The BBC no longer broadcasts intentionally to north America. Many of us listen to the BBC's broadcast to central and south America, when conditions are good for receiving it here.
The G8 is a great radio, but it can be overloaded with a sensitive external antenna. Some active antennas will have this effect, too. Try it and see if it improves your reception without producing spurious noises on frequencies that aren't really on those frequencies in reality.
You might also try an inexpensive reel antenna that clips to your radio's whip or plugs into an external antenna outlet. These antennas are pulled out of their reel and clipped to a higher place in your residence. They usually improve reception considerably.
As an alternative, I have a powerful active antenna that works great. I am willing to sell it, as I have sold all of my larger radios. PM will be sent shortly with details.
Check out the Grove Enterprises, Inc. website and look at the link to Monitoring Times magazine. This magazine is available via e-subscription or in paper by snail-mail. It publishes schedules of English broadcasts from around the world, as well as listings of "catches" by other listeners and articles of interest to short wave listeners and ham enthusiasts.