Unreliable Narrator: our latest BBC Illuminated feature

Dave Howard
July 2, 2026

It never, ever gets old: being able to say that a new Bespoken programme has just aired on BBC Radio 4.

Our latest episode for the Illuminated strand - Radio 4's "home for creative and surprising one-off documentaries" - started as a conversation over coffee with a guy called Shaun Milne.  

Among other things he's brilliant at, Shaun is an independent podcaster.  He makes a show, mostly about Scottish (and occasionally Norwegian) music and culture, called Good Stuff In Between.  

Shaun told me about an interview he'd done with acclaimed musician and artist Constant Follower (real name Stephen McAll), and how it had left a lasting impression on him.

Stephen's music is wonderful, but his life story is incredible.

I won't tell you too much about it here, because I want you to listen to the programme(s):

** Listen to our Radio 4 programme Unreliable Narrator' at BBC Sounds.

And / or:

** Listen to Shaun's interview with Stephen from a few years ago for Good Stuff In Between.

What's also incredible is Stephen's generosity, in sharing not only his story but his music with us.  

This programme is gunnelled with original music Stephen composed and created especially for us.

Unreliable Narrator is a sometimes difficult, visceral but, ultimately uplifting story - with the power of poetry and storytelling at its heart.

Huge thanks, and congrats also, to Bespoken producer Katie Revell and sound designer Jonathan Webb for bringing it to life so beautifully and vividly.

If you're outside the UK, Illuminated is available in podcast players - you can listen to Unreliable Narrator on Apple Podcasts, and on Spotify.