Best of Today

Sir Ian McKellen talks to Amol Rajan after he took a break from acting following a fall off stage in London's West End. The 85 year-old, who suffered a broken wrist and chipped vertebrae, describes the emotional 'residue' of the accident.He’s back on screen playing a gay theatre critic in The Critic, set in the 1930s before homosexuality was legalised in the UK. The Today program

This week a new report into the care of Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane identified 'errors, omissions and misjudgements' by Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust.The situation was all too familiar for Kathleen Barnard, whose son William, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, killed her father John McGrath in 2009. He too was under the care of the same trust.Spe

James Coates's father, Ian Coates, was one of three people stabbed by Valdo Calocane, who was suffering from paranoid delusions last June.Yesterday a report published by the Care Quality Commission said it found a series of errors, omissions and misjudgements by mental health services in Nottingham when it came to Calocane's care.Speaking to Today's Emma Barnett, James said he is p

Victims of historic miscarriages of justice have been told by the government they must have 'bed and board' costs for the time they spent in prison deducted from their compensation payments.Today's Mishal Husain speaks to Paul Blackburn, who was wrongly convicted and spent 25 years in prison. He says he's owed hundreds of thousands of pounds.Mishal also speaks to Lord Falconer, for

Radio 4 is marking Friday 12th as “Just One Thing Day” in celebration of Dr Michael Mosley’s life and legacy. Throughout the week, we’ve asked his friends and colleagues to tell us what change they might have made that was down to him. Speaking to Today’s Justin Webb, Dr Clare Bailey Mosley shares touching tributes, and reflects on his work, influence, and legacy. Listen

Former aid worker Simon Boas, whose essays about his feelings towards life and death went viral, has died aged 47.He was told he had terminal throat cancer in 2023 and began writing about his experiences in his local newspaper, the Jersey Evening Post. This inspired readers across the country.His book, A Beginner's Guide to Dying, will be posthumously published in September.If one

The Today Debate is about taking a subject and pulling it apart with more time than we have in the morning.Amid a significant backlog in crown courts in England and Wales and related problems in the system in Scotland and Northern Ireland, Today presenter Mishal Husain asks if justice delayed is justice denied?Joining Mishal on the Today debate panel are Claire Waxman, the Independ

When Theresa May was diagnosed with type 1 in her 50s, she told the consultant: "I'm too old. I can't be”. Lady May says she would also eat Jelly Babies when her blood sugar dropped during meetings.The former Prime Minister has now chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the life-threatening consequences of having both type 1 diabetes and an eating disorder.She speaks to Today's Jus

The last of our Christmas guest editors is the CEO of the global biopharma company GSK, Dame Emma Walmsley.She wanted her programme to look to the year ahead with optimism. In these highlights from her programme hear Dame Emma in conversation with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who urges politicians not to treat their opponents as enemies but as fellow human beings.Dame

Professor Jason Arday is our latest Christmas guest editor. This year he was appointed as one of Cambridge’s youngest ever professors. A significant accolade by any measure but even more so when you consider that Professor Arday was diagnosed with autism and global developmental delay aged just three and didn't learn to speak until he was eleven or read and write until he was eig