Today's the day for new blood in the radio programme's editor's chair

Alan Bennett would make a great guest editor for the Today programme (Getty Images)

The names of the guest editors lined up for Radio 4's Today show were released today. Between 27 December and New Year's Day, the 6am to 9am slot will be in the hands of the Nobel prize-winning geneticist Sir Paul Nurse, journalist Dame Ann Leslie, comedian Al Murray, poet Benjamin Zephaniah and the US philanthropist Melinda Gates, wife of Bill.

Previous guest editors have included Thom Yorke, Stephen Hawking and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Willams. A worthy list, for sure, but not one to excite the spirits. So we've come up with our own, starting with Rihanna. The singer is used to making headlines, so why not have her controlling the news agenda? For something a bit cerebral, we suggest Slavoj Žižek, though the quixotic Slovenian philosopher may be a little hard on the pre-9am digestion. Pippa Middleton, the author of Celebrate, could give some of her, er, celebrated party tips for New Year's Eve. As it's a time of nostalgia, let's call on Michael Heseltine, who seems to have been resurrected this year. And, finally, on 1 January, why not ease the nation awake and get Alan Bennett in to read his latest play?