20 Questions With
I’m Matt Stadlen and for 20 years I’ve been talking to and interviewing public figures from around the world. In this series I’ll be interviewing famous names from every walk of life and with a broad range of views, politics and perspectives. Every guest will get 20 questions, and the plan is for you to have a better sense of each of them by the end of their interview.
Episodes
Thursday Nov 03, 2022
Thursday Nov 03, 2022
Peter Hain, a veteran of the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and now a Labour peer, talks to me about what New Labour got right and wrong and how it contributed to Brexit. He discusses his friendship with Nelson Mandela, his own role in the anti-Apartheid struggle, climate change activism, Keir Starmer's leadership, his love of Wales, his new novel about poaching and corruption in South Africa, and what makes for a perfect Peter Hain evening.
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Crime writer Sir Ian Rankin is one of the best-selling authors in the UK. Internationally famous for his Rebus books, he talks to me about the latest, A Heart Full Of Headstones, how he writes, his childhood, his mental health, his passions, his advice for aspiring writers and his top tips for a happy marriage.
Monday Oct 24, 2022
Monday Oct 24, 2022
Femi is a political campaigner who made his name while opposing Brexit. In this episode we talk Brexit, the British voting system, Keir Starmer, Nigel Farage, racism, social media, social life, how he makes a living, and what the man behind the activist is really like.
Thursday Oct 20, 2022
Thursday Oct 20, 2022
Alan Johnson left school at 15 but went on to be a Secretary of State in five departments in the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown: Work and Pensions, Trade, Education, Health and the Home Office. Many think he'd have made a brilliant Prime Minister, but instead he left politics and has become a multiple award-winning author, writing memoirs and now novels. In other lives he was a budding pop star, a postman and a trade unionist. In the first episode of 20 Questions, Johnson talks to me about his life, Labour, Keir Starmer, The Beatles, writing, how he unwinds and why he doesn't hate Tories.