Cate Blanchett among BBC Radio 4 festive guest editors
Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett and former prime minister Baroness Theresa May are among six prominent figures who will guest edit BBC Radio 4’s Today program over the Christmas period.
Broadcaster Melvyn Bragg, historian and podcaster Tom Holland, inventor Sir James Dyson and Microsoft’s head of artificial intelligence (AI) Mustafa Süleyman will also guest edit the programs from 24 December to 31 December.
For the last 22 years, the news program has handed over editorial duties to guest editors during the holiday season.
Owenna Griffiths, editor of Today, said: “In a rapidly changing world, this year’s guest editors will help bring enlightenment and understanding.”
He added: “Every Christmas at Today, a new set of guest editors come home, bringing with them a wonderful array of new stories, new ideas and hopefully a dash of joy. This year is no exception.”
Blanchett’s show on December 27 will examine the impact of artificial intelligence technology on women in the film industry and how different countries are responding to the refugee crisis.
It is also expected to explore sustainability in the fashion industry and why gardening is good for the soul.
Guest editors kick off Christmas Eve with a program focusing on the origins of Bragg’s nativity story and changing social attitudes towards mental health.
It will also examine the value of culture in British society as he looks back on his six-decade career, which has included The South Bank Show as well as a Radio 4 documentary series. In Our Time.
Coming on Boxing Day, an editorial by Sir James, the billionaire inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, will consider how the UK can boost its entrepreneurial spirit.
Other topics to be discussed on his show include how close we are to finding a cure for dementia and the science behind long-distance running.
Suleiman is planned to look at how we can manipulate the realities of a potential world. artificial super intelligence On December 29th.
It is also preparing to consider what artificial intelligence will mean for some fundamental aspects of human existence.
Holland’s show on December 30 is set to celebrate Britain’s 1,100th birthday and explore the impact of artificial intelligence on academic research.
Then on New Year’s Eve, Baroness May’s guest fiction will cover domestic violence, trust in politics and modern slavery.
Since the Christmas guest editing feature was introduced to Today in 2003, the programme’s guest editors have included physicist Stephen Hawking, actress Angelina Jolie and singer Ellie Goulding.
