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An insight into the character of an influential figure making news headlines

  1. −15 h

    Rupert Lowe

    Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe is the newest disruptor in right-wing politics but the path he has taken to get there is a familiar one. Born in Oxford in 1957 Lowe attended an elite all boys boarding school before studying for a degree in Estate Management. After university he was a commodity broker in the City and went to Japan to work in securities but when British football clubs emerged as attractive financial assets in the 1990's he became chair of Southampton after a reverse takeover. Lowe resigned in 2006 after a decade in charge – having been blamed by many fans for relegation in 2005 after 27 years in the top flight. He made a return but resigned again in 2009 as the club’s holding company went into administration. Next he decided to try his hand at politics. In 2019 Lowe became an MEP for the Brexit Party before switching to national politics after the UK left the EU in 2020, this time for Reform UK. In 2024 he became MP for Great Yarmouth but after falling out with Reform leader Nigel Farage he became an independent MP and launched his own party, Restore Britain. Production: Presenter: Becky Milligan Producers: Annabel Deas and Mhairi Mackenzie Production Coordinator: Maria Ogondele Sound: James Beard Editor: Justine Lang Credits: @bedbox via YouTube, Rock Against Rupert - Rupert Lowe Michael Wilde out protest (1 February 2009) Channel 4, Reform UK infighting escalates as Farage and Lowe trade blows (9 March 2025) Channel 5 Vanessa, Is it wrong to put your pet down yourself? (24 June 2025) GB News, Rupert Lowe - ‘I wouldn’t hire Boris Johnson for my organisation’ (5 December 2021) Restore Britain, Rupert Lowe - Restore Britain Launch Speech (14 February 2026) Sky News, Restore Britain leader: Farage 'tried to politically assassinate me' (18 June 2026) The News Agents, Rupert Lowe- In His Own Words (15 March 2025) The Spectator, Farage - Lowe is ‘a vengeful man’ (9 June 2026)

    14 min

  2. 13 juni

    Harry Kane

    Next week, Harry Kane will lead the England men’s squad into their first game of the 2026 World Cup. Kane has a wealth of experience behind him - he is England’s all-time record goalscorer and has also racked up an extraordinary tally at his current club, Germany’s Bayern Munich. Kane is at the top of his game, but his ascent has been anything but smooth. Born in east London in 1993, Kane developed a near-obsessive love for the beautiful game. It was a passion he shared with his childhood sweetheart, Kate, who later became his wife. At the age of eight, Kane joined Arsenal’s academy, only to be released after one season. Then, after signing for Tottenham Hotspur, he spent years out on loan to the likes of Leyton Orient, Norwich City and Millwall. So how did Kane go from underestimated youngster to world-class striker? Mark Coles looks back at Harry’s life and career so far.

    15 min

  3. 6 juni

    Maggie O'Farrell

    Maggie O'Farrell was born in Northern Ireland in 1972. Keen to move away from The Troubles, her father took a job at the University of Wales and the family moved to Bridgend when Maggie was a child. At the age of eight she was hospitalised with encephalitis. She didn't attend school during this time but instead she discovered literature. The family then moved to Scotland. After her A' Level's, Maggie O'Farrell travelled south to Cambridge University to study, what else, English Literature. In her twenties she became a journalist working at the Independent on Sunday but her ambitions lay elsewhere. At the age of twenty eight O'Farrell published her first novel 'After You’d Gone'. Her writing has been described as lyrical, intimate and sensory, writing in a way that physically immerses the reader in a scene. In 2020 she published Hamnet, her greatest literary success to date, as the world went into lockdown. In 2025 the novel was adapted into a film, directed by Chloe Zhao who describes O'Farrell as someone "interested in the land, the earth, the body and what's hidden underneath". Production: Presenter: Stephen Smith Producers: Annabel Deas, Bethan Ashmead and Wedaeli Chibelushi Production coordinators: Maria Ogondele and Sabine Schereck Sound: James Beard Editor: Justine Lang

    15 min

  4. 30 maj

    Itamar Ben-Gvir

    Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has received international condemnation after he posted a video showing himself taunting activists kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs on board a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted by Israeli naval forces. His actions also drew rare criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said they were "not in line with Israel's values". But the incident is not the first time Ben-Gvir has attracted widespread criticism. Born in 1976 in Jerusalem, Itamar Ben-Gvir became radicalised during the First Palestinian Intifada against Israeli occupation. He became a follower of the far right politician Meir Kahane and was frequently arrested for various petty crimes. Unable to join the Israeli Army due to his criminal record, he later became a lawyer where he notoriously defended Jewish arsonists who had set fire to a Palestinian home killing two young parents and their 18-month-old son. In 2021 Ben-Gvir won a seat in the Knesset and following a period of political instability where Benjamin Netanyahu turned to two far right parties to form a coalition to form a government, Itamar Ben-Gvir became National Security minister of Israel. Contributors: Leonie Fleishmann - Senior Lecturer, International Politics and Human Rights, City St George's University of London Ruth Margalit - Contributing writer for New York Times magazine and the New Yorker Dvir Kariv - Former Isreali intelligence officer Production: Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Annabel Deas and Bethan Ashmead Production coordinators: Maria Ogondele and Sabine Schereck Sound: Neil Churchill Editor: Justine Lang

    15 min

  5. 23 maj

    Rhun ap Iorwerth

    Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth has been confirmed as Wales' first minister, calling it "the greatest privilege of my life". Born in Tonteg in south-east Wales, ap Iorwerth moved to Anglesey as a young child. His father was a teacher, prominent singer and composer, and an active campaigner for Plaid Cymru. His mother was also a teacher and went on to become president of several organisations promoting the Welsh language. After graduating from Cardiff University ap Iorwerth became a journalist and spent two decades as a reporter and presenter with BBC Wales. But in 2013, following the death of his mother, he left broadcasting and successfully contested the Ynys Môn by-election, winning the Anglesey seat in the Senedd. When the Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price resigned in 2023 ap Iorwerth quickly emerged as the obvious successor for many in the party. He was elected unopposed, at the age of 50. Three years later he has become the first Welsh minister from Plaid Cymru. Presenter: Becky Milligan Producers: Annabel Deas and Bethan Ashmead Editor: Justine Lang Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele, Sabine Schereck Sound Designer: James Beard

    15 min

  6. 16 maj

    Christopher Harborne

    British cryptocurrency investor and billionaire Christopher Harborne made headlines when it was revealed he gave £5million to Reform Party leader Nigel Farage before he was an MP. Last year Harborne also gave a single donation of £9m to Reform UK - the biggest ever donation to a UK political party by a living person. He has also previously donated to the Brexit Party and the Conservatives. Very little is known about the Cambridge-educated businessman, who is also known as Chakrit Sakunkrit. So how did he make his fortune? And why is he so interested in British politics when he has lived abroad for the last few decades? Mark Coles talks to journalists Tom Burgis and Ceri Thomas, and family friend Mark Vellacott, to paint a picture of one of the most powerful men funding British politics. Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Keiligh Baker, Beth Ashmead Latham, Kirsteen Knight Editor: Matt Willis Programme Coordinators: Sabine Schereck, Maria Ogundele Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill

    14 min

  7. 9 maj

    Jamie Oliver

    Nearly 30 years ago, Jamie Oliver hit British TV screens with The Naked Chef, beginning a career arc that has seen him become a bestselling author and social campaigner. He started helping out in his parents' pub aged just eight, and struggled at school, but after making the move into cookery he flourished, first in top kitchens and then behind the camera. Cultural ubiquity and campaigning documentaries followed, though his business fortunes took a significant hit after his Jamie's Italian chain collapsed in 2019. Seven years later, he's betting that he's learnt from his mistakes, as he relaunchs the chain. At the same time his campaigning over school food standards has started to bear fruit again. Stephen Smith speaks to those who know Jamie Oliver best. Contributors Genarro Contaldo - chef and mentor Elişa Roche - chef and former participant in 'Jamie's Kitchen' documentary Giles Coren - food critic and friend Ed Loftus - Global Restaurant Group Director for the Jamie Oliver Group Sheila Dillon - presenter of Radio 4's The Food Programme Archive: ITV This Morning interview with Jamie Oliver An Italian Christmas: Recipes from the River Cafe (BBC) The Naked Chef (BBC and Optomen Television) Jamie’s Kitchen (Channel 4, Talkback Productions and Fresh One Productions) Presenter: Stephen Smith Producers: Beth Ashmead Latham, Nathan Gower, Tom Gillett Editor: Justine Lang Programme Coordinators: Rosie Strawbridge, Sabine Schereck, Maria Ogundele Sound Engineer: James Beard

    15 min

  8. 2 maj

    Emily Thornberry

    Dame Emily Thornberry, Labour MP and the influential head of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, is in the hot seat as the committee continues its ongoing investigation - dubbed ‘Scandelson’ scrutinising - into the circumstances behind Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador. Born in Guildford in 1960 her mother was a teacher and her father an academic who would go on to be a UN Assistant Secretary General. When Emily was seven her father walked out on the family leaving her mother with no income and three children to look after. They were made homeless and moved to a council estate. After A Levels she studied law and qualified as a barrister in the mid 80s and spent 20 years as a human rights barrister at the chambers of Michael Mansfield KC. She was first elected as a Labour MP in 2005. She has since been re-elected 5 times and held a number of Shadow Cabinet positions including Defence, Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Attorney General. But when Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister to many people’s surprise there was no ministerial job for Emily. Now, as chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, she has the power to scrutinise government decisions and appointments; a role that has seen her grilling members of her own party in recent weeks. Mark Coles looks back on her life. Contributors: Michael Mansfield KC Dawn Butler MP Sir Jeremey Hunt MP Lord Christopher Smith Jim Thornberry Archive : Devil Wears Prada 2 trailer - 20th Century Studios / Wendy Finerman Productions / Sunswept Entertainment Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Tom Gillett and Nathan Gower Editor: Justine Lang Sound mix: Neil Churchill Production co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Rosie Strawbridge

    15 min
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An insight into the character of an influential figure making news headlines

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  • Skapad av
    BBC Radio 4
  • Aktiva år
    2007 - 2026
  • Avsnitt
    687
  • Åldersgräns
    Barnvänligt
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    © (C) BBC 2026
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