The Interview
The Interview is a BBC World Service podcast featuring conversations with influential people from around the world, including leaders in business, politics, finance, sport, and culture. Each episode is approximately 20 minutes long and provides insight and analysis on major global issues. The podcast brings together the best interviews conducted by BBC journalists with the people shaping our world.
Episodes
Jacob Zuma’s daughters: Polygamy is a subject we lived
“It's a subject that I know I've lived, I've seen up close…That includes watching my father. That includes the relationships that I saw him have.”
Presenter Anne Soy speaks to Gugu Zuma-Ncube and Thuli Zuma, executive producers of The Polygamist, one of Netflix’s biggest new dramas which takes on the topic of polygamy - the practice of having more than one spouse at the same time.
They are als
Steve Hilton: Brit running for California governor
“I'm a proud American. I became a citizen in 2021. I feel at home here both in America and actually, in a way I actually have never felt before. I feel like this is where I'm meant to be, and I couldn't be more honoured that people now are putting their faith in me to turn the state around.”Nick Robinson speaks to Steve Hilton, the British-born Republican candidate for governor of California in No
Victor Glover, astronaut: We went into sci-fi
“The last thing to come into view was this blue glow, and we could see craters and the surface of the Moon. But the Sun is on the other side, so what was lighting the Moon? It was ‘Earthshine’, the light of the Earth reflecting off the near side of the Moon. I don’t think our brains are evolved to understand what we were seeing. I called Houston and said, ‘I think we’ve just gone into sci-fi.’”Pad
Jackie Jantos, Hinge CEO: Gen Z struggle to connect
Sean Farrington speaks to Jackie Jantos, CEO of popular mobile dating app Hinge, about finding romance in today’s rapidly-changing digital world.Launched back in 2013, US-based Hinge has steadily grown to become one of the world’s biggest mobile dating apps. As of 2025, there were 30 million users on the platform looking for romance all over the world - up from half a million just 10 years before.
Katie Sadleir, Commonwealth Games: They are still relevant
“It had grown to be quite an expensive event. Our members wanted to host the games, and because of the size and the scale of the event that was not possible.”Mani Djazmi speaks to Katie Sadleir, CEO of the Commonwealth Games about how hosting the event had become unaffordable for many Commonwealth countries. This summer’s games were to be held in Victoria, Australia, but they withdrew due to expan
John Kerry: Countries failing to deal with climate change
Waihiga Mwaura speaks to former US Secretary of State John Kerry about why he thinks governments are retreating from efforts to deal with climate change. He spoke to the BBC during this year’s Our Ocean Conference, an international forum which Kerry launched in 2014 to help protect the world’s oceans.He was the first US special presidential envoy for climate from 2021 to 2024, and since then has c
Michel Barnier, chief EU Brexit negotiator: We need to be together in a fragile world
Katya Adler speaks to Michel Barnier who served as the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, on the 10th anniversary of the highly consequential referendum.On 23 June 2016, the British public went to the polls to decide its future with the European Union. An unusually high number of people voted, and by 52% to 48%, the decision was to leave the bloc.Barnier, then a European Commissioner who had served as
Patricia Cornwell, novelist: Imagination saved me
Jamie Coomarasamy speaks to Patricia Cornwell, one of the world’s best-selling crime writers, whose books have sold more than 120 million copies worldwide.
She reflects on a childhood marked by trauma, instability and family mental illness, and the lasting impact those experiences have had on her life.
Her imagination became a refuge during difficult years, shaping the stories and characters s
Catherine Russell, Unicef: War is the worst thing for children
Nada Tawfik speaks to Catherine Russell, executive director of Unicef, the United Nations agency responsible for protecting and supporting children.Before taking up the role in 2022, she spent decades in government and diplomacy, including as assistant to President Joe Biden as well as serving in senior roles at the US State Department focused on global women’s issues and international developmen
Jack Clark, Anthropic co-founder: put brakes on AI
“Right now, it’s like the AI industry has a gas pedal, but it doesn’t have a brake pedal in the car. And what we’re saying is we want to build that brake pedal so we in the world have an option. In the future, you might say: ‘Let’s get all of the benefits we can for, say, biology and medical research, and let’s take a pause on AI research, where we can absorb the societal changes.’”
Faisal Islam
Gebran Bassil, Lebanese politician: Hezbollah should disarm
“The state of Lebanon needs to have an exclusivity of arms. And definitely, Hezbollah needs to be disarmed… Disarming a group or a community is not possible by force, it's possible by conviction. You put pressure, but you cannot eliminate a whole society, a whole community. We need to have an exclusivity of arms in the hand of the state, an exclusivity of decision through a political process, pres
Dr Tedros, WHO: Viruses are invisible enemy
“There is more spending in defence and less spending in global health or in public health or health security, which makes us vulnerable...Because the invisible enemy could be more impactful. Imagine, have you ever seen a war in recent memory that killed 20 million people? Why can't we come to our senses?”Justin Webb speaks to Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Orga
Paul McCartney, musician: I often think about the past
Mark Savage speaks to musician Paul McCartney. Born in Liverpool, England, during the Second World War, he found fame as a member of the legendary British band The Beatles in the 1960s, widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in music history.McCartney shared primary singing and songwriting duties with bandmate John Lennon, and along with George Harrison and Ringo Starr, the four-piece
Mohammed Dewji, billionaire: I want to give back
“I do want to make money, but I want to make money in the right way, ethically. But more importantly, I want use this money to be able to give back.”Charles Gitonga speaks to entrepreneur and businessman Mohammed Dewji about becoming one of Africa’s youngest billionaires and how he wants to use his wealth.Mohammed Dewji is a Tanzanian businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist who has primarily
Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon: Reconciliation over revenge
‘We are transforming feelings of revenge into reconciliation. We are transforming despair into hope, trauma into healing. So the future is peace is also like a manual, like a guide, not just for a shared journey across the holy land, but a guide for human conscience.’Rajan Datar speaks to Palestinian and Israeli authors and peace activists Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon.Maoz Inon‘s parents were kill
David Miliband, International Rescue Committee President: It’s a new world disorder
“It's what we call a new world disorder: 60 wars, 120 million people - refugees and displaced, 300 million people hungry, plus another 45 million according to the World Food Program as a result of the constrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. That's a disordered world. And people can inveigh against international institutions as much as they like, but the problem we're facing is not that there's too
Reid Hoffman, tech billionaire: AI job revolution
Amol Rajan speaks to tech billionaire Reid Hoffman, about why he thinks artificial intelligence could transform the future of work.Reid Hoffman is best known for co-founding LinkedIn, the largest professional networking platform in the world, and revolutionising the world of work. He wants to do it again with a rapid adoption of AI in the workplace in a way he says is safe and ethical. As one of t
Kate Kallot, AI founder: A global digital divide?
“Historically, as a region, we’ve been extracted at two levels. If you look at the AI value chain, a lot of our youth, some who have studied computer science, are left at data labelling roles at the bottom of the value chain, where the least value is created. In a different way, a lot of our data is being extracted for free to train those systems. We want to make sure we don’t go into similar mode
Maggie O’Farrell, writer: Identity is complicated
“I was born in Coleraine, then I moved to Wales and then I moved to Ireland. It's very complicated and I feel there's a strange sense if you grow up somewhere different from where you were born. That's just true of everyone. If your accent doesn't match your name - as in my case - I think you walk alongside all your life a kind of ghost-self in that there's always a sense of ‘who would I have been
Aisha Musa, former leader: Can Sudan rebuild?
“I feel numb. It feels unreal to me, having been in Sudan all my life. I have never imagined that it will turn into a war field, it looks like a nightmare. At first that it is just days or months or even a year, but it went on and it kept escalating. Even our homes are no longer habitable. One of my sons went back to have a look and he said you wouldn't even find a spoon for your tea.”
James Cop
Chaka Khan, singer: Music is a calling
“This is a calling. It's bigger than anything in your life as an individual. If you found the thing that you were put on this planet to do, and a lot of people are put on this planet and they don't know, it's such a gift to find it.”Nick Grimshaw and Annie Macmanus speak to global music icon Chaka Khan about her life and career.Born Yvette Marie Stevens in the US city of Chicago in 1953, her big b
Jennifer Riria, banking chief: Financial system still excludes women
“Most of Africa is rural, and although urbanisation is taking root now, the systems that deliver financial services to women are still eluding them.”
Leanna Byrne speaks to microfinance pioneer Dr Jennifer Riria about her life, career, and personal mission to improve the lives of women in some of Africa’s poorest communities.
Having started life in a poor, rural village in Kenya, Dr Riria wor
Daniel Noboa, Ecuador President: A war on gangs
“This is a war. We will treat it as a war, and first thing that we want is the war to end. We want peace. We want a better life for our people, especially for our youth.”Caitriona Perry speaks to Ecuador President Daniel Noboa about his hard-line military crackdown on violent criminal gangs, which has involved measures that human rights groups warn could pose a risk to civil liberties.President No
Fatima Bio, Sierra Leone First Lady: Speaking up
BBC journalist Megha Mohan speaks to Sierra Leone’s first lady, Fatima Bio, about escaping child marriage at the age of 13, rebuilding her life as a refugee in London, and her rise to become one of the country’s most outspoken public figures.
Since becoming first lady, Bio has transformed the role in Sierra Leone, campaigning publicly on issues including child marriage, sexual violence and perio
Leopoldo Lopez, Venezuelan opposition leader: I am not bitter
James Menendez speaks to Leopoldo Lopez, once the most prominent face of Venezuela’s opposition, he is now living in exile in Spain.
He spent more than a decade attempting to unseat Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian government and was imprisoned for over three years, accused of inciting the 2014 anti-government protests.
Following the capture and arrest of Maduro by US forces in January, the coun
Yurii Tokar: Russia deployed Kenyans to death zone
“Russians collected all Kenyans and did everything for them to go to the front line, to go to the death zone.”Waihiga Mwaura speaks to Yurii Tokar the Ukraine ambassador to Kenya. The Ukrainian claims Russia deliberately deployed many conscripted Kenyans to the front line of the Russia-Ukraine war shortly before the Kenyan foreign minister arrived in Moscow with the intention of stopping recruitme
Mikhail Ulyanov: Rescuing Iran nuclear talks
“It’s outrageous because these nuclear plant facilities were certified by the International Atomic Energy Agency as purely peaceful facilities. The inspectors, they spent, there, a lot of time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Iran is the most verifiable country, thousands of inspections. The agency knows everything about what is going on.”
BBC journalist Farnaz Ghazizadeh speaks to Mikhail Ivanov
Hanan Balkhy, WHO chief for Sudan and Iran: work continues despite conflicts
“During the recent conflict [in Iran], there was a pause, not a full stop or halt of the functions. Once the airspace opened up again, we reprioritized the delivery of those life-saving kits to the member states, and we came back on track… We still find hope in the communication between the different member states, between the different partners to secure some of these supplies, or keep supply cha
Emma Grede, entrepreneur: Success needs trade-offs
“There's this idea that you [can] sail your way to success or have some overnight success or kind of come upon success relatively easily. And that has just never, ever been.”Amol Rajan speaks to entrepreneur and businesswoman Emma Grede about the trade-offs we have to make to get to where we want to be in life.Emma Grede is co-founder of the clothing brand Skims, which she created with her husband
Sam Liang, Otter.ai CEO: AI captures everything
‘The power of AI is that it's able to capture everything, it’s able to try to interpret everyone objectively. Human beings are imperfect in terms of their capability to listen and understand. Everyone unconsciously, when they listen, they don't hear everything.’
Zoe Kleinman speaks to Sam Liang chief executive and co-founder of artificial intelligence transcription start-up Otter.ai
Sam Lian
Robert Brovdi, Ukraine drone commander: Striking inside Russia
“When we only had reconnaissance drones, we learned fast. We began attaching warheads to the drones. Grenades, then homemade munitions that we produced ourselves. We would locate the enemy with the drone and drop them on him. Then FPV drones entered our lives. An FPV drone is a one-way, disposable drone. That was when the way of war began to change”
In a rare interview, Sarah Rainsford speaks to
SungAh Lee, International Organisation for Migration: Sudan needs us
“I saw the damage, the loss. The buildings being destroyed, the infrastructure being completely damaged in that area. And it was sad and heartbreaking.”Waihiga Mwaura speaks to SungAh Lee, from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) about the war in Sudan which has entered its fourth year and has led to one of the worst humanitarian crisis and biggest displacements of people. SungAh L
Ringo Starr, musician: I never play music alone
“If you play piano, bass guitar, saxophone, I don’t care - I'll play with you all night. That's how I did it. And I tell all my grandkids - get an event, get a few of your schoolmates together. They're practising and playing by themselves. Get with people!”Regan Morris speaks to musician Ringo Starr about his career.
Born in Liverpool, England, during the Second World War in 1940, Ringo, real-na
Isaac Larian, entrepreneur: Failure is the foundation for success
“One thing I have learned from my childhood til now is that when you fall, you get up, dust yourself off, and do it over and over again. I’ve had a lot of up and downs in my business life in America. I’ve had many failures and people only talk about successes, but failures in my mind are the foundation of success.”Rahul Tandon speaks to Iranian-American entrepreneur Isaac Larian.The 72-year-old bi
Dr Kalema-Zikusoka, wildlife vet: Saving gorillas
“We were able to improve the health of the gorillas and people together. What we do is we improve the health and the livelihoods of the local communities. Because as long as people are poor, they're going to keep entering the forest to poach and collect firewood and they're going to end up making the gorillas sick, or picking up diseases from wildlife in the forest.”
Myra Anubi speaks to Dr Glad
Arlo Parks, singer-songwriter: I want to make music that lasts
“I don't necessarily want it to be the most giant album of all time and be selling out stadiums. I want something that lasts and that feels timeless and thoughtful.”Mark Savage speaks to Mercury Prize-winning singer-songwriter Arlo Parks about her life and music career.Born in London, the half Nigerian, quarter Chadian and quarter French artist, real name Anaïs Marinho, has enjoyed great success i
The Epstein survivors speak
Victoria Derbyshire speaks to survivors of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting a trial for sex trafficking.The interview took place in Washington DC, two weeks before Melania Trump, US First Lady, gave an unexpected press conference at the White House where she called for congressional hearings for the Epstein survivors.Millions of document
John Healey, UK Defence Secretary: Russia’s covert operations
“It was three submarines. We tracked them 24/7 for over a month to make sure that we are able to say to Putin, we see what you’re doing, we’re watching you. It means that if there is ever any damage to our cables or our pipelines, we know we can hold Putin to account. We know he can’t deny it.”
Adam Fleming speaks to John Healey, the UK Defence Secretary, after he revealed Russian submarines hav
Mark Suzman, Gates Foundation: Countries should be embarrassed
“The fact that we are now the world's largest funder of the World Health Organisation should be a major embarrassment to every country on this planet.”Sam Fenwick speaks to Mark Suzman, CEO of Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropic organisation, about why he thinks cuts to global aid spending is costing lives.He says the Foundation has overtaken world governments to become the largest
Simukai Chigudu, African politics professor: I support reparations
Amol Rajan speaks to Simukai Chigudu, associate professor of African Politics at Oxford University about the legacy of empire and how to reckon with the past. A member of the first generation born after the end of colonial rule in Zimbabwe, Simukai Chigudu came to the UK as a teenager and later became one of the founding members of a campaign to try to get the statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes mo
Parmy Olson, AI expert: Who controls the future?
“These companies don't really care what governments do. Their priority is their shareholders, their own existence and the next quarter of growth. There is the possibility that governments can regulate them, but they just don't. They don't regulate them properly. The most they get are multi-billion dollar fines, which sounds like a lot, but actually in the grand scheme of things it's pocket change.
Eric Idle, comedian: Nothing is off limits in comedy
“I think there's nothing off limits [with comedy] because it's subconscious, it's examining things. I find it quite interesting. And Monty Python was particularly good at not allowing ourselves to be censored, although people tried with ‘The Life Of Brian’... But that’s what made it a hit.”John Wilson speaks to English comedian, writer, musician and actor Eric Idle about his life and career.He’s b
Jeremy Hansen, astronaut: Moon mission shows best of humanity
“I hope humanity will stop for a moment when four humans are on the far side of the moon and be reminded that we can do a better job as humans of just lifting each other up. Not destroying, but creating together.”Rebecca Morelle and Tim Peake speak to Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen ahead of the launch of Artemis II.Hansen is one of four crew members of NASA’s latest mission into Space. Launching
Winnie Byanyima, head of UNAids: I am somebody who fights for social justice and gender equality
Winnie Byanyima, head of UNAids. has devoted her life to advancing human rights and equality, first in her home country Uganda, and then on the global stage: “We live in a complex world, a challenging world. I am somebody who fights for social justice and gender equality, and I continue to do so. It's maybe a tough environment, but I do not change my position. I don't alter it at all.”
Part of t
Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s Information Minister: Stopping militant attacks
“I don't think they failed. I think that more work needs to be done. Nigerian security agencies are working around the clock to ensure that this does not happen again. We don't want to see people being attacked, we don't to see people denied sleep as a result of the activities of these criminals and religious extremists.”Victoria Uwonkunda speaks to Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s Information Minister,
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, head of the WTO: What is going on in the Middle East will have a significant impact on trade
“The global economy is full of uncertainty… business doesn't do that well with uncertainty. So with respect to trade… what is going on in the Middle East will have a significant impact on trade”
Ben Thompson speaks to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Director General of the World Trade Organisation.
The global trade system - embodied by the WTO - is supposed to bring countries together by setting and en
Joy Phumaphi, African Leaders Malaria Alliance: Malaria is an all of society challenge
“Malaria is an all of society challenge. When you look at the environmental issues, addressing the breeding sites for mosquitoes, it’s an all of society issue…it is not just the responsibility of the heads of state.”Daniel Dadzie hears from Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, or ALMA.ALMA was founded with the goal of eradicating malaria in Africa by 2030. Now
Nadia Calviño, EIB President: Can Europe compete?
“We put the money where Europe's priorities are. Many people may think defence is about tanks. No, defence is also about energy security. It is about social cohesion and territorial cohesion. That's the European brand. So we need to act in all these areas in order to ensure peace, security, stability on our continent.”
Peter Macjob speaks to Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Ba
Ali Bahreini, Iran’s UN Ambassador: No surrender
“Donald Trump was indicating that they will attack Iran for a few days and then the system will collapse, and then they will repeat what they have done in Venezuela. And everything went into a different direction. The Iranian nation is not a nation to surrender.”
Evan Davis speaks to Ali Bahreini, Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, about the ongoing war. He talks about Iran’s nuclear negot
Alexander Stubb, President of Finland: We live in a world of disorder
“The changing date was the war in Ukraine in February 2022, and then probably the new American administration. So we don't know where the world is going to land. We live a little bit in a world of disorder right now.”Matt Chorley speaks to Alexander Stubb, President of Finland about shifting global priorities and allegiances.President Stubb is known for his good relationship with his American coun
Tracey Emin, artist: I’ve been given a second chance
“When you've been really nihilistic in your life when you're younger, and then you feel you've been given a second chance.”Emma Barnett speaks to artist Dame Tracey Emin about her life and career. Emin rose to fame in the 1990s as a disruptor of the art world, with her works, such as the sculpture ‘My Bed’, gaining widespread media attention. Having been at the forefront of the modern art scene fo
Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk: The two sides of war
“We need to get back to something where freedom of navigation and peaceful navigation is restored, and that will depend on some kind of deal between the two sides in that war.”
Jonathan Josephs speaks to Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk the world’s second largest shipping company.
The conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States has led to the closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz. It’s one
Karim Beguir, co-founder of InstaDeep: People are too gloomy about AI
“People are too gloomy about AI, particularly in the developing world it is seen as a threat, that people are going to be using AI systems, rather than offshoring jobs and the like. That's true, but you could use AI yourself and develop solutions to the challenges you have in your community, in your country, and create unprecedented wealth.”
BBC presenter Ed Butler speaks to Karim Beguir, co-fou
Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to UN: Closing USAID was soft power suicide
“The destruction of USAID is not only one of the cruellest acts that I've seen in my career, but of course also one of the dumbest.”Caitriona Perry speaks to Samantha Power, the former American ambassador to the United Nations. She went on to lead the U.S. Agency for International Development until January 2025 when Donald Trump came to power. President Trump later closed USAID down.She is scathin
Julia Gillard, former Australian PM: The backsliding of gender equality
“One of the things that was going to combat gender inequality in our world was that sense of progress and then to see in the research that actually the younger generation is more conservative on these questions than people my age, that deeply troubled me.”Lucy Hockings speaks to Julia Gillard former Australian PM and chair at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, King’s College London about
Guillermo del Toro, director: I only make movies for art
“I have never made a movie I didn't believe was necessary for me or for someone in the world, whether to entertain or to connect at a spiritual level or something. It's been only done for the art.”John Wilson speaks to Oscar-winning Mexican director, screenwriter, and producer, Guillermo del Toro about his life and career.Born in Guadalajara in 1964, his life suddenly changed at the age of five af
Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN deputy director for women: Africa must prioritise water over war
“Africa is flowing with resources from oil, diamonds, critical minerals. But at times we find that in our cities, at the bus stations, there's no toilets with running water in a continent which is rich with possibilities. So it's how that intentionality, that political will, to put resources to what matters most.”Daniel Dadzie speaks to Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN Assistant Secretary-General an
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine: We will not lose this war
“We stand and fight for survival. We are an independent state. We will definitely not lose this war”Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s International Editor, speaks to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview marking the fourth anniversary of the Ukraine war. Official figures put the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed at 55,000 since the full-scale Russian invasion began, but that is believ
Boris Johnson and Sir Tony Radakin: Ukrainians are heroes
Laura Kuenssberg speaks to former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and former head of the British Armed Forces, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, about the war in Ukraine.Johnson was in Downing Street four years ago, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. As one of the driving forces behind the West’s initial response, he has been critical of the slowness of allies in providing support to Presi
José Andrés, chef and humanitarian: Food is a human right
“Food is a human right that should be supported by everybody, no children should go to bed hungry, even less in a conflict."
Caitriona Perry speaks to José Andrés world-renowned chef and humanitarian.
Andrés was born in Spain and trained as a chef before moving to the United States, where he helped popularise Spanish cuisine and built a global restaurant empire.
He later founded World Centr
Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister: US giving conflicting signals
“They have said in private conversation through Oman that they're interested to have this matter being resolved through peaceful means. But at the same time, one can question why the American forces are building up around Iran, why they are using threats, why they resorting to intimidation.”Lyse Doucet speaks to Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, in an interview recorded before
Gisèle Pelicot: Shame must be carried by the accused, not the victims
**This episode contains distressing details of rape and sexual assault**Gisèle Pelicot: “I wanted the shame to shift to the other side…Shame must be carried by the accused, not the victims.”Victoria Derbyshire speaks to Gisèle Pelicot, the woman at the centre of France's largest ever rape trial.In 2024 her husband and 50 other men were convicted of raping and assaulting her. For years, Mr Pelicot
Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist: We're at a tipping point for kids and technology
"There is a public health disaster. There is an education disaster. It all can be traced to the same cause, which is the change technology has made in our kids' childhood."Amol Rajan speaks to the American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. In 2024 his book The Anxious Generation sparked a fierce debate about the impact of social media and technology on young people. Haidt believes it's behind th
Dame Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury: Working in partnership with others
Aleem Maqbool speaks to Dame Sarah Mullally, shortly before being confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury. She's the first woman ever to lead the Church of England.
It is a tough time for the Church and its leader who has to hold together people with a broad range of opinions across the Anglican Communion, one of the largest Christian communities in the world.
Dame Sarah's election has upset som
Azar Nafisi, author: Iranians are fighting for their freedom
'What the regime does to women is even if they don't kill us, when you stop a woman from being herself, stop her from speaking the way she wants to or stop her from connecting, it’s a kind of murder. And so we're fighting for our existence. We're fighting our survival.’Svetlana Reiter speaks to the Iranian-American writer, Azar Nafisi, about the current instability in the country of her birth as I
Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, South African health minister: The fight against HIV/AIDS continues.
“Even though we say we want to be self-sufficient, we don't think global solidarity must be dropped. Because if it gets dropped, the world will be in trouble.”Mayeni Jones the BBC’s Africa correspondent speaks to Dr Aaron Motsoaledi South Africa’s health minister a year on since the US announced foreign aid cuts. At the time he called the USAID freeze a wake up call for Africa. Dr Motsoaledi, ha
Henrique Capriles, Venezuelan opposition leader: What comes next for Venezuela?
“Most Venezuelans are thinking about the future: Will things improve? Will deep changes come? Will we reunite as a people with our history, dreams, and hopes?”BBC correspondent Norberto Paredes speaks to Henrique Capriles, a Venezuelan opposition leader, about his vision for a new Venezuela.In the aftermath of President Maduro’s capture by the United States, Henrique Capriles is one of the key pol
Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner: Keep kids away from social media until they are ready
Katy Watson speaks to Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner about the country’s social media ban for under 16s: “To keep kids away until they're ready, I think that is the monumental circuit breaker move that we need to move to,” she says.Brought up in Seattle, North America Julie has spent her career in the technology sector working for Microsoft, Twitter and Adobe in public policy
Hind Kabawat, Syrian Minister: It is hard to be the only woman, I feel lonely
'It's hard to be the only woman, I feel lonely sometimes because I’d like to have another woman colleague to talk to.’The BBC’s Chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet speaks to Hind Kabawat, Syria’s Minister for Social Affairs and Labour. and the only female minister in the transitional government.She was born in India and grew up across the Middle East and Europe. Her life has been shaped
Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv: We're fighting to survive
‘We're fighting to survive in our home town, in our country, and at the same time we're fighting for our future, for our independence’Nick Robinson speaks to Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv, about Ukraine’s war with Russia as it approaches its fourth year.Born behind the Iron Curtain in 1971, he’s arguably best-known as a former heavyweight boxing world champion who made his name in the ring durin
Helen Thompson, professor of political economy: A new era of global power politics
“Regardless of whether it's Trump or anybody else in the White House, we should expect something quite significant to be going on in terms of the United States’ relationship with the rest of the world.”Amol Rajan speaks to Helen Thompson, professor of political economy at Cambridge University, about a new era of global power play. In this conversation, she traces the roots of the re-birth of US ex
Nicholas Opiyo, human rights lawyer: Ugandans want change
‘All they have seen is a 40-year rule that has resulted in high unemployment rates, poor services, and an increased violation of human rights. This young population is yearning to see a different president, a different kind of Uganda.’Catherine Byaruhanga speaks to human rights lawyer and activist Nicholas Opiyo about Ugandan politics, the rule of law, and the impact of 40 years of one leader on t
Chloé Zhao, director: I was an outsider
‘It's so far from your reality because I didn't know anybody and I was an immigrant’Anita Rani speaks to the Beijing-born director Chloé Zhao about her career and her latest film, Hamnet.Zhao made history in 2021 when, at the age of just 39, she became the first woman of colour - and, at the time, only the second woman ever - to win the best director award at the Oscars.Now, just five years after
Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General: The threat to international law from power
“There are those that believe the power of law should be replaced by the law of power”Anna Foster speaks to Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, about the threat to international law from states acting through power and influence instead, in particular America. Defending the rule of law is necessary, he says, if we are to have a better world.He also sets out the case for refo
Karol Nawrocki, Polish President: Europe has lost its way
Nick Robinson speaks to Polish President Karol Nawrocki about Trump, Russia and the future of Europe.A historian and a boxer by background, he was elected in June 2025 with the support of Poland’s conservative opposition Law and Justice Party.A social conservative and devout Catholic, he is also an outspoken critic of the European Union and staunch supporter of Donald Trump, believing that the US
Gustavo Petro, Colombian President: US military action is a real threat
I do believe US military action is a real threat, and the prospect of removing it depends on the ongoing conversations. The BBC’s South America correspondent Ione Wells speaks to Gusatvo Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president about his fears of US military action against his country. Petro, a former guerrilla fighter turned reformist leader, has been in office since 2022, championing social
Arminka Helic, campaigner against sexual violence in war: Rape is used as part of genocide
“Rape and sexual violence against women and girls, babies, men and boys, is used as a part of ethnic cleansing and genocide.”We are in a new era where human rights have been replaced by trade and big businesses and they have almost entirely depleted our ability to show humanity to people on the other side.Lucy Hockings speaks to Baroness Arminka Helic, Member of the House of Lords and campaigner f
Gabriel Zuchtreigel, Director of Pompeii: Archaeology is the most democratic form of history
Michael Berkeley speaks to Gabriel Zuchtreigel, Director of Pompeii in Southern Italy, one of the world’s most important archaeological sites.History, he says, comes alive through archaeology, helping us to appreciate our shared humanity with those who lived thousands of years ago, and providing a more democratic way of learning about the past. Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that erupted and buried P
Mustafa Suleyman, Artificial Intelligence pioneer: People should be healthily afraid of AI
BBC presenter Amol Rajan speaks to the British artificial intelligence entrepreneur Mustafa Suleyman, Chief Executive of Microsoft AI.He believes in the enormous potential of AI to be a force for good in the world, changing how we live and work for the better. He is committed to developing a humanist superintelligence, one that always works to serve people and never vice versa. But he remains clea
Nigel Casey, UK ambassador to Russia: No communication is extremely dangerous
Steve Rosenberg, the BBC’s Russia editor, speaks to Nigel Casey, the UK’s ambassador to Russia, about the challenges of working in Moscow on behalf of a government that views President Putin’s Russia as a threat to Britain. He believes this job is one of the most challenging - and important - of his career.
In a wide ranging conversation, the ambassador describes his life in Moscow over the last
