Rockstar and businessman Gene Simmons
There aren't many people who are recognisable only from their make-up, but mention a zigzag of black flames around the eyes, painted on a white face, and millions of people around the world will know you are talking about the frontman of the rock band Kiss. Take away the makeup and you have Gene Simmons - a man so canny about business that he realised he could make more money from marketing the Kiss brand than from selling records. His famously long tongue has also proved a loose one – he is frequently invited on chat shows & revels in scandalising his critics. But is that also all part of the act?
27 Marras 201723min
Poet and playwright: Lemn Sissay
It is dangerous to generalise about the human impulse to create art, but it does often seem to be linked to the experience of dark and painful places Stephen Sackur speaks to Lemn Sissay - a renowned poet and playwright whose writing and performances lay bare his own intimate wounds. He was abandoned as a baby, rejected by his foster family and abused in public institutions of care. He has since been on a quest to understand his past and piece together his identity. Along the way how did he find a remarkable poetic voice?Image: Lemn Sissay, Credit: BBC
24 Marras 201723min
Former Managing Director of Leeds United - David Haigh
Is it safe to do business in the United Arab Emirates? The former Managing Director of Leeds United, David Haigh thought so, until he endured a 22 month nightmare imprisonment, during which he says he was violently assaulted. His former employer says he's a convicted fraudster. Mr Haigh says he's the victim of legal, economic and political malfeasance. Is there something rotten in the UAE?(Photo: David Haigh looks on during the Yeovil Town v Leeds United match, 2014, Yeovil, England. Credit: Rob Munro/Getty Images)
22 Marras 201723min
Director - Baz Luhrmann
How did a boy from the Australian backwoods get to make his celluloid dreams come true? Hardtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to director Baz Luhrmann who made his name with a wildly entertaining debut movie called Strictly Ballroom. It was theatrical, sentimental and sweet, and became a hit around the world. Since then he has continued to make larger than life films combining dazzling visuals and epic stories. Is he brash, brilliant, or both?(Photo: Baz Luhrmann at the Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons gala, New York, 2017. Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
20 Marras 201723min
President and CEO, International Rescue Committee - David Miliband
Across the world sixty five million people have been forced to flee their homes as a result of war, persecution and economic desperation. It's a migration crisis which is generating immense human misery and alarming levels of political discord. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to David Miliband - head of the US-based International Rescue Committee and a former British foreign secretary. Can this politician turned humanitarian explain why governments around the world are failing to meet the migration challenge?
17 Marras 201723min
Comedian - Kathy Griffin
Should anything be off limits in comedy? It's meant to be subversive. It finds laughter in dark and difficult places, but when comedy goes wrong things can get ugly. Stephen Sackur speaks to Kathy Griffin, an American stand-up comedian probably best known for being pictured last May holding President Trump's severed head in her hand. The Trump head was fake, but the outrage was real - from the President, the TV network which fired her, the FBI which investigated her and the public which heaped abuse on her. What was - and is - Kathy Griffin thinking?(Photo: Kathy Griffin at a press conference at The Bloom Firm, 2017. Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
15 Marras 201723min
Saudi Journalist - Jamal Khashoggi
There's neither blood nor tanks on the streets of Riyadh, but what has happened in Saudi Arabia in recent days represents a revolution of sorts. King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed have launched a purge of princes, ministers and potential rivals - part of a grand plan to entrench their power and transform the country. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Saudi journalist, commentator and current political exile Jamal Khashoggi. Is the Saudi drama about raw power or real reform?
13 Marras 201723min
Conservative Party MP, UK - Jacob Rees-Mogg
Authority is a priceless commodity in politics. It's not easily measured, but when a Prime Minister loses it then governing becomes a perilous task. So it may be in Britain today - Theresa May has lost two cabinet ministers in a week, with her own team divided over Brexit and seemingly unsure about its core message. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to the increasingly influential Conservative MP and staunch Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg. Can the Tories get out of the hole they're in?
10 Marras 201723min
