Best Ian Dolan Podcasts (2025)

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Val McDermid on her childhood love of libraries 4:00

Play Pause

9m ago4:00

4:00

In 2013 the Scottish writer Val McDermid was cast away by Kirsty Young. Crime fiction is Val's chosen genre, and the millions of novels she sells examine and dissect the darkest recesses of human behaviour. Val spoke to Kirsty about her childhood love of libraries. You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.…

1
Malala on campaigning for equal access to education 4:33

4h ago4:33

4:33

The activist Malala Yousafzai was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2021. Malala was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize when she was 17, becoming the youngest winner in its history. She spoke to Lauren about why equal access to education for girls matters so much to her and her family. You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.…

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Jilly Cooper on the secret to a successful marriage 3:12

1d ago3:12

3:12

In 2016 the novelist Jilly Cooper was cast away by Kirsty Young. Jilly is perhaps best known as the author of Rivals but her writing career also spans newspaper columns, non-fiction books on class, marriage and animals in war, and novels that sell in their millions. Jilly told Kirsty Young about her theory on what makes a successful marriage. You c…

1
Ian Wright on his inspirational teacher 5:54

2d ago5:54

5:54

The former footballer and pundit Ian Wright was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2020. Born to Jamaican parents in south-east London, Ian grew up with his mother and stepfather. His biological father had left the family before Ian was two years old. Things at home were difficult, and Ian spent as much time as possible outside playing football. Ian sp…

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Maggie Alphonsi, broadcaster and former rugby player 49:21

10d ago49:21

49:21

Maggie Alphonsi is a broadcaster and former rugby player. She was part of the England team which took home the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup and by the time she retired she’d won 74 caps for her country. Maggie was brought up in north London and when she was 14 her PE teacher suggested she give the sport of rugby union a try. Maggie joined her local…

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Ep 060: Spr Josh Brown - British Army (RE) Veteran 1:04:36

14d ago1:04:36

1:04:36

In 2014, Josh enlisted in the British Army as a Royal Engineer, serving for a period of six years and attaining the rank of Sapper (Spr). In this episode, Josh discusses his journey of growing up and his aspiration to join the Royal Engineers. He also shares his experiences with basic training, phase 2 training to become a combat engineer, and his …

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Professor Dame Carol Robinson, scientist 50:20

17d ago50:20

50:20

Professor Dame Carol Robinson is a scientist who was the first female professor of Chemistry at both Cambridge and Oxford Universities. She has been awarded scientific prizes from all over the world for her pioneering work studying complex macromolecules using an instrument called the mass spectrometer. Carol was drawn to science as a child growing…

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Harry Hill, comedian 50:48

24d ago50:48

50:48

Harry Hill is a comedian, writer and broadcaster best known for presenting popular television shows including You’ve Been Framed, Junior Bake Off and the multi award-winning TV Burp. He was born Matthew Hall in Surrey and brought up in Kent. He became a Cub Scout and got a taste for performing when he was nine after playing Widow Twankey in the Chr…

1
Monica Dolan, actor 50:58

1M ago50:58

50:58

Monica Dolan is a BAFTA and Olivier award winning actor. She is equally at home playing a wrongfully accused postmistress in Mr Bates Vs the Post Office as she is playing the serial killer Rosemary West. Alongside her many roles in TV, stage and screen, Monica has also written and performed in her award winning one woman play B*easts. Born in 1969,…

1
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor 51:19

1M ago51:19

51:19

Gustavo Dudamel is a Venezuelan conductor, violinist and composer. He is known for bringing humour and joy to the podium. He is currently director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra and in 2026 will take up the post of music director of the New York Philharmonic, following in the footsteps of Gustav Mahler and …

1
Ash Atalla, producer 50:03

1M ago50:03

50:03

Ash Atalla is a television producer whose first hit was the BBC sitcom The Office, starring Ricky Gervais. He followed it up with the IT Crowd, People Just Do Nothing, Big Boys and Stath Lets Flats. His haul of awards from these programmes include six BAFTAs, four Royal Television Society awards, a Golden Globe and an Emmy. Ash was born in Cairo an…

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Ep 059: Mne Alex Krol - Royal Marines Veteran 1:19:23

2M ago1:19:23

1:19:23

Alex joined the Royal Marines Reserve (RMR) in 2001 and served for four and a half years, attaining the rank of Marine (Mne). In this episode, Alex discusses the process and his journey in joining the Royal Marines Reserve, including his time as a member of 539 Assault Squadron. During this tenure, he was attached to the United States Marine Corps …

1
Carol Klein, gardener 50:47

2M ago50:47

50:47

Carol Klein is a gardener, broadcaster and longtime contributor to BBC Gardeners’ World. She is a six time Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner, a certified RHS Horticultural Hero and was awarded the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour. Born in 1945 in Lancashire, Carol was the eldest of three children and her love of gardening was evident when she used …

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Sir Gregory Doran, director 53:01

2M ago53:01

53:01

Sir Gregory Doran is the former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He spent a total of thirty five years with the RSC directing fifty productions in the UK and abroad. He’s been called “one of the great Shakespeareans of his age” and has won multiple awards for his work. Born in 1958, Greg was brought up near Preston and played a n…

1
Norma Percy, film-maker 51:06

2M ago51:06

51:06

Norma Percy is a documentary film-maker. She has been making programmes for over three decades and her productions have featured a range of political leaders from Tony Blair and Bill Clinton to Mikhail Gorbachev and Slobodan Milošević. Her film-making method, which she developed alongside her colleague Brian Lapping, tells the stories of our times …

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Viewpoint 35: Murray Hambro 18:58

2M ago18:58

18:58

Original Episode: Ep 035 - LCpl Murray Hambro from 10th April 2023. In this Viewpoint: Murray shares his journey of leaving the Army as an amputee and finding a new sense of purpose. This included participating in a motorcycle racing team, which ultimately led him to become a Physical Training Instructor. His desire to improve his fitness and that …

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Lord Alf Dubs, politician and campaigner 52:38

2M ago52:38

52:38

Lord Alf Dubs is a Labour peer and former MP. He came to the UK from Prague in 1939 on one of the Kindertransport trains organised by Sir Nicholas Winton which rescued mostly Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. Alf was born in Prague in 1932. His father was from a Jewish background and was brought up in what was then Northern Bohemia…

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Ep 058: Lt Col Ian Marlow - British Army (AAC) Veteran 2:23:52

3M ago2:23:52

2:23:52

Ian joined the British Army in 1989, serving in the Army Air Corps for 21 years. During this tenure, attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col). In this episode, Ian discusses his journey through the University Officers’ Training Corps (UOTC) and his tenure as a member of the Territorial Army. Prior to completing the comprehensive officer tra…

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Professor Lucy Easthope, emergency planner 51:36

3M ago51:36

51:36

Professor Lucy Easthope is an adviser on disaster recovery and planning. She’s an expert in planning for and reacting to major incidents: natural disaster, terrorist attacks, pandemics and fires, and is the visiting Professor of Mass Fatalities and Pandemics at the University of Bath. Born in Merseyside in 1978, Lucy cites the impact of watching th…

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Romesh Ranganathan, comedian and broadcaster 50:23

3M ago50:23

50:23

Romesh Ranganathan is a comedian and BAFTA-winning broadcaster who has been a fixture on British television screens for the past decade. In addition to his TV shows and stand-up tours he presents the Weakest Link on BBC One, Radio Two’s Saturday morning show and another weekly Radio Two programme in which he shares his passion for hip hop music. Ro…

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Abdulrazak Gurnah, writer 51:17

3M ago51:17

51:17

Abdulrazak Gurnah is emeritus Professor of Post-Colonial Literatures at the University of Kent and the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in Literature. Born in Zanzibar in 1948, the second of six children, Abdulrazak grew up in the dying days of the island’s status as a British protectorate before independence was declared in 1963. The revolution which follo…

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Viewpoint 34: Kerry Gospel 20:27

3M ago20:27

20:27

Original Episode: Ep 034 - Maj Kerry Gospel from 10th March 2023. In this Viewpoint: Kerry discusses his decision to leave the British Army, acknowledging that the opportune moment for departure had arrived. He subsequently shares his transition back to civilian life, finding his feet with different jobs before settling on a career helping veterans…

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Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, scientist 50:58

3M ago50:58

50:58

Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu is Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience at University College London and President of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge. She has devoted her career to harnessing the potential of nanoparticles – which are less than a thousandth of the width of a human hair - to take medicines to hard-to-reach areas of the bod…

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Ep 057: Sgt Ben Gallagher - Special Forces (UKSF) Communicator Veteran 3:01:25

4M ago3:01:25

3:01:25

Ben enlisted in the British Army in 2005, joining the Royal Corps of Signals. During the course of 16 years of service, Ben attained the rank of Sergeant (Sgt). In this episode, Ben recounts his journey into the British Army, detailing the training phases he underwent before joining his first unit. He deployed to Afghanistan soon after, which marke…

1
Danny Dyer, actor 49:54

4M ago49:54

49:54

Actor Danny Dyer became a household name when he joined the cast of EastEnders as Mick Carter, landlord of the Queen Victoria pub. He recently stole the show from some stiff competition playing Freddie Jones in the television adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel Rivals which won him a Royal Television Society Award for Best Supporting Actor. Danny wa…

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Viewpoint 33: Steve Rindahl 21:07

4M ago21:07

21:07

Original Episode: Ep 033 - MAJ Steve Rindahl from 10th February 2023. In this Viewpoint: Steve shares his transition back to civilian life, after fully leaving the military, away from the active duty and reserves. This included his participation in the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage that leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. …

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Lindsey Hilsum, journalist 50:59

5M ago50:59

50:59

Lindsey Hilsum is a multi-award-winning journalist who has been a foreign correspondent for the past four decades. She has been Channel 4’s international editor for the past 22 years and has reported on every continent except Antarctica. After studying French and Spanish at University, she worked as an aid worker in Mexico and Kenya before becoming…

1
Donna Ockenden, midwife 50:58

5M ago50:58

50:58

Donna Ockenden is a former clinical midwife who led the Ockenden Review which revealed, at the time, the biggest maternity scandal in NHS history. Published in 2022, the review highlighted serious failings in maternity care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust which contributed to the deaths of more than 200 babies and nine mothers. Don…

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Viewpoint 32: William Taylor 21:26

5M ago21:26

21:26

Original Episode: Ep 032 - Sgt William Taylor from 10th January 2023. In this Viewpoint: William talks about how his book 'On Full Automatic: Surviving 13 Months in Vietnam' came about, and how when writing this book, it was helpful and healing for him on a personal level. William - aka Bill - also shares some good advice for people thinking of joi…

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Professor Carl Jones, conservation biologist 52:52

5M ago52:52

52:52

Professor Carl Jones is a conservation biologist who is best known for saving the Mauritius kestrel from extinction. He is the scientific director of Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, chief scientist at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and an honorary professor in ecology and conservation biology at the University of East Anglia. He was born in Car…

1
Cyndi Lauper, singer-songwriter 49:15

6M ago49:15

49:15

Cyndi Lauper is a multi-award winning singer and songwriter. She has sold more than fifty million records, won an Emmy for acting and her musical Kinky Boots earned her a Tony and an Oliver award. Born in 1953, Cyndi grew up in a blue collar neighbourhood in New York. Her mother loved music and art and took her children to free exhibitions in New Y…

1
William Boyd, writer 50:52

6M ago50:52

50:52

William Boyd is the author of eighteen novels, five short story collections and numerous screenplays. His first published novel, A Good Man in Africa, was inspired by his childhood in West Africa. He is well known for writing ‘whole life’ novels including Any Human Heart which he adapted as a BAFTA-winning television series. He was born in Accra in…

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Sir Jony Ive, designer 51:41

6M ago51:41

51:41

Sir Jony Ive is a designer who is best known for his pioneering work at Apple alongside his friend and colleague, the late Steve Jobs. Jony’s creative vision is behind some of the company’s seminal products which have transformed the way we live today including phones, music players and watches. He was born in Chingford in east London and loved dra…

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Viewpoint 31: Ryan Yates 19:40

6M ago19:40

19:40

Original Episode: Ep 031 - LBdr Ryan Yates from 10th December 2022. In this Viewpoint: Ryan shares founding a not-for-profit Community Interest Company called Veteran’s Army, where they help veterans and their family. He also gives advice for people thinking of joining the military, plus some good advice for people as a veteran. Watch Full Episode …

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Mina Smallman, activist 50:55

6M ago50:55

50:55

Wilhelmina – Mina – Smallman is an activist who campaigns for the safety of women and girls and police reform. She is a former teacher and priest who was the first woman of colour to be an archdeacon in the Church of England. In 2020 her daughters Bibaa and Nicole were murdered as they celebrated Bibaa’s 46th birthday in Fryent Country Park. It lat…

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Introducing Gangster Presents... Hooligans 3:14

7M ago3:14

3:14

Former boxing champion and proud Evertonian Tony Bellew delves into the brutal world of football hooliganism. At its height in the 1970s and 1980s, it was labelled ‘the English Disease,’ a time when violence on the terraces was as much a part of the game as a half-time Bovril. Bellew hears from those who lived for the trouble, the men and women who…

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Ep 056: Cpl Gerry Dolan - Royal Air Force Veteran 1:09:32

7M ago1:09:32

1:09:32

In 2008, Gerry enlisted in the Royal Air Force (RAF) as an Aerospace Systems Operator and served for nine years, attaining the rank of Corporal (Cpl). In this episode, Gerry discusses his decision to join the Royal Air Force (RAF) and his subsequent training to become an Aerospace Systems Operator. He provides insights into the operational location…

1
Stephen Mangan 50:40

7M ago50:40

50:40

Actor Stephen Mangan is castaway by Lauren Laverne in an extended edition. Stephen is an award-winning actor who is also a presenter and writer. His prolific career includes comedic roles in TV hits Green Wing; Episodes and Adrian Mole. He also plays the much loved Nathan in BBC drama The Split and has appeared in many award winning theatre product…

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Nemone Lethbridge, lawyer and writer 50:59

7M ago50:59

50:59

Nemone Lethbridge is a barrister who was called to the bar in 1956. One of very few female barristers working at the time, she encountered misogyny and was one of the trailblazers for women working in the legal profession who followed behind her.At her first Chambers, she wasn’t allowed to share a toilet with her male colleagues and had to use the …

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Nick Cave, singer and writer 48:58

7M ago48:58

48:58

Nick Cave is a singer and writer who, with his band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, has released emotionally intense and provocative music since the mid-Eighties. He is also a novelist, composer and has written film scripts and soundtracks along with his writing partner and Bad Seed Warren Ellis. Nick grew up in Wangaratta, Australia the third of four…

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Viewpoint 30: Alex Gardiner 22:08

7M ago22:08

22:08

Original Episode: Ep 030 - Maj Alex Gardiner from 10th November 2022 In this Viewpoint, Alex discusses his aspiration to become a civilian photographer, with the intention of travelling to Afghanistan to gain a unique perspective on the world and potentially provide assistance in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, given his prior knowledge of the r…

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Harriet Wistrich, lawyer 50:54

7M ago50:54

50:54

Harriet Wistrich is one of the country’s most prominent human rights lawyers. In 2016 she founded the Centre for Women’s Justice and over the course of her career, she has won landmark victories in very difficult legal cases. She has helped women imprisoned after killing their abusers regain their freedom. She’s also represented women seeking justi…

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Ep 055: SSG Aaron Hale - U.S. Army (EOD) Veteran 1:43:04

8M ago1:43:04

1:43:04

Aaron joined the United States Navy (USN) in 1999 as a Mess Management Specialist (Cook), and later transferred to the United States Army (USA) as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Specialist, serving for a combined 14 years. Aaron reached the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSG). In this episode Aaron talks about his time joining the U.S. Navy, and gra…

1
Laurie Anderson, artist 49:52

8M ago49:52

49:52

Laurie Anderson is an artist and performer who came to fame in the UK with her 1981 hit O Superman. Her work spans music, film and multimedia projects which interrogate our relationship with technology and tell stories about the world we live in. She was born in Chicago in 1947, the second-oldest of eight children, and started learning the violin w…

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Mark-Anthony Turnage, composer 52:14

8M ago52:14

52:14

Mark-Anthony Turnage is a composer of contemporary classical music. Once called “Britain’s hippest composer”, he has been in a rock band, got drunk with Francis Bacon, and tackled anything from drug abuse to football in his works.Mark was born in June 1960 in the Thames estuary town of Corringham in Essex. His musical talent was nurtured by his par…

1
Marianela Núñez, ballerina 50:33

8M ago50:33

50:33

Marianela Núñez is a Principal dancer of the Royal Ballet and Opera. Born in Argentina in 1982, Marianela knew she wanted to be a ballet dancer from the age of five and joined the Teatro Colón Ballet School in Buenos Aires when she was eight. She dedicated herself to becoming a professional ballerina and had the full support of her parents despite …

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Viewpoint 29: Dianna Soriano 13:34

8M ago13:34

13:34

Original Episode: Ep 029 - SSG Diana Soriano from 10th October 2022. In this Viewpoint: Diana talks about her transition out of the U.S. Army back into civilian life, which included tackling mental health issues, after suppressing many thoughts and feelings from her time in the military. She also speaks about how writing her book - In Loving Memory…

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Gareth Southgate OBE, football manager 50:54

8M ago50:54

50:54

Gareth Southgate OBE is the most successful England men’s football manger in the modern game. He holds the record as the man who has represented England in more games than anyone else, with 102 games as men's senior team manager, 57 caps as a player and 37 as men's under-21 head coach, leading to a total of 196 games in which he has been involved a…

1
Cher, singer and actor 48:56

8M ago48:56

48:56

Cher has been a global star for over six decades. Her career has spanned music, television and film and throughout that time her outfits have made flamboyant fashion statements. She was born Cherilyn Sarkisian in El Centro, California and had a peripatetic childhood. Her mother married six times and with each new husband the family moved house. In …

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Ep 054: SSgt Jo Hursey - British Army (RLC) Veteran 2:55:29

9M ago2:55:29

2:55:29

Jo joined the British Army in 1995 and served for 24 years in the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC), reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSgt). In this episode, Jo talks about joining up and going through training, which was during the terrible times at Deepcut, but after getting through this part of training, she moved onto the famous driver training sc…