John Amaechi

Waheed Arian spent his childhood fleeing the war zones of Afghanistan. After recovering from an almost fatal illness at a Pakistan refugee camp as a child, he set his sights on becoming a doctor. Putting his life in the hands of people smugglers, Waheed eventually reached the UK and studied medicine at Cambridge. He now saves lives as an NHS A&E medic and is the founder of charity, TeleHEAL, providing volunteer medical support to people around the world. His book, In the Wars is out now.

30 Sep 20211h 6min

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 Sep 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 Sep 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 Sep 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 Sep 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 Aug 202150min

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 Jul 202158min