Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4-logo

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

BBC

Topical comedy from the sharpest satirical minds in the business. Listen first on BBC Sounds, every Friday. Is the news driving you up the wall? You’re not alone. Let the comedians take the strain and work out what’s been funny this week. Features...

Location:

London, United Kingdom

Genres:

Comedy

Networks:

BBC

Description:

Topical comedy from the sharpest satirical minds in the business. Listen first on BBC Sounds, every Friday. Is the news driving you up the wall? You’re not alone. Let the comedians take the strain and work out what’s been funny this week. Features BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz, Dead Ringers, The Naked Week and Too Long; Didn’t Read. Listen on BBC Sounds, seven days earlier than anywhere else, and subscribe to make sure that you don’t miss an episode.

Language:

English


Episodes
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The News Quiz: Ep2. The art of vetting

5/1/2026
Some hot topics of conversation this week include the ever evolving Peter Mandelson vetting saga, phones being banned in schools and robots who can take over the world... sorry robots who can take over sports. Helping Andy make sense of it all are Daliso Chaponda, Catherine Bohart, Hugo Rifkind and Ria Lina. Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material by: Jade Gebbie, Christina Riggs, Henry Whaley and Angela Channell Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Richard Morris Production Coordinators: Asha Osborne-Grinter & Caroline Barlow Sound Editor: Marc Willcox A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Duration:00:28:13

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The News Quiz: Ep1. Messiah or Doctor?

4/24/2026
After six weeks off air Andy Zaltzman is back. Helping him kick off the series are Andrew Maxwell, Zoe Lyons, Stephen Bush and Kiri Pritchard-McLean. They’ll be tackling the big questions - how is the country feeling ahead of the potentially seismic elections on 7th May? Why is Donald Trump feuding with the Pope and why are mini-gherkins now harder to find than ever? Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material by: Mike Shephard, Ruth Husko, Dee Allum and Angela Channell Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Production Coordinator: Asha Osborne-Grinter Sound Editor: Marc Willcox A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Duration:00:28:33

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The Naked Week: Ep6. Swearing, Steeplechase, and Strikes.

4/17/2026
Following Trump's tirade, The Naked Week team bleep the hell out of the bleeping news, swear at a steeplechase, and stage a walk out. From The Skewer’s Jon Holmes and host Andrew Hunter Murray comes The Naked Week; a fresh way of dressing the week’s news in the altogether and parading it around for everyone to laugh at. With award-winning writers and a crack team of contemporary satirists - and recorded in front of a live audience - The Naked Week delivers a topical news-nude straight to your ears. Written by: Jon Holmes Katie Sayer Gareth Ceredig James Kettle Jason Hazeley Additional Material: Karl Minns Jane Fae Molly Punshon Darren Phillips Kevin Smith Investigation team: Cat Neilan Becky Pinnington Guest Correspondent: Katie Norris Production Team: Tony Churnside, Jerry Peal, David Riffkin. Production Coordinator: Molly Punshon Assistant Producer: Katie Sayer Executive Producer: Philip Abrams Produced and Directed by Jon Holmes An unusual production for BBC Radio 4

Duration:00:27:44

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The Naked Week: Ep5. Jesus Christ Superstarmer, and Dark Satanic Mills

4/10/2026
The team pile in on Mills and the Moon. (Mills and Moon sounds like a series of romantic novels. Just to manage your expectations, that's not where we're going with this). Also, just in time for Easter, the world premiere of Jesus Christ Superstarmer. From The Skewer’s Jon Holmes and host Andrew Hunter Murray comes The Naked Week; a fresh way of dressing the week’s news in the altogether and parading it around for everyone to laugh at. With award-winning writers and a crack team of contemporary satirists - and recorded in front of a live audience - The Naked Week delivers a topical news-nude straight to your ears. Written by: Jon Holmes Katie Sayer Gareth Ceredig James Kettle Jason Hazeley Additional Material: Karl Minns Helen Brooks Sophie Dickson Molly Punshon Cooper Mahwinny Sweryt Joe Topping Kevin Smith Investigation team: Cat Neilan Becky Pinnington Emily Channon Guests: Rosie Holt, Space Lawyer Heather Allansdottir. Production Team: Tony Churnside, Jerry Peal, David Riffkin. Production Coordinator: Molly Punshon Assistant Producer: Katie Sayer Executive Producer: Philip Abrams Produced and Directed by Jon Holmes An unusual production for BBC Radio 4

Duration:00:28:00

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The Naked Week: Ep4. Who ya gonna call...? (Clue: It's Donald Trump)

4/3/2026
The team tackle Trump's tirades, and very much give the BBC's incoming Director General a problematic in-tray. From The Skewer’s Jon Holmes and host Andrew Hunter Murray comes The Naked Week, a fresh way of dressing the week’s news in the altogether and parading it around for everyone to laugh at. With award-winning writers and a crack team of contemporary satirists - and recorded in front of a live audience - The Naked Week delivers a topical news-nude straight to your ears. Written by: Jon Holmes Katie Sayer Gareth Ceredig James Kettle Jason Hazeley Additional Material: Karl Minns Sophie Dickson Darren Phillips Joe Topping Kevin Smith Investigation team: Cat Neilan Becky Pinnington Emily Channon Guests: Cariad Lloyd, Simon Munday. Production Team: Tony Churnside, Jerry Peal, David Riffkin. Production Coordinator: Molly Punshon Assistant Producer: Katie Sayer Executive Producer: Philip Abrams Produced and Directed by Jon Holmes An unusual production for BBC Radio 4

Duration:00:27:52

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The Naked Week: Ep3. Shipping, Shopping, and Shagg...you know what, never mind.

3/27/2026
The team launch the Naked Week Investment Portfolio for Hard Done-By Young People and go shipping, shopping and shagg...you know what, never mind. From The Skewer’s Jon Holmes and host Andrew Hunter Murray comes The Naked Week, a fresh way of dressing the week’s news in the altogether and parading it around for everyone to laugh at. With award-winning writers and a crack team of contemporary satirists - and recorded in front of a live audience - The Naked Week delivers a topical news-nude straight to your ears. Written by: Jon Holmes Katie Sayer Gareth Ceredig James Kettle Jason Hazeley Additional Material: Karl Minns Viverinne Hopley Jones Cooper Mawhinny Sweryt Darren Phillips Kevin Smith Investigation team: Cat Neilan Katie Sayer Becky Pinnington Abigail Mableson Mia Jones Ben Stanton Nathaniel Peutherer Cailtin Holtzman Paola Matha with thanks to Richard Danbury. Guests: Rosalie Minnitt, Jo Saunderson, and the voice of the Shipping Forecast Amanda Litherland. Production Team: Tony Churnside, Jerry Peal, David Riffkin. Production Coordinator: Molly Punshon Assistant Producer: Katie Sayer Executive Producer: Philip Abrams Produced and Directed by Jon Holmes An unusual production for BBC Radio 4

Duration:00:27:58

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The Naked Week: Ep2. The Naked Week team party like it's the 2003 Iraq War.

3/20/2026
The Naked Week team party like it's the 2003 Iraq War, and then re-enact it with the help of a Viking. From The Skewer’s Jon Holmes and host Andrew Hunter Murray comes The Naked Week, a fresh way of dressing the week’s news in the altogether and parading it around for everyone to laugh at. With award-winning writers and a crack team of contemporary satirists - and recorded in front of a live audience - The Naked Week delivers an topical news-nude straight to your ears. Written by: Jon Holmes Katie Sayer Gareth Ceredig James Kettle Jason Hazeley Additional Material: Karl Minns Ali Panting Helen Brooks Pete Redfern Cooper Mawhinny Sweryt Joe Topping Darren Phillips Investigation: Cat Neilan Guests: Rosie Holt, Jimmy The 11th Century Welsh Viking. Production Team: Tony Churnside, Jerry Peal, David Riffkin. Production Coordinator: Molly Punshon Assistant Producer: Katie Sayer Executive Producer: Philip Abrams Produced and Directed by Jon Holmes An unusual production for BBC Radio 4

Duration:00:28:00

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The Naked Week: Ep1. War, Law, and Operation Amol Rajan.

3/13/2026
The Naked Week team dive into war, flout the law and enjoy a real life Town Crier performing selected highlights from Amol Rajan's Instagram feed. From The Skewer’s Jon Holmes and host Andrew Hunter Murray comes The Naked Week, a fresh way of dressing the week’s news in the altogether and parading it around for everyone to laugh at. With award-winning writers and a crack team of contemporary satirists - and recorded in front of a live audience - The Naked Week delivers an topical news-nude straight to your ears. Written by: Jon Holmes Katie Sayer Gareth Ceredig James Kettle Jason Hazeley Additional Material: Karl Minns Ali Panting Helen Brooks Pete Redfern Cooper Mawhinny Sweryt Joe Topping Investigations Team: Cat Neilan Emily Channon Guests: Rachel Parris, Mark Stephens CBE, Alan Myatt. Production Team: Tony Churnside, Jerry Peal, David Riffkin. Production Coordinator: Molly Punshon Assistant Producer: Katie Sayer Executive Producer: Philip Abrams Produced and Directed by Jon Holmes An unusual production for BBC Radio 4

Duration:00:27:56

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The News Quiz: Ep8. Flight risks and fly-tips

3/6/2026
Joining Andy for the final episode of this series are Simon Evans, Zoe Lyons, Cindy Yu and Ahir Shah and not one of them can be deemed a flight risk. Along with the latest on Peter Mandelson’s arrest they discuss how UK politics is no longer a two-party system with the Greens and Reform taking centre stage in Gorton and Denton, why Trump’s State of the Union address could have been mercifully shorter and why the Chagos Islands are off limits. Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material by: Mike Shephard and Pravanya Pillay Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Richard Morris Production Coordinator: Giulia Lopes Mazzu Sound Editor: Marc Willcox A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Duration:00:28:25

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The News Quiz: Ep7. The worst birthday ever

2/27/2026
Top of the agenda this week is some royal breaking news - who got a special birthday visit from the police? We’ll be analysing yet another government U-turn and see who’s emerged from the shadows for Nigel Farage’s proposed ‘shadow cabinet'. Plus a couple of stories on robots and aliens - something for everyone. Joining Andy this week is Mark Steel, Daliso Chaponda, Coco Khan and Bella Hull. Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material by: Jade Gebbie, Ruth Husko and Peter Tellouche. Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Production Coordinator: Giulia Lopes Mazzu Sound Editor: Marc Willcox A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Duration:00:28:17

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The News Quiz: Ep6. Is the UK getting sunnier?

2/20/2026
This week the panel discuss PM Keir Starmer fighting off a potential coup; whether it’s a good idea to take Valentine’s day tips from a two-timing Norwegian athlete; and after 40 days of rain in some parts of the UK, is the country actually getting sunnier? Joining Andy this week is Alasdair Beckett-King, Rachel Fairburn, Stephen Bush and Mhairi Black Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material by: Cody Dahler, Eve Delaney, Jade Gebbie, Ruth Husko and Peter Tellouche. Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: James Robinson Production Coordinator: Giulia Lopes Mazzu Sound Editor: Marc Willcox A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Duration:00:28:27

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The News Quiz: Ep5. The Prince of Darkness

2/13/2026
Is there a way out for Keir Starmer after the Peter Mandelson scandal? Who fled ‘under the cover of darkness’ from their royal lodgings? What exactly is a humble address? And why are iguanas falling out of trees? Helping Andy answer some of the big questions of the week are Desiree Burch, Pierre Novellie, Daniel Finkelstein and Catherine Bohart. Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material by: Cody Dahler, Eve Delaney and Sarah Mills Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producers: Richard Morris and James Robinson Production Coordinator: Giulia Lopes Mazzu Sound Editor: Marc Willcox A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Duration:00:28:30

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The News Quiz: Ep4. By-elections, hello defections

2/6/2026
On the agenda this week is Starmer vs Burnham in Labour's latest civil war, Suella Braverman’s defection to Reform, and working out how to save The Great British pub. To get to the bottom of all this, Andy is joined by Daliso Chaponda, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Hugo Rifkind and Holly Walsh. Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material by: Christina Riggs, Cameron Loxdale and Sarah Mills Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman Sound Editor: Marc Willcox A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Duration:00:28:21

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The News Quiz: Ep3. Bored of peace

1/30/2026
This week we'll be looking at Trump's Board of Peace and asking whether Trump is bored of peace. We'll be working out how China managed to afford to get on the central London property ladder with their new mega-embassy, and hoping that a clever cow who can use a tool to scratch its back can up its game and sort out global diplomacy before it's too late. Joining Andy to help make sense of all the madness is Lucy Porter, Alasdair Beckett-King, Stephen Bush and Shappi Khorsandi. Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material by: Christina Riggs, Cameron Loxdale, Ruth Husko and Dee Allum. Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: James Robinson Production Coordinator: Giulia Lopes Mazzu Sound Editor: Marc Willcox A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Duration:00:28:13

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The News Quiz: Ep2. U-Turn, We Defect

1/23/2026
Andy’s returned from The Ashes and is back in the News Quiz chair. He’s come home to a selection of defections, some serious U-turning and 30,000 properties without water in his hometown of Tunbridge Wells. He was only away for one week! Helping Andy make sense of it all is Susie McCabe, Paul Sinha, Cindy Yu and Scott Bennett. Written by Andy Zaltzman. With additional material by: Mike Shephard, Eleanor Morton and Dee Allum Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Richard Morris Production Coordinator: Giulia Mazzu Sound Editor: Marc Willcox A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Duration:00:28:37

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Introducing The Skewer

1/22/2026
Here's a chance for Friday Night Comedy listeners to hear another satirical comedy from BBC Radio 4, as Jon Holmes introduces the latest episode of his series The Skewer. The four-time Gold Comedy winner at the Radio Academy Awards returns as Jon Holmes mashes up more news with pop culture to create a current affairs comedy concept album. This week: Trump vs The World, Jenrick The Secret Traitor, No Way Nobel and Peace Board Assemble! To listen to more episodes from the series, just search for The Skewer on BBC Sounds. Producer: Jon Holmes An unusual production for BBC Radio 4

Duration:00:15:35

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The News Quiz: Ep1. Red, White, Blue and Green-land

1/16/2026
With Andy away at The Ashes, guest host Ian Smith steps in to make sense of a dramatic news week. Topics include the US capturing Nicolás Maduro and threatening to invade Greenland, new driving rules for the over 70s and the problem with Grok AI. Helping Ian decide which way to turn are Ria Lina, Hugo Rifkind, Lucy Porter and Geoff Norcott. Written by Ian Smith. With additional material by: Mike Shephard, Alex Kealy and Angela Channell Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Production Coordinator: Giulia Lopes Mazzu Sound Editor: Marc Willcox A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Duration:00:28:25

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Best of The News Quiz 2025

1/9/2026
A satirical smorgasbord of The News Quiz's best bits of the year, covering local elections, flag fever, Starmer's struggles, Trump's travails, and a very special meeting between King Charles and Pope Leo XIV. Written and presented by Andy Zaltzman. Producer: Rajiv Karia Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Production Coordinator: Giulia Lopes Mazzu A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4 An Eco-Audio certified Production

Duration:00:28:26

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The Matt Forde Focus Group: Boxing Day Special

1/2/2026
Top political comedian Matt Forde reconvenes his Focus Group for a Boxing Day special with a Dickensian twist. Recorded in front of a live audience, Matt is joined by journalists, comedians and politicians – including former Cabinet Minister Michael Gove – to review the political state we're in through the lens of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Expect sharp analysis, unexpected confessions, and the year's biggest stories getting visited by the Ghosts of Politics Past, Present and Yet to Come. Appearing as a festive treat in BBC Radio 4's Friday Night Comedy feed, it's a topical comedy that's both genuinely funny and surprisingly insightful – perfect for digesting with the leftover turkey. Written and performed by Matt Forde Additional writing from Karl Minns, Laura Claxton and Richard Garvin Producer: Richard Garvin Executive Producers Jon Thoday and Richard Allen Turner Co-Producers: Daisy Knight and Jules Lom Broadcast Assistant: Sahar Rajabali Sound Design and Editing: David Thomas An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4

Duration:00:28:14

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Dead Ringers Christmas: Ep 2. A Very Kemi Christmas and a Lammy New Year

12/26/2025
The Dead Ringers team are back to train their festive firepower on the week’s news with an armoury of impressive impressions. This week: Scrooge is visited by the ghost of a Money Saving Expert, and The Grinch more than meets his match. This week's impressionists are Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Duncan Wisbey and Jess Robinson The episode was written by: Nev Fountain and Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Tom Coles, Sarah Campbell, Sophie Dickson, Peter Tellouche, Jon Holmes, Rachel E Thorn, JoJo Maberly and Cooper, Mawhinny & Sweryt Created by Bill Dare Producer: Jon Holmes Executive Producer: James Robinson Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4

Duration:00:28:30