My guest today is one of the most recognisable rugby coaches in the world. A Rugby Union player turned coach, and only man to have won the major domestic competition in each hemisphere, he currently coaches the English Premiership’s Leicester Tigers. Five years later, in an emotional and personal decision, he code-switched to Rugby League to coach …

My guest today likes to describe herself as “just an old bird with an iPhone”. But there’s no need to be so humble. From Countdown to drawing the ire of members of the Conservative government, she’s always trodden her own path. Her new book, Now What? On a Mission to Fix a Broken Britain, details this journey into the political. My guest today is C…

To call him, simply, an ‘internet prankster/comedian’ would be accurate, but perhaps a disservice. He ran for London Mayor, competed in Mr Universe with no training, and became the richest man in the world - for seven minutes. An exemplar of the changing face of fame in modern Britain, he’s now going on his first international tour, Loophole. Our g…

You can’t tell the story of UK Rap without mentioning Dizzy Rascal, Wiley, Stormzy and my guest today. Born and raised in a street that would provide the name of his debut record’s smash hit, Ladbroke Grove, he’d go on to achieve five platinum singles and 2 billion Spotify plays. And, he did it all as an independent artist in an industry monopolise…

As a footballer, his record speaks for itself. But, his career as player-turned-manager is a knot of competing narratives. A Romford-boy-done-good, a manager dealt a string of poor cards, or a player propelled by Premier League plutocracy. As always, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. My guest today is Frank Lampard. Hosted on Acast. See acast…

From his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, to the stage of BoomTown, UK, my guest today is an international, billboard top ten charting musician, known for his combination of the sounds of Reggae and dancehall with the lyricism of Hip hop. In February this year, his third album The Kalling won him his first Grammy, beating out fellow nominees Sean Pau…

My guest today is the Green Party’s highest-profile member, serving both as a member of the European Parliament and then, in 2010, as the Greens’ first - and only - MP. A dedicated activist, as well as politician, her achievements include being the three time winner of Politician of The Year at The Observer’s Ethical Awards; championing animal, wor…

My guest today was, by his own admission, an unexceptional student from an unexceptional suburb. But, at age 43, he’d achieve the extraordinary - becoming the first Briton to visit the International Space Station. Last month, it was reported that my guest was coming out of retirement to lead the UK’s first astronaut mission. It follows the release …

It was at Capital FM - on the show he's helmed for seven years - that my guest met his best friend and producer Joe Lyons, who tragically took his own life in 2020. Since then, my guest’s mental health campaigning has seen him open up about his own experience with depression. In this interview, he opens up about how antidepressants killed his sex d…

My guest today has had his finger on the pulse of British men’s fashion for over a decade. From the suburbs of Fetcham to the front row of London Fashion Week, he’s served as the Style Director for both British GQ and Esquire. Interviewing designers, reviewing catwalk shows, and rubbing shoulders with the who’s who of fashion is all in a day’s work…

My guest today takes us on a journey to where time and space end, the heart of a black hole. He's been described as a rockstar of theoretical physics, who’s credited LSD with sparking his interest in the subject. And, his work on the quantum loop theory of gravity has seen him pick up where Einstein left off, featuring in his new book, White Holes.…

My guest today is the great-great-grandson of a Baronet and the great-nephew of a Lord, who once had a posh-off with Jack Whitehall and Francis Boulle. Perhaps, then, it wasn’t a surprise when he found himself in the cast of Made in Chelsea for 18 seasons. But he’s not just a TV personality. While he may have been born an heir to a slice of the McV…

My guest today is a comedian, whose regular appearances on Live at the Apollo and Mock the Week turned him into a household name before his thirtieth birthday. His stand-up has been described as “verbally virtuosic” and his sets as “lightning-paced, gag-dense, precision-delivered”. My guest today is Rhys James. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac…

My guest today is a boxer. By 17, he was an Olympic silver medallist; by his mid-twenties, he was a world champion, fighting in Vegas and earning millions. But this isn’t Hollywood and he isn’t Rocky. He said: “one day I looked at my bank account and it was all gone.” Last year, he retired, ending his 27 year boxing career with a record of 40 fight…

My guest today was a politician. His CV reads like the diary of an eccentric colonial administrator and, while a member of the House of Commons, he went viral for a speech about hedgehogs. Since being purged from the Conservative Party by Boris Johnson, his influence and wealth has only grown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa…

My guest today is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, whose coverage of the most significant moments in 21st century US history has seen him arrested and tear-gassed. His first book They Can’t Kill Us All is a compilation of his reporting on the Black Lives Matter movement, and his latest release American Whitelash provides a nuanced an…

My guest today is an international drag sensation, who's won hearts and minds during their multiple TV show appearances in Australia, the UK, and the USA. The blonde bombshell’s rise to stardom was propelled by their appearance on Ru Paul’s Drag Race Season 6. And, in 2018, they faced off with Ann Widdecombe to become the winner of Celebrity Big Br…

My guest today is a footballer. Born in Leeds and raised in poverty by his mother and grandmother while his father spent recurring stints in prison, he began his professional career as a midfielder at Leeds United, where he was dubbed the “Yorkshire Pirlo”. In 2020, he started every game for England at the Euros. A big money move to Manchester City…

My guest today is a fighter. Born in Atherton, he started learning traditional martial arts aged seven. Now, standing at six foot five, weighing 18 stone, he sits fifth in the UFC’s heavyweight rankings. But the path to a successful MMA career for a British heavyweight is not an easy one. Speaking about that journey, he said: “There were some days …

When her career began in Holland, aged just 14, she was too young to sign the contract herself. Since then, she’s become the all-time leading scorer in the Women’s Super League; scored more goals for the Netherland’s than any other player, man or woman; won the Euros; played in a world cup final; and signed a quarter of a million pound contract ext…

A comedian and author, the product of a Catholic upbringing in Ireland, whose memoir Trouble is equal parts tender, humorous, and raw, while dealing with her sex work, addiction, and father's suicide. My guest today is Marise Gaughan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The son of a bus driver, the son of an immigrant, but that’s as far as the political clichés go. One of 8 children, he would go on to become the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital, with the largest personal mandate of any politician in Britain. Within months of taking office, his city, London, experienced three fatal terrorist attacks; at leas…

By her thirties, she was a successful comedian, making regular TV appearances. But, away from the public eye, she was searching for answers: answers to why she had never quite “fitted in” and, more pressingly, why she was habitually destroying all the furniture in her flat. From sex work to stand up, her new book, Strong Female Character, details t…

A world class striker, he won the golden boot at the 1986 World Cup. 80 caps for England. Today, he is the longest serving - and most outspoken - Match of the Day presenter, the BBC’s best paid presenter, and perhaps a bigger player in the media than he was on the pitch. He says: “I was born to be in the box, I learnt how to be on the box, and I’ll…

Born in Mullingar, Ireland, in 1993 his life was normal. By the age of 16 he was one of the most famous people in the world, part of the biggest boy band since the Beatles, One Direction. Reflecting on that moment he said: “My childhood was cut short. I never really got the chance to finish school. After the first audition I packed up everything in…

New host, same brilliant conversations. Unfiltered's back and better than ever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 50 fantastic episodes, James O’Brien’s time at the helm of Unfiltered is sadly coming to an end.In this special episode with BBC Radio 4 presenter Fi Glover, James signs off from the interviewees chair with a touching conversation about his life. James shares his experiences from growing up adopted and getting expelled from school to breaking…

You probably know Gina Miller as the woman who took the government to court for attempting to implement Brexit without a vote in Parliament, but there’s much more to Gina Miller than the headlines.In this fascinating interview with James O’Brien, Gina shares her story, moving from Guyana to the UK, becoming a successful businesswoman, her campaigns…

Former editor-in-chief of The Guardian Alan Rusbridger joins James O’Brien for a fascinating interview about the extraordinary stories and technological revolutions that defined his tenure, from the News of the World phone hacking scandal to the WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden revelations, through to the future of journalism in the information age. Ho…

Legendary film director Spike Lee joins guest host David Lammy for a fascinating interview about his extraordinary career, his latest effort BlacKkKlansman, reflecting on the presidency of Barack Obama, and a little North London rivalry between Spike’s Arsenal and David’s beloved Tottenham Hotspur.Normal service will resume next week when James O’B…

David Lammy steps into the interviewer’s chair while James is on holiday for a very special interview with Idris Elba. The pair chart Idris’ journey to stardom, from his childhood spent mostly alone, getting the buzz for acting, moving to America and getting his big break on The Wire, right up to his first film as a director, Yardie. There’s no tal…

Poet and two-time Mercury Prize-nominated rapper Kate Tempest joins James O’Brien for a deep and fascinating interview about art, poetry, transcendence, the human condition, and the dark and beautiful worlds that art and performance can take you to, and we think you’ll agree that this conversation goes to some extraordinary places too. Hosted on Ac…

Happy Mondays and Black Grape frontman Shaun Ryder joins a starstruck James O’Brien for a rock ’n’ roll rollercoaster of an interview. We journey from Shaun’s early days in ‘monochrome’ Manchester, to the formation of the Mondays, the technicolour highs and explosive lows of band life, break ups and reformations, coming off drugs and embarking on n…

He’s a DJ, a record label boss, a producer and an entrepreneur, but Steve Aoki is really only interested in one thing: building a community. This insightful interview with James O’Brien takes us through Steve’s journey to superstardom, from his childhood struggles with otherness and racism, finding solace in music and the constructive rage of hardc…

It’s a laugh-packed interview this week! James O’Brien chats to comedian Mark Steel about growing up in a town that was boring by design, the hilarious misadventures that come with living in a squat, Jeremy Corbyn and left-wing politics, and his varying degrees of success in trying to trace his biological parents. Oh, and Mark has possibly the deep…

James is away finishing his new book, so we’re doing things a little differently this week. Yes, it’s a ‘Best Of’, but it’s the best of the guests that might have slipped under your radar. They may not be household names, but they have rich and interesting stories that we think you’d like to check out. Normal service will resume with a brand new in…

What happens when you just say ‘yes’ to everything? What happens when you ask random people to join you, when you’ve no idea what you’re asking them to join? Danny Wallace asks these kind of questions, and boy, does he get answers.Danny joins James O’Brien for a witty and revealing interview about his his early days working with Ross Noble and The …

In the world of Christian music, Vicky Beeching was one of its biggest stars, but she had a secret, something she’d hidden away for over 20 years: she was gay. In this inspiring interview, Vicky takes James O’Brien through her journey, discovering a talent for music at a young age, her struggles reconciling her feelings with her faith, and a life-t…

Caitlin Moran has a lot to say. Some of it is rib-crackingly funny. Some of it is eye-opening and jaw-dropping. Not all of it is related to the human anatomy, but every word is worth your time.James O’Brien is certainly kept on his toes in this whipcrack of an interview, covering everything from masturbation to politics, Love Island to feminism, an…

Novelist, journalist and top-notch conversationalist Howard Jacobson joins James O’Brien for a gloriously sprawling interview, exploring everything from Howard’s birth during a WWII bombing raid, his disdain for “the will of the people”, everyday antisemitism, and his late success as an author, proving beyond proof that it’s never too late for anyo…

In the late 1980s, something was happening in Manchester. A melting pot of music, art and culture was bubbling away, ready to explode, and Dave Haslam was right there in the middle of it. In this fascinating interview, the DJ and writer talks to James O’Brien about his passion for Manchester’s alternative music and culture, DJing at the Haçienda, t…

You may know Simon Thomas from his work on Sky Sports and Blue Peter, but the devastating loss of Simon’s wife Gemma brought him to a prominence that no one could ever wish for. In this emotional and inspiring interview with James O’Brien, Simon shares his story, from getting his big break on Blue Peter and forging a career in the media, to meeting…

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ronan Farrow normally asks the questions, but this time he’s in the hot seat. In this sharp and incisive interview with James O’Brien, Ronan takes us through his prodigious childhood, working in the Obama administration at 21, then going on to forge a career in journalism, most famously as one of the reporters who …

Rapper, poet and scholar Akala joins James O’Brien for a scintillating interview, in which they discuss two issues that run to the heart of modern Britain: race and class.In a breakneck hour of conversation, Akala picks apart many of the modern myths around gangs, street violence and black youth, looking at the ways these are perpetuated in the med…

In her time working with and for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Michelle Lyons was witness to nearly 300 executions, and though she watched hundreds of inmates be put to death, she’s one of the most cheerful people you could ever meet.In this extraordinary interview with James O’Brien, Michelle takes us into the execution chamber, into t…

More than almost any other Unfiltered guest so far, you know exactly who Jamie Oliver is. Except, you don’t. In a revealing and impassioned interview with James O’Brien, Jamie takes us back to being a young boy in Essex working in his parents’ pub, not only discovering his passion for food, but his passion for what food can do.The Naked Chef saw Ja…

Before he was Plan B, a young man called Ben Drew was growing up in London’s Forest Gate. With a guitar and the music of Smokey Robinson to work with, Ben set about becoming what he is today: a chronicler of our times. In this enthralling interview with James O’Brien, Ben shares his story, a story that is inextricably tied to his music, experiencin…

You know comedian Shappi Khorsandi from Live at the Apollo and her legendary shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, but Shappi was learning how to make people laugh well before she picked up the mic.In this funny, fascinating, and at times emotional interview with James O’Brien, Shappi shares the story of her family fleeing Iran in the face of revolution, …

Arguably the best rugby union referee in the world, known for his witty one-liners and no-nonsense attitude, Nigel Owen’s career highs came with some unimaginable lows. In this vulnerable and moving interview with James O’Brien, Nigel shares his struggle as a young man in rural Wales coming to terms with his sexuality, surviving a suicide attempt a…

In one of the funniest Unfiltered interviews to date, James O’Brien meets the whirlwind that is comedian Russell Kane who, as you’re about to discover, has a lot to say.The pair cover everything, from Russell’s relationship with his rough ’n’ tough father, to his unique passion for watches; from the stresses and pressures that success put on your r…