The Interview

“I don't necessarily want it to be the most giant album of all time and be selling out stadiums. I want something that lasts and that feels timeless and thoughtful.” Mark Savage speaks to Mercury Prize-winning singer-songwriter Arlo Parks about her life and music career. Born in London, the half Nigerian, quarter Chadian and quarter French artist, real name Anaïs Marinho, has enjoyed great success...

Victoria Derbyshire speaks to survivors of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting a trial for sex trafficking. The interview took place in Washington DC, two weeks before Melania Trump, US First Lady, gave an unexpected press conference at the White House where she called for congressional hearings for the Epstein survivors. Millions of docume...

“It was three submarines. We tracked them 24/7 for over a month to make sure that we are able to say to Putin, we see what you’re doing, we’re watching you. It means that if there is ever any damage to our cables or our pipelines, we know we can hold Putin to account. We know he can’t deny it.” Adam Fleming speaks to John Healey, the UK Defence Secretary, after he revealed Russian submarines have...

“The fact that we are now the world's largest funder of the World Health Organisation should be a major embarrassment to every country on this planet.” Sam Fenwick speaks to Mark Suzman, CEO of Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropic organisation, about why he thinks cuts to global aid spending is costing lives. He says the Foundation has overtaken world governments to become the large...

Amol Rajan speaks to Simukai Chigudu, associate professor of African Politics at Oxford University about the legacy of empire and how to reckon with the past. A member of the first generation born after the end of colonial rule in Zimbabwe, Simukai Chigudu came to the UK as a teenager and later became one of the founding members of a campaign to try to get the statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes mo...

“These companies don't really care what governments do. Their priority is their shareholders, their own existence and the next quarter of growth. There is the possibility that governments can regulate them, but they just don't. They don't regulate them properly. The most they get are multi-billion dollar fines, which sounds like a lot, but actually in the grand scheme of things it's pocket change....

“I think there's nothing off limits [with comedy] because it's subconscious, it's examining things. I find it quite interesting. And Monty Python was particularly good at not allowing ourselves to be censored, although people tried with ‘The Life Of Brian’... But that’s what made it a hit.” John Wilson speaks to English comedian, writer, musician and actor Eric Idle about his life and career. He’s...

“I hope humanity will stop for a moment when four humans are on the far side of the moon and be reminded that we can do a better job as humans of just lifting each other up. Not destroying, but creating together.” Rebecca Morelle and Tim Peake speak to Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen ahead of the launch of Artemis II. Hansen is one of four crew members of NASA’s latest mission into Space. Launchi...

Winnie Byanyima, head of UNAids. has devoted her life to advancing human rights and equality, first in her home country Uganda, and then on the global stage: “We live in a complex world, a challenging world. I am somebody who fights for social justice and gender equality, and I continue to do so. It's maybe a tough environment, but I do not change my position. I don't alter it at all.” Part of the...

“I don't think they failed. I think that more work needs to be done. Nigerian security agencies are working around the clock to ensure that this does not happen again. We don't want to see people being attacked, we don't to see people denied sleep as a result of the activities of these criminals and religious extremists.” Victoria Uwonkunda speaks to Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s Information Minister,...

“The global economy is full of uncertainty… business doesn't do that well with uncertainty. So with respect to trade… what is going on in the Middle East will have a significant impact on trade” Ben Thompson speaks to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Director General of the World Trade Organisation. The global trade system - embodied by the WTO - is supposed to bring countries together by setting and enforc...

“Malaria is an all of society challenge. When you look at the environmental issues, addressing the breeding sites for mosquitoes, it’s an all of society issue…it is not just the responsibility of the heads of state.” Daniel Dadzie hears from Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, or ALMA. ALMA was founded with the goal of eradicating malaria in Africa by 2030. N...

“We put the money where Europe's priorities are. Many people may think defence is about tanks. No, defence is also about energy security. It is about social cohesion and territorial cohesion. That's the European brand. So we need to act in all these areas in order to ensure peace, security, stability on our continent.” Peter Macjob speaks to Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank...

“Donald Trump was indicating that they will attack Iran for a few days and then the system will collapse, and then they will repeat what they have done in Venezuela. And everything went into a different direction. The Iranian nation is not a nation to surrender.” Evan Davis speaks to Ali Bahreini, Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, about the ongoing war. He talks about Iran’s nuclear negotia...

“The changing date was the war in Ukraine in February 2022, and then probably the new American administration. So we don't know where the world is going to land. We live a little bit in a world of disorder right now.” Matt Chorley speaks to Alexander Stubb, President of Finland about shifting global priorities and allegiances. President Stubb is known for his good relationship with his American co...

“When you've been really nihilistic in your life when you're younger, and then you feel you've been given a second chance.” Emma Barnett speaks to artist Dame Tracey Emin about her life and career. Emin rose to fame in the 1990s as a disruptor of the art world, with her works, such as the sculpture ‘My Bed’, gaining widespread media attention. Having been at the forefront of the modern art scene f...

“We need to get back to something where freedom of navigation and peaceful navigation is restored, and that will depend on some kind of deal between the two sides in that war.” Jonathan Josephs speaks to Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk the world’s second largest shipping company. The conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States has led to the closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz. It’s one of...

“People are too gloomy about AI, particularly in the developing world it is seen as a threat, that people are going to be using AI systems, rather than offshoring jobs and the like. That's true, but you could use AI yourself and develop solutions to the challenges you have in your community, in your country, and create unprecedented wealth.” BBC presenter Ed Butler speaks to Karim Beguir, co-found...

“The destruction of USAID is not only one of the cruellest acts that I've seen in my career, but of course also one of the dumbest.” Caitriona Perry speaks to Samantha Power, the former American ambassador to the United Nations. She went on to lead the U.S. Agency for International Development until January 2025 when Donald Trump came to power. President Trump later closed USAID down. She is scath...

“One of the things that was going to combat gender inequality in our world was that sense of progress and then to see in the research that actually the younger generation is more conservative on these questions than people my age, that deeply troubled me.” Lucy Hockings speaks to Julia Gillard former Australian PM and chair at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, King’s College London abou...

“I have never made a movie I didn't believe was necessary for me or for someone in the world, whether to entertain or to connect at a spiritual level or something. It's been only done for the art.” John Wilson speaks to Oscar-winning Mexican director, screenwriter, and producer, Guillermo del Toro about his life and career. Born in Guadalajara in 1964, his life suddenly changed at the age of five...

“Africa is flowing with resources from oil, diamonds, critical minerals. But at times we find that in our cities, at the bus stations, there's no toilets with running water in a continent which is rich with possibilities. So it's how that intentionality, that political will, to put resources to what matters most.” Daniel Dadzie speaks to Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN Assistant Secretary-General a...

“We stand and fight for survival. We are an independent state. We will definitely not lose this war” Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s International Editor, speaks to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview marking the fourth anniversary of the Ukraine war. Official figures put the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed at 55,000 since the full-scale Russian invasion began, but that is belie...

Laura Kuenssberg speaks to former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and former head of the British Armed Forces, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, about the war in Ukraine. Johnson was in Downing Street four years ago, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. As one of the driving forces behind the West’s initial response, he has been critical of the slowness of allies in providing support to Pres...

“Food is a human right that should be supported by everybody, no children should go to bed hungry, even less in a conflict." Caitriona Perry speaks to José Andrés world-renowned chef and humanitarian. Andrés was born in Spain and trained as a chef before moving to the United States, where he helped popularise Spanish cuisine and built a global restaurant empire. He later founded World Central Kitc...