20 Questions With

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.  

20 Questions With Sir Simon Schama

Sir Simon Schama is one of Britain's most famous historians. He is both a heavyweight academic and a teller of history who can communicate to millions on BBC television with his energetic and engaging style. Born into the rubble of the closing stages of the Second World War, Schama has himself lived through the struggle for freedom that gripped the second half of the 20th century. As battles that once seemed won now resurface, his new series, 'The History of Now', is a deeply personal account of the challenges that continue to face humanity. In this episode of 20 Questions With, Schama offers us precious insights into the importance of history, how he does what he does, and his perspective on where we're at as a world.