Jack Monroe

The Deputy Leader of the Labour party was brought up by a parent who could not read or write. After getting pregnant and leaving school aged 16, Angela Rayner became a home carer where she found her feet as a union representative, eventually rising to be Unison’s most senior official in the North West. Now she’s taking on the government over workers’ rights and cronyism; her battles no longer fought on the estate she grew up on, but from across the despatch box.

23 Syys 20211h 5min

In the run up to the 2016 Trump election, Joe Mulhall of Surrey, England managed to convince the American white supremacist terrorist group, the Ku Klux Klan, of his support for them. Shortly afterwards he found himself armed and accompanying an Alabaman militia group on the hunt for undocumented migrants and ISIS members on the Mexican border. Mulhall works for Hope Not Hate, an advocacy group that campaigns against racism and fascism. His book, Drums in the Distance: Journeys Into the Global Far Right is out now and documents his decade as an anti-fascist infiltrator.

16 Syys 20211h 4min

For 20 years, Queen guitarist and astrophysicist, Brian May had been too busy to realise that he didn’t belong to a record label. Then at the height of lockdown he decided to reissue his 1992 solo album, Back To The Light. He speaks to James about his friendship with Freddie Mercury, his love of science and becoming a grandfather.

9 Syys 202153min

After leading a series of successful challenges to the Brexit process, Jolyon Maugham QC was thrust into the limelight and depicted by right-wing Brexiteers as an out of touch, elitist, Remainer. But for the first 17 years of his life, Jolyon was unaware of the existence of his biological Eton-educated father and was brought up on ‘nuisance payments’ of £5 a week. He is now the Director of the Good Law Project, a not-for-profit campaign organisation that uses the law to protect the interests of the public - regardless of the way they voted in the 2016 referendum.

2 Syys 20211h

Aged 10 and deeply unhappy, Anthony Horowitz OBE realised that he was a writer. Since then he has been difficult to pin down. His diverse oeuvre ranges from Midsomer Murders and Foyle’s War, to the bestselling Alex Rider teen spy series. In his latest book, A Line To Kill, Horowitz himself enters the fictional fold.

12 Elo 202150min

When John Amaechi OBE was a boy, his white grandfather would lean out of the car window to shout racist abuse at other drivers whilst he sat in the back. He went on to become the first British NBA star and is now an organisational psychologist, called upon to solve intractable people problems in companies wanting to embrace workplace diversity. His new book, The Promises of Giants is out now.

5 Elo 20211h 1min

Joe Lycett, the comedian formerly known as Hugo Boss has no discernable backstory of trauma to speak of. He has ‘a tendency to do just enough’ and is frustrated with himself when he accepts the offer of work. But he is motivated by a strong moral compass and a desire to dazzle. Tickets for his 2022 UK and Ireland tour, More, More, More! How do you Lycett? How do you Lycett? are on sale now.

29 Heinä 202158min

Having separated from her husband, Lucy Kellaway quit her full-time, high-status job as a journalist at the Financial Times to become a trainee teacher at a secondary school. In Re-educated, Lucy shows that age is no barrier to ripping up and starting again. Her charity, Now Teach encourages experienced people to step into the classroom to help plug the colossal teacher shortage and bring freshness to the system.

23 Heinä 202155min