Radical with Amol Rajan

The Best of Radical with Amol Rajan 16.07.2026 1h 15m

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 question for Professor Keith, get in touch:- WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 - Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical are released every Thursday and Monday.Series producer: Rufus GrayProducer: Oscar PearsonTechnical producer: Jonny HallSenior news editor: Sam Bonham

Why Do People Pretend to Be Working Class? (Your Radical Questions with Sophie Pender) 13.07.2026 24m

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 state-school students risks helping those who are already advantaged. Sophie also discusses oracy, accent and confidence in the classroom, the culture shock of elite universities, the case for and against grammar schools, and why she thinks vocational education should be about aptitude rather than origin. GET IN TOUCH: * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and Monday. Amol Rajan presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was the BBC’s media editor and the editor of The Independent newspaper. Series producer: Rufus Gray Producers: Oscar Pearson, Julian Paszkiewicz Digital producers: Leona Gasper, Joe Wilkinson Technical producer: Jonny Hall Senior news editor: Sam Bonham

We Need to Talk About Class: Is It Time to Abolish Private Schools? (Sophie Pender) 09.07.2026 1h 9m

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 argues that “social mobility” has become too polite a phrase for something much deeper: how much class, accent, money and private education shapes who gets power – and who doesn’t. In Amol’s final Radical interview, Sophie explains why she’s made it her life’s mission to make private schools redundant, why networks matter as much as talent, and what it would take to build an old boys’ network for everyone else. GET IN TOUCH: * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical are released every Thursday and Monday. Amol Rajan presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was the BBC’s media editor and the editor of The Independent newspaper. Series producer: Rufus Gray Producers: Oscar Pearson, Julian Paszkiewicz Digital producers: Leona Gasper, Joe Wilkinson Technical producer: Jonny Hall Senior news editor: Sam Bonham

What Is The Secret To Happiness? (Your Radical Questions with Lord Richard Layard) 06.07.2026 19m

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, the ethics of farming animals for food, and whether pacifism is the answer for how we achieve greater happiness around the world.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 on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray and Oscar Pearson. Technical production was by Jonny Baker. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. The series producer is Rufus Gray.

Happiness Rules: Should Wellbeing Dictate Government Policy? (Lord Richard Layard) 02.07.2026 50m

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 the main objective of all government policy, and argues that this radical change would even pay for itself.But what actually are happiness and wellbeing? How can we make ourselves happier? And why are young people less happy than ever before? 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 presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was the BBC’s media editor and the editor of The Independent newspaper. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray and Oscar Pearson. Technical production was by Jonny Baker. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. The series producer is Rufus Gray.

Should Phones Be Banned in Pubs? (Your Radical Questions with Oisín Rogers) 29.06.2026 21m

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 groups and even a landlord who is not desperately pleased to see you. Are these traditions part of what makes a proper pub special, or a route to making it irrelevant? And as pubs close while bars continue to evolve, Oisin and Amol tackle the chicken-and-egg question: has Britain changed its drinking culture and left pubs behind, or has the loss of pubs changed the way Britain socialises? Plus, what small touches can publicans do for free that will give patrons an unforgettable experience and keep them coming back? 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 presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, and he hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC, and the editor of The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray, Oscar Pearson, and Julian Paszkiewicz. Digital production was by Leona Gasper. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. The series producer is Rufus Gray.

Last Call for the Local: Are Old Pubs the Solution to Modern Crises? (Oisín Rogers) 25.06.2026 1h 2m

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 places that make communities feel less isolated and more human. He’s got some radical ideas on how to save the pub but, as drinking habits change, should we be saving them at all? And what is the reality outside of London where the economic viability of pubs is increasingly under scrutiny?GET IN TOUCH: * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and Monday. Amol Rajan presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was the BBC’s media editor and the editor of The Independent newspaper. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray, Oscar Pearson, and Julian Paszkiewicz. Digital production was by Joe Wilkinson. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The series producer is Rufus Gray. The editor is Sam Bonham.

Can Britain Change Its Ways on Housing? (Your Radical Questions with Shiv Malik) 22.06.2026 24m

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 around 400,000 homes, new rail links and thousands of acres of new woodland.We hear Shiv talk about his own background and credentials, whether ‘Forest City’ is actually affordable, and if people can shift their mindset in favour of a new kind of city living. Plus, what will Shiv’s “beautiful” new homes actually look like?GET IN TOUCH: WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Monday and Thursday. Amol Rajan presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He also hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was the BBC’s media editor and editor of The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray, Oscar Pearson, and Julian Paszkiewicz. Digital production was by Jonathan Greer. Technical production was by Leona Gasper. The series producer is Rufus Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

The Great British Housing Crisis: Is a Brand New Mega-City the Answer? (Shiv Malik) 18.06.2026 1h 2m

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 will save Britain, and prove that we can be builders again.Shiv wants to build ‘Forest City’ on 45,000 acres of farmland in East Anglia. His vision is one of Canary Wharf style sky-scrapers surrounded by England’s largest nature reserve of 12,000 acres, with 400,000 affordable homes for one million people.The ambitious project has got some big economists and architects very excited. But people living in the proposed area are extremely upset by the prospect, with some experts saying it isn’t even logistically possible.We put those challenges to Shiv, and find out why he thinks that his radical idea is necessary not just for housing British people, but also rebuilding British ambition.GET IN TOUCH: - WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 - Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and Monday.Amol Rajan presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was the BBC’s media editor and the editor of The Independent newspaper.Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray, Oscar Pearson, and Julian Paszkiewicz. Digital production was by Leona Gasper. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The series producer is Rufus Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Is Our Idea of Economic Success Completely Broken? (Your Radical Questions with Kate Raworth) 15.06.2026 17m

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 environmental needs instead of how much we produce and consume. Many of you asked us to invite her on the podcast, and you've also sent in your questions - so we put them to her. We get Kate’s view on whether it's possible to build long term consensus for her approach at a time when people want short term solutions and whether there is a better metric to measure economic success. We also hear her assessment of universal basic income, and a former Radical guest challenges Kate’s fundamental beliefs on economic growth. 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 on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Oscar Pearson and Julian Paszkiewicz. Digital production was by Daniel Raza. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The series producer is Rufus Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

The End of Endless Growth: Should We Put the Brakes on Economic Expansion? (Kate Raworth) 11.06.2026 1h 6m

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 nature and wellbeing. She argues that real abundance is possible, but only if we learn from nature and live within the planet’s limits. GET IN TOUCH: * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and Monday. Amol Rajan presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was the BBC’s media editor and the editor of The Independent newspaper. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Oscar Pearson and Julian Paszkiewicz. Digital production was by Daniel Raza. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The series producer is Rufus Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Could Ben & Jerry's Be Created Today? (Your Radical Questions with Ben Cohen) 08.06.2026 14m

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 ethical stance with the fact that his ice cream is an ultra processed food?* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Monday and Thursday.Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Tom Smithard and Oscar Pearson. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Business Reimagined: Should Firms Have a Purpose Beyond Profit? (Ben & Jerry’s Ben Cohen) 04.06.2026 58m

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 separate worlds – while he says that a company’s values should be as important to its mission as making money. Cohen makes the case that consumers are not just shoppers – they are citizens with wallets. He criticises companies that pay lip-service to that through short-term social media campaigns backing the trendy topic of the day, without embedding those values into their business model. But in an age when many companies are dropping their principles when the politics changes, can business really be a force for good – or does purpose melt away when profits are at stake? GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday. Amol Rajan presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was the BBC’s media editor and the editor of The Independent newspaper. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Tom Smithard and Oscar Pearson. Digital production was by Leona Gasper. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham.

How Close Are We to a Cure for Cancer? (Your Radical Questions with Professor Sir John Bell) 01.06.2026 20m

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? What impact will the Trump administration have on the advance of medical science? And just how close are we to effectively curing cancer? * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Monday and Thursday. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray with Anna Budd and Oscar Pearson. Technical production was by Stephen Bailey. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Healthcare, Reinvented: How Dramatic Medical Breakthroughs Are Quietly Changing Your Life (Professor Sir John Bell) 28.05.2026 52m

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 detection, personalised vaccines, obesity drugs, AI-driven prevention and treatments that could keep us healthier for longer. But with the science and technology moving this fast, can the health service, the economy, and the public keep up?GET IN TOUCH    WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480  Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and Monday. It was made by Rufus Gray and Oscar Pearson. Digital production was by Leona Gasper. Technical production was by Stephen Bailey. The Senior News Editor is Sam Bonham.

Is Regenerative Farming Getting Greenwashed? (Your Radical Questions with Andy Cato) 25.05.2026 22m

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, we put Andy in the hotseat, and ask him your questions about regenerative farming, including the potential scalability difficulties, whether it is being used for greenwashing, the role of rewilding, and whether it could be adopted around the world.GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Monday and Thursday. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray with Bella Saltiel and Anna Budd. Digital production was by Jem Westgate. Technical production was by Jack Graysmark. The Senior News Editor is Sam Bonham.

The Future of Food: Can Regenerative Farming Save Our Soil? (Andy Cato) 21.05.2026 57m

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 regenerative farming, he believes it’s possible to restore ecosystems, rebuild soil health and create a more resilient food system for the 21st century.They discuss Andy’s unlikely journey from global touring musician to farmer, including selling his music catalogue to buy land, and the founding of Wildfarmed, a business aiming to help farmers transition to regenerative agriculture while remaining profitable. Andy also explains why he believes traditional farming is no longer sustainable, how a different model could be financed, and what the benefits could be for farmers, consumers and the environment alike.

Is Social Media Making Young Women Hate Men? (Your Radical Questions with Dr Jilly Kay) 18.05.2026 13m

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 have, and what men could do to help women avoid the “femosphere”. Plus, why might some people say that “femosphere” as a reasonable response to the patriarchy?GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Episodes of Radical are released every Monday. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray with Oscar Pearson and Bella Saltiel. Digital production was by Jonathan Greer. The Senior News Editor is Sam Bonham.

What Are the Tech Billionaires Really Like? (Your Radical Questions with Reid Hoffman) 15.05.2026 18m

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 of tech on the working class, how AI could be used for evil, and what his contemporaries Elon Musk and Sam Altman are really like. GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.ukEpisodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Monday. Amol Rajan presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was the BBC’s media editor and the editor of The Independent newspaper. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray and Oscar Pearson. Digital production was by Joe Wilkinson and Beth Pritchard. Technical production was by Stephen Bailey. The Senior News Editor is Sam Bonham.

The Rise of the Femosphere: Who Are the Women Giving Up on Men? (Dr Jilly Kay) 14.05.2026 51m

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 Jilly Kay argues that digital platforms are accelerating a new era of gender polarisation. In this special edition of Radical, guest hosted by historian and academic Dr Eliza Filby, Jilly explains why she coined the term “femosphere” to describe online communities in which women are encouraged to see men as inherently problematic, avoid casual dating, and exploit male attention for financial gain. Jilly and Eliza explore why a generation raised online feels increasingly powerless amid economic insecurity and social fragmentation, and ask what solutions might exist for a culture shaped by pessimism, alienation and division. GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.ukRadical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray with Oscar Pearson and Bella Saltiel. Digital production was by Jem Westgate. Technical production was by Jonathan Greer. The Senior News Editor is Sam Bonham.