Headliners with Nihal Arthanayake

Latest Episodes:

George Alagiah Jun 24, 2020

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The BBC newsreader and journalist returns to Headliners to tell Nihal how his cancer treatment is going, what he makes of the recent increase in exposure for the Black Lives Matter movement and how he’s been coping during lockdown.

Keisha Buchanan Jun 10, 2020

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Former Sugababes member Keisha Buchanan tells Nihal Arthanayake about the trauma she experienced as the only black member of the platinum-selling girl-group. She says she was unfairly stereotyped as an “angry black woman” by the press, leading to her needing therapy to recover.

Rutger Bregman Jun 10, 2020

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The historian and author Rutger Brebman tells Nihal why he thinks humanity is less cruel than we’ve been led to believe. His new book Humankind looks at why some of the stories and experiments that are often-cited examples of our cruelty may be fundamentally flawed.

Photo credit: Maartje ter Horst

Aitch Jun 03, 2020

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The Manchester rapper talks to Nihal about his rise to stardom, wanting to work with Liam Gallagher and how success has changed his family’s life.

Jay Blades Jun 01, 2020

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The Repair Shop star talks to Nihal about growing up with dyslexia and how he found his passion for restoring furniture.

Tori Amos May 26, 2020

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A piano prodigy who won a scholarship to the Peabody Institute at the age of five, Tori Amos is one of the most remarkable musical talents of her generation.

In this episode of Headliners, she talks to Nihal about the inspiration for her songwriting, addressing dark truths in her work and why she decided to record her thoughts in her new book; Resistance: A Songwriter’s Story of Hope, Change and Courage – which is part memoir, part personal manifesto.

Photo credit: Des Willie.

The Last Dance May 21, 2020

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Nihal discusses the legacy, impact and reaction to NBA legend Michael Jordan in the wake of Netflix’s smash hit documentary series The Last Dance.

He’s joined by journalist and former Olympic athlete Matthew Syed, DJ and presenter Reece Parkinson and John Amaechi, the first Briton to play in the NBA, who faced Jordan on court at the beginning – and the end – of this career.

Photo credit: Andrew D Bernstein

KSI May 20, 2020

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The pioneering YouTuber on his new album, his next fight and why he won’t live in the USA.

Russell Tovey May 18, 2020

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The Years and Years actor on learning to dance, collecting art and “keeping real” in quarantine.

Gianluca Vialli (from 2020) May 14, 2020

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The former Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea striker tells Nihal about the people that have inspired him, his hopes for the future of football, and his recovery from pancreatic cancer.