

Evil Genius with Russell Kane
BBC Sounds
It’s good, bad, ugly - and very very funny. Changing the way we see heroes and villains in history.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 13, 2025 • 2min
Welcome to Evil Animals...
Join comedian Russell Kane for Evil Animals. The feral sibling of Evil Genius.Russell is joined by special guests: comedian Laura Smyth, zoologist Jules Howard, comedian Ola Labib and Principal Curator of Diptera at the Natural History Museum, Erica McAlister.Hosted by Russell Kane
Additional material by: Eve Delaney & Christina Riggs
Researcher: Catherine Beazley
Sound Recordist: Luke Nagy
Digital Editor: Jerry Peal
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls & Liz Tuoy
Producer: Simon NichollsEvil Animals with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios Production for BBC Sounds.

Jul 30, 2025 • 44min
Jackie Kennedy
Rajiv Karia, an observational comedian, joins the lively discussion about Jackie Kennedy's complex legacy. They humorously debate whether she was a stoic icon or a master airbrusher of history. The conversation dives into her balancing act of image management amid a turbulent marriage and her significant influence on JFK’s political life. Karia and the panel explore her resilience through personal challenges, her impactful fashion sense, and her adept reinvention after loss, ultimately pondering if she was a genius in navigating societal expectations.

Jul 23, 2025 • 41min
Nostradamus
Did he predict he'd be a subject on Evil Genius? Did he predict anything at all? Nostradamus is put under the microscope in this week's episode. Was he a mystic with an ability to peer into the future? Or a charlatan who used vague and cryptic language to hedge his bets? Richard Herring, Ola Labib and Pierre Novellie join Russell Kane to find out whether Michel De Nostredame was evil or genius.Additional Material: Eve Delaney
Researcher: Christina Riggs
Sound Editor: Kate Mac
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Paul SmithThe Producer was Gwyn Rhys Davies. Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.

Jul 16, 2025 • 37min
Catherine The Great
Catherine the Great - was she as magnificent as her moniker suggests? Was she a reforming pioneer of a burgeoning empire, or an expansionist who reneged on promises to free the serfs? A radical empowerer of women, or a husband murderer with a proclivity for the equine? Rajiv Karia, Amy Matthews and Ray Badran join Russell Kane in the Russian palace of Evil Genius to find out.Additional Material: Eve Delaney
Researcher: Christina Riggs
Sound Editor: Kate Mac
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Paul SmithThe Producer was Gwyn Rhys Davies. Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.

Jul 9, 2025 • 32min
Florence Nightingale
Was Florence Nightingale a nursing pioneer, or a terror with a spreadsheet? Could the mother of modern nursing really have been a glorified doctor's receptionist from hell? Did her colonial attitudes towards race, and her perpetuation of the idea of 'women's jobs' hold us back as much as her healthcare revolution took us forward? Richard Herring, Ola Labib and Pierre Novellie join Russell Kane as they head to the frontline and find out.Additional Material: Eve Delaney
Researcher: Miriam O’Byrne
Sound Editor: Kate Mac
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Paul SmithThe Producer was Gwyn Rhys Davies. Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.

Jul 2, 2025 • 34min
Marilyn Monroe
Was Marilyn Monroe a genius who beat the system to become a star? Or was she a career driven narcissist who perpetuated the sexism of old Hollywood? And does she have a case to answer for the toxic beauty standards with still live with today. Hannah Platt, Janine Harouni and Tony Hawks join Russell Kane to ask - if we can't handle her at her most evil, then do we deserve her at her most genius?.Additional Material: Eve Delaney
Researcher: Christina Riggs
Sound Editor: Kate Mac
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Paul SmithThe Producer was Gwyn Rhys Davies. Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.

Jun 25, 2025 • 39min
Father of bodybuilding, Joe Weider
Join stand-up powerhouse Jess Fostekew and ex-bouncer turned comic Emmanuel Sonubi as they explore the life of Joe Weider, the father of bodybuilding. They delve into his transformative journey in fitness, highlighting his impact on mainstream culture and iconic figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger. The duo shares hilarious gym fail stories and addresses the darker side of bodybuilding, including issues of body image and toxic masculinity. Their lively debate raises questions about Weider's legacy as either a genius or an opportunist.

Jun 18, 2025 • 41min
Robert Maxwell
Was Robert Maxwell the defiant outsider who came from nothing to join Britain's elite? Or was he a bullying maniac whose power went unchecked? Was he a pioneer in business and politics who was ahead of his time? Or was he a fraud who nicked his employees pensions? And, did the man whose family tragically died in the holocaust actually commit a war crime himself?
Tony Hawks, Janine Harouni and Hannah Platt join Russell Kane in the boardroom of Evil Genius to find out.Additional Material: Eve Delaney
Researcher: Christina Riggs
Sound Editor: Kate Mac
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Paul SmithThe Producer was Gwyn Rhys Davies. Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.
An EcoAudio certified production.

Jun 11, 2025 • 35min
Wicked: Elphaba (The Wicked Witch of the West)
Was she a tyrant in a tall hat — or the original girlboss, defying gravity and public opinion? Was she a product of her environment who experienced prejudice, and even if she was, does that allow her to terrorise Oz? Emmanuel Sonubi, Joe Sutherland and Jess Fostekew join the great and powerful Russell Kane to decide if Elphaba Thropp - The Wicked Witch of the West - is evil or genius.Additional Material: Eve Delaney
Researcher: Christina Riggs
Sound Editor: Kate Mac
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Paul SmithThe Producer was Gwyn Rhys Davies. Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.
An EcoAudio certified production.

Jun 4, 2025 • 41min
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte. Was he a tiny tyrant who ruled with an iron first? Or a military mastermind who revolutionised warfare forever? Russell Kane reads from Napoleon's romantic fiction, tells of his battlefield exploits, and even shocking party trick that left women in tears.
Celya AB, Glenn Moore and Johnny Cochrane join Russell Kane on the battlefield - who will win? Evil, or Genius?Additional Material: Eve Delaney
Researcher: Miriam O’Byrne
Sound Editor: Kate Mac
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Paul SmithThe Producer was Gwyn Rhys Davies. Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.
An EcoAudio certified production.