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, as she challenges for the French presidency for a third time. Producers: Sally Abrahams and Diane ...
Apr 16, 2022•15 min
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 fighting against unionisation. Timandra Harkness hears about the man behind this historic vote, spe...
Apr 09, 2022•15 min
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 became a journalist and financial campaigner, motivated by wanting to help others save money. The succ...
Apr 02, 2022•15 min
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 Harvard University where she met her husband Patrick Jackson and formed life-long friendships. From t...
Mar 26, 2022•15 min
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 novelist lived through a difficult childhood and her own marriage ended in divorce. But, after decades...
Mar 19, 2022•15 min
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 they were - has borne witness to war, humanitarian disaster and the worst effects of climate change. Sh...
Mar 12, 2022•14 min
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 have what it takes for this latest challenge? Mark Coles profiles the longest serving NATO chief in ...
Mar 05, 2022•15 min
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 Facebook’s fires.
Feb 26, 2022•14 min
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.
Feb 19, 2022•14 min
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
Feb 12, 2022•14 min
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, have asked Spotify to remove their music from the platform. They have criticised the music streami...
Feb 07, 2022•14 min
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.
Jan 29, 2022•14 min
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 never heard of”. But, will she be able to withstand the pressure of investigating her own boss, the P...
Jan 22, 2022•14 min
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 Crighton Researcher: Diane Richardson Editor: Penny Murphy
Jan 15, 2022•14 min
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 classical music's world stage. Picture Credit: Tristram Kenton, Royal Opera House. Programme Credits: Teatro...
Jan 08, 2022•14 min
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 tick. Producers: Diane Richardson and Lucy Proctor Editor: Penny Murphy
Jan 04, 2022•14 min
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
Dec 25, 2021•14 min
The pandemic has thrust the Government Chief Scientific Adviser into the middle of the clash between politics and science. He’s faced criticism from MPs, the press, and the public. Edward Stourton finds out about the man behind the pedestal, Sir Patrick Vallance. From fixing caravans on his parents’ site in Cornwall to breakfast with an mentor and a stint in industry with GlaxoSmithKline, who is the man advising our leaders on the pandemic? Presenter: Edward Stourton Researcher: Drew Miller Hynd...
Dec 18, 2021•14 min
He’s twice been convicted of hate speech, believes foreign names should be banned, and has been accused of being a Holocaust denier. Mark Coles looks at the life and career of the journalist turned politician who hopes to be the next leader of France. Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Chris Flynn
Dec 11, 2021•13 min
After becoming the first Black woman – and the oldest person – ever to win the Turner Prize, British artist Lubaina Himid is now enjoying a retrospective at London's Tate Modern. She’s become recognised as one of the most powerful political voices in British contemporary art, creating works about black identity, as well as championing the work of young black British female artists. Mark Coles speaks to those who know her. Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Chris Flynn
Dec 04, 2021•15 min
The idea for the four year old pigchild was dreamt up in a London pub by three out of work mates in the 90s. She’s now the inspiration for theme parks across the world, and they are worth millions. After the prime minister declared his love for her in front of the UK’s leading business people, Mark Coles explores how Peppa Pig has become one the most recognisable characters on television. Producers: Ben Crighton and Chris Flynn
Nov 27, 2021•14 min
Boris Johnson says he "crashed the car" in his handling of the case of the party's former MP Owen Paterson. But if the prime minister was at the wheel, Jacob Rees-Mogg was the backseat driver. The Leader of the House of Commons has described himself as a man of the people. Others have referred to him as the honourable member for the 18th century. Mark Coles asks what now drives the man who as a monocle wearing child was chauffeured in a Bentley. Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Ben Crighton...
Nov 20, 2021•14 min
He came to Britain as a toddler - one of several thousand Indian immigrants from Kenya. Raised in poverty in 1960s Bradford, Kamlesh Patel was targeted by skinheads – and sought solace playing cricket in a field with other south Asian friends. Almost 50 years later - now a peer - Lord Patel is tasked with trying to repair the reputation of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, which has been accused of systemic racism. As MPs begin their own investigation, Mark Coles follows Kamlesh Patel's remarkable ...
Nov 13, 2021•13 min
He shot to fame as a teenage punk star from Derry, enjoyed hits as a solo artist and later worked behind the scenes for years in the music industry. But now Feargal Sharkey is enjoying a belated second burst of fame as a leading voice in the campaign against river and waterway pollution. His life-long love of fly fishing has led to a deep knowledge of the chalk streams of Southern England, and now Sharkey finds himself being quoted with approval in parliament by MP’s and peers. Adrian Goldberg t...
Nov 06, 2021•14 min
Mark Coles finds out how Amanda Staveley went from a long-jumping Yorkshire schoolgirl to one of the most prominent women in football via horse racing, the Middle East, and a former employee she made dress up in a gorilla suit. With her extensive Middle Eastern contacts book, Amanda Staveley isn’t afraid of putting her, or other people’s, money where her mouth is. Although she doesn’t always get what she wants. Producers: Ben Crighton and Chris Flynn
Oct 30, 2021•14 min
The UK’s ‘strictest’ headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh has landed a new role as head of the Social Mobility Commission, a public body designed to boost the life chances of the country's most disadvantaged children. Born to Jamaican and Guyanese immigrants, Katharine Birbalsingh first rose to prominence at the 2010 Tory party conference. Her speech about Britain’s “broken” education system received a standing ovation, but it also made her one of the most controversial figures in British education...
Oct 23, 2021•14 min
Singer-songwriter Adele Adkins is one of the world's best-selling artists, with sales of over 100 million records. Better known simply as Adele, she’s also won nine Brit Awards, a Golden Globe and fifteen Grammys - not to mention an Oscar in 2013 for her singing in the Bond film Skyfall. This week she released her first new single in six years, offering her fans a first glimpse of her so-called ‘divorce album’ entitled ’30’, due for release next month. The 33 year old currently lives with her so...
Oct 16, 2021•14 min
British actress Cush Jumbo is best known for her starring role in US TV dramas The Good Wife and spin-off The Good Fight. Now she’s aiming to set the London theatre scene alight, playing ‘a new kind of Hamlet’ at the Young Vic. Only a handful of women have ever taken on the role before, and Jumbo is the first woman of colour to play the troubled Danish prince in a major production in Britain. It hasn’t been plain sailing for Cush Jumbo, who worked a long list of jobs – including door to door sal...
Oct 09, 2021•14 min
Olaf Scholz is expected to be the new leader of Germany if he can construct a successful coalition. How did the former mayor of Hamburg appeal to the country's voters? With Adrian Goldberg.
Oct 02, 2021•14 min
By her own admission, Liz Truss is not always known as being diplomatic. As she takes on the role of Foreign Secretary, Profile investigates the influences and events that have taken her to one of the great offices of state, and finds that the journey has been far from usual. Mark Coles hears from Liz Truss’s brother, her student friend and keen watchers of her political career, and asks how this former Liberal Democrat, karaoke-lover and child of CND campaigners came to sit almost at the top of...
Sep 25, 2021•14 min
