More children are being convicted of crime and our prisons are nearly at capacity. But Steve Chalke thinks he has a solution.

The founder of the Oasis Charitable Trust, which runs a chain of academies and the UK’s first secure school, works closely with children who have committed the worst crimes. He advocates for radically changing our schools, the education system, and how we rehabilitate our young offenders.

Amol and Steve also talk about their shared background, the crisis of masculinity, and how a rejection at the age of 14 lead him to where he is today.

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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 Izzy Rowley. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Leading historian Professor Sir Niall Ferguson explains how patterns from the past can help us understand the future.

Amol and Sir Niall discuss the tensions in the Middle East and why he thinks Israel’s strikes on Iran are a victory for the West. They also explore the idea that we're in a new Cold War.

And Sir Niall explains why Britain needs a leader like Argentina’s Javier Milei rather than Donald Trump.

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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 Grace Reeve. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davies. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Feminist campaigner Laura Bates has fought for women's safety for over a decade. But now her battle against misogyny moved online.

She tells Amol how social media platforms are fuelling hatred against women, with algorithms promoting increasingly extreme content.

The popularity of figures like Andrew Tate, whose videos are widely available, and offensive material is being pushed to teenage boys and young men, even if they don't seek it out.

So how can it be stopped? What responsibility do the big tech companies have in combating this problem? How can they be held accountable? And what is it doing to society if young men are being radicalised in this way?

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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 Grace Reeve and Lucy Pawle. Digital production was by David Kaplowitz and Sophie Millward. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Conversations about tomorrow, from Today.

Every week 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?

Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan will be published on Thursdays on BBC Sounds starting on 12th June 2025. It will also be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Thursdays at 11pm. Visualised versions of the podcast will also be available on BBC iPlayer and YouTube.

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.

The creator of The Thick of It and Veep discusses the rise of populism and the evolution of political language.

And Nick compares Amol to Billie Piper in Dr Who as they announce some news about The Today Podcast regenerating into not one, but two podcasts.

Radical with Amol Rajan will be available on this feed, so make sure you hit subscribe on BBC Sounds to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson is available here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p04z203l

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC?s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC?s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

This episode was made by Lewis Vickers with Izzy Rowley and David Pittam. Digital production was by Izzy Rowley. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Over half term this week Radio 4’s Today is conducting an exciting experiment: asking teenagers to abandon their smartphones for a week.

On the podcast Amol discusses the monumental impact the smartphone has had on our lives and what the future of the smartphone might be with Professor Jim Ang, an expert in Human-Computer interaction, and digital regulation campaigner Baroness Beeban Kidron.

Amol also takes a moment to pay tribute to his friend, former BBC executive Alan Yentob, who died last weekend.

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you hit subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

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* Send us a message or a voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge.

Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

This episode was made by Tom Smithard with Izzy Rowley. Digital production was by Izzy Rowley. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

It’s the end of an era for Match of the Day – with Gary Lineker hosting for the final time after 25 years in the hot seat. He will now leave the BBC a year earlier than expected in the wake of an antisemitism row.

Why does Eurovision find itself at the centre of political controversy when it’s supposed to be non-political?

This year, Israel’s participation has been questioned because of its role in the war in Gaza whilst Israeli fans have been warned by their country's National Security Council not to wear Jewish or Israeli symbols while attending Eurovision.

Amol is joined by Times columnist (and Eurovision superfan) Fraser Nelson and Dr Dean Vuletic who is a leading Eurovision historian to discuss the politics of the song contest through the years. (1:39)

Fraser also gives his assessment of the state of Kemi Badenoch’s Conservative party and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK after the recent local elections in England. (28:36)

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you hit subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

GET IN TOUCH:

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

This episode was made by Lewis Vickers with Izzy Rowley. Digital production was by Izzy Rowley. The technical producer was James Piper. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

On the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Amol and Nick discuss what President Biden told Nick in his first interview since leaving office.

They’re also joined by Professor Lucy Noakes, author of The People’s Victory, and Professor Jason Arday, whose work focuses on inequality, race and education, to talk about how we remember World War Two as the wartime generation dwindles and the politics of nostalgia.

And Nick and Amol enjoy a vintage Today programme theme song.

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you hit subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

GET IN TOUCH:

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

This episode was made by Lewis Vickers with Izzy Rowley. Digital production was by Izzy Rowley. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Kim Jong Un has confirmed for the first time that North Korean troops have been fighting in Russia against Ukraine.

Amol and Nick catch up with Today presenter Anna Foster who is in Ukraine to find out about the reporting she has been doing (3:00).

They also speak to Edward Howell, a fellow at Chatham House’s Korea Foundation and lecturer at Oxford University, to discuss the significance of North Korea's admission and whether Donald Trump could rekindle his relationship with Kim Jong Un (16:16).

And Nick reveals that he once took part in a yo-yoing record attempt (32:35).

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you hit subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

GET IN TOUCH:

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

This episode was made by Lewis Vickers with Izzy Rowley. Digital production was by Izzy Rowley. The technical producer was Antonio Fernandes. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.