Maggie O’Farrell is a novelist who has won multiple awards for her best selling books.  In 2007 she was named as one of Waterstones 25 authors of the future and her recent book Hamnet won The Women's Prize for Fiction and National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. Her new novel out in August 2022 called The Marriage Portrait is much anticipated by her many fans.   But despite her success as a writer, Maggie’s life has been littered with misfortunes and sliding door moments. Rachel and...

Evanna Lynch played one of J K Rowling’s most loved characters, Luna Lovegrove, in the Harry Potter films. Evanna always identified with Luna rather than Hermione or Harry or Ron when she grew up reading the books but never thought she would one day become pen pals with the author or end up acting her heroine.   But despite her successful career she’s been in constant conflict with herself throughout most of her life. At the age of 11 Evanna reveals that her eating disorder had fully consumed...

Richard Branson is one of Britain’s best-known entrepreneurs who is as much a brand as a businessman and a billionaire. Sir Richard Branson has run everything from trains to planes, a record company and a bank. His Virgin Group now controls more than 400 companies, he has his own island and even a rocket. But despite his life looking picture perfect from the outside, Richard has come up against challenges just like you and I. Rachel sits down with Richard to talk about living with severe...

Wes Streeting is a Labour politician who is already being tipped as a potential future leader of his party. He is a former president of the National Union of Students, who worked for the Blairite campaign group Progress before winning his Ilford North parliamentary seat from the Conservatives in 2015. He then served as shadow Secretary of State for child poverty before becoming shadow health secretary. Wes Streeting is a centrist who supporters say could win back the party’s traditional...

Richard Coles has been both a chart-topping pop star and a Church of England vicar. He had a number one hit single with The Communards in the 1980s and now Richard Coles is a successful broadcaster and author who has just published his debut novel Murder Before Evensong. He is as his beloved husband David, who died in 2019, used to say a  “borderline national trinket”.   But his life hasn’t always been so rosy. Rachel and Alice sit down with Richard to talk about his father’s business...

Henry Marsh is the world’s best-known neurosurgeon who has spent the last forty years doing some of the most technical and delicate operations in the world on the brain. Rachel and Alice sit down with Henry to discuss his story of saving lives under intense pressure from Nepal to Ukraine as well as in the UK. And how he is now navigating his own journey of living with cancer after witnessing a vast amount of dying and death, grief and bereavement in his career. MUCH LOVED:...

Nadhim Zahawi is an Iraqi-born British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Education since September 2021. Rachel and Alice sit down with Nadhim to talk about his turbulent childhood where he fled to the UK at age 11 during Saddam Hussein's early years in power, his father’s bankruptcy and how this left his family penniless and on benefits, and how his drive and charisma led him to establishing a firm place within parliament.     CARE: www.careinternational.org.uk SARI:...

Tom Kerridge is a broadcaster and multiple Michelin star winning chef. Rachel and Alice travel to his pub The Coach in Marlow to talk about his parents divorce, his father's death after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and turning his own life around after years of overindulgence of food and alcohol whilst working 100 hour weeks as a young chef. HOOP: www.hoopuk.org.uk FareShare: www.fareshare.org.uk Drink Aware: www.drinkaware.co.uk This podcast has been produced in association with...

Minnie Driver is an actor and musician who has released three studio albums and was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Good Will Hunting. Rachel and Alice meet Minnie in a south London apartment to talk to her about her new memoir "Managing Expectations", her unconventional unconventional childhood, the shock of coming to terms with fame and overcoming sexism in the industry from Harvey Weinstein. Fawcett: www.fawcettsociety.org.uk Gingerbread: www.gingerbread.org.uk Acting for Others:...

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is a 16 time Paralympic medallist and now sits as a Cross Bench Independent Peer in the House of Lords. Rachel and Alice visit Tanni in the Palace of Westminster to talk to her about growing up with spina bifida and overcoming derogatory comments from strangers in the street as a child to become one of Team GB's most decorated Paralympians. Scope: www.scope.org.uk Shine: www.shinecharity.org.uk WheelPower: www.wheelpower.org.uk This podcast has been produced in...

Justin Webb is a broadcaster who has spent almost four decades at the BBC; from North American Correspondent to co-presenter on Radio 4's Today programme. He joins Rachel and Alice in the studio to talk about the impact never meeting his father had on him, the mental health struggles that he experienced his step-father suffer from, and the bullying he faced at boarding school. Mind: www.mind.org.uk NSPCC: www.nspcc.org.uk Kidscape: www.kidscape.org.uk This podcast has been produced in...

Ugo Monye is a broadcaster, Question of Sport captain and former England international rugby player. Rachel and Alice welcome Ugo to the studio to talk about his father leaving the family home, being racially abused at nursery and overcoming social class structures at school to succeed on the pitch. NSPCC: www.nspcc.org.uk Wooden Spoon: www.woodenspoon.org.uk Show Racism the Red Card: www.theredcard.org This podcast has been produced in association with Speakers for Schools:...

Times Journalists Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson return to talk to even more extraordinary people about how they overcome moments in their early lives achieve great success. This series they are joined by the likes of England and British & Irish Lions star Ugo Monye, Academy Award nominated actor Minnie Driver and Michelin star chef Tom Kerridge. New episodes every Monday. Get The Times free for a month: thetimes.co.uk/pastimperfect This podcast has been produced in association with...

Peter Kyle MP is a Labour politician and the Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland. He sits down with Rachel and Alice to discuss his life-long tussle with dyslexia, growing up as as a gay schoolboy under Section 28, and coming to terms with his mother's departure when he was a child after running away with his father's best friend. NSPCC: www.nspcc.org.uk Stonewall: www.stonewall.org.uk British Dyslexia Association: www.bdadyslexia.org.uk This podcast has been produced in association with...

Dame Rose Tremain is the multi award-winning novelist and former Chancellor of the University of East Anglia. Rachel and Alice join Rose in her home to talk about her difficult life at boarding school in France, defying doctors with her cancer treatment and growing up with a mother who she doesn't think ever loved her. Get The Times free for a month: thetimes.co.uk/pastimperfect NSPCC: www.nspcc.org.uk Action for Children: www.actionforchildren.org.uk Voices in the Middle:...

Rob Rinder MBE is a barrister, broadcaster and host of Judge Rinder. He speaks to Rachel and Alice about how homophobia, anti-Semitism and his grandfather's experiences during the holocaust informed who he is today. Buttle UK: www.buttleuk.org Stonewall: www.stonewall.org.uk Jewish Blind & Disabled: www.jbd.org This podcast has been produced in association with Speakers for Schools: www.speakersforschools.org Producer: Lucy Ditchmont See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out...

James Rebanks is a British author and farmer. Rachel and Alice join him at his farm to discuss his childhood acting out at school to shake off his rural roots, leaving school at 15, and how the death of his grandfather forced a rift between him and his father. Right to Succeed: www.righttosucceed.org.uk The Princes Countryside Fund: www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution: www.rabi.org.uk This podcast has been produced in association with Speakers for...

Huma Abedin is an American political staffer who worked as Hillary Clinton’s top-advisor for 25 year. She speaks to Rachel and Alice from America about how her childhood in Jeddah, coming to terms with her father's death, and her husband's sexting scandal - not only destroyed their marriage but potentially damaged Hillary's bid to become President. Fumble: www.fumble.org.uk Runnymede Trust: www.runnymedetrust.org Macmillan Cancer Support: www.macmillan.org.uk This podcast has been...

Ebony Rainford-Brent MBE is a broadcaster World Cup winning cricketer and Director of Women's Cricket at Surrey CCC. She sits down with Rachel and Alice and speaks candidly about the injury that left her unable to walk for a year, the impact the murder of her brother when she was five, and how she dealt with race in cricket. NSPCC: www.nspcc.org.uk Lives Not Lives: www.livesnotknives.org Show Racism the Red Card: www.theredcard.org This podcast has been produced in association with...

Jay Blades MBE is a broadcaster, furniture restorer and host of the Repair Shop. He joins Rachel and Alice to talk about how dealing with racism at school, his divorce and battling with his mental health has helped him to become the man he is today and allowed him to mentor others including Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock. Samaritans: www.samaritans.org Runnymede: www.runnymedetrust.org The Black Fund: www.theblackfund.co.uk This podcast has been produced in association with Speakers...

Sir James Dyson is a farmer, businessman and world known for vacuum cleaners and strawberries. Rachel and Alice visit him at the Dyson Institute to talk about how the death of his father when he was just nine drove him to create and to become Britain's richest man. Get The Times free for a month: thetimes.co.uk/pastimperfect Winston's Wish: www.winstonswish.org Child Bereavement UK: www.childbereavementuk.org James Dyson Foundation: www.jamesdysonfoundation.co.uk This podcast has been...

Lawrence Chaney is the reigning champion of Ru Paul's Drag Race UK. They join Rachel and Alice in the studio to discuss how they overcame the violent bullying they received at school, struggling with their gender identity and how they found their true-selves through drag. Get The Times free for a month: thetimes.co.uk/pastimperfect Bullies Out: www.bulliesout.com Stonewall: www.stonewall.org.uk Mermaids: www.mermaidsuk.org.uk This podcast has been produced in association with Speakers...

Dr Waheed Arian is an Afghan refugee, leading radiologist and recently announced as the UK's Best Doctor at The Sun’s Who Cares Wins awards. He joined Rachel and Alice in the studio to discuss how he fled Afghanistan arriving in Britain illegally and alone at 15, self-schooled his way out of a youth detention centre and into Cambridge University to study medicine and how he set-up his own charity providing phone consultations to the sick in war zones. Get The Times free for a...

Shirley Ballas is a ballroom dance champion who became known as 'The Queen of Latin' and is now the head judge on Strictly Come Dancing. She joins Rachel and Alice to talk about the struggles of leaving home at 15 to become a professional dancer, the impact of the sudden death of her brother, and how the bullying and abuse she feels she has suffered both in and out the industry spurred her on to succeed. Get The Times free for a month: thetimes.co.uk/pastimperfect Samaritans:...