Full Disclosure with James O'Brien25 Heinä 2025

David Lammy: I’ve had imposter syndrome my whole life- until now

From a working-class childhood in Tottenham to the Cabinet table, David Lammy’s path to becoming Foreign Secretary was anything but straightforward. Raised by a single mother after his father disappeared when he was twelve, David’s early life was shaped by absence, ambition and a fierce sense of justice.

In this deeply personal conversation with James O’Brien, David opens up about the chaos of his childhood, the teachers and parish priests who changed his life, and the duality of growing up between two worlds- North London and a Peterborough choir school. He reflects on the trauma of police harassment, the fear of prison that haunted his youth, and the rage and hope that drove him to become a barrister and, eventually, an MP.

They discuss what it means to represent a place like Tottenham, the emotional toll of public service, and the long shadow of imposter syndrome- even as a Cabinet minister. With disarming honesty, David revisits his father's alcoholism, the moment he chose not to see him before he died, and how he finally shook off the feeling he didn’t belong- only when he became Foreign Secretary.

From LA Law dreams to Harvard halls, David charts the improbable course that brought him to Number 10. And he reveals why, despite the calls for him to run for PM, he’s convinced he’s exactly where he’s meant to be.

Now at the heart of British foreign policy during a time of global instability- from Ukraine, to Sudan and the continuing crisis in Gaza- David also shares the limits and frustrations of diplomacy, the responsibility of not being complicit, and the moral weight of trying to end a war that feels impossible to stop.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(348)

Tony Hadley: “I Didn’t Think True Was a Single”

Tony Hadley went from borrowing £20 in the pub while appearing on Top of the Pops to fronting one of the biggest bands in the world. Then came the fallings-out, a bruising court battle and a journey f...

18 Syys 1h 2min

Francis Fukuyama: The End of History author on democracy under threat

He famously argued that liberal democracy marked the end of history. Now, with war, populism and authoritarianism reshaping the world, Francis Fukuyama asks whether liberal democracy can still win.In ...

11 Syys 50min

Jay Rayner: Why Trying to Be Liked Is a Recipe for Failure

Jay Rayner has eaten some of the best meals in the world - and written some of Britain’s most memorable restaurant reviews. But the story behind the critic is even richer.In this candid conversation, ...

4 Syys 58min

Robert Harris: From Tony Blair’s Inner Circle to Hollywood’s Conclave

From watching Tony Blair win a landslide from inside his living room to imagining a world where Hitler won the war, Robert Harris has made a career out of getting closer to power than most.In this epi...

28 Elo 1h 4min

Alexei Sayle: I never thought we’d end up here

Alexei Sayle has spent a lifetime finding humour in anger, absurdity and the systems that shape us. Raised in Liverpool by fiercely committed communist parents, his childhood was filled with politics,...

21 Elo 1h 1min

Amelia Dimoldenberg: How Chicken Shop Date became a global phenomenon

Before she became the creator behind Chicken Shop Date, Amelia Dimoldenberg was a relentlessly ambitious child from Marylebone, dreaming of editing Vogue, joining S Club Juniors and taking to the stag...

14 Elo 59min

Dr Ranj Singh: “I Was Outed To My Parents”

Beloved TV doctor, children’s author and NHS paediatrician Dr Ranj Singh tells James O’Brien the extraordinary story behind the smile - from the collapse of the life he thought he was supposed to want...

7 Elo 1h 1min

Tim Booth: The Story of James, Sit Down and Laid

As the magnetic frontman of James, Tim Booth has spent more than four decades turning raw emotion into some of Britain’s most loved music - from Sit Down and Laid to a run of acclaimed new records.Tim...

31 Heinä 1h