Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

"I had this inner feeling that something would happen to take me away from my mundane life".

The first twenty years of Russell Watson's life were very ordinary. He grew up in Salford, left school at 16 with almost no qualifications and joined the government's Youth Training Scheme. By the age of 20, he was working on the shop floor of a factory, making nuts and bolts.

He started singing in local pubs and working men's clubs after winning a local talent competition organised by Manchester Piccadilly Radio. It was tough, and Russell considered giving up - until one night in Wigan changed everything.

Russell has gone on to become one of the UK's most popular classical artists, selling over 7 million records and performing for notable figures including Pope John Paul II, members of the Royal Family and the Emperor of Japan. Tickets for his Magnificent Buildingsconcert tour are available at russellwatson.com

When Joe Pasquale was just seven years old, his mum was involved in a car accident that left her with concussion and epilepsy. She struggled to look after Joe and his three siblings and became severely depressed. Determined to try and fix things, Joe made it his mission to make her laugh every single day.

Forty years on, he has become a staple in British comedy, bringing joy and laughter to millions. Tickets for his latest show, The New Normal, 40 Years of Cack! are available at joepasquale.com

“I’m a Walter Mitty who’s actually done it.” Growing up in a tenement on the outskirts of Glasgow, Midge Ure dreamt of being a rock star, even though it seemed impossible for a working-class kid like him. But he had something special.

At just 18, he got his first break as the guitarist for the pop band Slikand went on to be part of several influential bands in the 1970s and 80s, including Rich Kids, Thin Lizzyand Ultravox. Alongside Bob Geldof, he set up Band Aid, collaborating on the 1984 hit Do They Know It's Christmas?With a career spanning over 50 years, he has firmly established himself as a rock legend, making all his dreams come true.

Tickets for Midge Ure: Catalogue: The Hits Tour are available at midgeure.co.uk

Nick Lowles is chief executive of HOPE not hate, the UK's largest anti-racism and anti-extremism movement. For the last 35 years, he has tirelessly fought against those who try to exploit frustrations, create divisions and pit groups against each other.

Nick began his involvement with the anti-fascist movement as a student volunteer. He then worked for the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight before founding HOPE not hate in 2004. In his first ever interview about his life, Nick tells James why he's dedicated his life to fighting extremism and what keeps him awake at night.

This episode is not suitable to those under 18 and contains sensitive topic discussions including racism and violence. If you are affected by anything you hear in this episode and need support, please see the suggested website links below.

HOPE not hate

SARI

Stop Hate UK

Actor and writer Sally Lindsay has always loved the spotlight. She made her TV debut aged 7 when her school choir performed their No.1 single There’s No One Quite Like Grandma on Top of the Pops. But it wasn’t until university that she realised she could make a career out of performing.

Sally's gone on to star in hit TV shows such as Phoenix Nights, Coronation Street, Mount Pleasantand her latest project, The Madame Blanc Mysteries,which she also writes and produces.

She tells James how she landed her first TV role in The Royale Family, the struggles that working-class actors face and what she’s doing to tackle inequality in the industry.

Helen Lederer is a writer, actress and comedian. She began her career on the alternative comedy circuit, performing alongside many of today’s household names, and quickly landed roles in iconic sitcoms such as Absolutely Fabulous, Bottom and Girls on Top. Since then she’s appeared on TV and radio, written bestselling books and set up the Comedy Women in Print prize. Despite this, Helen admits she often struggles to believe in her own success. She tells James about her fascination with status and explains why she feels she has never quite made it to the top.

Not That I’m Bitter - A Truly, Madly, Funny Memoir by Helen Lederer is out now.

Danny Wallace is a bestselling author and broadcaster who loves nothing more than thinking up fun ideas and seeing how far he can take them. His first book, Join Me, tells the true story of how he he accidentally started a cult. His second book, Yes Man, describes what happened when he decided to say yes to everything - a story so compelling it was adapted into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey.

Now he's delving into the world of conspiracies with his new book, Somebody Told Me. Danny tells James how he fell down a rabbit hole of disinformation and well-told lies and why he's never been afraid of rejection.

Somebody Told Me: One Man's Unexpected Journey Down The Rabbit Hole of Lies, Trolls and Conspiracies is out now.

Comedy legend Frank Skinner returns to Full Disclosure just days after he signed off his final Absolute Radio show, wrapping up an incredible 15 years. He tells James why he will always love radio, reveals the one regret that will stay with him forever and gives a refreshingly honest take on what it's really like to be famous.

Frank is extending hiscritically acclaimed stand up tour show, 30 Years of Dirt, with an additional 24 dates across the UK this autumn. Tickets are available at frankskinnerlive.com

You can listen to his first interview on Full Disclosure here.

Enjoying Full Disclosure with James O'Brien? Here's another podcast you might like. Broadcaster, Jemma Forte, and political commentator, Marina Purkiss, scroll through Twitter so you don’t have to.

In the latest episode, James O'Brien finds himself on the opposite side of the interrogating questions. Marina and Jemma talk election, Brexit, and take a trip down memory lane with some caller clips that never get old.

The Trawl is now available to listen on Global Player, for free. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com and search 'The Trawl'.

One of the world’s most acclaimed, award-winning authors Salman Rushdie has spent the last thirty years with a death threat attached to his head. A threat that almost became a reality two years ago when he brutally stabbed 15 times by a stranger. Few people have come so close to death and lived to tell the story. Salman returns to Full Disclosure to tell James about the day he almost died and the aftermath that followed.

Salman has written a deeply personal account of the brutal attack on his life. Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder is out now.

This episode contains sensitive topic discussions around graphic and disturbing violence. Listener discretion is advised.

Zeinab Badawi is an award-winning broadcaster, journalist and the President of SOAS University of London. Born in Sudan, she has worked in the British media for several decades. She has recently published her first book which promises to reshape our understanding of Africa. Zeinab tells James what led her to write her instant Sunday Times bestseller, An African History of Africa.

Lancaster legend Julie Hesmondhalgh is an actor, writer and activist. She's best known for playing Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street in what started as a short-term punchline and turned into a 16 year career. Since leaving the cobbles, Julie has gone on to star multiple dramas including Broadchurch, Happy Valley and more recently, Mr Bates vs The Post Office. She’s recently joined the cast of the world premiere of James Graham’s new play Punch, about the power of forgiveness.

Tickets for Punch are available at nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/events

Angela Hartnett is a Michelin starred chef, restaurateur and podcast host. After studying for a history degree, she began working in a local pub before joining Gordon Ramsay at his first restaurant, Aubergine. She worked with Gordon for 17 years before deciding to go it alone. She now runs several restaurants of her own including the Michelin-starred Murano in Mayfair. Angela's podcast, Dish from Waitrose, is available on all podcast providers.

In 2010 Caroline Lucas made history when she was elected as the MP for Brighton Pavilion, becoming the first Green Party candidate to enter Parliament. She has increased her majority at every election since and served as the Green leader twice. In her 14 years in Westminster, Caroline has used her platform to put environmental and equality issues on the political agenda. Her latest book, Another England sets out how we can reclaim England's national story from Brexit cheerleaders and the radical right.

In 2011 Bassem Youssef was a little-known heart surgeon in Cairo. A year later, he was hosting his own political satire TV show, Al-Bernameg, drawing in 30 million weekly viewers as he made fun of the Egyptian regime. Bassem's comedy was groundbreaking but it proved too controversial to remain on air. In 2014 he was forced to move to United States, where he has since had to work to re-establish his career in a new language. Now, he's back in the news thanks to an explosive interview with Piers Morgan on the conflict in Gaza, which went viral.

Tickets for his latest tour, The Middle Beast,are available at livenation.co.uk

"The best ideas don't come from the boardroom, the best ideas come from the frontline."

James Timpson is the chief executive of Timpson, a family-run business known for its key cutting and watch repair services. James does business differently. His unconventional leadership style has raised eyebrows - but it works. Since taking over Timpson, he has grown the business to over 2,000 stores by developing new ideas, giving ex-prisoners a second chance and putting his employees first.

He has published a book packed with leadership advice for a happier, healthy workforce. The Happy Index: Lessons in Upside-Down Management is out now.

Bryony Gordon is a bestselling author, mental health campaigner and founder of Mental Health Mates. She has been a columnist for the Telegraph for over twenty years where she has written honestly and openly about her experiences of mental illness and addictions. Her latest book, Mad Woman details her experiences of OCD, binge eating and the endless battle to stay sober. Bryony tells James about the realities of living with dark, intrusive thoughts and how exercise became her salvation.

Growing up, Justin Welby thought his home life was normal. It wasn't until he was a teenager that he realised being brought up by an abusive, alcoholic father was anything but. He found faith and the love of God as a student at Cambridge, bringing with it a sense of peace and security. He graduated and then spent 11 years working in the oil industry.

From such unlikely beginnings, Justin Welby’s faith became his life. He was ordained a priest in 1993 and has been the Archbishop of Canterbury since 2013. He tells James about his struggles growing up with an alcoholic father and why he speaks out on political issues like the Rwanda Bill.

It's 40 years since Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won gold at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. Around 24 million people turned on their TVs to watch the Nottingham duo make history on the ice rink. It was the moment that changed Jayne and Chris' lives forever. Since then, they have won multiple World Championships, sold out international tours and become the faces of ITV's hit show Dancing on Ice.

Tickets for their last ever UK tour, Torvill & Dean: Our Last Dance, are available at www.torvillanddean.com

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf became interested in politics when he was just 16, believing it was the best way to make meaningful change. He joined the SNP whilst studying politics at the University of Glasgow and by 26, had become one of the youngest MSPs to enter Holyrood.

Humza has gone to make history as the first Muslim leader of any Western democracy, as well as Scotland's youngest leader. He joins James to discuss the state of UK politics, Scottish independence and why he believes Islamophobic conspiracy theories have become part of the mainstream discourse.

Please be advised that this episode is not suitable to those under 18 and contains offensive language and sensitive topic discussions. Listener discretion is advised.

Lawyer, businesswoman, campaigner and the first female Muslim UK cabinet minister. Baroness Warsi has broken glass ceilings throughout her career and tirelessly campaigned against Islamophobia within both society and the Conservative party. She joins James to discuss why she believes she's in a toxic relationship with the Conservative party and which cabinet minister is to blame for taking the party away from its conservative values and turning it towards the far-right.

Sayeeda hosts a brand-new podcast with comedian, David Baddiel. A Muslim & A Jew Go There. It's available to listen on all podcast platforms: https://linktr.ee/amuslimandajewgothere

At 21 years old, Gary Stevenson joined Citibank as its youngest trader. Three years later, he became the bank's most profitable trader by betting on the collapse of the economy. He went from living in his parents' two-bed terrace in east London to earning millions. But it didn't feel right to make money betting on disasters. So, he quit, leaving his dream job in the City to campaign on the issue of wealth inequality. He tells James why our obsession with money is destroying the things that matter. Gary's new book, The Trading Game: A Confession is out on 5th March.

U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders is the longest-serving independent member of Congress in American history. He joins James to discuss social inequality, the dangers of corporate media in both the UK and America and why he is determined to stop Donald Trump from getting back in the White House. Bernie Sanders’ book, It’s OK To Be Angry About Capitalismis available to buy now.

Jason Watkins has become one of Britain’s most sought after actors. His breakout role came in the 2014 ITV drama, The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies which won him a BAFTA for Best Actor. He’s also had roles in Doctor Who, the Nativity, Trollied, The Crown and Line of Duty. Jason tells James about his early ambitions to become a PE teacher, why he turned to acting and he reflects on the moments that have shaped his life and career.

Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey has been a carer for most of his life. First for his mum, who died of cancer when he was just 15. Then for his Nana and now, he and his wife Emily care for their disabled son John. Ed could be furious at the world – but he’s not. Instead, he has spent his political career standing up for carers and fighting for investment in the NHS and social care. Ed tells James how his personal experiences have shaped his politics and why he’s committed to making real change happen. 

This interview truly stands out. Dame Sheila Hancock is one of the most respected actors and writers of our time. She became a household name in the 1960s in the BBC sitcom The Rag Trade.Since then she has starred in everything from Carry on Cleo,the award-winning Cabaret, The Sixth Commandmentand Edie.Now at 91, Dame Sheila sits down with James to look back on her life. From being a wartime evacuee who joined a gang to dealing with stage fright, being nominated for a Tony in her Broadway debut, Entertaining Mr Sloaneand writing her first book aged 70. Dame Sheila has led an extraordinary life.

It's 18 years since James Blunt released his hit single, You’re Beautifulwhich reached No.1 around the world. It helped James's debut album, Back to Bedlamsell 12 million copies andbecome the UK’s best-selling album of the 2000s. But his global success was met with an immediate backlash that saw him ridiculed by the press and pop establishment. James responded to his critics by moving to Ibiza, where he partied hard and joined Twitter. Since Back to Bedlam,he has released a further succession of successful albums, every one of them a Top 10 hit. His new album Who We Used To Beis out now.

Nick Wallis was presenting the breakfast show for BBC Radio Surrey in 2010 when he was contacted by a listener with a story he’s been investigating ever since. Nick helped expose one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in UK legal history – the Post Office Horizon IT scandal that has devastated the lives of hundreds of innocent hardworking people across the country. His work has been published in Private Eyeand broadcast on BBC Panorama, The One Show and BBC Radio 4. It is also the basis of his first book, The Great Post Office Scandal.

Tickets for his show, Post Office Scandal - the Inside Storyare available at postofficescandal.uk

In a career spanning almost six decades, Stephanie Beacham is a household name on both sides of the Atlantic. She achieved global renown for her role as Sable Colby in the US soap opera Dynastyand its spin-off The Colbys.She's appeared on stage at Broadway and the West End and has multiple film credits to her name.

Full Disclosure is taking a short break over Christmas but don't worry, we'll be back in January 2024 with a line up of exceptional guests.

If you can't wait until then, why not catch up on some of the episodes you might have missed. It's been a vintage year with incredible guests including Hugh Laurie, Dawn Butler and Chris Packham.

Every episode of Full Disclosure is available on Global Player. Download it from the App Store or go to globalplayer.com.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Thanks for listening!

This episode contains discussion of sexual violence. Listener discretion is advised.

Fatima Whitbread is a former javelin world champion, double Olympian and former world record holder. This week she was honoured with the Helen Rollason Awardat Sports Personality of the Year 2023for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity. Fatima was abandoned by her mother as a baby and spent her first 14 years in care homes. She faced neglect, physical and sexual abuse. In her teens, she discovered a passion for javelin and was coached by Margaret Whitbread, a former GB thrower. Margaret and her husband later adopted Fatima, and described her as "completing the family unit".

Former Conservative MP Dominic Grieve never set out to be a rebel. In his words, he was a member of the establishment. He was president of the Oxford University Conservative Association and before being elected to parliament, he was a QC. He served in David Cameron’s government as Attorney General, but as the EU referendum loomed, he became increasingly vocal in his opposition against Brexit. He opposed Theresa May’s withdrawal deal three times and in 2019, he was one of 21 Tory MPs who had the whip withdrawn over their opposition to a no-deal Brexit. Was this how he thought his parliamentary career would end?

Wildlife TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham has always been fascinated by the natural world. As a child, he spent hours collecting slugs, snails, ladybirds and tadpoles from the garden to store in jam jars. He struggled to fit in at school and was bullied by other students. Chris knew he was different but didn't understand why. It wasn't until his forties that he was diagnosed with autism, finally providing an explanation as to why he experiences the world differently to other people.

We're dropping into your feed to share another Global Player Original podcast with you. Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall – three of the UK’s top journalists – host a daily news podcast: The News Agents. They’re not just here to tell you what's happening, but why. Expect astute analysis and explanation of the day's news – and a healthy dose of scepticism and the ability to laugh at it all when needed.

If you're not already following or subscribed, search for The News Agents to hear more. Episodes are available every weekday afternoon.

Find the latest episode of The News Agents here on Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/podcasts/42KuVj/

Royal biographer Omid Scobie was thrust into the spotlight when he began writing about Prince Harry and Meghan. His first book Finding Freedom, about the Sussexes’ and their split from the Royal Family, made headlines across the world. And – his stories about the Royals are once again dominating the front pages following the release of his new book Endgame. Omid tells James how he came to write the biggest story in town - and why he has become part of the story.

This week, the tables have turned and James is in the hot seat. He sits down with journalist and host of The News Agents podcast, Emily Maitlis to discuss his bestselling book, How They Broke Britain, naming and shaming those responsible for the decline in politics, media and the economy.

He's a comedian, writer and star of stage and screen. Miles Jupp started performing stand-up as a student at Edinburgh University. In his third year, he got the role of Archie the Inventor in the children's show Balamory and has never looked back. He's appeared in major television series, Hollywood films and has created his own radio sketch shows. Tickets for his latest stand-up tour, Miles Jupp: On I Bang are available at milesjupp.co.uk

Liverpudlian comedian Chris McCausland gradually started losing his eyesight due to a hereditary condition called retinitis pigmentosa. His sight got so bad in his 20s that he was forced to give up his job as a web developer and ended up unemployed. He decided to give stand-up a try and is now a regular fixture on the comedy circuit. Tickets for his latest show, Yonks! are available at chrismccausland.com

James has brought back another incredible guest from the Full Disclosure vault this week. He's revisiting his 2019 interview with Dame Prue Leith, star judge on the Great British Bake Off. Prue has lived an incredible life. She grew up in South Africa during the Apartheid era, then moved to Paris to study at the Sorbonne before making a name for herself as a restaurateur in London. She's gone on to become a food writer and broadcaster on shows including the Great British Menu and the Great British Bake Off.

To listen to the latest episode of Full Disclosure on Alexa, just say "Alexa ask Global Player to play Full Disclosure."

James has been looking back at some of his all-time favourite guests on Full Disclosure. He's dug deep into the vault and plucked out an episode that really stands out. It's a classic with one of his very first guests, the comedian and actor Steve Coogan.

Steve Coogan is such a private individual for someone who's so incredibly well-known. He rarely does interviews. James waited 25 years to get one with him. So when it happened in 2019, James was both incredibly nervous and incredibly excited. Steve talks about everything from his early life in Manchester, the creation of Alan Partridge and conquering Hollywood.

In 2008, Tim Peake answered an advert from the European Space Agency looking for astronauts. Six years later he became the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station and carry out a spacewalk.

But Tim didn't always want to be an astronaut. As a child, he fell in love with flying and pursued a career in aviation. He progressed from the school Cadet Corps to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and then into the Army Air Corps. By the time Tim retired from the British Army as a major, he was regarded as a highly talented, hugely professional pilot. Just the kind of person the European Space Agency was looking for.

After his six-month space mission, Tim returned to the UK to work and engage students in STEM. This year, he became the European Space Agency's first honorary STEM ambassador. He has also written several best-selling books and hosted a TV series about space.

Tim Peake’s latest book Space: The Human Story is out now published by Penguin. For more info visit: https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/239553/tim-peake

Arguably the world’s most famous classicist, Mary Beard has an incredible talent for making ancient history engaging for everyone. Her fascination with the past began at the age of five. During a visit to the British Museum, she saw a slice of ancient Egyptian cake on display and was thrilled when a curator opened the case and got it out for her. For nearly forty years, she was a Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge before retiring in 2022. She’s also a TV and radio presenter, classics editor for the Times Literacy Supplement and has written numerous books on classical history and culture. Her latest book, Emperor of Rome, is out now.

Lexicographer, etymologist and Queen of Countdown’s Dictionary Corner, Susie Dent has always been fascinated by words. As a child, she would read the labels of shampoo bottles at bath time, marvelling at the fact they were written in a different language. She studied modern languages at Oxford University before getting a job at Oxford University Press. She made her first appearance on Channel 4’s Countdown in 1992. Since then, she has appeared in more than 8,000 episodes and is the longest serving member of the current on-air team. Susie has also written several books including her latest, Interesting Stories About Curious Words and Roots of Happiness.

Over the past twenty-five years, Naomi Klein has charted and documented our politics and culture with a series of bestselling-books from No Logo to The Shock Doctrine. She’s known as one of the most influential left-wing voices of our time. But she wasn’t always this politically active. As a teenager, she resented being dragged along to demonstrations by her activist parents and rebelled by being normal. It all changed when she went to university. There, she began to challenge the status quo through her writing. Her latest book, Doppelganger, is her most personal one yet. In it, she explores the world of conspiracy theories, drawing from her own experiences with mistaken identity.

Broadcasting legend, podcaster and former gymnast for Wales and Great Britain, Gabby Logan is a force to be reckoned with. She started her broadcasting career as a student at Metro Radio in Newcastle. She's gone on to become one of Britain's best loved sports presenters, hosting high-profile events including the Olympics, Premiership football and the most recently, the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Gabby's podcast, The Mid Point is available to listen to now on Global Player.

https://www.globalplayer.com/podcasts/42KsTe/

He's one of the most recognisable faces on British television, covering some of the biggest stories of our time. BBC News presenter and Mastermind host, Clive Myrie grew up in Bolton - the son of Windrush generation parents - with dreams of becoming a journalist. He studied law at university but ended up accepting a position on the BBC's journalism trainee scheme. He's gone on report from more than 90 different countries including war zones in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and most recently, Ukraine. Clive's memoir, Everything is Everything reflects on how being black has affected his perspectives of issues he's encountered in his thirty years reporting the news.

Novelist Sebastian Faulks has the rare quality of being both literary and popular. He’s best known for his historical novels set in France, and in particular, Birdsong, adapted for the screen and starring Eddie Redmayne. Now for the first time Faulks has ventured into the future - but not very far - setting his latest novel from 2030, beginning with an experiment at an IVF clinic which challenges ethical boundaries. His 16th novel, ​​The Seventh Son is out now.

Few of us realise the dreams we have as 8-year-olds, but actor, screenwriter and director Mark Gatiss, obsessed with horror, Dr Who and Sherlock Holmes as a child, has managed to incorporate his early passions into his professional life. Now a grown-up with an astonishing catalogue of work, Gatiss no longer pursues the macabre with adolescent fervour, but a darkness continues to run through even the most camp and comedic additions to his oeuvre. From December 2023 he'll be starring in The Motive and the Cue at the Noel Coward Theatre whilst directing The Unfriend at Wyndham’s Theatre next door. Tickets available now.

Dawn Butler was the first black woman to speak at the despatch box in the House of Commons. But as a young person it had not once occurred to her to go into politics. In this episode, Dawn explains how an injustice she experienced at primary school triggered a series of events, encouraging her to confront wrongs where she sees them, even within her own ranks. Her book, A Purposeful Life is out now.

When Polly Toynbee arrived at The Observer in the late 1960s, she quickly concluded that she'd make a poor news reporter. Hailing from a long line of well-heeled and highly educated liberals and social reformers, Polly surmised that she didn't know enough about the country she'd grown up in. Since then, Polly has worked in factories, hospitals and care homes, shedding light on the nature of work and class. Now regarded as one of the country’s best journalists, her latest book, An Uneasy Inheritance: My Family and Other Radicals tracks her genealogy and takes a deep dive into what it means to be privileged in Britain.

Environmentalist Dale Vince was appalled to learn, as a child, that many adults don't enjoy going to work. Rejecting convention, he decided to hit the road, becoming a New Age traveller - living off the land in alternative communities around England. It's not the obvious starting point for somebody who'd go on to build a company worth £100m.

After a brief summer hiatus, James brings you some of the most extraordinary moments you might not have heard from Full Disclosure. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode featuring a fascinating guest James has always wanted to speak to.

Comedian and author Shaparak Khorsandi speaks to James about being diagnosed with ADHD in her forties, her Iranian background and ambitions to become a psychotherapist. Her book, Scatter Brain, is out now.

He's one of the nation's favourite broadcasters, but when Alan Titchmarsh was a young lad, his parents worried about him. Disliking secondary school and leaving with one O-Level in art, Titchmarsh, to his father's dismay, journeyed closer towards his first love: gardening. He speaks to James about his lengthy career in television, radio and print and describes the surreality of being recognised everywhere after starring in the hit garden makeover series, Ground Force.

Broadcaster, criminal barrister, columnist and now novelist, Rob Rinder is too curious a person to stay in one place for long. He speaks to James about how he fell out of love with the law as well his first novel, The Trial, which draws upon his real life experience of the British legal system and the cases he's worked on.

Wendell Pierce was on the verge of quitting acting after he graduated from Juilliard - but decided to "give it a year". Four decades on, he's one of the most celebrated character actors working today. Wendell speaks to James about his childhood in New Orleans, his big break in The Wire and the new series of his hit thriller series, Jack Ryan.

Please be advised that this episode contains a highly offensive term.  

After 50 years in TV, film and theatre, James O'Brien sits down with one of his heroes, actor turned big-time director, Dexter Fletcher to discuss the lows and soaring highs of his life and career.

She was made a peer in 2011, but Dame Joan Bakewell regards herself first and foremost as a journalist and writer. From a very young age, Joan developed a passion for reading, leading to a discovery of 'an internal life'. She speaks to James about her disciplinarian mother, the enormous freedom she had making television in the 1970s and her philosophy.

A master at throwing interviewers off his own scent, comedian Mark Steel got so bored of being asked the same questions that he started making things up. Swerving his traps, James speaks to Mark about his totally real but fantastical sounding family background and new tour.

Self-confessed workaholic Alastair Campbell can't help but feel that he's not doing enough. He's written 18 books, is editor at large of The New European newspaper and his podcast, The Rest is Politics, co-hosted with Rory Stewart, is usually ranked top of the UK charts. But Alastair promised his mum that he'd never go back to the political front line. Alastair's latest tome, But What Can I Do?, seeks to empower its readers to make their own difference.

Evie Meg, AKA thistrippyhippie has over 16 million followers on TikTok, making her one of the most prominent online disability advocates. Conversely, one of Evie's conditions, PANDAS, is little-known and often misunderstood. For Mental Health Awareness Week, Evie speaks to James about how her life is impacted by PANDAS and Tourette's syndrome, shedding light on how the boundaries between physical and psychological health are often blurred.

Brexit, Covid, Partygate, lockdowns, leaks, the war in Ukraine, a cost-of-living crisis and the scandals that plagued our politics. Guto Harri was in the room when the big decisions were made. In this podcast, expect unprecedented access behind the shiny black door of Number 10 Downing Street, during one of the most chaotic periods in British political history.  

Guto was Boris Johnson’s Communications Chief. When he first walked over the Number 10 threshold, things weren’t normal. A set of circumstances, scandals and chaos that will never be repeated. It was unprecedented. 

Episode one out now on Global Player.

His first stand-up gig was at the tender age of 16. It was not critically well received. But Jack Whitehall quickly became a firm favourite on our screens, dominating the television comedy circuit and starring in shows such as Fresh Meat and Bad Education. But his early success also had its problems. Jack speaks to James about how challenging it was finding his voice as well as his new UK tour, Settle Down.

At 34 years old he's the SNP's youngest ever leader in Westminster, moving at breakneck speed from supermarket checkout boy to Rishi Sunak's political adversary at PMQs. With Nicola Sturgeon's shock resignation and continuing investigation into the party's finances, he picks up the mantle during a turbulent time for the independence movement. But Flynn seems cool and collected about the task ahead. He speaks to James about his background and explains how having a disability inadvertently led him to the Commons.

For more than a decade, Liam Thomas worked as an undercover detective in the Metropolitan Police’s Covert Surveillance Unit, mixing with dangerous criminals and eventually investigating corrupt officers within his own force. A self-styled keeper of secrets, Liam believes he and his profession are recruited in childhood. His book, The Buyer is a gripping, self-reflective memoir and dramatic account of what it means to be on the inside and the outside at the same time.

On paper, a professorship at Cambridge is not an obvious outcome for a person who cannot read or write by the age of 18. It is also not what we might expect for an eleven-year-old boy who cannot speak. But after listening to Jason Arday's account of his early life, academic excellence sounds more like destiny. Now a sociologist at one of the world's most prestigious universities, Jason speaks to James about perseverance, love and the importance of the collective.

Her career contains stand-up, marathon-running, acting and campaigning; all of which tend to reappear in no obvious or particular order. Now Eddie is trying her hand at doing everything all at once: playing all 19 characters in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations on stage. She speaks to James about the multitudes in her life. Tickets for the London show are available now.

Brought up in a household where showing off was effectively banned, an acting career was perhaps the antithesis of what Hugh Laurie's parents expected of him. He did, for a short period follow in the footsteps of his Olympic rowing gold medallist father - but it was not to be. His new production of Agatha Christie's 'Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?' broadcasts on ITV1 across Easter and streams on ITVX thereafter.

Emergency Planner and Disaster Expert Lucy Easthope has advised on everything from plane crashes and tsunamis to pandemics and terror attacks. Lucy speaks to James about the Government’s decision-making during the coronavirus pandemic and what life was like for disaster planners under austerity. Her new book, When The Dust Settles, lifts the lid on a career spent picking up the pieces. 

As with The Beatles, Adele and James Corden, Mehdi Hasan is one of the rare British talents to crack America. But he's profoundly depressed by the state of his adopted nation. The journalist speaks to James about the impact President Trump had on his daily life as well as his book, Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading and Public Speaking

He's the nation's most loved maitre d and the first face seen by singletons looking for love of Channel 4's First Dates. But behind the friendliness and warm exterior is a man serious about service and hospitality. Fred speaks to James about his how his parents' career in the French health service made him the man he is today as well as his latest series, Fred's Last Resort which sees him train British contestants in the art of high-end hotel service.

She's best known for starring in Countdown, one of Britain's longest-running television game shows. But Carol Vorderman has managed to fit twice as much into her life as most of us. She speaks to James about her chaotic but loving upbringing, culture shock at Cambridge and new life as 'the country's most vociferous anti-corruption crusader'.

Comedian Phil Wang has decided he's got to start being silly in response to a world which he thinks is getting serious. Born in Stoke on Trent to an English mother, Wang moved to Malaysia where his father is from one week after being born. He speaks to James about going to a Chinese school, his views on empire and his new extended tour, Wang In There, Baby!

Actress Amanda Abbington, star of Sherlock and Netflix thriller Safe, speaks to James about her misdirected early attempts at dancing, the moment she realised she was an actor and the adrenaline rush of the stage. Her latest show The Unfriend is at London's West End Criterion Theatre until April 16.