Between 2003 and 2012 the Naked Scientists was broadcast across the BBC East region comprising eight local BBC radio stations in the east of England. From January 2013, the programme has aired on Sunday evenings on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. The Naked Scientists team also provide day-to-day support for science coverage in mid-week programmes on the station. The name of the programme is a nod to Jamie Oliver, a cook whose television programme is called the "Naked Chef", who grew up in Clavering to the south east of Cambridge.