Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

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 career has been defined by reinvention, resilience and an instinctive understanding of how to connect.

In this episode of Full Disclosure, Jam...

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 powered by anger, ambition and the discovery that books could open doors his upbringing never knew existed.

In this episode of Full Disclosur...

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 Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Philippa to trace the winding path behind her public voice on relationships, parenting and emotional li...

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 with Emma to trace the story behind her remarkable rise- from helping raise her younger sisters in East London and struggling in a school ...

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 names in British entertainment.

In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Michael to uncover the family story behind the...

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 recovery, Marcus Brigstocke’s early life was far more turbulent than his public persona might suggest.

In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O...

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 and more.

Listen now on Global Player, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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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 a close-knit working-class family, took shape at the Anna Scher Theatre, and changed forever when she was cast in EastEnders at just ten ye...

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 the human cost of profit.

In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the acclaimed investigative writer to mark the ...

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 players.

In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the legendary restaurateur to trace an extraordinary life behind some o...

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 childhood split between England and the United States, moving between places and possibilities before music gave him a sense of direction....

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 home. Years earlier, she had been sent from Bradford to rural Pakistan, pulled out of school and dropped into a life that felt a world away fro...

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.

He also reflects on his own social media controversies, football’s growing tribalism, and whether today’s game might have suited him better ...

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 this live edition of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien charts the full arc of Lineker’s extraordinary career. From a market trader’s son in Le...

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 with books and poetry, Arthur grew up in a home where humour and humanity went hand in hand.

In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brie...

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 Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the Mayor of London to trace the path from a crowded flat in Tooting to City Hall. Khan reflects on his par...

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 with the co-founder and CEO of the British cosmetics retailer, LUSH. Expect a wide ranging and deeply personal conversation about abandonme...

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 life in performance, beginning with a childhood marked by class, kindness and upheaval, and moving through art school, repertory theatre and a...

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 of Moral Ambition to talk about purpose, power and the quiet pressure to go along with things we know are wrong. Bregman reflects on his u...