Full Disclosure with James O'Brien
by Global
Award-winning LBC presenter and best-selling author James O’Brien hosts a series of compelling conversations with fascinating people from the worlds of politics, news and entertainment. These are thoughtful conversations with a curious and interested interviewer.You can email the show below and get involved at any [email protected] for regular listeners or [email protected] for subscribersFull Disclosure with James O'Brien is a Global ProductionFor advertising opportunities on this podcast, email: [email protected]
Episodes
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Ronni Ancona: The shy girl who became everyone else
Ronni Ancona grew up in Troon as the daughter of a Royal Navy officer and a theatre designer, surrounded by golf courses, pantomimes and the smell of paint in her mother’s scenery workshops. Shy, awkward and often teased at school, she discovered early that making people laugh could be both a...
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Lisa Faulkner: The mammogram that saved my life
When Lisa Faulkner received an invitation for a routine mammogram, she nearly put it off. A further scan and biopsy revealed early-stage breast cancer - a diagnosis that brought back painful memories of losing her mother to cancer when Lisa was just 16. Treatment was successful, but the…
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Gary Kemp: The working-class kid who made it big
Gary Kemp grew up in working-class Islington, in a home where little was owned outright but love, curiosity and ambition were abundant. Encouraged by a father who took him to libraries, London landmarks and the local baths, Gary found a guitar under the Christmas tree and soon discovered that...
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Charlie Higson: Before The Fast Show, I was someone else entirely
When Charlie Higson was 18, his mother died, his father moved to Hawaii and he decided to become someone else entirely. He dyed his hair, renamed himself Switch and threw himself into the punk scene in Norwich, where a chance friendship with Paul Whitehouse would eventually help change the face…
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John Robins: Why Alcohol Was Never the Real Problem
This episode includes discussion of sensitive topics, including addiction and alcoholism, that some listeners may find distressing. Please take care while listening, and feel free to pause or step away if you need to. John Robins has spent much of his life making people laugh. But behind the...
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Eric Idle: “Cheer up. You’re gonna die”
Eric Idle has spent a lifetime finding the funny side of almost everything. Long before he became one of the defining voices of British comedy, he was a boy shaped by loss, separation and a brutal education. His father died when Eric was just two years old, and at seven he was sent to boarding...
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Tony Hadley: “I Didn’t Think True Was a Single”
Tony Hadley went from borrowing £20 in the pub while appearing on Top of the Pops to fronting one of the biggest bands in the world. Then came the fallings-out, a bruising court battle and a journey from packed arenas back to playing small clubs. Through it all, one thing never changed: he…
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Francis Fukuyama: The End of History author on democracy under threat
He famously argued that liberal democracy marked the end of history. Now, with war, populism and authoritarianism reshaping the world, Francis Fukuyama asks whether liberal democracy can still win. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien speaks to the political scientist and author…
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Jay Rayner: Why Trying to Be Liked Is a Recipe for Failure
Jay Rayner has eaten some of the best meals in the world - and written some of Britain’s most memorable restaurant reviews. But the story behind the critic is even richer. In this candid conversation, Jay joins James O’Brien to talk about the unlikely path from a famously unconventional childhood...
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Robert Harris: From Tony Blair’s Inner Circle to Hollywood’s Conclave
From watching Tony Blair win a landslide from inside his living room to imagining a world where Hitler won the war, Robert Harris has made a career out of getting closer to power than most. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien meets the bestselling author behind Fatherland, Pompeii,...
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Alexei Sayle: I never thought we’d end up here
Alexei Sayle has spent a lifetime finding humour in anger, absurdity and the systems that shape us. Raised in Liverpool by fiercely committed communist parents, his childhood was filled with politics, protest marches and unusual cultural influences - from Soviet cinema to family trips behind the...
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Amelia Dimoldenberg: How Chicken Shop Date became a global phenomenon
Before she became the creator behind Chicken Shop Date, Amelia Dimoldenberg was a relentlessly ambitious child from Marylebone, dreaming of editing Vogue, joining S Club Juniors and taking to the stage in Cats. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Amelia to trace the...
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Dr Ranj Singh: “I Was Outed To My Parents”
Beloved TV doctor, children’s author and NHS paediatrician Dr Ranj Singh tells James O’Brien the extraordinary story behind the smile - from the collapse of the life he thought he was supposed to want, to the painful process of working out who he really was. He speaks candidly about growing up in…
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Tim Booth: The Story of James, Sit Down and Laid
As the magnetic frontman of James, Tim Booth has spent more than four decades turning raw emotion into some of Britain’s most loved music - from Sit Down and Laid to a run of acclaimed new records. Tim joins James O’Brien to trace the unlikely journey that led him to the band: a difficult...
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Tom Kerridge: “Being a Chef is Nothing To Do with Food”
From growing up on a Gloucester council estate to becoming one of Britain’s best-known culinary success stories, Tom Kerridge has built a career defined by resilience, risk and an enduring belief in people. Tom joins James O’Brien to discuss his unlikely path into hospitality, from washing up in...
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Ravi Singh: The man who runs towards disaster
What makes someone run towards places most people are desperate to escape? Long before Ravi Singh became one of Britain’s most remarkable humanitarian figures, he was a child caught between worlds: born in Singapore, raised in a Punjabi village, and brought to Britain at 11, where he encountered...
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Full Disclosure: back soon!
Full Disclosure is taking a short break, but we’ll be back very soon with brand new episodes. Until then, why not dip back into the archive! There are some brilliant episodes to catch up on, including conversations with Jonathan Pryce, Billy Idol, Grace Dent, Sadiq Khan, Dawn French, Irvine…
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Baroness Beeban Kidron: “Democracy is no longer representative. It is bought.”
Baroness Beeban Kidron has lived several lives in one. Award winning filmmaker, Hollywood director, crossbench peer and one of the earliest and most persistent critics of Big Tech, she has spent years sounding the alarm about the digital world long before the rest of us caught up. In this episode...
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Cressida Cowell: It wasn’t cool to be enthusiastic about books!
Cressida Cowell is on of the most beloved children's authors, selling millions and millions of books worldwide, including 'How to train your dragon' which is now a global film franchise too. In this episode of Full Disclosure with James O'Brien, Cressida tells us about her loving childhood with...
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From The Vault: Andy Burnham, MP for Makerfield and Mayor of Greater Manchester
After Andy Burnham's landslide win against Nigel Farage's Reform party in Makerfield, we thought you'd love to hear his interview with James O'Brien again, first released in 2022 Dubbed 'King of the North' at the height of the pandemic, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham speaks to…
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DJ Fat Tony: “I had one tooth left in my head - I wasn’t sane”
This episode includes discussion of sensitive topics, including addiction, that some listeners may find distressing. Please take care while listening, and feel free to pause or step away if you need to. DJ Fat Tony has spent a lifetime turning chaos into charisma. Long before he became one of the...
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Nina Conti: The Ventriloquist Who Found Her Voice
Nina Conti has built a career out of saying the unsayable, turning ventriloquism, improvisation and audience interaction into something far stranger, deeper and more daring than anyone expected. From early struggles with shyness and self-doubt to creating a completely original form of…
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Russell T Davies: Doctor Who Was There From the Very Start
Russell T Davies has spent a career changing what British television can be, moving from children’s drama to fearless queer storytelling and one of the nation’s most enduring cultural institutions, Doctor Who. Whether reinventing Saturday night television, capturing the emotional truth of the…
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Fern Britton: “I Never Wanted to Be Famous”
Fern Britton spent decades in Britain’s living rooms, mastering the art of making live television feel warm, effortless and intimate, even when life behind the scenes was at times anything but. From breakfast TV and Ready Steady Cook to bestselling novels and a new chapter in Cornwall, Fern’s...
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Russell Kane: “Today’s the Day I Change My Life”
He is one of Britain’s most high-energy comics, but Russell Kane’s story begins far from the world he now inhabits: on a council estate, in a home shaped by discipline, class tension and a rigid idea of masculinity. What followed was not a straight line to success, but a series of reinventions...
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Philippa Perry: “I could not wait to grow up.”
Before she became one of Britain’s most trusted psychotherapists and writers, Philippa Perry had already lived many different lives: boarding school child, dyslexic misfit, debt collector, McDonald’s manager, art student, Samaritan volunteer and a blooming therapist. In this episode of Full...
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Emma Grede: What it really takes to build a brand with the Kardashians
Before she became the entrepreneur behind Kardashian-founded brands Good American and Skims, Emma Grede was a kid from Plaistow with severe dyslexia, few qualifications, and a fierce belief that she could build a bigger life for herself. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down...
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Michael Whitehall: My mother couldn’t accept who we really were
Before he became known to millions as Jack Whitehall’s gloriously dry and impeccably mannered father, Michael Whitehall had already lived several lives: socially ambitious schoolboy, drifting young journalist, unlikely prep school teacher, theatrical agent and producer to some of the biggest…
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Marcus Brigstocke: I was fourteen when they threatened to wire my jaw shut
This episode includes discussion of sensitive topics, including addiction, that some listeners may find distressing. Please take care while listening, and feel free to pause or step away if you need to. From a privileged childhood in Surrey to the chaos of addiction, expulsion and eventual...
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Full Disclosure: back soon!
Full Disclosure is taking a short break over the Easter holidays, but we’ll be back very soon with a brand new episodes! Until then, why not dip back into the archive and catch up on some of this year’s standout episodes, with guests including Jonathan Pryce, Sadiq Khan, Gary Lineker, Naz Shah…
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Natalie Cassidy: I grew up on EastEnders before I knew what fame was
From a childhood in Islington to more than three decades on one of Britain’s biggest television shows, Natalie Cassidy’s life has unfolded in public for almost as long as she can remember. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the actor to trace a journey that began in…
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Eric Schlosser: The Shocking Truth Behind Fast Food and Corporate America
For 25 years, Fast Food Nation has shaped the way we think about what we eat, how it is made, and who pays the price. Its author, Eric Schlosser, did more than expose the hidden realities behind the fast food industry. He revealed a much bigger story about corporate power, political influence and...
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Jeremy King: The Restaurateur Behind The Ivy, Le Caprice and The Wolseley
From Le Caprice and The Ivy to The Wolseley and Brasserie Zédel, Jeremy King has helped define the way London eats, drinks and sees itself. His restaurants became institutions, attracting everyone from Princess Diana and Lucian Freud to generations of actors, artists, politicians and power…
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Billy Idol: The Punk Rock Icon who "Should Be Dead"
From suburban England to the front lines of the punk revolution and the stadium stages of MTV era rock, Billy Idol has spent a lifetime reinventing what rebellion looks like. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the singer to trace an extraordinary life that began in a...
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Naz Shah: Forced Marriage, Family Secrets and Her Mother’s Murder Conviction
This episode includes discussion of sensitive topics, including sexual assault and violence, that some listeners may find distressing. Please take care while listening, and feel free to pause or step away if you need to. At fifteen, Naz Shah was forced into a marriage thousands of miles from…
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Gary Lineker | Live Q&A: Politics, World Cups and the Changing Game
Gary Lineker took questions from the live Full Disclosure audience and nothing was off the table. He discusses the scrutiny that follows every World Cup, including the tournament in the United States, and considers whether sports broadcasters should speak out more in politically volatile times.…
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Gary Lineker LIVE! “It’s Hard Not to Get Involved”
Gary Lineker has scored in World Cups, fronted the nation’s biggest football programme, and weathered a political firestorm that nearly ended it all. But at the height of his success, turning to a teammate after scoring four for England, his reaction was disbelief: “Why am I so f**ing lucky?” In...
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Arthur Smith: I got arrested for breach of the peace and possession of a megaphone
From the bomb sites of post war South London to the stages of the Comedy Store and the studios of Radio 4, Arthur Smith’s life has been driven less by ambition than by curiosity. The son of a Second World War prisoner of war turned police officer, and a grammar school girl who filled the house…
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Sadiq Khan: You Cannot Be Popular Every Single Day in Government
From the son of a bus driver on a South London council estate to the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital, Sadiq Khan’s story is inseparable from the story of modern London. But with that journey has come a decade at the sharpest end of British politics. In this episode of Full…
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Mark Constantine: Homeless at 16 to Founding LUSH
From a fractured childhood in Weymouth to the creation of one of Britain’s most distinctive ethical brands, Mark Constantine’s life has been shaped by loss, sensitivity and an intense drive to make sense of the world through the senses. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down...
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Jonathan Pryce: I was told for years that I was worthless
From a small village in North Wales to some of the most iconic stages and screens in the world, Jonathan Pryce’s career has been shaped as much by doubt and accident as by talent and ambition. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the actor to trace an extraordinary…
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Rutger Bregman: What are we actually doing with our lives?
From calling out billionaires at Davos to challenging institutions that would rather stay comfortable, Rutger Bregman has built a career around one simple question: what are we actually doing with our lives? In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the historian and author...
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From The Vault: Daniel Radcliffe
From the intensity of life as one of the most recognisable children on the planet to the creative freedom he has carved out as an adult, Daniel Radcliffe’s story is one of curiosity, discipline and quiet resilience. In this conversation with James O’Brien, recorded six years ago, Daniel reflects…
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From The Vault: Dawn French
From the dislocated, sun soaked childhood of an RAF family to a life spent shaping British comedy, Dawn French’s story is one of resilience, warmth and hard won self knowledge. In this generous conversation with James O’Brien, recorded five years ago, she reflects on the moves that defined her...
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Full Disclosure 2025: The Year Reviewed
A Boxing Day reflection on a standout year of Full Disclosure. James O’Brien revisits key guests and conversations from 2025, offering perspective on the ideas, stories and people that shaped the podcast over the past twelve months. With sincere thanks to everyone who has listened, shared and...
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Martin Shaw: The Professionals was a monster that swallowed my career
From bomb sites in postwar Birmingham to the centre of British stage and screen, Martin Shaw’s life has been shaped by curiosity, kindness and a refusal to play the part he was expected to play. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with one of Britain’s most enduring actors...
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Sir Gareth Southgate: There were days I didn’t want to get out from under the duvet
From missing the most famous penalty in English football to leading the national team into a new era, Gareth Southgate’s story is one of quiet resilience, modern leadership and emotional intelligence forged under relentless public pressure. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits...
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Jan Ravens: “I lived with a nameless dread”
Jan Ravens, the acclaimed impressionist at the heart of Dead Ringers, grew up learning to change the mood of a room long before she ever changed her voice on stage. In this conversation with James O Brien, she reflects on a childhood shaped by humour, instability and her father’s illness, and how...
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Hal Cruttenden: Divorce blew my mind- it hits harder than losing parents
Before he became one of the most recognisable storytellers on the comedy circuit, Hal Cruttenden was a shy kid from West London who spent years trying to be what he thought others wanted him to be. He trained as an actor, chased approval, and tried to outrun a gnawing sense that something in his...
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Stephen Mangan: When Mum died, I knew I couldn’t waste life being a lawyer- I had to act
Before he became one of Britain’s most familiar faces, Stephen Mangan was a bookish North London boy from an Irish working-class family- the son of a builder and a barmaid- who won a scholarship to a boarding school his parents didn’t want him to attend. From there to Cambridge, to RADA, and to…
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About this show
Award-winning LBC presenter and best-selling author James O’Brien hosts a series of compelling conversations with fascinating people from the worlds of politics, news and entertainment. These are thoughtful conversations with a curious and interested interviewer.You can email the show below and get involved at any [email protected] for regular listeners or [email protected] for subscribersFull Disclosure with James O'Brien is a Global ProductionFor advertising opportunities on this podcast, email: [email protected]
Hosted by
Global