Evil Genius with Russell Kane - Colonel Sanders

To fast food fans, he’s a deity. To chickens, he’s public enemy number one. But there’s more to Colonel Sanders than just that secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. Josh Jones, Laura Smyth and chef Ruby Bhogal take a deep dive into the Colonel’s life - and find gunfights, court cases, and an unexpected detour into gynaecology. Was Colonel Sanders evil or a genius?

Additional material: Christina Riggs, Ruth Husko and Katie Sayer
Researcher: Christina Riggs
Recording Engineer: Dan Nagy
Sound Editor: Kate Mac
Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy
Executive Producer: Paul Smith

The producer was Katie Sayer. Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios Production for BBC Sounds.

Published on Wednesday, 22nd April 2026.

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