Radical with Amol Rajan

Best-selling author Naomi Alderman answers your questions about the her first non-fiction book, how she feels about her writing being used to train AI models and whether there will 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.

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* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480

* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk

Amol...

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 era we're living through. She sugge...

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?

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* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host ...

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 packaging.

But Jamie’s mission does...

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.uk Amol Rajan is a presenter of...

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 whirlwind fame he found with Rizzle Kicks l...

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 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.u...

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 crisis to address what he calls cli...

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.

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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 environmental stewardship.

And from...

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 control.

He discusses how technology...

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 psychology of incentives, his resear...

How can Millennials, Gen Zs and Gen As thrive in a world where so much success depends on having access to the Bank of Mum and Dad?

Historian Dr Eliza Filby – an expert in generational identity – tells Amol that society needs to shift in three major ways to mitigate the “rupture” between young and old: in values, education and wealth.

Amol speaks with her about her book ‘Inheritocracy’ which calls for a radical redefining of merito...

Artificial Intelligence is fundamentally changing the internet. But Matthew Prince, CEO of cybersecurity giant Cloudflare, thinks there is a way to ensure content creators and publishers earn enough to operate — even as their work feeds AI.

Cloudflare has put up digital firewalls around its clients’ sites, which blocks the bots that copy content to train large language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. It is then ...

Whilst on a night out in the summer of 2011, Jacob Dunne made a split second decision to throw a punch that killed James Hodgkinson.

After being convicted of manslaughter, Jacob spent 14 months in prison during which time James’ parents contacted him to get answers about their son’s death. A dialogue began between them and when Jacob was released, Joan and David asked a question that he says saved him: “What are you going do with y...

As extreme weather forces people from their homes, the journalist and author Gaia Vince makes the positive case for immigration.

Projections show that billions of people will be displaced by 2050 due to the effects of global warming, a phenomenon she has reported on in her book ‘Nomad Century: How to Survive the Climate Upheaval’.

She argues that if governments plan for the mass movement of people they can reap the economic rewards o...

Headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh thinks multiculturalism in Britain has led to an excessive focus on our differences rather than what unites us, but she believes schools like hers can change that by teaching traditional values and British culture.

Known for enforcing strict discipline at Michaela Community School in north London, Katharine explains why she promotes unity over diversity.

She is also critical of those in power who ig...

Physicist Carlo Rovelli thinks we need natural intelligence and not artificial intelligence in an age of confrontation.

Ten years ago he wrote a short book called Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, which became an international bestseller and catapulted him to scientific stardom.

A decade on he thinks the world is at a dangerous moment as the West’s dominance declines and global powers prioritise competition over collaboration.

One are...

Edward Enninful thinks fashion risks going backwards on diversity, which is why he’s launched a new media business, EE72, to promote inclusion in an anti-woke era.

The former editor of British Vogue talks to Amol about why the industry needs to appeal to all generations – from getting Gen Z on side by tackling fast fashion and affordability, to highlighting the full spectrum of beauty by focussing on ‘women of a certain age’ in the...