Headliners

501 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★ - 30 ratings

BBC 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 David Jason

October 28, 2020 16:36 - 39 minutes - 36 MB

Patrick Kielty talks to the actor about everything from Del Boy to Danger Mouse as Sir David releases his latest autobiography, A Del of a Life.

Katie Melua

October 21, 2020 13:35 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MB

The multi-platinum selling singer-songwriter tells Nihal about her development as an artist and her new album which has been 4 years in the making.

John Cooper Clarke

October 14, 2020 15:13 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MB

John Cooper Clarke talks to Nihal about punk, poetry, ambition, wanting to conform and his new memoir I Wanna Be Yours

John Cooper Clarke on punk, poetry, ambition and his new memoir I Wanna Be Yours.

October 14, 2020 15:13 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MB

John Cooper Clarke talks to Nihal about punk, poetry, ambition, wanting to conform and his new memoir I Wanna Be Yours

Fran Healy

October 13, 2020 11:40 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MB

The Travis frontman talks to Nihal about 10 songs, the band’s first studio album in four years, the art of songwriting and life in LA.

Joe Marler

October 08, 2020 11:52 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MB

The England and Harlequins prop tells Nihal about the highs and lows of his career – and shares the secrets behind some of the ‘dark arts’ of the scrum.

George Takei

October 06, 2020 14:29 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MB

The actor, who rose to global fame as Mr Sulu in Star Trek, talks to Nihal Arthanayake about his life on an off the screen. From his childhood experience of internment during the Second World War to having to live a double life as a closeted gay man in an era when homophobia could threaten his livelihood, to his current role in CBeebies Love Monster.

Mary McAleese

October 01, 2020 15:21 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MB

The former President of Ireland on being in office during a pivotal time in the peace process.

Jamie Redknapp

October 01, 2020 15:16 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MB

The former England, Liverpool and Spurs Midfielder talks to Nihal about his life on and off the pitch, his relationship with his dad and his new memoir.

Chuck D

September 29, 2020 13:18 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MB

The Public Enemy founder tells Nihal about the bands return to Def Jam for their new album.

Clarissa Ward

September 15, 2020 16:21 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MB

CNN’s chief international correspondent on a career spent reporting from war zones.

Arlo Parks

September 10, 2020 15:08 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MB

The 20-year-old singer, songwriter and poet on her new single, artistic inspiration and mental health.

Chris & Rosie Ramsey

September 08, 2020 15:43 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MB

The podcasters talk relationships, flatulence and much more with Nihal. Their book Sh**ged. Married. Annoyed. is out now.

Vinnie Jones

September 07, 2020 15:54 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MB

“You start with the numbness.” The footballer and film star talks to Nihal about losing Tanya, his wife of 25 years.

Alastair Campbell

September 03, 2020 15:17 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MB

Tony Blair’s former communications director on his lifelong struggle with depression.

Will Young

September 02, 2020 15:41 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MB

The singer and actor talks to Nihal about his new book To be a Gay Man.

Adam Buxton

September 01, 2020 15:37 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MB

One half of the comedy and podcasting duo Adam and Joe, Adam Buxton, tells Nihal about his relationship with his late father. Plus, he talks about his memoir ‘Ramble Book.’

Noel Clarke

August 27, 2020 13:24 - 30 minutes - 28 MB

Fresh from an appearance at the Edinburgh TV Festival, the actor, director and writer Noel Clarke talks to Nihal about the current state of the media landscape, and why more must be done to nurture diverse talent.

Luke Goss

August 27, 2020 13:14 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MB

The actor and former Bros star tells Nihal about starring in Paydirt alongside Val Kilmer.

Katie Mack

August 25, 2020 15:37 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MB

The theoretical astrophysicist tells Laura Whitmore how she thinks the universe will end.

Alex Edelman

August 13, 2020 15:44 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MB

The award-winning comedian talks to Nihal about his new album, fast food and cycling.

Oliver Stone

August 12, 2020 15:01 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MB

The Oscar-winning director talks to Nihal Arthanayake about his parents, Vietnam and making Platoon. His memoir, Chasing The Light: How I Fought My Way into Hollywood - From the 1960s to Platoon, is out now.

David Tennant

August 11, 2020 15:47 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MB

The actor talks to Nihal about the second series of ‘David Tennant does a podcast with…’ and filming BBC One’s Staged in lockdown with regular collaborator Michael Sheen.

Ronan Keating

July 29, 2020 11:39 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MB

The pop star talks to Nihal about his new album Twenty Twenty, head-butting the Pope’s hand, hanging up on Pavarotti and having his fifth child as the world entered lockdown due to Coronavirus.

David Mitchell

July 28, 2020 12:26 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MB

The best-selling author of Cloud Atlas joins Nihal to talk about his new novel, Utopia Avenue, and his work on the screenplay for the forthcoming Matrix sequel.

James Bay

July 21, 2020 16:12 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MB

James talks to Nihal about the survival of small venues, meeting Eric Clapton and his forthcoming album.

Jameela Jamil

July 15, 2020 13:27 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MB

Laura Whitmore talks to the model, actor and activist about ‘cancel culture’, body image and her new podcast.

The Streets

July 14, 2020 15:38 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MB

The Streets' Mike Skinner talks to Nihal about his new mixtape 'None Of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive', changing social attitudes and hot sauce.

Adam Kay

July 09, 2020 10:41 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MB

The writer and comedian of “Dear NHS”, a collection of 100 household names telling their stories of the health service.

Nadine Shah

July 08, 2020 11:17 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MB

The Mercury nominated singer-songwriter on family,feminism and her new album Kitchen Sink

Denise Welch

July 02, 2020 11:11 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MB

The TV star tells Nihal Arthanayake about documenting her depression in her latest book; The Unwelcome Visitor.

Daveed Diggs

July 01, 2020 15:05 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MB

Ahead of Hamilton’s release on home streaming, the Broadway star tells Nihal Arthanayake about the cultural impact of the smash-hit musical.

Norah Jones

June 25, 2020 15:32 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MB

The multiple Grammy-winning singer songwriter talks to Nihal Arthanayake about her new album Pick Me Up Off the Floor.

David Oyelowo

June 24, 2020 15:45 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MB

The multi-award winning actor and producer tells Nihal Arthanayake about his work on the podcast Stor14s which features stories written for children. The podcast aims to raise funds to help Covid-19 relief efforts in Africa. He also talks about his relationship with his father, his view on systemic racism and the Black Lives Matter movement and his own charity work in Nigeria.

Keisha Buchanan

June 10, 2020 15:22 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MB

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

June 10, 2020 14:42 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MB

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

June 03, 2020 15:12 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MB

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

June 01, 2020 13:22 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MB

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 12:07 - 38 minutes - 35 MB

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 14:54 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MB

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 14:48 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MB

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

Russell Tovey

May 18, 2020 15:43 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MB

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

Gianluca Vialli (from 2020)

May 14, 2020 15:18 - 43 minutes - 40.3 MB

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.

Gianluca Vialli

May 14, 2020 15:18 - 43 minutes - 40.3 MB

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.

Emily Watson

May 13, 2020 15:30 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MB

Appropriate Adult and Chernobyl actress Emily Watson on how to spot a great script.

Lionel Shriver

May 07, 2020 15:33 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MB

The award winning writer on the cult of exercise, the economic consequences of Covid-19 and her new book The Motion of the Body Through Space.

Freya Lewis

May 06, 2020 15:39 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MB

Nihal talks to Freya Lewis, who was just 14 when she was severely injured in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 - an attack that also claimed the life of her friend Nell. She tells Nihal about her recovery, how she raised tens of thousands of pounds for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital – and why she can’t wait to get a tattoo on her eighteenth birthday! Freya tells her story in her new book, What Makes Us Stronger.

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