Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

From dominating the UK airwaves to starting over on the other side of the world, Christian O’Connell is a broadcaster and writer who has built a career out of connection, candour, and comedy. In this episode of Full Disclosure , James O’Brien sits down with Christian to trace the path from his childhood in Hampshire to becoming one of the UK’s most celebrated radio voices- and the breakdown that f...

From the world of variety to the West End stage, Brian Conley has built a career around his infectious energy, unique humour, and remarkable talent. In this episode of Full Disclosure , Brian opens up about his journey, from growing up in a working-class family to finding solace and confidence in showbiz. He reflects on the highs of performing with legends like Tom Jones to his struggles with dysl...

Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, has spent over three decades at the forefront of the global human rights movement, challenging abusive governments and fighting for justice. In this episode of Full Disclosure , James O'Brien sits down with Kenneth to discuss his extraordinary career, from his early years learning his father’s refugee story, to his pivotal role in shap...

Ash Atalla, the creative mind behind some of the most beloved British comedies, sits down with James O'Brien to explore his incredible journey from a challenging childhood in Northern Ireland to becoming a powerhouse producer in television. From The Office to The IT Crowd , Big Boys and more, Ash shares the pivotal moments that shaped his career, including the unexpected path that led him to comed...

Steven Frayne, formerly known as Dynamo, takes us on an extraordinary journey from the tough streets of Bradford to becoming one of the world’s most celebrated magicians. In this revealing episode of Full Disclosure , Steven opens up about his transformative life experiences- growing up in a single-parent household, dealing with adversity, and finding magic in the most unexpected places. From over...

Carol Vorderman is best known as the queen of Countdown, but there’s far more to her than just numbers. From growing up in a single-parent household to becoming one of the most recognisable women in British television, her journey has been anything but ordinary. In this episode of Full Disclosure , James O'Brien explores Carol’s path from excelling in mathematics to navigating the world of televis...

From investigating the minds of psychopaths to examining the impact of public shaming in the digital age, Jon Ronson is a journalist and author who has built a career exploring stories that reveal the complexities of human nature. In this episode of  Full Disclosure , James O'Brien sits down with Jon to unpack the experiences that shaped his unique outlook- from growing up in Cardiff to embed...

David Harewood is one of Britain's finest actors, but fame found him late in life after he was cast as CIA Director David Estes in smash-hit show Homeland. In this fascinating episode of Full Disclosure, join James O'Brien as he takes a tour around David's life, from his early childhood, racist abuse from theatre reviewers, his psychosis diagnosis and how he's become first black president of the R...

Alistair McGowan is a man of many talents, as well as being one of the UKs most beloved impressionists. From award winning performances on the West End Stage, sell-out pianist shows and dominating the 90s and 00s sketch TV scene, he is a man that never disappoints to entertain. In this episode, James O'Brien goes back in time to Alistair's school days, his warm upbringing in Evesham and to the mom...

From busking on the streets to topping the charts, KT Tunstall has carved a career defined by resilience, reinvention, and raw talent.  In this episode of Full Disclosure , James O’Brien dives into KT’s journey from growing up in Scotland in a family with no musical background, to discovering her biological father’s Irish singing roots, and ultimately shaping her own unmistakable sound. KT sh...

Matt Forde is an eternal optimist. From growing up on a council estate to a single mother on benefits, to playing sold out nights at the London Palladium, he's a comedian and broadcaster with a very different story to most. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O'Brien takes a tour of Matt's formative years from the industrial city of Nottingham in the 1980s, his time working for the Labour pa...

Zoe Lyons is a comedian that has graced our screens for over two decades, being a regular panelist on Mock the Week as well as numerous appearances on Have I Got News For You and Live at the Apollo. She grew up in rural Ireland, with a peripatetic childhood that would see her move to England, America and Scotland all by the time she reached 10-years-old. In this episode, James O'Brien takes a tour...

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is a British physician, author, television presenter, and podcaster, known for his alternative approaches to health and wellbeing, aiming to find the root cause of disease rather than simply treating symptoms.  During this episode of Full Disclosure, James O'Brien sits down with Dr. Chatterjee to find out how his childhood shaped his career path, how he deals with critic...

Full Disclosure is taking a short break over Christmas but don't worry, we'll be back at the end of January 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 Rob Brydon, Sir David Jason, Sally Lindsay and lots more. Every episode of Full Disclosure is availabl...

As we take short break for Christmas – here's a selection of some of our favourite conversations from 2024. Full Disclosure will be back in the new year with more brilliant guests. In the meantime, why not listen back to your favourite episodes or catch up on the ones you might have missed. You can find them all on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Rob Brydon has done pretty much everything you can. From radio DJ & Voice over artists, hosting one of the UKs most loved panel shows to being the star of Gavin & Stacey and acting alongside Margot Robbie in smash-hit Barbie. Rob is a comic that has never lacked ambition, but his success came later in life, during one of his darkest personal moments. In this episode, James O'Brien goes bac...

Shaun Keaveny is one of the UKs most beloved broadcasters, having spent 11 years presenting one of the countries biggest music breakfast radio shows. His journey began upon leaving college, where he knew he wanted to work in a creative industry with a passion for writing skits, listening to the radio and playing music. Shaun soon got his first break at XFM London, presenting overnights to a minisc...

Alex James is the bass player in one of Britain's biggest bands, Blur. With millions of record sales and 2 sold-out nights at Wembley in 2023, he sits down with James O'Brien to discuss his early childhood, the emergence of Blur, cheese making and his brilliant new book 'Over the Rainbow'. With a self-confessed short attention span, Alex failed his A-Levels and was worrying what was next to for hi...

"As I grew up, I realised I had to look after myself because no one else was going to do it for me." Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey joined the House of Lords in 2004, becoming one of its first Black female members. But from the age of eight weeks old to eighteen years old, she moved between foster care placements and care homes in north London. In this episode, she tells James about her upbringing...

Dan Snow makes history exciting. Whether it’s through his award-winning documentaries, bestselling books, or popular podcast History Hit , he has a gift for bringing the past to life and showing us why it still matters today. Coming from a family of celebrated journalists—his father is broadcaster Peter Snow and his mother is Canadian journalist Ann MacMillan - Dan was immersed in storytelling fro...

For thirty-six year, James has been chasing this interview and now, he's finally secured it. Actor, writer and director Rupert Everett joins him to talk about the highs and lows of his extraordinary 40-year career in show business. Rupert discovered performing when he was a young boy and got a thrill from showing off in school plays at Ampleforth College - so much so, that he left school at 15 to...

Growing up on a Lake District farm that had been in his family for centuries, James Rebanks always knew his place in the world. School wasn't for him - he felt his teachers looked down on farming and his grandparents worried education might lure him away from the land. By the age of 15, he had left school with just two O-Levels to work full-time on the family farm. But in the evenings, a new world...

"I really need a future. What happened to me is so dark and so depressing that I've got to believe in something." On Boxing Day 2022, Hanif Kureishi's life changed forever. The acclaimed novelist and playwright had a fall that left him paralysed, a single, shattering moment that split his life in two. In this episode, Hanif tells James about the life he lived before the accident and what's happene...

One of Britain’s most celebrated French chefs, Michel Roux Jr is restaurant royalty. Born into the legendary Roux family, his father and uncle, Albert and Michel Roux Snr founded Le Gavroche, the first British restaurant to earn three Michelin stars. Determined to follow in their footsteps, Michel left school at 16 to begin a pastry apprenticeship in Paris and later trained under the legendary Ala...

"I wasn’t driven by being famous, I was driven by being successful. I wanted to be recognised by my peers, people who I considered ‘posh actors’”. Award-winning actor and bestselling author, Sir David White, is better known by his stage name David Jason. His career has spanned over 50 years, and is best known for his iconic roles Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses and Jack Frost in A Touch of Frost....