My guest today is one of the most recognisable rugby coaches in the world. A Rugby Union player turned coach, and only man to have won the major domestic competition in each hemisphere, he currently coaches the English Premiership’s Leicester Tigers. Five years later, in an emotional and personal decision, he code-switched to Rugby League to coach the team of his parents’ home-nation, Lebanon. A decision which led him to be dubbed “the busiest man in rugby” as he simultaneously coached Lebanon’s...
Nov 02, 2024•58 min
My guest today likes to describe herself as “just an old bird with an iPhone”. But there’s no need to be so humble. From Countdown to drawing the ire of members of the Conservative government, she’s always trodden her own path. Her new book, Now What? On a Mission to Fix a Broken Britain , details this journey into the political. My guest today is Carol Vorderman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 12, 2024•55 min
To call him, simply, an ‘internet prankster/comedian’ would be accurate, but perhaps a disservice. He ran for London Mayor, competed in Mr Universe with no training, and became the richest man in the world - for seven minutes. An exemplar of the changing face of fame in modern Britain, he’s now going on his first international tour, Loophole. Our guest today is Max Fosh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 22, 2024•56 min
You can’t tell the story of UK Rap without mentioning Dizzy Rascal, Wiley, Stormzy and my guest today. Born and raised in a street that would provide the name of his debut record’s smash hit, Ladbroke Grove, he’d go on to achieve five platinum singles and 2 billion Spotify plays. And, he did it all as an independent artist in an industry monopolised by major labels. My guest today is the microphone champ, AJ Tracey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 17, 2024•1 hr 3 min
As a footballer, his record speaks for itself. But, his career as player-turned-manager is a knot of competing narratives. A Romford-boy-done-good, a manager dealt a string of poor cards, or a player propelled by Premier League plutocracy. As always, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. My guest today is Frank Lampard. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr 22 min
From his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, to the stage of BoomTown, UK, my guest today is an international, billboard top ten charting musician, known for his combination of the sounds of Reggae and dancehall with the lyricism of Hip hop. In February this year, his third album The Kalling won him his first Grammy, beating out fellow nominees Sean Paul and Shaggy for Best Reggae Album. Described as part of the Reggae Revival, he’s collaborated with the biggest names in the genre, from Damien Marley...
Dec 21, 2023•1 hr 1 min
My guest today is the Green Party’s highest-profile member, serving both as a member of the European Parliament and then, in 2010, as the Greens’ first - and only - MP. A dedicated activist, as well as politician, her achievements include being the three time winner of Politician of The Year at The Observer’s Ethical Awards; championing animal, worker, LGBTQ+, and women’s rights - as well as a couple of arrests. But, in June this year, she announced that she would not be seeking re-election to t...
Dec 14, 2023•42 min
My guest today was, by his own admission, an unexceptional student from an unexceptional suburb. But, at age 43, he’d achieve the extraordinary - becoming the first Briton to visit the International Space Station. Last month, it was reported that my guest was coming out of retirement to lead the UK’s first astronaut mission. It follows the release of his new book, Space: The Human Story , which traces the lives of the men and women who left the earth’s atmosphere before him, forging a path that ...
Dec 07, 2023•1 hr 1 min
It was at Capital FM - on the show he's helmed for seven years - that my guest met his best friend and producer Joe Lyons, who tragically took his own life in 2020. Since then, my guest’s mental health campaigning has seen him open up about his own experience with depression. In this interview, he opens up about how antidepressants killed his sex drive, how role-playing helped him grieve, and why he believes MPs don't care about mental health. His recently released documentary, The Fight for You...
Nov 23, 2023•50 min
My guest today has had his finger on the pulse of British men’s fashion for over a decade. From the suburbs of Fetcham to the front row of London Fashion Week, he’s served as the Style Director for both British GQ and Esquire . Interviewing designers, reviewing catwalk shows, and rubbing shoulders with the who’s who of fashion is all in a day’s work. With a launch party hosted by Gucci, his new book, The Closet , is a coming of age story told through twelve items of clothing that have shaped - a...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 1 min
My guest today takes us on a journey to where time and space end, the heart of a black hole. He's been described as a rockstar of theoretical physics, who’s credited LSD with sparking his interest in the subject. And, his work on the quantum loop theory of gravity has seen him pick up where Einstein left off, featuring in his new book, White Holes . My guest today is Carlo Rovelli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 09, 2023•52 min
My guest today is the great-great-grandson of a Baronet and the great-nephew of a Lord, who once had a posh-off with Jack Whitehall and Francis Boulle. Perhaps, then, it wasn’t a surprise when he found himself in the cast of Made in Chelsea for 18 seasons. But he’s not just a TV personality. While he may have been born an heir to a slice of the McVities fortune, he chose to found his own confectionary empire. My guest today is Jamie Laing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat...
Nov 02, 2023•50 min
My guest today is a comedian, whose regular appearances on Live at the Apollo and Mock the Week turned him into a household name before his thirtieth birthday. His stand-up has been described as “verbally virtuosic” and his sets as “lightning-paced, gag-dense, precision-delivered”. My guest today is Rhys James. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 26, 2023•59 min
My guest today is a boxer. By 17, he was an Olympic silver medallist; by his mid-twenties, he was a world champion, fighting in Vegas and earning millions. But this isn’t Hollywood and he isn’t Rocky. He said: “one day I looked at my bank account and it was all gone.” Last year, he retired, ending his 27 year boxing career with a record of 40 fights and only six losses. Since then, he has written an autobiography, Amir Khan: Fight For Your Life, to show - and I quote - “there’s more to me than k...
Oct 19, 2023•1 hr 5 min
My guest today was a politician. His CV reads like the diary of an eccentric colonial administrator and, while a member of the House of Commons, he went viral for a speech about hedgehogs. Since being purged from the Conservative Party by Boris Johnson, his influence and wealth has only grown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 12, 2023•51 min
My guest today is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, whose coverage of the most significant moments in 21st century US history has seen him arrested and tear-gassed. His first book They Can’t Kill Us All is a compilation of his reporting on the Black Lives Matter movement, and his latest release American Whitelash provides a nuanced and human account of how the forces of white power retaliated against the presidential victory of Barack Obama, helped to propel the rise of Donald Trum...
Aug 10, 2023•58 min
My guest today is an international drag sensation, who's won hearts and minds during their multiple TV show appearances in Australia, the UK, and the USA. The blonde bombshell’s rise to stardom was propelled by their appearance on Ru Paul’s Drag Race Season 6. And, in 2018, they faced off with Ann Widdecombe to become the winner of Celebrity Big Brother UK. But, the challenge of loving themselves in a heteronormative world wasn’t always so easy. Singer, drag queen, all round entertainer. You may...
Aug 03, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 9
My guest today is a footballer. Born in Leeds and raised in poverty by his mother and grandmother while his father spent recurring stints in prison, he began his professional career as a midfielder at Leeds United, where he was dubbed the “Yorkshire Pirlo”. In 2020, he started every game for England at the Euros. A big money move to Manchester City followed, but injury has meant nearly no match time. Gareth Southgate says: “He is a super player”, but “inevitably it’s not a situation that can con...
Jul 27, 2023•46 min•Season 2Ep. 8
My guest today is a fighter. Born in Atherton, he started learning traditional martial arts aged seven. Now, standing at six foot five, weighing 18 stone, he sits fifth in the UFC’s heavyweight rankings. But the path to a successful MMA career for a British heavyweight is not an easy one. Speaking about that journey, he said: “There were some days I had 20 quid and had to decide am I going to feed the kids or am I going to put fuel in the car to go and train” He was undefeated in the UFC, with a...
Jul 20, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 7
When her career began in Holland, aged just 14, she was too young to sign the contract herself. Since then, she’s become the all-time leading scorer in the Women’s Super League; scored more goals for the Netherland’s than any other player, man or woman; won the Euros; played in a world cup final; and signed a quarter of a million pound contract extension with Arsenal F.C. earlier this year - although that is according to the Daily Mail, so who knows. Despite all the success, she came close to re...
Jul 13, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 6
A comedian and author, the product of a Catholic upbringing in Ireland, whose memoir Trouble is equal parts tender, humorous, and raw, while dealing with her sex work, addiction, and father's suicide. My guest today is Marise Gaughan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 5
The son of a bus driver, the son of an immigrant, but that’s as far as the political clichés go. One of 8 children, he would go on to become the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital, with the largest personal mandate of any politician in Britain. Within months of taking office, his city, London, experienced three fatal terrorist attacks; at least 72 people died in the Grenfell fire; the UK voted to leave the European Union; and the then-president of the United States Donald Trump called him a...
Jun 29, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 4
By her thirties, she was a successful comedian, making regular TV appearances. But, away from the public eye, she was searching for answers: answers to why she had never quite “fitted in” and, more pressingly, why she was habitually destroying all the furniture in her flat. From sex work to stand up, her new book, Strong Female Character, details this 20 year search and her eventual diagnosis with autism. Our guest today is Fern Brady. Presenter: Oli Dugmore Producer: Laura Beveridge Production:...
Jun 22, 2023•48 min•Season 2Ep. 3
A world class striker, he won the golden boot at the 1986 World Cup. 80 caps for England. Today, he is the longest serving - and most outspoken - Match of the Day presenter, the BBC’s best paid presenter, and perhaps a bigger player in the media than he was on the pitch. He says: “I was born to be in the box, I learnt how to be on the box, and I’ll end up in a box.” Our guest today is Gary Lineker. Presenter: Oli Dugmore Producer: Laura Beveridge Production: Shawnee Linstead, Oli Johnson Hosted ...
Jun 15, 2023•53 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Born in Mullingar, Ireland, in 1993 his life was normal. By the age of 16 he was one of the most famous people in the world, part of the biggest boy band since the Beatles, One Direction. Reflecting on that moment he said: “My childhood was cut short. I never really got the chance to finish school. After the first audition I packed up everything in my life in a bag. I didn’t realise at the time that, when I was stuffing clothes into a little suitcase, that was pretty much me leaving home for goo...
Jun 08, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 1
New host, same brilliant conversations. Unfiltered's back and better than ever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 01, 2023•58 sec
After 50 fantastic episodes, James O’Brien’s time at the helm of Unfiltered is sadly coming to an end.In this special episode with BBC Radio 4 presenter Fi Glover, James signs off from the interviewees chair with a touching conversation about his life. James shares his experiences from growing up adopted and getting expelled from school to breaking into journalism through gossip columns and showbiz, before ultimately finding his ideal platforms at LBC and JOE. He talks about the curse of being r...
Sep 24, 2018•1 hr 5 min
You probably know Gina Miller as the woman who took the government to court for attempting to implement Brexit without a vote in Parliament, but there’s much more to Gina Miller than the headlines.In this fascinating interview with James O’Brien, Gina shares her story, moving from Guyana to the UK, becoming a successful businesswoman, her campaigns and crusades for transparency and fairness, culminating in the Brexit legal challenge and the fallout that followed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Sep 17, 2018•59 min
Former editor-in-chief of The Guardian Alan Rusbridger joins James O’Brien for a fascinating interview about the extraordinary stories and technological revolutions that defined his tenure, from the News of the World phone hacking scandal to the WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden revelations, through to the future of journalism in the information age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 10, 2018•56 min
Legendary film director Spike Lee joins guest host David Lammy for a fascinating interview about his extraordinary career, his latest effort BlacKkKlansman, reflecting on the presidency of Barack Obama, and a little North London rivalry between Spike’s Arsenal and David’s beloved Tottenham Hotspur.Normal service will resume next week when James O’Brien returns from holiday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 03, 2018•40 min
