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Start the Week

BBC Radio 4
Ukraine
Climate Change
Art History
Disinformation
Poetry
Artificial Intelligence
Propaganda
British Art
China
Animal Communication
Neuroscience
Russian Revolution
Election Fraud
Social Care
Gender Equality
Christianity
Art
Mental Health
Climate Crisis
Freedom

Weekly discussion programme, setting the cultural agenda every Monday

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes660Founded21 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

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Artwork for Start the Week

Latest Episodes

What do we inherit from the past and what happens when old stories are told in new ways? On Radio 4's weekly discussion programme, Naomi Alderman is joined by three guests exploring the traces the past leaves behind, in memory, mythology and our DNA.... more

From crumbling buildings to collapsing certainties, are we living through an age of unravelling? On Radio 4's weekly discussion programme, Tom Sutcliffe is joined by three guests reflecting on the changing cultural forces that shape our sense of self... more

In front of an audience at the Contains Strong Language Festival in Salford Tom Sutcliffe is joined by three guests to celebrate poetry ancient and new and to explore the latest innovations in hearing the spoken word.

The Poet Laureate Simon Armitag... more

What can we really know about the world around us and our place within it? On Radio 4's weekly discussion programme, Adam Rutherford is joined by three guests who explore the values that shape our lives and the things that still matter even when they... more

Key Facts

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Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Jon Ronson
Author of The Castle, Adventures in a World of Unravelling Men
Author
Episode: Jon Ronson: men unravelling
Roisín Kiberd
Author of The Most Normal Woman
Author
Episode: Jon Ronson: men unravelling
Michael Landy
Artist, creator of Breakdown and Future Ruins
Artist
Episode: Jon Ronson: men unravelling
Simon Armitage
Poet laureate, translator of Gilgamesh
Poet Laureate, University of Leeds
Episode: Contains Strong Language Festival in Salford
Jade Cuttle
Writer in residence at the Museum of Writing
Museum of Writing, University of London
Episode: Contains Strong Language Festival in Salford
Trevor Cox
Professor of Acoustic Engineering
University of Salford
Episode: Contains Strong Language Festival in Salford
Carlo Rovelli
Physicist, author of On the Equality of All Things
Institute/academic positions discussed in the episode
Episode: Carlo Rovelli: complexity and value
Lavinia Greenlaw
Poet, author of On Difficulty and Poetry
Poet and writer
Episode: Carlo Rovelli: complexity and value
James Graham
Playwright, author of The Standard of Living
Playwright
Episode: Carlo Rovelli: complexity and value

Hosts

Tom Sutcliffe
Host of Start the Week
Adam Rutherford
Host of Start the Week

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 619 ratings
  • För bra att somna till

    Jag brukar somna till poddar om ämnen som intresserar mig, men här är det för intressant och för intresserat - jag vaknar till istället och vill lära mig allt om nattfjärilar eller allergier.

    Initierat, kunnigt, nördigt.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PappaStekman
    Sweden3 years ago
  • So much better since Marr left

    Every week this show delivers an interesting discussion and normally results in more additions to my ‘to read’ pile.

    The new post-Marr format of rotating presenters is refreshing and less egotistical in style. And speaking are even now allowed to be honest about how bad Brexit is going.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Alex_Phillips
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • Excellent but…

    Can someone ask the host to resist the urge to interrupt his guests? We genuinely want to hear what they have to say. That is, we haven’t run out of attention quite as quickly as he has.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    MaryCherry75
    Canada5 years ago
  • Variable and a bit pompous but often interesting

    Podcast Addict
    4
    Professor
    6 years ago
  • Intelligent long form journalism

    Great listen well worth subscribing to.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Welger AP 45
    Ireland6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful, long-form journalism that rewards attentive listening and note-taking.
The host shepherds lively, high-brow discourse with a broad range of guests.
Guests are consistently excellent; conversations feel both rigorous and approachable.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#210
Italy/Society & Culture
Apple Podcasts
#237
Saudi Arabia/Society & Culture

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Contains Strong Language Festival in Salford
Q: What makes the ending of Gilgamesh so compelling in today's context?
Gilgamesh's pursuit of immortality and his encounter with the secret of life, only to be thwarted by a snake that steals the life-giving plant, speaks to human limitations and the acceptance of mortality.
Contains Strong Language Festival in Salford
Q: Why is the epic so richly detailed in everyday life, like receipts and mundane objects?
The poem's world is grounded in concrete, tactile realities—receipts, clays, and city life—that give it immediacy and texture, making the human experience of mortality and memory feel tangible across millennia.
Contains Strong Language Festival in Salford
Q: Simon, what were the jigsaw pieces made of and when did they start to come together as a legible picture?
The fragments were clay pieces stamped with reed impressions to create cuneiform, dating Gilgamesh to around 4,000 years ago in Sumerian and later Akkadian, with the translation work turning archaeology into literary reconstruction.
Living with uncertainty
Q: Why do people put so much faith in supplements and wellness products?
Because uncertainty around health is painful, and marketing often preys on that anxiety; people want control and quick answers, even when evidence is mixed or contested.
Mythmaking at Hay: from Medea to Rasputin
Q: What is the political context in which Rasputin arrives and what are the problems facing the czar and Russia?
Beevor explains the regime's mismanagement, corruption, and a disconnect between aristocratic priorities and the needs of a struggling peasantry, setting the stage for Rasputin's influence to be seen as both spiritual and political leverage.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Start the Week

What is Start the Week about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A provocative, cross-disciplinary discussion program that brings together writers, scientists, historians, policy thinkers, and journalists to unpack big ideas in culture, technology, and society. Episodes frequently center on online life, the ethics of science and medicine, economics, and the politics of everyday life, featuring ambitious conversations that blend historical context with contemporary critique. Notable strengths include high-profile guests, rigorous inquiry, and a track record of shaping cultural conversations through nuanced debates. Listeners are likely drawn to thoughtful analysis, interdisciplinary perspectives, and accessible yet substantial storytelling that connects ideas to real-world implications.

Where can I find podcast stats for Start the Week?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Start the Week. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Start the Week and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Start the Week get?

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What are the audience demographics for Start the Week?

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How many subscribers and views does Start the Week have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Start the Week has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Start the Week?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Start the Week:

1. Free Thinking
2. Front Row
3. The Briefing Room
4. In Our Time
5. Great Lives

How many episodes of Start the Week are there?

Start the Week launched 21 years ago and published 660 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Start the Week?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Start the Week?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Start the Week from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Start the Week?

Recent guests on Start the Week include:

1. Jon Ronson
2. Roisín Kiberd
3. Michael Landy
4. Simon Armitage
5. Jade Cuttle
6. Trevor Cox
7. Carlo Rovelli
8. Lavinia Greenlaw

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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