BBC Bitesize brings you five great listens from audiobooks to podcasts - recommended by multi-award winning comedian Russell Kane. Russell is currently touring the country with his new show 'Hyperactive', but took some time out to give you his top five audio recommendations.
The Moral Maze – BBC Radio 4
What is it about? It’s a weekly live radio show on BBC Radio 4 where presenter Michael Buerk discuss with special guests a moral dilemma inspired by a news story that week.
What topics does it cover? Better question is what topics it hasn’t covered! From debating whether we should still have historical figures on our bank notes, after the Bank of England suggested it might drop people like Jane Austen and Winston Churchill from our currency… To how Britain should deal with President Trump, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with him that week.
Does it feature expert guests or interviews? Yes, each week, dependent on the topic, they bring experts and journalists from different political spectrums to dive into the complexities of the subject.
How long are each episode? 57 minutes.
Russell says...
It's “like Question Time on caffeine, where clever people politely rip each other to shreds- teaches you to argue without throwing a chair."
Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed (Audiobook)
What is it about? This book tells the secret of how success really happens, and how the only way to grow is to learn from our mistakes. In this book the author gives us his perspective on high performance, as someone who has overcome failures in the past, he asks how one can find an edge in this ever-changing and complicated world.
What genre is it? This is non-fiction, lifestyle and business.
Who is the author? Matthew Syed is a best-selling author, presenter of the BBC Radio 4 show Sideways, and athlete, he won the men's singles in table tennis three times at the Commonwealth Championship. He also competed for Great Britain in the 1992 and 2000 Olympic Games. Whilst training for the Olympics, he achieved a First-Class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
Russell says...
“Every time you mess up, this book high-fives you. Failure’s not the opposite of success, it’s the prequel.”
You're Dead To Me – BBC Sounds
What is it about? This is a comedy podcast that takes history seriously.
What topics does it cover? It covers everything from royals to revolutionaries, actors to activists and divas to dictators. It’s not just telling the story of what happened; they dive into the political complexities of the time, looking into topics like gender, class and culture.
Does it feature expert guests or interviews? Yes, every week the host, Greg Jenner, is joined by comedians and expert historians. They’ve had comedians like Taskmaster winner Sophie Duker, Off Menu host Ed Gamble and BAFTA award winning comedian David Mitchell.
How long are each episode? They range in length depending on the episode, usually from 28 to 57 minutes.
How often do they release new episodes? Mondays and Saturdays live on BBC Radio 4, or catch up on BBC sounds.
Russell says...
“It’s history, but funny. Like Horrible Histories grew up and got a PhD in sass.”
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (Audiobook) 15+
What is it about? This is a tragic tale of a young woman, stuck in a monotonous marriage, eager for excitement and grandeur, she leaves her provincial life to pursue a series of passionate and materialistic endeavours. These ultimately lead to her despair.
What genre is it? Fiction, romance and classic literature.
Who is the author? Gustave Flaubert. He caused a scandal throughout France in 1857 with the release of this novel. The author and the printer were sent to trial for insulting public morals and offending decent manners.
Russell says...
It’s “teen angst, boredom, bad decisions- Emma Bovary walked so every moody TikTok queen could run.”
The Village Effect by Susan Pinker (Audiobook)
What is it about? It combines studies in social neuroscience, with real-life case studies - it explores the idea that face-to-face contact is essential for learning, happiness, resilience and longevity. It puts forward that this type of contact is significant to every aspect of a person’s life, to everyone’s life across the world.
What genre is it? Non-fiction, psychology.
Who is the author?Susan Pinker is an award winning writer and developmental psychologist who has spent 25 years in clinical practice and teaching psychology.
Russell says...
This book “explains why your Gran’s street gossip might be more powerful than Wi-Fi. Connection isn’t just digital, babes.”
This was published in September 2025
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