Read this: 28/10/2022 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts hello welcome to the confirm that we have received one.

Is there for elected as leader of the Conservative chaos, whatever you like to call it recent events in West have left some listeners really have had blanket coverage of the Liz truss and opponents campaigns then all the following mayhem it now feels like over overkill or Mary detailed reporting of unprecedented times.

We had that phrase the BBC deputy political editor Vicki young joins us to talk through the challenges of reporting from the political front line and of course.

It's all provided rich pickings for comedians, but for Alexei Sayle it's also meant some last-minute of his imaginary Sandwich Bar everytime I said Liz truss.

I'm now just got to say Rishi Sunak

To Alexia by political satire and impartiality in comedy also actor Toby Jones and his brother Rupert are in the box box reviewing a reader edition of Desert Island Discs featuring their father Freddy I remember they get on my God he's not going to mention mum it felt like it's snowing tension that was slightly compromising enjoying this show will hear more from the Jones Boys later, but first after six turbulent weeks were political records of tumbled as fast as the pound relative calm has descended in Westminster for reporters that means no more pouring over thesaurus looking for alternative words for confusion mayhem or panic ministers MPs in the police.

Can I take a deep breath and something approaching normal service has been resumed for now at least the story of Liz truss does travails and the subsequent short but sharp leader.

Dominated the airwaves but not everyone was impressed with the BBC's coverage Colin Scott from Southampton fast you have been covering the Admirable detail however.

I feel that the many interviews with Conservatives the giving them every opportunity to continue spinning their failures and incompetence as mistakes someone else due to the Ukraine war and basically every other excuse under the I actually think what she's done is opened up the Debate that we need to have about the future of the country.

She has just talking about growth.

Just beginning to understand why the opposition and everyone else who thinks or knows different is barely heard from all day is capable professional competence and will deliver government in the way people expect us me yesterday's Rishi Sunak nothing at the moment.

I would lean towards Boris Johnson support.

Very much continuing to support penny ice 40 Penny in the summer.

I know her well.

I know what she can deliver.

I know her approach.

It is Alison would I woke up the second day running tutorial de discussing the Dire state of the country without anyone from the opposition or heaven forbid a journalist asking what authority they have to Crown a new p.m.

And wouldn't a general election be a good Rishi Sunak is now the clear front-runner to be the next prime minister after Boris Johnson abruptly withdrew from the race having had blanket coverage of the Liz truss opponents campaigns then all the following mayhem it now feels like overkill and they're of course it is so important.

We don't need to hear all the endless D Everybody's view on everything I for one would like to hear about what is going on in the rest of the world, so let's have more balanced news, please.

Thoughts of some feedback listeners there so Hardy BBC reporters cut through all the half-truths and spin that are negatively obscure facts in such a fast-moving story with me is the deputy political editor of news Vicky young brexit having no confidence vote hung parliaments cliffedge votes has anything compared to the last 4 weeks for you know I don't think it has and I think obviously what kicked it off was that many budget and I do remember sitting there.

We had a a live programme going out now sitting next to our business and we just kept looking at each other and what was going on and I think that's what's might be to come but even having said that you just didn't think it would be as dramatic and happen as quickly and no it is certainly has never been like that Prime Minister

Position is prime minister's people in government and having that happened has no they haven't even if it was a political drama.

It would be incredible it would be ridiculous to know we'll never get the description.

I wonder is there anywhere within the BBC within the organisation that there's a kind of a hyperbole monitor is there any editorial guidance given to you when you can use words like unprecedented or chaos or disaster in these extraordinary times but but where do you go with the language? I think you have to be to be able to state is unprecedented and I felt very confident that I could say that was happening this time was unprecedented the word chaos.

You would be very careful about that as well, because you know it can feel chaotic, but is that you've got too very much charge it I think by the people who are involved in the critical you've got members of the cabinet if you've got members of the opposition and you've got Em

All feeling that this is actually pretty much out of control.

I think you can judge it by so I felt confident this time round about thinking that this is unprecedented and we've never seen anything like it and it felt as if the listeners have been asking us about balance about the question of balance.

We talked about that a lot you know for 4 weeks.

We've had when I suppose this story.

I know it's not been able to find one but of course with the voices that we've been hearing and the coverage that we've had all been a b the Conservatives can you just explain to us balance comes into your reporting of them? Yeah? I mean there's different sort of approaches to this so for example.

I think what a good one party conferences.

So every year the parties.

Have a cup of tea and normally you wouldn't be balancing that every day with the other parties view, but if suddenly.

Used for removing political story which is incredibly important such as you then would go to the opposition and say what is your view on this very important policy is how we do it with a story which has really been the conservative government collapsing is a response in the house of the course you have the other parties talking all the time so we do try and make sure there's no doubt absolutely no point where it's been absolutely plummets want to be on the Airways talking about this kind of thing for a while.

They were quite a lot of them by coming on and basically fighting with each other so it's a tricky one, but you always make sure that the opposition get a voice.

How many listeners have been glued to the news and they have soaked up every twist and turn of this but others have said to feedback that actually this daily diet of political intrigue that they are missing ID on other stories that they want to hear about in the new cycle important stories famine in Africa what's happening in Ukraine do you have an empathy for the interview the politics is really taking the oxygen.

I'd have other news stories.

Yeah, and you know of course.

It's my job.

I made of seagulls Predators I love British politics, but you know I've got that you don't and I appreciate that it can be a bit much for that is just what we do.

We do the side of it and provide and then it is up to the program and how much they want to do the constant balance and it is something that I know that is talking about all the time about how much it was so

People where you got to be careful is about making sure you're keeping and slight step back about excitement in Westminster people can get very cold.

I need the politicians as well and you have to make sure as the corresponding you take a step back and people watching this.

I think this is about my mortgage about my energy Bill and we try and make sure we provide all kind of context as well as reporting on what's going on there.

Do you check yourself and think like I know that this is the most extraordinary time in my political my journalistic, but actually I need to make sure that I don't sound like I'm just too excited by what's going on.

Yeah.

I think he's absolutely have to do that and that is just a case of being I suppose you in touch with the real the village.

Some of the political adviser the world is falling in Calamity because the front pages of papers all talking about something and I think this tastes.

It was obvious things are going very very wrong but of course you have to be careful that doing this type of coverage areas in the week.

What Vicky young.

I wish you at least a couple of days of rest.

Thank you very much indeed for do anymore.

Thank you.

Vicky young political editor of BBC News no UK politics may have been the big Media story of the week but for many Archies fans very different storyline has been Uppermost in their minds 17-year old Chelsea buns big decision on whether to have been Archers baby or whether to terminate the plot line has been going on for weeks and has been a hot Topic for feedback list.

Thought we agreed on Sunday we're in this together.

I want to do whatever it takes from weather in Essex in my opinion the topic of Chelsea's pregnancy was a missed opportunity for the writer's to show her friends and family can support confused this informed individual to make an informed decision without telling her what to do each time.

I heard someone say to Chelsea it's your choice.

I will support whatever decision you make I thought but that is not enough so you can this is too important you can't use it for something like this.

I can go this is it because if I try to think it out on my own I just keep going round in circles, when is Rebecca Pearson so I'm very good to hear the subjects of.

Pregnancy dealt with on the answers especially as regards the choice of abortion.

I think to some extent its lack of presents on the sheriff still of the subjects within Society and how difficult it can be to talk about it publicly and it is the silence surrounding it that can make it so difficult to decide what to do and I think the right magnificent job in showing Chelsea's confusion and fear and desperation on the matter combining the sort of shame which still exists were so many people about the pregnancy and I thought you should know I'm having a termination us know where you stand do you welcome griseum or youth oriented plots or are you happy with the Chutney Wars in the church? Hall will be talking to the people behind the storyline later in the series.

And if you want to put your questions to them you can send an email to feedback and bbc.co.uk you can comment on Twitter with the hashtag BBC R4 feedback or you can phone message on 0333 333 4445 for and of course you can send us a WhatsApp message to using the same number and you can leave a voice note all those details and or postal address are on our website no back in the 80s Alexei Sayle was at the forefront of the alternative comedy movement which railed against old mother-in-law jokes, so beloved of comedians at the time his stand up as well as his appearance on tv.

Shows like the young ones and Alexei sayles stuff Mark tonight as an angry best left wing comic but now he's firmly ensconced in the Radio 4 schedules with his fourth series of Alexei sayles imaginary Sandwich Bar which started last week.

Old myself, my name is Theresa and I'm calling from Sheffield my view is Alexei Sayle show on Thursday was a breath of fresh air Alexei Sayle is not only very funny that manages to combine this with valid political points which are not often heard on our Media these days list of all the BBC so long may his Sandwich Bar continue welcome to decide to Alexei sayles imaginary Sandwich Bar stays closed next week because of unforeseen circumstances, I eat.

It is not even remotely funny say I was at one time and groundbreaking comedian is work.

I rather enjoyed but the imaginary last week with diet.

An email out of chips from Sheffield wonderful to hear something with such passion and heart on the radio the time in another program seeing too cautious often steering towards the it's been a long time since I've enjoyed the show quite so much if I Wild and Free wonderful time in sorry door cinema listings from Hull what I love about Lexi is a master storyteller serious political discourse with the silly and the observed but no one else absolutely my favourite thing on the radio by far you lots of love there from feedback listeners for the imaginary.

I asked Alexi what it was about radio that captain coming back for more so I just love radio really I think that it's really the medium wear.

Tell them where I feel most at home really.

I think that you can do a can of complexity of ideas that you can do in radio is partly just cause of the medium.

I guess I mean it's the best bit about the last song it's been really my return to radio has been just a joy and I'm interested to hear you talk about the complexity of ideas because you are able to take us on the tangents, but it does seem to start with the news at the moment.

Is that what you get your inspiration in fairies really but I think that obviously we're living in particularly fibre time it starts with politics.

I suppose really but the show is usually recorded a few weeks in advance that just been into the Radio Theatre now and now just got to say Rishi Sunak

So rapidly at the moment we had to make the odds.

Are you going to be pretty quick? Yeah? You've had very high praise on Twitter but one question that they've asked is how you get away with it for you know you're seeing about the Conservatives doing about your openly admiring of Jeremy Corbyn just wondering is there somewhere in the BBC weather in Portstewart each person telling their hair out when they listen to wonder whether I'm in the compliance people have always been tremendously supposed to be really I mean if they've always said this is an adult network and it's long as you can can a backup what you say then that's fine ready if we believe in you had a bad but I think I mean my information is always as well been then obviously that my sympathies like with the left and particularly with somebody like or but on the other hand.

I'm interested artistically I'm not doing this for any coronation a balance but I'm just interested in attacking.

They can obviously they left as well as the right with it.

I'm not doing that to cover my just because that interest me it wouldn't be right to do one without the other early in the best of I think you know Frankie Boyle long Stewart Lee you know I mean I call people who are profoundly engaged and have a strong beliefs and tell me a little bit about wokeism and cancel culture and all of those words that didn't exist when you were Saturday night and setting up your own kind of stalls and alternative communication in the 1980s.

I wonder what's your take on that have you had to change your comedy for example? Let me take on some of those issues, Uno rules change accepted modes of social behaviour change and I think you.

Do you like to change my information is to change anyway, because that's the kind of the game you know that's to adapt you know it's just what a good at I think was interested entertain the doses that you you work your way round and the changing mooradian certainly obviously that that whining up somebody like John Cleese he hasn't been fun.

Can you wait for about 40 years? I mean it is just sorted pathetic.

I would never I made a resolution very early on when all those old time.

You guys are going to call you look good on the television anymore.

It's made them.

Look so pathetic wine and about it.

I resolve never to complain really just find a way to still be funny and I still can I am at the forefront of upsetting the right people thanks to Alexei Sayle and you can listen to the latest series of the imaginary Sandwich Bar and previous series.

BBC sounds no, it's time for a special edition of our box box review this week actor Toby Jones and his brother Rupert have been listening to a recently read Desert Island Discs from 1980 when The Castaway was their own father the actor Freddie Jones I certainly remember the TV is going to meet Roy family at the Garrick Club and then discuss.

What are you going to choose in how he was going to choose it and I remember saying to him.

You should ask for the stranglers first Love Music came from my mother as many things in the did my mother was always appear as she was a a pianist to the old silent movies.

And later in pubs.

She plays a piano like most people play Rubber I should say I like the idea of playing piano likes got a grudge against NIS good like the great favourite which was Rhapsody in Blue which she fainted when she played it.

I remember idea is Mother very well my grandmother and I remember her wrestling with our own piano, so that's all true and it didn't need to be in tune.

This is early.

Well.

I almost sleep on a chair in friend's house after magnificent Sunday lunch and lots of wine and he put on Brahms and all the twins came up the 3rd movement.

Music does I think for the majority of his life, then? I knew him he wasn't really great music listen.

I don't know I mean I say it was either half or it was on was on it was on at 10 and he would be shouting along with it with a battle as you pick up in the shower playlist.

There's a kind of romantic spirit that he's very careful to tell everyone about but it is undoubtedly true that he lived in a world of his imagination music could take him there, but it's just dominated.

Do you say house in is actually converted Chapel so he would be sitting in the main chain and the music would be kind of filling anything else.

Antechamber room in the vestry in the truck up the entire space of the chapel is the address of Ronald Howard and yes, you play an old actor picture of the old school yes, it's it's very interesting study and beautifully written adding beautiful English June 1980 he been asked to play in the dresser and a huge event.

I'm going to see it via McDonald's going to play it.

It's incredibly courageous having because at the time you was playing Rollo the French horse which is demanding role of Manchester with to Matalan house and was hoping to play the part which given me without any other commitments have found telephone what I find moving about his talking about the dresser in the present tense is because subsequent to this he didn't go.

To Broadway with Andy as he describes in the program at length.

He describes himself being the second choice.

You know and yet.

He created the role as they say and yet when it came round to the decision to go to Broadway with this extraordinary play.

He wasn't able to go for Union rules and I remember that being a pivotal moment so it's quite touch at this point to him before any of that is yet known him.

So you can hear is pride and is relish of the part and then he doesn't yet know that this will become so successful.

Not just a player but then a movie with an English with another and I think that's quite touching frosty because I think it was something quite pissed all about.

I was listening to on a transistor at home on my own and I remember get on my nerves.

He's not going to mention mum it felt like no intention that was slightly compromising my enjoyment of the show we had a wedding anniversary and I bought a mobile phone from you had already got showboat and I've always loved it very much and I said that you can come in in a minute.

I've got you a present and put it on It's Only Make Believe I don't really know why it said that I do love her very much this tremendous moment of relief because this isn't it out his love.

Hope he just might have been absent minded at that moment and not realise but it's pretty unequivocal and 4.

Thanks quite the play the address of the time currently in she's been my splendid spur.

They were both very well aware of what a big deal.

Desert Island Discs was remember it's happening in the old analogue world quantity of stuff being shown burden is a lot less.

Sorry.

I think you had more prestige.

That's one of the great things about the program is the music reveal something about someone that almost whatever they say the side of the music doesn't matter because the music is giving you something about a character of a person's emotional priorities.

Thank you to Toby Andrew and you can.

Freddie Jones Desert Island Discs on BBC signs you can also explore and listen to more than 90 recently rediscovered editions of Desert Island Discs on the programs website and if you'd like to have a go in our vauxbox.

Well.

We love to hear from you.

I won't be there to ask questions.

We're just like you to give you own take on what you've had an till next week from me.

Thank you for listening and giving us your feedback goodbye.