Shows / The Interview
The Interview
Conversations with people shaping our world, from all around the globe. Listen to The Interview for the best conversations from the BBC, the world's most trusted international news provider. We hear from titans of business, politics, finance, sport and culture. Global leaders, decision-makers and cultural icons. Politicians, activists and CEOs. Each interview is around 20-minutes, packed full of insight and analysis, covering some of the biggest issues of our time. How does it work? Well, at…
Episodes
- The Interview
Fiona Hill: What did Trump mean for America and the world?
The Trump Presidency challenged many public officials to make a choice: obey directives from the White House against their better judgment, or take a stand and…
- The Interview
Fatih Birol: Can greenhouse gas emissions be eliminated?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency. He believes greenhouse gas emissions can effectively be eliminated…
- The Interview
Bruno Le Maire: Is France looking for a new economic direction?
Stephen Sackur speaks to French finance minister Bruno Le Maire. France is in recovery mode after the damaging impact of Covid but is struggling to deliver on…
- The Interview
Ariel Dorfman: Ghosts of the past
Stephen Sackur speaks to the acclaimed novelist and playwright Ariel Dorfman. His life has been shaped by political upheaval and exile. He fled Chile after…
- The Interview
David Baddiel, Comedian and writer
Stephen Sackur speaks to writer and comedian David Baddiel, who has a gift for finding the funny in some of the darkest corners of the human psyche. Now he is…
- The Interview
Andrew Forrest: Mega-polluter turned climate revolutionary
Stephen Sackur speaks to Andrew Forrest, an Australian billionaire mining magnate who is using a chunk of his fortune to push a green, hydrogen-based energy…
- The Interview
Henry Marsh: A doctor arguing for assisted dying
Stephen Sackur speaks to brain surgeon Henry Marsh whose book “Do No Harm” became a bestseller. Now he is confronting his own advanced cancer, and lobbying for…
- The Interview
Philippe Sands: Is international justice working?
When the first Nuremberg trial of Nazi war criminals came to an end, the ground-breaking international tribunal handed down 12 death sentences. Seventy-five…
- The Interview
Adela Raz, Afghanistan's Ambassador to the US
Stephen Sackur speaks to Adela Raz, still officially Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the United States, though the Taliban disowns her and the Americans ignore…
- The Interview
Sergei Ryabkov: Russia and energy security
Stephen Sackur speaks to Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. Moscow is set to be a major beneficiary of the extraordinary spike in fossil fuel…
- The Interview
Richard Deverell: The battle to save the planet
Do we understand the urgency of the global biodiversity and climate change crisis? Stephen Sackur speaks to the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew…
- The Interview
Richard Thaler: Is a nudge enough to change our behaviour?
From Covid to climate change, governments around the world face challenges which demand modifications of human behaviour. When it comes to getting people to do…
- The Interview
Ben Ferencz, prosecutor at the Nuremberg Nazi Trials
Seventy-five years after the Nuremberg Military Tribunals convicted some of the most senior Nazis of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the last surviving…
- The Interview
Michel Barnier on Brexit fallout
The crisis over a lack of supplies in the UK triggered by a shortage of truck drivers has reignited the debate about the consequences of Brexit. This comes on…
- The Interview
Rafael Grossi - Nuclear fallout
Zeinab Badawi speaks to Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, amid concern about renewed tensions over Iran’s nuclear…
- The Interview
Nitin Sawhney, Musician and Composer
Stephen Sackur speaks to renowned British Indian musician and composer Nitin Sawhney. From a childhood disfigured by racism to the embrace of the UK’s cultural…
- The Interview
Roger Deakins: How is technology changing cinema?
Stephen Sackur speaks to one of the world's most celebrated cinematographers, Roger Deakins. He has won Oscars for his work on 1917 and Blade Runner 2049, and…
- The Interview
Bryan Hughes: Abortion in Texas
Republicans in Texas have managed to ban abortion in almost all cases in their state. Anyone performing, aiding or abetting the termination of a pregnancy…
- The Interview
Carlos Fernando Chamorro: Exiled from Nicaragua
Stephen Sackur speaks to Nicaraguan journalist and former revolutionary Carlos Fernando Chamorro. He is currently in exile as President Daniel Ortega…
- The Interview
Naomi Campbell, supermodel and businesswoman
In an exclusive interview for the BBC’s 100 Women season, Zeinab Badawi speaks to supermodel Naomi Campbell. (Photo: Naomi Campbell smiles at Zeinab Badawi)
- The Interview
Robin Hanbury-Tenison: An explorer protecting indigenous lands
Stephen Sackur speaks to one of the world’s great modern-day explorers, Robin Hanbury-Tenison. He has committed himself to the protection of indigenous people…
- The Interview
Former interrogator for the CIA, James Mitchell
American psychologist James Mitchell helped devise the CIA’s enhanced interrogation programme after the 9/11 attacks. He personally interrogated some of the…
- The Interview
Rudy Giuliani: Reflecting on 9/11
It’s 20 years since the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center were reduced to dust and ash. This week, the US is again immersed in memories of the…
- The Interview
Nadia Calviño: Is Europe too fragmented to shape the 21st Century?
The covid pandemic and emerging superpower rivalries have presented the EU with troubling questions. Stephen Sackur speaks to Spain's Deputy Prime Minister and…
- The Interview
Lindsey Graham: What is the Republican vision for America?
After the US-led withdrawal from Afghanistan, how does America see itself and its place in the world? Stephen Sackur is at the Ambrosetti Forum in northern…
- The Interview
Omar Zakhilwal: What ideology will prevail in Afghanistan?
Will pragmatism or zealotry prevail in Afghanistan, as the Taliban grapple with the reality of ruling a broken country? Stephen Sackur speaks to former finance…
- The Interview
Maggi Hambling: An evolving creative vision
Stephen Sackur speaks to the artist Maggi Hambling. Her works have won international acclaim, but some have also stirred controversy, including a sculpture…
- The Interview
Andrei Kelin: Russia, Afghanistan and the UK
The chaotic evacuation operation still underway at Kabul airport has put a harsh spotlight on two decades of US and NATO military commitment in Afghanistan. It…
- The Interview
Paula Kahumbu: Saving Africa's wild spaces
Stephen Sackur speaks to Paula Kahumbu, CEO for WildlifeDirect, Kenya. Her campaign to protect elephants and other endangered species asks Kenyans to…
- The Interview
Gedion Timothewos: Ethiopia's civil war
HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Ethiopia’s Attorney General Gedion Timothewos. The conflict between government forces and Tigrayan rebels has cost…
- The Interview
Kamila Sidiqi: What future do Afghanistan's women face?
HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Kamila Sidiqi, a leading Afghan women's rights campaigner, entrepreneur and government adviser under President Ghani. She…
- The Interview
Tobias Ellwood: Britain's Afghanistan exit
HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to British Conservative MP and former soldier Tobias Ellwood. Two decades after they were expelled from Kabul the hard-line…
- The Interview
Aly Raisman: Are gold medals put above athletes' wellbeing?
The athletic excellence seen at the Tokyo Olympics will live long in the memory, but so will the moment the brilliant US gymnast Simone Biles chose not to…
- The Interview
Getachew Reda: What is the endgame for Tigray's rebels?
The humanitarian suffering in northern Ethiopia is appalling, as conflict continues on multiple fronts. Tigrayan rebel forces have won a string of victories…
- The Interview
Daryl Davis: Reaching out to the KKK
Stephen Sackur speaks to Daryl Davis, a black musician who has spent four decades trying to talk to America’s most diehard racists, the Ku Klux Klan. He claims…
- The Interview
Hamid Mir: Is Pakistan a safe place for journalists?
In the last year, there have been a string of attacks on reporters in Pakistan. The perpetrators remain unknown and unpunished. The government insists Pakistan…
- The Interview
Sir Andrew Pollard: The war on Covid-19
Stephen Sackur speaks to Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and a key figure in the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca…
- The Interview
RoseAnne Archibald: Uncovering Canada's dark past
Stephen Sackur speaks to RoseAnne Archibald, newly elected National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Canada. The truth about the deaths of thousands of…
- The Interview
Sir Hilary Beckles: Reparations for slavery
Zeinab Badawi speaks to the eminent historian professor Sir Hilary Beckles in Barbados. Over three centuries, Africans were transported to the Caribbean to…
- The Interview
Lazarus Chakwera: President of Malawi
Sarah Montague speaks to the President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera. The preacher turned politician won power last year pledging to create a million jobs and…
- The Interview
Péter Szijjártó: Is Hungary undermining European values?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. On a range of issues from press freedom to LGBT rights, Hungary routinely ignores the…
- The Interview
Hamdullah Mohib: Can the Afghan government hold out against the Taliban?
Since the United States pulled its troops out of Afghanistan at the beginning of July, the Taliban have continued to retake vast swathes of the country…
- The Interview
Fikile Mbalula: Is South Africa's government being confronted with its own failure?
South Africa is facing its deepest political crisis of the post-apartheid era. Days of violence and looting saw more than 200 people killed and thousands…
- The Interview
Laurent Lamothe: Can anything be done to end Haiti's suffering?
Stephen Sackur speaks to former Haitian Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe. Pity the eleven million people of Haiti; it is hard to think of a nation more…
- The Interview
Michael Holding: Can sport win its fight against racism?
HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Michael Holding, the former West Indies cricket great who is now a prominent voice confronting racism. In England, there’s…
- The Interview
Mexican journalist Lydia Cacho: Can courage overcome injustice?
Measured by the number of murders Mexico is the most dangerous country in the world to be a journalist. Eight were killed last year; and countless more…
- The Interview
Jess Phillips: What happened to progressive politics?
Stephen Sackur speaks to one of the leading figures in the British Labour party, Jess Phillips MP. She’s a tireless campaigner against domestic violence and…
- The Interview
Writer Lionel Shriver
In our culture of 24/7 news and trending social media reactions, it sometimes takes a novelist’s eye to chart the deeper, current events swirling beneath…
- The Interview
Christian Happi: Can Africa become a world leader in vaccine development?
Zeinab Badawi speaks to Professor Christian Happi whose ground-breaking research is helping tackle diseases that kill thousands every year. He gave up a career…
- The Interview
Victor Gao: 100 years of the Chinese Communist Party
As the Chinese Communist Party marks its 100th anniversary, Stephen Sackur speaks to veteran party loyalist Victor Gao, vice president of the Centre for China…
- The Interview
Zainab Ahmed: Can Nigeria avert financial meltdown?
Africa is going through its first recession in more than a quarter of a century because of the global downturn caused by the Covid pandemic. The economic…
- The Interview
Rawdah Mohamed: Fashion and Muslim women
Somali-born fashion editor Rawdah Mohamed has taken up a senior role at the soon-to-be launched Vogue Scandinavia. After moving to Norway as a child, she…
- The Interview
REM lead singer Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe was the lead singer of one of the most influential bands of the last four decades, REM. He was the figurehead of indie rock, enigmatic, serious…
- The Interview
Johan Lundgren, EasyJet CEO: Can his business model survive Covid and climate change?
No industry has been hit harder by the global pandemic than aviation. Cross-border travel is either banned or constrained by tests and quarantines across much…
- The Interview
Jens Stoltenberg: Is the old alliance ready to tackle new threats?
President Biden says the US is determined to lead NATO's response to evolving geographical and technological threats. But there have been marked disagreements…
- The Interview
Ben Rhodes: President Biden's foreign policy challenges
Stephen Sackur speaks to former Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama, Ben Rhodes. He has written a new book, After the Fall, reflecting on his…
- The Interview
Michael Rosen: Surviving Covid-19
Last March, the author and educator Michael Rosen was placed into an induced coma after contracting Covid-19. He has now released a dark, sad and uplifting…
- The Interview
Tom Kerridge: Has the pandemic changed the way we eat?
How long will it take the hospitality business to recover from the pandemic, and is there a new recognition of the link between our food and our health?…
- The Interview
John Nkengasong: Can Africa meet its vaccination targets?
Africa appears to have been relatively spared in the pandemic so far, but plans to have at least 30% of the continent's populations vaccinated by the end of…
- The Interview
Doug Gurr: Advocating for planet Earth
Stephen Sackur speaks to the new director of London’s world-renowned Natural History Museum, Doug Gurr. They still love their ancient fossils here, but the…