Podcasts by The Eddie Mair Interview

CIA Moscow Veteran: Putin is a consummate liar from 2018-04-04T15:31

John Sipher spent 28 years with the US National Clandestine Service.

Mr Sipher spoke to Eddie Mair about his life undercover, why he's kept a brick from Osama Bin Laden's house, torture, ...

I talk to my dead friend from 2018-02-16T17:50

Artificial intelligence is already a big part of our lives, whether or not we are aware of it, and it will only become more significant.

But could it ever help us with our most tender hum...

'I have been across the whole spectrum of crime and I've paid a price for it' from 2018-01-12T17:29

On New Year's Eve four young men were stabbed to death in separate incidents around London. It brought the total number of fatal knife attacks in the Capital to 80 in 2017.

Many of these i...

How to make sure your last wishes are respected from 2018-01-02T17:33

What would you like to happen if you become very ill or severely incapacitated? What can you do now to make sure your wishes, whatever they are will be respected should that time come?

Pro...

'History is about the future, politics is about the past' from 2017-12-15T17:27

Sebastian Balfour, a historian and Emeritus Professor of Contemporary Spanish Studies at the London School of Economics, was PM’s trusted guide to events in Catalonia before, during and after th...

My twenty-two months of 'hell' in a Dubai prison from 2017-12-01T17:45

Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is an increasingly popular destination for international sun-worshippers and shoppers.

Recently when Dubai has been in the news, it has not been for barga...

My journey as a Rohingya from 2017-11-24T15:20

The treatment of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar has led to worldwide condemnation, with the US threatening sanctions.

Bangladesh, which has taken in hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas who’ve...

'Those tweets were from someone lashing out at the world around him' from 2017-11-16T18:06

The magazine Gay Times has sacked its new editor over comments he made on social media in the past.

Josh Rivers was appointed last month. The first non white editor in Gay Times history. Listen

The 'Battle-Scarred' comedian from 2017-11-08T17:53

As we approach Armistice Day, followed by Remembrance Sunday, we talk to an American army veteran who is the host of a new podcast "Battle Scars", in which he interviews people who have been in ...

Stourhead in autumn is 'a living work of art' from 2017-10-31T10:41

Since 2008 Alan Power, head gardener at Stourhead in Wiltshire, has joined Radio 4's PM programme to tell us about the autumnal view.

This year, there was something extra to talk about. Listen

Radio 4 helped diagnose my cancer from 2017-10-16T16:05

Steve Hewlett chronicled his experience with oesophageal cancer weekly on PM in 2016.

Steve believed that by using his journalistic skills to investigate and understand his own cancer, he...

'I operated a policy of protecting women around Harvey' from 2017-10-12T09:46

The film producer Harvey Weinstein has been accused of a string of sexual assaults after the New York Times reported previously undisclosed allegations against him stretching over nearly three d...

'I couldn’t carry on firefighting' from 2017-10-06T16:35

Most people would probably not want to see what the firefighters who attended Grenfell Tower fire saw, or do what they did. All of the firefighters who were there received counselling after thei...

I don't want to have sex from 2017-09-28T14:55

Eddie Mair hears one man's story of his asexuality - discovering he was asexual, telling friends and family, and negotiating relationships.

This podcast contains sexually explicit material...

The woman who remembers everything from 2017-09-08T13:14

For a handful of people in the world, remembering things is not a problem.

They have a condition called HSAM or Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, which means they can remember ever...

Why I campaign against abortions from 2017-08-04T16:00

Abortion in the United States continues to spark fierce debate and cause division, ever since the Supreme Court made it legal in 1973 following the Roe v Wade case.

Individual states still...

From fundamentalist Christian to abortion provider from 2017-07-28T14:44

Abortion in the United States continues to spark fierce debate and cause division, ever since the Supreme Court made it legal in 1973 following the Roe v Wade case.

Individual states still...

Stroud candidates 16 year battle from 2017-07-21T16:00

For 16 years, David Drew and Neil Carmichael have campaigned against each other to be MP for Stroud.

The constituency in Gloucestershire is known as a bell-weather because it often goes t...

'I was just told I had to lose my hair' from 2017-07-17T15:05

For six months on PM, we heard from Steve Hewlett every Monday as he chronicled his experience of oesophageal cancer. In his very first conversation, last September, he introduced us to the "col...

'People don't want to associate with the chemsex barrister' from 2017-06-30T15:17

This week in our podcast, Eddie Mair speaks to Henry Hendron.

He was very much a rising star, a barrister in London with some high profile clients and media coverage to go with it. He repr...

I didn't know my boyfriend was an undercover officer from 2017-06-16T16:02

In 2011 it was revealed that a number of police officers who were working undercover among environmental activists in the 1990s had sexual relationships with some of the people they were investi...

Steve Hewlett's sons on moving forward from 2017-06-12T17:18

For six months on PM, Steve Hewlett chronicled his experience of living with oesophageal cancer.

Sadly in February 2017 Steve died. His sons Freddie, Billy and Bertie join Eddie Mair to ta...

'I feel angry that families are going through that enormous stress' from 2017-05-30T16:45

The hours and days after the Manchester Arena attack were especially long for some families.

They were wondering whether their loved ones were dead or alive. Some appealed on radio and TV ...

'Why I kept my wife's body after her death' from 2017-05-09T17:35

A man has revealed how he slept in the same room as his wife's body for six days after she died.

Wendy Davison, 50, died at home in Derby last month after a 10-year battle with cervical ca...

'My purpose in life was just playing the piano' from 2017-04-17T16:51

Pianist Antimo Magnotta was performing on-board the Costa Concordia cruise ship when it ran aground off the coast of Italy on 13 January 2012.

He talks to Eddie Mair about his start in mu...

My unknown sister, who was an inspiration from 2017-04-14T16:11

Olympic gold medalist, Dominique Moceanu, and professional acrobat Jennifer Bricker grew up with separate families before finding out they were biological sisters.

Speaking to them both, E...

Dementia at 47 from 2017-03-24T17:15

Dianne was diagnosed with dementia at 47 years old.

She talks to Eddie Mair about her journey from noticing changes in her memory, to her involvement in the Brent Peer Support project.

'Every year my officers recover 150 bodies from the desert' from 2017-03-17T19:06

Throughout his campaign to be President Donald Trump promised to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. Upon taking office he vowed to keep the promise.

Someone who knows from ...

Steve Hewlett's Doctor describes caring for him from 2017-02-27T18:16

Dr Naureen Starling is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden hospital in London, specialising in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

She is better known to listeners...

Steve Hewlett: Our tribute from 2017-02-20T17:44

In the middle of September last year, Steve Hewlett, the presenter of Radio Four's The Media Show was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. He thought it might be of interest to PM listeners to det...

What really happened to Scott Johnson? from 2017-02-17T17:15

The death of a family member is one of the most traumatic things a person can experience. For Steve Johnson, his brother Scott's death almost 30 years ago is still a source of pain.

Scott...

Steve Hewlett: How do you live every day as if it's your last? from 2017-02-13T18:21

In 2016 Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us about his treatment.

Steve has had to continue his s...

Steve Hewlett: I was told I have weeks, possibly months... from 2017-02-06T18:44

In 2016 Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us about his treatment.

Steve has had to continue his s...

Steve Hewlett says he's continuing with the trial, despite his liver 'misbehaving' from 2017-02-01T19:09

In 2016 Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us about his treatment.

This week Steve had to stay in ...

Steve Hewlett: 'All I could do was cry, I was so overwhelmed' from 2017-01-23T18:58

In 2016 Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us about his treatment.

In this podcast he tells Eddie ...

Steve Hewlett: 'I'm a victim of Sod's Law' from 2017-01-16T18:17

In 2016 Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us about his treatment.

In this podcast he tells Carolyn Qui...

Steve Hewlett on his fears about losing his drug trial place from 2017-01-09T18:52

In 2016 Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us about his treatment.

In this podcast he tells Carolyn Qui...

'Six weeks before my son was born we were sent a letter bomb' from 2017-01-06T19:08

Editor of the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight, Gerry Gable, has been working against far-right groups for decades.

As he told Eddie Mair six weeks before his son was born he received a p...

Two people whose lives were changed by the Iraq conflict from 2017-01-03T12:43

In 2005, Roger Bacon's son Matthew was one of the many British service personnel killed whilst serving in Iraq. Jason Clasby worked with Matthew and was sitting next to him when he died. As they...

Steve Hewlett: 'I got to A&E before the New Year's Eve deluge' from 2017-01-02T18:43

Earlier this year Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us over the last few weeks about his approach to tr...

Two men from different generations discuss the event that bonds them from 2017-01-02T17:44

In 2005, Roger Bacon's son Matthew was one of the many British service personnel killed whilst serving in Iraq.

Jason Clasby worked with Matthew and was sitting next to him when he died.<...

'Guantanamo Bay has been a stain on America's honour' from 2017-01-02T16:43

As President Obama prepares to leave office, people are reflecting on the fact that his promise to close Guantanamo Bay within a year of taking power never came to pass.

Dr Elspeth Camero...

'Our ads put doubt in the minds of the guerrillas' from 2017-01-02T12:19

A peace deal which ended half a century of armed conflict was signed between the Colombian government and the rebel group, the FARC in 2016. One man who played a role in helping bring about the ...

Learning from the death of Baby P from 2016-12-30T16:45

In 2017 it will be 10 years since the death of Peter Connolly (Baby P), a 17-month-old who was found dead at home in north London.

A serious case review that investigated what social worke...

The British man bringing free health clinics to the US from 2016-12-29T17:42

For the latest Eddie Mair podcast we hear from a man who has personally worked to bring healthcare to many hundreds of thousands of Americans who have no health insurance.

Stan Brock foun...

How ads persuaded guerillas to lay down arms from 2016-12-23T18:46

A peace deal which ended half a century of armed conflict was signed between the Colombian Government and the rebel group, the FARC in 2016.

One man who played a role in helping bring abou...

Steve Hewlett: My cancer has been rock-climbing from 2016-12-22T18:49

Earlier this year Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us over the last few weeks about his approach to tr...

The Alberta wildfire evacuation from 2016-12-16T18:27

In May 2016, residents of Fort McMurray in Canada were evacuated due to a raging wildfire.

The chief of Fort McMurray's fire department, Darby Allen talked to presenter Eddie Mair about th...

Steve Hewlett: 'Once I hit oncology it was like running into invisible sand' from 2016-12-12T18:32

Earlier this year Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us over the last few weeks about his approach to tr...

I went through the menopause at 25 from 2016-12-09T17:14

Journalist Lucy Pasha-Robinson suffered with endometriosis, a disease where cells like those in the womb appear elsewhere in a woman's body. It can cause severe pain, and in some cases infertili...

Steve Hewlett: 'I discovered there are not many jokes about cancer' from 2016-12-05T18:44

Earlier this year Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us over the last few weeks about his approach to tr...

Steve Hewlett: 'The intensity of the applause made my spine tingle' from 2016-11-28T18:18

Earlier this year Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us over the last few weeks about his approach to tr...

Steve Hewlett: 'I see my condition as a bit of a story' from 2016-11-21T18:35

Earlier this year Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us over the last few weeks about his approach to tr...

Steve Hewlett:'I've been dehydrating myself for weeks' from 2016-11-14T18:23

Earlier this year Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us over the last few weeks about his approach to tr...

The lives changed by bullying from 2016-11-11T14:55

After suffering years of bullying at school and online, Lucy Alexander's son Felix killed himself earlier this year.

Ben Smith ran 401 marathons in as many days, raising awareness for LGB...

Steve Hewlett: Dealing with the effects of cancer treatment from 2016-11-07T18:36

Earlier this year Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us over the last few weeks about his approach to tr...

Steve Hewlett: Should I pay for the new drug? from 2016-10-31T18:20

Earlier this year Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us over the last few weeks about his approach to tr...

What is it like to be Donald Trump's ghostwriter? from 2016-10-28T15:13

Almost 30 years ago, a book was published entitled The Art of the Deal.

On the cover a large photo of Donald Trump. His surname was in large letters and underneath, as you'd expect, detail...

Steve Hewlett: My radiotherapy from 2016-10-24T17:14

Earlier this year Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show, was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus, and has been telling us over the last few weeks about his approach to tr...

Taking on 'Islamic State' from 2016-10-21T16:55

The attempt by Iraqi Government and Kurdish forces to oust so-called Islamic State from Mosul goes on.

Meanwhile IS has unleashed a counter-attack in the north of Iraq in and around the ci...

How are the Hewlett family dealing with Steve's illness? from 2016-10-17T17:46

For the past few weeks Steve Hewlett, the presenter of Radio 4's The Media Show has been talking about his health.

Earlier this year Steve was diagnosed as having cancer of the oesophagus...

Doctors: Is there a good way of breaking bad news? from 2016-10-11T17:53

Does it make a difference to patients how they are told bad news by doctors?

A recent interview with Radio 4 's Steve Hewlett about being diagnosed with cancer prompted a doctor in Liverpo...

Next steps on a cancer journey from 2016-10-10T17:55

Steve Hewlett, a well known voice on Radio 4, was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus earlier this year.

He talks about a set back in his treatment, and the next phase of his cancer jo...

Life as an Undercover Cop from 2016-10-07T16:16

Neil Woods has strong views on how drugs like heroin, cocaine and ecstasy are treated by the law. He speaks as someone who for 14 years worked as an undercover police officer, bringing drugs lor...

Ben Smith runs 401 marathons in 401 days in anti-bullying fundraiser from 2016-10-06T10:01

Ben Smith was bullied at school for years for being gay, and at the age of 18 he tried to take his own life.

Now at the age of 34 he's doing something to raise awareness of the damage done...

How to get the right cancer care from 2016-09-26T18:20

Steve Hewlett, a well known voice on Radio 4, was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus earlier this year.

He talks about his experience with getting the right treatment.

Details o...

Dealing with cancer from 2016-09-19T17:41

Steve Hewlett, a well known voice on Radio 4, was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus earlier this year.

He talks about his experience, from diagnosis to treatment. Details of organ...

A mother's experience of Downs syndrome from 2016-09-16T15:28

Carolyn Quinn speaks to Angie Emrys-Jones whose 9-year-old son, Ted, has Downs syndrome.

She tells Carolyn that not all people with Downs syndrome are endlessly happy and loving like the ...

The woman who killed her violent husband from 2016-09-09T17:07

Archers' fans have been gripped by the trial of Helen Titchener for the attempted murder of her husband.

It's a fictional case - but what happens in real life? How should the law treat w...

A refugee and the cadet who helped rescue her from 2016-08-26T16:22

As the migrant crisis continues we look back at the parallels with the late 1970s and one of the great migrations by the sea when around 800,000 Vietnamese refugees fled the communist takeover o...

Getting to know extremists from 2016-08-19T16:45

How do you stop people joining radical terrorist groups? The UK government offers an intensive one-to-one mentoring programme, called Channel, to challenge violent views.

Anjum Khan is a M...

An interview with surgeon David Nott from 2016-08-05T16:00

Eddie Mair first spoke to David Nott in 2013. His regular job is at three hospitals in London but for the past 20 years during his holiday time, he has headed to some of the world's bleakest tro...

A doctor's experience in Aleppo from 2016-07-27T15:02

Dr Samer Attar is an orthopaedic surgeon. He lives and works in Chicago, but takes time away from his day job to use his skills to help the people of Syria.

He's worked in the city of Al...

The power of the cello from 2016-07-15T15:48

In April 2015 a car bomb went off in Baghdad. At least ten people were killed. Karim Wasfi conductor of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra walked to the scene of the explosion, and amidst the...

Memories from the Terror Attacks in Sousse from 2016-06-27T10:53

39 holiday makers were killed when a gunman from so called Islamic State opened fire on a beach in Sousse, Tunisia, in June 2015.

Olivia Leathley is a head chef from Manchester and was in ...

Eddie reunites an Ebola Survivor with his parents from 2016-06-17T16:06

Will Pooley is a British nurse who became infected with Ebola in Sierra Leone, received treatment back in the UK and then went back to Sierra Leone. Eddie spoke to Will Pooley whilst he was stil...

Picking up my paint brushes...20 years on from 2016-06-09T11:56

Geoffrey Harris overcame years of stress and anxiety to make a bus journey from his home in Neath to Swansea. It was on Leap Day in 2012, when hundreds of PM listeners did something different fo...

Secretly caring for my mother from 2016-05-27T17:58

Phyllis Whitsell was adopted as a child, and was never told her mother's name, only that she had died of tuberculosis.

Phyllis eventually became a nurse and discovered that her mother was...

Asked to move seats...because you're a woman from 2016-05-13T16:13

Renee Rabinowitz is 81 years old, Jewish, a retired lawyer and holocaust survivor. She was asked to move seats on a flight from New York to Tel Aviv, but wasn't getting offered an upgrade. Eddi...

Being a blind fencer from 2016-05-10T10:14

Imagine fencing blind against a sighted opponent. That's what Ruth Tolkien does. She spoke to Eddie Mair about wielding blades, archery, and being the great granddaughter of JRR Tolkien, the aut...

A medieval cure for modern day superbugs from 2016-05-09T09:24

Scientists worry that if they don't find a cure to anti biotic resistant superbugs then we're in trouble. Some estimates say these diseases could be deadlier than cancer, so the fight is on to f...

Life after death row from 2016-04-22T16:59

Nick Yarris spent twenty two years in solitary confinement before his name was cleared with the help of DNA evidence. He spoke to Eddie Mair about prison brutality and how he got his life back.

Alicia's story in full 'I simply vanished' from 2016-04-15T15:00

On 1st January 2002, 13 year old Alicia Kozakiewicz left her family home and "simply vanished". The man who took her had spent months befriending her as she sat at home on her family computer. Listen

The journey on from panic attacks from 2016-04-08T16:04

In 2012, we heard from Geoffrey Harris, one of several listeners who took a leap for PM. He explained that eight years previously he had been hit depression and panic attacks - leading him to re...

The British disaster you've probably never heard of from 2016-04-01T16:56

Joan Martin had been qualified as a doctor for just one year when she led the team treating the casualties at Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children.

Like many involved in the disaster, sh...