TODAY’S RADIO

MARK FORREST 10AM, SCALA RADIO HHH

The poet and bestselling children’s author Michael Rosen talks about his new book, Many Different Kinds Of Love. It’s a collection of poetry and words about Michael’s many weeks in hospital, desperately ill from Covid-19, and it includes a powerful tribute to the NHS and the medics who kept him alive.

THE FORUM: THE PAINFUL ROOTS OF DENTISTRY

10.06AM, 12.06AM, WORLD SERVICE HHH Blacksmiths, in their own roughand-ready way, used to practise a bit of dentistry on the side. Barbers and travelling showmen would also extract teeth and deal with ‘stinking breath’. Rajan Datar hears how, in 1728, the French physician Pierre Fauchard published a book that turned dentistry from a dodgy sideline into a respectable profession.

MEET DAVID SEDARIS 6.30PM, RADIO 4 HHHH

David Sedaris worries how the stars will appear, deprived of fillers and Botox, when they emerge from lockdown. ‘Poor Cher’s going to look like Ken Livingstone!’ David has already seen a picture of Madonna, looking as if she’s been stung by a hundred bees, and fears the worst. This evening, he starts a new, six-part series, recorded in his home, where he deals with heavyweight matters such as whether painting your fingernails on a train is worse for your fellow passengers than clicking away on a laptop.

THE COUNTRY SHOW 9PM, RADIO 2 HHHH

There’s a lot of good country music on Radio 2 this week; unfortunately, most of it goes out in the middle of the night. Bob Harris makes some amends with a selection of archive performances from Ashley Mcbryde, Brett Young, Charley Pride and that great little trouper, Dolly Parton. SJ

Dolly Parton (9pm, Radio 2)