Evil Genius with Russell Kane

Maggots: should we love these sweet, misunderstood baby flies? Or dread these gruesome creepies? Join comedian Russell Kane, entomologist Erica McAlister and comedian Ola Labib as they check out the remarkable world of maggots. Additional material by: Eve Delaney, Christina Riggs and Catherine Beazley. Researcher: Catherine Beazley Sound Recordist: Gareth Wood Digital Editor: Jerry Peal Executive...

Snakes. Are they slithering wronguns or super sleek legends? Join comedian Russell Kane, zoologist Yussef Rafik and comedian Felicity Ward as they deep-dive snakes, looking specifically at the viper to decide if they are Evil or Genius. Additional material by: Eve Delaney, Christina Riggs and Catherine Beazley. Researcher: Catherine Beazley Sound Recordist: Luke Nagy Digital Editor: Jerry Peal Exe...

Domestic cats. They divide opinion. But are they really just gorgeous fluffballs or the devil incarnate? Join comedian Russell Kane, zoologist, vet & author Jess French and comedian Jess Fostekew as they deep-dive cats. Additional material by: Eve Delaney, Christina Riggs and Catherine Beazley. Researcher: Catherine Beazley Sound Recordist: Luke Nagy Digital Editor: Jerry Peal Executive Produc...

Bottlenose Dolphins. Smiley acrobatic boffins or nature’s smug psychopaths? Evil or Genius? Join comedian Russell Kane, zoologist Billy Heaney and comedian Lindsey Santoro as they deep-dive Bottlenose Dolphins. Additional material by: Eve Delaney & Christina Riggs Researcher: Catherine Beazley Recording Engineer: Gareth Wood Digital Editor: Jerry Peal Executive Producer: Paul Smith Production...

Join comedian Russell Kane as he gets to the bottom of hamsters (not that bottom). Are they cute little chaos merchants or agents of psychological warfare and cannibalism? Helping Russell decide whether hamsters are misunderstood marvels or pint-sized monsters are comedian Laura Smyth and zoologist and hamster expert Jules Howard. Additional material by: Eve Delaney & Christina Riggs Researche...

Join comedian Russell Kane for Evil Animals. The feral sibling of Evil Genius. Russell is joined by special guests: comedian Laura Smyth, zoologist Jules Howard, comedian Ola Labib and Principal Curator of Diptera at the Natural History Museum, Erica McAlister. Hosted by Russell Kane Additional material by: Eve Delaney & Christina Riggs Researcher: Catherine Beazley Sound Recordist: Luke Nagy...

Was Jackie Kennedy a stoic American icon? Or the greatest airbrusher of 20th Century history? Did she use her limited power in inventive ways to leave an impression, or did she wrestle to stay in the spotlight for personal gain? Amy Matthews, Ray Badran and Rajiv Karia are tasked with deciding whether Jackie Kennedy is evil or genius? Additional Material: Eve Delaney Researcher: Christina Riggs So...

Did he predict he'd be a subject on Evil Genius? Did he predict anything at all? Nostradamus is put under the microscope in this week's episode. Was he a mystic with an ability to peer into the future? Or a charlatan who used vague and cryptic language to hedge his bets? Richard Herring, Ola Labib and Pierre Novellie join Russell Kane to find out whether Michel De Nostredame was evil or genius. Ad...

Catherine the Great - was she as magnificent as her moniker suggests? Was she a reforming pioneer of a burgeoning empire, or an expansionist who reneged on promises to free the serfs? A radical empowerer of women, or a husband murderer with a proclivity for the equine? Rajiv Karia, Amy Matthews and Ray Badran join Russell Kane in the Russian palace of Evil Genius to find out. Additional Material:...

Was Florence Nightingale a nursing pioneer, or a terror with a spreadsheet? Could the mother of modern nursing really have been a glorified doctor's receptionist from hell? Did her colonial attitudes towards race, and her perpetuation of the idea of 'women's jobs' hold us back as much as her healthcare revolution took us forward? Richard Herring, Ola Labib and Pierre Novellie join Russell Kane as...

Was Marilyn Monroe a genius who beat the system to become a star? Or was she a career driven narcissist who perpetuated the sexism of old Hollywood? And does she have a case to answer for the toxic beauty standards with still live with today. Hannah Platt, Janine Harouni and Tony Hawks join Russell Kane to ask - if we can't handle her at her most evil, then do we deserve her at her most genius?. A...

You might not have heard of Joe Weider, but he was the man who invented modern bodybuilding. Formalised training, published magazines, birthed massive international competitions, and unearthed a megastar in Arnold Schwarzenegger. But was he a genius who built himself up from nothing to bring health and fitness mainstream? Or a charlatan who unleashed toxic masculinity on the world, who encouraged...

Was Robert Maxwell the defiant outsider who came from nothing to join Britain's elite? Or was he a bullying maniac whose power went unchecked? Was he a pioneer in business and politics who was ahead of his time? Or was he a fraud who nicked his employees pensions? And, did the man whose family tragically died in the holocaust actually commit a war crime himself? Tony Hawks, Janine Harouni and Hann...

Was she a tyrant in a tall hat — or the original girlboss, defying gravity and public opinion? Was she a product of her environment who experienced prejudice, and even if she was, does that allow her to terrorise Oz? Emmanuel Sonubi, Joe Sutherland and Jess Fostekew join the great and powerful Russell Kane to decide if Elphaba Thropp - The Wicked Witch of the West - is evil or genius. Additional M...

Napoleon Bonaparte. Was he a tiny tyrant who ruled with an iron first? Or a military mastermind who revolutionised warfare forever? Russell Kane reads from Napoleon's romantic fiction, tells of his battlefield exploits, and even shocking party trick that left women in tears. Celya AB, Glenn Moore and Johnny Cochrane join Russell Kane on the battlefield - who will win? Evil, or Genius? Additional M...

Christine Keeler - was she the genius who used what she had to bring down the government? Or did she play fast and loose with national security. Russell Kane is joined by Sara Barron, Rachel Fairburn and Michael Odewale to delve into the life of the woman at the centre of the Profumo affair. A story of sex, violence, espionage and cold war tensions. It's what Evil Genius is all about. Additional M...

Was Harper Lee a literary genius who helped spark the civil rights movement in America? Was she a selfish recluse who put her own interest above anyone else’s? And, in one of her last acts, did she tarnish her own legacy by betraying her most beloved character? Celya AB, Glenn Moore and Johnny Cochrane join Russell Kane in the courtroom of Evil Genius to find out. Additional Material: Eve Delaney...

Was OJ Simpson an inspiring American rags-to-riches story, or a fame-hungry abuser? Michael Odewale, Sara Barron and Rachel Fairburn take a sip of ‘The Juice’. Was he a murderer who got away with it all? Was a victim of systemic racism in the US justice system? Our guests dig into his life, and debate the legacy of Orenthal James Simpson. Additional Material: Eve Delaney Researcher: Miriam O’Byrne...

Did Lawrence of Arabia beautifully befriend the Arabs in WWI or savagely betray them? Should the king of guerrilla warfare be held accountable? What were his most surprising eccentricities? Our guests Susie McCabe, Desiree Burch and Ian Smith get stuck into the life of Thomas Edward Lawrence. Producer: Sasha Bobak Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC So...

Was Lady Macbeth a cold-hearted killer or a grieving mother? Did she manipulate her husband or help him achieve his goals? Or was she simply in a very toxic relationship? Laura Smyth, Josh Jones and Johnny Cochrane decide... evil or genius. Producer: Sasha Bobak Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Money makes the world go round... but does it make heroes or villains? Our guests Phil Wang, Lindsey Santoro and Katie Norris examine the life of the world's first-ever billionaire, weigh in on his ruthless tactics, and reflect on his motivations. Producer: Sasha Bobak Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Oliver Cromwell is a highly controversial figure, not least because he banned Christmas (fun sponge alert). Our guests Kerry Godliman, Helen Bauer and Glenn Moore evaluate his powerful reign, argue over his policies, and realise the trouble they’d have run into under his regime. Producer: Sasha Bobak Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Jim Morrison was a rock icon, a tortured poet and a leather-trouser addict. His outrageous performances on stage and dangerous behaviour behind closed doors cause quite the stir for guests Rachel Parris, Daliso Chaponda and Stephen Bailey. Producer: Sasha Bobak Evil Genius is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Marlene Dietrich was undoubtedly an icon - with an impressive string of films, lovers and mic-drop quotes. Her work in the Second World War was inspiring but her relationship with her husband and daughter reveal a much darker side to the life of the dazzling movie star. Amy Gledhill, Ria Lina and Alasdair Beckett-King decide - diva or devil? Producer: Sasha Bobak Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a...

The 'Prince of Darkness' Miles Davis was a jazz revolutionary with a famously husky voice and a passion for fashion. Musical genius? Yes. Deeply flawed character? Yes. Blew his own trumpet? Big time. Our guests Desiree Burch, Ian Smith and Susie McCabe uncover the darker side of a fascinating life and debate whether he was in fact evil... or genius. Producer: Sasha Bobak Evil Genius with Russell K...