Radical with Amol Rajan

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?

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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.

They explore how it’s reshaping glob...

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 argument.

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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 everyone in an era of competing narrat...

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.

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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.

And Tom discusses the phenomenal succ...

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 some of his personal highlights.

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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.

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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...