Profile

Epizódy

• 
  Richard Osman 12.09.2026 14min

  The writer, presenter and podcaster Richard Osman has released his latest novel – We Chase Shadows, the second book in his We Solve Murders series. The release follows the success of his Thursday Murder Club novels which have sold millions of copies since the first book was published in 2020. It has since been made into a film produced by Steven Spielberg. Known for his TV presenter role on the hit game shows Pointless and Richard Osman’s House of Games, Osman started his career in showbusiness as a producer, devising formats for TV game shows which he pitched to broadcasters. He became the creative director of the television company Endemol and landed his first on screen gig on Pointless after standing in as co-presenter during run-throughs for the BBC. With Alexander Armstrong he went on to present over a thousand episodes before stepping down in 2022 to concentrate on his writing. Growing up in Hayworth’s Heath, Sussex, he showed an early interest in games and quizzes as well as TV and radio programmes. When he was 15 year old, he wrote to BBC Radio Sussex’s Turn It Up youth music programme, securing a role behind the microphone. He went on to study politics and sociology at Cambridge University where he first met his presenting partner Alexander Armstrong. Today, Osman presents the Rest is Entertainment podcast with Guardian columnist Marina Hyde. PRODUCTION: Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Tom Gillett Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Sabine Schereck Sound: Neil Churchill Editor: Justine LangARCHIVE: Pointless and Richard Osman's House of Games - Remarkable Entertainment Family Fortunes - ATV
• 
  Jon Ossoff 05.09.2026 14min

  The Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff is suddenly the name on everyone's lips. With his careful oratory and intangible 'it factor' comparisons have been made with a young Barack Obama. But who is the 39-year-old from Atlanta? Born in 1987 Ossoff grew up in Georgia where he attended a private school in the wealthy neighbourhood of Druid Hills. While at school Ossoff wrote to the civil rights leader and U.S. representative John Lewis who offered Ossoff an internship. He attended Georgetown University before moving to London to study at the London School of Economics. While in London Ossoff founded a media company where he worked as an investigative journalist producing films about corruption and human rights abuses. In 2017 he made his first foray into politics when a seat became available in his native Georgia. Despite being a complete unknown Ossoff broke fundraising records for a U.S. House candidate and received a large share of the vote. He didn't win the first time instead securing a seat in 2021. As a Jewish Democrat in a state with strong Republican support many say that Ossoff has his work cut out. Yet he appears to have mass appeal. Having been vouched for by Congressman John Lewis Ossoff has won the trust of many of Georgia's black voters. He's also developed a reputation for forensic takedowns of his opponents in government recently hitting the headlines after taking a crack at Donald Trump and his assistant Natalie Harp. Ossoff has said he has no plans to run for president himself but as veteran Democrat strategist Hank Sheinkopf observes 'He would say that wouldn't he?'Production: Presenter: Stephen Smith Producers: Annabel Deas and Bethan Ashmead Production Coordinator: Sabine Schereck Sound: James Beard Editor: Justine Lang
• 
  Anneliese Midgley 29.08.2026 14min

  Labour's new chief whip is a Liverpudlian with a broad cultural hinterland. Anneliese Midgley grew up in Knowsley on a housing estate. Her family struggled financially when she was growing up but their fortunes changed when her father got a job at the Halewood Ford factory. They moved to the more affluent area of Penny Lane and as a teenager Annaliese got a job at The Beatles Shop. Music became a huge part of her life. She hung out with DJs and musicians and was regularly seen behind the decks at cult Liverpool club night, Liquidation, which was run by her friend Daniel Hunt from the band Ladytron. Through him she met Saint Etienne founder Bob Stanley, who she married in 2000, and moved to London where Midgley became a music journalist. The couple later divorced but remain firm friends. Her first foray into politics was when she made some congestion charge badges for her friends and sent a few to then London Mayor Ken Livingstone who promptly employed her. She worked for him for five years before moving on to Unite union and then going on to work for Jeremy Corbyn, Keir Starmer and TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak. In 2024 she ran for parliament as the Labour candidate for Knowsley. In her two years in the commons she has established a reputation for getting things done. She fought hard to secure Olivia's law, campaigned for the Hillsborough law and was a key part of getting the government to back down on welfare reform. But perhaps her biggest moment yet was helping to propel the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to power after running his by-election campaign with fellow Labour MP Louise Haigh.Production: Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Annabel Deas and Bethan Ashmead Production Coordinator: Keshia Agyei Sound: Gareth Jones Editor: Justine Lang
• 
  James Purnell 18.07.2026 14min

  The New Labour old boy was at one time a front runner to lead his Party. But after a scandalous resignation from Gordon Brown’s Cabinet, it seemed his political career was over…until now. James Purnell grew up between France and Guildford. Spending his teenage years at the fee-paying Royal Grammar School, he was known for his distinctive Parisian style and ‘Rupert the Bear’ trousers. A fan of the theatre, golf, and student politics, he began establishing a network that would prove fruitful for a high-flying career. This continued at Oxford - where he studied Politics, Philosophy, and Economics - and spent summers interning with up-and-coming Labour politician, Tony Blair. His career took off early - serving as a councillor in Islingon, Head of Corporate Planning at the BBC, and then Special Advisor to the prime minister all in his 20s. In 2001, he was elected MP for the northern seat of Stalybridge and Hyde, and soon climbed the ranks of government, serving as a minister in Gordon Brown’s government. Purnell weathered storms and scrutiny, before generating a scandal of his own: a failed coup against the prime minister, resigning from the cabinet in 2009. Now, after decades out of Westminster - with top jobs at the BBC, University of the Arts London, and a corporate advisory and lobbying firm under his belt - he’s back. Andy Burnham, James Purnell’s former flatmate and football buddy, will become prime minister on Monday. And he’s invited his old friend back as his Chief of Staff. What will the so-called ‘Ant and Dec of New Labour’ do when they take the reigns of government next week?Production: Presenter: Becky Milligan Producers: Tom Gillett, Ellie House Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele, Siobhan Reed Sound: Neil Churchill Editor: Justine LangArchive: FA TV
• 
  Gianni Infantino 11.07.2026 15min

  The FIFA president grew up in Switzerland as part of an Italian migrant family, and fell in love with football and its administration when he was just a teenager. Having qualified as a football lawyer and making a name for himself at the European football federation UEFA, Infantino ended up perfectly positioned to take over the presidency of the world body FIFA after the organisation was mired in corruption charges. His promise to give the member associations double the money sealed his bid. He’s now been president for over 10 years and has overseen FIFA’s expansion, with World Cups in Qatar, Russia and now North America; the growth of the women’s game; more competitions; more controversy - and of course more money. This week, his love affair with Donald Trump has been thrust into the spotlight after US player Folarin Balogun’s red card was suspended following Trump's appeal to Infantino. Will this latest controversy prove his undoing, or is it just another chapter in a new brazen age?Production: Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Tom Gillett, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele, Siobhan Reed Sound: Neil Churchill Editor: Justine LangARCHIVE: FIFA
• 
  Donna Ockenden 04.07.2026 14min

  Donna Ockenden is a senior midwife and healthcare leader who has spent more than 35 years reforming patient safety in UK maternity services. Born in South Wales, she overcame a difficult childhood marked by poverty, family breakdown, and a period of homelessness. As a young midwife she cared for a baby named Gina who died from substandard care. This tragic event led to her lifelong 'Gina promise' to devote her career to making childbirth safer for mothers and infants. Ockenden qualified as both a nurse and a midwife, before moving into senior NHS leadership roles. She transitioned into a formidable independent investigator, widely known for uncovering systemic NHS failures. In 2017, she was appointed to chair the Ockenden Review into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. Her landmark 2022 final report exposed severe deficiencies connected to the deaths of over 200 babies and nine mothers, shifting national perspectives on maternity clinical governance.Ockenden was later chosen to lead the largest maternity investigation in NHS history at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Her 2026 report has identified hundreds of cases of avoidable harm and prompted national safety reforms. Outside of healthcare she is an active community advocate, founding the Four Streets Project charity in Chichester to support the local homeless population.Stephen Smith speaks to friends, families and colleagues who know her best. Production: Presenter: Stephen Smith Producers: Bethan Ashmead Latham, Annabel Deas Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele, Siobhan Reed Sound: Rod Farquhar Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
• 
  Harry Styles 27.06.2026 14min

  The former boyband member and teen heartthrob, Harry Styles, is going into the final week of his sold-out residency at Wembley before continuing his world tour. After winning music competitions while at school in Cheshire, Styles entered television’s biggest talent show, The X Factor, in 2010. While not making it as a solo star he was grouped together with four other contestants to form One Direction and becoming one of the most successful boybands of all time selling over 100 million records worldwide.One Direction created a modern-day Beatlemania before going on permanent hiatus in 2016. Since then Style’s has released four solo albums and launched a career beyond music seeing him take on film roles, modelling gigs and become known as a fashionista. His celebrity best friend the actor James Corden, who used to ‘babysit’ the teenage Harry when he first started out in London is among the guests who speak to Mark Coles for this week’s Profile.Production: Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Annabel Deas, Mhairi Mackenzie and Nathan Archer Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele and Siobhan Reed Sound: James Beard Editor: Justine LangCarpool karaoke: The Late Late Show (CBS) Harry Styles singing with White Eskimo (YouTube: OneDirectionNews) Harry Styles X Factor audition tape (ITV, The X Factor UK) Fans screaming at One Direction ‘This is Us’ Premier (YouTube: Poveelive) 'As It Was' by Harry Styles (Erskine and Columbia) 'What Makes You Beautiful' by One Direction ( Syco and Columbia) 'Sign of the Times' by Harry Styles (Columbia) 'Watermelon Sugar) (Erskine and Columbia)
• 
  Rupert Lowe 20.06.2026 14min

  Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe is the newest disruptor in right-wing politics but the path he has taken to get there is a familiar one. Born in Oxford in 1957 Lowe attended an elite all boys boarding school before studying for a degree in Estate Management. After university he was a commodity broker in the City and went to Japan to work in securities but when British football clubs emerged as attractive financial assets in the 1990's he became chair of Southampton after a reverse takeover. Lowe resigned in 2006 after a decade in charge – having been blamed by many fans for relegation in 2005 after 27 years in the top flight. He made a return but resigned again in 2009 as the club’s holding company went into administration.Next he decided to try his hand at politics. In 2019 Lowe became an MEP for the Brexit Party before switching to national politics after the UK left the EU in 2020, this time for Reform UK. In 2024 he became MP for Great Yarmouth but after falling out with Reform leader Nigel Farage he became an independent MP and launched his own party, Restore Britain.Production: Presenter: Becky Milligan Producers: Annabel Deas and Mhairi Mackenzie Production Coordinator: Maria Ogondele Sound: James Beard Editor: Justine LangCredits: @bedbox via YouTube, Rock Against Rupert - Rupert Lowe Michael Wilde out protest (1 February 2009) Channel 4, Reform UK infighting escalates as Farage and Lowe trade blows (9 March 2025) Channel 5 Vanessa, Is it wrong to put your pet down yourself? (24 June 2025) GB News, Rupert Lowe - ‘I wouldn’t hire Boris Johnson for my organisation’ (5 December 2021) Restore Britain, Rupert Lowe - Restore Britain Launch Speech (14 February 2026) Sky News, Restore Britain leader: Farage 'tried to politically assassinate me' (18 June 2026) The News Agents, Rupert Lowe- In His Own Words (15 March 2025) The Spectator, Farage - Lowe is ‘a vengeful man’ (9 June 2026)
• 
  Harry Kane 13.06.2026 15min

  Next week, Harry Kane will lead the England men’s squad into their first game of the 2026 World Cup.Kane has a wealth of experience behind him - he is England’s all-time record goalscorer and has also racked up an extraordinary tally at his current club, Germany’s Bayern Munich. Kane is at the top of his game, but his ascent has been anything but smooth.Born in east London in 1993, Kane developed a near-obsessive love for the beautiful game. It was a passion he shared with his childhood sweetheart, Kate, who later became his wife.At the age of eight, Kane joined Arsenal’s academy, only to be released after one season. Then, after signing for Tottenham Hotspur, he spent years out on loan to the likes of Leyton Orient, Norwich City and Millwall. So how did Kane go from underestimated youngster to world-class striker? Mark Coles looks back at Harry’s life and career so far.
• 
  Maggie O'Farrell 06.06.2026 14min

  Maggie O'Farrell was born in Northern Ireland in 1972. Keen to move away from The Troubles, her father took a job at the University of Wales and the family moved to Bridgend when Maggie was a child. At the age of eight she was hospitalised with encephalitis. She didn't attend school during this time but instead she discovered literature.The family then moved to Scotland. After her A' Level's, Maggie O'Farrell travelled south to Cambridge University to study, what else, English Literature. In her twenties she became a journalist working at the Independent on Sunday but her ambitions lay elsewhere.At the age of twenty eight O'Farrell published her first novel 'After You’d Gone'. Her writing has been described as lyrical, intimate and sensory, writing in a way that physically immerses the reader in a scene. In 2020 she published Hamnet, her greatest literary success to date, as the world went into lockdown. In 2025 the novel was adapted into a film, directed by Chloe Zhao who describes O'Farrell as someone "interested in the land, the earth, the body and what's hidden underneath".Production: Presenter: Stephen Smith Producers: Annabel Deas, Bethan Ashmead and Wedaeli Chibelushi Production coordinators: Maria Ogondele and Sabine Schereck Sound: James Beard Editor: Justine Lang
• 
  Itamar Ben-Gvir 30.05.2026 14min

  Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has received international condemnation after he posted a video showing himself taunting activists kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs on board a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted by Israeli naval forces.His actions also drew rare criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said they were "not in line with Israel's values". But the incident is not the first time Ben-Gvir has attracted widespread criticism.Born in 1976 in Jerusalem, Itamar Ben-Gvir became radicalised during the First Palestinian Intifada against Israeli occupation. He became a follower of the far right politician Meir Kahane and was frequently arrested for various petty crimes. Unable to join the Israeli Army due to his criminal record, he later became a lawyer where he notoriously defended Jewish arsonists who had set fire to a Palestinian home killing two young parents and their 18-month-old son.In 2021 Ben-Gvir won a seat in the Knesset and following a period of political instability where Benjamin Netanyahu turned to two far right parties to form a coalition to form a government, Itamar Ben-Gvir became National Security minister of Israel.Contributors: Leonie Fleishmann - Senior Lecturer, International Politics and Human Rights, City St George's University of London Ruth Margalit - Contributing writer for New York Times magazine and the New Yorker Dvir Kariv - Former Isreali intelligence officerProduction: Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Annabel Deas and Bethan Ashmead Production coordinators: Maria Ogondele and Sabine Schereck Sound: Neil Churchill Editor: Justine Lang
• 
  Rhun ap Iorwerth 23.05.2026 14min

  Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth has been confirmed as Wales' first minister, calling it "the greatest privilege of my life".Born in Tonteg in south-east Wales, ap Iorwerth moved to Anglesey as a young child. His father was a teacher, prominent singer and composer, and an active campaigner for Plaid Cymru. His mother was also a teacher and went on to become president of several organisations promoting the Welsh language.After graduating from Cardiff University ap Iorwerth became a journalist and spent two decades as a reporter and presenter with BBC Wales. But in 2013, following the death of his mother, he left broadcasting and successfully contested the Ynys Môn by-election, winning the Anglesey seat in the Senedd.When the Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price resigned in 2023 ap Iorwerth quickly emerged as the obvious successor for many in the party. He was elected unopposed, at the age of 50. Three years later he has become the first Welsh minister from Plaid Cymru. Presenter: Becky Milligan Producers: Annabel Deas and Bethan Ashmead Editor: Justine Lang Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele, Sabine Schereck Sound Designer: James Beard
• 
  Christopher Harborne 16.05.2026 14min

  British cryptocurrency investor and billionaire Christopher Harborne made headlines when it was revealed he gave £5million to Reform Party leader Nigel Farage before he was an MP.Last year Harborne also gave a single donation of £9m to Reform UK - the biggest ever donation to a UK political party by a living person. He has also previously donated to the Brexit Party and the Conservatives.Very little is known about the Cambridge-educated businessman, who is also known as Chakrit Sakunkrit.So how did he make his fortune? And why is he so interested in British politics when he has lived abroad for the last few decades?Mark Coles talks to journalists Tom Burgis and Ceri Thomas, and family friend Mark Vellacott, to paint a picture of one of the most powerful men funding British politics.Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Keiligh Baker, Beth Ashmead Latham, Kirsteen Knight Editor: Matt Willis Programme Coordinators: Sabine Schereck, Maria Ogundele Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill
• 
  Jamie Oliver 09.05.2026 14min

  Nearly 30 years ago, Jamie Oliver hit British TV screens with The Naked Chef, beginning a career arc that has seen him become a bestselling author and social campaigner.He started helping out in his parents' pub aged just eight, and struggled at school, but after making the move into cookery he flourished, first in top kitchens and then behind the camera.Cultural ubiquity and campaigning documentaries followed, though his business fortunes took a significant hit after his Jamie's Italian chain collapsed in 2019. Seven years later, he's betting that he's learnt from his mistakes, as he relaunchs the chain. At the same time his campaigning over school food standards has started to bear fruit again.Stephen Smith speaks to those who know Jamie Oliver best.Contributors Genarro Contaldo - chef and mentor Elişa Roche - chef and former participant in 'Jamie's Kitchen' documentary Giles Coren - food critic and friend Ed Loftus - Global Restaurant Group Director for the Jamie Oliver Group Sheila Dillon - presenter of Radio 4's The Food ProgrammeArchive: ITV This Morning interview with Jamie Oliver An Italian Christmas: Recipes from the River Cafe (BBC) The Naked Chef (BBC and Optomen Television) Jamie’s Kitchen (Channel 4, Talkback Productions and Fresh One Productions)Presenter: Stephen Smith Producers: Beth Ashmead Latham, Nathan Gower, Tom Gillett Editor: Justine Lang Programme Coordinators: Rosie Strawbridge, Sabine Schereck, Maria Ogundele Sound Engineer: James Beard
• 
  Emily Thornberry 02.05.2026 14min

  Dame Emily Thornberry, Labour MP and the influential head of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, is in the hot seat as the committee continues its ongoing investigation - dubbed ‘Scandelson’ scrutinising - into the circumstances behind Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.Born in Guildford in 1960 her mother was a teacher and her father an academic who would go on to be a UN Assistant Secretary General. When Emily was seven her father walked out on the family leaving her mother with no income and three children to look after. They were made homeless and moved to a council estate.After A Levels she studied law and qualified as a barrister in the mid 80s and spent 20 years as a human rights barrister at the chambers of Michael Mansfield KC.She was first elected as a Labour MP in 2005. She has since been re-elected 5 times and held a number of Shadow Cabinet positions including Defence, Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Attorney General. But when Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister to many people’s surprise there was no ministerial job for Emily. Now, as chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, she has the power to scrutinise government decisions and appointments; a role that has seen her grilling members of her own party in recent weeks. Mark Coles looks back on her life. Contributors: Michael Mansfield KC Dawn Butler MP Sir Jeremey Hunt MP Lord Christopher Smith Jim Thornberry Archive : Devil Wears Prada 2 trailer - 20th Century Studios / Wendy Finerman Productions / Sunswept EntertainmentPresenter: Mark Coles Producers: Tom Gillett and Nathan Gower Editor: Justine Lang Sound mix: Neil Churchill Production co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Rosie Strawbridge
• 
  Kristalina Georgieva 25.04.2026 14min

  Kristalina Georgieva is not like previous heads of the International Monetary Fund. She grew up behind the Iron Curtain in Bulgaria, which was then part of the Soviet bloc. Born in Sofia in 1953, her father was a civil engineer and her mother a shopkeeper. Life was tough because her family weren't part of the Communist Party regime. Her father fell ill when Kristalina was young and she was just fifteen when she went to work at the local food market. She studied economics at the then Karl Marx Higher Economic Institute and then in the late 1980s she headed to London to spend a year at the London School of Economics. Over the last 30 years she's landed top jobs at the World Bank and the European Commission. In 2019, she was appointed managing director of the IMF, becoming the first person from an emerging economy to lead the institution. In the rare moments when she's not working, friends, colleagues and family paint a picture of a fun-loving woman who likes nothing better than dancing and singing. Becky Milligan explores Kristalina's life and career. Contributors Dessislava Kinova - daughter Iliyana Tsanova - friend and Chief Risk Officer at the European Commission Lord Nick Stern - friend and environmental economist Lord Mark Malloch Brown - friend and former World Bank Vice President Ivan Krastev - friend and political scientist Galia Mintcheva - special adviser Archive 60 Minute interview - CBS Face the Nation interview - CBS IMF news conference - UN Audiovisual Library Georgieva at Fortune MPW summit - Fortune MagazineProducer: Nathan Gower Editor: Justine Lang Sound mix: James Beard Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
• 
  Tom Fletcher 18.04.2026 14min

  McFly front man and children's author Tom Fletcher has returned to his first love - musical theatre - penning the songs for Paddington the Musical which has just got its sticky paws on seven prestigious Olivier Awards. Born in Harrow north west London, Fletcher took inspiration from a family love of musical theatre and it wasn't long before he was treading the boards, performing the role of Oliver in the West End at the age of 10. He went on to the prestigious Sylvia Young theatre school where he also met his future wife Giovanna. In his late teens he auditioned to join the band Busted where he was briefly accepted before being told his services were no longer needed. But so impressed were the record label with his musical ability they decided to create another band and McFly was born.He's also sold millions of books, many of which he co-wrote with bandmate Dougie Poynter.Mark Coles looks back at Tom's life and career so far.Producers: Ben Carter and Tom Gillett Social media producer: Grace Braddock Editor: Justine Lang Sound mix: Neil Churchill Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
• 
  Viktor Orbán 11.04.2026 14min

  Viktor Orbán has been a powerful force in Hungarian politics for nearly 40 years, spending 20 of them as Prime Minister. This weekend he’s trying to win a sixth term in the top job, as voters go to the polls in parliamentary elections. The story of his political career is entwined with the story of Hungarian democracy; at the end of the Cold War, a young Orbán emerged as both canny operator and gifted orator in the anti-Communist youth movement, Fidesz, steering it through splits and ideological shifts into government, first between 1998 and 2002, and then again from 2010 to today.As a pursuer of self-described ‘illiberal democracy’ who casts the EU as his constant adversary, Orbán has become an icon for the global hard right and, to his critics, a borderline autocrat and populist. Presenter Stephen Smith speaks to those who know him well to understand the personal side of this very political beast.Guests: Esther Pataki - former Press Secretary to Viktor Orban David Campanale - Liberal Democrat activist, journalist and fellow of the Danube Institute Zsuzsanna Szelényi - founding Fidesz member and author of Tainted Democracy:Viktor Orbán and the Subversion of Hungary Nick Thorpe - BBC Budapest correspondentPresenter: Stephen Smith Producers: Ben Crighton, Nathan Gower Editor: Richard Vadon Programme Coordinator: Janet Staples Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill
• 
  Jed Mercurio 04.04.2026 15min

  From over-worked medics to bent coppers, for the last 30 years Jed Mercurio has been responsible for some of the UK’s most successful TV series, including Cardiac Arrest, Bodies and Bodyguard. But Line of Duty is arguably his biggest hit, and recording has started for the much-anticipated seventh series.The award-winning screenwriter, director and producer grew up in a working-class family in Staffordshire. His parents, Italian immigrants, were keen he fit in, but friends say Jed was unique from the get-go with big dreams and a determination to be the best.He initially trained to be a doctor and demonstrated his sharp, witty writing in a medical school magazine. Half-way through his medical training, he joined the RAF and was taught to fly fighter jets, before pivoting to screenwriting.Mark Coles looks back at his career so far.Producer: Ben Carter Researcher: Helena Warwick-Cross Editor: Justine Lang Sound engineer: James Beard. Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
• 
  Dame Sarah Mullally 28.03.2026 14min

  Dame Sarah Mullally has been installed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury this week. The former nurse from Woking is the first woman to occupy the role of de facto leader of the Church of England and leader of the global Anglican communion. In contrast to her Eton and Oxford educated predecessor Justin Welby, Sarah Mullally attended her local comprehensive before studying nursing at South Bank Polytechnic. By the age of thirty seven she was appointed Chief nursing officer for the NHS, a meteoric rise that brought with it a six-figure Whitehall salary and meetings with the prime minister. But five years later she threw it in to become a junior priest earning less than twenty thousand pounds a year. Her supporters see her as a safe pair of hands, a leader who will steady the ship after years of abuse scandals and bitter rows over sexuality and identity. But following her appointment some of the more conservative and evangelical Anglicans have said they will no longer recognise the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury. So who is the new Archbishop and what will her tenure hold? Becky Milligan finds out.