20 Questions With

Guy Deacon served in the British Army for over three decades. At the age of 49 he was diagnosed with Parkinson's, but in his late fifties and early sixties, having left the military, he drove from the shores of Morocco to Cape Town, taking the western coastal route. On his way he raised awareness about the disease on the African continent and showed the world what can be done in the face of advers...

Legendary broadcaster and BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson talks about being punched in the stomach by a British Prime Minister, the different approaches as he sees them of Tory and Labour governments to the BBC, questions of bias, the importance of reflecting nuance, his career reporting from 160 countries, surviving 10 near death experiences, his views on the future of the BBC, his take on...

The man who became famous for bringing the latest developments and inventions in tech to BBC audiences is now, arguably, less famous than his rescue dog, Sophie from Romania. Here Rory Cellan-Jones explains this canine phenomenon, describes the impact of Parkinson's on his life, discusses the future of technology and the reach of AI, contemplates what might replace the smartphone, and reveals the...

The author of Empireland and Empireworld, Sathnam Sanghera, explores the impact of British colonialism on Britain and the world, expresses his frustration at the amnesia about the involvement of people of colour in British history, encourages us to understand the past rather than rank it, eschews the culture wars, discusses the Royal Family's involvement in the slave trade, endorses multiculturali...

Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, self-styled as 'The Black Farmer', came to Britain from Jamaica as a small boy and grew up in poverty as one of nine siblings. He was often 'very, very, very hungry'. At an early age he became determined to own his own farm. Despite leaving school with no qualifications, after a career in television and then in PR, he realised his dream and now sells produce into supermarke...

ITN newscaster turned Classic FM presenter John Suchet takes us on a passion-fuelled tour of Beethoven's life and music. Is the composer, who began to lose his hearing as a young man, the greatest of them all? What about Mozart or Schubert? Suchet's infectious love of his subject provides a must-listen for any listener to classical music - and for those tempted to try it out. He also takes us behi...

Who better to talk to in General Election year than Tony Blair's former Director of Communications and Strategy, the man who helped drive New Labour to power and keep it there. Here he gives his verdicts on Starmer and Sunak, sets out a blueprint for growth, reveals why he became so involved in the fallout from the Brexit referendum, laments the move towards populist parties in Europe and says tha...

Classical historian Bettany Hughes takes us on a revelatory journey through the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. From the Great Pyramid at Giza to the Lighthouse of Alexandria via the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Immerse yourself in the beauty and brutality of a world that lives on in us. 

Matthew Taylor is the Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation. Here he gives his take on the challenges facing the NHS, the shortfalls in funding, the need for capital investment, the under-management of the health service, the choices facing politicians, the problems in social care, huge waiting lists, the cost analyses of prevention and innovation, the economics of an ageing population, junior...

Liam Byrne sets out his manifesto for a British wealth-sharing democracy. Linking wealth to freedom, he makes the argument for a fairer society and sets out an optimistic plan for the future. As Labour's outgoing Chief Secretary to the Treasury under Gordon Brown, Byrne left a note for his coalition successor explaining that the money had run out. It's a note that has dogged his party ever since a...

The success or otherwise of Richard Tice, leader of Reform UK, could decide the extent of Keir Starmer's majority at the General Election, or whether he even wins a majority. Determined to punish the Tories, whom he once helped fund, Tice is out to bring down Rishi Sunak's government. In this lively and robust encounter, he explains his motivations and outlines some of his key policies, including...

Multi award-winning British Turkish author Elif Shafak has been translated into 57 languages. Here she speaks about mysticism, technology, story-telling, history, human rights and challenging orthodoxies. 

Sir Vince Cable led the Liberal Democrats twice and was Business Secretary for the entire five years of the Conservative Lib Dem coalition government under David Cameron. Here he makes his predictions for the next General Election, assesses immigration policy, advocates higher taxes, defends the period of austerity when he was in government, analyses Keir Starmer's leadership of the Labour Party,...

The author and often outspoken columnist for the Mail On Sunday gives his verdict on both the Tories and Labour as a General Election approaches, describes his faith, explains his method of debating, reveals the nature of his relationship with his late brother, Christopher Hitchens, and talks about the impact of his childhood.

Jewish comedian, storyteller and public intellectual David Baddiel explains why 'Jews don't count', why human beings have a 'God desire', and what makes him feel joy. 

Most famous for hosting Deadline Day on Sky Sports in his yellow tie, Jim White is Mr Football. Here the Talk Sport presenter chats about his new book, Deadline Day, that he co-wrote with Kaveh Solhekol. Full of his characteristic enthusiasm, Jim leads us on a journey of his love for the beautiful game, taking us behind the scenes of some of the biggest stories in sport. 

The New York Times bestselling historian, Dan Jones, has brought out his second work of historical fiction, Wolves of Winter, the sequel to the successful Dogs of Essex. Here he takes a deep dive into what it means to be an historian, the joy of writing novels, the Hundred Years War, holidaying with Jonathan Sumption, history on TV, his love of sport, and how he likes to spend his free time. 

John Cleese is a comedy legend. Here he discusses causing offence, cancel culture, GB News, not wearing socks, why he lives abroad, old age, losing friends, the importance of silliness, Basil Fawlty, his favourite Python, A Fish Called Wanda, Clockwise, the Tory government, the British press, cricket, Brexit and the incompetence of human beings. 

Lord Sumption has been described as the "biggest brain in Britain". After a distinguished career as a silk, he moved straight from being a QC to the Supreme Court, skipping the High Court and Court of Appeal. He has just completed the fifth and final book in his history of the Hundred Years' War. Here he explains how he has managed to combine a career in the law with writing history, gives his tak...

Ruby Wax is on tour - except right now she's in bed. Which is appropriate as she once interviewed very famous people in bed. Here she remembers interviewing Donald Trump, discusses her fascination with neuroscience, speaks candidly about her mental health, reveals that she's never been invited on the Graham Norton show, talks about her difficult upbringing as the daughter of Jewish immigrants from...

Number One bestselling author Victoria Hislop on success, Ian Hislop, celebrity dancing, her love of Greece, the British Museum, her new novel, 'The Figurine', the criminal trade in figurines, cooking, dinner parties, skipping, boxing and tennis.

Known as the Silver Fox, Chase Utley won the World Series with the Phillies in 2008, cementing his place his baseball history. He is a six-time All Star, a four-time Silver Slugger Award-winner and is regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of his generation. Here, during a spell living in London, he explains some of the basics of the game, describes the thrill and the pressure of perform...

Maggie Alphonsi is one of the leading figures in women's sport. A Women's Rugby World Cup winner with England in 2014, she won 74 caps for her country, scored 28 tries and became known as 'Maggie The Machine' for the relentlessness of her tough tackling. Born with a club foot, she was brought up by a single mother of Nigerian heritage on a north London estate, and used to fight other children, inc...

Concussion in rugby has forced the sport into an existential crisis. With household names, including England World Cup winner Steve Thompson, suffering from early onset dementia, one of the great global games is having to face up to searching questions about the way it is - and has been - played. Sam Peters is the journalist who has led an often lonely campaign to bring the risk of brain injuries...

As a white boy, Mike Procter grew up in South Africa, a beneficiary of the unfair advantages of Apartheid. When he saw white people doing road works on the way to his hotel from Heathrow during a school cricket trip to England, his eyes were opened to the injustices back home. One of the great fast bowling all-rounders (with a Test bowling average of just 15 and 48 first class centuries), Procter...