Kevin Gosden tells Mark Dowd how, after his teenage son Andrew went missing six years ago, his Christian faith was challenged to the core.

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Missing

The Gospels tell us little about the actual birth of Jesus. What would it have been like for a young woman, probably a teenager, to give birth for the first time far from home, with no medical help, in a stable or cave? Rae Duke and two midwives discuss. With Tina Beattie.

A Midwife For Mary

Cambridge Islam scholar Tim Winter, aka Abdal Hakim Murad, talks to Vicky Beeching about how Jesus is seen in Islam – and what role he played in his own decision to become a Muslim.


Jesus the Muslim

Describing himself as “not particularly religious”, Tony Jordan, one of Britain’s top scriptwriters and former EastEnders writer, was behind the BBC’s critically acclaimed The Nativity. The drama was a tender portrayal of the people featured in Christmas story. In this podcast he talks about the Biblical passages that have inspired his work. Readings by David Suchet.

The Word: Tony Jordan

Cambridge scholar Tim Winter, also known as Abdal Hakim Murad, provides a Sunni perspective on how the divide between Sunni and Shia Islam began, and what distinguishes the two main branches of Islam today.

The Great Divide - a Sunni perspective

Researcher and lecturer Mohammed al-Hilli provides a Shia perspective on why Sunni and Shia Muslims went their separate ways early in Islamic history - and what distinguishes the two main branches of Islam today.

The Great Divide: a Shia perspective

Nelufar Hedayat explores with four Sikh guests what led so many Sikhs from British India to the trenches and battlegrounds of World War I, to fight a war which was essentially not their own. She hears stories of individual soldiers and families and finds out what young Sikhs today make of this part of their martial legacy. 

Sikh Soldiers of The Great War

Liz Adekunle, former Archdeacon of Hackney and Chaplain to His Majesty the King, sets out to discover what people in the public eye have learnt about their faith during challenging times. In this episode, Amos Ogunkoya, one of the stars of the reality TV show, The Traitors, and Luton Town FC first team doctor, joins Liz for a deep dive into experiences that have moulded his Christian faith.

FaithTime: Amos Ogunkoya

Liz Adekunle, Chaplain to His Majesty the King, continues to meet celebrities who have been sustained by their faith during difficult times. Her guests in this episode of FaithTime are Carrie and David Grant, who are well-known for their work as vocal coaches, broadcasters and campaigners. From being struck down with illness to their experience of child-on-parent violence, the couple open up about their lives together and as a family and reflect on what their Christian faith has meant along an often difficult path.

FaithTime: Carrie and David Grant

The image of the Madonna and child appears on nearly every Christmas card and is at the centre of every nativity scene. But in most of these images, Mary looks European, a white woman with fair hair. Yet there are also Black Madonnas – and they’re often seen as particularly powerful. Liz Adekunle finds out about the rich history of the Black Madonna and her relevance to Christians today as they celebrate the birth of Christ.

Face to face with the Black Madonna

Sami Yusuf – dubbed Islam’s biggest rock star - explains to Alison Hilliard why despite his deep commitment to his own Muslim faith, he treasures certain passages from the Bible. He reflects on the values he feels Christianity and Islam share, and the challenges facing Muslims as they try to promote peace and cross-cultural understanding in the face of atrocities carried out in the name of Islam. 

The Word: Sami Yusuf

At first glance, the teachings of Jesus seem a world away from the ancient Chinese religion of Daoism. Yet if you look more closely, there are striking parallels and historical connections going back to the 7th century. In conversation with Alison Hilliard, religious historian Martin Palmer explains how Daoism has helped him see Jesus in a new light and ultimately brought him back to his Christian faith. 

The Dao of Jesus

In this FaithTime episode, Liz Adekunle meets Swarzy Macaly, BBC Radio 1Xtra weekend presenter, voice of BBC Sounds and campaigner for causes ranging from sustainability to the fight against racism. Swarzy opens up about how she found Jesus in the middle of a shoplifting incident, her search for belonging, and how her Christian faith helped her find a path out of hopelessness and insecurity.

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Faithtime: Swarzy

In this FaithTime episode, Liz Adekunle meets Bobby Seagull, former University Challenge captain, maths teacher, and education equality advocate. Bobby opens up about his upbringing as an Indian Catholic in East Ham, his pivotal career shift from banking to teaching and his ongoing search for both spiritual and romantic fulfillment.

CTVC

Faithtime: Bobby Seagull


Liz Adekunle is a Church of England priest - yet she dreads Christmas. For her it’s often been a  stressful and difficult time, and there have been years when she’s had no one to spend Christmas day with. 

Liz is not alone. Research has shown that nearly half of us have similar feelings, often because of the expense or pressure to spend Christmas time with family you may not get on with. So how, Liz asks, can those who do dread the season make Christmas better – for themselves and those around them, whether or not they are Christian?

So, in this edition of Things Unseen, she gathers together some people who can help uncover a more spiritual – and more relaxed and meaningful - side to Christmas. 

Christian Comedian Paul Kerensa delves into how you can make new traditions to make it special for you, while Salvation Army officer, Jo Moir, explains how to her Christmas is about helping those who struggle the most. And Catholic nun Sister Gemma Simmonds advises on finding the still points in the season, even if you’re celebrating alone. 



Things Unseen

Dreading Christmas

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Christian author, magician and comedian Steve Legg died of cancer in September 2024, leaving wife Bekah and a blended family of children and grandchildren behind.  Few things could be as tough as the first Christmas after losing a close loved one. In conversation with Mark Dowd, Bekah – who herself has a strong Christian faith - reflects on how, despite her grief, she is able to look ahead to Christmas with hope.

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The Toughest Christmas

O Holy Night has long been one of the UK's most popular Christmas carols. But what is its magic? In this montage of voices from singers and musicians, a priest, a Paralympic athlete and a historian, we discover how the tune and lyrics work together perfectly to create a song that is moving, uplifting and liberating in equal measure.

A Carol for the Soul

Composer and conductor Leo Geyer tells the story of how he came across unfinished manuscripts in the archive at the Auschwitz death camp, and his determination to share them with the world. With Jewish soprano Caroline Kennedy and Hungarian Roma violinist Antal Zalai.

© Sky UK/ Windfall Films

Rediscovering the Music of Auschwitz

Have you lost a beloved dog, cat or rabbit – and after their death, have you ever had a sense that they were still around? In this podcast, we hear from people who are convinced that their pets are living on after their earthly death. Discussing these cases are dog owner Mark Dowd, Christian theologian and environmental campaigner Canon Dr Ruth Valerio, and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, who believes his dog taught him how to be a better human.

Will I meet my dog in heaven?

Taj Uddin Ahmed and Nazia Khatun are both fitness coaches. As observant Muslims, they  want to help people have a more fulfilling and healthier life, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset. So what’s the best way of keeping up an exercise regime and eating healthily during Ramadan, while also trying to focus on your spiritual life? Taj and Nazia join Amir Suleman at the Muscleworks Gym in Whitechapel, London, to share their best tips.

Fitness and Health in Ramadan

In 2012 Manga, a young Christian from northern Nigeria, was attacked and almost beheaded by armed men from the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram. The attackers forced Manga and his younger brother to witness their father’s brutal murder before turning their attention to them. Manga, now 33 years old, relates how that horrific ordeal has changed his outlook on life and strengthened his Christian faith. 

Almost Beheaded for My Faith

In this episode of Things Unseen, Mark Dowd and his guests explore the enduring relevance of St Dismas, the penitent thief in the story of Christ’s passion. Biblical novelist Rob Seabrook, ex-convict Michael Emmett and former prison chaplain Sue Culver share their perspectives on how the thief's story of repentance can inspire those in search of hope and transformation.

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The Penitent Thief

In April 1945, Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl emerged from the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau – the only member of his immediate family to survive the Holocaust. From this traumatic experience sprang his seminal book, Man’s Search for Meaning, in which he argues that even in the most painful situations, life has potential meaning – and it is up to the individual to find it.

Viktor Frankl: Man’s Search For Meaning

Sacha Jones is a reality TV personality, businesswoman and broadcaster who rose to fame on Married at First Sight UK in 2024. A former Miss Birmingham and beautician, she once explored New Age practices before a dramatic encounter led her to embrace Christianity. In conversation with Liz Adekunle, she reflects on her upbringing, pageantry, and how faith transformed her life.

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Faithtime: Sacha Jones - Fired up by Jesus

Mina Shannon is a reality TV personality and broadcaster with a growing presence across radio and television. Raised between Uganda, Glasgow, Birmingham, and Liverpool, her diverse upbringing shaped her confidence and adaptability. In conversation with Liz Adekunle, Mina reflects on her journey into broadcasting, her experience on The Traitors UK 2025, and her non-traditional Christian faith.

Faithtime: Minah Shannon

Jim al-Khalili is the son of a Muslim father and a Christian mother. He is also a public atheist - the outgoing President of the British Humanist Association - a science writer and broadcaster and Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Surrey. Here he talks to Abdul-Azim Ahmed about how his mixed-faith background has shaped his outlook on religion and atheism, and why he has no wish to convert everyone to the Humanist world view. 

The Faith-Friendly Atheist:  Jim Al-Khalili

A Protestant who grew up in Ian Paisley’s Northern Ireland, where any devotion to Mary was scorned; a cradle Catholic and former friar; and a Muslim who loves Christmas, but approaches Mary very much from a Qur’anic perspective: these three go on pilgrimage together to England’s most important shrine to the Mother of Christ, Walsingham. In the course of their journey, some astonishing stories emerge.

Christmas:  In Search of Mary

Having begun his career with positive songs that affirmed his Christian faith, the Welsh singer’s music has become more nuanced. The self-proclaimed ‘liberal backslider’ talks to Alison Hilliard about his journey from answers to questions through his favourite Bible readings, read by David Suchet. He explains how a trip to Thailand and some preaching on John the Baptist turned his world ‘from black and white to full colour’, and his feelings about criticism, and even a death threat, from some Christians.

The Word: Martyn Joseph

Harris J has been dubbed the Muslim Justin Bieber. With 100 million YouTube hits, and over half a million followers on Instagram, he’s taken the global Islamic music scene by storm. Here he talks to Things Unseen’s Remona Aly about his music, his faith and how chewing gum is his Achilles heel when it comes to fasting. And he shares his newly released single, Save Me From Myself.

Ramadan:  In Conversation With Harris J

Babar Ahmad spent 8 years in UK prisons fighting extradition to the US. Having allowed his website to host articles supporting the Taliban he was eventually transferred to solitary confinement in the US, before pleading guilty to ‘providing material support to terrorism’. He was released shortly afterwards and returned to the UK. In conversation with Mark Dowd, Babar Ahmad talks about how he came to set up the website in question, and how he managed to mark Ramadan in the most difficult circumstances.

Ramadan: In Conversation With Babar Ahmad

Things Unseen grapples with a spiritual climate that no longer conforms to orderly patterns – with fewer of us attracted to formal religion, but many still believing that there’s more out there than meets the eye. Thought-provoking speech radio for people of faith – and those who just feel intrigued by the spiritual dimension to life.

Popular tracks by Things Unseen Podcast