Comedy of the Week

Join actress Margaret Cabourn-Smith, known for her comedic prowess, as she dives into a wildly entertaining discussion. The topics spiral from workplace hilarity involving insecure employees to whimsical solutions for peculiar odors with the fictional Mulligan's Noseologists. The sketches also tackle resurrected dodos causing a political ruckus in Jersey and critique the absurdities of clinical trials. With playful banter and quirky historical insights, this is a laugh-a-minute exploration of creativity and humor.

Join the antics in Icklewick, a town grappling with absurdity and nostalgia a year after Mischief Night. Chris navigates solo radio chaos, from eccentric callers to bizarre broadcasting dilemmas. Meet an amusingly proud mayor as he shares his outlandish tales of misadventures. Two old colleagues reconnect, mixing lighthearted banter with deeper reflections on life's quirks. Amid playful puppies and humorous reflections, the characters propel Icklewick FM back into the limelight with wit and charm.

Richard Ayoade, a multi-talented writer, actor, and director known for his unique humor, joins Paul Merton for a lively chat. They tackle the mental strain of constant news consumption and the pressures of staying informed. Ayoade humorously critiques the commercialization of care in language and reflects on chunky knit cardigans, pondering their relevance while deciding to send them to Room 101. The conversation also navigates the awkwardness of social events and the cult-like behavior of group cheers, blending insightful commentary with witty banter.

Comedy fans can catch the nominees for The Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2025 in this showcase for BBC Radio 4.Guaranteed to be packed with laughs, this special will be hosted by last year’s Best Comedy Show winner, Amy Gledhill.The prestigious awards is celebrating its 45th year and is recognising a Best Newcomer and a Best Show. In this gala, hosted by 2024 Best Show winner Amy Gledhill, we'll hear from all the nominees to give listeners around the UK the chance to hear the cream of this year’s Edinburgh crop. The gala was recorded at the Gilded Balloon, one of the Edinburgh Fringe’s iconic comedy venues.Nominated for Best Show are: Ian Smith, Katie Norris, Ed Night, Sam Jay, John Tothill, Sam Nicoresti, Creepy Boys and Dan TiernanNominated for Best Newcomer are: Molly McGuinness, Toussaint Douglass, Ada & Bron, Elouise Eftos, Ayoade Bamgboye, Kate Owens and Roger O'Sullivan.Host: Amy Gledhill Producer: Georgia Keating Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow Edited by Giles Aspen Recorded by Sean KerwinRecorded at The Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh. A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Stuart Mitchell, a comedian and former banker turned funeral-organiser, takes a humorous dive into the often-overlooked costs associated with dying. He shares personal anecdotes about the hefty expenses related to end-of-life care, revealing that the financial burden can soar over £314,000! With a blend of dark comedy and heartfelt reflections, Stuart discusses the challenges families face when a terminal diagnosis strikes, making us all reconsider if we can truly afford to kick the bucket!

Oliver Callan hosts a panel show in which comedians from both sides of the Irish border and Britain imagine what a united Ireland would look like if it ever happened.This week, Oliver Callan is joined by Neil Delamere, Alison Spittle, John Meagher and Ashley Storrie to debate a new national flag, who the head of state might be and the official, national breakfast.To listen to Part 2: Belfast, search Oliver Callan Bins The Border on BBC Sounds.Producer: Marc McElroy A BBC Northern Ireland Production for Radio 4.

Jeremy Moleskine is the biggest writer in bawdy greetings cards. So when his car veers off the road, his number one fan is on hand to nurse him back to health. But when R&R turns into B&B (belittling and bludgeoning), Jeremy’s agent must track him down with the help of incarcerated lunatic, Clinton Scards.Brace yourself for a psychological thriller as Crybabies bring the big screen to your normal sized radio.To hear more episodes from this series search "Crybabies Present" on BBC Sounds.Written and performed by Michael Clarke, James Gault & Ed Jones.Featuring Chiara GoldsmithProduction Co-ordinator - Laura ShawSound Design by David Thomas and Victoria FreundProducer - Benjamin SuttonExecutive Producer - Joe NunneryA Boffola Pictures production for BBC Radio 4

Today Lindsey is dragged to a rock climbing centre by her athletic friend Jenny which results in a life changing discovery about her over-zealous anatomy. She helps her mum rescue a missing rat and, with the help of Elton John, hosts an intimate funeral.Welcome to the life of the most beautiful princess in all of Birmingham and its surrounding areas. This week Lindsey Santoro has started a diary. But she’s not 13 years old daydreaming about her latest crush and sleepover plans. She’s a 37-year-old no-nonsense Brummy whose days are more likely to involve thrush cream and a bargy with a bus driver. You are cordially invited to step into her world and learn lessons from her lively life.Producer: Sasha Bobak Production Coordinator: Katie Baum Script Editor: Ruth Husko Executive Producer: Pete StraussA BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.

Industry heartthrob and nation's sweetheart Kat is on her way to an exciting product launch in a long car, with long suffering sidekick Alex Macqueen.On the way, she shares the secrets of her success, and how series one of Screen Time made her the most famous woman to ever grace the UK. Now that she's the biggest influencer ever, Kat teaches you how you can stop being a big normo and maximise your online brand. Hear her improve her appearance with a novel technique at the gym, convene a writers room to work out how to appear most relatable, and purify her brand by cutting off an old friend who's just got the worst news a person can receive. He's been cancelled.And she barely thinks about Abbie at all!To listen to more from this series, search "Kat Sadler's Screen Time" on BBC Sounds.CastKat Sadler - Kat Alex MacQueen - Alex Abbie Weinstock - Abbie Al Roberts - Toby Lizzie Davidson - Various Jason Forbes - VariousWritten by Kat Sadler and Cameron LoxdaleProduction Coordinator - Caroline Barlow Executive Producer - Pete Strauss Sound Design - Rich Evans Recorded by Neil Goody at Premises StudiosProduced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

"Americans have a long history of taking British things and ballsing them up. They took football and added helmets and cheerleaders; they took ice lollies and called them popsicles; and they took James Corden and then sent him back here."Among Ashley’s more unusual hyperfixations is a life-long love of professional wrestling. This special interest was first developed on Saturday afternoons at his grandparents’ house watching Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks and Kendo Nagasaki. It continued through the 1980s when Britain was invaded by Hulk Hogan and his colleagues from the then WWF (before they lost a court case to the World Wildlife Fund), and Ashley was fortunate enough to be in attendance at the legendary Summerslam show at Wembley Stadium in 1992, which so many British wrestlers have cited as the day that cemented their love of the grunt and grapple business. This undeniably extraordinary spectacle is sometimes called ‘sports entertainment’ - for many people it is neither!When Ashley Blaker was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, one of the most significant aspects of his diagnosis is his propensity for hyperfixation in special interests, which he now realises has entirely shaped his past and which he uses to mine comedy for this new series.It’s no exaggeration to say Ashley’s life has been driven by obsessions. He has variously been a schoolboy with a love of Star Wars and Doctor Who, a wannabe comedian who performed on the London comedy circuit at 16, a trivia nerd who appeared on University Challenge, a history PhD candidate at Cambridge, a BBC producer of hit comedy shows including Little Britain, a fanatical football fan who saw Liverpool play across England and Europe, a strictly Orthodox Jew who went to synagogue three times a day for over ten years, a father of six, and latterly, a heavily tattooed renegade in hiding from his former community.In this series, Ashley takes a comedic look at each of his obsessions in turn, merging personal memoir with a delve into subjects which have yet to be covered in stand-up comedy shows. The result is a series which, while based on the broader topic of neurodiversity, covers it with the lightest of touches and is focused more on Ashley’s individual hyperfixations, lifting the lid on many of the different worlds he’s inhabited.To hear more episodes from this series, search "Ashley Blaker's Hyperfixations" on BBC Sounds.Written and performed by Ashley Blaker co-starring Rosie Holt and Kieran HodgsonScript Editor: Steve Hall Recording engineers: Jerry Peal and Jon Calver Producer: Steve Doherty A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4