Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

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Award-winning LBC presenter and best-selling author James O’Brien hosts a series of compelling conversations with fascinating people from the worlds of politics, news and entertainment. These are thoughtful conversations with a curious and interested interviewer. For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: dax@global.com

5 DAYS AGO

Dan Snow: I'd die if my kids said they wanted to be broadcasters

Dan Snow makes history exciting. Whether it’s through his award-winning documentaries, bestselling books, or popular podcast History Hit, he has a gift for bringing the past to life and showing us why it still matters today. Coming from a family of celebrated journalists—his father is broadcaster Peter Snow and his mother is Canadian journalist Ann MacMillan - Dan was immersed in storytelling from an early age. But what sets him apart isn’t just his passion for history, it’s his ability to look ahead. Spotting how storytelling and broadcasting were changing, he launched History Hit, a streaming platform that’s redefined how we engage with history. In this episode, Dan talks about growing up in a journalist household, his dad’s attempt to steer him away from broadcasting and why he decided to break away from traditional media. Dan’s new book The Story of England: The Making of a Nation is out now.

1h 2m
15 NOV

Rupert Everett: “I stuck out like a sore thumb in Hollywood"

For thirty-six year, James has been chasing this interview and now, he's finally secured it. Actor, writer and director Rupert Everett joins him to talk about the highs and lows of his extraordinary 40-year career in show business. Rupert discovered performing when he was a young boy and got a thrill from showing off in school plays at Ampleforth College - so much so, that he left school at 15 to pursue a career in acting. His breakout role came in 1981 when he was cast as Guy Bennett in Another Country. He went on to find fame in Hollywood, starring opposite Julia Roberts in My Best Friend's Wedding. Despite his success, Rupert admits he lacked the confidence to fully embrace Hollywood. He continued working in films and theatre but started to concentrate more on his writing. After a decade in the making, he released his first screenplay The Happy Prince in 2018 - a deeply personal project which he also directed and starred in.

56 min
8 NOV

James Rebanks: The shepherd who tells the stories of ordinary, extraordinary people

Growing up on a Lake District farm that had been in his family for centuries, James Rebanks always knew his place in the world. School wasn't for him - he felt his teachers looked down on farming and his grandparents worried education might lure him away from the land. By the age of 15, he had left school with just two O-Levels to work full-time on the family farm. But in the evenings, a new world opened up to him as he read through the books on his mum's bookshelves. Inspired, James began reading everything he could. In his twenties, he went to night school and then got a place at Oxford University where he graduated with a double first in history. Today, James is a bestselling author, telling the stories of the "nobodies" - ordinary people living extraordinary lives, who like him, are deeply rooted in the land. A farmer and a writer, James has managed to carve out a unique space as both a man of letters and man of the soil. His latest book, The Place of Tides is available now.

59 min
1 NOV

Hanif Kureishi: A freak accident left me paralysed - and it broke me

"I really need a future. What happened to me is so dark and so depressing that I've got to believe in something." On Boxing Day 2022, Hanif Kureishi's life changed forever. The acclaimed novelist and playwright had a fall that left him paralysed, a single, shattering moment that split his life in two. In this episode, Hanif tells James about the life he lived before the accident and what's happened since. Hanif has written about this extraordinary experience in his new book, Shattered, a deeply personal account of the accident and its profound aftermath. Shattered is available to buy now. This episode contains offensive language and sensitive topic discussions including racism. Listener discretion is advised.

59 min
25 OCT

Michel Roux: Cooking for presidents, kitchen battles and continuing the family legacy

One of Britain’s most celebrated French chefs, Michel Roux Jr is restaurant royalty. Born into the legendary Roux family, his father and uncle, Albert and Michel Roux Snr founded Le Gavroche, the first British restaurant to earn three Michelin stars. Determined to follow in their footsteps, Michel left school at 16 to begin a pastry apprenticeship in Paris and later trained under the legendary Alain Chapel. Despite his father’s attempts to bring him into the family business, Michel initially resisted working at Le Gavroche. When he finally joined, it proved to be extremely tough but rewarding. In this episode, Michel talks about growing up at Fairlawne - grand country estate, the pressures of living up to his family's legacy and why he's left behind his "angry chef" persona.

58 min
18 OCT

Sir David Jason: "I’m addicted to an audience"

"I wasn’t driven by being famous, I was driven by being successful. I wanted to be recognised by my peers, people who I considered ‘posh actors’”. Award-winning actor and bestselling author, Sir David White, is better known by his stage name David Jason. His career has spanned over 50 years, and is best known for his iconic roles Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses and Jack Frost in A Touch of Frost. His childhood dream of becoming an actor was ‘crushed’ by his father, who couldn’t afford to support his acting career after his brother was accepted to RADA. David spent years as an electrician, whilst learning his craft in amateur theatre. In this episode David talks about his passion for performance, the heartbreak of losing a role in Dad’s Army and why he’s addicted to making audiences laugh. His latest memoir This Time Next Year is out now.

1h 5m
11 OCT

William Dalrymple: A life shaped by history

"I'm that lucky guy who found his hobby and was able to turn it into a job." William Dalrymple is a multi-award winning and bestselling historian. Growing up on the Dalrymple family estate in North Berwick, with an almost Edwardian childhood, William was sent off to Ampleforth College at just eight years old. It was there that his passion for history grew and he spent his free time on archaeological digs and getting lost in history books. William has gone on to turn that childhood fascination into an incredible career. He has written numerous bestselling books including White Mughals and The Last Mughals. His latest book The Golden Road is out now.

1h 2m
4 OCT

Graeme Park: How I accidentally became a resident DJ at the Hacienda

Graeme Park is a legendary DJ and one of the founders of the UK's house music movement. Best known for his nine-year residency at Manchester's iconic superclub, The Hacienda, Graeme's journey into DJing was far from planned. In fact, he stumbled into it almost by accident. However, his passion for sharing the music he loved had a huge impact on the dance scene of the 80s and 90s, influencing a generation of club-goers, including sixteen year old James O'Brien. Today, Graeme continues to perform to fans old and new around the world. He also DJs alongside the Manchester Camerata Orchestra as part of the Hacienda Classical shows, which have been touring the UK since 2016 and even opened the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2017. You can find out more details about Graeme's upcoming gigs on thisisgraemepark.com

1h 3m

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Award-winning LBC presenter and best-selling author James O’Brien hosts a series of compelling conversations with fascinating people from the worlds of politics, news and entertainment. These are thoughtful conversations with a curious and interested interviewer. For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: dax@global.com