KITCHEN CONNECTIONS WITH AINSLEY HARRIOTT
Radio 4, 9.30am
He’s not the greatest of interviewers, but the chef Ainsley Harriott is certainly able to put people at their ease. He reins in his usual panto exuberance for this series that invites people to tell how they came to the UK while preparing a traditional dish from their homeland. As a charming Saba Gebregiorgis prepares a spicy chicken derho stew, we learn how she had to flee Eritrea at 16. Cue reminiscences warm and sad amid the sound of chopping onions and sizzling meat.
MILES APART
Radio 4, 11.30am
Miles Kington meets fellow satirists from other cultures, starting with Antoine de Caunes. We still imagine him as the cheeky-chappy presenter of Eurotrash, but in his native France he’s known as a satirical chat-show host turned serious film-maker whose latest movie stars Charlotte Rampling and Ian Richardson. He shares his love of Peter Sellers and surreal British comedy, explains how French humour is more rational, and reveals his relief that France didn’t get the 2012 Olympics. He also introduces us to the ageing French Elvis wannabe Dick Rivers, which means we get to hear Dans le Ghetto.