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- Profile
Blaise Metreweli
Current Director-General of Technology and Innovation, Blaise Metreweli, was recently appointed as the new chief of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service, MI6…
- Profile
Susie Wiles
Donald Trump calls Susie Wiles the “ice maiden” for her ability to stay cool under pressure. It’s an invaluable skill in her role as White House Chief of Staff…
- Profile
Tom Fletcher
Tom Fletcher heads the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and has been at the forefront of recent efforts to deliver aid into…
- Profile
Rosemary Coogan
In April 2024 Rosemary Coogan became only the third person from the UK to qualify as an astronaut after completing basic training with the European Space…
- Profile
Marco Rubio
Earlier this month the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also made President Trump's National Security Advisor. The last person to undertake both roles…
- Profile
Peter Navarro
President Trump shocked the world earlier this year when he announced plans to impose tariffs affecting nearly all goods entering America. But rather than…
- Profile
Mark Carney
Canadians are gearing up to vote in a snap General Election. It's been called by Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of England, who in recent months…
- Profile
Jarvis Cocker
Beloved Britpop band Pulp have released their first new music in almost a quarter of a century, the single 'Spike Island'. Their talismanic frontman Jarvis…
- Profile
Lesley Manville
Stephen Smith profiles the actor Lesley Manville, winner of a second Olivier theatre award. From growing up in Hove to her long-time collaboration with…
- Profile
Steve Witkoff
Steve Witkoff started out as a New York lawyer, until a late night encounter with Donald Trump in a sandwich shop inspired him to move into real estate. Known…
- Profile
Jack Thorne
Jack Thorne is co-author of Netflix drama Adolescence. But this is far from his first rodeo, over a 20 year career, his writing has appeared in many iconic…
- Profile
Jonathan Powell
Jonathan Powell, the UK’s National Security Adviser, is used to operating behind the scenes: he’s spent decades working as a diplomat, negotiator and mediator…
- Profile
Liz Kendall
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has one the toughest tasks in Labour’s domestic programme: tackling the burgeoning welfare bill. Next week, the…
- Profile
Kaja Kallas
As the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas is the bloc's top diplomat. So when EU leaders gathered in Brussels this week to thrash out a new…
- Profile
Friedrich Merz
He’s the former corporate lawyer, who has a pilot's licence and loves music, but has never before been a government minister. Friedrich Merz was born in the…
- Profile
Mark Rutte
His 14 year-stint at the top of European politics has earned him a distinguished record of domestic and international achievements. Mark Rutte, born in The…
- Profile
Peter Mandelson
Having helped mastermind Labour's renewal in the 1980s and 1990s, one of British politics best-known figures has just embarked on his latest role. And, it's a…
- Profile
Alexander Lukashenko
Despite just winning a seventh consecutive presidential term, a look at Alexander Lukashenko’s early life reveals rather humbler origins. Brought up by a…
- Profile
Poppy Gustafsson
A mathematician and cyber defence expert, Poppy Gustafsson has been handed an integral role within government, as the prime minister attempts to grow the…
- Profile
Claudia Sheinbaum
She is the renowned scientist who studied environmental engineering, and went on to hold the role of mayor of Mexico City during the Coronavirus pandemic. Late…
- Profile
Allan Leighton
He's been described as the best connected man in the business world. Allan Leighton’s the arch-moderniser who's led some of the UK's most well-known companies…
- Profile
Thomas Tuchel
He’s been described by his new bosses at the Football Association as, "one of the best coaches in the world". Thomas Tuchel has also earned a reputation as a…
- Profile
Ruth Jones
Oh! What’s occurrin'? Good question… This week’s Profile, with Stephen Smith, is focusing in on a woman born in Bridgend in south Wales, who loved to…
- Profile
Daniel Křetínský
Since it was privatised over a decade ago, there's been speculation around the future of the UK's troubled postal service, Royal Mail. Now the government has…
- Profile
Tom Molnar
From using a skateboard to baking sourdough, Tom Molnar leads an eclectic life. Born in the United States, he earned a degree in Ecology at Dartmouth College…
- Profile
Kim Leadbeater
She is the self-styled "proud Yorkshirewoman" at the centre of an extraordinary week at Westminster. Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind a bid to legalise…
- Profile
Sir Ridley Scott
From television commercials in the 1970s, to today’s toga-ripping, chariot-flipping sequel to Gladiator. Sir Ridley Scott is one of Britain’s greatest film…
- Profile
Sahra Wagenknecht
Born in communist East Germany, to a German mother and Iranian father, Sahra Wagenknecht has long been the face of the country’s hard left. But her own…
- Profile
Yvette Cooper
She is one of the highest-ranking women in the Labour Party, now holding the position of home secretary. Yvette Cooper, born in Inverness in 1969, grew up in…
- Profile
Bidzina Ivanishvili
From his hilltop glass mansion in ancient Tbilisi, he’s accused of cultivating Georgia’s shift from the west over the past decade. And, with his political…
- Profile
Chris McCausland
The Liverpool-born comedian, known for his razor-sharp wit, has traded in his stand-up routines for some serious dance moves of late. Chris McCausland is the…
- Profile
Morgan McSweeney
He's the man who masterminded Labour's general election campaign, and now holds one of the most important positions in Downing Street. Morgan McSweeney was…
- Profile
David Lammy
He’s not yet completed a hundred days in his new job, but David Lammy finds himself overseeing the UK’s response to rising tensions in the Middle East. Born to…
- Profile
Eben Upton
It’s a tiny computer with a catchy name: Raspberry Pi. But what's the story behind the man who thought up this affordable device? His name is Eben Upton. He…
- Profile
Martin Hewitt
Some call it one of the trickiest jobs in the country. How do you stop the small boats trying to cross the English Channel and smash the smuggling gangs? The…
- Profile
Eluned Morgan
This week we delve into the life of the First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan, the first woman to hold the position. Morgan was introduced to politics at a…
- Profile
Lee Carsley
Some of world football's biggest names have been linked to England's top job since Gareth Southgate hung up his waistcoat. But, for now at least, it is Lee…
- Profile
James Graham
James Graham’s writing obsession started at the age of six in the shadow of Nottinghamshire's former coalmines. Equipped with a typewriter from his mother he…
- Profile
Shabana Mahmood
Shabana Mahmood is the new Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. Born in Birmingham in a Kashmiri Pakistani family, she has three siblings, one…
- Profile
Evan Gershkovich
Evan Gershkovich is the Wall Street Journal's Moscow reporter. He's been imprisoned in Russia since March last year, and has just gone on trial there - the…
- Profile
Shania Twain
Before she became one of the best-selling musicians of all time, Shania Twain worked for the family tree-planting business, singing for tips in lumberjack bars…
- Profile
Professor Sir John Curtice
Sometimes known as the “sultan of swing,” Professor Sir John Curtice has become an institution of election coverage in the UK. But is there more to the man…
- Profile
Jordan Bardella
Who is National Rally's 28-year-old leader, Jordan Bardella? Stephen Smith looks at the life of the boy from the Paris suburbs who joined the far-right as a…
- Profile
Alan Bleasdale
Alan Bleasdale, the Liverpudlian screenwriter and playwright, is in the spotlight this week as a stage version of his iconic 1980's TV series 'Boys from the…
- Profile
Ann-Marie Powell
Ann-Marie Powell, is the exuberant and colourful, garden designer, whose' Octavia Hill 'Garden was one of the eight main gardens in competition at the Chelsea…
- Profile
Baroness Floella Benjamin
You may know her from Play School, Bafta or the House of Lords, Baroness Floella Benjamin doesn’t sit still, she’s even appeared in panto. Stephen Smith hears…
- Profile
John Swinney
After over four decades in the SNP and nearly two in government, John Swinney is finally stepping up to the top job for the first time, becoming Scotland’s new…
- Profile
Isaac Levido
Isaac Levido has established a formidable reputation as a election strategist, helping to craft wins both in the UK and Australia. Thought of as a protege of…
- Profile
Paul Sinton-Hewitt
Paul Sinton-Hewitt, the founder of parkrun, was born in Zimbabwe and moved to South Africa at the age of five, where he was brought up in care with his two…
- Profile
Simon Harris
Although Simon Harris reportedly describes himself as an 'accidental politician', he has managed to make a career out of it. His interest in politics was…
- Profile
Bishop Rosemarie Mallett
Rosemarie Mallett’s star has risen quickly in the Church of England. After a career in academia and a period of disenchantment with the institution, she became…
- Profile
Vaughan Gething
Vaughan Gething this week became Wales’ new First Minister, and the leader of Welsh Labour. He’s the fifth person to hold the post and the first black leader…
- Profile
Michael Gove
The current Secretary for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, first joined the cabinet in 2010 and has remained there for most of the past 14…
- Profile
Sir Paul Marshall
The millionaire hedge fund manager Sir Paul Marshall has recently hit the headlines, both for his growing media portfolio and controversy over his social media…