Having children is overwhelming but the CBeebies Parenting Helpline is on hand to help bruised and battered mums and dads

Mary Beard and Charlotte Higgins discuss the classical world in a new weekly podcast that feels like an Oxford tutorial

Comedian Mark Steel explores the McLibel case – the longest trial in British history – in a riveting series. Plus, an unmissable documentary about the Asian front of the second world war

A new podcast remembers early 00s guitar music, but first it must define the term. Plus: sport’s strangest crimes returns

The indie provocateur’s tales of menace and failed male ambition have been turned into an album of dancefloor bangers

Radio 4 airs an unmissable investigation of the high-speed rail network debacle – although ‘debacle’ seems too strong a word for the contained emotions in this series

The Wondery series Flesh and Code investigates a man in love with a chatbot

The second season unearths the appallingly common injustice of women undergoing C-sections without pain relief. Plus, Shadow World and The Crime Agents

On stage and in the crowds we're bringing our own vibe to festivals and shows

From Alan Partridge to Ed Reardon, deeply ridiculous personalities are back on radio and podcasts this week

Marianna in Conspiracyland reveals the dark world of anti-medicine influencers

Unlike other festivals, you can always enjoy Glastonbury without seeing the headline acts

Plus, a fresh look at pirate radio, a tone-deaf Amol Rajan interview, and football chants worth shouting about

Plus, a lesson in music-making, and a series of interviews with LGBTQ+ people provides a touching reminder of what Pride is actually about

The French musician, actor and punk poet Jehnny Beth has some invaluable rules for life

The playwright took her own life at 28 in 1999. Now those closest to her talk about a restaging of her final play

A British trafficker tells all in a new podcast. Plus, a TV “swearing consultant”, South African rugby and an indie variety show

Plus, Christiane Amanpour's new gig and a sweet podcast about artificial intelligence

Ahead of the opening night of Hamlet Hail to the Thief, Miranda Sawyer meets the key creatives, including Radiohead’s Thom Yorke