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
Syed Zafar Islam: Will Narendra Modi change course?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Syed Zafar Islam, spokesman for India’s Hindu nationalist BJP party. Recent elections dealt Prime Minister Narendra Modi an unexpected…
- The Interview
Taro Kono: Can Japan reboot itself for the 21st Century?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Taro Kono, Digital Transformation Minister for a Japanese government wrestling with massive problems. This erstwhile economic…
- The Interview
Maria Corina Machado: Can Venezuela's fortunes change?
Sarah Montague speaks to Venezuelan opposition politician Maria Corina Machado. Banned from running in the country’s presidential elections this weekend, she’s…
- The Interview
Oliver McTernan: Is peace in the Middle East an impossible dream?
Sarah Montague speaks to former Catholic priest Oliver McTernan who has spent more than two decades working in conflict resolution in the Middle East. He is…
The InterviewMaria Butina: Is time on Russia's side?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Maria Butina, member of the State Duma for President Putin’s United Russia party. The war in Ukraine now hinges on strength of will…
- The Interview
Laurie Bristow: The West's failure in Afghanistan
Stephen Sackur speaks to Sir Laurie Bristow, Britain’s last Ambassador to Afghanistan who led a desperate evacuation when Kabul fell to the Taliban three years…
- The Interview
Ilya Ponomarev: How significant is Russian resistance to Putin?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian MP who’s now a key leader of an anti-Putin armed resistance movement active both inside and outside…
- The Interview
Asma Khan: Can cooking change the world?
Stephen Sackur is in the heart of London to speak with Indian-born restaurateur and activist Asma Khan. She created the first all-female, high-end Indian…
- The Interview
Husam Zomlot: Is diplomacy dead in the Israel-Gaza conflict?
Stephen Sackur speaks to the top Palestinian diplomat in London, Husam Zomlot. As Israel’s military assault on Gaza approaches the nine-month mark, with the…
- The Interview
Anne Enright: Changing Ireland
Stephen Sackur speaks to Anne Enright, the Irish novelist whose fiction digs deep into the dynamics of family, motherhood, and sexuality. In the course of her…
- The Interview
Fabrice Leggeri: What would a far-right victory mean for France?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Fabrice Leggeri, an MEP in Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party. The far right has high hopes of winning power in parliamentary…
- The Interview
Sachin Pilot: Is India heading for consensus or chaos?
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s third term will depend on the reliability of two smaller parties in his ruling coalition. Stephen Sackur speaks to Sachin…
- The Interview
Dmytro Kuleba: Ukraine war at critical juncture
Ukraine is under enormous pressure as Russia seeks new frontline gains and, in the diplomatic arena, some Western allies show signs of war fatigue. Stephen…
- The Interview
Mathieu Kassovitz: Where is France going?
Stephen Sackur is in Paris to speak to the acclaimed actor and director Mathieu Kassovitz. Three decades ago, his film La Haine (Hate) focused on inequality…
- The Interview
Akinwumi Adesina: Africa rising?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank. He wants massive international financial backing to turn his continent…
- The Interview
Jean-Noël Barrot: A snap election in France
Stephen Sackur is in Paris to speak to the French Minister Delegate for Europe, Jean-Noël Barrot. President Emmanuel Macron has just taken the gamble of his…
The InterviewEyal Weizman: The politics of architecture
Mishal Husain speaks to the architect Eyal Weizman. He works in what he calls ‘forensic architecture’, where details of buildings and physical spaces – and…
- The Interview
Mickey Bergman: What difference do hostage negotiators make?
Sarah Montague speaks to hostage negotiator Mickey Bergman, who has spent much of the last two decades working behind the scenes to help negotiate the release…
- The Interview
R. Derek Black: Renouncing white nationalism
Mishal Husain speaks to R. Derek Black, who was brought up in a family steeped in America’s white nationalist ideology, with a father who was a Ku Klux Klan…
- The Interview
Mohammad Shtayyeh: Will the Palestinian Authority work with Hamas?
Mishal Husain speaks to the former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Mohammed Shtayyeh. How does he see the Palestinian people’s future? Can he, and…
- The Interview
Stephen J Shaw: Are falling birth rates a crisis for humanity?
Stephen Sackur speaks to the data scientist Stephen J Shaw, who argues that humanity faces a looming demographic crisis, with falling birth rates having dire…
- The Interview
Espen Barth Eide: Why will Norway recognise a Palestinian state?
Sarah Montague speaks to Norway’s Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide. His country, along with Ireland and Spain, says it will recognise a Palestinian state…
- The Interview
Jim Skea: Are humans bungling our chance to avert disaster?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Professor Jim Skea, chair of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He is a key player collating the latest climate…
- The Interview
Gillian Slovo: Has her writing exorcised demons?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Gillian Slovo, whose acclaimed fiction, plays and memoirs reflect an extraordinary backstory. The daughter of South African parents…
- The Interview
Alexander Stubb: Has Nato membership left Finland stronger?
Stephen Sackur is in Helsinki to speak to the President of Finland Alexander Stubb. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted Finland to take the strategically…
- The Interview
Sir Ron Dennis: The need for speed
Stephen Sackur speaks to Sir Ron Dennis, founder of the McLaren Group and one of the most successful team leaders ever in Formula 1 racing. He was known as a…
- The Interview
Bill Blair: Canada's defence strategy
Stephen Sackur speaks to Canada’s defence minister Bill Blair. When it comes to military spending, Canada lies well short of Nato’s target. But with fears of…
- The Interview
Gabrielius Landsbergis: Does Europe back Lithuania?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Lithuania’s foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. He wants the West to ramp up support for Ukraine to defeat Putin; he’s infuriated…
- The Interview
Jonathan Haidt: Should we be worried about children having smartphones?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Jonathan Haidt, the American social psychologist whose work focuses on how social and cultural change affects our minds and thoughts…
- The Interview
Mihai Popșoi: Is Moldova the new Russian battleground?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Mihai Popșoi, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Moldova. The former Soviet Republic in south east Europe is now seeking EU…
- The Interview
Paul Auster: 'We are divided in ways we have never seen before'
In 2021, Stephen Sackur is travelled to New York to speak to writer Paul Auster, who died this week aged 77.
- The Interview
Ami Ayalon: Is Israel fighting an unwinnable war?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Ami Ayalon, former director of the Israeli Security Agency, also known as Shin Bet, and now a fierce critic of Prime Minister…
- The Interview
Amin Salam: Can Lebanon's government avert catastrophe?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Lebanon’s economy minister, Amin Salam. After years of economic meltdown, Lebanon is once again threatened by escalating regional…
- The Interview
Joan Donoghue: Has the ICJ ruling changed anything in Gaza?
In an exclusive interview, Stephen Sackur speaks to Joan Donoghue, who has just retired as president of the International Court of Justice. In January, the…
- The Interview
Daniel Dennett: Philosophy and atheism
Another chance to listen to Stephen Sackur’s 2013 interview with American philosopher Daniel Dennett, who has died aged 82. Described as one of the Four…
- The Interview
Richard Haass: How should the US respond to global risks?
Stephen Sackur speaks to veteran US diplomat Richard Haass. Levels of geopolitical risk are sky-high; from the direct hostilities between Israel and Iran, to…
- The Interview
Arseniy Yatsenyuk: Could Ukraine lose?
If the West doesn't step up assistance for Ukraine, will the war be lost? Stephen Sackur speaks to former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
- The Interview
Danny Danon: Will Israel listen to its allies?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Danny Danon, Israeli MP and former ambassador at the United Nations. Israel and Iran are on the brink of a war which could ignite the…
- The Interview
Eddie Marsan: Do the arts neglect working-class people?
Stephen Sackur speaks to the actor Eddie Marsan, whose ability to play troubled, sometimes violent characters has made him a staple on stage and screen. He’s a…
- The Interview
Paul Caruana Galizia: Can his family get justice?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Paul Caruana Galizia, whose mother, Daphne, was a Maltese journalist who was assassinated for exposing endemic corruption and sleaze…
- The Interview
Job Sikhala: Is change possible in Zimbabwe?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Zimbabwean opposition politician Job Sikhala. He was recently released after almost two years in jail. Now he’s promising to build a…
- The Interview
Humza Yousaf: Is the SNP's supremacy in Scotland under threat?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf. His first year in the top job has been tough. Is the Scottish National Party's supremacy in…
The InterviewNaomi Alderman: Power and technology
Another opportunity to hear Stephen Sackur's interview with the writer and computer game creator Naomi Alderman. Her most recent novel - The Future - is a…
- The Interview
Tom Shakespeare: Redefining disability
Stephen Sackur speaks to the bioethicist, disability rights campaigner and writer Tom Shakespeare. Should we embrace difference, rather than use science to…
- The Interview
Lila Rose: Could abortion be banned in the entire US?
Stephen Sackur speaks to one of America’s fiercest opponents of abortion rights, Lila Rose. The US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade, but she wants to go…
- The Interview
Mohamed Irfaan Ali: Is oil a blessing or a curse for Guyana?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Guyana’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Vast offshore oil and gas reserves are transforming the Guyanese economy. But amid territorial…
- The Interview
On the road in Guyana
Stephen Sackur is on the road in Guyana, South America, home to globally significant ecosystems and now one of the world's biggest offshore oil and gas…
- The Interview
Judith Butler: Gender and identity
Stephen Sackur speaks to philosopher Judith Butler, who has been at the centre of the fierce debate about sex, gender and self-identity for three decades…
- The Interview
Luis Abinader: Will the Dominican Republic help Haiti?
Stephen Sackur speaks to the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader. His country’s economy is growing fast, as neighbouring Haiti sinks deeper into…
- The Interview
Chris Mullin: Have lessons been learned from the Birmingham Six injustice?
Stephen Sackur speaks to the former politician and justice campaigner Chris Mullin. He did much to expose the miscarriage of justice which saw six men wrongly…
- The Interview
Jan Egeland: Is the international community failing to protect the most vulnerable?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council. He’s just back from Gaza; before that, he was on the Chad/Sudan…
- The Interview
Claude Joseph: Can anything save Haiti?
Haiti is on the brink; armed gangs are rampant, basic services are broken, millions of people are at risk. The prime minister is stepping down, and there are…
- The Interview
Leonid Volkov: Is the anti-Putin movement out of options?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Leonid Volkov, long-time ally and adviser to Russia’s late opposition leader Alexey Navalny. President Vladimir Putin is almost…
- The Interview
Ericka Huggins: Do the Black Panthers have lessons for Black Lives Matter?
Stephen Sackur is in Oakland, California, to speak to Ericka Huggins, an original member of the 1960s Black Panther Party. She experienced violence…
- The Interview
Riyad Mansour: Why are the diplomats failing?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian Ambassador to the UN. Talks to end, or at least suspend, the war in Gaza haven’t worked. The…
- The Interview
Sathnam Sanghera: Britain's imperial legacies
Stephen Sackur speaks to the writer Sathnam Sanghera, whose own identity as the British son of Indian immigrants led him to look afresh at the legacy of the…
- The Interview
Salome Zourabichvili: Where does Georgia's destiny lie?
Russia’s neighbour Georgia is closely watching what happens in Ukraine. It shares a 900km border with Russia, who invaded in 2008. Russian troops are stationed…
- The Interview
Ciarán Hinds: Is Northern Ireland a creative powerhouse?
Stephen Sackur interviews Northern Irish actor Ciarán Hinds, whose career took him from the troubled streets of Belfast to an Oscar nomination. Right now…
- The Interview
Jens Stoltenberg: Is Russia really preparing for a war with Nato?
Sarah Montague is at Nato’s headquarters in Brussels to speak to its outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Two years after Russia’s full scale invasion…
- The Interview
HARDtalk: Defying Putin
In a special programme in the run up to Russia’s presidential election in March, HARDtalk looks back on interviews with those few Russians who have been ready…