Headliners with Nihal Arthanayake

The BBC newsreader and journalist returns to Headliners to tell Nihal how his cancer treatment is going, what he makes of the recent increase in exposure for the Black Lives Matter movement and how he’s been coping during lockdown.

Former Sugababes member Keisha Buchanan tells Nihal Arthanayake about the trauma she experienced as the only black member of the platinum-selling girl-group. She says she was unfairly stereotyped as an “angry black woman” by the press, leading to her needing therapy to recover.

The historian and author Rutger Brebman tells Nihal why he thinks humanity is less cruel than we’ve been led to believe. His new book Humankind looks at why some of the stories and experiments that are often-cited examples of our cruelty may be fundamentally flawed. Photo credit: Maartje ter Horst

The Manchester rapper talks to Nihal about his rise to stardom, wanting to work with Liam Gallagher and how success has changed his family’s life.

The Repair Shop star talks to Nihal about growing up with dyslexia and how he found his passion for restoring furniture.

A piano prodigy who won a scholarship to the Peabody Institute at the age of five, Tori Amos is one of the most remarkable musical talents of her generation. In this episode of Headliners, she talks to Nihal about the inspiration for her songwriting, addressing dark truths in her work and why she decided to record her thoughts in her new book; Resistance: A Songwriter’s Story of Hope, Change and C...

Nihal discusses the legacy, impact and reaction to NBA legend Michael Jordan in the wake of Netflix’s smash hit documentary series The Last Dance. He’s joined by journalist and former Olympic athlete Matthew Syed, DJ and presenter Reece Parkinson and John Amaechi, the first Briton to play in the NBA, who faced Jordan on court at the beginning – and the end – of this career. Photo credit: Andrew D...

The pioneering YouTuber on his new album, his next fight and why he won’t live in the USA.

The Years and Years actor on learning to dance, collecting art and “keeping real” in quarantine.

The former Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea striker tells Nihal about the people that have inspired him, his hopes for the future of football, and his recovery from pancreatic cancer.

The award winning writer on the cult of exercise, the economic consequences of Covid-19 and her new book The Motion of the Body Through Space.

Nihal talks to Freya Lewis, who was just 14 when she was severely injured in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 - an attack that also claimed the life of her friend Nell. She tells Nihal about her recovery, how she raised tens of thousands of pounds for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital – and why she can’t wait to get a tattoo on her eighteenth birthday! Freya tells her story in her new book,...

5 live’s Nihal Arthanayke talks to the reggae legend about the anniversary of his 10-million selling album, Hot Shot, and why he’s decided to update the tracks for a brand new release.

Jade from Little Mix tells Nihal she’s getting through lockdown with impersonations, cooking and Lego.

Ricky joins Nihal to talk about series 2 of AfterLife. Warning: contains strong language.

The former heavyweight champion on going from poker novice to playing in one of the world’s biggest tournaments.

Multiple Michelin-starred chef and TV presenter Tom Kerridge joins Nihal Arthanayake to take questions from 5 Live listeners about what to cook (and what not to cook) in their kitchens during the Coronavirus lockdown.

The classically trained musician turned garage DJ talks to Nihal Arthanayake about his new release, MJ Cole Presents Madrugada, a beautiful piano and strings-led instrumental album that takes its inspiration from the early hours of the morning.

The best-selling author talks to Nihal about her new book, Buried.

Nihal talks to the grime legend about his new book.

Nihal Arthanayake speaks to the author Harlan Coben about his new book; The Boy From The Woods, how Coronavirus is impacting his work and how he helped Netflix adapt his best-seller The Stranger.

Nihal speaks to Stacey Dooley about her new documentary, Strictly Come Dancing, and life in the public eye.

Nihal meets the theoretical physicist to talk about his book Until The End Of Time and to ask some of the big questions about the nature of time, the future of the universe and whether we’re all living in a simulation of reality.

Nihal talks to the comedian Eleanor Conway about her hilarious, and brutally honest, new show You May Recognise Me From Tinder, in which Eleanor talks frankly about why she’s been single for more than a decade.

The music legend talks, in depth, to 5 Live’s Nihal Arthanayke about his new book; Tales of Boomtown Glory, and the new studio album from the Boomtown Rats.