The Mid•Point with Gabby Logan

The daughter of a top horse trainer, and herself a champion jockey, Clare Balding OBE made the leap into broadcasting as the BBC's racing specialist. Since then though, she’s reported on everything, from the Olympic Games and Wimbledon to Royal Weddings and Crufts. But for a decade she was also hiding her sexuality and looked to her father for approval. Now, at 50, and many many accolades later, C...

Nihal Arthanayake, a rapper turned broadcaster who knows a thing or two about shaking things up. Born to Buddhist parents of Sri Lankan origin in Essex, Nihal performed for five years as an MC before turning his hand to promotion and freelance music journalism. After years championing Asian and Desi bests in dark club basements, he eventually found a home at the BBC hosting award-winning shows on...

The Midpoint is back and we’re kicking things off with an absolute powerhouse, both on stage and in everyday life. Sharleen Spiteri has never been one to sit on the fence; In the nineties, she broke new ground with an androgenous look and searing vocals that challenged an industry of men. Since then, her band Texas have sold over forty million records, including thirteen top-ten singles and three...

Gabby Logan will not succumb to beige middle-age - and neither should you! As we reach the middle of our lives things are changing; emotionally, physically, mentally. And with that our expectations, priorities, ambitions, and dreams shift too.  But what's really going on when we reach our mid-points? With a little help from a host of well-known faces and some knowledgable experts, Gabby hopes to f...

Mark Watson is a comedian, author and sports pundit. Taking to the stand-up stage with his first gig in 2002, he won the Daily Telegraph Open Mic Competition that same year and the rest is history… well, not quite? Mark and Gabby talk candidly about his divorce, using it as material for his comedy and, at times, misjudging how much to share. He opens up about his absent dad-guilt due to touring, a...

Andi Osho is what the cool kids of our day would call your typical "Slashie", meaning she cannot be defined by just one occupation. She is an award-winning comedian, writer, actress and on top of that she is the only person to win Celebrity Mastermind, not once, but twice.    For the past eighteen years Andi has graced our screens in a variety of ways from comedy shows such as Live at the Apollo a...

International broadcaster and host of critically acclaimed podcast, Soundtracking, Edith Bowman joins The Midpoint this week. For over two decades, Edith has held court in the UK’s largest media houses. From MTV and Capital FM to Channel 4, Virgin Radio and of course Radio 1 she's lived life in the fast lane. But she was forced to slow down when BBC management altered her contract, and the course...

The highest try scorer of all time in Ireland, and the 8th in the history of the sport he's earned his place in the Rugby Union Hall of Fame. But after retiring in 2014, Brian O'Driscoll has had to pull focus, from adoring crowds and adrenaline fuelled games to neighbour, father, husband and friend. So how has he made the switch from the self-directed sporting hero, to caring and supportive family...

Penny Lancaster. Rock wife, beauty queen, photographer, TV presenter, and now, Special Constable with City of London Police. At 50, she embraced the midpoint gear shift with absolute fearlessness and tenacity. She's also an extremely kind, giving person who's grounded by family and believes strongly in supporting those in need. But Penny spent much of last year's lockdown plagued by hot sweats, mo...

Alexandra Shulman led British Vogue for over 25 years until stepping down in 2017. Under her direction the magazine saw its readership rise to unprecedented levels, offering women a more accessible and inclusive blueprint for what fashion could mean to them. She also championed British designers and was one of the first to feature plus-size bodies on the magazine's cover. Despite this, she never q...

Gareth Thomas, a man who can be truly proud of who he is and where he's come from. As a former captain of the British and Irish Lions, and the second highest try scorer for Wales, Gareth is without doubt a sporting hero. But he's also one of the few British sportsman to publicly come out as gay. That was back in 2009 and it transformed his life forever. In this episode Gareth reflects on why self-...

Ruby Wax OBE is no stranger to change. Once the comedy queen of screen and stage, she's now more likely found reflecting on mindfulness having swapped the stand up circuit for the writer's shed. In the past decade she's graduated from Oxford university, written four best-selling books and has found a new calling, centred on helping others overcome poor mental health. But none of this has come easy...

Gabby Logan will not succumb to beige middle-age. And neither should you. But, as we reach the middle of our lives things are changing; emotionally, physically, mentally. And with that our expectations, priorities, ambitions, and sense of self shift too. So what's really going on when we reach the mid-point? With a little help from a host of well-known faces and brilliant experts, Gabby hopes to f...

A life shaped by football, but never on the pitch,  Kelly Cates is the Sky Sports Premier League anchor who, at 45 and in lockdown, finds herself reflecting on the sliding doors moments that define our lives. What does romance look like after divorce? How does she judge the successful career she's had so far? And where would she be now if she'd only finished those maths and chemistry degrees? Plus...

After quitting a lucrative job, hitting the road and doing nine hundred gigs in three years, Jimmy Carr was just twenty-eight but had never felt older. Two decades down the line, there can be no doubt that the gamble paid off. Now one of the most successful in his field, this baby-faced comedian has never looked better. But botox aside, just how comfortable is Jimmy in his middle-aged skin? Is he...

With over 60 years of broadcasting experience between them, Fi Glover and Jane Garvey are true BBC stalwarts with too many awards to count. From the unflinching world of current affairs and investigative journalism, they’re now more often found musing on family pets, leaking hose pipes and bingo wings, in their irreverent and utterly compelling smash-hit podcast ‘Fortunately With Fi and Jane’. So...

An icon from the golden generation at a peak in football fever, Rio Ferdinand is known for being one of the best defenders in Premier League history, and has lived a lifestyle to match. Fast, glamorous and relentless, Rio's passion meant missed holidays, weddings - even the birth of his third child. Since then though, he's left the beautiful game behind, survived unimaginable grief, found love for...

It's easy to see why Bruce Forsyth nicknamed Tess Daly 'Miss Sunshine'. With age defying beauty, a dazzling smile and a disposition to match, she's a darling of British Television. But boy, has she worked to get there. From mooching around the streets of Salford to modelling in Paris, Barcelona, Tokyo and New York, she has climbed dizzying heights to Strictly stardom. In this pre-lockdown tea brea...

Richard Bacon has done a lot in his life. From Blue Peter and the Big Breakfast to 5 Live and Panorama, he's been the face of countless programmes in almost every broadcast genre imaginable. Richard has described his career as 'scattergun' and himself as high energy with a short attention span, but one thing is enduringly clear. For him, life is an adventure, and midlife will not change that. Now...

It's official. Davina McCall is growing old disgracefully. After 20 years gracing our screens, Davina is a juggernaut of British television and mother to three children. Now 53, her star-power has not waned, but her personal life is transformed. She's moved on from a marriage, reclaimed her body, and has lost patience, with everything and everyone. How does she feel about ambition, sex and happine...

Piers Morgan may be many things, but a quitter is not one. In his journey from local news reporter to one of Britain's most famous faces, Piers has experienced more than his fair share of success, scandal, and setbacks - each time, rising to occupy positions of ever greater influence. But now in his mid 50's, will he choose to slow things down or age disgracefully? And is he ever touched by the st...

Gabby Logan will not succumb to beige middle-age. And neither should you.  But what is going on with us when we reach the middle of our lives, emotionally, physically and mentally? Speaking candidly to a host of well-known faces, Gabby hopes to find some answers. In this second season of The Mid•Point Gabby welcomes Piers Morgan, Davina McCall, Rio Ferdinand, Tess Daly and Richard Bacon to reflect...

We finish this series with the legendary Mariella Frostrup. Having smashed through the career glass ceilings so many times - reinventing herself over and over when being told she can’t - her reward is being the cultural presenting icon she is today, and feeling secure in herself as she hits menopause. We’re joined by nutritionist Paul Chamberlain, who says it’s all about balance and that Omega 3 i...

From a very successful career making TV happen off camera, to becoming recognised nationwide as a TV personality on Pointless, Richard Osman's life has flipped completely and now he's a chart-topping novelist too. How does he feel about becoming unexpectedly famous and what does that mean now he's also single? Plus, we're joined by relationship expert Annabelle Knight who takes a look at what it i...

Denise Lewis had an Olympic Gold medal and three lovely children and then at the age of 46 she decided to have another baby. While caring for a toddler at 47 she also found herself taking her teenage son to a BLM march and realising that she hadn’t really had frank conversations about race with any of her children until now. Dr Pixie McKenna joins to talk about the hormonal changes we experience i...