Introducing... Radical With Gabriel Gatehouse

Gabriel Gatehouse (0:00)

Hello, this is Radical. If you're a new listener, welcome. If you're a regular, you'll have noticed some changes recently. Most obviously, me.

I'm Gabriel Gatehouse. You might know me from other BBC podcasts, like The Coming Storm, or from Newsnight, where I was a reporter for many years, covering foreign affairs, wars, revolutions, that kind of thing.

One thing I'm not is Amol Rajan, although I am a fan of his excellent work. But as you probably know, as well as being an early murder victim on celebrity traitors, Amol has left BBC News. He's exited through the back of the public service wardrobe into the great digital narnia on YouTube. That's his metaphor, not mine. So you've got me.

And before we get going properly, let me spend a few minutes telling you how I see Radical and what I'd like this programme to be.

Amol used to say that the show was a safe space for people to explore radical ideas, and I absolutely want to keep that vibe. I think radicalism gets a bad rep these days. It sounds dangerous, perhaps extremist. We think of radical people as in need of de-radicalising. I don't think that's always right. I think we're living through a period of radical change, in tech, in politics, in culture, in the environment around us, and business as usual isn't an option. So radical is the place where you can come to hear ideas that could change your view of the world, or help crystallise something you've been chewing over. It'll be a place where you'll sometimes hear things that you disagree with strongly, and this is good. I want people to come on this show and know that they'll get more than just a fair hearing. We'll engage with them and their ideas in good faith, in a spirit of openness, while keeping our critical faculties engaged.

I want to get a wide range of guests on. Some will be names you might have heard of, others will be less well known. Obscure thinkers thinking radical thoughts, or people quietly living a radical life. And they'll come from all walks of life, not just the worlds of politics and public policy. I want scientists and artists, writers and theatre directors, sportsmen and women, gardeners, zoologists, anyone who can expand our idea of what it means to be human today, and how we might reimagine our responses to the huge challenges of our age. We've got a fantastic team of producers here at the BBC panning for nuggets of radical gold. But we also want your help. If you've got thoughts about radical guests or a radical idea you think we should dig into, please do send us an email radical at bbc.co.uk or you can text or send a voice note to plus 44 330 123 9480 I can't promise we'll get them all on, but we'll definitely look into it with an open mind and a critical lens.