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Topical comedy from the sharpest satirical minds in the business. Listen first on BBC Sounds, every Friday. Is the news driving you up the wall? You’re not alone. Let the comedians take the strain and work out what’s been funny this week. Features BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz, Dead Ringers, The Naked Week and Too Long; Didn’t Read. Listen on BBC Sounds, seven days earlier than anywhere else, and subscribe to make sure that you don’t miss an episode.
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Uncanny

BBC Radio 4

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From ghostly phantoms to UFOs, Danny Robins investigates real-life stories of paranormal encounters. So, are you Team Believer or Team Sceptic? Written and presented by Danny Robins Editor and Sound Designer: Charlie Brandon-King Music: Evelyn Sykes Theme Music by Lanterns on the Lake Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
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Armando Iannucci hosts the programme that gives you a cast-iron guarantee to be laser-focused on decoding the baffling world of political language. Each week he'll be joined by a guest to crack open the political phrasebook and attempt to demystify 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 p ...
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Scotcast

BBC Radio Scotland

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The BBC's Scottish news podcast, hosted by Martin Geissler. Conversation with trusted journalists and experts about the country's biggest stories.
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Learn English grammar with these short programmes. Each episode explores a new piece of grammar you need to improve your English. Find more at bbclearningenglish.com Follow us at bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
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Arts & Ideas

BBC Radio 4

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

BBC Radio 4

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Child returns for the next chapter of the story of all of us. Delve deep into the mind of a toddler and explore how our emotions and our selves are built through life experience.
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Take Four Books

BBC Radio 4

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Presenter James Crawford looks at an author's latest work and delves further into their creative process by learning about the three other texts that have shaped their writing.
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Football Daily

BBC Radio 5 Live

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The latest news, insight, analysis and big name guests from the Premier League and the Football League, plus Scottish, International and European football. Join us! Get in touch with us @5liveSport on social media and remember to leave us your ratings and reviews.
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Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires and motivates them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future
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Fighting Talk

BBC Radio 5 Live

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A hilarious look at the volatile world of sport where guests compete for points with their sporting punditry. Informed comments are rewarded but witless outbursts are penalised.
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Screenshot

BBC Radio 4

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Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode guide us through the expanding universe of the moving image revealing fascinating links and hidden gems from cinema and TV to streaming and beyond.
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Top political comedian Matt Forde reconvenes his Focus Group for a Boxing Day special with a Dickensian twist. Recorded in front of a live audience, Matt is joined by journalists, comedians and politicians – including former Cabinet Minister Michael Gove – to review the political state we're in through the lens of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol…
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The ousted Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, has appeared in court in New York, two days after he was seized by US special forces during a raid in Caracas. Also: 10 people have been found guilty of cyberbullying the French President's wife, Brigitte Macron. And there will be a public holiday in Scotland to celebrate the country's return to the …
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If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘Are Starmer’s Scottish MPs sick of him?’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002mz40 Party leaders including John Swinney of the SNP and Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar (both pictured) have kicked off 2026 with a pitch to voters ahead of May’s Holyrood election. David Wallace Lockhart explains w…
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Scott Bryan, Hayley Campbell and Naga Munchetty review the week’s biggest new TV and streaming releases, as well as looking ahead to some of their most anticipated shows of the year. This week the trio looked at 'Run Away', a new eight-part series on Netflix. The story is an adaptation of Harlan Coben's novel about a father who is accused of murder…
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We talk about letters in English that we see in words but don’t actually pronounce. LISTEN TO REAL EASY ENGLISH: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/real-easy-english SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER:✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learni…
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What kind of state does the UK find itself in as we start 2026? That’s the question Tim Harford and the More or Less team is trying to answer in a series of five special programmes. In the first episode, we’re starting the week by asking some interesting questions about the economy: Is the cost-of-living crisis over? The economy is expected to have…
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A satirical smorgasbord of The News Quiz's best bits of the year, covering local elections, flag fever, Starmer's struggles, Trump's travails, and a very special meeting between King Charles and Pope Leo XIV. To hear more episodes of The News Quiz, search "Friday Night Comedy" on BBC Sounds. Written and presented by Andy Zaltzman. Producer: Rajiv K…
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Are Ruben Amorim’s days at Manchester United numbered after his insistence he’s there to “manage” the team not coach? Clinton Morrison and Luke Edwards join Rick Edwards to discuss the unrest at Old Trafford and dissect the best of the weekend’s Premier League action. Chelsea’s late equaliser against Manchester City means Arsenal extend their lead …
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The Trump administration has warned Venezuela's remaining leaders to "do what is right" or "pay a big price". But the Venezuelan military has vowed to confront American aggression. Also: Sir Keir Starmer tells the BBC he wants closer alignment with parts of the EU. And a memorial service is held for the victims of the Crans-Montana fire in the Swis…
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Presented by James Naughtie, the Irish writer Rónán Hession takes questions from a Bookclub audience on his debut novel, Leonard and Hungry Paul. The book was shortlisted for the British Book Awards Debut Book of the Year 2020 and selected as one of the 50 Great Irish Novels of the 21st Century. The story follows two single, board-game-loving men i…
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Margaret Atwood is a Canadian writer. She has published more than sixty books spanning novels, poetry, short stories, non-fiction, children’s literature, and graphic novels, and has been called “one of the sharpest and most imaginative novelists writing in English”. She is one of only four writers to have won the Booker Prize twice: for The Blind A…
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Chris Bennett, Dr Naomi Green, Michele Marken and Professor Duncan Morrow join Audrey Carville to reflect on some of the major ethical and faith themes of 2025, and offer their hopes for 2026. The panel discuss the alienation and dehumanisation of young men; changes and challenges in leadership of faith communities; as well as global conflict and p…
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England had the best of the opening day of the 5th and final Ashes Test with Harry Brook unbeaten on 78 and Joe Root on 72. But rain truncated the day with bad light and rain allowing only 45 overs. We hear from Brook plus Simon Mann is joined by Michael Vaughan, Phil Tufnell and Jonathan Agnew plus Eleanor Oldroyd talks to Glenn McGrath at the sta…
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US launches strikes on Venezuela, captures its president, Nicolas Maduro, and takes him to New York. President Trump says he'll face "the full might of American justice" for alleged drug-trafficking offences. Venezuela condemns the attack but the opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, says the country's "hour of freedom" has arrived. But Mr Trump…
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Actor and comedian Ben Bailey Smith, sports reporter Katie Smith, GB sprinter and Gladiator Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, and comedian Tom Rosenthal join Rick Edwards for an hour of sporting punditry, humour and entertainment. Points are awarded for informed comment, wit and passion, but taken away for nonsense and answers lacking in conviction. In the f…
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Kate Adie introduces stories from Syria, China, the USA, Greece and Brazil. In the devastated Syrian district of Ghouta, a man calls out from the ruins to our correspondent Lyse Doucet and tells the story of how he is rebuilding his home - and his life - after the fall of the Assad regime. Chinese ambition continues to strive for pole position in t…
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Scott McTominay left a struggling Manchester United to become Serie A’s Most Valuable Player, win the Scudetto for Napoli and be nominated for the Ballon D’Or - all in one year. Was he this good all along? Is he finally getting the respect he always deserved? This episode of Football Daily, hosted by football writer and Copa 90 presenter Eugene Nob…
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Eleanor Oldroyd is alongside Jonathan Agnew and Stephan Shemilt to look ahead to the final Ashes Test at the SCG. They discuss what rides on this final Test with the series already gone and the long-term plan for England's red-ball side. England captain Ben Stokes tells Aggers he's keen to take Ashes revenge in 2027, whilst Aussie captain Steve Smi…
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From record-breaking passenger numbers, to some more record-breaking numbers - courtesy of the Men’s football World Cup. We look forward to what 2026 might have in store for us - numerically of course. Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Charlotte McDonald and Katie SolleveldProduction Co-ordinator: Maria OgundeleSound Mix: Rod FarquharEditor: Richar…
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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned President Trump against interference after he said the US would come to the rescue if protesters were killed. We speak to an Iranian academic supportive of the government and hear from a protestor who wants a return of the country's monarchy that was deposed in 1979. Also on the programme: we hear f…
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Are you planning your summer holiday? The first Saturday in January is called Sunshine Saturday because typically more holidays are booked on that day than on any other in the year. Today, planning a trip might involve consulting AI rather than reading a travel guide or visiting a travel agent. And the trip itself is more likely to involve an airpl…
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Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode look at one of the most beloved screen genres of them all - the courtroom drama. From classics like 12 Angry Men and A Few Good Men, to modern examples such as Saint Omer and Anatomy Of A Fall - what are the tricks and tropes of trials in cinema and TV? Mark speaks to film critic and programmer, Christina Newland, abo…
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Jon Kay on The French actor Brigitte Bardot who starred in over 40 films in the 1950s and 60s before a career-change saw her give up the big screen to campaign for animal welfare Sir Alec Reed who founded the UKs most successful recruitment agency and, through his philanthropy, raised millions for charity Alwyn Crawshaw, the artist who encouraged m…
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Enjoy a classic story in English and learn 9 uses of ‘see’ - in 5 minutes. FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus LIKE PODCASTS?Try some of our other popular podcasts including:✔️ 6 Minute English✔️ Learning English from the News✔️ Learning…
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One winter morning, listener Jane opened her curtains to find her car roof covered in breathtaking, fern-like frost so intricate it looked like a William Morris print. But how does something as ordinary as ice create patterns so beautifully complex? Hannah and Dara explore this crunchy, slippery, delicately patterned branch of chemistry to uncover …
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It’s been 12 years since social worker Cassie discovered a mysterious mould in her home, invisible to almost everyone except her. Now the fungus has spread - its glowing spores a major global health threat, infecting the brains of those who inhale them. But many refuse to take seriously a menace they cannot see. When spores erupt at a care home in …
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Swiss authorities say about forty people are known to have died in a fire that ripped through a bar packed with young people celebrating the New Year in the ski resort of Crans-Montana. At least 115 were injured - many with severe burns. We speak to a doctor who's treated many of the victims, and one of the UK's leading fire safety experts. Also on…
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Aaron Paul and guests discuss the departure of Enzo Maresca from his role as head coach of Chelsea. BBC Sport's Chelsea reporter Nizaar Kinsella offers insight into the story, with former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin weighing in as well. We hear from Chelsea fans Tom Overend and Anita Abayomi, plus Chris Sutton and Dion Dublin join the pod to discuss t…
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Officials in Switzerland say around 40 people have been killed, after a fire broke out in a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana. 115 people were injured; many of them are being treated in specialist burns and respiratory units across the country. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, but the region's chief prosecutor said ther…
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It's New Year's day, so Armando and Stewart are dipping into the very real, physical listener's mailbag. In an loose and end-of-term episode, with some adult humour, we talk about the misuse of the phrase 'bad apples', Stewart thanks Armando for his leadership, and are treated to unexpected, slightly fruity, film reviews of 'Who Dares Wins' and 'Ca…
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Are we becoming a divided society? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary. Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at:https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260101 The Listening Room - improve your listening skills here:✔️https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningeng…
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As it’s Christmas, Producer Matt has chosen his favourite questions Martin has challenged Adrian with on the podcast for this special Martin’s Money Mastermind episode, including questions on: returning faulty tech, gift aid, credit scores, retail gift aid, and direct debits. If you want to ask Martin a question, you now can! His Question Time podc…
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Israel is revoking the licences of 37 aid organisations working in Gaza, saying they failed to meet the requirements of new registration rules. The UK government is among those warning of the humanitarian impact the move could have. One resident of Gaza tells us of her fears. Also on the programme: With drones increasingly lighting up the skies at …
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As Scottish indie pop legends Belle & Sebastian prepare to celebrate 30 years of musicmaking, they look back at what got them here. Plus they help ring in the new year with a Rabbie Burns classic. Jamaica’s former Poet Laureate Lorna Goodison reflects on her recent residency at Ellisland Farmhouse, where Robert Burns wrote Auld Lang Syne. Award-win…
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Queen Camilla has praised the courage of BBC racing commentator John Hunt and his family - after his wife, Carol, and two daughters, Louise and Hannah, were killed by Louise's ex-partner. Israel's ban on almost 40 aid agencies working in Gaza and the West Bank is described as "unacceptable" by countries including the UK. The Israelis say the organi…
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In the final episode of the series India looks into love. From an exploration into the oxytocin driving the parent infant bond to the pressures of unconditional love and the importance of receiving love on a child’s development, this is the story of a big, beautiful, often pressurised emotion. Presenter: India RakusenProducer: Charlotte Evans-Young…
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From pharaohs' tombs in Ancient Egypt and medieval currency, to priceless royal jewellery and Spandau Ballet songs - gold has been prized for millennia. But it's only really in the last century or so that we've started uncovering its usefulness in less decorative applications. Today, gold is used in masses of electricals; it's also revolutionised p…
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Neil and Pippa look at some of the biggest headlines from the year. Learn about this story and some useful vocabulary from the headlines. Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/251231 Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room: ✔️ ht…
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From the number of women in space and transistors on a chip to social media usage -we’re taking a look back the key numerical moments of 2025. We explore the woes of a big infrastructure projects. Plus, just how can you make sure your New Year’s Resolutions are successful? We’ve got statistics to help. Presenter: Tim HarfordReporter: Lizzy McNeilPr…
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