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

  1. DEC 13

    David Harewood

    David Harewood, who turned sixty this week, returns as Othello for the third time on stage. It’s a role he first took on in 1997, becoming the first black actor to play the part at London’s National Theatre. Growing up in multicultural Birmingham in the sixties and seventies, he was born to immigrants from Barbados. Described as gregarious by his teachers at school, Harewood showed an interest in entertaining from an early age and subsequently trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts. In his early twenties, he had a psychotic breakdown, something he spoke about in a recent documentary. A string of roles in TV and film followed. And then came his breakthrough role as CIA agent David Estes in the acclaimed hit US TV show Homeland. Mark Coles looks back at his career. Contributors Gary Turner – childhood friend Pete Mortiboys – school physical education teacher Jeremy Harrison – Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts (RADA) classmate and friend Afua Hirsch – broadcaster, journalist and author of the book Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging Tom Morris – Theatre director and colleague Toby Jones – Actor and colleague Production Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Ben Carter, Laura Cain Editor: Nick Holland and Justine Lang Sound: Gareth Jones Archive Audio of David Harewood as Othello, 2025, Theatre Royal Haymarket, clean from trailer David Harewood: Psychosis and Me documentary, 2019, for BBC, production company: Films Of Record Limited

    15 min
  2. NOV 22

    Marjorie Taylor Greene

    Marjorie Taylor Greene is a darling of MAGA. But this week a disagreement with Trump over the Epstein files has seen him brand her as a traitor. Born in 1974 in the suburbs of Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene had a conventional upbringing. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Business Administration, and later owned her family’s construction business and a stake in a CrossFit gym. But like so many Americans, Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign was a turning point for Marjorie Taylor Greene. In 2020, the newly-styled ‘MTG’ ran for election in her home state, winning a seat to the House of Representatives. Soon she was a recognised name on the national stage, known for her provocative style and endorsement of conspiracy theories. In the years since, MTG has aligned herself so closely with the president that some called her ‘Trump in heels’. But her campaigning for the release of the Epstein files has caused a rift between her and her one-time hero. Stephen Smith spoke to Professor Gina Yannitel Reinhardt, senior POLITICO staff writer Michael Kruse, QAnon expert Gabriel Gatehouse, political scientist Andra Gillespie and Atlanta Journal Constitution columnist Patricia Murphy, about career, her life in politics and what this rift could mean for her future. Production Presenter: Stephen Smith Producers: Sally Abrahams, Phoebe Keane, Mhairi MacKenzie Editor: Justine Lang Sound: Rod Farquhar Archive CNN interview with Marjorie Taylor Greene, 16 November 2025 Bloomberg News: Marjorie Taylor Green speech in the House of Representatives, 4 February 2021 ‘Marjorie Taylor Greene Confronts David Hogg’, @marjorietaylorgreene6928, 21 January 2020 The Newsagents interview with Marjorie Taylor Greene, 6 March 2024

    15 min
  3. NOV 15

    David Hockney

    David Hockney is arguably Britain’s most loved living artist. He's known as a colourful character, not only because of his vibrant, colour rich paintings of Californian landscapes, glittering blue pools, and thick Yorkshire woodlands, but also his own carefully curated image from the 1960s- bright blond hair and oversized thick black round glasses. He was born in Bradford in 1937, and knew by the age of 10 he wanted to be an artist. He studied at the Royal College of Art, and by his mid 20s he was key player in London’s bohemian pop-art scene. He then moved to LA in pursuit of sunshine and inspiration. He delights in using new technology to create; from the polaroid, to the fax machine, and his iPad. Now, more than 60 years into his career, aged 88, David Hockney is not slowing down. His image has recently been depicted by drones in a light-show in the skies above Bradford, in a colourful tribute to the city’s most famous son. Becky Milligan speaks to his muse, the textile designer Celia Birtwell, art historian Marco Livingstone, dancer and contemporary Wayne Sleep and art critic Waldemar Januszczak. Production Presenter: Becky Milligan Producers: Ben Crighton, Mhairi MacKenzie and Marie Lennon Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele Editor: Justine Lang Sound Editor: Gareth Jones Archive BBC Imagine…Summer 2009: David Hockney – A Bigger Picture (Coluga Pictures) BBC The Interview: David Hockney - A Life in Art (2025) “Joie de Vivre” clip courtesy of Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (2011)

    15 min
4.1
out of 5
98 Ratings

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

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