I’m delighted to share The Art of Being a Zombie Ant Fungus, a new BBC Radio 4 documentary created as a companion piece to Zombie Ant Fungus: The Chemistry of Control presented by me.
The documentary explores the remarkable relationship between parasitic fungi and their ant hosts, and the strange questions it raises about behaviour, autonomy, manipulation and control.
Zombie Ant Fungus: The Chemistry of Control was an event and festival created and produced by myself. The show was written and directed by Wade McCollum, who also performs in the production and composed its music.
The original production premiered as a Pestival commission at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, bringing together science, performance, music and entomology to investigate one of the natural world’s most extraordinary—and unsettling—relationships.
The BBC Radio 4 documentary continues that exploration, offering listeners another way into the science and ideas behind the live event.
Broadcast on BBC Radio 4:
Wednesday 15 July 2026 at 3:30pm
Tuesday 21 July 2026 at 9:00pm
The programme will also be available to listen to on BBC Sounds.
