20 Questions With

20 Questions With Clare Mackintosh

Clare Mackintosh is a best-selling, award-winning crime writer, famous for 'I Let You Go' and the novels that have followed. Once a senior police officer, she reveals the sadness she felt - and still feels - at leaving her former career behind, discusses the success she's had as a writer and describes how having been a policewoman has influenced her writing. She talks about her empathy for offenders, her desire to change the world, what it was like to be a woman in the police, and her frustration at corrupt officers. In this very personal interview, Clare takes us behind the scenes in her life and offers insights into how she has reached the top in her new job. 

20 Questions With Jess Phillips MP

Jess Phillips is known for holding power to account, her high impact speeches in the House of Commons and for her passionate championing of women in the face of widespread abuse and violence. Here she explains why she's in politics, talks about her ambition and liking attention, reveals how her husband keeps her grounded, speaks of her friendships with Tories, explains what needs to be done to protect women in Britain, tells us what Keir Starmer is really like, offers her take on Labour's chances at the next General Election and gives her verdict on who would be more fun on a night out - the Labour shadow front bench or the Conservative cabinet. 

20 Questions With James Holland

Would the Allies have won the war without Winston Churchill? Would America have joined in without Pearl Harbour? How closely did Nazi Germany and Japan coordinate? How significant was the campaign in North Africa? Which was more traumatic for Britain, World War I or World War II? Why does history matter? In this episode of 20 Questions, historian, presenter and podcaster James Holland gives his answers and shares his passions. 

20 Questions With Peter Reid

Peter Reid is a legend of English football. Famous for failing to catch Diego Maradona as the Argentine master scored one of the greatest goals of all time in the infamous World Cup quarterfinal of 1986, he wasn't a bad player himself. He won the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1985, the same year he won the league and European Cup Winner's Cup with Everton. He would go on to manage clubs including Manchester City, Sunderland and Leeds and become a well known pundit, too. Here he talks of the dreams he has about trying to catch Maradona, being teased by his grandson, playing against George Best, Bobby Moore, Peter Osgood and Billy Bremner, how he got the best out of players as a player and coach, growing up in poverty in Liverpool, his values, why he backs Labour rather than the Tories, his views on austerity, his passions outside football and his love of life. 

20 Questions With Adil Ray

Adil Ray is famous for lots of things: for interviewing politicians robustly on Good Morning Britain, playing Mr Khan in his BBC One sitcom, Citizen Khan, and for presenting the game show, Lingo. Here he takes us behind the scenes of his work, explains how he deals with hate on Twitter, recalls the racism he experienced growing up as a British Muslim in Birmingham, and is forced to choose between his twin passions of Aston Villa and cricket. He explains why he feels so strongly about issues such as the Channel crossings, discrimination and mental health, and talks about the impact of his childhood on his trust in relationships. 

20 Questions With Richard Herring

Richard Herring is a comedian, podcaster, interviewer and writer. Once part of the comedy double act, Lee and Herring, with Stewart Lee, he's long since established himself as a solo act, although he's maybe best known for his interviews with comedians and other stars in his Leicester Square Theatre Podcast. Here he talks about what makes a good podcast, how he finds his material, the blog he's written every day since 2002, his obsession with sex, his experience of testicular cancer, the importance of family, the power of the audience, being taught by his father, who was headmaster of his state school, and breaking into comedy at Oxford. 
(This episode includes a brief reference to suicide. If you need someone to talk to, you can call Samaritans on 116 123).

20 Questions With Dr Rachel Clarke

Rachel Clarke is a palliative care doctor, writer and campaigner. Here she describes her experiences of a National Health Service (and social care system) in crisis, the low morale of staff and the suffering of patients. She criticises what she sees as years of Tory underinvestment in the NHS and accuses the government of ignoring the realities of her and her colleagues. Dr Clarke talks powerfully about the challenges she and many others faced during the height of the Covid pandemic, and reflects on the use of lockdowns. She also speaks movingly of what it's like to care for and treat people nearing the end of their life, extols the power of music, and explains why she doesn't fear her own death. 

20 Questions With Dr Guy Leschziner

Ever wondered what sleep is? What its role is? What's going on when we're dreaming? What explains sleep-walking? Curious to learn more about pain and its relationship with our bodies? Want to know more about our senses? Dr Guy Leschziner is a consultant neurologist and clinical lead for the Sleep Disorders Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London. Here he shares some his understanding of sleep, pain and how our minds work, and gives his verdict on the crisis in the NHS.

20 Questions With Iain Dale

Iain Dale is an LBC presenter, podcast host, writer and editor. In this deeply personal interview he takes us behind the scenes of his radio show, shares what it was like coming out to his parents at 40, explains why he voted for Brexit and that he hasn't changed his mind, describes the importance of empathy as a phone-in host, talks about being friends with people who have different views to himself and reveals whether he's still a Tory. He also discusses crying on air, his stint as a hospital porter in Germany and his idyllic childhood in rural Essex. 

20 Questions With Robin Ince

Robin Ince is a comedian and writer who stars with Professor Brian Cox on The Infinite Monkey Cage on the BBC. Here, Robin explains his curiosity in the world around him, talks about what he understands to be the meaning of life, discusses his love of books, explains how he goes about making radio and appearing on stage in front of audiences large and small, and reveals why he wants to make people happy.