Headliners
496 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 8 hours ago - ★★★★ - 30 ratingsBBC Radio 5 Live brings you in-depth interviews with the biggest names in sport, entertainment, culture and politics. With Nihal Arthanayake, Gordon Smart, Adrian Chiles and Naga Munchetty.
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Episodes
Sir Salman Rushdie
April 26, 2024 12:07 - 40 minutes - 37 MB“When I arrived at the hospital they thought it might already be too late” The Booker Prize-winning author, Sir Salman Rushdie speaks to Nihal. He is one of most famous and most celebrated authors of our time. And in August 2022 he was stabbed on stage in New York. Sir Salman said he is using his new book, ‘Knife’, as a way of fighting back against what happened. As a warning to listeners - some of this podcast makes for difficult listening – with depictions of violence.
Helen Lederer
April 26, 2024 11:39 - 54 minutes - 50 MBComedian Helen Lederer on evolving attitudes toward neurodiversity, how alternative comedy has developed since the 1980s, and how her definition of happiness changes with age. Helen and Gordon also get into social media and entertainers' relationships with reviews, working with great comedians like Harry Enfield, and why her candid new memoir Not That I’m Bitter proves “you can be funny about sad things”.
Jason Byrne
April 25, 2024 11:06 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBComedian Jason Byrne on varying degrees of honesty from family and different audiences, the list of eccentricities he’s noticed of his Scottish and Irish fans he’s met from world tours, his new show for Edinburgh Festival, and how his late father’s wisdom has helped shape an award-winning one-man play. The pair also get into Jason trying to connect his brand of comedy to children, health, heart disease and being awake during six (yes, six!) stent installs, mental health coping strategies, ...
Ade Adepitan
April 24, 2024 11:16 - 55 minutes - 50.8 MBParalympian and TV presenter Ade Adepitan (now an honorary Scotsman according to Gordon!) reflects on his life and career. Particularly on his surreal experience of visiting an all-white South-African community of Orania for a documentary, and the life-affirming, outlook-changing feat of spending nearly seven hours crawling to the peak of live volcano in Nicaragua. The pair also get into the rise of extremism, the difficulties that come with navigating hostile environments, and how Ade’s ba...
Danny Mays
April 19, 2024 07:49 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MBActor Danny Mays on working with Michael Douglas on new period drama Franklin and the process of auditioning for and being offered the part of Ed Bancroft. Danny talks through all the different wigs wardrobe had him try on, “One of which I thought I looked like my nan, Molly!”, and living in Paris during filming. The pair also get into being bothered about fame, having performances cut from movies, working with Daniel Day Lewis, and how starring in just one episode of BBC drama Line of ...
Adele Roberts
April 11, 2024 14:35 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MB“In that second my life changed”. Broadcaster and DJ Adele Roberts was in the best shape of her life when she found out she had bowel cancer in October 2021. Suddenly she was plunged into the world of cancer treatment, including having a stoma. Less than two years later Adele crossed the finish line of the London Marathon in her best ever time, also breaking the world record as the fastest ever woman to run a marathon with a stoma bag. Now she’s written a book about the last few years of her...
Joe Wicks
April 09, 2024 10:51 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MB"The food I was eating was linked to my behaviour". He kept us fit during lockdown with his PE with Joe sessions on YouTube. Now Joe Wicks has a new book out. He told Nihal Arthanayake all about it.
Gillian Anderson
April 04, 2024 17:18 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBI’m used to doing scary things”. Film and stage actor Gillian Anderson - best known for her roles in The X Files, Sex Education and The Crown – speaks to Nihal Arthanayake about her latest role is as Emily Maitlis in the Netflix film ‘Scoop’ - a dramatisation of the BBC Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew.
Matt Smith
April 02, 2024 13:41 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBHe’s best known for playing Doctor Who, a young Prince Phillip in The Crown, and Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon. Now Matt Smith is starring in a new production of Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People. And has he ever thought about teaming up with some of his celeb friends to buy Blackburn Rovers, a club he has loved since his was a lad?
Jax Jones
March 26, 2024 17:21 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MB“Whatever I’ve experienced doesn’t need to define me”. DJ and producer Jax Jones talks to Nihal Arthanayake about making music with the likes of Raye, mentoring, and why he’s not sure he wants to reconnect with his biological father.
Tom Daley
March 25, 2024 09:18 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBOlympic gold medallist diver Tom Daley on his return to the sport after two years out, looking ahead to his fifth Olympic Games in Paris this summer, how his adorable six-year-old son behaves like a ‘pushy parent’ during competition, and finding a balance between regimented training and enjoying himself. Tom also gets into his passion for knitting, learning journalism for his podcast Made With Love, life in Los Angeles, and the ideas and inspiration behind his brand new children’s book Jac...
Cynthia Erivo
March 21, 2024 17:35 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MB“I relish being myself, even if it is the complete opposite of everyone else” Singer, actress and Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award winner Cynthia Erivo chats to Nihal Arthanayake about her new film ‘Drift’ and her upcoming role as Elphaba in the Hollywood blockbuster film version of the ‘Wicked’ musical.
Daisy Goodwin
March 18, 2024 11:46 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBScreenwriter and novelist Daisy Goodwin joins Gordon Smart as the two turn their attention to the subject of Daisy’s new book Diva; the infamous Maria Callas. The pair discuss the opera sensation’s career, life and legacy, and why she remains a huge inspiration to modern women. Born in 1923, Maria was “what you might call a girl boss today, she always knew her own value and that is something I think very few women do.” “Wherever she played in the world, people would queue up for week...
Tony Curran
March 07, 2024 15:07 - 58 minutes - 53.7 MBBAFTA-winning Glaswegian actor Tony Curran on learning about the real King James I, shooting intimate, nude scenes, and working with Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine for new show Mary & George. Tony and Gordon also get into some hilarious stories of their mutual pal, Martin Compston, plus Tony’s career-high roles including his turn as Vincent Van Gogh in Doctor Who’s most replayed scene of all time, and working with the late, great Sean Connery (who had some jokes for Tony’s mum!) ...
Kevin Macdonald with Nihal Arthanayake
March 06, 2024 11:24 - 34 minutes - 32 MB“I’m not telling them how you should think about John Galliano […] it’s a very complex picture that emerges” Award winning director Kevin Macdonald chats to Nihal Arthanayake about his new documentary ‘High & Low: John Galliano’ – that examines the designer’s rapid ascent, fall from grace after an antisemitic tirade, and rehabilitation
Alesha Dixon
February 29, 2024 17:08 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBThe platinum selling artist tells Nihal Arthanayake about her love of animals and how it has inspired her series of books for young adults.
Frank Skinner
February 27, 2024 15:25 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBComedian and writer Frank Skinner on unexpected signs of ageing, nicknames, bringing back shouting at cinema screens, graffiti he’s seen on his tour posters, and why he doesn’t run his stand up material by anyone before he performs.
Bernie Sanders
February 20, 2024 10:44 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MB“The more important the issue the less it is discussed.” The Vermont Senator talks to Nihal Arthanayake about the future of capitalism - and offers his thoughts on the upcoming presidential election.
James Timpson
February 15, 2024 11:45 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MBNihal Arthanayake chats to the CEO of Timpsons about his new book ‘The Happy Index’ and why he believes his employees’ wellbeing is the secret to running a successful company.
Jeffrey Wright
February 08, 2024 15:37 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MB“I didn’t watch the [Oscars] announcements, because I didn’t want to have to repair any screen damage if the news wasn’t to my liking!” American actor Jeffrey Wright talks to Nihal about his new film ‘American Fiction’ and explains how it feels to get an Oscar nomination.
Matthew Vaughn
February 01, 2024 12:14 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MB“Movie stars, sadly, are a dying breed”. Matthew Vaughn, director, producer, and writer - known for the Kingsman franchise, KickAss, and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - is back with a new movie - a spy action comedy film called Argylle. He tells Nihal Arthanayake that he thinks that times are changing in the movie industry - and you can no longer guarantee that a film will be a massive hit in the box office - just because you have a big name star in it.
Adeel Akhtar
January 19, 2024 10:44 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MB'I just really enjoyed the idea of this tiny, dishevelled, half pint Luther....popping about the place trying to solve crimes.' Actor Adeel Akhtar talks to Nihal Arthanayake about his role as DS Sami Kierce in the new smash hit Netflix show 'Fool Me Once'.
Dr Rangan Chatterjee
January 04, 2024 16:04 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MB‘It’s about progress not perfection’ Dr Rangan Chatterjee talks to Nihal Arthanayale about keeping a journal, things to be grateful for, and how to make every day just a little bit better.
Jamie Dornan
December 28, 2023 16:06 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MB“Just when I thought I knew where it was going, and what kind of a show it was, it would just do a one-eighty” - Actor Jamie Dornan in conversation with Nihal Arthanayake about the new series of The Tourist and his lifelong love for Manchester United.
Jonathan Pryce and Dominic West
December 21, 2023 15:53 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBSomeone like me can't turn down a part like Charles. He's so interesting. He's so complex.” Dominic West, who played Prince Charles in the last two seasons of The Crown, and Jonathan Pryce who portrayed Prince Philip – tell Nihal Arthanayake about the success of the show, how they prepared for their respective roles, and where they were when they learned of the death of Princess Diana.
Sheridan Smith
December 21, 2023 15:53 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MB“When do I tell them I can’t swim”. The award winning film, tv and stage actor Sheridan Smith, talks to Nihal Arthanayake about being a parent, her new role in a show about being cast away on a desert island, and why she never learned to swim.
Ricky Gervais
December 20, 2023 16:15 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MB“I’m offended” is quite meaningless’. The comedian and actor talks to Nihal Arthanayake about his new stand-up special, Armageddon, the nature of offence, and why he’s going to stop explaining his jokes to people who don’t like them.
Rebecca Ferguson
December 14, 2023 17:43 - 29 minutes - 27 MB“The experience for women and men in music is very, very different” The singer talks to Nihal Arthanayake about her successful musical career, and using her voice to speak out about exploitation in the music industry.
Ian Broudie
November 30, 2023 19:28 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MB“If you didn’t like it, you listened to it ‘til you liked it” Singer-songwriter and Lightning Seeds frontman, Ian Broudie, chats to Nihal Arthanayake his lifelong love of music, his memoir, and being back on tour. As well as his memories of how ‘Three Lions’ was first received by the England Squad of the time.
Emeli Sandé
November 23, 2023 16:35 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MB“Finding your own unique voice is usually the biggest challenge”. Singer songwriter Emeli Sandé talks to Nihal Arthanayek about new music, writing about love and how her life has changed since she first hit the top of the charts in 2012.
Keanu Reeves & Jenson Button
November 16, 2023 16:40 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MB“When I was a little, I wanted to be a race car driver” Keanu Reeves and Jenson Button talk to Nihal Arthanayake about their new documentary ‘Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story’ - and how they'd rate each other's chances of a job swap.
Chris Kamara
November 09, 2023 15:33 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MB"Am I going to be a burden to my family?" Sports pundit Chris Kamara talks about his life after his apraxia diagnosis.
Duran Duran
November 03, 2023 14:03 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MB“Glastonbury, I want to play Glastonbury… and it’s got to be the pyramid stage.” Simon Le Bon tells Nihal about what he loves about being in a band, how to manage being a rock star and having some sort of balance in life… and the things he still wants to accomplish with Duran Duran.
DURAN DURAN: Simon and John from the band join Nihal
November 03, 2023 14:03 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MB“Glastonbury, I want to play Glastonbury… and it’s got to be the pyramid stage.” Simon Le Bon tells Nihal about what he loves about being in a band, how to manage being a rock star and having some sort of balance in life… and the things he still wants to accomplish with Duran Duran.
Kerry Washington
October 26, 2023 15:29 - 47 minutes - 43.1 MB‘I’m interested in meeting my donor’. The Scandal star reveals to Nihal Arthanayake how she reacted upon learning that she was conceived using a sperm donor.
Geri Halliwell-Horner
October 19, 2023 15:57 - 39 minutes - 36 MB"I've always loved the power of words". The Spice Girls star talks to Nihal Arthanayake about her literary career.
Laura Linney
October 12, 2023 15:05 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MB“I don’t think it’s about winning or losing.” The American star talks to Nihal about the Hollywood actor’s strike and her new film Miracle Club.
Big Zuu
October 05, 2023 14:40 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MB"When do you ever get three Muslim brothers cooking for Jonathan Ross?" The TV chef tells Nihal his success is down to good timing and other people "creating that lane" for him.
Michael Palin
September 28, 2023 15:51 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MB“I hope he had a sense of humour.” The Monty Python star and documentary maker chats to Nihal Arthanayake about his great-uncle Harry.
Corinne Bailey Rae
September 21, 2023 12:00 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MB“Music doesn’t have to stay in genres or boxes.” The singer songwriter on why Chicago and grunge inspired her new album.
Clive Myrie
September 14, 2023 11:34 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MB“I have been known to rant, but I don’t do it on the telly and that’s the point.” The BBC presenter chats to Nihal Arthanayake about his years as a foreign correspondent and news anchor.
Rory Stewart
September 07, 2023 15:44 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MB“I realised that the person I ended up despising most, was myself”. Former Conservative MP, writer, and broadcaster Rory Stewart lifts the lid on what working in Westminster is really like. With Nihal Arthanayake.
Andy Taylor
August 31, 2023 13:19 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MB"I'm still in this dreamy space of thinking - did I really get that lucky?" The Duran Duran guitarist on the ground-breaking treatment he is undergoing for prostate cancer.
Amol Rajan
July 17, 2023 15:48 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBThe presenter on taking over University Challenge, family, fame and the source of his ambition.
Ashley Cain
June 28, 2023 15:27 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MB"One day I just sang 'oobedoo' and she just instantly stopped crying." The former footballer on life after losing his daughter.
Elliot Page
June 21, 2023 13:44 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MB“There’s a beautiful ripple effect that comes with self-love.” Elliot talks to Nihal about living an authentic life, queerness in Hollywood, and having the strength to fight a ‘crisis’ of hate in society.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
June 20, 2023 15:08 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MB“Thanks to football for the opportunity to represent my country”, The Premier League player on Ukraine, football and staying focussed. Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko talks about his love for Ukraine and how football focussed his mind.
Judy Murray
June 06, 2023 13:15 - 52 minutes - 48 MB“It made me look really stupid.” Judy talks to Nihal about the media, mentoring and being a “grammar geek.”
Mick Hucknall
May 31, 2023 15:36 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MB: “I’m almost in tears now talking about it.” The Simply Red singer remembers Miles Davis, Tina Turner and George Harrison.
Eddie Izzard
May 29, 2023 13:53 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MB“People say you shouldn’t exist, well I do exist” The gender fluid actor, also known as Suzy talks to Nihal being a ‘serious’ actor, getting into politics and dyslexia.