Radical with Amol Rajan

BBC Radio 4
  • 5.0 (13)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Conversations about tomorrow, from Today. Every week Today programme presenter Amol Rajan talks to radicals, pioneers and innovators from all over the world. From populism and climate change, to economics and AI... How can their radical ideas help you win the future? As well as presenting Today on BBC Radio 4, Amol is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that he was the BBC's media editor and editor of The Independent. Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are published on Thursdays on BBC Sounds. You can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today podcast. If you enjoy this (and you've read this far so hopefully you do), then we think you’ll also like another podcast from Today. It’s called Political Thinking with Nick Robinson and you can listen to Nick’s interviews here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p04z203l

  1. Are You In A Social Media Echo Chamber? (Your Radical Questions with Louisa Munch)

    1D AGO

    Are You In A Social Media Echo Chamber? (Your Radical Questions with Louisa Munch)

    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. GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan 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 Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Gareth Jones and Dafydd Evans. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

    24 min

  2. 5D AGO

    Knowledge and Nostalgia: Why a University Education Should Be Free (Louisa Munch)

    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 narratives about the past. She also reflects on why people of her generation feel disillusioned and what can be done to give them some hope for the future. (00:05:04) What is critical theory? (00:06:06) Why she believes university should be free (00:12:50) University as a meritocracy (00:18:45) Is student debt worth it? (00:22:06) Thoughts on class divide (00:26:23) Nostalgia and the far right (00:37:28) Disenchantment about the future (00:43:32) Nostalgia in contemporary politics (00:47:30) Louisa's RADICAL ideas (00:49:08) Political movements of the next generation GET IN TOUCH: * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan 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 Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Gareth Jones and Dafydd Evans. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

    1h 3m
  3. Can Donald Trump Be Compared To Julius Caesar? (Your Radical Questions with Tom Holland)

    JAN 5

    Can Donald Trump Be Compared To Julius Caesar? (Your Radical Questions with Tom Holland)

    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. GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan 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 Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis and Joe Wilkinson. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

    22 min

  4. JAN 1

    Radical History: Greek Gods, Roman Emperors and Religion (with Tom Holland from The Rest Is History)

    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 success of The Rest Is History, which he presents with fellow historian Dominic Sandbrook. GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan 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 Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis, Sophie Millward and Joe Wilkinson. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

    53 min

  5. 12/23/2025

    Radical Essay: How Is Technology Changing Our Lives? (A 2025 Review)

    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. GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan 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 Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

    33 min
  6. What Do You Think About AI Using Your Writing? (Your Radical Questions with Naomi Alderman)

    12/22/2025

    What Do You Think About AI Using Your Writing? (Your Radical Questions with Naomi Alderman)

    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. GET IN TOUCH: * 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 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 Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by James Piper. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

    25 min

  7. 12/18/2025

    Information Crisis: Why Social Media Bans Aren't The Answer (Naomi Alderman)

    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 suggests new laws to regulate the online world and potentially even a “checked internet” like Wikipedia, which is home to verified facts rather than misinformation. But at the heart of her argument is the need to prioritise real world, human connection and resist the urge to move everything online. Naomi also tells Amol how therapy has helped her and why she’s written her first non-fiction book after a series of successful novels. (00:03:23) What is the third information crisis? (00:08:01) Why the invention of the printing press caused the Reformation (00:10:40) Challenges of an information crisis (00:12:40) The transition to literature (00:16:30) The pros and cons of smartphones (00:20:30) The origins of writing and how that changed human connection (00:24:10) Collective thinking and decision making (00:26:30) What is social media doing to our minds? (00:29:06) Naomi’s radical ideas (00:39:28) Hope for the future (00:42:30) Scepticism about AI (00:49:40) Digital ID (00:51:29) Is this making it better or worse to be human? (00:55:10) The importance of therapy and becoming reconciled with the events of her life (01:00:00) What’s next for Naomi Alderman? (01:02:09) Amol’s reflections GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan 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 Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by James Piper. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

    1h 6m
  8. Should School Meals Be Plant-Based? (Your Radical Questions with Jamie Oliver)

    12/15/2025

    Should School Meals Be Plant-Based? (Your Radical Questions with Jamie Oliver)

    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? GET IN TOUCH: * 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 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 Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

    24 min
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Hosts & Guests

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Conversations about tomorrow, from Today. Every week Today programme presenter Amol Rajan talks to radicals, pioneers and innovators from all over the world. From populism and climate change, to economics and AI... How can their radical ideas help you win the future? As well as presenting Today on BBC Radio 4, Amol is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that he was the BBC's media editor and editor of The Independent. Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are published on Thursdays on BBC Sounds. You can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today podcast. If you enjoy this (and you've read this far so hopefully you do), then we think you’ll also like another podcast from Today. It’s called Political Thinking with Nick Robinson and you can listen to Nick’s interviews here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p04z203l

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    173
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    Radical with Amol Rajan

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