Radical with Amol Rajan
Every week Amol Rajan talks to radicals, pioneers and innovators from all over the world. From populism and climate change, to economics and AI... How can their radical ideas help you win the future? Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. Episodes are published on Thursdays on BBC Sounds and broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
Episodes
Influence After Empire: Is Britain Still a Great Power? (Professor Brendan Simms)
Is Great Britain really still great? Is it in decline, or has the UK underestimated its own status in the world?In his latest book The Return of the Great Powers, Brendan Smith, Professor of the History of International Relations at the University of Cambridge, challenges one of the most deeply rooted current assumptions in British public life and argues that the UK is still a significant player o
Will British Farming Pay the Price for Rewilding? (Your Radical Questions with Derek Gow)
Derek Gow is a farmer, conservationist, author and leading rewilding advocate who has become one of the UK's most vocal champions of large-scale species reintroductions. In this special Q&A, he tackles some of your most challenging and provocative questions.
In the main episode, Derek explained why he breeds native British species and argued that rewilding is a vital tool in addressing the b
Britain's Lost Species: Should We Resurrect Our Extinct Wildlife? (Derek Gow)
This week, John Burn-Murdoch speaks with Derek Gow, the British farmer, conservationist, author and rewilding pioneer who has become one of the UK's most outspoken advocates for large-scale species reintroductions.From his farm in Devon, Derek breeds native British animals, including species that have been absent from the UK for centuries. His goal is to demonstrate what is possible when conservat
Should Politicians Have to Pass Competence Tests? (Your Radical Questions with David Runciman)
David Runciman, podcaster and former politics Professor, answers Your Radical Questions. In the main episode, David argued that lowering the voting age to six is a true expression of universal suffrage and could help reinvigorate our stagnant democracy. Now, our listeners challenge him on whether kids would just vote how their parents tell them, and whether there’s any evidence or precedent to su
Votes for Six-Year-Olds: Could Child Suffrage Revive Democracy? (David Runciman)
This week, guest presenter Sophia Smith Galer speaks to David Runciman, a podcaster and former politics academic, about his radical proposition to lower the voting age to six.It’s a position that has been met with laughter, scorn, and even anger, but he believes it’s not just in accordance with our democratic principles - it could also help give our stale and fractious democracy a much-needed shot
Is Christianity Becoming Countercultural Again? (Your Radical Questions with Lamorna Ash)
Writer Lamorna Ash, author of Don’t Forget We’re Here Forever, answers Your Radical Questions. In the main episode, Lamorna told James Marriott what she discovered while travelling around Britain and meeting young Christians across the religious and political spectrum. Now, you ask her why some people under 40 are finding faith in older and more ritualistic churches, and whether Christianity is be
Gen Z and God: Is the Church Answering Young People's Prayers? (Lamorna Ash)
This week, James Marriott speaks to the writer Lamorna Ash about her journey through the changing world of British Christianity. Raised with little religious belief, Lamorna spent a year visiting churches, festivals, monasteries and Christian communities across the country. What began as an investigation into why young people were rediscovering faith gradually became a much more personal search fo
Could Climate Engineering Do More Bad Than Good for the Environment? (Your Radical Questions with Professor David Keith)
Professor David Keith, one of the world’s leading researchers in geoengineering, answers Your Radical Questions. In the main episode, David told Gabriel Gatehouse why deliberately reflecting a small amount of sunlight away from Earth could slow global warming. Now, you ask him whether we could ever know the unintended consequences before trying it, and whether sunlight reflection could be stopped
Engineering the Climate: Can Injecting Chemicals in the Sky Help Save the Planet? (Professor David Keith)
What if the answer to climate change is not only to cut carbon emissions, but to make the Earth more resilient using tech?Professor David Keith is one of the world’s leading researchers of geoengineering which aims to do just that. Efforts to capture carbon are already underway, but Professor Keith is particularly interested in sunlight reflection - the controversial idea of cooling the planet by
The Best of Radical with Amol Rajan
On Amol’s last day as the host of Radical, he shares five conversations that really stand out. Matt Clifford, Emma Grede, Jacob Dunne, Katherine Birbalsingh and James Marriott.Next week, Gabriel Gatehouse speaks to Professor David Keith about geoengineering, deliberate large-scale interventions in the Earth’s climate system designed to fight human-caused climate change.If you have a Radical questi
Why Do People Pretend to Be Working Class? (Your Radical Questions with Sophie Pender)
Sophie Pender, founder of The 93% Club, returns to answer your questions on class, privilege and education. In the main episode, Sophie told Amol why she thinks Britain needs to stop talking politely about social mobility and confront the power of private schools. Now, listeners ask whether class identity has become too slippery, whether people downplay their own privilege, and whether support for
We Need to Talk About Class: Is It Time to Abolish Private Schools? (Sophie Pender)
Sophie Pender grew up on council estates in North London, became the first in her family to go to university, trained as a corporate lawyer - then walked away from a six-figure salary to fight Britain’s class problem. She’s the founder of ‘The 93% Club’, a network for state-educated students and professionals, named after the proportion of people in Britain who go to state schools. But Sophie argu
What Is The Secret To Happiness? (Your Radical Questions with Lord Richard Layard)
For this week’s Q&A, Amol is joined by the economist, author, Labour peer, and happiness champion Lord Richard Layard. In their previous conversation, Lord Layard outlined his radical idea; that government policymaking should be decided first and foremost by how it impacts overall happiness and wellbeing.Now, he answers your questions on the NHS and mental health, how we should measure success
Happiness Rules: Should Wellbeing Dictate Government Policy? (Lord Richard Layard)
This week, Amol sits down with Lord Richard Layard, the author, economist, and Labour peer who has spent decades making the case for happiness and wellbeing. He successfully helped implement talking therapy to the NHS, and was a key figure in persuading the UK government to measure wellbeing.But he wants to go further - in this conversation, Lord Layard outlines why he wants happiness to become th
Should Phones Be Banned in Pubs? (Your Radical Questions with Oisín Rogers)
Oisín Rogers takes your questions on how pubs can not only survive, but thrive. In the main episode we heard Oisín’s radical ideas about why he thinks pubs are essential not just for our history and identity, but also for the problems of the modern age. Today, Oisín considers the old-fashioned pub customs some people cherish and others find faintly terrifying: no laptops, no swearing, no sprawling
Last Call for the Local: Are Old Pubs the Solution to Modern Crises? (Oisín Rogers)
The British pub has played a huge part in our lives for hundreds of years: it’s a place to eat, drink, grieve, flirt, celebrate and put the world to rights. Yet thousands have disappeared, and many more are fighting to stay open. This week, Amol speaks to Oisín Rogers, co-founder of The Devonshire in Soho. For Oisín, saving pubs isn’t just about nostalgia - it’s about defending the everyday place
Can Britain Change Its Ways on Housing? (Your Radical Questions with Shiv Malik)
This week, Shiv Malik, the man behind the proposals for ‘Forest City 1’, takes your questions. He’s a former investigative journalist turned campaigner: instead of writing another book about Britain’s housing crisis, he’s trying to build his way out of it. Forest City is his ambitious pitch for Britain’s first new city in more than 50 years: a million-person settlement east of Cambridge, with arou
The Great British Housing Crisis: Is a Brand New Mega-City the Answer? (Shiv Malik)
This week, Amol is joined by the author and journalist Shiv Malik, to discuss his plan to build a new mega-city from scratch in East Anglia. In 2010 Shiv Malik wrote a book called the Jilted Generation, which argued that anyone born since 1979 has been robbed of their future because of how expensive home ownership has become. Now, he’s dedicating his life to a plan for a new city that he thinks wi
Is Our Idea of Economic Success Completely Broken? (Your Radical Questions with Kate Raworth)
Kate Raworth believes that mainstream economists have got it wrong for decades. For her, reducing everything to a simple measure of gross domestic product and increasing that number every year is a huge mistake that is harming both people and planet. In 2017 she proposed a radical alternative in a book called ‘Doughnut Economics’. It proposes a new economic model that priortises social and environ
The End of Endless Growth: Should We Put the Brakes on Economic Expansion? (Kate Raworth)
What if growth wasn’t the main goal for economic prosperity? Kate Raworth, the author and economist behind Doughnut Economics, tells Amol why she thinks that measuring success by GDP growth is unsustainable, immoral, and an unfit economic model for the 21st century. Kate’s thesis goes against centuries of economic consensus and has radical ideas for how to overhaul the system by prioritising natur
Could Ben & Jerry's Be Created Today? (Your Radical Questions with Ben Cohen)
This week, Amol is joined by Ben Cohen, one half of the team behind Ben & Jerry's ice cream, who stopped by on his way to the South by Southwest festival to answer your questions. They include queries on whether ethics is more important to business success than a good product? Can companies be trusted to fulfil corporate responsibilities without government oversight? And how does he square his
Business Reimagined: Should Firms Have a Purpose Beyond Profit? (Ben & Jerry’s Ben Cohen)
Amol is back from his stint in the Celebrity Traitors castle. This week, while in town for the South by Southwest festival, Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry's drops by the Radical studio to talk about what took his ice cream company from a single store in rural America into a billion-dollar business. Ben Cohen argues that most corporations have trained people to believe profit and purpose are from separ
How Close Are We to a Cure for Cancer? (Your Radical Questions with Professor Sir John Bell)
The FT’s John Burn-Murdoch stands in for Amol, joined this week by the immunologist and geneticist Professor Sir John Bell. After talking about the radical change being ushered in by successive medical breakthroughs on the main podcast, Sir John takes your questions on implications of this profound change. Will we see only wealthy people being able to benefit from these revolutionary treatments? W
Healthcare, Reinvented: How Dramatic Medical Breakthroughs Are Quietly Changing Your Life (Professor Sir John Bell)
This week, John Burn-Murdoch sits in for Amol to speak to Professor Sir John Bell, one of Britain’s leading medical scientists, about the huge (and often undiscussed) medical breakthroughs changing how we live, age and die. Medical advances have already added 12 years to average life expectancy in the UK in the last 50 years. But the next revolution may be even more radical: earlier cancer detecti
Is Regenerative Farming Getting Greenwashed? (Your Radical Questions with Andy Cato)
Oli Dugmore is in for Amol this week, and he's joined by Andy Cato to answer your radical questions about the regenerative farming movement. Before becoming a farmer, Andy was a successful musician and DJ as one half of Groove Armada. He sold the rights to his back catalogue to pursue a career in agriculture, pioneering regenerative farming methods though his company, Wildfarmed.In this episode, w
The Future of Food: Can Regenerative Farming Save Our Soil? (Andy Cato)
This week, guest host Oli Dugmore, speaks to Andy Cato, one half of electronic music duo Groove Armada and a leading advocate for regenerative farming.Andy argues that modern agriculture is reaching a breaking point. He says that a reliance on chemical farming has degraded our ecosystems, taken agency away from farmers, and made us over reliant on fragile international trade systems. Through regen
Is Social Media Making Young Women Hate Men? (Your Radical Questions with Dr Jilly Kay)
With Amol away, Eliza Filby, who an author and historian specialising in generational change, steps in for this week’s Q&A on young women and the “femosphere”. Jilly Kay, Professor of media and communications studies at Loughborough University, coined the term “femosphere”), and is here to answer your questions on the divide between young men and women, what role social media algorithms might
What Are the Tech Billionaires Really Like? (Your Radical Questions with Reid Hoffman)
Reid Hoffman is one of the founding fathers of the modern technology industry – an early investor and champion of the world of AI and the co-founder of the largest professional network in the world, LinkedIn. In this episode, he answers your questions on whether tech leaders understand the scale of their responsibility over the job market, how politicians will deal with the potential repercussions
The Rise of the Femosphere: Who Are the Women Giving Up on Men? (Dr Jilly Kay)
Are young men and women being pushed further apart? Recent polling by Merlin Strategies for the New Statesman suggests a growing divide: Gen Z women are less likely than their male peers to describe themselves as “happy”, “ambitious”, “excited” or “fulfilled, and only 35% of women under 25 say they have a positive view of men. Professor of Media and Communications at Loughborough University, Dr Ji
The Jobs Revolution: Is AI Working for You? (Reid Hoffman)
This week, Amol is joined by the tech billionaire Reid Hoffman. Hoffman is best known for creating the largest professional network in the world, LinkedIn, and revolutionising the world of work. His radical idea is that he wants to do it again with a rapid adoption of AI in the workplace in a way that is safe and ethical. The question is, how? In this episode we ask one of the world’s richest men
Is AI Coming for Your Job? (Your Radical Questions with Matt Clifford)
Amol puts your questions, queries, and concerns about AI to Matt Clifford, co-founder of Entrepreneurs First and former AI adviser to Number 10. Matt is a strong advocate for Britain’s rapid uptake of AI to boost the economy, but what are the risks? We asked him about capitalism, tech stifling creativity, universal basic income, how the UK government deals with the speed of AI development, and wha
Going for Growth: Can We Make Britain Wealthy Again? (Matt Clifford)
This week, Amol speaks to Matt Clifford, co-founder of Entrepreneurs First and former AI adviser to Number 10. Matt’s radical idea is simple; he wants to make Britain wealthy again by supercharging economic growth. He argues that economic stagnation has left the UK with flat living standards and wages. In short, he says, Britain needs a pay rise - and the way to get it is through a rapid adoption
How Can More Women Become Business Leaders? (Your Radical Questions with Emma Grede)
This week, Amol puts your questions to the businesswoman Emma Grede - from opportunity and motivation, to how dyslexia can contribute to our work ethic and the way we approach tasks. Emma Grede is the co‑founder of Skims, created with her husband Jens and Kim Kardashian, and the CEO and co‑founder of Good American, a fashion label known for its focus on inclusivity. She also serves on the board of
Taking Responsibility: Are We Thinking About Success and Ambition All Wrong? (Emma Grede)
This week, the entrepreneur Emma Grede challenges ‘old thoughts’ about work-life balance, money, motherhood and success. She argues that focus, trade-offs and relentless effort matter more than comfort. From growing up in East London to building global businesses, she makes the case that opportunity still exists, if you’re willing to chase it. But are her ideas liberating - or just unforgiving? Em
Why Are Young People Abandoning the Political Centre? (Your Radical Questions with Adrian Wooldridge)
Amol puts your Radical questions to Adrian Wooldridge, a Bloomberg columnist and author of ‘Centrists of the World Unite: The Lost Genius of Liberalism’. They discuss individualism and society, a decline in support for the centre ground, the potential dangers of nostalgia, and how the political centre could engage young people. GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.ukE
Reclaiming the Centre: Is the Old Political Order Dead? (Adrian Wooldridge)
This week, the columnist and author Adrian Wooldridge joins Amol to argue that liberalism is not only the best ideology for the future, but that it’s also under serious threat. Wooldridge sees populist movements on the right and identity-focused politics on the left as potentially fatal to liberal principles. The once dominant post-war philosophy has had a bad rap recently, so why should we bring
Can Technology Rescue Reading? (Your Radical Questions with James Marriott)
Amol runs through your questions with the Times columnist James Marriott. They take on whether we could use technology to encourage people to do more reading, pessimism on social media, and whether we risk changing our sense of what it means to be human when we lose our connection to imaginary worlds in books. James’s Radio 4 series ‘How Reading Made Us’ is available now on BBC Sounds. GET IN TOUC
The Reading Recession: Are We Making Ourselves Less Intelligent? (James Marriott)
This week, the columnist and writer James Marriott argues that reading is essential to the rise and fall of liberal democracy. He proposes that reading helps the spread of information, encourages critical thinking, and forces people to structure their ideas logically. But he’s concerned the shift from deep reading to digital skim-reading - driven largely by screens - is weakening our ability to th
Could All Government Decisions Be Made Through an App? (Your Radical Questions with Hélène Landemore)
Yale political theorist and author of Politics Without Politicians, Professor Hélène Landemore, answers your questions about her radical vision for replacing electoral politics with citizen‑led democracy. She answers questions on app‑based referendum systems, how to persuade politicians to embrace open democracy, and why ‘de‑bundling’ policies could lead to decisions that better reflect the public
Rethinking Democracy: Would Citizens Do a Better Job than Politicians? (Hélène Landemore)
In this week’s episode, Amol sits down with Yale political theorist and author of ‘Politics Without Politicians’, Professor Hélène Landemore, to discuss her argument to revive citizen‑led governance. She explains why she believes our current electoral systems fall short of representing the full diversity of the population and lays out a practical roadmap for what she calls an “open democracy.” Hél
Who Is Responsible For Over-Medicalisation? (Your Radical Questions with Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan)
Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan, neurologist and author of The Age of Diagnosis, answers your questions about her book, what it means for women who are under-diagnosed and how she deals with criticism of her work. GET IN TOUCH
* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk
Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Monday and Thursday.Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme
Over-Diagnosis: Are Too Many People Being Given Medical Labels? (Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan)
Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan thinks that we are getting diagnosis wrong. In this episode the neurologist and author of The Age of Diagnosis explains how advances in screening have led to certain diseases being over-detected and why she thinks giving a condition a label can sometimes do more harm than good. And Amol asks about some of the criticism she’s faced since her book was published last year.GET IN
Should Former Colonial Powers Pay Reparations? (Your Radical Questions with Simukai Chigudu)
Simukai Chigudu, author of ‘Chasing Freedom: Coming of Age at the End of Empire’ and associate professor of African politics at Oxford University, answers your questions about statues, reparations for slavery and decolonising the curriculum.GET IN TOUCH* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on
The Legacy of Empire: How to Reckon with the Past (Simukai Chigudu)
Is removing statues and decolonising the curriculum the answer? A member of the first generation born after the end of colonial rule in Zimbabwe, Simukai Chigudu came to the UK as a teenager and later became one of the founding members of a campaign to try to get the statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes moved from Oriel College in Oxford. Now an associate professor of African politics at the Univers
Do Polls Influence Public Opinion? (Your Radical Questions with James Kanagasooriam)
Leading pollster James Kanagasooriam answers your questions about how his idea of agency could advance social mobility, how it might be used by politicians and whether there are any reasons to be cheerful at a time of global instability. He also explains how voters might be influenced by the reporting of opinion polls. GET IN TOUCH
* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk
Episod
Taking Back Control: Why ‘Agency’ Could Be The Next Big Idea In Politics (James Kanagasooriam)
On this week’s episode, leading pollster James Kanagasooriam explains how a sense of powerlessness amongst voters is shaping politics. His research suggests that people who feel like they have control over their lives are more likely to vote for traditional parties whereas those who don’t tend to vote for populists promising to change the status quo. So what can we learn from this and how could th
Does Marriage Need Modernising? (Your Radical Questions with Ed Davies)
Ed Davies, research director at the right-leaning anti-poverty think tank Centre for Social Justice, answers your questions about modern family life and relationships. He also discusses why young men are falling behind in work and education, how economic pressures are reshaping marriage rates, and why he argues that we need to re-prioritise social connection and community. GET IN TOUCH
* WhatsA
The Decline of Marriage: Why We Need to Prioritise Family Life (Ed Davies)
Marriage rates in the UK have fallen to historic lows, but what are the consequences? Ed Davies, research director at right‑leaning anti‑poverty think tank the Centre for Social Justice, explains what has led to this shift and argues that it has caused a decline in family stability with profound consequences for society. To deal with it he says we need to modernise marriage and adopt a range of p
How Can Families Limit the Ultra‑Processed Foods Their Kids Eat? (Your Radical Questions with Thomasina Miers)
MasterChef winner and founder of Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca, Thomasina Miers, answers your questions about the quality of kids’ meals in restaurants, how to make hospitality an attractive career and whether cooking should be made a compulsory part of the curriculum in schools. She also tells Amol about the virtues of worm salt! GET IN TOUCH
* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.c
Health and Hospitality: When Does Food Stop Being Food? (Thomasina Miers)
The UK is one of the world’s largest consumers of ultra-processed foods, so Wahaca restaurants founder Thomasina Miers thinks the government should cut the taxes of businesses that serve healthy alternatives. In fact, she challenges the idea that ultra‑processed products should be called ‘food’ at all. From social canteens that teach people to cook simple meals to zero percent business rates for g
Is Capitalism Holding Back Social Mobility? (Your Radical Questions with Joe Seddon)
Founder of the tech driven social enterprise Zero Gravity, Joe Seddon answers your radical questions about boosting social mobility in the UK and helping talented young people from low opportunity areas realise their potential.
Amol and Joe explore how volunteering can become a powerful engine for skill building, discuss the rise in youth unemployment, and unpack Joe’s prediction that the next
Social Mobility: How to Break the Link Between Background and Opportunity (Joe Seddon)
Joe Seddon, founder of Zero Gravity, thinks “geography is destiny in the UK” which is why he has built a tech platform to do something about it. In this week’s episode, Amol and Joe dig into the barriers facing young people across the country, from stalled social mobility to uneven access to opportunity. Growing up in a single‑parent household in Morley, West Yorkshire, he went on to study at the
Can A ‘Repair Not Replace’ Culture Be Revived In Fashion? (Your Radical Questions with Josephine Philips)
Tech entrepreneur and founder of tailoring and repair company SOJO Josephine Philips answers your questions on fast fashion, manufacturing and scaling the repair economy. She also discusses how big retailers are beginning to invest in repairs, the craft of making a garment and why we need to invest more in manufacturing clothing in the UK. GET IN TOUCH
* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radica
Consumer Culture: Why We Need to Buy Less (Josephine Philips)
The fashion industry is the world’s second‑largest contributor to carbon emissions, surpassed only by agriculture. With such a significant impact on the climate, the question is: what can we actually do about it? Tech entrepreneur and founder of SOJO, Josephine Philips, wants you to stop throwing clothes away and think about what you’re buying. In her conversation with Amol, they explore the wider
How Do We Reduce Political Polarisation Online? (Your Radical Questions with Jonathan Haidt)
Social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation Jonathan Haidt answers your questions on social media bans for under‑16s, the influence of YouTube, and the risk of restricting access to certain online platforms.He also talks about Donald Trump’s second presidency and how technology is changing the nature of political debate.GET IN TOUCH* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.co.ukE
Social Media Bans: Are We at a Global Turning Point? (Jonathan Haidt)
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt is at the forefront of the campaign to ban social media for under-16s and end what he calls “phone-based childhoods”. His book, The Anxious Generation, sparked a global reckoning that has led countries like Australia and Spain to introduce laws restricting access to social media platforms. He spoke to Amol ahead of a meeting with UK health secretary Wes Streetin
Will There Be a Revolt Against AI Music? (Your Radical Questions with Panos A. Panay)
Panos A. Panay, president of the Grammy Awards and Recording Academy, answers your questions about how governments can better support musicians and whether an AI-free music platform could exist in the future.He also explores whether royalties paid to artists’ estates could be redirected to help fund the next generation of musicians.GET IN TOUCH* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEp
The Night Manager: How to Make Great British Drama (Simon Cornwell)
Executive producer and son of John le Carré, Simon Cornwell, speaks to Amol about how The Night Manager was revived a decade after its first season and how his father’s work was reimagined for a new generation. They also discuss the shifting realities of producing for linear TV versus streaming, the risk of losing distinctive British storytelling, and whether there should be a ‘streamers’ tax’. An
Inside the Music Business: The Grammys President on the Fight to Protect Artists (Panos A. Panay)
As president of The Recording Academy, which organises the Grammy Awards, Panos A. Panay is grappling with how artificial intelligence and streaming is transforming the music industry, often at the expense of artists. A former agent who worked with the likes of Leonard Cohen and Nina Simone, Panos tells Amol about his love of music and how that led to him becoming one of the most influential figur
What Does It Take to Become a Foster Carer? (Your Radical Questions with Louise Allen)
Louise Allen answers your questions about the rewards and challenges of being a foster carer.She also discusses reports that a new government strategy will back a scheme that helps foster carers expand their properties to give more young people a home.GET IN TOUCH* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also wat
Children in Care: How to Fix the Fostering Crisis (Louise Allen)
As the government prepares to introduce a strategy to boost fostering in England, Amol speaks to foster carer and author Louise Allen about the crisis in the system and what it will take to fix it. At the end of March 2024 there were 83,630 children in care in England, of whom 56,390 were being fostered, but there is a shortfall of around 6,000 foster carers nationwide. In this episode Louise exp
How Will The Shift To Green Energy Reshape Global Politics? (Your Radical Questions with Professor Helen Thompson)
Professor Helen Thompson, an expert on oil and global politics, answers your questions about Europe’s energy security, whether America would intercept Russian-flagged tankers carrying oil to Cuba and what uncomfortable truth she would inject into political debate. She also explains how the shift away from burning gas and oil and towards electricity and renewable energies will affect geopolitics? G
Trump v China: How Oil Is Defining Great Power Politics (Professor Helen Thompson)
The capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro by the United States feels like confirmation that we are in a new era of global politics, but what has caused this shift and where does it leave Europe? Amol speaks to Professor Helen Thompson, an expert on the history of globalisation and author of Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century, about how oil is fuelling competition between the US and China. T
Are You In a Social Media Echo Chamber? (Your Radical Questions with Louisa Munch)
Academic and social media influencer Louisa Munch answers your questions about her left-wing politics, whether online algorithms mean she’s preaching to the converted and what schools should be doing to develop critical thinking skills.She also faces questions about her support for free university education and whether she feels pressure to bend her politics to suit a more mainstream line of argum
Knowledge and Nostalgia: Why a University Education Should Be Free (Louisa Munch)
What is the point of going to university? In this episode, Amol sits down with the critical theorist, academic and social media influencer Louisa Munch who thinks you shouldn’t have to pay for higher education. With the graduate premium in decline, she explains why people should go to university to gain knowledge rather than get a job because she believes having an informed society is good for eve
Can Donald Trump Be Compared To Julius Caesar? (Your Radical Questions with Tom Holland)
Historian and The Rest Is History co-host Tom Holland answers your questions about whether Britain is currently in a more precarious state than it was in the 1970s, what definition of ‘radical’ best describes him and if he will ever score a century playing cricket.He also explains why American presidents are often compared to Julius Caesar and faces a question he’s never heard before.GET IN TOUCH*
Radical History: Greek Gods, Roman Emperors and Religion (with Tom Holland from The Rest Is History)
Historian and co-host of The Rest Is History podcast Tom Holland joins Amol to explore the history of radical ideas and what it means to be radical today. Tom explains why Christianity represented such a radical break from what came before, how it shaped secular thought in the West and how that compares to other religions. He also talks about his interest in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. An
Radical Essay: How Is Technology Changing Our Lives? (A 2025 Review)
From social media to artificial intelligence, one of themes of the first six months of Radical has been whether modern technology augments and improves what it is to be human or, on the contrary, degrades and damages our species.In this final episode of 2025 Amol reflects on what he’s learned from the people he's spoken to on the podcast about how technology is changing our lives and brings you so
What Do You Think About AI Using Your Writing? (Your Radical Questions with Naomi Alderman)
Best-selling author Naomi Alderman answers your questions about her first non-fiction book, how she feels about her writing being used to train AI models and whether there will be a new series of ‘The Power’ on Amazon Prime.And Naomi also reveals exciting new details about her latest novel, called ‘The Strangers’, which is set to be released in September 2026. GET IN TOUCH: * WhatsApp: 0330 123 94
Information Crisis: Why Social Media Bans Aren't The Answer (Naomi Alderman)
What happens when a new technology transforms how we communicate ideas and information? Best-selling science fiction writer Naomi Alderman joins Amol to explain why she thinks the digital age has pushed us into a “third information crisis”, which is as profound as the invention of writing or the printing press. Drawing on those past revolutions, Naomi offers some solutions to help us navigate the
Should School Meals Be Plant-Based? (Your Radical Questions with Jamie Oliver)
Chef, author and campaigner Jamie Oliver answers your questions about obesity and how he'd create a more inclusive education system. Also, is food in French supermarkets better than in British ones? And should there be a move towards predominantly plant-based meals in schools? GET IN TOUCH: * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk
Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme o
Jamie Oliver: Obesity and Debt are Killing Britain
Jamie Oliver thinks diet-related illness and growing levels of debt are killing the country he loves. In this frank and open conversation, he tells Amol why we need to go further to help people understand the nutritional value of the food they eat. And although his campaign for the sugar tax brought significant change, Jamie says there is still more to do on school meals, breakfast clubs and food
What Do We Do About Young Men and Porn? (Your Radical Questions with Jordan Stephens)
Musician and campaigner Jordan Stephens answers your questions about porn and masculinity. One half of the hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks, he now also advocates for young men and boys, which is why he was invited to an International Men’s Day reception at Downing Street - so why did he turn it down? He explains in this episode of Your Radical Questions. * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480
* Email: radical@bbc.co
Porn and Masculinity: How to Teach Kids about Sex and Relationships (Jordan Stephens)
How is online porn affecting sex and relationships? In this episode, musician and campaigner Jordan Stephens calls for a new approach to sex education and a modern redefinition of masculinity. From Paris Hilton to Bonnie Blue and AI generated porn he discusses how sexual content is evolving and the impact it is having on young people’s lives. Jordan also explains how his childhood and the whirlwin
Will Conservation Become More Mainstream? (Your Radical Questions with Chris Packham)
Environmentalist and TV presenter Chris Packham answers your questions about wildlife conservation, consumerism and his love of punk. Also, why does he oppose trail hunting? What support would have helped him as a child growing up with autism? And how does he make even the smallest insects interesting? Here’s how to send us your questions for Jordan Stephens and Jamie Oliver:
* WhatsApp: 0330
A War on Climate Change: Are Environmental Activists Losing The Fight? (Chris Packham)
What does it mean to confront climate change? Amol speaks to broadcaster and campaigner Chris Packham who says conservationists like him have not done enough to protect nature. After the COP climate summit in Brazil ended without new targets to reduce the use of fossil fuels, he wants the UK government to lead a global emergency action plan as it did in World War Two and during the 2008 financial
How Good Is Vertical Farming? (Your Radical Questions with James Rebanks)
Farmer and author James Rebanks is our first guest to answer your questions. He tackles everything from what consumers can do to support British farmers to whether sheep farming should go the way of coal mining, and how to reduce obesity in the UK.He also discusses his experiences at school, going to Oxford University in his mid-twenties and how his education has shaped him.Send us your questions
Beyond Ultra-Processed Foods: Can Farmers Fix Our Health and the Planet? (James Rebanks)
Is it possible to produce enough healthy food to feed the nation whilst also restoring nature? The farmer and best-selling author James Rebanks thinks it is but says there needs to be a radical change to government policy and our entire food system. He explains why he thinks farming subsidies are flawed, the unintended consequences of cheap food, and the delicate balance between food security and
Digital Dominance: How to Limit the Power of Big Tech (Sir Nick Clegg)
How should we balance innovation, power and accountability in the digital age? This week, Amol speaks to Sir Nick Clegg — former UK deputy prime minister and former president of global affairs at Meta — about the power and responsibility of big tech companies. Sir Nick argues that breaking them up won’t solve the problem of their digital dominance, calling instead for greater regulation and user c
Irrational Humans: How Our Behaviour Shapes the Economy (Professor Richard Thaler)
How do human choices, biases, and behaviours shape our economy? This week Amol speaks to Nobel Prize winning behavioural economist Professor Richard Thaler about his theories that dive into the patterns behind our decision-making and reveal why humans aren’t always as rational as we like to think. From overconfidence and the lure of winning at any cost, to the hidden costs of risk-taking and the p
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