Best BBC Podcasts (2025)

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Lives Less Ordinary

BBC World Service

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Have you ever locked eyes with a stranger and wondered, "What’s their story?" Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Extraordinary stories from around the world.
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BBC

BBC

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The BBC is the largest broadcasting organisation in the world. Its mission is to enrich people's lives with programmes that inform, educate and entertain. BBC World Service broadcasts to the world on radio, on TV and online, providing news and information in 32 languages.
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Unexpected Elements

BBC World Service

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The news you know, the science you don’t. Unexpected Elements looks beyond everyday narratives to discover a goldmine of scientific stories and connections from around the globe. From Afronauts, to why we argue, to a deep dive on animal lifespans: see the world in a new way.
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Uncanny

BBC Radio 4

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From ghostly phantoms to UFOs, Danny Robins investigates real-life stories of paranormal encounters. So, are you Team Believer or Team Sceptic? Written and presented by Danny Robins Editor and Sound Designer: Charlie Brandon-King Music: Evelyn Sykes Theme Music by Lanterns on the Lake Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
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Scotcast

BBC Radio Scotland

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The BBC's Scottish news podcast, hosted by Martin Geissler. Conversation with trusted journalists and experts about the country's biggest stories.
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Global News Podcast

BBC World Service

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The day’s top stories from BBC News. Keeping you informed on the important global events, including the latest on US politics and developments in Ukraine and Gaza. Delivered twice a day at weekends, daily at weekends. Follow or subscribe, so you never miss an episode. Also listen to The Happy Pod, every Saturday, for the happiest stories of the week. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
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Learning English Grammar

BBC Radio

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Learn English grammar with these short programmes. Each episode explores a new piece of grammar you need to improve your English. Find more at bbclearningenglish.com Follow us at bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus
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Americast

BBC News

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Americast is the authoritative US news and politics podcast from the BBC. Each week we provide audiences with the best analysis from across the BBC, with on-the-ground observations and big picture insights about the stories which are defining America right now. The podcast is hosted by trusted BBC journalists including the BBC’s North America editor, Sarah Smith, BBC Radio 4 presenter, Justin Webb, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, Marianna Spring, and BBC North Americ ...
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Young Again

BBC Radio 4

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Kirsty Young asks fascinating people what advice they would give their younger self. Authors, artists, actors and film-makers are among those revisiting the moments that made them.
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The Documentary Podcast

BBC World Service

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A window into our world, through in-depth storytelling from the BBC. Investigating, reporting and uncovering true stories from everywhere. Award-winning journalism, unheard voices, amazing culture and global issues. From Syria after Assad to rebuilding Ukraine, to how AI changed our lives, The Documentary investigates major global stories. We delve into social media, take you into the minds of the world’s most creative people and explore personal approaches to spirituality. Every week, we al ...
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The village of sex offenders 29:02

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Set among endless sugar-cane fields in a remote part of southern Florida, Restoration Destination is a community made up of registered sex offenders. Created by a Christian ministry as a response to state laws which ban them from living close to where children gather, it is now home to more than 100 men who have been placed on Florida’s sex offende…
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BBC OS Conversations: Three months after the fall of Assad 23:06

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After 13 years of civil war, a transitional government is now in charge in Syria, led by interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the Islamist rebel group – Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS. Syria is home to many different religious and ethnic groups and some fear that more conservative members of HTS could influence government policy. Nor is th…
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The News Quiz: Ep8. Mr. Starmer Goes To Washington 28:53

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Andy Zaltzman is joined by Scott Bennett, Sara Barron, Alex Massie and Lucy Porter for The News Quiz recorded from Scarborough. In the last of the current series, the panel unpack the Prime Minister's Washington visit, aid cuts and defence pastes, silent albums and AI-generated essays. Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material by: Simon Al…
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Trump tariffs stir up global retaliation 48:08

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The Canadian government says it will follow ‘dollar-by-dollar’ approach and institute 25% tariffs on US imports. This comes after the EU announced its own tariffs on US goods. President Trump says "whatever they charge us with, we're charging them". Rahul Tandon speaks to EU, Canadian and US businesses. Spotify paid out a record £7.7 billion to the…
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The village of sex offenders 29:02

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Set among endless sugar-cane fields in a remote part of southern Florida, Restoration Destination is a community made up of registered sex offenders. Created by a Christian ministry as a response to state laws which ban them from living close to where children gather, it is now home to more than 100 men who have been placed on Florida’s sex offende…
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The village of sex offenders 26:38

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Set among endless sugar-cane fields in a remote part of southern Florida, Restoration Destination is a community made up of registered sex offenders. Created by a Christian ministry as a response to state laws which ban them from living close to where children gather, it is now home to more than 100 men who have been placed on Florida’s sex offende…
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Business Daily meets: Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki 17:25

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The international gaming giant has more than 80 million daily users, and is hugely popular with children. It was started by Dave Baszucki and Erik Cassel, and Dave Baszucki is now CEO. In his first ever BBC interview, he tells us about developing the game, the struggle to monetize it, and concerns over child safety - Mr Baszucki insists Roblox is v…
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Can Germany's ailing economy get back on track? 18:30

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Dr Joachim Nagel isn't just Germany's chief central banker, he's one of the most powerful economic policy-makers in Europe. In this exclusive interview, he tells Business Daily how he thinks Germany, and the European Union as a whole, should be responding to a time of unprecedented economic peril. It's a shaky time for the world's third-largest eco…
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What is driving the rise in benefits claimants? 37:35

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Some Labour MPs have voiced concerns about government plans to reduce the number of people claiming benefits. We explore what’s behind the rise in benefits claims and speak to a psychiatrist about the danger of “overdiagnosis”. Vladimir Putin has paid a rare visit to a military outpost in Kursk as Russian forces reclaimed much of the territory held…
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Tariffs: The EU and Canada retaliate 26:27

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The Canadian government says it will follow ‘dollar-by-dollar’ approach and institute 25% tariffs on US imports. This comes after the EU announced its own tariffs on US goods. President Trump says "whatever they charge us with, we're charging them". So what do EU, Canadian and US businesses think? Rahul Tandon finds out.…
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Trump on Ukraine ceasefire: US negotiators travel to Moscow 47:59

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Donald Trump has confirmed that US officials are travelling to Russia, to discuss a proposed 30 day ceasefire with Ukraine. Kyiv accepted the proposals during a meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, led by the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. Mr Trump said an agreement from Moscow would go "eighty per cent" towards ending what he described as "a b…
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Trump on Ukraine ceasefire: US negotiators travel to Moscow 46:23

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Donald Trump has confirmed that US officials are travelling to Russia, to discuss a proposed 30 day ceasefire with Ukraine. Kyiv accepted the proposals during a meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, led by the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. Mr Trump said an agreement from Moscow would go "eighty per cent" towards ending what he described as "a b…
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Measles spreads in Americas 26:29

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The Americas are in danger of losing their measles elimination status as the disease spreads due to under vaccination. Also on the show, a study finds that continuous glucose monitors may be overestimating blood sugar levels in healthy adults. And it’s been ten years since Brazil experienced and epidemic of microcephaly due to the Zika virus. What …
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DOGE, apples and irregular migrants 28:37

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It’s been 12 weeks since President Trump announced the formation of DOGE, the so-called department of Government efficiency. We fact-check various claims connected with the drive to route out inefficiency. Listeners asked us to investigate the claim that 1 in 12 Londoners is an illegal immigrant. We look into the claim that imported New Zealand app…
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Can Donald Trump afford a trade war with Canada? 24:57

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The world is bracing itself as Donald Trump enacts his global tariffs. As the president begins to enforce them upon the rest of the world, the Americast team assemble to ask whether Trump’s bet on tariffs might be a bad deal for the US. How have the markets reacted, and does Trump actually care? Plus, why has Donald Trump bought a Tesla even though…
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Sturgeon quits parliament 29:42

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Nicola Sturgeon has announced she is standing down as an MSP after more than a quarter of a century. We ask her former spokesperson Stuart Nicolson and the BBC’s Glenn Campbell what the former First Minister and SNP leader was really like. And we reflect on her leadership during the Covid pandemic, her independence strategy, the gender reform debat…
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South Africa’s budget deadlock: Treasury proposes smaller VAT hike 26:28

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South Africa’s National Treasury has presented a revised budget that includes a smaller increase in value-added tax. The move is aimed at breaking the deadlock within the coalition government after disagreements led to the postponement of last month’s budget—the first delay of its kind in 30 years. Also on the programme, the trade war heats up in E…
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South Africa’s budget deadlock: Treasury proposes smaller VAT hike 26:28

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South Africa’s National Treasury has presented a revised budget that includes a smaller increase in value-added tax. The move is aimed at breaking the deadlock within the coalition government after disagreements led to the postponement of last month’s budget—the first delay of its kind in 30 years. Also on the programme, the trade war heats up in E…
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What’s causing insecurity in South Sudan? 28:39

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South Sudan’s unity government, led by President Salva Kiir with former rebel leader, Riek Machar as First Vice President, is facing mounting tensions, and clashes between forces allied to the president and first vice president are threatening a fragile power-sharing agreement. Could the young nation be heading towards a new civil war? For the firs…
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Ukraine accepts US proposals for an initial ceasefire 48:56

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The US will speak to Russia today about the plan for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war, its top dplomat Marco Rubio says. He said "the ball is now in Russia's court" after Ukraine accepted American proposals for an initial ceasefire. Earlier, Russia said it would wait to be briefed by American officials before commenting - and that it was "studying st…
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Ukraine accepts US proposals for an initial ceasefire 47:21

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The US will speak to Russia today about the plan for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war, its top dplomat Marco Rubio says. He said "the ball is now in Russia's court" after Ukraine accepted American proposals for an initial ceasefire. Earlier, Russia said it would wait to be briefed by American officials before commenting - and that it was "studying st…
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English in a Minute: Verbs to use with 'answer' 1:11

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An answer is a response to a question or a problem, and there are many ways we can talk about it. Learn which verbs you’re likely to hear with it. TRANSCRIPT Find a free transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/english_in_a_minute FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:…
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English in a Minute: Verbs to use with 'answer' 1:11

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An answer is a response to a question or a problem, and there are many ways we can talk about it. Learn which verbs you’re likely to hear with it. TRANSCRIPT Find a free transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/english_in_a_minute FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE:…
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Rebalancing the Grid: Female Drivers in F1 1:23:32

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When will we next see a female driver in Formula One? Eleanor Oldroyd is joined by former F3 driver Alice Powell and BBC reporter Charlotte Simpson to examine why there aren’t any female drivers currently at the sport’s elite level. They look at the existing programmes designed to boost the number of female drivers and ask what more can be done. Le…
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Woolly mice: Are woolly mammoths next? 8:45

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After creating woolly mice, researchers plan to create genetically-altered, mammoth-like elephants in the future. Find full subtitles and a worksheet for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-from-the-news_2025/250312 FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learni…
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Back At Base S2: 8. The Search For Perfection 45:19

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In the desert kingdom of Abu Dhabi, the sun is about to set on a record-breaking Formula 1 season. After an intense battle across 23 races, just one will now decide which team will be crowned World Champions. Formula 1’s oldest rivals, McLaren and Ferrari are, once again, pitted against one another in a title fight. The Scuderia have 31 titles and …
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Tariffs: A rollercoaster of on-and-off decisions 49:27

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Canada and the United States have each backtracked on some tariff threats amid further trade turmoil. But America still plans a 25% tariff on Canadian steel and aluminium imports on Wednesday. As the world awaits to hear if Russia will agree on a ceasefire, we hear what it could mean for Ukraine’s economy. Why is China's president pushing for the c…
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Money Box Live: How to Retire Well 30:04

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We all dream about what we will do when we don't have to work anymore. The perfect retirement looks different for everyone, from travelling the world and luxury holidays to spending more time with family and friends, but the cost of stopping work can be bit of a wake-up call. In this Money Box Live we'll look at how to make the most of the savings …
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The internet’s memory problem 17:27

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The internet is where much of our modern cultural, societal and political history is stored, but as researchers are discovering, the internet has a big memory problem. Without businesses paying to keep servers and archives up, more and more of our history online is disappearing forever. We take a look at what this so called 'link rot' means for our…
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Tariffs, threats and backtracking 26:29

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Canada and the United States have each backtracked on some tariff threats amid further trade turmoil. But America still plans a 25% tariff on Canadian steel and aluminium imports on Wednesday. We hear what a ceasefire could mean for Ukraine’s economy. And, as Manchester United plans to build a $2 billion stadium, Rahul Tandon asks can they afford i…
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Tariffs, threats and backtracking 30:21

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Canada and the United States have each backtracked on some tariff threats amid further trade turmoil. But America still plans a 25% tariff on Canadian steel and aluminium imports on Wednesday. We hear what a ceasefire could mean for Ukraine’s economy. And, as Manchester United plans to build a $2 billion stadium, Rahul Tandon asks can they afford i…
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Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire 37:47

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The US says it will restore military and intelligence aid to Kyiv - in exchange for a 30-day pause in the fighting. We have reaction from Ukraine - and ask how Russia will respond. Also tonight: The prime minister has vowed to reform the "indefensible" welfare system. But can he overcome opposition to benefit cuts from his own MPs? And archaeologis…
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US: The ball is now in Russia's court 48:50

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Ukraine has backed a US proposal for a 30 day ceasefire in the war with Russia, subject to the agreement of Moscow. The announcement follows eight hours of talks between Ukrainian and US delegations in Saudi Arabia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (who wasn't at the talks) said the proposal included a truce along the entire front line, not j…
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US: The ball is now in Russia's court 47:29

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Ukraine has backed a US proposal for a 30 day ceasefire in the war with Russia, subject to the agreement of Moscow. The announcement follows eight hours of talks between Ukrainian and US delegations in Saudi Arabia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (who wasn't at the talks) said the proposal included a truce along the entire front line, not j…
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Can weight-loss jabs save the NHS? 28:41

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"Ozempic" has become shorthand for a variety of injections that lead to quick weight loss. What was previously the preserve of Hollywood’s elite is now widely available. So could “skinny jabs” save our struggling NHS? We speak to Professor Naveed Sattar, chair of the UK Government’s Obesity Mission, and the BBC's Lisa Summers. Scotcast is the BBC’s…
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