SUSAN JEFFREYS’ RADIO WEEK

EBU CHRISTMAS AROUND EUROPE BRUNO TONIOLI AT THE OPERA

DERMOT O’LEARY

SATURDAY, 8AM, RADIO 2 ★★★★ Robbie Williams joins Dermot for a live session of tracks from his 12th studio album, The Christmas Present.

GRAHAM NORTON

SATURDAY, 10AM, RADIO 2 ★★★★ Andrew Ridgeley’s recent book, Wham! George & Me, tells the story of his musical journey with George Michael, from their first performance to their final concert. Andrew joins Dermot this morning to look back over those years.

SUNDAY, 9AM, 4PM, RADIO 3 ★★★★★ Carols and Christmas music light up this week’s radio, but by far the brightest star in the schedules is this broadcast of Christmas music from across Europe. English choral works, Swedish folk songs, Spanish carols and other festive joys pour forth all through the day and deep into the dark winter’s night.

SUNDAY, 9PM, RADIO 2 ★★★★ Opera-loving Bruno Tonioli opens his new series with music from the operas on the theme of parents. We get heartbreak from Madama Butterfly, scheming from Gianni Schicchi, murder from Rigoletto and lots of great tunes.

FAKE HEIRESS

MONDAY-TUESDAY, 2.15PM, RADIO 4 ★★★★★

A fascinating drama about high living and low cunning, based on the true story of a woman who called herself Anna Delvey, who said she would inherit a multimillionpound trust fund, conning a great many people – but didn’t actually have a bean.

BREAKFAST

FRIDAY, 6.30AM, RADIO 3 ★★★★

All this week, Radio 3 has been featuring the runners-up in the station’s annual carol-composing competition. Each year has brought in fresh new Christmas music and, on this show, we hear the winner.

THE VERB

FRIDAY, 10PM, RADIO 3 ★★★★ Michael Rosen celebrates silliness and the joys of play, while Axel Scheffler and Julia Donaldson talk about their much-loved creation – The Gruffalo.

ARCHERS UPDATE

The ‘rewilding’ project has got off to a flying start, with villagers turning savage and going at it tooth and claw. Phoebe tries to mop up the bad blood, but the fur’s flying in Ambridge. Over at the Aldridges’, Adam finds himself caught up in a family row where things are said that cannot be unsaid. Frankly, if any of that lot got what they truly deserved, they’d all be very sorry indeed. There’s bother brewing at Brookfield, where Harrison has some bad news to deliver, trouble at the Grundy World Of Christmas when the prizes run out, and a clash of antlers at Lower Loxley. A truly wild Christmas seems in the offing.