Irish actor Barry Keoghan spent most of his childhood in foster homes, losing his mother to addiction issues when he was just 12-years-old. He found his passion for acting after answering a casting notice for a short indie film in his local shop window. Keoghan was so determined to succeed that he’s often made his own audition tapes to send to studios. Praised by directors for his natural talent, Keoghan has risen from starring in the Irish drama series ‘Love/Hate’ as a ‘cat killer’ in 2013, to ...
Feb 18, 2023•15 min
Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, spent his gap year serving with the Royal Fusiliers. Now he finds himself in the line of fire from striking health workers, in a long-running dispute over pay. His job is to somehow find a solution to the row, without adding to the Treasury’s headaches. Can this rugby-loving sky-diver rise to the challenge? Adrian Goldberg talks to family and friends to find out why some Whitehall officials tremble under his forensic questioning – and why he’s been likened to pop...
Feb 11, 2023•15 min
The naturalist, broadcaster, author and campaigner has announced he is taking a three-month sabbatical from his TV work to give himself some ‘brain space’. After rising to prominence in the 1980s as a presenter on the BBC children's TV programme The Really Wild Show, Chris Packham has spent nearly four decades exploring and explaining the natural world on our screens. Along the way he's written books, fronted numerous environmental campaigns, and also raised awareness of living with Asperger's S...
Feb 04, 2023•14 min
Nan Goldin has been documenting her life through photography since her teens, revealing and intimate portraits exploring issues from sex and drug addition to domestic violence and parenthood. Laura Poitras's film celebrating Nan's work, 'All the Beauty and the Bloodshed' has been nominated for an Oscar. Mark Coles looks at the life of the acclaimed artist, whose addiction to prescription opioids made her determined to hold Purdue Pharma and their owners the Sackler family accountable for the US ...
Jan 28, 2023•15 min
After suffering a fall that has left him paralysed, the playwright, screenwriter and author has begun sharing his thoughts with the world from his hospital bed. Born in suburban Bromley to an English mother and a Pakistani father, Hanif Kureishi turned to the arts to escape his everyday surroundings growing up. He became one of the most celebrated writers of his generation. Mark Coles hears from Kureishi's friends, family and old colleagues, as he explores the life and career of the man whose wo...
Jan 21, 2023•15 min
As the threat of teacher strikes looms over schools in England, Mark Coles looks at the life and career of Education secretary and Conservative MP for Chichester, Gillian Keegan. Friends and colleagues reveal how coming of age in Liverpool during the 1980s shaped her political views, leading her to a successful international career in business before entering politics. Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Ben Cooper and Diane Richardson Editor: Simon Watts Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele an...
Jan 14, 2023•15 min
Paul Nowak has taken up his post as General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress at a time when workers across multiple sectors are striking for better pay deals to help with the cost-of-living crisis. It's the worst period of industrial unrest since the 1980s. Nowak, who's from Merseyside, has spent his entire adult life fighting for workers' rights. How will the TUC negotiate with a government which says pay rises are unaffordable and inflationary, and which now plans to tighten the rules on...
Jan 07, 2023•15 min
It's hard to remember that the actor who plays straight-talking cop Catherine Cawood in crime drama Happy Valley, set to return on New Year's Day, was once ditzy barmaid Raquel in Coronation Street. From musicals to soaps to hit drama series, Sarah Lancashire has had a long and varied career on her way to becoming one of the Britain's best loved actors. Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Lucy Proctor and Matt Toulson Editor: Simon Watts Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Helena Warwick-C...
Dec 31, 2022•15 min
People across the country will be turning to TV chefs this week to help plan the festivities - and, arguably, nobody does Christmas better than Nigella. Mark Coles takes a look at the life of Nigella Lawson, the daughter of a famous Chancellor of the Exchequer who became the Queen of Christmas cooking. Friends recall their favourite memories, many of them culinary. And journalist Gilly Smith, author of Taste and the TV Chef, explains why Nigella has become a global food star. Presenter: Mark Col...
Dec 24, 2022•15 min
As nurses strike and the Health Service faces winter pressures, Mark Coles looks at the life and career of Shadow Health Secretary and Labour MP for Ilford North, Wes Streeting. Friend and colleagues reveal how childhood poverty and a cancer diagnosis have shaped the views and aspirations of the man tipped to be a future leader of the Labour party. Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Ben Cooper and Diane Richardson Editor: Simon Watts Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Helena Warwick-Cros...
Dec 17, 2022•15 min
Oliver Dowden, the MP for Hertsmere, has worked closely with four Prime Ministers, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and now Rishi Sunak, one of his best friends in parliament. He's made his mark quietly, mainly behind the scenes - but as Culture Secretary during the pandemic, he managed to secure extra funding to support the arts. As Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, some might argue Oliver Dowden is now the second most powerful person in government. He's been given the key job of o...
Dec 10, 2022•15 min
Olena Zelenska delivered a moving speech to MPs and peers recently, describing the terror of air raids, evoking memories of World War II and calling for further military support for her country. The Ukrainian first lady has also addressed the US Congress and appeared on the cover of Vogue but stepping into the limelight has not been easy for the comedy writer, who is more comfortable behind the camera. Adrian Goldberg profiles Olena Zelenska, speaking to some of the friends and colleagues who kn...
Dec 03, 2022•15 min
Stand-up comic, broadcaster and LGBT rights activist, Joe Lycett, appeared to shred £10,000 of his own hard-earned comedy cash in protest at footballer David Beckham’s refusal to step down as an ambassador for the Qatar World Cup - a country where homosexuality is banned. He didn't really do it - but it's the latest in a series of stunts that have become the comedian's calling card. Friends, relatives and colleagues reveal how Joe Lycett went from drama-loving schoolboy to 'Esther Rantzen in a s...
Nov 26, 2022•15 min
Wales are heading to their first football World Cup since 1958. Their captain is Gareth Bale, who was once the most expensive footballer in the world. Born in Cardiff in 1989, Gareth was first spotted at the age of nine by Southampton. He become their second-youngest player of all time when he broke into the first-team aged 16, and enjoyed two seasons with the south coast club before moving to the Premier League with Tottenham. It was in North London that Bale announced himself on the European s...
Nov 19, 2022•15 min
This week the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announced its first ever nationwide strike. Pat Cullen, the RCN's General Secretary and Chief Executive, will lead them into industrial action which is expected to start in December. Born in Northern Ireland, Pat Cullen was inspired by her older sisters to train as a nurse during the Troubles. After roles at Northern Ireland's Department of Health, and Public Health Agency, Cullen joined the RCN's Northern Ireland branch in 2016. Three years later, sh...
Nov 12, 2022•14 min
Since entering Parliament in 2017, the MP for Saffron Walden has rapidly risen through the ranks to a seat at the Cabinet table as Trade Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities. Kemi Badenoch surprised some in Westminster when she reached the fourth round of the Conservative leadership election this summer. Her forthright views on British colonialism and trans issues have won her admirers on the political right, but also been heavily criticised by LGBTQ campaigners. So who is Kemi Badeno...
Nov 05, 2022•15 min
This month, the multi-award-winning violinist has started work as the first Scottish and first female director of the Edinburgh Festival since it began in 1947. Nicola Benedetti's passion for culture also extends well beyond performing; she's used her high profile to advocate for the importance of the arts in education. Mark Coles charts Nicola Benedetti's journey from first picking up the violin at age four to overseeing one of the world’s biggest annual cultural events. Researchers: Matt Touls...
Oct 29, 2022•14 min
The chancellor, Surrey-based entrepreneur and protege of David Cameron. He served as Foreign and Health Secretary while twice challenging - unsuccessfully - for the Conservative Party leadership. In just a few days he tore up most of the prime minister's economic policy. Now he has to try and restore the government's credibility with the markets while attempting to deal with the impact of the cost of living crisis. With Timandra Harkness. Produced by Bob Howard Researchers: Alice Struthers, Elli...
Oct 22, 2022•15 min
Erling Haaland is a phenomenon. Since arriving in the summer, Manchester City's Norwegian star striker has lit up the Premier League after scoring 20 goals in 13 games. Born in Leeds to a footballing father and an athlete mother, he grew up in a small Norwegian town before moving to Austria and then Germany to further his career. While some foreign footballers have struggled to adapt to English football, Haaland has taken to it like a duck to water. With Mark Coles. Produced by Bob Howard....
Oct 15, 2022•15 min
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula, was born into poverty in Brazil in 1945. Coming to prominence as a union leader, he failed to become president on three previous occasions before finally succeeding in 2002. He helped reduce social inequality in the country over two terms but after leaving office he became mired in a corruption scandal and was jailed for 18 months. Now he is facing a run off vote for the Brazilian presidency against incumbent Jair Bolsonaro later this month. How...
Oct 08, 2022•15 min
Downing Street's new Chief of Staff, Mark Fullbrook, is not a stranger to politics. He's been the "backroom boy" behind many political campaigns around the world, including Boris Johnson's successful Mayor of London campaigns and President George Bush’s unsuccessful re-election bid in 1992. But, until now, Mark Fullbrook has kept his names out of the headlines. That changed when it was reported that Fullbrook had been questioned as a witness in an FBI inquiry into alleged electoral bribery in Pu...
Oct 01, 2022•14 min
As Italians go to the polls it's Giorgia Meloni's right-wing party, Brothers of Italy, that's tipped to lead a centre-right coalition. But what is it about her that appeals so much to her voters? Meloni was born in a working-class neighbourhood of Rome, and got into politics aged 15. She rose through the ranks of her local far-right party, often being sent into schools to counteract left-wing activism. She made history in 2008 when she was appointed Youth Minister by then prime minister, Silvio ...
Sep 24, 2022•15 min
The new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, faces big challenges in his first week in office. The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will be at the top of his agenda, but also improving the reputation of the force. The Met was heavily criticised following the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving policeman and the sharing of racist and sexist group chat messages by officers at Charing Cross police station. Public trust in the force was strained even further last week when an unarm...
Sep 17, 2022•15 min
Described as “incredibly bright, borderline eccentric and very Thatcherite”, Kwasi Kwarteng has been MP for Spelthorne in Surrey, since 2010. Born in London to Ghanaian parents, Kwasi Kwarteng excelled academically – he was an Eton scholar, got a double first from Cambridge University and a scholarship to Harvard. He’s worked as a newspaper columnist, a financial analyst and has written several books on history and politics. Kwasi Kwarteng is a long-time friend and close political ally of the ne...
Sep 10, 2022•15 min
Winner of this year’s Olivier Best Actress Award for her role in the musical Cabaret, now nominated for a Mercury Prize with Bernard Butler for their album, For All Our Days That Tear the Heart. Mark Coles profiles Killarney actress and singer Jessie Buckley, speaking to some of the family, friends and mentors who’ve helped her along the way. Credits • Wild Rose, Universal Pictures, Directed by Tom Harper. • Out to Lunch with Jay Rayner, A Somethin’ Else / Jay Rayner production with Sony Music E...
Sep 03, 2022•14 min
Despite finishing second in the vote amongst her Conservative parliamentary colleagues, Liz Truss is seen by many as the favourite to win the leadership contest when party members have their say. But who is the woman bidding to become the UK’s third female Prime Minister? Timandra Harkness follows her unconventional journey in British politics - from child of CND campaigners to preferred candidate of the political right. Presenter: Timandra Harkness Producers: Bob Howard and Ben Cooper...
Jul 30, 2022•16 min
Just seven years after first entering Parliament as Conservative MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire, Rishi Sunak is now one vote away from becoming Prime Minister. From replacing party grandee William Hague to managing the country’s finances through the coronavirus pandemic, Mark Coles follows his journey in British politics and talks to those who know him outside the political world of Westminster. Presenter: Mark Coles Production team: Sally Abrahams, Diane Richardson and Ben Cooper Editor: Rich...
Jul 23, 2022•15 min
Born in the Netherlands, the England women's football manager had a successful playing career both at home and in the US, before hanging up her boots. Mark Coles tracks her journey from playing alongside boys at the age of six to the England dugout. Presenter: Mark Coles Production team: Sally Abrahams, Diane Richardson and Ben Cooper Editor: Richard Vadon
Jul 16, 2022•14 min
The new Chancellor who came to the UK as a child refugee, began a business selling Teletubbies merchandise and is now tipped by some to become Prime Minister. Mark Coles charts the meteoric rise to power of the man who's been in the cabinet less than a year. Presenter: Mark Coles Production team: Sally Abrahams and Kirsteen Knight Editor: Richard Vadon
Jul 09, 2022•14 min
Timandra Harkness tells the story of the the US Supreme Court Justice at the centre of overturning the right to abortion in America. How did he go from poverty in Georgia to highest court in the land? And why did his politics change from campaigning for black rights to anti-affirmative action conservatism?
Jul 02, 2022•15 min
