Samira Ahmed is joined by Friends star David Schwimmer and comedy writer Nick Mohammed. David Schwimmer is one of the most recognisable faces on television. His iconic role as Ross Geller in all 236 episodes of Friends has made him TV royalty. And beyond the global cultural impact of Friends, Schwimmer is a seasoned stage actor and has gone on to direct the hit comedy Run Fatboy Run and gain critical acclaim as Robert Kardashian in American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. For his latest...
Apr 11, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Samira Ahmed speaks to award-winning comedian Russell Kane. They speak about his life and career, growing up in Essex, his break into comedy at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe, and his relationship with class and identity as a comedian. The recording for this episode took place in April 2021. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@in...
Apr 11, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Samira Ahmed speaks to best-selling author Kate Mosse. Together they discuss her life and career, the success of her historical fiction novels - including Labyrinth which won Best Read of the Year at the 2006 British Book Awards - and her contribution to the recognition of female writers. The recording for this episode took place in February 2021. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us a...
Apr 11, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Samira Ahmed speaks to model and actress Emily Ratajkowski. Together they discuss her rise to fame after appearing in the music video for the controversial song ‘Blurred Lines’, as well as the fraught relationship between feminism, capitalism, and exploitation. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected] or Tweet us...
Apr 08, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Samira Ahmed speaks to Academy Award-nominated actor Jude Law. They speak about his life and career, skipping school to go to the cinema in London as a teenager, his foray into acting, and the wide range of characters he’s covered in his career, from Dr. John Watson to the Pope. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquar...
Apr 08, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Samira Ahmed speaks to journalist, satirist, and editor of the magazine Private Eye, Ian Hislop. They speak about his life and career, from an upbringing in Nigeria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong before returning to Britain to attend boarding school where he began his satirical career. Ian Hislop became editor of the British satirical magazine Private Eye at just 25, in his 37 years as editor he has been reported as the most sued man in English legal history. This episode was recorded in A...
Apr 07, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Samira Ahmed is joined by Friends star David Schwimmer and comedy writer Nick Mohammed in a special preview of an episode coming out in the autumn as part of Season 4 of How I Found My Voice. David Schwimmer is one of the most recognisable faces on television. His iconic role as Ross Geller in all 236 episodes of Friends has made him TV royalty. Fans around the world still gleefully recount some of his most famous lines including ‘Pivot!’, “Unagi” and ‘We were on a break!’ Beyond the global cult...
Oct 21, 2022•17 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Samira Ahmed speaks to the journalist and former chief speechwriter to Prime Minister Tony Blair, Philip Collins. They speak about his life and career, from growing up in a household that strongly supported Margaret Thatcher to becoming a supporter of the Labour party and speechwriter for the then Prime Minister. He is a former political columnist for The Times and author of When They Go Low, We Go High: Speeches that Changed the World and Why We Need Them. This is the last episode for this Seas...
Apr 09, 2021•47 min•Season 3Ep. 14
Samira Ahmed speaks to the novelist and author of An American Marriage, Tayari Jones. They speak about her life and career from growing up in Atlanta and taking a stand on ethical issues as a child to developing her voice as a writer, the role that children's author Judy Blume played in her life, and being selected for President Barack Obama's summer reading list and Oprah's Book Club. _ We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what ...
Mar 31, 2021•51 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Join Samira Ahmed as she speaks to the incredible Gloria Estefan - Grammy award-winning singer, international superstar, and survivor of both political and physical adversity. From fleeing Cuba as a young child to selling over 120 million records worldwide, Gloria's journey is truly awe-inspiring. Discover how she helped bring Latin-flavoured pop music to the world stage and hear her reflections on a career spanning four decades. This episode was recorded in 2020. The Producer was Head of Podcas...
Mar 24, 2021•51 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Samira Ahmed speaks to the acclaimed author of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments Margaret Atwood. They speak about her life and career, from her experiences as a young schoolgirl in Canada and her prolific writing career of novels and poetry to the impact of the Handmaid becoming a symbol of resistance against the disempowerment of women and her playful love for puppeteering. Margaret Atwood is the bestselling author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. Her 1985 ...
Mar 17, 2021•47 min•Season 3Ep. 12
For International Women's Day we bring to you a special bonus episode of our award-winning podcast, How I Found My Voice presented by the BBC journalist Samira Ahmed. This episode features clips from some of our favourite female interviewees including novelists Margaret Atwood, Bernardine Evaristo and Elif Shafak, actors Kate Winslet, Rose McGowan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, singer Paloma Faith, Labour politician and Member of Parliament Jess Phillips, businesswoman Gina Miller, and comedian Kath...
Mar 08, 2021•53 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Samira Ahmed speaks to the actor Priyanka Chopra. They speak about her life and career, from growing up in a military family and developing her love for performance to gaining fame through winning Miss World and her career in Bollywood and now Hollywood. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. BUY TICKETS TO ATTEND OUR EXCLUSIVE LIVE RECORDING OF HOW I FOUND MY VOICE WITH SATIRIST IAN HISLOP AT 6PM ON 14 APRIL 2021. Use the di...
Mar 03, 2021•53 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Samira Ahmed speaks to the writer Anthony Horowitz, known for his bestselling novels including Sherlock Holmes, James Bond and the young adult Alex Rider series, as well as his screenwriting contributions to hit TV shows such as Foyle's War, Agatha Christie's Poirot and Midsomer Murders. They speak about his life and career, from being sent to boarding school and finding his voice as a writer to his championing of young people having a voice in political conversations such as Brexit that impact ...
Feb 24, 2021•48 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Samira Ahmed speaks to the Oscar-winning actor and Hollywood star Kate Winslet. She speaks about her life and career, from discovering her love of acting in childhood and becoming a Hollywood sensation in Titanic to never-before-told stories of her and Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as her reflections on how the film industry deals with recording intimate scenes and her latest movie Ammonite, which looks at the Victorian fossil hunter Mary Anning. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know wha...
Feb 17, 2021•56 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Samira Ahmed speaks to the actor, comedian and writer Meera Syal. They speak about her life and career from growing up in a Punjabi household to pioneering comedy with Asian actors on the BBC through hit shows such as Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No.42. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. BUY TICKETS TO ATTEND OUR EXCLUSIVE LIVE RECORDING OF HOW I FOUND MY VOICE WITH SATIRIST IAN HISLOP AT 6PM ON 14 APRIL 2021: h...
Feb 10, 2021•51 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Samira Ahmed speaks to the outspoken Labour politician and MP for Tottenham, David Lammy. He is currently the Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice. In this episode he reflects on his life and career, from winning a choral scholarship as a young boy and developing his interest in politics to becoming a barrister and one of Britain's most vocal politicians around issues of social justice. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and r...
Feb 03, 2021•46 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Samira Ahmed speaks to the one of the biggest names in British music, the BRIT Award-winning singer, songwriter and actor, Paloma Faith. They discuss her life and career, from how she found her unique voice as a performer to where her strong sense of social justice comes from and how she has had to navigate racist and sexist elements within the music industry. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. How I Found My Voice is an ...
Jan 27, 2021•47 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Samira Ahmed speaks to the chef Yotam Ottolenghi, who has arguably done more than any other food writer in recent times to change the way we cook and eat. In 2014 the American food magazine Bon Appétit wrote that he had ‘made the world love vegetables’ – although he himself is not a vegetarian. They speak about his life and career, from discovering his love of food in Jerusalem and that his grandmother was a Mossad spy to his professional partnership with Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi and navigat...
Jan 20, 2021•42 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Samira Ahmed speaks to the journalist and author Elizabeth Day, who she dubs the 'failure guru'. They speak about her life and career, from growing up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles to learning from failed dates and coming up with her chart-topping podcast, How To Fail, a celebration of things that haven't gone right. She has been a feature writer for publications including The Times, Vogue and Vanity Fair and her latest book is Failosophy: A Handbook for When Things Go Wrong. If you en...
Jan 13, 2021•50 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Samira Ahmed speaks to the Labour MP John McDonnell who until recently was former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. A lifelong socialist and elder statesman of the Left, he reflects on his early childhood aspirations of wanting to become a priest, career at the Greater London Authority and crisis of anti-Semitism within the Labour party, as well as Chancellor Rishi Sunak's economic policies during the coronavirus crisis, the American election and Boris Johnson'...
Nov 25, 2020•50 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Samira Ahmed speaks with one of the biggest names in British entertainment - the television and radio presenter Graham Norton. From growing up as a young gay man in County Cork, Ireland, to living with hippies in Los Angeles and becoming a household name in the UK, Graham has had a fascinating life and career. His prime time chat show on BBC1, 'The Graham Norton Show' is a magnet for the biggest names in show business, including Tom Cruise, Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Judi Dench, and Stormzy. ...
Nov 18, 2020•53 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Samira Ahmed records a special message for How I Found My Voice listeners, with an update on how the podcast has won an award and of Season 3 which is coming up. To watch and take part in exclusive live recordings for Season 3, with guests such as Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Day and David Lammy, subscribe to Intelligence Squared+. For £4.99 a month subscribers have access to all of Intelligence Squared's online events and the chance to ask questions to our high profile speakers. Click here for mo...
Jun 16, 2020•4 min
In the last episode of this season Samira Ahmed speaks to Deborah Frances-White, stand-up comedian and host of The Guilty Feminist podcast. Deborah speaks to Samira about her journey from being an adopted child to joining the Jehovah's Witnesses as a teenager and escaping what she calls a 'high-control group' to discover and pursue her love of performance. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. How I Found My Voice is an Inte...
Jan 13, 2020•42 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Samira Ahmed speaks to the author Fatima Bhutto about the power of writing fiction, growing up in one of Pakistan’s most famous political dynasties and why she blames her aunt, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, for the death of her father. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling...
Jan 06, 2020•49 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Samira Ahmed speaks to the Oscar-winning visual effects director Paul J. Franklin whose works span from Interstellar and Inception to the Harry Potter and Batman movie franchises. They speak about what led him from his childhood in rural Cheshire to designing what fantastical worlds look like in Hollywood. How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. If you enjoy th...
Dec 30, 2019•57 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Samira Ahmed speaks to this year's Booker Prize winner, author Bernardine Evaristo. She speaks to Samira about how she found her voice, from growing up in South-East London and setting up the UK's first black women's theatre group to the moment she won the Booker for her novel Girl, Woman, Other. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world'...
Dec 23, 2019•51 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Samira Ahmed speaks to comedian and Pointless quiz show presenter Richard Osman. They speak about his love of lists, developing hit TV shows and the power of terrestrial TV in an age of Netflix. How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. If you enjoy this podcast please tell your friends, subscribe, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Season 2 is proudly supp...
Dec 16, 2019•46 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Samira Ahmed speaks to the Channel 4 News presenter and journalist Jon Snow about growing up in the 1950s, leading student protests against apartheid South Africa and being approached by MI5 to be a spy. How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. If you enjoy this podcast please tell your friends, subscribe, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Season 2 is pro...
Dec 09, 2019•45 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Samira Ahmed speaks to the Gina Miller, the businesswoman and campaigner most famous for bringing two legal cases regarding Brexist against the government and winning. How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. If you enjoy this podcast please tell your friends, subscribe, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Season 2 is proudly supported by THE OUT, innovativ...
Dec 02, 2019•53 min•Season 2Ep. 6
