The Convex Conversation

  On August 20 2011, RAF Red Arrows pilot Flt Lt Jon Egging lost his life whilst completing a display at Bournemouth Air Festival.    Dr Emma Egging shares the inspirational story of how she started the Jon Egging Trust ten years ago to realise her husband Jon’s dream of inspiring youngsters through his love of aviation, teamwork & leadership, empowering them to achieve without limits.    JET has...

Loraine Martins OBE has spent the last eight years gradually making positive change at Network Rail to ensure their 43,731 strong staff come from all walks of life & feel valued in their work.   Loraine - who played a key role in developing London’s Olympic Park - talks about growing up in London with her Jamaican parents; tells stories which reveal where her great sense of social justice comes fr...

Wing Commander David Montenegro OBE - Officer Commanding of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team – chats to Helen about the Reds’ role on the world stage & the images he’ll never forget of the G7 leaders captivated by their display.   Monty talks about the innovative work going on with students & industry to develop a sustainable synthetic fuel mix for the iconic red, white & blue smoke; shares the...

Back on Scotland’s beautiful Isle of Harris, Helen meets Apothecary Amanda Saurin & finds out how she creates her natural skincare range as well as botanicals for drinks companies using flowers, bark, blossom, roots, moss - everything “Mother Nature’s larder” has to offer. Amanda - who founded the small batch distiller A.S Apothecary - is also a homeopath & distiller and drew on her knowledge of h...

  Anderson ‘Burr’ Bakewell fell in love with the rare & elusive spirit of the beautiful, remote Isle of Harris & pondered how one could bottle the island & share it with the world.   Shona Macleod – one of the first members of staff at the Isle of Harris Distillery – reveals how the distillery came about with a focus on providing employment for the community & describes how that spirit is captured...

  Inspired by his brother-in-law’s battle with dementia, Frank Rothwell explains why he took on the 3,000-mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic race alone, aged 70, arriving early after 56 days at sea.    Frank raised more than a million pounds for Alzheimer’s Research UK & hopes it will make a difference supporting the charity's scientists in their quest to find ground-breaking ways of treating the disea...

  Chris Floyd takes us on a wander through his photographic archives - both film & digital - sharing stories behind the portraits he's taken of some of the world's most famous artists, musicians & actors.  Chris's images of The Verve; David Hockney; Damian Hirst; Sir Paul McCartney; Oasis; Adrian Lester; Dame Sheila Hancock; Paul Weller; Naomi Watts; Olivia Colman; John Lee Hooker; Iggy Pop & Robe...

Katie Nicholl gives a fascinating insight into 15 years of life as a Royal commentator & a look at what’s going on behind the Prince Harry headlines.    She shares her thoughts on Harry’s latest revelations of wanting to break the cycle of “genetic pain” & explores the rift with the Princes. Katie talks about the very modern future of the Monarchy with the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge leading the w...

  Sarah Wood shares the remarkable story of how she co-founded the global video advertising marketplace ‘Unruly’ with her husband knowing little about the tech world yet sold to News Corp, just nine years & a lot of hard work later for £114 million!   Sarah was running late on the day of the 7/7 bombings in London, narrowly missing the terrorist attacks. That moment led to her reassessing life, le...

Helen discovers how polymetallic nodules lying at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean could be the answer to making more sustainable batteries to power electric vehicles.   The four metals needed are in abundance in the rocks. The Metals Company CEO & environmentalist Gerard Barron explains the work his scientists are doing & the benefits of extraction from the seabed over deep land mining which is de...

Diane is one of America's leading business women - a senior executive & board member at Bye Aerospace, at the cutting edge of the the design & production of the world's first all-electric aeroplanes. She explains how writing an honest, raw account based on her journals about the trials & triumphs of breast cancer treatment has helped her heal & reveals she's found a new self & purpose on the other...

  Alastair Campbell – writer, strategist & famous for being former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Director of Communications – talks openly & frankly about his long battle with depression & the techniques he’s discovered to help him cope.   He also reveals why, after more than four decades together, he’s finally tied the knot in a civil partnership with Fiona Millar; his life-long passion for Burnley...

    Toby Foxcroft coached some of the world’s top tennis stars, working alongside US tennis legend Nick Bollettieri. In this week’s Convex Conversation, Toby explains how he uses lessons learned during his time in elite sport to mentor international business leaders. He also shares an unexpected friendship with Muhammad Ali & talks about his involvement with the Coalition of Hope which aims to use...

  Storms with waves up to 10 metres high; extreme sleep deprivation; military rations & painful injuries – all in a day at sea for four extraordinary young Marines who spent 49 days, 19 hours & 45 minutes rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic.    Afghanistan veterans Juniour Mcilhiney & Will Schweppe teamed up with serving Marines David Bruce & Sam Edwards to raised tens of thousands for The Roya...

When Dan Parry-Williams told his careers teacher he wanted to design racing cars, he was handed leaflets about banking & the legal profession.  But, inspired by growing up listening to the "angry sound of bees" from Brands Hatch at the bottom of his garden, Dan pursued his dream & shares incredible stories of being the chief designer of McLaren's iconic & limited-production P1 as well as other imp...

  Reza shares some of his extreme adventures & reveals what drives him to tell untold stories – often putting his life at risk to do so - in the world’s most dangerous places.   Indigenous tribes whose lives & cultures have remained unchanged for centuries but whose reliance on nature is making them vulnerable in today’s modern world are often at the heart of Reza’s films as he takes viewers on ex...

As Lara celebrates ten years as a tech journalist & co-presenter of the BBC's flagship technology programme Click, she explains her passion for how innovation can change lives for the better.   Lara reveals the initial challenges of being 'on air' from home, the fact she's head of tech in her family life & laughs about being called Mrs MSE by her husband, Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis.        ...

Horatio’s Garden is named after 17-year-old Horatio Chapple who dreamt of becoming a doctor. He realised there was nowhere for spinal injury patients to go to begin to come to terms with their life-changing injuries when he volunteered at an NHS unit in Salisbury.    Horatio’s vision has been brought to life by his mother Olivia & his father David – a spinal surgeon – along with friends & family,...

Celebrities Rob Brydon & Rory Bremner got behind an extraordinary campaign to save a RDA stables in Teddington from closure. Park Lane Stables helps disabled riders, youngsters with difficulties, able-bodied riders & basically makes riding accessible for all.  People power & a heart warming appeal saved the day. Ten of thousands of small donations flooded in & even Her Majesty The Queen was so tou...

  In part two of our podcast, Rory reveals his affection & admiration for Prince Charles & HRH's keen sense of humour.    He talks about his gratitude to legendary broadcaster the late Sir Terry Wogan for his first break on TV; his patronage of conservation charity Tusk including his escape from the paparazzi to Africa during his honeymoon & explains candidly how his ADHD is both friend & foe.

  In this week's podcast, Helen encounters Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, President Biden and a plethora of famous faces as she chats to impressionist Rory Bremner, well-known and well-loved for political satire. Rory shares how recently released National Archives have revealed his spoof calls to former PM John Major's backbench rebels may have helped keep him in Downing Street & explains how he dev...

Trevor Robinson OBE is the man behind some of the UK's most successful ad campaigns. Think Haribo, Pot Noodles & You've Been Tangoed! He reminisces about growing up on a rough estate in London where riots & racism were rife & reveals how he went on to become one of the most respected talents in advertising.   Trevor has relaunched his Create Not Hate campaign following the murder of George Floyd t...

  Maria Kempinska helped launch the careers of many of today’s top comedians including Rory Bremner, Eddie Izzard, Graham Norton & Lee Mack.   She gave up her own dreams of performing on stage to open her first club in 1983 where many of them got their first break. Maria shares stories of the challenges of life in comedy & how humour is a vital part in her work as a psychotherapist.  

  The Apprentice & Countdown star Nick Hewer talks about stepping down from C4’s popular afternoon quiz-show after a decade at the helm.   Nick shares surprising & amusing stories from his autobiography ‘My Alphabet – A Life From A-Z’ including working with Lord Sugar; eye watering adventures on the 12,000-km Mongol Rally in a battered Renault 4; his passion for tractors & old bangers & plans for...

  Ruben Tabares - one of the world’s most sought-after health & wellness gurus - offers simple & achievable goals to help us all get & stay fit.   Ruben shares incredible stories of training former World Heavyweight Boxing champion David Haye to victory; getting Hollywood actor Jeremy Piven in shape for romantic scenes in Mr Selfridge & talks about the pleasure of working with stars like Tinie Tem...