The Interview - podcast cover

The Interview

BBC World Servicewww.bbc.co.uk

Conversations with people shaping our world, from all around the globe. Listen to The Interview for the best conversations from the BBC, the world's most trusted international news provider. We hear from titans of business, politics, finance, sport and culture. Global leaders, decision-makers and cultural icons. Politicians, activists and CEOs. Each interview is around 20-minutes, packed full of insight and analysis, covering some of the biggest issues of our time. How does it work? Well, at the BBC, our journalists interview amazing people every single day. And on The Interview, we bring them to you. It’s your one-stop-shop to the best conversations coming out of the BBC, with the people shaping our world, from all over the world. Get in touch with us on emailTheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

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Episodes

Gustavo Petro, Colombian President: US military action is a real threat

I do believe US military action is a real threat, and the prospect of removing it depends on the ongoing conversations. The BBC’s South America correspondent Ione Wells speaks to Gusatvo Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president about his fears of US military action against his country. Petro, a former guerrilla fighter turned reformist leader, has been in office since 2022, championing social justice, environmental policies and regional diplomacy. He responds to Donald Trump’s recent comments...

Jan 16, 202623 min

Arminka Helic, campaigner against sexual violence in war: Rape is used as part of genocide

“Rape and sexual violence against women and girls, babies, men and boys, is used as a part of ethnic cleansing and genocide.” We are in a new era where human rights have been replaced by trade and big businesses and they have almost entirely depleted our ability to show humanity to people on the other side. Lucy Hockings speaks to Baroness Arminka Helic, Member of the House of Lords and campaigner for refugees and victims of war. A former Bosnian refugee, she saw first hand the legacy of conflic...

Jan 14, 202623 min

Gabriel Zuchtreigel, Director of Pompeii: Archaeology is the most democratic form of history

Michael Berkeley speaks to Gabriel Zuchtreigel, Director of Pompeii in Southern Italy, one of the world’s most important archaeological sites. History, he says, comes alive through archaeology, helping us to appreciate our shared humanity with those who lived thousands of years ago, and providing a more democratic way of learning about the past. Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that erupted and buried Pompeii in ash and pumice, did not distinguish between the wealthy and the poor in its victims. Gabr...

Jan 12, 202623 min

Mustafa Suleyman, Artificial Intelligence pioneer: People should be healthily afraid of AI

BBC presenter Amol Rajan speaks to the British artificial intelligence entrepreneur Mustafa Suleyman, Chief Executive of Microsoft AI. He believes in the enormous potential of AI to be a force for good in the world, changing how we live and work for the better. He is committed to developing a humanist superintelligence, one that always works to serve people and never vice versa. But he remains clear about what he sees as the risks, issuing a warning that without the right ethical safeguards, AI ...

Jan 09, 202623 min

Nigel Casey, UK ambassador to Russia: No communication is extremely dangerous

Steve Rosenberg, the BBC’s Russia editor, speaks to Nigel Casey, the UK’s ambassador to Russia, about the challenges of working in Moscow on behalf of a government that views President Putin’s Russia as a threat to Britain. He believes this job is one of the most challenging - and important - of his career. In a wide ranging conversation, the ambassador describes his life in Moscow over the last two years, a period of heightened tensions between the UK and Russia after Russia’s full-scale invasi...

Jan 07, 202623 min

Diego Calva, actor: Latin America is more than violence, salsa music and food

“In Latin America, we have way more than violence, we're more than salsa as our music, or food, or culture. It's a pleasure and a responsibility to share it with the world.” BBC presenter Nikki Bedi speaks to Mexican actor Diego Calva about his life and career. Diego Calva first made waves in independent cinema before landing major roles in hit series like Narcos: Mexico and the award-winning Hollywood epic Babylon, where he starred alongside Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. It was his first America...

Jan 05, 202623 min

2025 on The Interview

2025 on The Interview A special episode of The Interview, featuring three of the most compelling conversations from 2025. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the symbolic leader of the Anglican Communion, a figurehead for more than 85 million people worldwide. Justin Welby stepped down from the role in late 2024 over his handling of abuse in the Church of England. In this interview, his first since his resignation, he tells BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg he is deeply sorry for his failure, and that ...

Dec 29, 202523 min

2025 on The Interview

2025 on The Interview A special episode of The Interview, featuring three of the most compelling conversations from 2025. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s controversial challenge to climate orthodoxy was the subject of his conversation with the BBC’s climate editor Justin Rowlatt. Like his boss President Trump, Secretary Wright believes the threat from climate change is exaggerated, and the rush to decarbonisation by renewables has been an expensive mistake. In an interview with BBC presenter ...

Dec 26, 202523 min

2025 on The Interview

2025 on The Interview A special episode from The Interview, featuring three of the most compelling conversations from 2025. US President Donald Trump spoke to the BBC’s Chief North America correspondent Gary O’Donoghue in July, in a wide-ranging and frank telephone conversation from the Oval Office. President Trump reflects on the assassination attempt that took place a year previously, and also expresses his frustration at the slow pace of attempts to bring peace to Ukraine. British royal Princ...

Dec 24, 202523 min

Arden Cho, actor: I was born in America, but wasn’t seen as American

‘Being born in America, feeling American, but having people treat me like I'm not.’ Chi Chi Izundu speaks to Korean American actor Arden Cho, star of the hit Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters, about her life and career. Cho is the voice of Rumi, a leading character who must come to terms with her own identity as part-human, part-demon. It’s a duality that resonated powerfully with her, as the daughter of Korean immigrants who struggled for acceptance, and faced racism while growing up in America. ...

Dec 22, 202523 min

Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s cyber ambassador: Bringing digital diplomacy to the world

Audrey Tang speaks to BBC Technology editor, Zoe Kleinman about technology, democracy and community. Named one of TIME’s “100 Most Influential People in AI”, Audrey Tang was instrumental in shaping Taiwan’s acclaimed COVID-19 response and in safeguarding the 2024 elections from foreign cyber interference. A child prodigy, born with a life threatening heart condition, reading, philosophy and the internet were part of her world from an early age. She became involved in Taiwan’s sunflower student m...

Dec 19, 202525 min

Jordan Bardella, National Rally leader: France must control immigration

‘I do not see France as a country that must be closed. But I believe we must control immigration.’ Nick Robinson speaks to National Rally leader Jordan Bardella about his vision for France. The 30-year-old is currently leading the polls to become the country’s next President in 2027. He’s on a media tour to woo businesses, and to persuade the world his party is now mainstream, despite its history with far right politics. It used to be the National Front - founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen, a convicte...

Dec 17, 202523 min

Jacinda Ardern, former New Zealand PM: World leaders need empathy

BBC presenter Kylie Pentelow speaks to Dame Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s former Prime Minister about the importance of empathetic leadership in the time of populism and strongman politics. In 2017 Ardern became the youngest Prime Minister in the world at the time, and only the second ever to have a baby whilst in office. She was praised for her humane approach and leadership through crises such as the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack that saw 51 killed. She swiftly brought in gun laws and rea...

Dec 15, 202523 min

María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader: Our fight for freedom is a fight for peace

Lucy Hockings speaks to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado about the fight for democracy in the South American country. She’s been in hiding since last year’s presidential election in Venezuela, when incumbent Nicolás Maduro declared victory in a contest that was widely dismissed on the international stage as rigged, sparking widespread protests. Around 2,000 people were arrested in the crackdown which followed, among them many members of her opposition coalition. Machado, who had...

Dec 11, 202523 min

Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Egyptian Foreign Minister: We’re pushing hard to end Sudan conflict

‘We are pushing very hard to end this and preserve the future of Sudan’ Waihiga Mwaura speaks to Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s Foreign Minister, during the G20 summit that took place at the end of November in South Africa. Dr. Abdelatty took up the post last year, following a long diplomatic career across Europe, North America and Asia. He’s tasked with representing Egypt and the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who has been in power since 2014 following a military coup the previous y...

Dec 10, 202523 min

Patti Smith, musician: Artists have a responsibility to speak up

Katie Razzall, the BBC’s culture and media editor, speaks to American singer-songwriter Patti Smith during her UK tour marking the 50th anniversary of her ground-breaking debut album Horses. Best-known for her hit Because the Night, she shares the story behind the song, co-written with Bruce Springsteen, and reflects about being at the vanguard of a new wave of artists in the 1970s. Patti also opens up about her new memoir, Bread of Angels, a deeply personal journey through her music, her relati...

Dec 08, 202523 min

Melanie Perkins, Canva CEO: From information to imagination

Zoe Kleinman, the BBC’s Technology editor, speaks to Canva CEO Melanie Perkins about the current tech and AI revolution that is transforming the internet and the world. Perkins, who is still only in her late-30s, is well-known for her entrepreneurial drive, having quit university at just 19 years old to launch her first venture. Unlike many of today’s Silicon Valley-based big tech companies, Canva started out in the Australian city of Perth with a mission to ‘empower the world to design’. It off...

Dec 05, 202523 min

Anika Wells, Communications Minister: Australia’s social media ban

“This is giving parents another weapon in their arsenal for their lives and for the happiness and mental wellbeing of their children.” Katy Watson speaks to Australia’s Communication Minister Anika Wells about the world’s first social media ban for children under 16. Under the new law, social media companies will face fines of up to about US $32 million if they fail to take steps to ensure that under-16s in Australia cannot set up accounts. It has wide public support and comes about after resear...

Dec 03, 202525 min

Shabana Mahmood, British Home Secretary: Do not make that boat crossing

Nick Robinson speaks to Shabana Mahmood, British Home Secretary, about her far-reaching proposals to shake up the UK immigration system, designed to make asylum seekers think twice before attempting to enter the country illegally. She also shares her own experience of racism as the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, and her belief that ensuring secure borders is the best way to combat this. Under her plans, refugee status will be made temporary, with frequent reviews, meaning people could be retu...

Dec 01, 202524 min

Maria Ressa, freedom of speech campaigner: The information apocalypse is threatening democracy

Marianna Spring, the BBC’s social media investigations correspondent, speaks to Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa, co-founder of the independent Filipino news outlet Rappler. With over 40 years in journalism, Maria describes today’s information landscape as a war zone, where online attacks, including doxxing, misogynistic hashtags, and manipulated images don’t just stay online. They spill into real-world intimidation and violence. This conversation explores the rise of online miso...

Nov 28, 202525 min

Sir Nick Clegg, former global affairs chief at Meta: Social media’s power paradox

Amol Rajan speaks to Sir Nick Clegg - former deputy Prime Minister of the UK and, more recently, former President of Global Affairs at Meta - about big tech, AI and the future of social media. Sir Nick first appeared on the world stage back in 2010, when he became the UK’s deputy prime minister after his Liberal Democrats party went into a coalition government with David Cameron’s Conservatives. After leaving Westminster in 2017, he surprised many political observers when he was hired by Faceboo...

Nov 26, 202523 min

Twinkle Khanna, author: Indian women’s aspirations have changed

‘When it comes to women's lives, things have progressed, maybe not always in a linear way.’ Devina Gupta speaks to author and columnist Twinkle Khanna about the lives of women in 21st century India. Khanna’s column in the Times of India, Mrs Funnybones, captures the contradictions of being a modern Indian woman — one day praying to a cow, the next filing a tax return. It was turned into a book in 2015 that sold over 100,000 copies in its first year alone. Born into a family of Bollywood royalty,...

Nov 22, 202523 min

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google: AI prone to errors

“The current state of the art AI technology is prone to some errors… you have to learn to use these tools for what they are good at, and not blindly trust everything they say.” Faisal Islam speaks to Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Google and its holding company Alphabet, about artificial intelligence and its impact on how we live and work. He tells me that we are at an extraordinary moment in technology, with the potential for enormous benefits but also risks. AI should not be blindly trusted...

Nov 21, 202523 min

Sir Anthony Hopkins, actor: I turn turmoil into energy

‘So-called turmoil or shortcomings in my life? I turn them into power or energy’ Best known for playing the serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 thriller ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, Sir Anthony’s journey to Hollywood stardom started with humble beginnings. Born into a working class family in the Welsh steel town of Port Talbot in 1937, his parents first ran a bakery, and then later a pub. Their strong work ethic was imparted on their son, who, despite struggling socially and educational...

Nov 19, 202523 min

Noura Erakat, Palestinian-American humans rights lawyer: The law has failed Palestinians

BBC North America correspondent Nomia Iqbal speaks to Noura Erakat, Palestinian-American human rights attorney and professor at Rutgers University. As well as being a legal scholar she is also an outspoken advocate for justice in Palestine, she went on to become one of the first Palestinian women to address the United Nations Security in October this year where she spoke on the situation of women and girls in Gaza Noura Erakat reflects on the global response to the war in Gaza and what internati...

Nov 17, 202523 min

Brandi Carlile, singer-songwriter: I believe in the separation of church and state

‘I believe so profoundly in the separation of church and state, and in the dangers of theocracy creeping into the corners of a democracy’ BBC Music Correspondent Mark Savage speaks to US singer-songwriter, producer and performer Brandi Carlile about the personal and political stories behind her songs. An LGBTQ icon, she sets out her fears about the threat to same-sex marriage in today’s United States, and the impact that has had on her own family. And she shares the strain her own sexuality put ...

Nov 14, 202523 min

Maria Alyokhina, Russian punk activist: The price of political art was prison

Vitaly Shevchenko speaks to Maria Alyokhina, founding member of the Russian punk activist group Pussy Riot, about the power and the price of protest. Pussy Riot came to the world’s attention with its Punk Prayer, an angry anti-Putin anthem performed in a Moscow church. Maria Alyokhina spent two years incarcerated in a penal colony as a result. It was worth it, she says, to show the world what life under President Putin was like. She was freed under an amnesty ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in...

Nov 12, 202523 min

Sir Salman Rushdie, author: Writing fiction in a time of lies

James Coomarasamy speaks to acclaimed author Sir Salman Rushdie as he publishes his first work of fiction since surviving a near-fatal attack in 2022, by a man armed with a knife, who is now serving 25 years in prison. The Eleventh Hour, his new collection of novellas and short stories explores mortality, farewells and even the afterlife. They feature a rich cast of characters - a musical prodigy in post-Partition Mumbai, a ghost with a secret at a Cambridge college and a young writer caught in ...

Nov 10, 202523 min

Nhial Deng Nhial, South Sudanese politician: South Sudan is being run down

‘There's basically a total failure of governance. Nothing is working. There is very serious political instability that has actually manifested itself in violence all across the country.’ James Copnall speaks to senior South Sudanese politician Nhial Deng Nhial, about the political instability that’s threatening the future of the world’s youngest country. Nhial, who has served in numerous important roles in, including as South Sudan’s Foreign Minister, made headlines last month when he openly cri...

Nov 07, 202523 min

Sir Bradley Wiggins, cyclist: I couldn’t see hope or joy

''There were periods when I couldn’t see any hope or joy,'' says British cycling champion Sir Bradley Wiggins in a deeply personal interview with Anna Foster The first Briton to win the Tour de France, he collected five Olympic gold medals throughout his career. But his stellar reputation came under attack as he faced allegations of doping. What followed was a descent into drug addiction that was fueled, he says, by the pain of an absent father and the abuse he suffered at the hands of a coach, ...

Nov 05, 202523 min
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