Episode notes
Comedian Russell Kane dishes the dirt on Wasps. Are Wasps malicious menaces or misunderstood marvels? Helping Russell decide whether Wasps are evil or genius are Professor of Behavioural Ecology at UCL, Seirian Sumner and comedian Lindsey Santoro. Written by: Eve Delaney & Ruth Huskisson Additional material by: Catherine Beazley & Angela Channell Researcher: Catherine Beazley Sound Recordist: Gareth Wood Digital Editor: Jerry Peal Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Executive Producer: Paul Smith Producer: Simon Nicholls Evil Animals with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds.
Podcast
Evil Genius with Russell Kane
BBC Radio 4 · Comedy · English
It's good, bad, ugly - and very very funny. Changing the way we see heroes and villains in history.
More from Evil Genius with Russell Kane All episodes →
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12 Aug 2026 · 34 min
Evil Animals, Series 3: Chimpanzees
Joining comedian Russell Kane to decide whether Chimpanzees are evil or genius are the zoologist and author Jules Howard and comedian Esther Manito. Written by: Eve Delaney & Ruth Huskisson Additional material by: Catherine Beazley & Angela Channell Researcher: Catherine Beazley Sound Recordist: Gareth Wood Digital Editor: Jerry Peal Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Executive Producer: Paul Smith Producer: Simon Nicholls Evil Animals with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds.
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5 Aug 2026 · 33 min
Evil Animals, Series 3: Orcas
Russell Kane deep dives Orcas. Marine Menace Masterminds or Deep Sea Superstars? Helping him decide whether Orcas are evil or genius are zoologist Billy Heaney and comedian Lucy Porter. Written by: Eve Delaney & Ruth Huskisson Additional material by: Catherine Beazley & Angela Channell Researcher: Catherine Beazley Sound Recordist: Gareth Wood Digital Editor: Jerry Peal Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Executive Producer: Paul Smith Producer: Simon Nicholls Evil Animals with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds.
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29 Jul 2026 · 34 min
Evil Animals, Series 3: Rats
Russell Kane dishes the dirt on our favourite rodent – the rat. Joining him to decide whether Rats are evil or genius are the Natural History Museum’s Merit Researcher Natalie Cooper and comedian Susie McCabe. Written by: Eve Delaney & Ruth Huskisson Additional material by: Catherine Beazley & Angela Channell Researcher: Catherine Beazley Sound Recordist: Gareth Wood Digital Editor: Jerry Peal Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Executive Producer: Paul Smith Producer: Simon Nicholls Evil Animals with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds.
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22 Jul 2026 · 33 min
Evil Animals, Series 3: Tortoises
Comedian Russell Kane dishes the dirt on Tortoises. Helping him decide whether Tortoises – aka Shellena Gomez - are evil or genius are zoologist and author Jules Howard and comedian Peter Rethinasamy. Written by: Eve Delaney & Ruth Huskisson Additional material by: Catherine Beazley & Angela Channell Researcher: Catherine Beazley Sound Recordist: Gareth Wood Digital Editor: Jerry Peal Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Executive Producer: Paul Smith Producer: Simon Nicholls Evil Animals with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds.
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15 Jul 2026 · 33 min
Evil Animals, Series 3: Vultures
Comedian Russell Kane spills the beans on Vultures (not literally). Helping Russell decide whether Vultures are evil or genius are zoologist and author Lucy Cooke and comedian, writer and actress Desiree Burch. Written by: Eve Delaney & Ruth Huskisson Additional material by: Catherine Beazley & Angela Channell Researcher: Catherine Beazley Sound Recordist: Gareth Wood Digital Editor: Jerry Peal Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Executive Producer: Paul Smith Producer: Simon Nicholls Evil Animals with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds.
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1 Jul 2026 · 32 min
Evil Animals, Series 3: Koalas
Russell Kane is back with the feral sibling of Evil Genius. We're spilling the beans on Koalas. Are they Adorable Aussie icons or shit-eating nightmares? Helping Russell decide whether Koalas are evil or genius are comedian Felicity Ward and zoologist Lucy Cooke. Written by: Eve Delaney & Ruth Huskisson Additional material by: Angela Channell & Catherine Beazley Researcher: Catherine Beazley Sound Recordist: Gareth Wood Digital Editor: Jerry Peal Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Executive Producer: Paul Smith Producer: Simon Nicholls Evil Animals with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios…
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17 Jun 2026 · 38 min
Series 12: Ronnie Biggs
He’s one of the most famous criminals in British history, but was railway enthusiast Ronnie Biggs really just a petty crook who fell on his feet? From his 36 years on the run, to his brief stint as a punk icon, Louise Young, Limahl Germain and Peter Rethinasamy must decide whether the man who put the ‘Great’ into ‘Great Train Robbery’ was evil, or genius. Additional material: Miriam O’Byrne, Angela Channell and Katie Sayer Researcher: Miriam O’Byrne Recording Engineer: Dom Boucher Sound Editor: Kate Mac Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Executive Producer: Paul Smith The producer was Katie…
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10 Jun 2026 · 39 min
Series 12: Joan of Arc
A teenage nerd with anger management issues, Joan of Arc has been immortalised as a figure of resistance across the generations. But was the Maid of Orleans really just a pick-me girl with a dodgy haircut? Ola Labib, Edd Hedges and Lily Phillips must decide whether Joan of Arc was a virgin martyr, or a virgin loser. Additional material: Christina Riggs, Angela Channell and Katie Sayer Researcher: Christina Riggs Recording Engineer: Gareth Wood Sound Editor: Kate Mac Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Executive Producer: Paul Smith The producer was Katie Sayer. Evil Genius with Russell Kane is…
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3 Jun 2026 · 38 min
Series 12: Mozart
He’s the most famous composer there’s ever been; a child prodigy who produced more than 600 works in his short life. But was the ‘miracle of Vienna’ really anything more than just a manchild with a scat fetish? Kate Cheka, Stephen Bailey and Steve Bugeja must decide whether the ‘boy genius’ was actually more ‘boy evil’, via water sports and magic flutes. Additional material: Miriam O’Byrne and Katie Sayer Researcher: Miriam O’Byrne Recording Engineer: Dom Boucher Sound Editor: Kate Mac Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Executive Producer: Paul Smith The producer was Katie Sayer. Evil Genius…
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27 May 2026 · 2 min
Evil Animals, Series 4: The Critters are back...again!
Russell Kane addresses the elephant in the room, lets the cat out of the bag and embarks on a wild goose chase. Across this new series of Evil Animals, we’ll playfully debate whether Crows, Rabbits, Elephants, Octopus, Robins, Crocodiles, Slugs, Mallards and Butterflies are evil or genius. Russell is joined by some of the very best animal experts: Dr. Natalie Cooper from the Natural History Museum, zoologist Jules Howard, Bug Life’s Dr. Karim Vahed, vet and author Dr. Jess French, mollusc expert Jon Ablett and NHM’s Dr. Alex Bond. And comedian guests include: Katie Norris, Josh Jones,…
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