- 25 minutes 58 secondsSNC Extra: Frank Cottrell Boyce on modern childhood
This week we’re speaking to Frank Cottrell Boyce, the children’s laureate, who has spent two years visiting schools, libraries, and communities to discover what it means to grow up in Britain today.
He’s written about it in a new book ‘A British Childhood: How our children live now’
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18 June 2026, 4:30 am - 43 minutes 32 secondsPepped-up: the secret world of peptides
Ordinary people are turning to illegally produced peptides in the hopes of a beauty quick fix. How are these shady black market drugs slipping through the regulatory gaps?
Reporters: Stephen Armstrong and Madeleine Parr
Producers: Madeleine Parr, Matt Russell and Amalie Sortland
Sound Design: Dominic Delargy
Artwork: Harmony Blaise
Editor: Jasper Corbett
Clips: ITV News, Channel 4 News, 5 News, Loreal Elvive, Ozempic
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16 June 2026, 1:00 am - 51 minutes 59 secondsK2: Killer Mountain
A Sherpa was left for dead on Everest at the end of the climbing season. Stranded for almost a week thousands of metres up in extreme conditions, he survived. But his story is not a new story, and it raises questions about the mountaineering industry that has risen around the industry of summiting the world's most dangerous episodes.
We've been here before, so can lessons be learned?
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11 June 2026, 6:00 am - 34 minutes 6 secondsOnline grooming: a mother's story
Children are being caught in a global grooming pandemic. This is the story of a mother whose daughter was one such victim.
Reporter: Rachel Sylvester
Producer: Matt Russell
Illustrator: Sara Andreasson
Sound design: Dominic Delargy
Editor: Jasper Corbett
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9 June 2026, 4:30 am - 21 minutes 46 secondsSNC Extra: The Henry Nowak case
The death of student Henry Nowak has shocked the country and sparked riots in Southampton. Ada Barume is joined by the Observer’s Whitehall Editor Cat Neilan and Home Affairs Editor John Simpson to discuss the implications for the government, and the police.
Producer: Amalie Sortland
Executive Producer: Poppy Bullard
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4 June 2026, 9:10 am - 51 minutes 14 secondsOn trial: oil and war crimes
Senior executives of Swedish firm Lundin Oil stand accused of complicity in war crimes. The case against them took more than a decade to come to trial, and the trial was the longest in Swedish history. If they are found guilty it could change how the rich and powerful operate around the world, but will it deliver justice for the Sudanese victims of war?
Reporter: Francisco Garcia
Producer: Ada Barumé
Executive Producer: Matt Russell
Sound Design: Dominic Delargy
Artwork: Lucy Stephenson
Editor: Jasper Corbett
Clips: Äldre TV4, Journeyman Pictures
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2 June 2026, 5:00 am - 32 minutes 7 secondsAnthropic co-founder Jack Clark: What does the future of AI look like?Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark joins The Observer to reveal why he believes there is a chance we will see human-level AI by 2028. From how AI is already changing the job market to a historic meeting at the Vatican, he explains why we must prepare for a future where technology forces us to rethink what it means to be human.
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28 May 2026, 4:00 am - 38 minutes 59 seconds'Social media is killing our kids'Last year in the UK, a fifth of people arrested for terrorism offences were under 18. Counter-terrorism experts warn that outlawing social media for children is a matter of national security. So what are children really watching online?
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26 May 2026, 4:00 am - 24 minutes 17 secondsHow might Labour's new leaders grow the UK?With a leadership election on the horizon, there are discussions among the backbenches about how potential contenders might look to reshape and re-energise the UK's growth. The Observer's political editor Rachel Sylvester speaks with economics editor Ben Zaranko about what the various approaches might look like.
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21 May 2026, 4:09 pm - 48 minutes 11 secondsDoped Up!
For decades, doping has hid in the shadows of elite sports. Now, for the first time, it’s out in the open. The Enhanced Games promises a new era of ‘superhumanity’ – is this the future of sport?
Reporters: Jeremy Whittle and Chris Marshall-Bell
Producer: Jonathan Lewis
Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp
Sound Design: Dominic Delargy
Executive Producer: Matt Russell
Editor: Jasper Corbett
Clips: ABC News, Enhanced Games, Josh Brett, Daily Mail
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19 May 2026, 4:00 am - 21 minutes 31 secondsNigel Farage and the five million pound gift: what's wrong with that?It was recently revealed by The Guardian that before he stood to be an MP in 2024, Nigel Farage received a £5 million gift from billionaire Christopher Harborne. But is there anything wrong with that?
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14 May 2026, 4:40 pm - More Episodes? Get the App