5 Live News Specials

Peymana Assad came to Britain as a child refugee and went on to become the first person of Afghan origin to be elected to UK office. She had spent the month visiting family and friends in Kabul when news of the Taliban takeover broke. Speaking to 5 Live’s Colin Murray, she describes the terrifying journey to the airport, after a panicked neighbour warned her if she did not leave immediately, she w...

Siyar Sirat is an Afghan journalist based in Kabul at TOLO news. After an “unimaginable” five days of waiting, Siyar and his family had just made it through the gates and into Kabul airport when he spoke to 5 Live’s Tony Livesey. Siyar describes the pain of having to leave his extended family and colleagues behind, and the ordeal his family faced trying to get to the airport to escape. This interv...

They were born into a world where homosexuality was a criminal offence. They lived through the AIDs pandemic and saw friends and lovers die. So how does it feel to now grow old in the LGBT+ community? 5 Live’s Nihal Arthanayake talks to Chris, Bernard and Penny about their experiences of getting older within the LGBT+ community.

BBC presenter Naga Munchetty hears from women who have experienced pain during medical procedures. She also opens up about her own “traumatic experience” of having an IUD, known commonly as the ‘coil’, fitted. The programme also hears from Dawn Harper, from Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies, who has fitted many IUDs and says “most women don’t experience” pain like Naga’s. She explains how local anae...

Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, uses her profile to raise awareness of rape in warfare. She speaks to 5 Live’s Naga Munchetty about the work and how it affects her. She also talks openly about grieving for the Duke of Edinburgh and how she has survived lockdown life.

In a special programme, 5 Live hears from people across the UK as they tell their stories about struggling to read and write. To find out more about our project on adult literacy, go to http://bbc.co.uk/wordmatters

An Israeli teen and a young Palestinian talk to each other. Tamar, 17 from Israel and Mohammed, 20, who lives in Gaza spoke to 5 Live’s Stephen Nolan and each other about their view of the conflict and their hopes for peace. Tamar, who had never spoken to someone from Palestine before said: "we’re all human at the end of the day", she went on to say "if the people talk to each other we can maybe f...

A former military drone pilot says he has been left with PTSD after being put at risk of "psychological harm" for years on end while viewing "utterly horrific" things on screen. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live’s Adrian Chiles, ‘Rob’ (not his real name) also said he became suicidal due to the way the armed forces dealt with his request for mental help. Rob was a member of 13 Squadron until 2017, a spe...

As we approach the anniversary of the first UK lockdown, 5 Live listeners share their stories about their final days of 'normal life. Nicky Campbell hears from people around the UK who lost relatives, found family and long to see their new-born grandchildren.

Tony Livesey and Anna Foster take a detailed look at the many issues around the safety of women after the death of Sarah Everard. Her disappearance, the debate surrounding the policing of vigils to remember her and how we move forward to make women feel safer are all discussed. If you are affected by any issues in this podcast, you can find support and advice on the BBC's Action Line website: http...

Nicky Campbell asks do you feel safe going about your business? The investigation into Sarah Everard's disappearance has left us talking more about women's safety. If you are affected by any issues in this podcast, you can find support and advice on the BBC's Action Line website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/

Naga Munchetty speaks to Dame Barbara Woodward, Britain's permanent representative to the United Nations, about what it’s like to negotiate with hostage-takers, her view on Harry and Meghan’s interview and whether they serve up those chocolates at ambassadors’ parties.

Nicky Campbell asks if it's time to have a proper conversation about our mental health after the Meghan and Harry interview and the reaction to it? If you are affected by any issues in this podcast, you can find support and advice on the BBC's Action Line website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/

5 Live's Naga Munchetty has been speaking to Col, Marie and Thelma (not their real names), who have 12 children in the care system. They've been helped by projects run by Pause charity which works with women who have had multiple children taken away. The women agree to take a long-acting contraceptive and get intensive help for their own problems. If you've been affected by any of the issues raise...

China calls them centres for re-education. The United States says the actions of the state amount to genocide. As more testimonies emerge from China’s “re-education” camps in the Xinjiang region of China, Colin Murray speaks to a former detainee who recounts appalling abuses, a reporter who posed as a tourist to gain access to the region, and a Uighur American who fears he’ll never see his mother...

Mark Jones’ seven-year-old daughter Emily was killed by a psychiatric patient on Mothers Day 2020. He claims an NHS trust’s failings left Eltiona Skana free to kill Emily in a park in Bolton. Speaking to 5 Live’s Naga Munchetty, Mark said he will “keep fighting” until he receives an apology from the NHS. Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said it continued to send "deepest sympa...

NFL legend Osi Umenyiora speaks to Adrian Chiles about his childhood experiences of being a winner, how he found the sport of American Football and his experiences of a being black man living in the UK, Nigeria and America.

Hollyoaks fan John from Cheshire has opened up to Ashley Taylor Dawson, the actor who plays Darren Osborne in Hollyoaks, on BBC Radio 5 Live about how a suicide storyline in the soap saved their life. Speaking on 5 Live Drive, 32-year-old John thanked Ashley and said: “If that storyline hadn’t happened I would not be here. I’d be dead. That’s the reality of it. You have saved my life.” John was st...

James Comey, former Director of the FBI, reveals that President Trump told him an ‘off colour’ anecdote about Russian prostitutes in their first Oval Office conversation and his concern that the “drama” of a Federal Trial for President Trump could cause problems for incoming President Joe Biden.

From tighter restrictions, to operations, to schools - England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, answers callers’ questions on the current coronavirus situation. This was a simulcast on the morning of 11 January, presented by Nicky Campbell for 5 Live and Reeta Chakrabarti for the BBC News channel.

Father Christmas answers the big Christmas questions from children on 5 live Breakfast. Santa, exclusively live in 5 live's Salford studio, spoke to callers including 8-year-old Esme in Somerset, who saved her mum’s life before Christmas last year, plus he explained how he and the North Pole elves have coped with Coronavirus. You'll also hear from 5 live Breakfast's Rachel Burden and Nicky Campbel...

What do you want to know about the new Covid-19 vaccines that are being rolled out? From vaccine priority, to length of immunity, to when you can hug relatives again - we put your questions to England's deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van Tam - a familiar speaker at the Downing Street press conferences. Co-presented by 5 Live's Rachel Burden and BBC News' Annita McVeigh. Informati...

It is almost a year since Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt were killed in an attack at Fishmongers Hall in London. They were among five people who were stabbed by a prisoner who had been released on license during an event being held to celebrate five years of the Learning Together Programme, which helps prisoners gain qualifications alongside students from Cambridge University. Now, one of Jack Merr...

Ministers are looking at how to relax coronavirus restrictions so families can celebrate Christmas together. The government's medical adviser on Covid, Susan Hopkins, said they were working on a plan and wanted Christmas to be "as close to normal as possible". 5 Live's Nicky Campbell talks to listeners about what they think should be allowed, and whether they are willing to put the festive period...

Richard McCann was five years old when his 28-year-old mum Wilma was murdered by Peter Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe, who became known as the Yorkshire Ripper, killed 13 women across Yorkshire and Manchester during a five year period in the late 1970s. Wilma was his first victim. Speaking to 5 Live's Adrian Chiles on the day of Sutcliffe's death, Richard described the search for his mum and the moment he l...