BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Saturday 20 December 2025

Schedule

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Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—20/12/2025
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  Artworks—When I Met Jane Austen, Colm Tóibín on Persuasion, the Navy, and a special letter
  9/10Writers and thinkers tell Dr Paula Byrne when they met Jane Austen. Today, Colm Tóibín.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—20/12/2025
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—20/12/2025
  A selection of BBC World Service news and current affairs, arts and science programmes.
5. 05:30
  News Summary—20/12/2025
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—20/12/2025
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
7. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—20/12/2025
  Spiritual reflection with Fiona Stewart, a writer who runs a Christian arts charity.
8. 05:45
  You're Dead to Me—Dead Funny History, Ramesses the Great
  Ancient Egypt’s big king, big statues, big laughs. Presented by Greg Jenner.
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Morning
1. 06:00
  News and Papers—20/12/2025
  The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
2. 06:07
  This Natural Life—Dara McAnulty
  Martha Kearney meets the young naturalist at Murlough Nature Reserve in County Down.
3. 06:30
  Farming Today—20/12/25 Farming review, cheap veg, historic buildings
  Farming review, cheap veg, historic buildings.
4. 06:57
  Weather—20/12/2025
  The latest weather reports and forecast
5. 07:00
  Today—20/12/2025
  Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
6. 09:00
  Saturday Live—A Christmas Games Special
  Mike Bubbins joins Adrian for stories from players, creators and collectors of games.
7. 10:00
  Curious Cases—Series 24, Mining for Gold (GOLD!)
  12/13Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain go prospecting for answers about how much gold we've mined.
8. 10:30
  The Kitchen Cabinet—Series 50, Christmas Special
  6/6Jay Rayner and the panel are in London answering questions from an audience of home cooks.
9. 11:00
  The Week in Westminster—20/12/2025
  Ben Wright presents a special programme looking back at the year in British politics.
10. 11:30
  From Our Own Correspondent—Ukraine's defiant stand in Pokrovsk
  Ukraine's soldiers resist Russia's relentless advance in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region
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Afternoon
1. 12:00
  News Summary—20/12/2025
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  Money Box—Mortgages, Silver Marriages and Warren Buffett
  How will this week's rate cut by the Bank of England affect mortgages?
3. 12:30
  Dead Ringers—Christmas Specials 2025, A Very Kemi Christmas and a Lammy New Year
  2/2The Dead Ringers team are back to train their festive firepower on the week’s news.
4. 12:57
  Weather—20/12/2025
  The latest weather forecast
5. 13:00
  News—20/12/2025
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 13:10
  Any Questions?—Dame Harriett Baldwin MP, Michael Crick, Lord Purvis, Karin Smyth MP
  Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Areley Kings Village Hall in Worcestershire.
7. 14:05
  Any Answers?—20/12/2025
  Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?
8. 14:45
  The Archers—19/12/2025
  The Archers come together for the festive season.
9. 15:00
  Opening Lines—Sense and Sensibility - Episode One
  John Yorke explores Jane Austen’s influential novel, Sense and Sensibility.
10. 15:15
  Drama on 4—Sense and Sensibility, Part 1
  1/2Austen’s tale of two sisters with wildly different hearts. Starring Tamsin Greig.
11. 16:15
  Woman's Hour—Weekend Woman's Hour: Violence against women and girls, Kate Hudson, Female tribute bands
  We look at the government's violence against women and girls strategy.
12. 17:00
  PM—US strikes hit Islamic State in Syria
  We assess the global reach of the Islamic State group.
13. 17:30
  Sliced Bread—Toast - Farepak's Christmas Hampers
  What led to the collapse of the Christmas savings club Farepak?
14. 17:54
  Shipping Forecast—20/12/2025
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
15. 17:57
  Weather—20/12/2025
  The latest weather reports and forecast
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Evening
1. 18:00
  Six O'Clock News—More questions about Andrew Mountbatten Windor's links to Jeffrey Epstein
  US authorities release a photo of the former Prince lying across some women's laps
2. 18:15
  Loose Ends—Gyles Brandreth, Carrie Grant, Simon Evans, Lisa Faulkner, The Unthanks
  Stuart Maconie presents a special Christmas edition from the BBC Philharmonic studio.
3. 19:00
  Profile—Mary Berry
  The former Bake Off judge and queen of Christmas.
4. 19:15
  The Infinite Monkey Cage—Series 34, Monkey Business - Robin Dunbar, Dave Gorman and Jo Setchell
  Robin Ince and Brian Cox go bananas for our monkiest episode yet, all about primate love.
5. 20:00
  Archive on 4—A Ghost Story for Christmas
  Katherine Rundell unearths the Christmas ghost story.
6. 21:00
  Moral Maze—What's the bigger threat to Europe: "cultural erasure", or far-right populism?
  Live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories.
7. 22:00
  News—20/12/2025
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
8. 22:15
  The Food Programme—Dates: A User's Guide
  Dan Saladino finds out how the date became one of the most revered cultivated fruits
9. 23:00
  Time of the Week—Series 2, 1. Wives, Ankles, Underwear
  1/4Chloe Slack returns with a new series of the women’s current affairs show all about women.
10. 23:30
  Punt & Dennis: Route Masters—Series 1: From Beer to Eternity, 8 – From Motown to Ed Sheeran
  8/10Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis wander between Motown and Ed Sheeran with Mark Billingham.
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Late
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—21/12/2025
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:15
  Take Four Books—Salman Rushdie
  On his new collection of short fiction and its connections to three other literary works.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—21/12/2025
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—21/12/2025
  A selection of BBC World Service news and current affairs, arts and science programmes.
5. 05:30
  News Summary—21/12/2025
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—21/12/2025
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
7. 05:43
  Bells on Sunday—The church of St John the Baptist in Mathon, Herefordshire
  Bells on Sunday comes from the church of St John the Baptist in Mathon, Herefordshire.
8. 05:45
  In Touch—A Visually Impaired Figure Skater, Navigating a New EU Border System
  A visually impaired figure skater tells In Touch about the sport she loves.

Sunday 21 December 2025