Today programme guest editors revealed in BBC radio Christmas feast

Lawyer

and actor

are among the

of Radio 4’s Today programme this Christmas.

The wife of the former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg will be giving the show what she called a “practical twist” and discussing the challenge of getting children to eat healthily with chef Jamie Oliver and Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain.

Unicef UK ambassador Sheen, who is best known for his acclaimed portrayal of Tony Blair in Peter Morgan’s The Deal, The Queen and The Special Relationship, will be focusing on foreign aid and relating the experiences of refugees from Syria through the eyes of a teenage girl. He will also be reporting from his home town of Port Talbot and looking at developments in neuroscience.

González-Durántez said: “I am looking forward to this opportunity because I am a big fan of the Today programme. I am hoping to give it a practical twist to discuss some of the issues related to caring and gender stereotypes that affect not only women, but also men.”

This year will be the twelfth that the Radio 4 flagship has handed over to guest editors during the week between Christmas and New Year. Three more are due to be announced.

Previous guest editors have included Professor Stephen Hawking, Sir Lenny Henry and Sebastian Coe.

Today editor Jamie Angus said: “The guest editors are a great Christmas tradition and have provided some of the best moments in the rich history of Today.”

The guest editors were revealed by director of radio, Helen Boaden, as she unveiled BBC Radio’s festive treats this season.

They include, for the second year in a row, the Christmas play that the residents of Ambridge in The Archers are putting on, which this year is Calendar Girls.

The radio premiere of the Tim Firth comedy about members of the Women’s Institute who strip off for a charity calendar will air on Radio 4 and feature The Archers regulars plus actor Sian Phillips.

On Christmas Day on Radio 4, Oscar-winning Jeremy Irons will revisit the original five TS Eliot’s Practical Cats poems that were broadcast as readings by Geoffrey Tandy on BBC Radio on Christmas Day in 1937, while over on Radio 1 Greg James will announce the Christmas No 1, the first time it has been announced on a Friday since moving from its Sunday slot, and James’s first time announcing it.

On Christmas Eve on Radio 2, Mary Berry: At Home For Christmas will provide seasonal recipes, while Radio 3’s highlights include Essential Classics With Eddie Izzard, John Craven And Alec Baldwin and on Christmas Day soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa invites Sean Rafferty into her home in Sussex to discuss her life and music.

Other highlights include Radio 4 Extra’s exclusive access to the dictaphone tapes of best-selling novelist Agatha Christie for Agatha Christie: Speaking Her Own Words and the Chemical Brothers being interviewed by Lauren Laverne on 6Music.

Boaden said: “BBC Radio creates the soundtrack to the festive season to millions of people around the country. Whether you’re peeling a parsnip, driving home for Christmas or desperate for the football commentary whilst stuck in a Boxing Day traffic jam, BBC Radio is perfect company.”