One to One

For more than twenty years, from war zones to the seats of political power, Katya Adler has interviewed, observed, told people's stories. And she's always been fascinated by what makes people tick - their personality. Can we change or fake it? In the first of three programmes, Katya meets Olympic athlete and vice-president of Headway, James Cracknell, who suffered an injury to the brain a decade a...

Elsie Owusu meets Lord Chris Smith, the former Secretary of State for Culture and chair of the Millennium Commission, to discuss what he feels is his architectural legacy: from the Eden project to the Dome and beyond. Across three editions of One to One, Elsie - an architect - has been exploring the connection between architecture, art and justice. In today's discussion Lord Smith mulls over his t...

The artist, Yinka Shonibare CBE, talks to the architect Elsie Owusu about his ambitious and challenging project in Nigeria where he is building two residential centres for artists. One will be in Lagos, the other in the rural setting of Ijebu, which will be based on a working farm. Yinka is a wheelchair user, and he discusses his idea of "enabling architecture", as well as the importance of provid...

Architect Elsie Owusu discusses the refurbishment of the Supreme Court building with Lady Hale. The creation of the Supreme Court in 2009 was a defining moment in UK legal history. And in architectural history, too. It was decided to refurbish the century-old Middlesex Guildhall which stands in London's Parliament Square. At the time it housed seven Crown Courts and was, according to Lady Hale, 'c...

What happens when you become obsessed by words? What happens when this obsession becomes so severe that your life becomes a frenzied narrative filling your every waking moment ? How do you escape? Verity Sharp meets Tim Parks who shares his experiences of a painful chronic condition brought about by a constant mental and physical tension, related to his work as a writer. When doctors couldn’t expl...

Could idling help free us from the treadmill of work and increase our creativity? Is boredom conducive to creativity? In the first of two programmes we hear from psychoanalyst, Professor of Modern Literary Theory at Goldsmiths University of London, author and practising idler Josh Cohen. He talks to Verity Sharp about the value of idling, how a much more relaxed attitude to life is not a hindrance...

In 2015 Arabella Dorman hung a boat upside down in a Piccadilly church. The boat had been carrying refugees in the eastern Mediterranean, but now it was a piece of art, a symbol of 'exile and desperation' as well as courage and hope. Cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, who reported from Vietnam and Northern Ireland, wants to know if there is a different way to report the news, so here he talks to Arabella a...

When photographer Paul Conroy was injured during a Syrian rocket attack in 2012, his first thought was probably not how this might change reporting of the war. Two other journalists died in the same attack - Remi Ochlik and Marie Colvin. Paul survived, wrote a book which became the basis for a famous documentary, and then worked as consultant on a major film, A Private War. Does his story represen...

What does it mean to "look at" something? Do an artist and a scientist look at a sunset in the same way? Jay Elwes talks to the artist Simon Periton, whose work includes the installations in the new Farringdon Crossrail station. Simon explains how he looks for ideas in everyday objects, taking inspiration from windows, leaves and even empty tin cans. Producer: Chris Ledgard

How do different people look at the world around them? Do a scientist and an artist see a sunset the same way? In the first of two programmes, we meet the Nobel prize winning astrophysicist, John Mather. Dr Mather is the Senior Project Scientist on the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble. He talks to the journalist Jay Elwes about the "telescope of the imagination", and how tec...

Acclaimed gardening writer, Alys Fowler, tries to work out where she wants to live, in the city or the countryside, with the help of poet, Gregory Leadbetter. Alys grew up in deepest rural England but for years has found happiness in the city of Birmingham, her small garden and local allotment. But she's starting to feel the pull of the countryside again, and the access to the natural world it off...

Acclaimed gardening writer, Alys Fowler, tries to work out where she wants to live, in the city or the countryside, with the help of outdoor counsellor, Dr. Ruth Allen. Alys grew up in deepest rural England, but for years has lived in Birmingham. She loves the city, and her small garden and allotment, but is starting to feel a pull to return to her roots. But should she? If she does, will the coun...

In approximately half of couples experiencing difficulty conceiving, part of the problem lies with the male. Despite this, male infertility is a largely under-researched and taboo subject. To find out why, and what needs to be done, Benjamin Zephaniah meets consultant urologist Kevin McEleny, who leads the Male Fertility Service at the Newcastle Fertility Centre in the International Centre for Lif...

Terri Clothier discusses how her husband’s fertility problems affected her and their relationship. When Terri married Richard (who we heard from in the previous programme ) she knew she wanted a family. They both did. Terri imagined life with two children. But this hasn’t happened. They were unaware that Richard had a fertility problem. Whilst friends and family were starting their own families Ri...

Benjamin Zephaniah is infertile. This is not something you hear men readily admit. It has been a taboo subject. This has resulted in many men with fertility problems feeling isolated and guilt-ridden whilst also grieving for the child they cannot have by natural methods. Richard Clothier describes his experiences. Benjamin meets Richard’s wife Terri in the next programme. Producer Sarah Blunt Supp...

David Gregory-Kumar is a BBC journalist, and a gay dad. For this edition of One to One, he speaks to Sophie Mei Lan about her experience of growing up with a gay dad and step-dad. Sophie Mei Lan is a journalist, blogger and vlogger in her early 30s. She grew up, from the age of 3, partly with her gay dad and step-dad. She talks to David about the severe bullying she faced in high school, and how s...

David Gregory-Kumar talks about parenting with fellow gay dad, Chris Hurlston. David is a BBC journalist, and he's also a gay dad. Across three editions of One to One he is exploring different aspects of gay parenting. Today he meets Chris Hurlston whose children were carried by surrogate mothers, one from India and the other from Nepal. David and Chris discuss their different experiences of surro...

David Gregory-Kumar is a BBC journalist, and he's also a gay dad. Across three editions of One to One, he's exploring different aspects of gay parenting. Today he speaks to DaJon, the surrogate who carried his, and his husband Suraj's, baby girl. Producer: Karen Gregor

Broadcaster, journalist and producer Emma Freud had a dream to work in hard news. She talks to Rukmini Callimachi from the New York Times and presenter of the podcast 'Caliphrate' about her investigations into Islamic State. She asks Rukmini how fear doesn't stop her; why she seeks to understand those who join IS; and whether there is anything that would make her stop. Producer: Sara Coneky

Broadcaster, columnist and producer Emma Freud always wanted to be a news journalist but never had the confidence or courage to pursue it. She talks to Chief Foreign Correspondent for The Sunday Times Christina Lamb about the realities of the job, to discover if she could ever have achieved her dream. Producer: Sara Conkey

Broadcaster, columnist and producer Emma Freud dreamed of being a news journalist. She felt she never had the courage to pursue it, but still wonders if she had what it takes. Emma talks to Newsnight's Emily Maitlis about the adrenaline of the job; whether she ever has self-doubt - and what really drives her. Producer: Sara Conkey

Former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger meets Dr Sohom Das, a consultant forensic psychiatrist. His job is to assess, treat and rehabilitate mentally ill offenders. Dr Sohom discusses the effect that a life behind bars has upon the mind, tells Alan about the times when he has made a difference, and talks about the challenges of treating mentally ill offenders inside jail. Producer: Camellia Sinclai...

In her early twenties, CJ Burge was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison for importing drugs into Japan. She went on to spend six years in jail, first in Japan and then in the UK. Today, with a first class Law degree earned through study in prison, she is a different person. CJ talks to Alan Rusbridger about life in prison in two different countries and reveals the effect that imprisonment...

In 1999, Jonathan Aitken was sentenced to 18 months for perjury and perverting the course of justice. He went on to spend seven months behind bars, in three different prisons. At the time, Alan Rusbridger was his adversary. Then editor of The Guardian newspaper, Alan had reported Jonathan to the police for perjury after a high profile libel trial. Twenty years on, Alan sits down with Jonathan, now...

Euella Jackson meets Dr Girdari Bhan who is actively involved in the Interfaith Network for the UK and past President of the World Hindu Council UK, to hear about the structured approach to death and mourning practised in Hinduism. Having a Jamaican heritage, and a traditional way of mourning called Nine Nights, Euella is keen to find out what we can learn from other cultures and faiths to help us...