Stay ConnectedRevealing and candid one-hour conversations with a different special guest every week, featuring fascinating people from the worlds of sport, politics, entertainment, activism and the media. Subscribe to get a brand new episode every Thursday.
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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 League team and Argentina’s Union team.
My guest today is Michael Cheika.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 to Peter Tosh.
With singles entitled “Never Gonna Be a Slave”, “Stand Up”, and “No Capitalist”, his music is often political, and always resonant.
My guest today is Kabaka Pyramid.
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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 the House of Commons.
My guest today is Dr Caroline Lucas.
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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 made his own spacewalk possible.
My guest is Tim Peake.
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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 Young Lives, is his second exploring mental health and is available on iPlayer now.
My guest today is Roman Kemp.
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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 - and draped - his life. In doing so, he shares snapshots of his coming out journey, his eccentric family, and his fraught relationship with his father and alcohol.
My guest today is Teo van den Broeke.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 knocking other guys’ lights out.”
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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.
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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 Trump, and resulted in multiple racially-motivated murders.
Wesley Lowery, welcome to Unfiltered.
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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 know my guest as Courtney Act, but today they are here as Shane Jenek.
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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 continue forever.”
His best friend says: “[He’s] never let the football, the fame, the money, get on top of him.”
My guest today is Kalvin Phillips.
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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 all kinds of cash bonuses for first round finishes, until a freak injury in his last fight blew his knee apart. A year later, he returns to the Octagon.
My guest today is Tom Aspinall.
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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 retirement at the age of 18.
Ian Wright says: “She’s the best number 9 in the world and she is the best number 10 in the world. There’s not many players that can do that.”
Our guest today is Viv Miedema.
Presenter: Oli Dugmore
Producer: Laura Beveridge
Production: Shawnee Linstead and Joel Dunn-Wilson
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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.
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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 “pathetic excuse” for a mayor. Seven years later he is seeking a record-breaking third term.
Our guest is Sadiq Khan.
Presenter: Oli Dugmore
Producer: Laura Beveridge
Production: Spiritland Productions
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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: Spiritland Productions
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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
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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 good.” His dad says: “he went to that audition and never came back.”
Our guest today is Niall Horan.
Presenter: Oli Dugmore
Producer: Laura Beveridge
Production: Paul Donegan, Barry Gormley
Niall's new album, 'The Show', is out now: http://niall.lnk.to/theshow
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New host, same brilliant conversations. Unfiltered's back and better than ever.
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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 right when all is going wrong, his personal politics, views on free speech, the dangers of amplifying extremists, that infamous Nigel Farage interview, and offers his thoughts on private education, capitalism and economics, feminism, sexual abuse, #MeToo, the future awaiting Britain, and of course, Brexit.Unfiltered will return with a new presenter after a very brief hiatus.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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David Lammy steps into the interviewer’s chair while James is on holiday for a very special interview with Idris Elba. The pair chart Idris’ journey to stardom, from his childhood spent mostly alone, getting the buzz for acting, moving to America and getting his big break on The Wire, right up to his first film as a director, Yardie. There’s no talk of James Bond in this conversation, but we think you’ll agree, there are much more interesting things to talk about with Idris Elba.Yardie is out 31st August. Book your tickets at yardiefilm.co.uk
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Poet and two-time Mercury Prize-nominated rapper Kate Tempest joins James O’Brien for a deep and fascinating interview about art, poetry, transcendence, the human condition, and the dark and beautiful worlds that art and performance can take you to, and we think you’ll agree that this conversation goes to some extraordinary places too.
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Happy Mondays and Black Grape frontman Shaun Ryder joins a starstruck James O’Brien for a rock ’n’ roll rollercoaster of an interview. We journey from Shaun’s early days in ‘monochrome’ Manchester, to the formation of the Mondays, the technicolour highs and explosive lows of band life, break ups and reformations, coming off drugs and embarking on new journeys with Black Grape.
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He’s a DJ, a record label boss, a producer and an entrepreneur, but Steve Aoki is really only interested in one thing: building a community. This insightful interview with James O’Brien takes us through Steve’s journey to superstardom, from his childhood struggles with otherness and racism, finding solace in music and the constructive rage of hardcore punk, sowing the seeds of what would become his empire, and finding his way back to the stage as one of the biggest EDM performers in the world.
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It’s a laugh-packed interview this week! James O’Brien chats to comedian Mark Steel about growing up in a town that was boring by design, the hilarious misadventures that come with living in a squat, Jeremy Corbyn and left-wing politics, and his varying degrees of success in trying to trace his biological parents. Oh, and Mark has possibly the deepest voice ever recorded on a podcast. Enjoy!
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James is away finishing his new book, so we’re doing things a little differently this week. Yes, it’s a ‘Best Of’, but it’s the best of the guests that might have slipped under your radar. They may not be household names, but they have rich and interesting stories that we think you’d like to check out. Normal service will resume with a brand new interview next week, but in the meantime you can go back and check out the episodes mentioned in the show here.Scroobius Pip: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/35-dave-haslam-on-madchester-ecstasy-ha%C3%A7ienda-art-djing/id1290769207?i=1000413419523Paris Lees: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/14-paris-lees-inspiring-journey-to-become-first-trans/id1290769207?i=1000399993418June Sarpong: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/6-june-sarpong-talks-diversity-and-the-british-class-system/id1290769207?i=1000394493486Michelle Lyons: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/31-michelle-lyons-278-executions-life-watching-death/id1290769207?i=1000411332918Dave Haslam: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/35-dave-haslam-on-madchester-ecstasy-ha%C3%A7ienda-art-djing/id1290769207?i=1000413419523Jack Monroe: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/19-jack-monroe-poverty-politics-and-life-on-the-margins/id1290769207?i=1000402956881John Amaechi: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/18-john-amaechi-talks-race-breaking-nba-homosexuality/id1290769207?i=1000402058077Nimco Ali: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/15-nimco-ali-the-fight-to-end-female-genital-mutilation/id1290769207?i=1000400440975
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What happens when you just say ‘yes’ to everything? What happens when you ask random people to join you, when you’ve no idea what you’re asking them to join? Danny Wallace asks these kind of questions, and boy, does he get answers.Danny joins James O’Brien for a witty and revealing interview about his his early days working with Ross Noble and The Mighty Boosh, having Jim Carrey play a version of him in a movie, and his undying belief that people, on the whole, are good.
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In the world of Christian music, Vicky Beeching was one of its biggest stars, but she had a secret, something she’d hidden away for over 20 years: she was gay. In this inspiring interview, Vicky takes James O’Brien through her journey, discovering a talent for music at a young age, her struggles reconciling her feelings with her faith, and a life-threatening illness that changed everything.
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Caitlin Moran has a lot to say. Some of it is rib-crackingly funny. Some of it is eye-opening and jaw-dropping. Not all of it is related to the human anatomy, but every word is worth your time.James O’Brien is certainly kept on his toes in this whipcrack of an interview, covering everything from masturbation to politics, Love Island to feminism, and a lot of chat about vaginas.Strap in, folks. We’re going full force on this one.
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Novelist, journalist and top-notch conversationalist Howard Jacobson joins James O’Brien for a gloriously sprawling interview, exploring everything from Howard’s birth during a WWII bombing raid, his disdain for “the will of the people”, everyday antisemitism, and his late success as an author, proving beyond proof that it’s never too late for anyone to become what they were meant to be.
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In the late 1980s, something was happening in Manchester. A melting pot of music, art and culture was bubbling away, ready to explode, and Dave Haslam was right there in the middle of it. In this fascinating interview, the DJ and writer talks to James O’Brien about his passion for Manchester’s alternative music and culture, DJing at the Haçienda, the introduction of ecstasy to rave culture, and the soaring highs and destructive lows that followed.
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You may know Simon Thomas from his work on Sky Sports and Blue Peter, but the devastating loss of Simon’s wife Gemma brought him to a prominence that no one could ever wish for. In this emotional and inspiring interview with James O’Brien, Simon shares his story, from getting his big break on Blue Peter and forging a career in the media, to meeting his wife Gemma and the devastating circumstances that took her from him and their young son. Simon bravely decided to share his grief publicly, and so started a conversation about the way we deal with loss, a conversation that continues here.
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Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ronan Farrow normally asks the questions, but this time he’s in the hot seat. In this sharp and incisive interview with James O’Brien, Ronan takes us through his prodigious childhood, working in the Obama administration at 21, then going on to forge a career in journalism, most famously as one of the reporters who broke the Harvey Weinstein scandal, and now training his eye on the decline of American global influence, both under Trump and before.
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Rapper, poet and scholar Akala joins James O’Brien for a scintillating interview, in which they discuss two issues that run to the heart of modern Britain: race and class.In a breakneck hour of conversation, Akala picks apart many of the modern myths around gangs, street violence and black youth, looking at the ways these are perpetuated in the media and who benefits from perpetuating them, as well as looking back to the Windrush generation and the institutionalised injustices that led to the recent crisis. It’s an education.
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In her time working with and for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Michelle Lyons was witness to nearly 300 executions, and though she watched hundreds of inmates be put to death, she’s one of the most cheerful people you could ever meet.In this extraordinary interview with James O’Brien, Michelle takes us into the execution chamber, into the lives of the inmates that she came to know, and the personal, professional and moral conflict she was forced to grapple with.Last chance to vote for Unfiltered at the British Podcast Awards! Simply go to britshpodcastawards.com/vote and search for ‘Unfiltered with James O’Brien’. Voting closes on May 17. Thank you.
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More than almost any other Unfiltered guest so far, you know exactly who Jamie Oliver is. Except, you don’t. In a revealing and impassioned interview with James O’Brien, Jamie takes us back to being a young boy in Essex working in his parents’ pub, not only discovering his passion for food, but his passion for what food can do.The Naked Chef saw Jamie become a household name overnight, and while he may have sold a few cookery books off the back of it, his fame enabled him to pursue the thing that he’s best known for: trying to make a difference.Vote for Unfiltered! We're up for the Listener's Choice Award at the British Podcast Awards. Head to britishpodcastawards.com/vote and search for 'Unfiltered with James O'Brien'. Thank you!
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Before he was Plan B, a young man called Ben Drew was growing up in London’s Forest Gate. With a guitar and the music of Smokey Robinson to work with, Ben set about becoming what he is today: a chronicler of our times. In this enthralling interview with James O’Brien, Ben shares his story, a story that is inextricably tied to his music, experiencing violence at home from a young age and losing friends to crack and heroin, and how he channelled those stories into songs, breaking into the mainstream, and coming home to share the positive power of music in the community that shaped him.
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You know comedian Shappi Khorsandi from Live at the Apollo and her legendary shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, but Shappi was learning how to make people laugh well before she picked up the mic.In this funny, fascinating, and at times emotional interview with James O’Brien, Shappi shares the story of her family fleeing Iran in the face of revolution, the uncovering of an assassination plot against her father and the paranoia that revelation instilled in her family, and her struggles adapting to life in Britain. But like any good comedian, Shappi manages to find the funny in almost all of it.Head to http://www.britishpodcastawards.com/vote to vote for the show to win the Listener's Choice Award. Voting closes on 17th May 2018. Thank you!
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Arguably the best rugby union referee in the world, known for his witty one-liners and no-nonsense attitude, Nigel Owen’s career highs came with some unimaginable lows. In this vulnerable and moving interview with James O’Brien, Nigel shares his struggle as a young man in rural Wales coming to terms with his sexuality, surviving a suicide attempt at the age of 26, and his journey of self-acceptance that led him to the top of his game.Vote for Unfiltered at the British Podcast Awards! Head to http://www.britishpodcastawards.com/vote to vote for the show to win the Listener's Choice Award. Voting closes on 17th May 2018. Thank you!
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In one of the funniest Unfiltered interviews to date, James O’Brien meets the whirlwind that is comedian Russell Kane who, as you’re about to discover, has a lot to say.The pair cover everything, from Russell’s relationship with his rough ’n’ tough father, to his unique passion for watches; from the stresses and pressures that success put on your relationships, to the realisation that his working class upbringing was going to hold him back, but he wasn’t about to let that happen.Russell's new podcast 'Evil Genius' is available now via the BBC.
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Most authors never have a bestseller. Even fewer come to define an entire decade. Trainspotting, both the book and the film that followed it, was a cultural phenomenon in the 1990s, catapulting writer Irvine Welsh into literary infamy.In this unflinching interview with James O’Brien, Irvine talks candidly about the drug-fuelled hedonism of the ‘80s and ‘90s that he both participated in and distilled into stories, how he pulled himself out of a vicious heroin addiction, the whirlwind of success that followed Trainspotting, and his unbridled passion for tennis and Andy Murray.
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He’s best known as Luke Skywalker, but who was Mark Hamill before he picked up the lightsaber? The Star Wars legend joins James O’Brien for a very special interview, exploring his early love for show business, being cast by George Lucas in the first Star Wars movie, the wild space ride that he, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher were all launched on, and passing the torch to a new generation of heroes.
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As the Nazis closed in on Prague, a six-year-old Alf Dubs was carried away from his native Czechoslovakia on the Kindertransport rescue operation that saved 669 predominantly Jewish children.In a remarkable interview with James O’Brien, Lord Dubs talks about the modest bravery of Nicholas Winton, the man who organised the rescue, growing up in Britain with a love of politics, the horrors he witnessed in the Calais Jungle, and spending his life fighting for the rights of refugees even through to this day.Thank you to Help Refugees for their assistance on this episode.
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In a laugh-filled look behind the curtain of comedy, stand-up legend Richard Herring takes James O’Brien through his partnership with Stewart Lee, climbing the greasy pole of comedy, the various disputes and fallings out that come with collaboration, and how the pair of them managed to get away with some of the most outlandish television ever commissioned. Comedy fans will not want to miss this interview.
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The first sitting MP to appear on Unfiltered, David Lammy has represented the people of Tottenham for the best part of two decades. In that time, he has been privy to some of the most extraordinary moments and developments in British politics.In this incisive and impassioned interview with James O’Brien, David Lammy shares the impact of his father abandoning his family at the age of 12, the terror of being subjected to ‘stop and search’ by the police, his anger at the failures of Grenfell and the chaos of Brexit, and how, despite everything, he manages to stay optimistic.
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After almost drowning at the age of four, Scroobius Pip developed a stutter. Not only did it not stop him from becoming a successful rapper, spoken word poet, actor and fellow podcaster, he believes it was directly responsible for all of it.He joins James O’Brien for a fun and thought-provoking interview that will leave you believing that you too can do anything, just as long as you put your mind to it.To hear more from Scroobius, search your podcast client for Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip.
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In 2012, at the end of their tether, Jack Monroe wrote a blog detailing the depths of the bitter poverty they had fallen into. After going viral, the post catapulted Jack from the brink of despair and into the spotlight.In a raw and exploratory interview, Jack takes James O’Brien through struggling to making ends meet, the realities of austerity in Britain, identifying as a non-binary and preferring the pronoun ‘they’, and their legal battle with Katie Hopkins.
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Few British psychologists can also boast a successful career in the NBA, but John Amaechi can. In this enthralling and thoughtful interview with James O’Brien, John recounts his struggles growing up black, nerdy and exceptionally tall in 1980s Stockport, a chance encounter with a stranger that led him to pursue basketball, his decision to come out after leaving the NBA, and the realities of being a gay professional athlete.
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Politics is a brutal game, and few politicians know this as well as Nick Clegg. The former Deputy Prime Minister and ex-Liberal Democrats leader gives James O’Brien an in-depth and revealing interview, covering his years in coalition with the Conservatives and his relationship with Prime Minister David Cameron, the Lib Dem massacre at the 2015 election and subsequent decline of the party, and his belief that Brexit can, in fact, be stopped.
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If there’s one thing Gary Lineker is not going to do, it’s ‘just stick to football’. The broadcaster joins James O’Brien for a boundless interview, from his time at the top-flight of football to dealing with the corruption rotting its core, to facing the fire and fury of the right-wing press for simply speaking his mind.
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Nimco was seven when she was taken to Djibouti to be cut. In an unflinching interview, activist Nimco Ali takes James O’Brien on her incredible personal story, from fleeing her native Somaliland as a child refugee escaping civil war to finding her place on the FGM frontline, fighting to bring the practice to an end.
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Even as a young child, Paris Lees knew that she didn’t feel right in her body. In a bold and revealing interview, Paris takes James O’Brien on a journey from experimenting with tights and make-up, a reckless adolescence selling sex and spending time in prison, to becoming the first trans woman to feature in Vogue.
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When Iain Lee went on I’m a Celebrity, he never expected to come out and be ambushed by 190 selfie-demanding school kids. The broadcaster and presenter joins James O'Brien for a frank and funny interview, discussing the ups and downs of his career, his challenges with mental health, and of course, what went down in the jungle.
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David Baddiel’s mother had an impressively open 20-year-long affair with a golf memorabilia collector, and his father’s rare form of dementia removed his sexual inhibitions and causes him to swear incessantly. The comedian and writer joins James O’Brien for a funny and thoughtful interview that looks at family, comedy and the line that divides the two.
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Writer and now fellow podcaster Jon Ronson joins James for a remarkable interview that dives into some of the dark worlds his work inhabits, from public shaming to psychopaths, right up to internet porn revolution and the twisted journeys it took Jon on.Jon discusses his latest project The Butterfly Effect, as well as highlights from his spectacular body of work including The Psychopath Test, The Men Who Stare At Goats, So You've Been Publicly Shamed, Them: Adventures with Extremists and The Elephant In The Room: A Journey into the Trump Campaign and the 'Alt-Right'.To hear more from Jon, search your podcast client for The Butterfly Effect with Jon Ronson.
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Comedy legend Matt Lucas joins James O’Brien in a frank and candid interview to talk about the staggering success of Little Britain and the controversies it provokes today, the pain and pitfalls of his coming out, and how David Walliams helped him to accept his own sexuality.
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The one and only Eric Cantona joins James for a very special career-spanning interview in which we explore the life and mind of an icon. No stone is left unturned as King Eric takes us through his early life and career, his thoughts on the state of the Western world, and everything in between.
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Krishnan Guru-Murthy sits down with James O'Brien for an enlightening interview that discusses his life, the role of the media in modern Britain, how a lack of access to politicians could be sewing the seeds of a democratic crisis, and why he would be fired by Channel 4 if he gave his true opinion on Brexit.
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Bill Browder is Vladimir Putin’s No. 1 enemy. Armed with a true life story cut straight from a bestselling thriller, listen as Bill grippingly recounts his tale from Red Notice in an extraordinary interview, which sees him placed on Interpol’s most-wanted list, exposing crime, corruption and conspiracy at the highest levels of the Kremlin, and rededicating his life to find justice for his friend and lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, killed at the hands of the Russian government. There’s also the small matter of a missing $230 million... Buckle in.
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James sits down for an interview with writer and presenter June Sarpong to talk about the real meaning of diversity, beating the British class system, otherness, and how growing up on a predominantly white council estate helped bring her closer to people.
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In our most ‘unfiltered’ interview so far, Lily Allen talks to James about the right-wing tabloids, phone hacking, women’s sexuality, Grenfell, and the Harvey Weinstein allegations, as well as her life growing up and making it in the music business.New episodes of Unfiltered come out every Tuesday. Subscribe at hyperurl.co/unfiltered
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James meets Armando Iannucci, the man behind The Day Today, I’m Alan Partridge, The Thick of It and Veep. In this career-spanning interview, Armando offers his astute observations of American and British politics through the lenses of Trump and Brexit, talks about his new film The Death of Stalin, working with Steve Coogan and Chris Morris, and how being a director nearly turned him into a dictator himself.
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Robert Webb talks to James O’Brien about the problems with masculinity, losing loved ones, meeting David Mitchell, finding success with Peep Show and That Mitchell and Webb Look, and how his difficult relationship with his dad affected him as a parent.Watch a video of this interview on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/QixnWfVwmskTo get a new episode of Unfiltered with James O'Brien every Tuesday, subscribe at http://hyperurl.co/unfiltered
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In a startlingly frank interview, Alastair Campbell talks to James O'Brien about his battle with depression and alcoholism, his breakdown, suicidal thoughts and his admiration for Roy Keane (and how all these things are related).Watch a video of this interview on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/ONB-EkyZQzoTo get a new episode of Unfiltered with James O'Brien every Tuesday, subscribe at hyperurl.co/unfiltered
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In the first episode of our new longform interview series host James O'Brien is joined by Russell Brand for an under the skin discussion about life, love, addiction, recovery, and how becoming a dad has changed him.Watch a video of this interview on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/h7gnhFHsHdYTo get a new episode of Unfiltered with James O'Brien every Tuesday, subscribe at hyperurl.co/unfiltered
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