What's Up Docs?
Doctors' Notes: Bad Advice
28 July 2026
Available for over a year
Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation with Professor Sunita Sah about why humans follow advice they suspect, or even know, is bad.
They explore what first drew Sunita to this area of research, alongside her own experiences of following advice she knew she should probably question. Together, they unpack the psychology behind why rejecting advice can feel so uncomfortable, and why intelligence or expertise doesn’t necessarily protect people from poor decisions.
If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, please email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk.
Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
Guest: Professor Sunita Sah
Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Jo Rowntree
Researcher: Grace Revill
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Social Media: Leon Gower
Visual Producer: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Ruth Rainey
At the BBC:
Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.