Football stars surprise visit to children’s wards
12 December 2024
Publish date: 18 August 2024
Chris van Tulleken will investigate the science happening inside our bodies when we eat, how food has shaped human evolution, uncover the importance of our microbiome – as the extra ‘organ’ we didn’t know we had – and ask how we can all eat better in the future.
Broadcast on BBC Four and iPlayer this Christmas, Chris will explore how what we eat can have a massive effect on both our bodies and our brains.
Chris van Tulleken is an infectious diseases doctor at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases at UCLH, one of the UK’s leading science presenters and a New York Times bestselling author.
Chris said: “The food we eat, how its produced, and the process through which we derive energy from it is not only deeply fascinating scientifically, it’s also fundamental to human and planetary health.
“I’m really looking forward to revealing that fascinating science to our young audience, with the help of special expert guests and the Lectures’ trademark demonstrations developed by the Ri team. Along the way we’ll ask some challenging questions that we all need to consider, about the future of food and the health of our planet.”
Director of the Royal Institution, Katherine Mathieson, said: “Our Christmas Lectures are a fantastic opportunity to bring the latest science to life for a young audience, with expert insight from leading scientists and researchers.
“An academic and a practising NHS doctor, Chris has built a real connection with young people through his many popular television programmes, and I am delighted that he will be bringing the science of food, diet and digestion to life in the Ri Theatre this December.”
Tom Coveney, BBC Commissioning Head of Science, said: “The latest food science is revolutionising our knowledge of what we’re eating and what it’s doing to our bodies. From the wonders of the microbiome, to the truth about what’s really in our shopping baskets, the hidden causes of being ‘hangry’ and much more: Chris’s lectures will be fascinating, surprising and very thought-provoking.”
Established by Michael Faraday in 1825, the Christmas Lectures were broadcast on the BBC in 1936, making them the first science show on UK national television.
Around 60,000 students participate in Ri activities with their entertainment in mind Chris will also lift the lid on our number twos – revelling in the importance of poo and how it offers clues to our health and well-being.
