg is to swap leading the global fight against the climate crisis for the more stressful experience of directing a group of high-profile BBC presenters, after being announced as one of this year’s guest editors for Radio 4’s Today programme. The environmental activist will take control of an episode of the BBC’s flagship radio news programme at the end of this year, speaking to leading figures in the fight against global heating and hearing from indigenous, frontline activists...

Kenneth Branagh returns to Radio 4 in Stalingrad

Kenneth Branagh, Greta Scacchi, Mark Bonnar, Ann Mitchell, Doon Mackichan, Kenneth Cranham and more star in a dark and honest account of the epic battle of Stalingrad by celebrated war reporter and author, Vasily Grossman. Two part drama based on war reporter Vasily Grossman’s account also stars Greta Scacchi and Mark Bonnar. Anton Lesser reads Grossman’s private journal - translated into English for the first time - in a Book Of The Week special. Translated by Robert and Elizabeth Chandler, Stalingrad is a prequel to Grossman’s novel Life And Fate which was adapted by Radio 4 in 2011 and featuring many of the same acclaimed cast.

Matt Lucas and David Walliams return to BBC Radio 4

A special edition of Little Britain, called Little Brexit, will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 this week. It’ll be the first time in almost 10 years that Matt Lucas and David Walliams will be back on the station, where it first broadcast in 2000. Little Brexit will broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday 31 October at 1830 and will catch up with many of Matt and David’s characters to see how the hottest topic of modern British history is affecting their lives. Characters we’ll be hearing from include Dafydd, Vicky Pollard, Emily Howard, Marjorie Dawes, Mr Mann, and Lou and Andy...

RAJAR Q3 2019: London and national brands round-up

Zoe Ball has lost another 364,000 listeners to her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show in the latest radio listening figures from RAJAR. It means more than a million weekly listeners have switched off since she took over the breakfast show from Chris Evans in January. In the period 24th June to 15th September 2019 (Q3/2019), Radio 2 breakfast had a weekly reach of 7.902m – that’s down from 8.266m in Q2 and 9.047m in Q1.While Zoe is still the presenter of the UK’s biggest breakfast show, the figures are the lowest for the slot in a decade – since...

BBC Radio 4 says sorry for sweary technical interuption

The BBC has apologised for a technical error which put a production studio live on-air over the top of You and Yours at BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday afternoon. An unannounced reporter can be heard on the microphone commenting about the temperature of the studio, offering the F word before voicing a report. The presenter on-air at the time, Winifred Robinson, continued without acknowledging the interruption. Winifred later said sorry for the swearing due to the “cross lines at the start of the programme”.

Chris Mason is the next host of Radio 4’s Any Questions?

BBC Political Correspondent Chris Mason has been appointed the next host of Radio 4’s Any Questions? From this autumn Chris will host Radio 4’s weekly debate programme. Each Friday evening a panel of people from the world of politics, media and elsewhere answer questions on the biggest topics of the week from an audience in a different part of the UK. Jonathan Dimbleby, who hosted the programme for thirty two years, stepped down in June. Chris Mason says: “I’m beyond excited to be the next host of...

BBC Radio 4 brings The Kinks’ Arthur to life in new drama

In the year of its 50th anniversary, The Kinks’ album Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire) has been transformed into an audio drama for BBC Radio 4. Arthur has been adapted by The Kinks frontman and modern music icon Ray Davies himself, alongside Olivier-nominated playwright, dramaturg and musician Paul Sirett. The story - of both the drama and the original album - sees a close-knit, working-class family torn apart when Ray's brother-in-law, Arthur, decides to move his family half way around the world to Australia.

BBC Radio 5 Live appoints Heidi Dawson as Controller

Heidi Dawson has been appointed as the new Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra. Heidi is currently Managing Editor of BBC Radio 5 Live and becomes Controller with immediate effect. She succeeds Jonathan Wall who was appointed as Controller of BBC Sounds in July 2019. Heidi started her career in local radio at BBC Radio Solent before working as a journalist on BBC Radio 4’s World At One and PM. She moved to BBC Radio 5 Live in 2001 as a Breakfast show producer; she has produced and edited most...

Bob Harris returns to BBC Radio 2 Country Show

Bob Harris will be back on BBC Radio 2 to host his country show from September 19th 2019. He announced in June that he’d be taking a few weeks off to recover from an aortic dissection, and a number of people have been covering the show ever since. In his first show back, he will be joined in session by guitarist and singer Molly Tuttle, who Bob hails as “one of the greatest performers in the world at this moment.” Bob Harris said: “I am so happy to be returning to Radio 2. Following my aortic dissection at the beginning of the summer the past few months have been amongst the toughest of my life, but I am now fit again and raring to go.

The Sound Odyssey with Gemma Cairney returns to BBC Radio 4

Loyle Carner, Kate Stables of This is the Kit, Nubya Garcia and Roxanne Tataei feature in the second series of BBC Radio 4’s The Sound Odyssey. TV and radio presenter, Gemma Cairney, will once again accompany four contemporary musicians to locations across the world as they collaborate with local artists; creating a new piece of music especially for the programme. Gemma Cairney says: “Making The Sound Odyssey, I’m left ever inspired by the beautiful human connection created through music...