Can you insulate your home for less than £100?

With winter setting in listener Robin got in touch with Sliced Bread to find out if there's a way he can insulate his very old, very cold Victorian house on a budget. He's seen plastic films that go over the windows and silver foil-type backings that go behind the radiators. Do any of them work to keep the cold out and more of that precious heat in? And what about other solutions like thick curtains or blinds - can they be effective?

Greg is joined in the studio by listener Robin and expert David Farmer from the Energy House in Salford - a bespoke replica terraced house built in a warehouse which can recreate a range of weather conditions, from snowstorms to balmy summer days!

And as always, all of our investigations start with YOUR suggestions. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at [email protected] OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.

PRESENTER: GREG FOOT

The team has gone through over 100 episodes of Sliced Bread, and carved out five popular products that may well be heading down a chimney to you this Christmas.

Greg Foot will share with you the key points from experts we’ve spoken to on Air Fryers, Mascara, Perfume, Running Shoes, and DNA Ancestry Tests - as well as their conclusions in one handy festive slice! We’ve also updated some of the topics too. (The information in this episode was correct at the time of recording.)

And as always, all of our investigations start with YOUR suggestions. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at [email protected] OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.

PRESENTER: GREG FOOT

Can wonder products halt hair loss and grow back luscious locks?

We're back with a new series of Sliced Bread and a fresh batch of investigations into your suggested wonder products. First up this time are lotions and pills that promise to stop hair loss - and even grow it back. For this episode Greg is joined at our Salford studios by two listeners, Ian and Kimberley.

Ian got in touch about two products he's seen - Minoxidil and Finasteride - which he hopes can help with male pattern baldness. And listener Kimberley is keen to know whether there's anything she can do about hair loss which is caused by menopause. To get the answers Greg speaks to one of the most cited researchers in the hair loss world - Ralf Paus - as they deep-dive into the studies to separate the science fact from the marketing claims.

As ever this series it's YOUR suggestions that are the start of all our investigations. If you've seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at [email protected] OR send a voicenote to our WhatsApp number 07543 306807

PRESENTER: Greg Foot

The mobile phone retailer, Phones 4u, was hugely profitable, so why did it have to close all of its 700+ shops?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington and the entrepreneur, Sam White discover how Phones 4u ended up toast with help from expert guests including:

John Caudwell - Phones 4u founder

Nikki Barrow & Chris Papageorgiou - former Phones 4u staff members

Ian White - editor of Mobile News magazine

Produced by Jon Douglas. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

You can email the programme at [email protected]

Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.

Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in December, where Greg Foot investigates so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread. In the meantime, Toast is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds

Dan-Air was one of Britain's biggest airlines and took millions of people on their first package holidays.

So, why did such a successful business end up 'toast'?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, and the entrepreneur, Sam White look into it.

They are joined by:

-Graham Simons - Dan-Air historian and author of the book 'The Spirit of Dan-Air'

-Jackie Stacey & James Hoffmeister - former Dan-Air cabin crew

Produced by Jon Douglas. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

You can email the programme at [email protected]

Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.

Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in December, where Greg Foot investigates so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread. In the meantime, Toast is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds

Our Price Records was one of Britain's biggest music retailers offering cut-price albums at over 300 local high street stores. So, why did the chain disappear even before the internet transformed the music industry?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, and the entrepreneur, Sam White, examine the retailer's fortunes.

How did it manage to become so successful? And why did it end up 'toast'?

The pair are joined by expert guests including:

-Neil Boote - former commercial director at Virgin Our Price

Produced by Jon Douglas. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

You can email the programme at [email protected]

Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.

Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in December, where Greg Foot investigates so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread. In the meantime, Toast is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds

Kodak made photography mainstream so why did it falter in a digital age?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, discovers how Kodak rose to become a massive global enterprise best known for its cameras and film.

Alongside him is the serial entrepreneur, Sam White, ready to offer her opinions on the business's fortunes.

Kodak is still trading profitably but is now a much smaller business than it once was.

Sean and Sam hear from expert guests including:

Kamal Munir - Professor of Strategy & Policy at Cambridge Judge Business School which is part of the University of Cambridge

Don Strickland - Kodak's former Vice President of Digital Imaging

Paul O'Sullivan - who runs a film processing business in London

Andrew Long - who worked in Kodak's consumer products division in the UK.

Produced by Jon Douglas. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

You can email the programme at [email protected]

Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.

Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in December, where Greg Foot investigates so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread. In the meantime, Toast is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds.

Why did we lose Reader's Digest magazine when it is still going in America?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, discovers what happened to the brand which started over a hundred years ago and became the most widely read magazine in the world.

Alongside him is the serial entrepreneur, Sam White, ready to offer her opinions on the business's fortunes.

How did a magazine which pinched articles from other publications become so successful? And why did it end up toast in the UK?

Sean speaks to:

Produced by Jon Douglas. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

You can email the programme at [email protected]

Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.

Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in December, where Greg Foot investigates so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread. In the meantime, Toast is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds.

Listener Liz has recently switched to a coffee pod machine, that promises to deliver her a quick, convenient and delicious cup of coffee when she wants at the touch of a button. But she started to wonder about how the pods can be recycled, and whether her decision to swap to them had a greater impact on the environment?

Greg Foot ‘filters’ through the research on coffee’s carbon footprint alongside two experts, to find out where pods fall. He tastes the difference between a few different brewing methods, finds out how easy it is to recycle our pods, and what effect recycling them (or not) can have on their environmental impact. (The information in this episode was accurate at the time of recording.)

All our investigations start with YOUR suggestions. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at [email protected] OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number 07543 306807.

PRESENTER: GREG FOOT

Do we really need all those cleaning sprays?

Have a peek in anyone’s cupboard under the sink (ask first or it can get a bit weird) and you’re bound to find a clutch of cleaning sprays and products. The marketing often says they’re designed for certain rooms and do specific jobs.

But listener Alice wants to know if we really need different sprays for our bathrooms and kitchens. Will soap and water do the same job, and what about supermarket own-brand products? She’s also keen to know about the cleaning properties of natural products like vinegar…and what about the concentrated versions that allow you to add your own water?

Greg and Alice are joined by Dr Sally Bloomfield from the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene, as well as TV’s ‘Queen of Clean’, Lynsey Crombie, to run the science through the evidence mill.

All our investigations start with YOUR suggestions. If you've seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at [email protected] OR send a voicenote to our WhatsApp number 07543 306807

PRESENTER: GREG FOOT