BBC announces Religion programming for television and radio

The BBC has announced a range of Religion and Ethics programmes across television and radio which will air this autumn and next year.

Daisy Scalchi, Head of Commissioning, Religion and Ethics TV said: "The new season of religious programming affirms the BBC’s commitment to religious programming, bringing together different views, respectful discussion and celebrating the joy and invitation at the heart of many of the UK’s faith traditions. 

“Upcoming programmes will shine a light on contemporary history, get inside a community trending online, mark 65 years of one of the world's longest-running TV titles and follow a well-loved celebrity as they undertake a monumental endeavour. We always aim to amaze, delight and stimulate audiences who come for a compelling proposition, but stay for the surprising places religion can take us, regardless of what we believe. The BBC remains unrivalled in the range and ambition of titles in this genre.” 

Tim Pemberton, Head of Commissioning, Religion and Ethics, Radio said: “BBC Radio's religious and spiritual programming creates space for thoughtful, searching conversations about faith, belief and the values that shape our lives. This autumn, our programming brings together deeply personal testimony, challenging discussion, reflection, worship and music, inviting listeners to encounter experiences and perspectives that may be very different from their own. From examining the complexities of leaving a faith to celebrating the extraordinary contribution of Black British gospel music, these programmes demonstrate the breadth and relevance of religion on BBC Radio." 

Highlights this autumn include: 

• Young, British and Tradwife from filmmaker Poppy Jay, in which she meets some of the nation’s young tradwives to understand what’s driving this trend
• Guz Does…MMA (w/t) follows Guz as he swaps show business for a Birmingham gym, training under coach Ash Begg - a former 28-stone amateur-turned-elite MMA trainer 
• New feature documentary Amritsar explores the military assault ordered by Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 to remove armed Sikh separatists from the Golden Temple complex 
• Songs of Praise celebrates its 65th anniversary with a special programme presented by Pam Rhodes and Aled Jones while Young Chorister of the Year comes from Hallé St Peter’s in Manchester 
• Illuminated: Faithless on BBC Radio 4 shares the personal stories of people who have left the faith traditions in which they were raised 
• Beyond Belief, recorded with a live audience at Contains Strong Language in Salford, will explore passages from sacred texts that can challenge and shock modern readers 
• Sunday Worship and Daily Service will feature a celebration of Black British Gospel Music as part of the BBC’s collaboration with the V&A East’s The Music is Black exhibition. 
• BBC Asian Network will celebrate Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas with special programming and playlists 

Television

Young, British and Trad Wife

Tradwives are trending. This year the term was added to the Cambridge English dictionary, as the hashtag has over 300 million views on TikTok - and counting. Tradwives promote the pleasures of domesticity and teach others how to embrace homemaking. But for some this phenomenon is more than just pretty aesthetics: it’s a return to patriarchal gender roles and traditional values. 

BAFTA and Grierson-Award nominated documentarian Poppy Jay asks: what is the allure of the ‘simple life’ attracting scores of young women and how does it square with feminism? Or is it a new manifestation of misogyny? How do fundamental Christian ideals fit in?

In her immersive documentary, Poppy will conduct her own ‘wife swap’ experiment. Using her trademark wit and journalistic flair, she’ll ask difficult questions inside the tradwives’ homes as she immerses with the women and their husbands who are embracing this lifestyle. She’ll explore a growing rejection of hustle culture amongst Gen Z women, and look at where traditional Christian values may be stepping in. 

Poppy said: “I went into this film with some preconceptions about tradwives, not least because traditional gender roles are something I’ve spent much of my own life pushing against, as I felt like women like my mum and grandma were the OG tradwives. But I didn’t just want to judge this world from the outside. I wanted to understand the appeal for myself, so I spent time in the tradwife community and even became one myself. Meeting these women and stepping into their shoes challenged some of my assumptions but also raised much bigger questions about why these ideas are resonating with women now. I can’t wait for people to see where it took me." 

Young, British and Tradwife, a 1x60’ for BBC One and iPlayer, is made by Firecrest Films. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Executive Producer is Vari Innes, the Producer is Claudia Massie and it was filmed and directed by Poppy Jay. The Commissioning Editor is Daisy Scalchi, Head of Commissioning, Religion and Ethics.

jess.molyneux@multitudemedia.co.uk

Guz Does...MMA (W/T)

Guz Khan has just turned 40, a mid-life wake up call for the Coventry-born comedian and actor, whose father died aged just 36 years old. This turning point in Guz’s life has prompted him to ask profound questions about his mortality, his Muslim faith, his own role as a dad – and his health.  

But this is more than a fitness journey. Guz has long been fascinated by the extraordinary number of elite Muslim fighters at the top of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and sets out to understand what faith and fighting have to do with each other. Visiting UFC HQ in Vegas and meeting Muslim athletes to understand the role faith plays in training.  

Funny, warm and unexpectedly moving, Guz Does... MMA (w/t) follows a much-loved comic performer over a year as he tries to get fitter, while asking questions about masculinity, grief, and what it actually means to be a good Muslim.  

Guz said: "All I ask of you is to watch this documentary and send positive energy and prayers to all of my bones that someone can very easily snap like a toothpick on a bad Thursday afternoon. Safe…" 

Eddie Stafford, Director said: “This will be Guz Khan as you've never seen him - honest, unguarded, and digging deep in the gym to get a handle on his health. Guz immerses himself in the world of MMA, a sport he’s been obsessed with since childhood, and this is all about faith, fatherhood, grief and finding out who you are at forty. And I think audiences are going to love Guz even more by the end of it.” 

Guz Does... MMA (w/t), a 1x60’ for BBC One, BBC Three and iPlayer, is made by Ricochet. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual, the Executive Producers are Nina Davies, David Simpson and Damon Pattison and the Director is Eddie Stafford. The Commissioning Editor is Daisy Scalchi, Head of Commissioning, Religion and Ethics.

LP

Amritsar - Seige at the Temple (W/T)

In June 1984, the Indian Army launched a major assault on the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, the holiest site in the Sikh faith, to remove armed militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Over several days Operation Blue Star - as it was called - turned into a battle which engulfed the shrine, involving tanks, as well as countless troops and civilians. Hundreds of pilgrims, soldiers, and followers of Bhindranwale died, as well as Bhindranwale himself, and parts of the temple complex were destroyed.  

Four months later, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards, triggering widespread anti-Sikh violence in Delhi that killed thousands. In the decades that followed right up to the present day, the assault on Amritsar continues to be a source of anguish, anger and resentment for Sikh communities around the world.  

In London in 2012, General Kuldip Singh Brar, who commanded the operation, was attacked by a group of British Sikhs, in retaliation for his involvement. Then, in 2014, declassified British documents uncovered at the National Archives revealed that UK Special Forces had advised India before the raid, raising questions about British involvement in the assault.  

Now in 2026, over forty years later, pressure is building on the British government from some members of the Sikh community, to launch a wide-ranging independent inquiry. This feature documentary will tell the definitive story of Operation Blue Star and its aftermath. The film brings together an extraordinary cast of eyewitnesses and key figures from a wide range of viewpoints, offering compelling first-hand testimony from the heart of events. It will explore not only one of India’s darkest chapters - but also Britain’s unresolved role in the assault and the ongoing impact on British Sikh communities. 

Duncan Singh, Director, said: “It is a great privilege to make this landmark feature documentary on such a pivotal moment in India’s modern history. What happened at the Golden Temple in 1984, and then the devastating fallout that followed, remains raw to this day for so many in the Sikh faith. New revelations of British special forces involvement, and an extraordinary range of profound, first hand testimony - much of it from people speaking publicly for the first time - has allowed us to produce a powerful, compelling and deeply emotional film, about one of India’s darkest chapters.” 

Amritsar – Siege at the Temple (w/t), a 1x90’ for BBC Two and iPlayer, is made by Rogan Scotland. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual, the Executive Producers are Mark Hedgecoe and James Rogan, the Producer is Amber Latif and the Director is Duncan Singh. The Commissioning Editor is Daisy Scalchi, Head of Commissioning, Religion and Ethics. It will have a limited theatrical release.

TD

Songs of Praise

To mark its 65th birthday, Pam Rhodes and Aled Jones present a special episode to mark the big birthday; celebrating the past, present and future of this cherished television institution, on Sunday 27 September at 1.15pm on BBC One and iPlayer. 

First broadcast on Sunday 1 October 1961, Songs of Praise is one of the longest-running television programmes in the world, a testament to the enduring appeal of its range of congregational singing and inspiring stories of faith. 

Aled and Pam introduce the episode from St Martin-In The-Fields Church on Trafalgar Square, itself celebrating a special anniversary this year, having been founded exactly 300 years ago. St Martin’s was the location for the BBC’s very first live church service, broadcast in 1924. Songs of Praise began 37 years later and has since broadcast more than 3240 episodes. 

Award-winning Spoken Word Artist, Dai Woolridge, performs a poem in tribute to Songs of Praise, from Cardiff’s Tabernacle Baptist Chapel, the location for the first ever edition in 1961. And through the wonders of modern technology, Aled sings with beloved former presenter Sir Harry Secombe. Using a recording that Harry made for the programme in 1996, Aled has added his own new vocals for a beautiful rendition of “I Believe”. It was an extraordinary experience for Aled for whom Harry was a dear friend and mentor.  

After 65 years on BBC One, Songs of Praise holds a rich archive which provides a real insight into different communities around the UK over the decades. Many highlights are featured in this celebration including the late great Dolly Parton, Andrea Bocelli and Desmond Tutu as occasions when Songs of Praise congregations packed out Old Trafford, The Millennium Stadium and Wimbledon No. 1 Court! 

Appropriately, Aled and Pam introduce hymns that reflect the rich diversity of communities and music styles that have been at the heart of Songs of Praise for so long and all four nations of the UK are represented. From classics like “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” in Cardiff, to modern worship from a fast-growing church in Lincoln. There’s even a hymn from a church in Belfast which switches seamlessly, verse by verse, between recordings from 1984 and 2025. 

Young Chorister of the Year

Aled Jones and Rev. Kate Bottley host this year’s BBC Young Chorister of the Year at Hallé St Peter’s in Manchester. Once again Songs of Praise and BBC Radio 2 have come together to showcase the best young vocal talents with ten young singers in total all performing a sacred song for expert judges David Grant, Laura Wright and Cameron Richardson.

The first programme is the junior semi-final which showcases five talented singers, aged 11 to 13. The music includes much-loved hymns Amazing Grace and The Lord Is My Shepherd as well as an ensemble performance of The Summons written by John Bell. All the young people are striving to impress the judges and three will be selected for the final.

The following week is the turn of the seniors featuring five fantastic singers aged 15 to 17. Music choices include Pie Jesu from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem, Rejoice Greatly from Handel’s Messiah, and Caccini’s Ave Maria. Again, the top three selected by the expert judges go through to the final.

The third programme is the grand final, concluding this year's showcase with more glorious music and both the junior and senior choristers of the year being crowned. Both winners then lead all the young voices featured across the programmes in a special performance with Aled Jones. 

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the programme on Radio 2. It will be available on BBC Sounds from Sunday 18 October.

Children’s and Education

Coming this term, My Religion is a new collection of 25 child-led films for primary schools exploring how religion, belief and identity shape everyday life. The films are accompanied by teacher notes produced in partnership with RE Today. 

• Find out more on the BBC Teach website

Radio

BBC Radio 3

Monday 5 October - Friday 9 October, The Essay: Towards Evensong

9.45pm-10pm

October 2026 marks a hundred years of the BBC’s broadcasting of Choral Evensong. Matthew Bannister is a former head chorister, and verger, who loves Evensong, in this series of essays he talks to the people that make this much-loved service happen. 

Monday: Dean - Abi Thompson, Sheffield Cathedral

Tuesday: Lay Clark - Timothy Popple, Bristol Cathedral

Wednesday: Composer - Roxanna Panufnik

Thursday: Verger - David Maw, Sheffield Cathedral

Friday: Director of Music - Daniel Hyde, King's College, Cambridge

Wednesday 7 October, Choral Evensong

3pm-4pm

Live from Westminster Abbey to mark the 100th anniversary of BBC Choral Evensong broadcasts.

Introit: Almighty and everlasting God (Kerensa Briggs) (world premiere)

Responses: Rose

Psalm 88 (Prendergast)

First Lesson: Hosea 14 vv1-9

Canticles: Gloucester Service (Howells)

Second Lesson: James 2 vv14-26

Anthem: Blest pair of sirens (Parry)

Voluntary: Flourish for an Occasion (Harris)

Andrew Nethsingha (Organist & Master of the Choristers)

Matthew Jorysz (Sub-Organist)

BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4's religious and spiritual programming explores faith, identity, belief and community through a range of distinctive voices and perspectives. Highlights include Illuminated: Faithless, a powerful documentary featuring personal stories from people who have chosen to leave the faith traditions in which they were raised, and a special edition of Beyond Belief, recorded at Contains Strong Language in Salford, in which Giles Fraser and a live audience explore the challenging passages of sacred texts that can shock modern readers.

In Understand: The Value Crisis, Ros Atkins investigates how technology is reshaping our understanding of value across work, relationships, culture and society. Alongside this, the BBC's collaboration with the V&A East's The Music is Black exhibition celebrates the rich tradition of Black British gospel  through Sunday Worship and a week of Daily Service programmes on Radio 4 Extra, with leading gospel musicians and choir directors reflecting on the genre's profound cultural and spiritual impact.

Understand: The Value Crisis with Ros Atkins

Three part series now available on BBC Sounds.

Technology is changing our lives at breakneck speed. But what is it doing to what we value?

From friendship and culture to finance and work, Ros Atkins explores how technology is reshaping our ideas of worth. Has making our relationships more frictionless also made them thinner? Can an algorithm tell the difference between what's good and what simply holds our attention? What happens when price comes unstuck from value, or when the technology that makes us more productive also makes our own skills redundant?

Ros looks to previous technological revolutions for clues, from the arrival of the printing press and the Luddite rebellion to the invention of photography and the dot-com crash. And as AI promises to transform everything from creativity and intimacy to science and work, he asks whether this really amounts to a crisis, and whether AI will resolve it, or make it worse.

Producer: Nadia Mehdi

A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Radio 4

27 September, Illuminated: Faithless

7.15pm -7.45pm

When you begin to doubt the religion you were raised in but questions are discouraged, when your life has already been mapped out for you with no room for your own dreams - how do you walk away?

For much of their lives, Micki, Esther, Nicola and Colin were devoted members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Nigerian Deeper Life Bible Church and Mormonism, respectively. Each recounts the moments when certainty began to unravel.

In raw and honest detail, their stories explore the difficult line between deep religious devotion and unhealthy control. Along the way, for each of them, the balance tipped. Eventually, the effort of holding on became harder than letting go.

With thanks to Faith to Faithless, a Humanists UK service guided by people with lived experience of leaving controlling religious environments.

Original music by Steve Urquhart.

Produced by May Robson

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio Four

Sunday Worship - ‘Praise the Lord’ - A Celebration of Black British Gospel Music

8.10am - 8.40am

As part of the BBC’s collaboration with the V&A East’s 'The Music is Black' exhibition which celebrates Black British music making, this service celebrates the contribution of gospel music. Two legendary Gospel Choir directors – Bazil Meade and Karen Gibson will be in conversation with Swarzy Shire. They will discuss the power of gospel music, its tradition and history in the UK and will reflect on Psalm 150.

Music is being specially recorded in collaboration with Songs of Praise with Bazil’s choir the London Community Gospel Choir which was founded in 1982. And Karen’s choir ‘The Kingdom Choir’ is celebrated within the exhibition itself as the dress she wore for the performance they gave at the Royal Wedding for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is on show. Producer: Miriam Williamson. 

Tuesday 29 September 

Beyond Belief

3pm - 3.30pm

Giles Fraser and the panel explore the strong language found in scripture as they examine those parts of sacred texts which shock and disgust modern audiences. They delve into stories of sex, violence, murder and revenge found in Holy Books and consider how faith communities grapple with these passages. A lively discussion about language, belief, free expression and the enduring power of sacred words, recorded at Contains Strong Language in MediaCity, Salford with a live audience.

Producer: Katharine Longworth

Radio 4 Extra

21 September, Daily Service

Daily Service on Radio 4 Extra (9.45am 21 – 25 September). As part of the BBC’s collaboration with the V&A East’s The Music is Black exhibition celebrating Black British music making – Daily Service is celebrating the history and tradition of UK Gospel Choirs. Across a special week Daily Service will be led by choir leaders from Bazil Meade (London Community Gospel Choir), Karen Gibson (Kingdom Choir), Audrey Lawrence-Mattis (AMC Gospel Choir), Ken Burton (London Adventist Chorale) to Angel Morgan (Volney Morgan & New Ye).

BBC Asian Network

Diwali andBandi Chhor Divas 

To celebrate Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas, Asian Network will host a special Asian Network Trending episode with Asian Network’s Vallisa and Shankeya and content creator Dr Jaskaran Singh Mavi (@indyanddr) discussing their faiths and topical avenues around the festivals with programme presenter Amber Haque. The special programme will be available on Asian Network and BBC Sounds from Wednesday 4 November. Alongside this, four brand new Ultimate Diwali Playlists will be available curated by Asian Network’s Vallisa, Shankeya, and Kizzi and Blue Peter’s Shini Muthukrishnan.

On Friday 6 November, Asian Network’s All Day Diwali programming will celebrate the festival, playing some of the best music and sharing stories throughout the day across the network.  

Local Radio

Local radio continues to cover the week's stories through a faith lens as well as creating original content for its 39 stations and online and social platforms. Recent and upcoming stories include coverage of a new report that reveals that churches provide thousands of community services each week; an interview with musician Ray Cappo, who tells us more about Krishnacore, a subgenre of hardcore punk; the story of eleven year-old Dhian Singh Pahal, who is making history as the first Sikh to represent Team GB at a Karting World Championship; and an examination of all 54 weekly Torah portions through the lens of the Quran by Jewish author Rick Sopher and Muslim scholar Abdulla Galadari.

TD

Follow for more