Full Disclosure with James O'Brien
Episodes
Michael Whitehall: My mother couldn’t accept who we really were
24 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Before he became known to millions as Jack Whitehall’s gloriously dry and impeccably mannered father, Michael Whitehall had already lived several li...
Marcus Brigstocke: I was fourteen when they threatened to wire my jaw shut
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode includes discussion of sensitive topics, including addiction, that some listeners may find distressing. Please take care while listening,...
Full Disclosure: back soon!
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Natalie Cassidy: I grew up on EastEnders before I knew what fame was
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 publ...
Eric Schlosser: The Shocking Truth Behind Fast Food and Corporate America
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Jeremy King: The Restaurateur Behind The Ivy, Le Caprice and The Wolseley
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 resta...
Billy Idol: The Punk Rock Icon who "Should Be Dead"
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 wh...
Naz Shah: Forced Marriage, Family Secrets and Her Mother’s Murder Conviction
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode includes discussion of sensitive topics, including sexual assault and violence, that some listeners may find distressing. Please take car...
Gary Lineker | Live Q&A: Politics, World Cups and the Changing Game
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Gary Lineker took questions from the live Full Disclosure audience and nothing was off the table. He discusses the scrutiny that follows every World C...
Gary Lineker LIVE! “It’s Hard Not to Get Involved”
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Gary Lineker has scored in World Cups, fronted the nation’s biggest football programme, and weathered a political firestorm that nearly ended it all...
Arthur Smith: I got arrested for breach of the peace and possession of a megaphone
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Introducing: Up To Speed - Up To Speed
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
James O'Brien listeners, we've got a new podcast we think you'll love.Step inside sport’s greatest soap opera, Formula One, with a brand-new podcast...
Sadiq Khan: You Cannot Be Popular Every Single Day in Government
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 inseparabl...
Mark Constantine: Homeless at 16 to Founding LUSH
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From a fractured childhood in Weymouth to the creation of one of Britain’s most distinctive ethical brands, Mark Constantine’s life has been shape...
Jonathan Pryce: I was told for years that I was worthless
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 d...
Rutger Bregman: What are we actually doing with our lives?
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From calling out billionaires at Davos to challenging institutions that would rather stay comfortable, Rutger Bregman has built a career around one si...
From The Vault: Daniel Radcliffe
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 Radcli...
From The Vault: Dawn French
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Full Disclosure 2025: The Year Reviewed
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A Boxing Day reflection on a standout year of Full Disclosure. James O’Brien revisits key guests and conversations from 2025, offering perspective o...
Martin Shaw: The Professionals was a monster that swallowed my career
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ref...
Sir Gareth Southgate: There were days I didn’t want to get out from under the duvet
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 resil...
Jan Ravens: “I lived with a nameless dread”
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 v...
Hal Cruttenden: Divorce blew my mind- it hits harder than losing parents
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Stephen Mangan: When Mum died, I knew I couldn’t waste life being a lawyer- I had to act
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Toby Jones: I never wanted to feel desperate about acting
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From Truman Capote to Mr Bates, Toby Jones has built a career on disappearing- an actor whose transformations are so complete they can seem alchemical...
John Lloyd: Blackadder, Spitting Image, QI and a life in search of meaning
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the creative mind behind Blackadder, Spitting Image, Not the Nine O’Clock News and QI, John Lloyd has quietly shaped British comedy for more than...
Jimmy Wales: The man who built Wikipedia
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Long before it became one of the most visited websites on Earth, Wikipedia began as a radical idea from a curious boy in Huntsville, Alabama. Raised b...
Charles Dance: From builder’s labourer with a stammer to Tywin Lannister
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before he was Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones or the commanding presence of The Jewel in the Crown, Charles Dance was a boy from Worcestershire who...
Alexander Armstrong: My default setting is fear- I expect the worst of people
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before Pointless, Classic FM and comedy stardom, Alexander Armstrong was a restless kid growing up in rural Northumberland- lonely at boarding school,...
Jack Thorne: “I was allergic to moving - the doctor said, ‘This might be forever.’”
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up in Bristol, acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Jack Thorne was a shy, politically driven kid who believed he could change the world- fir...
Cor Hutton: The Quadruple Amputee Who Found Her Feet
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 2013, businesswoman and mum Cor Hutton was given just a five percent chance of survival after contracting pneumonia that developed into sepsis. She...
Jamie Oliver: “I’d gone from being skint to having a lot of money, I felt like a fake.”
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before he became one of the world’s best-known chefs, Jamie Oliver was a dyslexic kid growing up in his parents’ pub in rural Essex, learning the ...
Leo Varadkar: Former Prime Minister of Ireland on Power and Letting Go
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before becoming Ireland’s youngest Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar was a Dublin GP with bold ambitions and a belief that politics could be a kind of medicin...
Dr Richard Shepherd: Lessons from 23,000 Postmortems- including Hungerford, Hillsborough and Princess Diana
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Britain’s leading forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd has performed over 23,000 postmortems and given evidence in some of the most high-profile...
Arabella Weir: At nine my mum said, “I can’t bear the sight of you”
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actor, comedian and bestselling author Arabella Weir grew up in a family that prized intellect and appearances but struggled to offer love. In this ep...
Natalie Haynes: Greek Myths, Medea and the Comedy of Classics
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Natalie Haynes has never been easy to categorise. A stand-up comedian turned broadcaster and best-selling author, she has built a career out of making...
From The Vault: Brian Cox
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From a childhood in Dundee marked by loss, poverty and resilience, to becoming one of the most respected actors of his generation, Brian Cox’s life ...
From The Vault: Miriam Margolyes
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From a childhood in Oxford shaped by unconditional love, Jewish heritage and a keen sense of curiosity, to a career spanning stage, screen, voice work...
Cariad Lloyd: Talking About Grief Changed My Life
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cariad Lloyd never set out to become the voice of modern grief, but after losing her father at just fifteen, the silence around death stayed with her....
Kevin Rowland: Beyond Come On Eileen
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From a shifting childhood split between Wolverhampton, rural Ireland and London, to fronting one of the most distinctive and uncompromising bands of t...
Irvine Welsh: We’re More Addicted Now Than in Trainspotting
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the high-rises of Muirhouse to the heart of countercultural Britain, Irvine Welsh has built a literary universe fuelled by punk energy, dancefloo...
David Lammy: I’ve had imposter syndrome my whole life- until now
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From a working-class childhood in Tottenham to the Cabinet table, David Lammy’s path to becoming Foreign Secretary was anything but straightforward....
Grace Dent: Almost Everything I’ve Done, I’ve Been Told No First
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before she was a MasterChef judge and one of Britain’s most distinctive food writers, Grace Dent was a Carlisle kid eating crispy pancakes and dream...
Graham Fellows: Playing John Shuttleworth Came at a Cost
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before he became known as the quirky, banana-snacking John Shuttleworth, Graham Fellows was a kid from Sheffield with dreams of classical acting and a...
Jon Culshaw: The Impressionist Who Fooled the Prime Minister
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Long before Dead Ringers or Spitting Image, Jon Culshaw was a schoolboy with a knack for mimicry and a fierce determination to escape into voices- fin...
Michael Lewis: America Is Run by Bullies
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before The Big Short, Moneyball or The Blind Side became bestsellers (and Hollywood hits), Michael Lewis was just trying to make sense of a world wher...
Amber Rudd: I resigned because I couldn’t defend the indefensible
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Former Home Secretary who chose principle over position, Amber Rudd has spent much of her life at the centre of power. From banking to frontbench poli...
Jameela Jamil: Getting hit by that car changed everything
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actor, activist, and unapologetic truth-teller, Jameela Jamil has lived many lives and survived every single one of them with grit, wit, and an unwave...
Larry Lamb: Damaged people are dangerous because they know they can survive
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Known to millions as Mick Shipman in Gavin & Stacey and Archie Mitchell in EastEnders, Larry Lamb has lived a life far more complex than any chara...
Jimmy Anderson: Behind the Bowler
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with cricketing icon Jimmy Anderson to trace the arc of a record-breaking career- from g...
Christiane Amanpour: From Global Crises to Personal Truths
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the war zones of Bosnia to the frontlines of Gaza, Christiane Amanpour has reported from the epicentres of global upheaval for over three decades...
Laura Bates: Misogyny, Machine Learning and The Manosphere
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From founding the Everyday Sexism Project to unpicking how AI is entrenching misogyny, Laura Bates has become one of the UK’s most unflinching femin...
Christian O’Connell: I had everything I ever wanted, and I was falling apart
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From dominating the UK airwaves to starting over on the other side of the world, Christian O’Connell is a broadcaster and writer who has built a car...
Brian Conley: “I made everyone laugh, that was my defence mechanism.”
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the world of variety to the West End stage, Brian Conley has built a career around his infectious energy, unique humour, and remarkable talent. I...
Kenneth Roth: Tyrants Trust Sycophants, I Challenge Them with the Truth
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, has spent over three decades at the forefront of the global human rights movement, chal...
Ash Atalla: The Office, The IT Crowd, and the Unlikely Road to Comedy Success
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ash Atalla, the creative mind behind some of the most beloved British comedies, sits down with James O'Brien to explore his incredible journey from a ...
Steven Frayne: I Had To Kill Dynamo To Be Steven
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Steven Frayne, formerly known as Dynamo, takes us on an extraordinary journey from the tough streets of Bradford to becoming one of the world’s most...
Carol Vorderman LIVE! Numbers, Politics, and Finding Her Voice
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Carol Vorderman is best known as the queen of Countdown, but there’s far more to her than just numbers. From growing up in a single-parent household...
Jon Ronson: “It's good training for a journalist, being bullied at school.”
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From investigating the minds of psychopaths to examining the impact of public shaming in the digital age, Jon Ronson is a journalist and author who ha...
David Harewood: "I was not 'black' enough, I didn't know where I fit in"
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
David Harewood is one of Britain's finest actors, but fame found him late in life after he was cast as CIA Director David Estes in smash-hit show Home...
Alistair McGowan: My friends laughed when I said I was doing comedy
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alistair McGowan is a man of many talents, as well as being one of the UKs most beloved impressionists. From award winning performances on the West En...
KT Tunstall: “I lost my hearing, it didn’t come back.”
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From busking on the streets to topping the charts, KT Tunstall has carved a career defined by resilience, reinvention, and raw talent. In this ep...
Matt Forde: Doctors said I would never walk again
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Forde is an eternal optimist. From growing up on a council estate to a single mother on benefits, to playing sold out nights at the London Pallad...
Zoe Lyons: My mum screamed about me..."I can't cope anymore"
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Zoe Lyons is a comedian that has graced our screens for over two decades, being a regular panelist on Mock the Week as well as numerous appearances on...
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee: This breathing exercise will save your life!
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is a British physician, author, television presenter, and podcaster, known for his alternative approaches to health and wellbein...
Full Disclosure is taking a short break, but we will be back!
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Full Disclosure is taking a short break over Christmas but don't worry, we'll be back at the end of January with a line up of exceptional guests.If yo...
Best of... Full Disclosure 2024
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we take short break for Christmas – here's a selection of some of our favourite conversations from 2024.Full Disclosure will be back in the new y...
Rob Brydon: Rejection, manifesting success & meeting Steve Coogan
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rob Brydon has done pretty much everything you can. From radio DJ & Voice over artists, hosting one of the UKs most loved panel shows to being the...
Shaun Keaveny: "I have self-doubt and massive amounts of imposter syndrome"
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shaun Keaveny is one of the UKs most beloved broadcasters, having spent 11 years presenting one of the countries biggest music breakfast radio shows. ...
Alex James: 'Modern Life is Rubbish' was our last chance at success
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Alex James is the bass player in one of Britain's biggest bands, Blur. With millions of record sales and 2 sold-out nights at Wembley in 2023, he sits...
Baroness Lola Young: From foster care to the House of Lords
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"As I grew up, I realised I had to look after myself because no one else was going to do it for me."Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey joined the House of...
Dan Snow: I'd die if my kids said they wanted to be broadcasters
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Snow makes history exciting. Whether it’s through his award-winning documentaries, bestselling books, or popular podcast History Hit, he has a g...
Rupert Everett: “I stuck out like a sore thumb in Hollywood"
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For thirty-six year, James has been chasing this interview and now, he's finally secured it. Actor, writer and director Rupert Everett joins him to ta...
James Rebanks: The shepherd who tells the stories of ordinary, extraordinary people
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up on a Lake District farm that had been in his family for centuries, James Rebanks always knew his place in the world. School wasn't for him ...
Hanif Kureishi: A freak accident left me paralysed - and it broke me
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I really need a future. What happened to me is so dark and so depressing that I've got to believe in something." On Boxing Day 2022, Hanif Kureishi's...
Michel Roux: Cooking for presidents, kitchen battles and continuing the family legacy
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of Britain’s most celebrated French chefs, Michel Roux Jr is restaurant royalty. Born into the legendary Roux family, his father and uncle, Albe...
Sir David Jason: "I’m addicted to an audience"
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I wasn’t driven by being famous, I was driven by being successful. I wanted to be recognised by my peers, people who I considered ‘posh actors’...
William Dalrymple: A life shaped by history
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I'm that lucky guy who found his hobby and was able to turn it into a job." William Dalrymple is a multi-award winning and bestselling historian.&nbs...
Graeme Park: How I accidentally became a resident DJ at the Hacienda
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Graeme Park is a legendary DJ and one of the founders of the UK's house music movement. Best known for his nine-year residency at Manchester's iconic ...
Jon Sopel: The Making of a News Agent
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Britain is nowhere near as bad as America but let's not get complacent about the risk."Jon Sopel is a journalist, broadcaster and author who launched...
From The Vault: Angela Rayner
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
James is back with another incredible guest from the Full Disclosure vault. Angela Rayner is a politician you simply can’t ignore, Her story is as i...
From The Vault: Sir Keir Starmer
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
James revisits one of the most memorable episodes of Full Disclosure with none other than the current Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. Sir Keir’s j...
Tony Blackburn: Escaping school, life at sea and landing the biggest job in radio
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Radio legend Tony Blackburn has spent the past 60 years entertaining listeners with his cheeky charm and passion for soul music. His journey in broadc...
Jordan Stephens: Heartbreak, hitting rock bottom and finding my way back from self-destruction
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jordan Stephens is a writer, musician and actor, best-known as one half of the hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks. His late teens and early twenties were a whir...
Former Met Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu: I spent a year in therapy to get over what happened in my career
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"When I signed up to the police my friends said, 'Why on earth are you joining a corrupt and racist organisation?'" Neil Basu joined the police force ...
Paul Sinha: How I went from GP to award-winning comedian and Chaser
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Sinha never really had a life plan and yet, somehow he's ended up with a career that's way beyond anything he could have imagined. He originally ...
Martin O'Neill: Trophies, titles and missing out on the FA Cup
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Raised in an Irish Catholic family as one of nine siblings, Martin O'Neill was brought up with Gaelic football but he dreamt of becoming a professiona...
Robin Askwith: The legendary actor with a life you couldn't make up
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A chance encounter with the director Lindsay Anderson changed Robin Askwith's life forever. It led to his first acting job, playing the schoolboy Keat...
James Graham: The playwright with the Midas touch
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
James Graham is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter for TV and film. His plays include Ink, This House and Dear England, about...
Russell Watson: From factory worker to performing for the Emperor of Japan
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I had this inner feeling that something would happen to take me away from my mundane life". The first twenty years of Russell Watson's life were very...
Joe Pasquale: All I ever wanted to do was make my mum laugh
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Joe Pasquale was just seven years old, his mum was involved in a car accident that left her with concussion and epilepsy. She struggled to look a...
Midge Ure: Hit singles and world tours meant nothing until I was in my own band
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I’m a Walter Mitty who’s actually done it.” Growing up in a tenement on the outskirts of Glasgow, Midge Ure dreamt of being a rock star, even...
Nick Lowles: Why I've spent the last 35 years fighting Nazis
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nick Lowles is chief executive of HOPE not hate, the UK's largest anti-racism and anti-extremism movement. For the last 35 years, he has tirelessly fo...
Sally Lindsay: Fighting for working-class women in telly
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Actor and writer Sally Lindsay has always loved the spotlight. She made her TV debut aged 7 when her school choir performed their No.1 single There’...
Helen Lederer: "I've never been on the winning team when it matters"
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Lederer is a writer, actress and comedian. She began her career on the alternative comedy circuit, performing alongside many of today’s househ...
Danny Wallace: How I got sucked into the conspiracy rabbit hole...
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Danny Wallace is a bestselling author and broadcaster who loves nothing more than thinking up fun ideas and seeing how far he can take them. His first...
Frank Skinner: "People will forgive you for anything but success"
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Comedy legend Frank Skinner returns to Full Disclosure just days after he signed off his final Absolute Radio show, wrapping up an incredible 15 years...
Salman Rushdie: When I die, I know there will be nothing
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the world’s most acclaimed, award-winning authors Salman Rushdie has spent the last thirty years with a death threat attached to his head. A ...
Zeinab Badawi: Setting the record straight on African history
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Zeinab Badawi is an award-winning broadcaster, journalist and the President of SOAS University of London. Born in Sudan, she has worked in the Br...
Julie Hesmondhalgh: How good telly and theatre can change the world
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lancaster legend Julie Hesmondhalgh is an actor, writer and activist. She's best known for playing Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street in what started...