Evil Genius with Russell Kane

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

By BBC Sounds

It’s good, bad, ugly - and very very funny. Changing the way we see heroes and villains in history.

Episodes

Princess Margaret

Geoff Norcott, Felicity Ward and Sophie Duker debate - wearing a crown, or going down? Taking in Geoff's hatred of dressing gowns, how it's a difficult time to be an ugly Ryan, and who the panel would allow to tap cigarette ash into their palm.Producer Sally Heaven Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
28/03/2447m 46s

Karl Lagerfeld

Kerry Godliman, Darren Harriott and Helen Bauer spill the tea on the Chanel fashion guru. He might have been the greatest designer of his generation but was he the greatest human?Producer: Beth O’Dea Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
21/03/2446m 2s

Ronald Reagan

Grainne Maguire, Athena Kugblenu and Robin Morgan decide, Reagan? Or wrong 'un? Plus, could we replace a leader with an actual puppet, like Ed the Duck? And other important questions.Producer Sally Heaven Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
14/03/2444m 3s

Marie Antoinette

Rachel Parris, Daliso Chaponda and Catherine Bohart on the original drama queen. Was the Last Queen of France just a spoiled child with huge hair who didn't know any better?Producer: Beth O’Dea Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
07/03/2445m 5s

Homer Simpson

Sophie Duker, Felicity Ward and Geoff Norcott decide whether the yellow patriarch is Duff Beer or just duff. Also, what do Geoff Norcott and Homer have in common, and what would a Gen Z Homer sound like?Producer Sally Heaven Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
29/02/2447m 1s

Jerry Springer

Desiree Burch, Josh Jones and Sara Barron - will their final thought on the chat show host be evil? Or genius? Plus, why does Desiree have Jerry Springer dolls? And what did Jeremy Kyle say about Josh's shirt?Producer Sally Heaven.Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
22/02/2443m 0s

IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad

Stevie Martin, Johnny Cochrane and Maisie Adam deconstruct the Swedish furniture king and his eccentric billionaire lifestyle.Producer: Beth O’Dea Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
15/02/2443m 49s

The Kray Twins

Helen Bauer, Darren Harriott and Kerry Godliman take on the infamous gangster double act. Ronnie and Reggie ruled the East End of London in the 1960s and became genuine criminal celebrities.Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
08/02/2446m 0s

Attila the Hun

Robin Morgan, Gráinne Maguire and Athena Kugblenu ask: you OK, hun? Was Attila all that bad? Is a spike up the bum really the worst way to go, which is the best Hun gadget, and why is Gráinne such a fangirl?Producer Sally Heaven Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
01/02/2442m 23s

Elizabeth Taylor

Desiree Burch, Sara Barron and Josh Jones provide more laughs than Liz had husbands. That's seven, by the way. Or eight if you count Richard Burton twice.Producer Sally Heaven.Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
25/01/2437m 3s

Count Dracula

Maisie Adam, Stevie Martin and Johnny Cochrane prise open the coffin to assess the undead legend in the cold light of day. Superhero powers, seductive charm and also looks great in a cape. Genius, surely?Producer: Beth O’Dea Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
18/01/2446m 45s

Introducing Monsters of Music with Tom Allen

In Monsters of Music, Tom Allen uncovers the scandalous lives of classical musicians.
20/10/231m 4s

David Bowie

Kerry Godliman, Esther Manito and Rhys James decide – Starman or laughing gnome?Producer Sally Heaven
06/04/2347m 6s

Marvin Gaye

Maisie Adam, Ania Magliano and Marlon Davis wonder what was goin' on with the soul singer.
30/03/2337m 21s

Cleopatra

Kerry Godliman, Esther Manito and Rhys James debate - was the Egyptian a pain in the asp?
23/03/2336m 59s

Christopher Columbus

Sara Barron, Helen Bauer and Darren Harriott on the man who's credited with finding North America. But never actually got there. And firmly believed the world to be breast-shaped.Producer: Beth O’Dea Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
16/03/2342m 5s

Johnny Cash

Thanyia Moore, Pierre Novellie and Lauren Pattison ask if the country star did in fact walk the line.Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
09/03/2343m 36s

Mary Whitehouse

Felicity Ward, Ria Lina and Peter Rethinasamy decide: is the campaigner prophet or prude?
02/03/2350m 35s

Andy Warhol

Darren Harriott, Helen Bauer and Sara Barron on the weird and wonderful founder of pop art. And for the first time, one of the panellists falls violently in love with the subject during the recording and won't hear a word against him.Producer: Beth O’Dea Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
23/02/2345m 39s

Marlon Brando

Maisie Adam, Marlon Davis and Ania Magliano's decision will be an offer he can't refuse.
16/02/2345m 34s

Meat Loaf

Rachel Fairburn, Johnny Cochrane and Stevie Martin slice up the Bat Out Of Hell singer. Was he right in saying "no superstar will ever look like me again"?
09/02/2340m 8s

Bruce Lee

Felicity Ward, Ria Lina and Peter Rethinasamy decide if Lee deserves a one-inch punch
02/02/2346m 3s

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit creator JRR Tolkien

Thanyia Moore, Lauren Pattison and Pierre Novellie are on a quest for the man who created the Ring. Is he more Sauron or Gandalf?Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
26/01/2346m 28s

Batman

Stevie Martin, Rachel Fairburn and Johnny Cochrane ask how super the superhero really is. Is the caped crusader the sexiest superhero of all? Or a weirdo in a cave who makes it all worse, actually?Producer: Beth O’Dea Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
19/01/2345m 32s

Lara Croft, Tomb Raider

Sikisa, Sarah Callaghan and Ivo Graham dig the dirt on Tomb Raider, Lara Croft
24/03/2236m 16s

Richard Nixon

Athena Kugblenu, Lou Sanders and Nathan Caton decide: Evilgate or Geniusgate?
17/03/2240m 13s

Frida Kahlo

Gráinne Maguire, Harriet Braine and Hal Cruttenden paint a not-so-pretty picture of the Mexican artist.This episode was recorded before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
10/03/2242m 1s

Sigmund Freud

Sophie Duker, Rhys James and Evelyn Mok analyse the father of psychoanalysis
03/03/2235m 3s

Allen Ginsberg

Gráinne Maguire, Harriet Braine and Hal Cruttenden beat up beat poet Allen Ginsberg.
24/02/2245m 2s

Genghis Khan

Esther Manito, Robin Morgan and Sarah Mills discuss whether the warrior was actually woke
17/02/2240m 37s

Notorious B.I.G.

Lou Sanders, Nathan Caton and Athena Kugblenu decide whether they're hypnotized by Biggie
10/02/2233m 36s

Wernher von Braun; the rocket scientist who put man on the moon

Sikisa, Sarah Callaghan and Ivo Graham take a look at the man behind the Apollo missions.
03/02/2237m 59s

Virginia Woolf

Sophie Duker, Rhys James and Evelyn Mok decide if Virginia is more Woolf or puppy dog.
27/01/2242m 50s

Cecil Rhodes: the man behind the row about controversial statues

Johnny Cochrane, Thanyia Moore and Olga Koch knock down the man behind the big statues controversy currently raging - should statues of evil geniuses from history stay up?
20/01/2237m 50s

Elizabeth I

Robin Morgan, Esther Manito & Sarah Mills on the Virgin Queen. Pure evil or pure genius?
13/01/2241m 58s

Prince

Olga Koch, Thanyia Moore and Johnny Cochrane uncover some truths about The Purple One
06/01/2250m 10s

Evil Genius with Russell Kane returns Thu 6th Jan!

Russell and panel are back, kicking off with The Purple One himself...music icon, Prince.
30/12/211m 0s

James Bond

Rob Beckett, Athena Kugblenu & Heidi Regan decide whether to use the ejector seat on Bond
01/04/2143m 40s

Diego Maradona

Will Jon Richardson, Johnny Cochrane and Susie McCabe give Maradona the red card?
25/03/2144m 42s

Che Guevara

Comrades Ria Lina, Esther Manito and Michael Odewale dissect the Argentine revolutionary.
19/03/2147m 8s

Dr Seuss

The controversial children's author.How will Josh Jones, Ola Labib & Joanne McNally vote?
12/03/2146m 15s

Billie Holiday

Sophie Duker, Daliso Chaponda and Kemah Bob riff over jazz singer Billie Holiday, who sang Strange Fruit.
04/03/2142m 38s

Kellogg

Fern Brady, Alison Spittle and Alex Edelman on John Harvey Kellogg, man of cornflakes.
25/02/2141m 51s

Boudicca

Grainne Maguire Athena Kugblenu and Tony Law assess the Queen of East Anglia AKA Boudicca
18/02/2137m 19s

Charles Darwin

Jayde Adams, Angela Barnes and Neil Delamere on the scientist who came up with evolution and explained how life works. No biggie.
11/02/2140m 32s

Alfred Hitchcock

Catherine Bohart, Tom Parry & Heidi Regan keep you in suspense. Hitchcock:evil or genius?
04/02/2148m 46s

Henry VIII

Grainne Maguire, Felicity Ward and Alex Kealy decide, was Henry more monarch or murderer?
28/01/2140m 53s

Malcolm X

Darren Harriott, Sikisa and Johnny Cochrane examine the civil rights leader.
21/01/2146m 6s

Alexander Hamilton (from the musical)

Sara Barron, Ivo Graham & Jenny Bede on the American Founding Father, the real man behind the hit musical Hamilton.
14/01/2142m 5s

Evil Genius returns Thursday 14 January!

Russell and panel take on US Founding Father Alexander Hamilton - of the musical fame..
08/01/211m 45s

Karl Marx

Olga Koch, Eshaan Akbar and Geoff Norcott give the political thinker Marx out of ten.
17/06/2049m 49s

Charlie Chaplin

Jon Richardson, Catherine Bohart & Shappi Khorsandi look at the film star in close-up.
11/06/2040m 11s

we're taking a break

a message from Russell Kane
23/04/2039s

Freddie Mercury

Tom Allen, Evelyn Mok and Isma Almas share what Queen's singing superstar means to them.
16/04/2044m 7s

Emmeline Pankhurst

Will Sarah Keyworth, Athena Kugblenu and Luisa Omielan use their votes wisely?
09/04/2039m 53s

Elvis

Will Colin Murray,Johnny Cochrane and Neil Delamere have suspicious minds about The King?
02/04/2042m 22s

Picasso

Tom Allen, Suzi Ruffell and Harriet Braine paint a wonky picture of the great artist.
26/03/2043m 32s

Nina Simone

Are Athena Kugblenu, Njambi McGrath and Harriet Dyer feeling good about Nina Simone?
19/03/2042m 5s

WG Grace: the greatest cricketer and his dark legacy

Ivo Graham and Aatif Nawaz bowl over non-cricket fans Russell Kane and Joanne McNally.
12/03/2043m 4s

Adi Dassler, founder of Adidas

Darren Harriott, Nathan Caton and Joanne McNally put the boot in to the sportswear giant.
05/03/2043m 14s

George Best

Colin Murray, Chloe Petts and Neil Delamere give the greatest footballer a good kicking.
27/02/2043m 56s

Evil Genius is back on 27 February

Starting with three sport episodes - two sports megastars and one king of sportswear
20/02/2056s

Oscar Wilde

Jen Brister, Larry Dean & Esther Manito consign Oscar Wilde to the gutter or the stars.
07/11/1940m 4s

Lou Reed

Sophie Duker, Laura Lexx & Neil Delamere take a walk on the wild side with the rock star
31/10/1935m 25s

Whitney Houston

Dane Baptiste, Jodie Mitchell and Athena Kugblenu decide, will they always love Whitney?
24/10/1936m 39s

Bernard Manning

Jessica Fostekew, Marlon Davis and Leo Kearse ask if the popular comedian is still funny.
17/10/1941m 34s

Salvador Dali

Jen Brister, Esther Manito and Larry Dean wax their moustaches ready to talk Salvador Dali
10/10/1932m 23s

Winston Churchill

Daliso Chaponda, Ivo Graham & Jessica Fostekew discuss the man voted the Greatest Briton.
03/10/1937m 5s

Fidel Castro

Comrades Heidi Regan, Konstantin Kisin and Eleanor Morton consider Fidel Castro.
26/09/1939m 26s

Muhammad Ali

Darren Harriott, Laura Davis, Christopher Macarthur-Boyd on the boxer called The Greatest
19/09/1943m 50s

Queen Victoria

Dane Baptiste, Jodie Mitchell and Athena Kugblenu weigh up Queen Victoria.
12/09/1934m 14s

Amy Winehouse

Suzi Ruffell Joanne McNally and Maisie Adam take on Amy at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
05/09/1938m 43s

Evil Genius is back on 5 Sept! Watch out, dead famous people

Evil Genius is good, bad, ugly and funny. And it's returning to your lucky earholes.
29/08/191m 36s

James Brown

Lou Sanders, Johnny Cochrane and Tom Lucy find out how James Brown Got On Up to no good.
14/02/1930m 0s

Walt Disney

Fern Brady, Tiff Stevenson and Kae Kurd have an animated chat, about animator Walt Disney
07/02/1926m 17s

Enid Blyton

Danielle Ward, Rachel Fairburn & Danny McLoughlin have a jolly old time with Enid Blyton
31/01/1928m 28s

Joan Crawford

Amy Annette, Marcus Bronzy and Inel Tomlinson find the upsides in having an arch-nemesis
24/01/1927m 50s

Bill Hicks

Tiff Stevenson, Fern Brady and Kae Kurd weigh up the comedian Bill Hicks
19/01/1928m 49s

Coco Chanel

Elf Lyons, Ken Cheng and Sadie Harrison debate Coco Chanel and lying about your age.
10/01/1932m 41s

Frank Sinatra

Lou Sanders, Johnny Cochrane and Tom Lucy bandy words about singing and civil rights.
03/01/1939m 6s

Joan Rivers

Desiree Burch, Catherine Bohart and Alan Carr chat being outrageous and having no limits.
27/12/1844m 47s

Father Christmas

Sindhu Vee, Grainne Maguire and Dane Baptiste mull over the magic of Santa himself.
21/12/1829m 8s

Charles Dickens

Amy Annette, Marcus Bronzy and Inel Tomlinson read up on author Charles Dickens
13/12/1837m 13s

Darth Vader

James Acaster, Jayde Adams and Romesh Ranganathan ask if he's just misunderstood.
06/12/1821m 17s

Pablo Escobar

Danielle Ward, Rachel Fairburn and Danny McLoughlin weigh up drug lord Pablo Escobar.
29/11/1829m 18s

Sid Vicious at Latitude Festival

Grainne Maguire, Jen Brister and Shappi Khorsandi talk about what comedy owes to punk.
22/11/1831m 13s

JFK

Elf Lyons, Ken Cheng and Sadie Harrison poke around JFK: John F. Kennedy, US President.
15/11/1834m 4s

Tupac Shakur

Romesh Ranganathan, James Acaster and Jayde Adams judge hip hop artist Tupac Shakur.
07/11/1830m 47s

Mother Teresa

Alan Carr, Desiree Burch and Catherine Bohart talk about goodness, badness and bin babies.
01/11/1839m 25s

Evil Genius is coming back!

A new series of Evil Genius is on its way..
26/10/1843s

Margaret Thatcher

Russell and his panellists Grainne Maguire, Sindhu Vee and Omar Hamdi weigh up the Iron Lady. It's a hard hitting political debate involving hairspray, Judi Dench and ninjas.
09/05/1832m 10s

Steve Jobs

Russell and his panelists Simon Evans, Bec Hill and Stephen Bailey try and decide whether Steve Jobs is evil or a genius. Without him this podcast may not have existed. Will that affect their decision?
02/05/1829m 54s

Hugh Hefner

Russell Kane gets into his dressing gown to talk about Hugh Hefner while his panel Stephen Bailey, Bec Hill and Simon Evans look the other way.
25/04/1831m 45s

Gandhi

Surely not Gandhi? Russell Kane reveals there might be an evil side to the father of modern India. With panelists Grainne Maguire, Sindhu Vee and Omar Hamdi.
18/04/1834m 55s

Roald Dahl

Will Russell Kane’s revelations about Roald Dahl stop you from reading The BFG ever again? Panellists Judi Love, Kelly Convey and Imran Yusuf have their childhood memories tainted forever.
11/04/1828m 45s

Albert Einstein

Kindly favourite-uncle genius with comedy hair, or controlling egomanic? Russell Kane attempts to explain the theory of relativity to Caz Frear, Sean McLoughlin and Rachel Parris.
04/04/1826m 5s

Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor may be the comedian’s comedian, but there is plenty in his life story that isn’t so funny. Russell Kane discusses whether his genius outweighs his evil, with panellists Judi Love, Kelly Convey and Imran Yusuf.
28/03/1831m 38s

Evelyn Waugh

Writing Brideshead Revisited? Genius. Naming his son Auberon? Evil. And it gets worse... Russell weighs it all up with Jolyon Rubinstein, Ellie White and Sadie Harrison.
21/03/1826m 37s

Marie Stopes: birth control pioneer

Russell Kane asks whether birth control pioneer Marie Stopes had a more sinister motive.. with Dane Baptiste, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Iszi Lawrence.
14/03/1836m 9s

John Lennon

Peace, love and an intolerance of laughter. Was the music worth it all? Depends who you ask. With Rachel Parris, Caz Frear and Sean McLoughlin.
07/03/1830m 26s

Welcome to Evil Genius with Russell Kane

The show where we ask: Where do you draw the line?
05/03/181m 5s
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