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
Seth Freedman: Spying for Harvey Weinstein
Who polices the shadowy world of private intelligence? HARDtalk’s Sarah Montague speaks to Seth Freedman, who was an investigator for Black Cube, and gathered…
- The Interview
Douglas Silliman: What is Donald Trump's strategy in Iraq?
Though the fear of imminent war has receded, the Middle East has been profoundly destabilised by the American assassination of Iranian General Qassem…
- The Interview
Sir Antony Gormley: Britain's most successful sculptor
Stephen Sackur is at the workshop of Britain’s most successful sculptor, Sir Antony Gormley. His monumental pieces, put in prominent positions in outdoor…
- The Interview
Vali Nasr: Have strategic realities in the Middle East changed?
Who’s gained and who’s lost after the killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani? HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Vali Nasr, US foreign policy scholar…
- The Interview
Ayad Allawi: What if the US pulls out of Iraq?
America’s targeted killing of Iran’s top general, Qasem Soleimani, has spread new fears of war across the Middle East. The key protagonists are in Washington…
The InterviewMalcolm Gladwell: Should we trust strangers?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Malcolm Gladwell, the Canadian author who has been described as America’s most famous intellectual. His latest book, Talking to…
- The Interview
Andrew Mitchell MP: What will Boris Johnson do next?
The scale of the Conservative Party triumph in last week's UK election promises to have seismic consequences. Boris Johnson can get Brexit done on terms and a…
- The Interview
Staffan de Mistura: Can the international community still stop wars?
At the end of the second decade of the 21st century, does anyone still believe in the ability of the so-called ‘international community’ to stop wars, disarm…
- The Interview
Bill Bryson: US author demystifying the British
Sometimes it takes an outsider armed with just a sharp eye and curiosity to get us to see ourselves as we really are. That would explain the enduring…
- The Interview
Aryana Sayeed: Afghanistan’s biggest pop star
The fight for Afghanistan's future has been joined far beyond the frontlines between Government forces and the Taliban. Stephen Sackur interviews Aryana…
- The Interview
Eliot Higgins: Searching for facts in a 'post-truth' world
Can complex truths be revealed using digital fragments from the worldwide web? Eliot Higgins is the founder of the investigative website Bellingcat, which in…
- The Interview
Megan Phelps-Roper: Leaving 'America's most obnoxious hate group'
Holding placards outside the funerals of dead soldiers, celebrating the death of children after school massacres: Westboro Baptist Church has been called the…
- The Interview
Daniel Jones: The man who unveiled the CIA’s darkest secrets
Eighteen years since the 9/11 attack on the United States, and the impact still reverberates even as memories fade. The US Government responded by adopting a…
- The Interview
Behrouz Boochani: Six years as a marooned migrant
In 2013, the Australian Government adopted a draconian anti-immigration policy, which involved sending all sea-borne would-be asylum seekers to de-facto…
- The Interview
Stephen Sackur is on the road in Zimbabwe
In a special edition of HARDtalk, Stephen Sackur is on the road in Zimbabwe to witness the effects of change in Southern Africa’s climate. Zimbabwe in the…
- The Interview
Wendell Pierce: A tale of two Americas
The American TV series The Wire, which methodically dissected America’s war with drugs, was an eye-opener for many. Shaun Ley interviews Wendell Pierce, whose…
- The Interview
Liu Xiaoming: How will China respond to unrest in Hong Kong?
Is Chinese leader Xi Jinping facing the most serious challenge of his presidency? The significance of the political unrest in Hong Kong stretches far beyond…
- The Interview
Mangaliso Ndlovu: Can Zimbabwe avert environmental disaster?
Zimbabwe is wrestling with economic crisis, endemic corruption and prolonged drought. Crops have failed, hydro-power is down, taps have run dry. Also at risk…
- The Interview
Christopher Ruddy: How much trouble is Donald Trump in?
Will the impeachment proceedings on Capitol Hill derail Donald Trump's presidency? Christopher Ruddy is CEO of Newsmax and a close personal friend of the US…
- The Interview
Author and explorer - Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Stephen Sackur interviews Sir Ranulph Fiennes. He is an extremist of a very special kind - nothing to do with his political views - but recognition of a…
The InterviewInvestigative journalist - Ronan Farrow
How did a Hollywood insider break the story that took the shine off Tinseltown? HARDtalk's Sarah Montague interviews journalist Ronan Farrow, who won a…
- The Interview
Minister for Islamic Affairs in Malaysia -Mujahid Yusof Rawa
Malaysia has one of Asia’s most vibrant economies - the result of decades of stability and economic growth. It is also a multi-ethnic, multi-religious…
- The Interview
Film director - Ken Loach
Can cinema change society? HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to film director Ken Loach, one of the most lauded and durable directors in the UK film industry…
- The Interview
Esther Duflo - Nobel Prize-winning economist
Shaun Ley speaks to the Nobel Prize winning economist Esther Duflo. The experimental trails she ran with two colleagues in Africa and India produced some…
- The Interview
Hong Kong’s Secretary for Housing and Transport , 2012 – 2017 - Anthony Cheung
Last weekend in Hong Kong, metro stations were torched, the Chinese state news agency was attacked, police fired water cannon and tear gas, and 200 people were…
- The Interview
Richard Haass - President, Council on Foreign Relations
Donald Trump wants Americans to bask in the afterglow of the killing of the world’s most wanted terrorist, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. But many are focused on the…
- The Interview
Campaigner and businesswoman Gina Miller
Perhaps inevitably, Britain’s unresolved Brexit agony has led to a general election. The current Parliament could not find a path out of the morass, so the…
- The Interview
Casey Legler: What does it take to emerge from darkness?
Imagine having an extraordinary sporting talent, but finding yourself traumatised by the realities of elite-level competition. Imagine being defined by your…
- The Interview
Former spy - Willie Carlin
What was it like to be a spy during the Troubles in Northern Ireland? HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to former MI5 agent Willie Carlin. He became an…
- The Interview
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Armenia
HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Armenia’s foreign minister. Armenia is a small state with outsize strategic significance in a Caucasus…
- The Interview
Alfred Bosch
Last week the whole of Europe heard a howl of rage coming from Catalonia. Since Spain’s highest court sentenced nine pro-independence politicians to a…
- The Interview
Sally Lane and John Letts, parents of Jack Letts
What will become - what should become - of Jack Letts? HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to his parents, Sally Lane and John Letts. Alongside the humanitarian…
- The Interview
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Turkey - Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu
Is Turkey creating further instability in Syria? HARDtalk’s Zeinab Badawi talks exclusively to the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Ankara. Turkey…
- The Interview
British intelligence whistleblower - Katharine Gun
What makes a whistleblower? What prompts someone to break ranks, maybe break the law, in order to expose a secret, often at great cost? Stephen Sackur…
- The Interview
Professor of Computer Science at University of California, Berkeley - Stuart Russell
What is the most serious existential threat facing humanity? Artificial Intelligence, warned the physicist Stephen Hawking, could spell the end of the human…
- The Interview
Financier and Brexit backer Stuart Wheeler
Brexit represents a political gamble played for the highest of stakes. If Britain leaves the EU without a deal there will be significant economic disruption…
- The Interview
Suede singer-songwriter Brett Anderson
Rock music inhabits a world of permanent revolution. Today’s biggest bands will most likely be tomorrow’s tired old has-beens. But just occasionally artists…
- The Interview
Brazil's Environment Minister - Ricardo Salles
The number of forest fires burning in the Amazon rainforest may have dropped since the global alarm was raised in August, but Brazil’s Government is still…
- The Interview
Actor and activist - Jameela Jamil
Zeinab Badawi interviews British actress, activist and model Jameela Jamil. After breaking into the US with the critically-acclaimed comedy series ‘The Good…
- The Interview
Daughter of former Chief Minister of Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti - Iltija Mufti
It has been two months since India revoked the special autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir, and Delhi still has the territory in a form of lockdown…
- The Interview
Lawyer - Kimberley Motley
What have almost two decades of American intervention in Afghanistan achieved? HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Kimberley Motley - an American lawyer who…
- The Interview
Former White House Communications Director - Anthony Scaramucci
Is impeachment a trap for President Trump's opponents? HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to Anthony Scaramucci, former Trump cheerleader, briefly his…
- The Interview
President of Microsoft - Brad Smith
How do we ensure our astonishing technological advances are harnessed for good, not harm? HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to the President of Microsoft, Brad…
- The Interview
Lebanon's Foreign Minister - Gebran Bassil
Why is Lebanon dogged by chaos? HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to the country’s Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil. Lebanese politics is a world of complex…
- The Interview
South Africa's Minister of International Relations - Naledi Pandor
South Africa's Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor talks about the recent spate of xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Twelve people were killed…
The InterviewChairman, United Liberation Movement for West Papua - Benny Wenda
Indonesia has the right kind of assets in terms of population, natural resources and strategic position to be a 21st century superpower; but there are clouds…
- The Interview
Anson Chan - Chief Secretary of Hong Kong, 1993-2001
Extraordinary events have become the norm in the last three months in Hong Kong. The territory has become a cockpit of political protest and sporadic violence…
- The Interview
Independent MP, UK - Heidi Allen
Is there any clarity and coherence to the opponents of Brexit? Stephen Sackur speaks to MP Heidi Allen, who quit the Conservative party earlier this year to…
- The Interview
French MEP and former Europe Minister - Nathalie Loiseau
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has positioned himself as the country’s Brexit champion, but his pledge to take Britain out of the EU on October the 31st…
- The Interview
Former UK Lord Chancellor - Lord Falconer
British politics is in full-on meltdown mode. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has lost a series of key votes on Brexit, AND his parliamentary majority. He’s now…
- The Interview
Sea Rescue Captain - Carola Rackete
The number of migrants making the sea crossing from North Africa to southern Europe has fallen dramatically in the last two years; tragically, the number of…
- The Interview
IT entrepreneur and philanthropist - Dame Stephanie Shirley
Eighty years ago, hundreds of Jewish children were smuggled out of Nazi occupied Europe by train in a covert humanitarian mission which became known as the…
- The Interview
Gabon's Minister of Forests and Environment - Lee White
Our planet is haemorrhaging natural resources at an alarming rate. Biodiversity is under threat as forests are felled, wild animals illegally hunted. Stephen…
- The Interview
Mia Khalifa: Former adult actress
The human preoccupation with sex is nothing new – but the internet has made it so much easier to explore and exploit every shade of desire. The online porn…
- The Interview
Kang Kyung-wha – Foreign Minister, South Korea
Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed ‘deal maker extraordinaire’, is finding the Korean Peninsula tough going. For all his claims of friendship with the North…
- The Interview
CEO of Philip Morris International - Andre Calantzopoulos
Tobacco giant Philip Morris International claims it wants a ‘smoke free world’ and the eventual phasing out of cigarettes, hailing its new smoke-free products…
- The Interview
Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo, Deputy Chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council
Zeinab Badawi is at the Presidential Palace in Khartoum where a historic power-sharing agreement has been signed between the military and civilians. General…
- The Interview
Co-founder of Extinction Rebellion - Roger Hallam
Back in 2015, the nations of the world made a formal commitment to keep global warming below 2 degrees centigrade. So much for fine words; global greenhouse…
- The Interview
Leader of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement - Shah Faesal
When the Indian Government revoked the special autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir, it knew outrage would follow; which is why Delhi has the Muslim majority…
- The Interview
Director of Antiracism Research and Policy Center US - Ibram Kendi
For many Americans, Donald Trump’s incendiary tweets aimed at immigrants show him to be a racist and white nationalist. But maybe we exaggerate the importance…