Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala explore how Britain went soft on toilet paper.

1-ply, 2 ply, 3 ply, quilted - there’s a lot of choice when it comes to choosing what toilet paper to buy. But soft toilet tissue is a relatively new invention. Our lavatorial habits have evolved over time and author Sophia Gholz gives us the lowdown on how pottery, magazines and corn cobs were all at one time used for the mundane but necessary task of keeping ourselves clean.

For many people, the smell and feeling of a specific British brand of paper is etched into their collective memory. Dr Alice White of the Wellcome Collection explores official resistance to putting soft paper in schools and hospitals.

Consumer psychologist Dr Paul Marsden is also on hand to explain why toilet paper is often the must-buy product in times of national emergency.

And marketing consultant Paul Duncanson gives a behind-the-scenes account of one of the most enduring - and successful - toilet tissue advertisements ever produced.

Producer: Candace Wilson
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4 Show less