It’s wriggled its way into the world — You’ve Got Worms is now live on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

This documentary began as a strange little idea about worms — and became something bigger. It’s a celebration not only of the worms beneath our feet, in our compost bins, intestines, duck bedding and test tubes — but also of the people who’ve dedicated their lives to studying them, farming them, and even coexisting with them.

You’ll hear from Emma Sherlock, whose joy in earthworm burrows is nothing short of infectious. From Keiron Brown, who records worm species across the UK. From Anna de la Vega, who transforms waste with worms. And from Josh, a farmer whose livestock includes half a million earthworms.

You’ll also meet Donna, who tells the unforgettable story of discovering a parasite in her own body. Peter Nejsum explains why parasitic worms once infected nearly every human on Earth. Jack Shepherd grows nematodes for slug control. Mark Blaxter and Serena Ding study the ‘elegant worm’ C. elegans. And Erna King brings the episode home with a haunting image of a world made visible by worms.

We want to say a huge thank you to every contributor for their time, insight, and openness. This episode is about interconnection — between species, disciplines, people and places — and it wouldn’t exist without you.

You can listen now on BBC Sounds or catch it on Radio 4. We’d love to know what you think.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002d88v

Happy listening — and long live the worm.