Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

Episode details

World Service,14 Mar 2026,26 mins

Turning my toddler's tales into tunes

Happy News

Available for over a year

Stephen Spencer has set his daughter's stories to music. What started as something he posted for his few followers has turned into a social media sensation, with fans around the world left smiling, laughing or even crying by the catchy tunes and often bizarre lyrics. Also: how a chance conversation between two women on a train led to one donating her eggs so the other could have a baby. When Anita revealed her fertility issues, Ginny instantly offered to help. A surgeon who successfully operated on a patient hundreds of kilometres away says it opens up new possibilities for people around the world. He was able to remotely control a surgical robot in real time, thanks to advances in technology. In Singapore, medical students are learning to be more compassionate doctors by studying poetry. Those behind the course say it helps the students to understand nuance in how patients are feeling. Plus are dogs that howl along to music actually singing, and how a sly fox accidentally made a transatlantic voyage. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world. Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

Programme Website
More episodes
Trending Now