Jarvis Cocker has been unveiled as a guest editor on a special Christmas edition of BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The former Pulp frontman will provide analysis on the credit crunch and question the censorship of politicians' private lives.

Novelist Zadie Smith, Sir Win Bischoff, chairman of Citigroup, and the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales will also edit special shows.

It has become tradition for the Today Programme to invite high profile personalities to oversee a Christmas edition of the show.

In past years, Blur frontman Damon Albarn and U2's Bono have joined the likes of Professor Stephen Hawking and Yoko Ono as editors.

(by Jason Gregory)