Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2025-11-26T16:19:40.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Rum Punch's Travis Jay: "I've got a right to grab the attention of someone who's like me"
items: BBC Radio Christmas 2025 line-up confirmed – with Hollywood legend set as guest editor for the Today programme
items: Rick Edwards reveals why fatherhood has changed his presenting work for ever - and talks his modelling past
items: Caroline Wyatt gets candid about life with MS - and why she thinks the BBC will endure
items: BBC Radio 2 host Sara Cox details key differences between her radio and podcasting work
items: BBC launches three new radio stations: "It's all about the audience"
items: Jeremy Dyson shares "pure joy" of reuniting The League of Gentlemen stars for brand new project
items: BBC Radio 1 confirms Love Island: Aftersun favourite and more fresh faces to join presenting line-up
items: The Archers star reveals how Game of Thrones role left him with “agony”
items: The Archers star Lucy Speed reveals her pride in show embracing "important" new BBC initiative
items: All 4 League of Gentlemen legends reunite for all-new BBC comedy-drama
items: Greg James on his Radio 1 future – and meeting childhood hero Michael Palin
items: BBC Shipping Forecast announcer shares advice for Pulp's Jarvis Cocker
items: BBC Radio 2 spin-off and 5 Sports Extra stations rejected as three new stations confirmed to go ahead
items: Unforgotten's Nicola Walker and Blackadder star's paranormal drama is airing again on BBC Radio 4
items: Radio Times Moment of the Year crowned at ARIAs 2025
items: Joanna Lumley, Roger Allam on Conversations from a Long Marriage, bad habits and Desert Island luxuries
items: Elaine Paige says advice from the late Steve Wright gave her confidence to host her own Radio 2 show
items: Café Hope host Rachel Burden: 'Bad news drives clicks – but people still want uplifting stories too'
items: Tony Blackburn on retirement: 'I know people who stopped too early – and didn't last long'
items: BBC Radio 2 legend and Eurovision favourite Colin Berry dies, aged 79
items: Radio 3's Michael Berkeley on the 30th anniversary of Private Passions – and how the format has plenty left to give
items: BBC confirm Pulp will perform world exclusive concert for few lucky fans
items: Cate Blanchett plans to give up acting: 'There are things I want to do with my life'
items: The Archers announces VE Day prequel special in tribute to Peggy Woolley
items: Vote for the Radio Times Moment of the Year at the 2025 Audio and Radio Industry Awards
items: Chris Stark makes emotional return to radio after testicular cancer surgery
items: The Archers icon: 'Wendy Richard and Angela Rippon thought I was the sexiest man in showbusiness'
items: Zoe Ball's return to Radio 2 confirmed as she lands new Saturday show
items: BBC Radio presenter Janice Forsyth quits, announcing Alzheimer's diagnosis

Rum Punch's Travis Jay: "I've got a right to grab the attention of someone who's like me"
type: item
date: 2025-11-27T09:00:02.000Z
creator: Morgan Cormack
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC Radio 4
subject: Exclusive
subject: Interview
subject: Pass the Mic
description: Having cut his teeth in the world of comedy, Travis Jay chats to Pass the Mic about returning to BBC Radio 4 for a full season of award-winning sitcom Rum Punch.
encoded: After the success of his pilot episode of Rum Punch last year, comedian Travis Jay is back for a fully fledged series of his radio sitcom – and it's only set to be the start of something greater, should the stars align for Jay who also has dreams for Rum Punch beyond the airwaves. As we speak before the release of the BBC Radio 4 series and even ahead of the live recording of his second batch of episodes, Jay is admittedly "super excited" for the release of the full season. "I think the response to the pilot was definitely eye opening. It was a real surprise because it's an audience I'm not familiar with, on a platform I'm also not familiar with. While I listen to podcasts, the idea of being on Radio 4 was just like, 'Okay, everybody speaks so positively about this'. It's just something I still didn't know. So, the response has been far bigger than I imagined," he says. And a positive reaction was definitely recieved around Rum Punch's initial episode, with the pilot going on to scoop up the award for Best Comedy Sitcom at BBC's 2025 Audio Drama Awards. Winning that was "something else", Jay beams, with it proving that the positive feedback "is not in my head and it really did connect". "I genuinely didn't know that we'd be in the running for something like that. When you start writing, it's the furthest thing from my mind. Then it's like – bam, nominations are in," he laughs. He continues: "It's my first comedy award, and I've been doing this for 16 years. I'm just grateful the people are enjoying the project. I think it's a powerful story to tell and I think the feeling it leaves is the thing I really aim for. "I'm one of these stand up comics – I do touch on serious things. Previous specials I've done, I've touched on grief, losing my grandfather. It would seem like, how did you make that funny? But I know that there's value in real life and authentic stories. "The comedy will come, I trust my bones to find comedy. But dealing with real subjects is also quite a p…

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BBC Radio Christmas 2025 line-up confirmed – with Hollywood legend set as guest editor for the Today programme
type: item
date: 2025-11-24T12:17:22.000Z
creator: Molly Moss
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC Radio 1
subject: BBC Radio 2
subject: BBC Radio 3
subject: BBC Radio 4
subject: BBC Radio 5 Live
subject: BBC Radio 6 Music
subject: News
description: Six festive guest editors for BBC Radio 4's Today programme have been announced.
encoded: The BBC has unveiled its Christmas 2025 radio line-up, with Cate Blanchett, Baroness Theresa May and acclaimed historian Tom Holland among the celebrities set to guest edit BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this festive season. They will be joined by broadcaster Melvyn Bragg, inventor Sir James Dyson and AI entrepreneur Mustafa Suleyman, and each be curating an episode between 24th December and 31st December. The festive takeover kicks off on Christmas Eve, with a special guest edit from Bragg, where he will be exploring the origins of the nativity story. Dyson will use his episode on Boxing Day to explore how Britain can get its inventive streak back, while Blanchett’s guest edit, which will broadcast on 27th December, will examine a range of topics including the impact of AI technology on women in the film industry and beyond. Suleyman’s guest edit on 29th December will ask how we can navigate the realities of a post-superintelligence world. Holland will edit the programme on 30th December, hosting an early celebration for England’s 1100th birthday and examining the impact of AI on academic research. Finally, May will explore the themes of domestic violence, trust in politics and modern slavery in her guest edit on 31st December. Owenna Griffiths, Editor of the Today programme, said: "Every Christmas on Today, a new set of guest editors take up residence and bring with them a wonderful range of new stories, fresh ideas and, hopefully, a sprinkling of joy." She continued: "This year is no exception. In a rapidly changing world, this year's guest editors will help bring illumination and understanding and I'm enormously grateful to all of them for giving up the time to take part." Elsewhere on the BBC radio Christmas line-up, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly is set to make her Radio 2 debut. Kelly is set to take over Jeremy Vine’s slot during the festive period, while the station will also host a Jane McDonald special and a celebration of the music of Stevie Wonder presented …

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Rick Edwards reveals why fatherhood has changed his presenting work for ever - and talks his modelling past
type: item
date: 2025-10-28T00:01:44.000Z
creator: Gareth McLean
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: The 5 Live DJ on the joys of fatherhood, the downside of modelling — and crying on air.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. What’s the view from your sofa? It’s a fireplace that I think I like, but I’m not completely sure about. It’s very ornate, with a wooden surround that incorporates a mirror above it. It probably dates from, and hasn’t been changed since, the 1920s. Then there’s the TV, which is small and probably temporary, and keeps tilting backwards because I mounted the little feet on it badly. Sounds like you need a TV upgrade! We left the TV that we loved in our old house because it was wall-mounted, was perfect in the space and it felt like a nice thing to do, to leave it for the next people. My wife Emer [Kenny, Karen Pirie writer and actor] and I really regret that now. You began your career as a model — when did you realise you’re handsome? I was a cute kid, I think, and then, from 10 to 16, which is the worst age for this to be the case, I was not a good-looking boy. At all. I wonder if, in those formative years, it was character-building. Then, around 17 or 18, the proportions of my face sort of settled down, and from that point, it’s been fine. It’s weird to go from being not-good-looking to, a couple of years later, getting scouted for modelling work. I did it when I was at university and just after. That was odd. I didn’t like it one bit. Aside from the models, who seemed fine, it’s an industry of a lot of not very nice people. I found it a bit grubby. What’s the best TV programme you’ve watched recently? Your Friends & Neighbours on Apple TV starring Jon Hamm. He’s great – the whole cast is good – and it has some quite interesting things to say about family. As a fairly new father, with anything that says anything at all about family and fatherhood, I am quite likely to cry. How do you juggle family life and, among other things, 5 Live Breakfast? It’s tricky, because both Emer and I work and I’m very conscious of ensuring that she still has all the time she needs to work. Trying to dovetail it all together is a comp…

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Caroline Wyatt gets candid about life with MS - and why she thinks the BBC will endure
type: item
date: 2025-10-06T23:01:18.000Z
creator: Terry Payne
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis disrupted BBC correspondent Caroline Wyatt’s career. But 10 years on she’s unbeaten and still broadcasting.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Caroline Wyatt uses the word “luck” a lot. Lucky to have started out in journalism at a time when the world seemed to be changing for the better. Lucky to still be broadcasting, even though it leaves her exhausted and bed-bound. And, yes, lucky to have only been struck down by what she describes as a “gentler” version of the chronic illness multiple sclerosis. “Some people get it very aggressively from the beginning, so yes, I have been so lucky with the way that my MS has developed.” She’s sunny and speaks with no hint of self-pity, even though she acknowledges, with almost a newsreader’s detachment, that her condition is deteriorating. “I am slowly getting worse and I have got to the stage where I’ve had all the drugs I’m eligible for with the NHS. The thing that I really notice now is the way my brain is changing. I can’t focus and concentrate as much… it’s like accelerated ageing.” She also has to contend with crushing fatigue. “You wake up in the morning feeling as if you haven’t been to bed. And the older I get [she’s 58], the worse it gets.” We last met 10 years ago in her central London flat, where she spoke for the first time about the hospital results confirming she had MS. Today, as that diagnostic anniversary approaches, we’re at the BBC’s HQ, from where she broadcasts a 30-minute version of Radio 4’s PM programme every Saturday. She laughs – as she does frequently – about the support she needs from colleagues in getting the programme on air. “My eyesight is really quite unreliable now, so if I’m nervous or have a lot of adrenaline in my system I find it really hard to read words on a screen. I ask the team to print out a script in big letters, which these days is the equivalent of saying I’m a dinosaur, but it just makes it a lot easier.” Today is also the day that Donald Trump is in town and the world’s broadcast media are in tow. Considering she was the BBC’s woman in Berlin not long after the reuni…

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BBC Radio 2 host Sara Cox details key differences between her radio and podcasting work
type: item
date: 2025-10-03T09:42:10.000Z
creator: Katelyn Mensah
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: Sarah Cox spoke exclusively to RadioTimes.com about her podcast and radio career.
encoded: Sara Cox has been a mainstay on the audio waves for years, having hosted BBC Radio 2's drivetime show since 2019, and she's showing no signs of slowing down! Alongside her radio show, she also hosts The Teen Commandments, a podcast in which she and best friend Clare Hamilton reminisce and commiserate as they attempt to write the 'commandments' of modern teenagedom. Because after all, the best teen advice comes from those who have already been through it. While the outputs of her radio show and podcast are different, there is so much more that differs between the shows that listeners may not realise. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com at the British Podcast Awards 2025, Cox said: "The difference is that on the radio I've got everyone at the table, so I've got four year olds and teenagers and everything from sort of seven hours old to 107 listen to Radio 2, and I love that about it that you're just speaking to everybody at the table. "But I feel like with podcasting you do have that little bit more freedom to be a little bit wild. And it's exactly like how me and Clare speak to each other in real life, and to have that freedom is really refreshing and quite exciting." Hamilton and Cox launched the podcast back in February and have been having a blast ever since. "Getting to work together with your best mate is the dream," Hamilton told RadioTimes.com. "It's not like work, we forget the microphones are there and we just have a real giggle!" Cox added: "I've got loads of lovely jobs and I've been doing this for nearly 30 years now but without doubt this, creatively, and the heart of it is really the most satisfying thing I've done for a while. "It's just so different to have so much control. And podcasting is so different from radio or any kind of broadcasting that I've done before so I feel like it's really special. "You feel like your listeners are a community that comes together." Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Gu…

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BBC launches three new radio stations: "It's all about the audience"
type: item
date: 2025-09-11T23:01:33.000Z
creator: David Crawford
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC Radio 1
subject: BBC Radio 3
subject: News
description: The Radio 1 and Radio 3 spin-offs were approved while Radio 2 and 5 Sports Extra proposals were dismissed.
encoded: Twenty-three years since it last launched new national radio stations – BBC 6 Music, 1Xtra and Asian Network – the BBC has three starting on the same day. Previously available since November 2024 as live streams on BBC Sounds, Radio 1 Anthems, Radio 1 Dance (which has been on Sounds since 2020) and Radio 3 Unwind passed full competition assessments undertaken by the industry’s regulatory body Ofcom in July of this year and will start broadcasting on DAB+ on Friday 12 September. The three stations were part of wider proposals from the BBC, which also included the launch of a Radio 2 spin-off and the extension of the broadcasting hours of 5 Sports Extra. Both the Radio 2 spin-off and the extension of 5 Sports Extra were refused by Ofcom for the negative impact it was deemed they would have on commercial competitors. Sam Jackson, the controller of Radio 3, says that while he couldn’t be certain that Unwind would get approval, “I wasn't surprised, because I think we made a very, very strong case. I was very proud of the submission that we made, I felt we did a good job of arguing why this was distinctive and why it would be welcomed.” He points out that around 8,000 different pieces of music will be played on Unwind each year, from a broad repertoire but with a focus on recordings from the past 10 years – even of Baroque or classical pieces – and a mission to introduce new contemporary works, including from performers or composers who aren’t signed to record labels. Radio 1 controller Aled Haydn Jones is similarly robust in his defence of why we need two new stations: “It’s all about the audience. Ofcom has pointed out that the BBC needs to be doing better with young audiences. Having services for young people is a public service. Radio 1 is the biggest radio station for youth audiences in the UK, so having stations with the Radio 1 brand offering more is a pretty special thing.” Both men are keen to stress the differences between what their stations are offering and wh…

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Jeremy Dyson shares "pure joy" of reuniting The League of Gentlemen stars for brand new project
type: item
date: 2025-09-09T06:01:38.000Z
creator: Caroline Frost
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: The cast of The League of Gentlemen team up again in a new radio comedy drama written by Jeremy Dyson.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. There is a picture on the wall of Jeremy Dyson’s office, and he is gazing at it as we speak: “It’s the four of us riding the log flume at Blackpool Pleasure Beach after the end of our first big tour. We’re all screaming with joy, and it sums up the miracle of the journey – an absolute thrill-ride that we went on together.” Now, 24 years on, the quartet – Dyson and fellow The League of Gentlemen stars Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton and Mark Gatiss – is reuniting for High Cockalorum, a gentle Radio 4 comedy drama penned by Dyson and inspired by his uncle’s brush with stardom. Commissioned as part of the BBC’s Contains Strong Language festival (there’s a live playout and Q&A at St George’s Hall, Bradford, on 20 September), Dyson describes the 1978-set story as “a mini road movie about an encounter between a humble lad from West Yorkshire and a Hollywood film star”. In real life, Dyson’s uncle worked for a record label, where he was occasionally called on to look after actors working on soundtrack albums – which is how he once came to spend time with James Mason, star of such films as A Star Is Born and Lolita. Dyson says: “When I told Mark this story, he joked, ‘You write it, I’ll play it.’ Eighteen months later, here we are.” As well as the charm of two very different people brought together by circumstance, High Cockalorum explores how fame can change people. It’s a subject Dyson has long had opportunity to witness first hand, as he and his League friends reached dizzying heights after winning the prestigious Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1997. Unlike the other three, Dyson has opted to stay mostly behind the camera, giving him what he says is “the best of both worlds”. On the pros and cons of the instantly recognisable celebrity experienced by his colleagues, Dyson muses: “The inconveniences strike me more. You get hassled everywhere and there’s not much upside to that. I don’t feel deprived.”…

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BBC Radio 1 confirms Love Island: Aftersun favourite and more fresh faces to join presenting line-up
type: item
date: 2025-08-27T13:28:49.000Z
creator: Katelyn Mensah
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC Radio 1
subject: News
description: The presenting line-up is expanding this autumn.
encoded: BBC Radio 1 has announced a dazzling new line-up of presenters joining the Friday Early Breakfast monthly rotation and the station's Life Hacks this autumn. Beth Wallace, Jack Remmington and Ash Holme have been confirmed as the next wave of presenters set to host Fridays 5am - 7am. Wallace, who has been part of the Radio 1 family since last Christmas, will kick off the rotation in September. She also presents a show on the Scottish-based local Forth 1 and was nominated for Best New Presenter at the 2025 ARIAS. "I'm absolutely buzzing to be part of the Radio 1 team for the next few weeks," said Wallace. "Radio 1 is a station I’ve always adored and it’s gonna be an absolute pleasure to kick start Fridays, get folk in the weekend mood early. Laughs, good vibes and fun times coming your way." Presenting duo Jack Remmington and Ash Holme will be taking the October slot, with both of them known for their hilarious videos on social media. Holme has built a following of over two million on social media, and was part of this year's Love Island: Aftersun panel. Remmington is known for his pop culture commentary and hosting red carpets, as well as his work on the podcast Famously... In Love. The duo said: "We're sooo excited to be back at BBC Radio 1 and this time soundtracking your Fridays through October - tune in to liven up your mornings and enjoy the energy and chaos we’re bringing your way." And while Shanequa Paris is on maternity leave, Charley Marlowe and Lina Nielsen will join Lauren Layfield to co-host Radio 1's Life Hacks, with Marlowe taking over in September and Nielsen in October. The pair will also co-host The Official Chart: First Look alongside Lauren Layfield. Nielsen said: "I’m thrilled to have this opportunity with Radio 1 and the Life Hacks team. Having been a guest on the show before the Olympics, I’ve always loved catching up with them live on air. Now, I can’t wait to join as a co-host throughout October." Aled Haydn Jones, Head of Radio 1, commented o…

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The Archers star reveals how Game of Thrones role left him with “agony”
type: item
date: 2025-08-11T23:01:55.000Z
creator: Catherine Pepinster
subject: Fantasy
subject: Radio
subject: TV
subject: audio
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Actor Rupert Vansittart, who plays The Archers’ latest bounder, has form.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. You know summer’s really here when you’re sitting on the boundary watching a cricket match,” said Usha, solicitor and wife of Alan, the local vicar, in a recent episode of The Archers. “Freshly mown grass, the players in their cricket whites...” The recorded thwack of willow on leather conjured a timeless English idyll. Except, being The Archers, village cricket is more often the inspiration for a strong plotline. The latest involves Lawrence Harrington, chair of the rival Roserran Cricket Club, who first appeared when Lynda Snell, chair of the Ambridge Cricket Club, asked his advice after the team rose up the league. He promptly made a pass at her, undeterred by the fact she is happily married, and horrified her with snide, implicitly racist remarks about her friends the Maliks, the newly arrived Muslim family. Now the cricket season is in full swing, Lawrence is back. And if his distinctive voice is familiar, it’s because he’s played by Rupert Vansittart, regularly called on to play a not very nice toff. His notable roles include Lord Ashfordly in Heartbeat, MI5 boss Sir Alec Myerson in the final two series of Foyle’s War, and Lord Yohn Royce in Game of Thrones. “You don’t think of me if you want a drug dealer in Newcastle,” he says, entirely pragmatic. “If people want me to play a man in a tweed suit throwing a tenant out of their cottage, well, why not? It’s only acting.” And while there are pleasures to be had in TV drama – “I spent my time as Lord Ashfordly driving around gorgeous settings in Yorkshire in a Rolls-Royce” – there are downsides to TV roles, such as having to wear historic costumes. “With Game of Thrones, I tried to make the costume halfway comfortable with huge foam pads under my shoulders – the breastplate was agony.” But there are other reasons why he’s enjoying The Archers. “Radio is you and the script. It’s elegant and straightforward, and you’re not being watched,” he says. “And I knew a l…

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The Archers star Lucy Speed reveals her pride in show embracing "important" new BBC initiative
type: item
date: 2025-08-07T08:52:05.000Z
creator: David Crawford
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: "As someone who plays a farm manager, I really want our content and storylines to be as real as possible so that they honour the legacy of farming at the heart of the show."
encoded: On Thursday 7 August, BBC Farmwatch will see farmers taking over the airwaves, broadcasting for 24 hours nonstop across local radio, BBC Sounds and BBC News. As the initiative offering a comprehensive look at the daily realities of modern farming returns for a second year, with an emphasis on discussing some of the most pressing issues currently facing the industry. Stories to be featured include a 25-year-old farmer in Herefordshire who unexpectedly took over the family farm at 17 – leaving her in charge of a 200-acre site, with more than 1500 sheep and cattle; investigating the financial and emotional cost of farm fires in the East and West Midlands; meeting a fifth-generation wool farmer in County Durham; and 12 hours of outside broadcasting from a mixed farm in Somerset which makes its own gelato. There will also be a live broadcast from a combine harvester — with a so-called “Combine-Cam” — showing a field being harvested and allowing viewers to ask questions directly to farmers while they’re working. Harriet Cowan, the popular farmhand from Clarkson’s Farm, and Mike Wilkins, the fourth-generation Wiltshire farmer who starred in last year’s Great British Bake Off, will be presenting a live programme on every BBC Local Radio station across England. Yet, anything on BBC radio linked to farms and farming has to pay a visit to the nation’s most famous farmers in Ambridge, with The Archers on BBC Radio 4 featuring a special BBC Farmwatch storyline in which some of the Ambridge residents tune into their local radio station and are inspired by what they hear. Talking to Radio Times about the initiative, The Archers actor Lucy Speed said, “Farmwatch is a brilliant BBC Local Radio initiative that shines a light on the real stories behind British farming, and it’s something I’m proud to see reflected in The Archers.“ Her character, Stella Pryor, has been at the heart of a recent story that explores the conflict between environmental initiatives such as rewilding and farm…

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All 4 League of Gentlemen legends reunite for all-new BBC comedy-drama
type: item
date: 2025-07-28T15:51:41.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: News
description: The gang is back together for a special coming to Radio 4.
encoded: The cast of cult favourite BBC comedy The League of Gentlemen are reuniting for an audio drama due to be broadcast next month, with a Bradford-based listening session and Q&A marking the launch. High Cockalorum is written by Jeremy Dyson, and features the voices of Mark Gatiss, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, all of whom previously collaborated on the darkly comic The League of Gentlemen. The audio drama takes place in West Yorkshire in 1978 and revolves around a "touching, funny and unlikely encounter between a Hollywood superstar and a humble lad from Leeds thrown together by circumstance". The synopsis reveals that the story is inspired by true events and serves as "a meditation on fame, success and what ultimately matters". It will be broadcast at 2:15pm on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday 18th September 2025. The BBC shared an image of Dyson, Gatiss, Shearsmith and Pemberton back together for High Cockalorum (see below) – joined by Monica Dolan, who co-stars in the audio drama alongside Goldie Crane. Dolan previously worked with Shearsmith and Pemberton on an episode of their anthology series Inside No. 9, while she's also earned acclaim for turns in Mr Bates vs The Post Office, A Very English Scandal and The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe. Fans of the creatives behind High Cockalorum may want to consider attending the BBC's Contains Strong Language Festival – an event showcasing poetry, performance and spoken word – where the audio drama will be played. The BBC has confirmed both a public listening session and a Q&A to be included on the festival timetable, although it has not yet announced which creatives will be participating in the latter. You can find more details on the Contains Strong Language Festival on the BBC and Bradford City of Culture websites. The event will be held from 18th-21st September in the West Yorkshire city. High Cockalorum will be broadcast at 2:15pm on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday 18th September 2025. Check out more of our Audio coverage or vi…

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Greg James on his Radio 1 future – and meeting childhood hero Michael Palin
type: item
date: 2025-07-14T23:01:57.000Z
creator: David Crawford
subject: Radio
subject: audio
subject: BBC
subject: BBC Radio 1
subject: BBC Radio 4
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: From shows on Radio 1 and Radio 4 via podcasts, Greg James continues to add to his CV — but who inspired all that enthusiasm and curiosity?
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Perched on a deckchair outside Sheffield City Hall, Greg James is enthusing about having just been on stage with his childhood hero and favourite son of the city, Michael Palin. “Michael massively inspired me. I must have been about eight or nine when I watched Around the World in 80 Days, and I just saw him as this wonderful travel presenter, but then I went on this voyage of discovery and realised this very funny man was also part of the greatest comedy group of all time, and a scriptwriter, an actor, a director and an author.” The pair were recording a live episode of James’s Radio 4 series, Rewinder, at the Crossed Wires podcast festival, which featured a trove of archive clips linked to the former Python’s life and career – from his first screen performance in a saucy Ken Dodd sketch to his old geography teacher reminiscing about Palin’s school days. The previous evening James hosted another show at the festival, Nobody Expects the Michael Palin Podcast, in which ostensibly he tried to persuade Palin – surely one of the few famous people not to have a podcast – that he needs one. “One thing I love about him is that he is endlessly curious – he loves meeting new people, experiencing new things and finding out about stuff, and I think finding out about podcasts is an extension of everything else that he does.” But the podcast wheeze was really a red herring: “It was an excuse to interview him about his life in Sheffield. That was the magic.” An endless curiosity is perhaps something that could also be attributed to the 39-year-old Radio 1 Breakfast presenter, Radio 4 archivist, Tailenders cricket podcast host, children’s author and, from this year, creative director of Crossed Wires. When asked where that drive comes from, he returns to the influence of Michael Palin, “He approaches everything he does with such enthusiasm and genuine passion – I try to do that as well. You need role models and I don’t think the…

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BBC Shipping Forecast announcer shares advice for Pulp's Jarvis Cocker
type: item
date: 2025-07-07T12:00:00.000Z
creator: David Crawford
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: Interview
description: The singer recorded a forecast for a live show at Crossed Wires Podcast Festival in Sheffield, but it seems it wasn't perfect.
encoded: Two days before his band’s “surprise” appearance at Glastonbury, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker recorded a special version of the Shipping Forecast, to mark the 100th anniversary of the BBC Radio 4 mainstay. Cocker’s version was played out to the audience at a live show on Friday 4th July – the exact day of the 100th anniversary – at the Crossed Wires Podcast Festival in Sheffield, including two discerning pairs of ears, Shipping Forecast regular presenters Lisa Costello and Viji Alles, who weren’t slow to review Cocker’s efforts. Costello was taken with the timbre of the Pulp frontman (and erstwhile radio broadcaster on 6 Music and Radio 4’s Wireless Nights), saying: “You can just swim in that voice!” Alles however, had his reservations about Cocker’s slow and low delivery: “He needs to work on the pacing. You do need to get the whole forecast out in 11 minutes.” Cocker said that reading “The Ships” as it’s known at Radio 4 “might be one of the best moments of my life”. He admitted that, like many, he used to listen while going to sleep, citing that “the repetitive nature” and “the soothing nature of the person who reads it” helped him to drop off. Costello and Alles later read out a very localised version of the bulletin that referenced Sheffield areas and beloved institutions, including the now defunct Coles department store in which the event was held. Talking to Radio Times backstage after the event, Costello and Alles reiterated how important timing is to the one Radio 4 programme that remains a fixed point in the schedule – most famously during the Fifth 2011 Ashes Test match in which, with England on the verge of a famous victory, Test Match Special on LW was interrupted by the Shipping Forecast. Frantic cricket fans returned to the match only to hear that the final Australian wicket had fallen and England had won Down Under for the first time in a quarter of a century – a historic event that had happened while Radio 4 was bringing us the latest maritime weathe…

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BBC Radio 2 spin-off and 5 Sports Extra stations rejected as three new stations confirmed to go ahead
type: item
date: 2025-07-02T11:51:50.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC
subject: News
description: Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1 Anthems and Radio 3 Unwind have all been approved.
encoded: Ofcom has made a ruling after the BBC proposed launching four new DAB+ radio stations last year - and there is both good news and bad news for the broadcaster. The BBC had proposed launching Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1 Anthems, a Radio 2 spin-off channel, and Radio 3 Unwind, as well as expanding the broadcasting hours of Radio 5 Sports Extra. The BBC and Ofcom are required to consider the effects on competition of material changes to its TV, radio and online public services, so Ofcom carried out full Competition Assessments, examining whether the public value justified the likely impact on fair and effective competition. The regulator has now determined that the BBC can proceed with plans for the Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1 Anthems and Radio 3 Unwind stations, but not its proposals for the BBC Radio 2 spin-off or the expansion of Radio 5 Sports Extra's hours. Ofcom stated that the new stations which have been approved would have "limited impact on fair and effective competition," which would be justified by the public value of the proposals. These will be covered by existing operating licence conditions. However, the Radio 2 extension, which would broadcast music and archive content from the '50s, '60s and '70s, was deemed to not have enough public value to outweigh the potential to reduce investment incentives for commercial radio operators. Read more: Disney+ confirms Miley Cyrus visual companion to her new album Something Beautiful Lewis Capaldi on course for Number 1 single after Glastonbury 2025 performance A similar judgement was made regarding the expansion of Radio 5 Sports Extra's hours, a proposal which Ofcom said would have a significant impact, particularly on the talkSPORT network. A BBC spokesperson said: "We are pleased that Ofcom has approved Radio 1 Anthems, Radio 1 Dance and Radio 3 Unwind. The extensions with their brilliant programming have already proved popular on BBC Sounds and will now reach even more listeners on DAB+. "However, we are disappointed th…

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Unforgotten's Nicola Walker and Blackadder star's paranormal drama is airing again on BBC Radio 4
type: item
date: 2025-05-31T10:16:43.000Z
creator: Minnie Wright
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: TV
subject: BBC Radio 4
subject: News
description: The audio drama comes from Doctor Who director Julian Simpson.
encoded: Unforgotten favourite Nicola Walker stars alongside Blackadder and Notting Hill actor Tim McInnerny in three-part sardonically humorous paranormal audio drama Mythos. It's written and director by Julian Simpson, whose credits include episodes of Doctor Who as well as BBC Radio 4's The Lovecraft Investigations. Mythos is described as a series that looks at British folklore through a quasi-scientific prism. It centres on a secretive government agency which investigates supernatural and otherworldly threats. Walker stars as the ghost of a nun, while McInnerny plays her boss. In the first episode, her character searches for a spell book in a remote village. Mythos also stars Wicked and Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey, as well as Van der Valk's Emma Fielding and Underworld actor Steven Mackintosh. It was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 back in 2017 but the 45-minute first episode, titled Mythos, will be airing again on the station tomorrow, Sunday 1st June, at 4pm. The second episode, Glamis, airs the following Sunday (8th June) at the same time and the third, Albion, is broadcast a week later at 4pm on Sunday 15th June. Mythos starts Sunday 1st June at 4pm on BBC Radio 4.

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Radio Times Moment of the Year crowned at ARIAs 2025
type: item
date: 2025-05-14T20:00:52.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: News
description: Did your favourite win?
encoded: The biggest night in radio has just wrapped up for another year, with the great and the good from the airwaves picking up awards at the 2025 ARIAs. Radio Times proudly hosted one award – Moment of the Year – and the winner was announced after 7,000 public votes. The award went to... Coldplay go Orange for Luton – BBC Three Counties Radio. Radio 1's Big Weekend was held in Luton last year, with Coldplay as the headliners, but Luton Town FC fans wondered if they would change their bestselling single Yellow as their rivals Watford FC are synonymous with the colour. A bit of tongue-in-cheek banter turned into a shock event when Coldplay announced they'd written a new song called Orange, dedicated to Luton Town. Host Justin Dealey previously explained: "It just all happened organically. Greg James was going to be introducing Coldplay on stage and got a message to Chris Martin. "I’m always banging on about how Luton gets bad press. The people of Luton deserved that moment, because they’ve been kicked for years, and here was a huge festival coming to their town off the back of the Premier League success." The full list of nominees for the category was as follows: A listener unexpectedly calls Cristo Foufas’ final show to thank him for saving his life – TALK BBC Radio 4’s Today: Mishal Husain and James Cleverly – BBC News Coldplay go Orange for Luton – BBC Three Counties Radio - WINNER Dan Noble speaks out about the far-right riots across the UK – Absolute Radio Frank off the Radio – The Frank Skinner Project, Avalon ‘I want my mum to die’ – Stuart George on BBC Radio Stoke Johnnie Walker’s final show on Sounds of the 70’s – Listen for BBC Radio 2 Marjorie Taylor Greene blames media for Trump assassination attempt – Times Radio Radio 4’s PM - Laura Trott interview – BBC Radio 4 Sunday Love Songs remembering Steve Wright – BBC Radio 2 The star-studded event took place on Wednesday 14th May at ODEON Luxe, Leicester Square. Read more Radio news and features: Radio 3's Michael …

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Joanna Lumley, Roger Allam on Conversations from a Long Marriage, bad habits and Desert Island luxuries
type: item
date: 2025-05-12T23:01:51.000Z
creator: Anna Jones
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Lumley and Allam are back to star in the sixth season of the radio series from Jan Etherington.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. What would you say is the secret to a long marriage? Roger: "Probably a sense of humour. Laughing and giving each other room to be elsewhere and do things on your own or with other people, not having to be together all the time." Joanna: "A sense of humour helps navigate life full-stop. But complementary personalities can be a symbiotic yin and yang in a marriage." What is your best trait? Roger: "It’s a form of torture answering this! What is my best trait? Probably my self-delusion that I look like Cary Grant, but my bad eyesight means I don’t notice that I don’t." Joanna: "He’s a sensational actor, with one of the best voices you could hear and he’s heaven to work with." Roger: "Joanna has so many good traits. Perhaps her unfailing courtesy to everyone she meets – and also her interest and curiosity about the world." What is your worst trait? Roger: "I can be bad-tempered sometimes. My worst trait is getting irritable when being interviewed about things!" Joanna: "I seem to be a bit of a butterfly who flits from one thing to the next." Roger: "Joanna’s worst trait? No idea. There’s not a list. It seems to me she undervalues her great skill as an actor." How would you deal with a serious betrayal of trust? Roger: "I don’t know. It would depend. I mean, the presence of this son, it’s not something that he’s kept hidden from her – it’s a huge surprise and shock for him as well. There’s huge anxiety on both sides about destabilising what is a long and happy marriage. If it was something really treacherous, if he’d known about the son but kept it secret, then I think it would be completely justified for her to walk out. I wouldn’t like to say if Joanna is like this in real life." Joanna: "I think he’s more trustworthy than she is – she’s definitely more economical with the truth. But I don’t think either of [our characters] has ever done anything particularly bad – there’s been no infidelity, I am sure of it. She sa…

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Elaine Paige says advice from the late Steve Wright gave her confidence to host her own Radio 2 show
type: item
date: 2025-04-28T23:01:15.000Z
creator: Richard Barber
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC Radio 2
subject: Magazine
description: "Who could have imagined that I'd have had this life?"
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. When, in 2004, Elaine Paige was first offered the opportunity to host her own Radio 2 show celebrating musical theatre, she turned to her manager and asked: "Who shall I be?" The answer, of course, was herself. Up until that point, she had willingly immersed herself in any part she was playing. "I lacked self-confidence, which may sound strange for someone who'd been in the public eye for so long. But it was always as someone else. It’s via radio that I discovered who I really was. Until then, without a character, I’d always felt a bit lost." The First Lady of West End Musicals (a moniker first coined by Tim Rice) had found her true voice. Broadcaster Angela Rippon is a great friend. "She had a radio show when I started mine. I told her I wasn’t sure what I was meant to do. She told me not to worry: 'Just think of it', she said, 'as if you were sitting across the kitchen table having a chat with a friend over a cup of tea'. That's what I still try to do." There was advice, too, from Steve Wright – "God rest his soul" – who had a studio one down from where Paige broadcast. "We’d meet at the coffee machine and he’d say to me: 'We don't need to hear you at the back of the stalls, love!' That may sound harsh but he was right. What he was saying was that I could make it more conversational. In the theatre, and particularly musical theatre, everything’s larger than life – big, broad strokes. Radio, on the other hand, is a much more intimate medium." After 21 years on air, there’s no doubting her hard-won confidence and its effect on the devoted audience of her popular show. Paige’s success lies in her warmth, her anecdotes, that distinctive laugh – somewhere between a giggle and a gurgle – endearing her to her listeners. But it also has something to do with the show’s content. Why does she think musicals are enjoying such a golden hour? "Escapism. Look at the world we’re living in. I think people want to be transported …

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Café Hope host Rachel Burden: 'Bad news drives clicks – but people still want uplifting stories too'
type: item
date: 2025-04-22T10:11:27.000Z
creator: Bill Borrows
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC Radio 4
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: The BBC Radio 4 show is a virtual coffee shop, where guests pop in for a brew and a chat to tell us what they're doing to make the world a better place.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. "April Fools' Day is cancelled this year because no made-up prank could match [what's] going on in the world right now." You probably saw the meme last month and, rather than laugh, just silently acknowledged the sad truth at the heart of it. Conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, the re-election of a man to the top job in the White House that comedian John Mulaney famously compared to a horse being allowed into a hospital, followed shortly by $1 trillion wiped off the stock market amid a seemingly random tariff war certainly make the world look like an unfunny joke. And these are just some of the events Rachel Burden could be talking about when she says, "Anyone who works in news media these days, whether that’s radio, digital or TV, is aware that there's only so much that an audience can take." In a fine case of nominative determinism, the Radio 5 Live weekday breakfast show presenter has frequently found herself breaking bad news to the nation as it has woken up over the last 14 years. She feels the despair. "People are turning off the news because it's overwhelming. They feel they’ve no agency and are curating their own universe in terms of the media they consume." For all the reasons above, that may well now include Café Hope, a Radio 4 show she has also been hosting since last year. In keeping with a slew of recent books such as Utopia for Realists and Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong about the World – and Why Things Are Better than You Think and other initiatives like The Uplift on the CBS News app, Radio 4 "wanted to do something around finding a bit of hope and optimism in a very dark world", explains Burden. "I jumped at the chance to be involved because it’s just so different to what I do every day." Although she is careful to stress that, alongside the rolling news, her 5 Live show also tries to make “the audience smile or give them opportunities to feel hopeful”, the format for Café Hope revolve…

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Tony Blackburn on retirement: 'I know people who stopped too early – and didn't last long'
type: item
date: 2025-04-17T14:30:53.000Z
creator: Simon O'Hagan
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: Magazine
description: "I was definitely more a Beatles person."
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Tony Blackburn can’t be certain what he was doing on the night of Saturday 2 February 1963, but he reckons he'd have spent it as a member of a dance band performing at the Pavilion Ballrooms in Bournemouth. Then aged 20, the now legendary DJ was a singer and a guitarist in an outfit called the Jan Ralfini Orchestra. They were the purveyors of the kind of entertainment – the quickstep and the foxtrot – that unbeknown to them was about to be swept aside by a phenomenon erupting that very evening, some 300 miles to the north. Nobody can put a precise date on the birth of Beatlemania, but a strong case can be made for this one – the opening night of the band’s first ever UK tour, as one of the acts supporting the teenage singing sensation Helen Shapiro, at the Gaumont Cinema in Bradford. Popular though Shapiro was, it was the Beatles that concertgoers went wild for, as their single Please Please Me was shooting up the UK charts. Bradford turns out to have played a surprisingly significant role in the Beatles story. As the 2025 UK City of Culture, now is the time to explore it, and in a Radio 2 documentary Tony Blackburn is doing just that. Bradford, Brass and the Beatles, which is being broadcast on 20 April as part of a Radio 2 Loves Brass season – it also touches on the Beatles’ connections with the famous Black Dyke brass band – has taken Blackburn back to those days, he tells Radio Times, not least the one time he saw the Beatles in concert, later in 1963, at the Winter Gardens in Bournemouth. "It was terrific. I’d never seen anything like it. The place was packed out, the girls went mad, it was just a great evening. Not musically, because you couldn’t really hear them. I’m not even sure they were plugged in! But what they created was very special." In those days, he explains, you were either a Beatles or a Rolling Stones person, "and I was definitely more a Beatles person. I’ve always loved melody and I just thou…

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BBC Radio 2 legend and Eurovision favourite Colin Berry dies, aged 79
type: item
date: 2025-04-17T12:35:51.000Z
creator: Tilly Pearce
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC Radio 2
subject: Eurovision
subject: Music
subject: News
description: The newsreader and presenter began his career on 'pirate radio' back in the 1960s.
encoded: BBC Radio 2 DJ Colin Berry has died at the age of 79. The presenter’s passing was confirmed by the radio station, where he had worked since 1973 – covering for a host of faces including Sir Terry Wogan and Sir Jimmy Young. He also spent 25 years as the spokesperson for the Eurovision Song Contest – delivering the UK public's voting results between 1977 and 2002. Paying tribute to Berry, Tony Blackburn wrote on X: "I'm so sad my friend Colin Berry passed away yesterday, Phil Swern, Colin and I used to have great times in the 60's as Colin was a part of Radio Caroline and then a newsreader and DJ on the BBC. "I saw him last week and was due to see him today but sadly he passed away yesterday afternoon. He was a great friend and I send his family my love at this sad time. RIP Colin xx" Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, added: "All of us at Radio 2 were saddened to hear of the passing of Colin Berry, who was part of our on air family for many years. We send our condolences to his family and friends." Berry first started his radio career in 1965 as part of the team of Radio Caroline – one of the iconic ‘pirate radio’ stations. View oEmbed on the source website He later went on to work at Yorkshire Television on its launch, before becoming a record promoter and hosting BBC Radio Medway’s team as the Saturday afternoon presenter. Berry joined the BBC Radio 2 team as a presenter and newsreader in 1973, and appeared on some of its biggest late night shows including The Late Show, Night Ride, Band Parade and Music Through Midnight, as well as covering daytime presenters. He remained one of the station's most familiar voices until September 2012, at which point he continued to host the BBC's local radio stations. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

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Radio 3's Michael Berkeley on the 30th anniversary of Private Passions – and how the format has plenty left to give
type: item
date: 2025-04-15T13:49:54.000Z
creator: Jane Hill
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC Radio 3
subject: Magazine
description: 'Music is not the preserve of one class of person.'
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Private Passions celebrates its 30th birthday on 15th April, and composer Michael Berkeley, who has presented every edition since 1995, believes the format has plenty left to give. “I certainly helped to form what it is, but it began because [then Radio 3 controller] Nicholas Kenyon wanted something to replace Man of Action,” he says. “I’ve always loved talk, going right back to John Freeman’s Face to Face, and music is a wonderful way of getting people to reveal things. “Indeed, when psychoanalyst and writer Adam Phillips was on the show, he said, ‘You do realise what you’re doing is a bit like what I do? Because I don’t ask people direct questions about their lives, I get them to tell me stories. And using music, you’re doing much the same.’ I rather got the impression he clammed up a bit after that!” Berkeley sees a clear distinction between Private Passions and Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. “Desert Island Discs is wonderful, but it’s a very different animal. We wouldn’t have somebody who didn’t feel passionately about classical music. The odd pop song, piece of jazz, folk music, ethnic music — all these are in the mix, but the driving force has to be a love of classical music.” The range of guests has been wide. “I love it when people play me something I’m not familiar with. I remember Germaine Greer chose Peggy Lee’s Is That All There Is? It was absolutely devastating. And anthropologist Stephen Hugh-Jones brought in an instrument from the Amazon he had to warm up by rubbing its resinous part.” Berkeley admits not everything is to his taste. “To be honest, there have been pieces where I’m not as interested as I might be! But it’s the guest’s list, not mine. And some of the best programmes are when people say, 'I’m not a musician, I can’t really talk about it like this.' And then they are more insightful than any musicologist, drawing analogies with painting, or literature — even brain surgery!” What are some…

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BBC confirm Pulp will perform world exclusive concert for few lucky fans
type: item
date: 2025-04-15T10:18:42.000Z
creator: Molly Moss
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: BBC Radio 2
subject: BBC Radio 6 Music
subject: BBC Sounds
subject: News
description: The shows will see the group play both new and old material.
encoded: Pulp are set to perform two world exclusive live shows for BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio 2 In Concert, the BBC has confirmed. Both shows will take place in May and will be recorded at the BBC Radio Theatre in London’s Broadcasting House. It comes in the wake of the Sheffield-formed band, which is fronted by Jarvis Cocker, announcing their new album More, and will see the group play some of their most loved hits, as well as new material. For the intimate session for 6 Music and BBC Sounds, the group will perform as part of a show called 6 Music Session: Pulp Live, which will be broadcast on Nick Grimshaw’s show on Thursday, 29th May, alongside an interview with the band. For the other show, titled Pulp: Radio 2 In Concert, the band will perform in front of a small audience of fans at the BBC Radio Theatre on 7th May. The performance will then be broadcast on Jo Whiley’s Radio 2 show and on BBC Sounds on Thursday, 29th May. On Friday 30th May, some exclusive tracks from the recording will be broadcast on The Scott Mills Breakfast Show at 9am. "We are really looking forward to this," said Cocker of Pulp. "From my time at 6 Music, I remember that the BBC Radio Theatre is a very intimate venue. As long as we can fit all our equipment in there it’s going to be great to play some songs for Radio 2 and 6 Music." Both performances will also be available to watch on demand. Pulp’s 6 Music performance will be available on BBC iPlayer for 30 days from 29th May, while the band’s Radio 2 in Concert will be broadcast on BBC Two in June and then be available on BBC iPlayer. Nick Grimshaw said: "It was amazing to hear Pulp’s new music exclusively on Lauren’s show last week. I’m so excited to hear more from their new album as part of their 6 Music session and to speak to the band about the process of writing and recording their first album in almost 24 years." Jo Whiley said: "I have been a fan of Pulp for as long as I have been presenting on the radio, and it’s a joy to still be f…

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Cate Blanchett plans to give up acting: 'There are things I want to do with my life'
type: item
date: 2025-04-14T18:56:02.000Z
creator: Gareth McLean
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: Magazine
description: As she stars in her first radio drama, Cate Blanchett discusses her sense of belonging, memorable moments in the car and life's uncomfortable questions.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. “Cate Blanchett,” says Cate Blanchett after I ask her to introduce herself for the benefit of the tape. “Actress.” “You had to think about that,” says the man sitting beside her, theatre director John Tiffany. “I did, didn’t I?” Blanchett replies. “It’s because I’m giving up.” Giving up? “My family roll their eyes every time I say it, but I mean it. I am serious about giving up acting.” There are, she says, “a lot of things I want to do with my life”. Hopefully not immediately. We are, after all, sitting in Blanchett’s dressing room at the Barbican in London where she is seven performances away from the end of an applauded run of Chekhov’s The Seagull, in which the Australian two-time Oscar winner plays the faded, jaded actress Arkadina. On the dressing room door, a piece of A4 paper bears the legend “CB” in a 50-point font while the view from the dressing window is of the Brutalist Barbican’s multi-storey car park. Glamorous it is not. But still Blanchett sits, amid the mundanity, looking lit from within. Like you hope a movie star would. She also looks a bit distracted. Absent, almost. She doesn’t love doing interviews. “No one is more boring to me than myself and I find other people much more interesting,” she says. “I find myself profoundly dull.” Later, I’ll ask her if she agrees with the author John Updike who said that “celebrity is a mask that eats into the face” and she’ll reply: “When you go on a talk show, or even here now, and then you see soundbites of things you’ve said, pulled out and italicised, they sound really… loud.” She wrinkles her nose. “I’m not that person.” Sponsored by Vue Save up to 30% on the latest releases at Vue in 2025 Are you a movie lover who always wants to be up to date with the latest releases? Then you're in luck, as RadioTimes.com readers can enjoy new films at Vue Cinemas for less. Customers will receive up to 30% off films with Vue Pass, as long as they have a RadioTimes.co…

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The Archers announces VE Day prequel special in tribute to Peggy Woolley
type: item
date: 2025-04-10T14:59:53.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC Radio 4
subject: News
description: The "heartfelt" two-parter is available from next month.
encoded: A special two-part prequel to The Archers will premiere on BBC Radio 4 next month, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day – and pay tribute to one of the show's late stars. Victory at Ambridge takes place six years before the long-running radio drama began, giving us a glimpse into life in rural England during the final year of World War II, leading up to VE Day. The Archers writer Tim Stimpson has adapted the story from Catherine Miller's novel of the same name, which gives particular attention to the character of Peggy Woolley (née Archer), who was a major part of the show for seven decades. The character was portrayed by late actor June Spencer, who passed away last year aged 105, making this a celebration of her contribution as well as a commemoration of the landmark VE Day anniversary. Producer Kim Greengrass said: "Victory at Ambridge is a heartfelt tribute to resilience, community, and the triumphs and tribulations of everyday life during World War II. "This special prequel takes listeners on a thrilling, wartime adventure, and gives Archers fans a unique glimpse into the hidden history which shaped modern-day Ambridge." Victory at Ambridge will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4, with episode 1 premiering at 3pm on Sunday 4th May and episode 2 airing at the same time the following week. Alternatively, both parts will be available to stream on BBC Sounds from 4th May. The synopsis, courtesy of the BBC, reads: "At Brookfield Farm, Dan and Doris Archer (Timothy Bentinck and Felicity Finch) worry about their eldest son Jack’s pregnant wife, Peggy (Emerald O’Hanrahan), stuck in bomb-stricken London, whilst Jack is away at war. "Is inviting her to live with them in Ambridge the right thing to do? And how will a city girl like Peggy cope with life in the sticks? "The Brookfield land girl, Wanda Lafromboise (Madeleine Leslay), is embracing rural life, especially when dashing RAF officer and war hero Max Gilpin (Angus Stobie) arrives in the village. "Bob Little (Ryan…

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Vote for the Radio Times Moment of the Year at the 2025 Audio and Radio Industry Awards
type: item
date: 2025-04-07T23:01:43.000Z
creator: Helen Daly
subject: audio
subject: Radio
description: The ARIAs are returning next month with the Radio Times Moment of the Year award – but who will win?
encoded: The Audio Radio Industry Awards are back for their ninth annual ceremony and will be celebrating the biggest names and rising stars in radio once more. Radio Times is pleased to partner with the Radio Academy to celebrate the biggest moment of the year - and the public has the final say on the winner! This year, the competition is fierce, with charming and funny moments that could only ever happen in the audio format, to some seriously touching topics, and a political debate in the middle of it, too. Which one gets your vote? You have until 1st May 2025 to cast your vote, and remember – don't click until you're really sure who you want to win as once you've clicked, your vote will be submitted! Interviews by Laura Rutkowski and Simon O'Hagan. View Riddle on the source website The nominees are… Sunday Love Songs remembering Steve Wright, on BBC Audio for BBC Radio 2 Just six days after Steve Wright’s death in February 2024, Liza Tarbuck presented an emotional tribute to her friend and colleague in his Sunday Love Songs slot on Radio 2. “It’s bittersweet to be nominated for this category. I wish Steve was still here,” she says. “There was an outpouring of emotion for him. When I was asked to present the show, I didn’t hesitate. Steve always put the listeners first and they needed a safe place to share their feelings. I had to do him proud because he taught me how to be a broadcaster. There is nobody in my life whose opinion I valued more. We’d often geek out, and I miss that very much.” Frank Off the Radio first, on podcast Frank Skinner has a long and illustrious history as a much-loved comic presence on TV and radio. But he confesses that finding the right opening to his podcast Frank Off the Radio causes him anxiety. In this sublime moment, he came up with a whole set of titles, much to the amused disbelief of co-presenters Emily Dean and Pierre Novellie. “I was still pining for my radio show,” Frank explains. “I felt like I’d died and was now communicating with my…

Chris Stark makes emotional return to radio after testicular cancer surgery
type: item
date: 2025-03-25T10:13:15.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: TV
subject: News
description: "Although I'm effectively cured and it was caught early, my hope is any bloke reading this will perhaps think to check themselves today."
encoded: After some time away from his radio and podcast work, Chris Stark has returned to Capital Radio this morning, after revealing he was recently diagnosed and treated for testicular cancer. Stark revealed his diagnosis in a post on social media, writing: "Around a couple of months ago, after a routine trip to my local doctors, I found out I have Testicular Cancer. "I had surgery pretty quickly and have been off the radio/podcasts the last couple of weeks having chemotherapy to best prevent anything from coming back. "The reason I want to share this is that I feel like an idiot that I didn't spot this sooner. And although I'm effectively cured and it was caught early, my hope is any bloke reading this will perhaps think to check themselves today. Or go to a doctor if not sure about any possible symptoms. "Caught early, this cancer is so so treatable. It is most common in men aged 18-49. "I also think it's a tricky subject matter to talk about, but I'm willing to put my now one ball on the line here if it helps make that conversation less tricky for guys, encourages someone to check themselves and potentially saves a life. "Thank you to my incredible family, who stood by me and encouraged me to share what's happened. I also want to thank my brilliant friends and work colleagues for supporting me and my family. "And of course, a huge thank you to the incredible doctors, nurses, and hospital staff I've encountered, especially concerning cancer care. "I also want to take a moment to send my thoughts and prayers to anyone affected by cancer. Check your balls. Chris xx. PS Excited to get back (stronger) to the radio tomo." View oEmbed on the source website Stark returned to Capital Radio this morning and spoke about his diagnosis and treatment, while he also shared a group hug with co-presenters Jordan North and Sian Welby, which was posted on Capital's Instagram Stories. Read more: Blue Peter films last ever live show after 66 years - but series will continue The Apprentice'…

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The Archers icon: 'Wendy Richard and Angela Rippon thought I was the sexiest man in showbusiness'
type: item
date: 2025-03-18T13:21:01.000Z
creator: Libby Purves
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC Radio 4
subject: BBC Sounds
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Libby Purves celebrates Charles Collingwood's half-century not out as Ambridge's rogue with a heart, Brian Aldridge.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. The summons to Ambridge – actually a studio up a concrete tower in Birmingham – set me happily gossiping with Charles Collingwood. He's celebrating 50 years since his first broadcast as Brian Aldridge, farmer and charmer, straying husband and tolerant patriarch, on 25 March 1975. He actually goes back a year earlier: "I was a crooked decorator, Dave Escott, who had a flirtation with Peggy. Producer Tony Shryane said, 'We'll get you back!' and three weeks later my wife [Judy Bennett, who played Shula] came home and said, 'You're in!' "I was overjoyed. Got the first episode, went for lunch, ran into Jack Holloway who played Ralph Bellamy. He was in a bad mood, saying, 'I've just been written out of the bloody programme!' Then back in the studio the others said, 'Oh yes. You’ve bought his farm.' No wonder he wasn’t pleased to see my ugly face!" In 1976, Brian married Jennifer, and took on her children by two fathers (she was the serial's first scandal, a gesture to the free-love 1960s). "It was interesting, because in real life, I had proudly taken on Judy’s two little boys, Toby and Barney. Her real first husband was a Brian, and my first wife a Jennifer. How about that?" Collingwood is the jolliest company, and relishes his character's adventures, which go beyond the tweed-capped practicality of farming. After a couple of years, the new editor, William Smethurst, told him he’d decided to turn Brian into a womaniser. "I suppose because it was me, he spotted a little bit of – er – Leslie Phillips naughtiness" (cue a stagey twinkle). "He wanted a bit of daring humour. Well, it kept me in the show for 50 years." Hence Brian’s fling with posh Caroline Bone and flirtation with the flame-haired Pony Club temptress Mandy Beesborough. Another new editor, Vanessa Whitburn, told him, "Women of a certain age always ask me, 'When will Brian have an affair?'" That became his explosive love affair with Siobhan Donovan, who died y…

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Zoe Ball's return to Radio 2 confirmed as she lands new Saturday show
type: item
date: 2025-02-18T14:22:08.000Z
creator: David Craig
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: News
description: The broadcaster is back on the airwaves in May.
encoded: Zoe Ball is headed back to BBC Radio 2 with a new weekly show, following her exit from the station's weekday breakfast programme last year. The broadcaster had led the show since January 2019, when she was hired as Chris Evans's replacement, and established herself as a firm favourite of listeners through a tumultuous period that included the COVID-19 pandemic. After signing off her final show just before Christmas, Ball promised that she would be "popping up here on Radio 2 for new adventures" in 2025 – and now we know exactly what she was referring to. Ball will launch a new BBC Radio 2 show in May, broadcasting between 1pm and 3pm on Saturdays, where she'll be "playing some of her favourite music and having lots of laughs reconnecting with listeners". Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, commented: "Zoe is one of the UK's most loved presenters, so I'm thrilled to announce that she has a new home on Radio 2 on Saturday lunchtimes, plus she'll be hosting various specials for us throughout the year." When her weekday breakfast departure was first announced, Ball said that she was "excited to embrace" her next chapter, including "being a mum in the mornings" and tuning into Radio 2 "on the school run". She added: "I think the world of you, listeners... with whom I've shared some of life's highs and lows; the good, the bad and the daft times." In addition to her new weekend programme, Ball is also set to host two specials for BBC Radio 2; those being Elaine Paige: 60 Years in Showbusiness and a broadcast for Bradford's Big Brass Blowout – a weekend-long music festival in the UK's 2025 City of Culture. Ball's conversation with Paige sees the legendary performer tell "exclusive stories" behind some of her most famous songs and reveal "tales from behind the red velvet curtains of London's glittering West End". The show will be recorded at the London Palladium Theatre on Friday 25th April 2025, featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra as well as theatre stars Samantha Barks, Mazz Mu…

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BBC Radio presenter Janice Forsyth quits, announcing Alzheimer's diagnosis
type: item
date: 2025-02-17T11:59:20.000Z
creator: Katelyn Mensah
subject: audio
subject: Radio
subject: BBC Radio 3
subject: BBC Radio 4
subject: News
description: The presenter said the diagnosis came as a "huge blow".
encoded: BBC Radio Scotland presenter Janice Forsyth has stepped down from her role after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The radio presenter has worked across the likes of BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Four and BBC Radio Three for over 30 years, and in her career she has presented the Culture Show on BBC Radio Scotland, which was later named the Janice Forsyth Show, and the Afternoon Show from 2013 until 2024. Announcing the news in a statement today (17th February), Forsyth said (via BBC News): "I'd hoped that I was simply worn out by my many years as a freelance broadcaster and perhaps exhausted following the loss of our dear mother, Patricia, the previous Christmas, but sadly, I now have a firm diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's disease. "It's been a huge blow, but I'm also feeling some relief that I finally have an explanation for lapses I'd been experiencing, and I'm managing to remain buoyant most of the time." Beyond her work on the radio, Forsyth co-founded a podcast production company and also worked as a columnist and is the chair of the Rothesay Pavilion charity. Her statement continued: "Much as I have loved seeking out and sharing the best of music/literature/theatre/cinema with you, I'm happy now to have the time and freedom to enjoy all of these simply for my own pleasure. "Call it living in the moment, and you won't be far off! I never took my role lightly and hope I always gave my best, both for your sake and that of my interviewees. "It's been a blast, and I send a high five to everyone who tuned in on Saturday mornings or on more recent weekday afternoons and heard something interesting." Read more: Sir Stephen Hough: 'Radio 3 remains an incredibly important platform for music' Roy Williams on revamping The Great Gatsby with Ncuti Gatwa: 'I didn't want to repeat the same story' Louise Thornton, head of commissioning at BBC Scotland, said: "Janice has been a hugely popular personality on our airwaves for many years. "The many production teams she has c…

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