“Wuthering Heights” is back and so is Bridgerton. Period dramas are having a moment. Why are we loving them so much right now? We hear from fans around the world; Tasha in Canada, Gracie in the US and Radhika in India. Chelsea from the What in the World team explains some of the reasons, like wanting more slow burn romance and courtship in our modern dating, and more accountability when it comes to ghosting. Faye Woods from the University of Reading in the UK tells us how female representation plays a role too.

We also discuss whether some of the relationships in these period dramas should be something we aspire to… Heathcliff and Cathy we’re looking at you. Happy Galentine’s Day to all our listeners!

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Chelsea Coates, Julia Ross Roy, and Ash Mohamed Editor: Verity Wilde

As usual, we have been spending far too much time on social media, watching endless videos and scrolling for days.

One thing that keeps on coming up is people talking about ‘Chinamaxxing’.

This all about Gen Z celebrating and recognising their Chinese technology and Chinese brands…and then choosing to use more of these Chinese-made products than they have before. But it’s going further than that. It’s now a trend to embody a supposed ‘Chinese’ lifestyle.

We chat with Shawn Yuan from our Global China Unit and BBC reporter Nathalie Jimenez to hear about how this trend is going down with the Chinese community around the world. Plus two content creators share their thoughts with us - Chao Ban and Yunyun Gu.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Emily Horler, Julia Ross Roy, Chelsea Coates and Emilia Jansson Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

A landmark trial is underway in California that examines the mental health effects of Instagram and YouTube. Lawyers for the plaintiff, referred to as K.G.M., will argue that she suffered from mental health issues as a result of social media addiction. Her team claims that the named social media companies deliberately built “addiction machines” that use the algorithm to keep young people hooked. K.G.M.’s lawyers also argue that Meta and YouTube failed to warn of the dangers to young users posed by the design of their platforms. Instagram and YouTube deny the allegations and argue that they can’t be held liable for users’ behaviour.

Lily Jamali, the BBC’s North America Technology correspondent, is in Los Angeles for the case. She explains the arguments on both sides, previews who we will hear from and discusses the potential implications.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden and Ash Mohamed Editor: Verity Wilde

On February 16 Netflix will release “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model” — a three-part series on the controversial modelling competition. Tyra Banks, the supermodel who hosted the show, features prominently in the ANTM documentary, along with former judges and coaches Jay Manuel, Nigel Barker and Miss J. We look at why Tyra might want to offer her own take on past controversies.

Melania Trump, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Billie Eilish are among other celebrities who feature in documentaries, docu-series or concert films. But why are these celebrity docs so popular — and what’s the business motivation behind them? BBC reporter William Lee Adams joins us to explain.

We also discuss “Melania,” which follows First Lady of the United States Melania Trump during the twenty days leading up to President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025. During the film she discusses her background as an immigrant from Slovenia and the painful loss of her mother Amalija Knavs. The film also captures intimate moments within the Trump family, helping showcase the president as a person rather than a politician. We assess whether the sympathetic portrayal will change opinions in a divided America.

And what about music stars? We look at how concert films — Beyoncé’s “Renaissance: The Film,” Billie Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour” and Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” — can help singers mythologise themselves while also bringing in a lot revenue.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: William Lee Adams, Emily Horler and Mora Morrison Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Bad Bunny made history on Sunday as the first artist to perform almost entirely in Spanish at the Super Bowl. The performance has been interpreted as a love letter to his native Puerto Rico and featured plenty of references to the island and Latin culture more broadly. But the performance, which included a special appearance from Lady Gaga, has also sparked controversy, political backlash and a lot of debate.

BBC Sport reporter Sam Harris joins us from San Francisco immediately after the football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. He explains why people thought Bad Bunny might use the Super Bowl stage to make a political statement and how his message of unity resonated with the audience. We also discuss President Trump’s criticism of the halftime show. And we hear about a rival halftime show, organised by the conservative group Turning Point USA and headlined by Kid Rock.

Bad Bunny fans from around the world also share their verdict on his performance.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: William Lee Adams, Chelsea Coates and Ash Mohamed Editor: Verity Wilde

The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are officially on, and they’re already causing a media storm. We’re looking forward to the nostalgia-filled 1990s figure skating routines. Lows include a failed cyber attack and allegations of penis injections in the ski jump. More than 90 countries are competing on snow and ice for the next 19 days, so BBC Sport’s Emma Smith, who’s in Milan for the action, tells us what to look out for.

We go find out more about two events; curling with Emma Middleton from BBC Sport and skating with Verity Wilde, What in the World’s very own figure skating enthusiast (and our boss!).

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Can AI make better art, literature and music than humans? What will the future of AI and creativity look like? And how do we even define creativity? These are some of the big questions swirling around right now. And it’s something that we discuss a lot on the team.

Some people argue that AI is becoming integral to the future of art; making the process more streamlined and time effective. Many creatives also use tools such as ChatGPT to generate ideas. But not everyone is a fan. Some creatives argue AI will never be able to capture human emotions, for example in poetry. Others worry about copyright and the impact on job security.

To get to the bottom of this we spoke with three creatives to hear their views: Nigerian poet Ridwan Fasasi, British music producer Manon Dave, who’s worked with Idris Elba & Will.i.am, and Veda Lee, an illustrator based in Hong Kong. Manon is also the Head of Future World Design in the BBC’s Research and Development department.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Mora Morrison, Rio Rennalls and Chelsea Coates Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

We’re talking about the final release of the Epstein files today.

Three million pages, 180,000 images and 2,000 videos were posted by the US Justice Department last week. Apparently, if you piled them on top of each other, it would be twice as high as the Eiffel Tower!

It can all get a bit overwhelming about what and who exactly is in them. But that’s what we’re gonna explain in this episode.

Some of the names include: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Donald Trump, Bill Gates and Bill Clinton. Being named in the documents does not mean you’re guilty of any wrongdoing and those named have denied any knowledge of what Jeffrey Epstein was doing.

To get more background, listen to our episode on Epstein from before the files were released: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct73xn

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde