Profile

Johan Lundgren, Chief Executive Officer of Easyjet, one of Europe's biggest airlines. The carrier has been faced customer fury after cancelling hundreds of flights. Johan Lundgren has dealt with extremely trying personal and professional situations at different times in his life. Mark Coles hears about his youthful career ambition - to become a trombonist. Producer: Bob Howard Researcher: Natasha...

What makes Ben Stokes, the New Zealand born poster boy of English cricket and England's new captain tick? He has at times courted controversy but was the hero in England's world cup triumph. With Mark Coles. Produced by Bob Howard

Boris Johnson’s Mr Fixit - a Deputy Chief of Staff - brought in to steady the ship at the height of the "Partygate" allegations. Described as politically astute and determined for the Conservatives to win the next election, Canzini's career in the Tory party began in the 1980s. He's a long-standing Brexiteer who's worked alongside former Conservative leader, William Hague, and is a close ally of t...

Jack Monroe rose to fame with her blog 'A Girl Called Jack’, sharing her struggles as a single mum on benefits, with just £10 a week to spend on food. She’s become a best-selling, award-winning writer of cookery books and she campaigns against poverty. A regular on TV and social media, talking benefits and food banks, Jack Monroe has attracted the wrath of some right-wing commentators. She success...

She wants to be a first minister for all, having led her party to a historic election win. Sinn Féin now hold the most seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly, entitling them to the position of first minister. From local councillor to would-be leader of the power sharing executive, Mark Coles looks at the life and career of Michelle O'Neill, the IRA man's daughter, changing the image and appeal of...

The brutal and corrupt regime of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos was overthrown in 1986, yet their son, known as Bongbong, is leading the race to become the next president of The Philippines. Edward Stourton profiles the life and career of Philippine presidential hopeful, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Her multi-media work celebrates the achievements of women in music and art, challenges racial and sexual bias and asks how our cultural institutions can become more inclusive. From pastels to a cappella, Mark Coles profiles the life and career of Sonia Boyce, winner of this year's Venice Biennale, international art exhibition. Sonia Boyce’s winning entry entitled 'Feeling Her Way' features the imp...

Playwright, screenwriter and creator of the hit TV sitcom Derry Girls, about five school friends in 1990s Northern Ireland - getting up to all sorts.

The far-right politician going head-to-head with Emmanuel Macron in the French presidential elections. Mark Coles charts Marine Le Pen's life and political career, which began alongside her father Jean-Marie Le Pen - founder of the far right Front National party. Today she has sought to soften her image by playing down her party's past policies by taking on issues such as the cost of living crisis...

Despite being fired by Amazon early in the pandemic, Chris Smalls continued to campaign for better rights and conditions for Amazon employees, setting up the Amazon Labor Union last year. Now the Staten Island warehouse where Chris used to be based has made history, becoming the first Amazon workplace in the United States to vote for union representation, a serious defeat for Amazon which has been...

Martin Lewis of MoneySavingExpert has helped millions of people save money through consumer advice and big campaigns on bank charges and mis-sold PPI credit insurance. But now with the cost of living crisis, has he "run out of tools"? He grew up in a Jewish family in Cheshire. He lost his mother in an accident just before his 12th birthday, an event that had a lasting influence on him. He later be...

She made history in the US this week as the first black woman to go through Senate confirmation hearings for an appointment to America’s all powerful Supreme Court. A person of profound faith, Ketanji Brown Jackson poured her soul into her studies. She excelled at Miami Palmetto Senior High School where she was a champion debater, star performer and the president of her class. She graduated from H...

One of Britain’s most popular authors, Dame Jacqueline Wilson is famous for stories of sassy children, troubled teens and struggling parents. Her books explore themes including death, divorce and depression. Now, the award-winning writer, who created characters like Tracy Beaker, Hetty Feather and Vicky Angel, has just released a new story - her 114th novel to date, about teenage pregnancy. The no...

She took the defining picture of Putin’s war so far: a family killed by Russian troops as they tried to flee to safety. The US photojournalist, Lynsey Addario, has reported from almost every major conflict in the twenty-first century, and now she is on the ground in Ukraine, documenting suspected war crimes. Lynsey Addario - who reported on the Taliban before most of the western world knew who the...

As the Ukraine crisis continues to escalate, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, finds himself in the thick of it - tasked with preventing a third world war. Norway’s former prime minister gained international renown for his stoic response to the 2011 terror attacks. Described by NATO colleagues as the ‘Trump whisperer’, he is known for being cool, calm and collected under pressure. Does he...

He’s gone into business with Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg, but this isn’t Nick Clegg’s first leadership coalition. He was nicknamed Calamity Clegg but now the papers are calling him Master of the Metaverse. The former deputy prime minister has turned his fortunes around from a bashing at the ballot box, to becoming Silicon valley’s latest top dog. Mark Coles profiles the man hired to fight Faceb...

The defence secretary topping Tory polls has had some strong words to say about Russian activity on the border of Ukraine. Adrian Goldberg profiles the soldier turned politician Ben Wallace.

Jimmy Carr has been condemned for his ‘abhorent’ Holocaust joke about the murders of thousands of people from the Roma, Sinti and traveller communities. Mark Coles looks at the life and career of the controversial comedian. Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Joe Kent Researcher: Drew Miller Hyndman Editor: Damon Rose

Spotify reportedly paid $100m in 2020 for rights to The Joe Rogan Experience, the streaming service's top podcast. The show is said to be downloaded around 200 million times a month. Joe Rogan hosts a variety of guests who discuss their views on a range of issues - but some episodes have featured false and misleading claims. Big names from the music industry, including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell...

Zelensky was an actor and comedian who became a household name in Ukraine by starring in a TV series about a teacher who accidentally became president. In a surreal case of life imitating art, Zelensky found himself elected in 2019 with zero political experience. As the threat of a Russian invasion looms, Mark Coles profiles a man on the brink of becoming an unlikely wartime leader.

From pub landlady to chief interrogator, Adrian Goldberg profiles Sue Gray, the woman who secretly “runs Britain”, and is leading the investigation into Downing Street parties. We hear about her unconventional background, a mysterious career break involving brushes with the IRA, and her meteoric rise to become Whitehall’s most feared inquisitor. She’s been called “the most powerful person you’ve n...

Adrian Goldberg profiles the life and career of World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic. We hear about him practicing in the streets of Belgrade as a child during the war in the former Yugoslavia, how his views on health and medicine were shaped and how he became the formidable and resilient competitor that he is today. Programme Credits In Depth with Graham Bensinger ABC News Producer: Ben Crigh...

It’s been quite a year for proudly Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv, becoming the first female conductor at the 145-year-old Bayreuth Festival in August and now embarking on a new role as Teatro Comunale di Bologna's first female Music Director. Presenter Mark Coles discovers the family stories and personal challenges which have brought Oksana’s charisma and talent from Western Ukraine to classica...

British curling is looking forward to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics - and all eyes are on head coach David Murdoch, the man in charge of bringing home some medals. All three teams - mixed, male and female - have qualified and hopes are high this former World Champion and Olympic silver medallist can inspire the teams to victory. Mark Coles finds out what makes the Lockerbie-born sports nerd tic...

Pharoah Sanders’s 2021 album Promises has been called a spiritual album for the dark ages. Mark Coles hears how Sanders helped invent a new style of music, after his birth in the southern United States, and time spent sleeping rough in New York City. Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Ben Crighton and Chris Flynn