Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

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. Idol reflects on growing up in a close knit family, the influence of his parents, and the early restlessness that would eventually pull him towards London at the moment punk was beginning to erupt.They discuss the raw energy of the mid seventies scene and the formation of Generation X, when a group of young musicians with little formal training suddenly found themselves at the centre of a cultural explosion. Idol recalls the excitement of those early days, when punk felt less like a genre and more like a declaration that a new generation had something to say.From there the conversation moves to New York, reinvention and the birth of the unmistakable Billy Idol persona that would come to dominate the early years of MTV. He reflects on fame, excess and survival, the uneasy balance between punk credibility and global success, and how rock and roll changed as the movement he came from entered the mainstream.Frank, reflective and full of energy, this is a conversation about rebellion, reinvention and the enduring power of rock and roll.Billy Idol Should Be Dead documentary, coming to Sky Arts on 26th MarchEXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/fulldisclosure Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

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 from the one she had known.But the road that would eventually lead her to Westminster begins much earlier. It starts in a Bradford childhood shaped by poverty, upheaval and a mother trying desperately to hold her family together after being abandoned and left dangerously vulnerable.In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Shah to explore the experiences that shaped her life. She recalls growing up amid instability, belongings packed into black bin liners, and the powerful expectations around honour and reputation that governed the choices available to women and girls.As the conversation unfolds, Naz reflects on the moment her childhood ended and the shock that followed her return to Britain. A family crisis would eventually lead to her mother being imprisoned for killing the man who had controlled and abused her for years, a truth that emerged only gradually and changed the course of Naz’s life.This is a conversation about survival, silence and the weight of honour. How does a girl who left school at twelve find her way to Parliament? And what happens when the story behind a family tragedy finally comes into the light?Find out more about Honoured by Naz Shah here Additional support:If you've been affected by anything you've heard in this episode, please take a moment to read the resources listed: Rape Crisis, Women's Aid, Victim SupportEXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/fulldisclosure Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

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 than the heavy pitches and harder tackles of his playing days.Candid, thoughtful and often wry, this is the unfiltered extra from a memorable live show.

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 Leicester to Golden Boot winner and the face of Match of the Day, Gary reflects on self doubt, ambition, and the surreal reality of becoming a national institution.He opens up about the brutal culture of tabloid scrutiny, the shock of discovering he had been followed by investigators, and the emotional weekend when the BBC stood him down- only for colleagues to walk out in solidarity. He explains why he refused to apologise when he believed he was right, the mistake that ultimately cost him his role, and why speaking out became unavoidable.Funny, disarmingly honest, and unexpectedly vulnerable, this is Gary Lineker as you have never quite heard him before- on luck, loyalty, outrage, and starting again.This episode was recorded at The Royal Geographical Society to raise money for charity Make Some Noise. You can find more information about the charity hereEXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/fulldisclosure Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

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’Brien sits down with the comedian to trace a journey that begins in Bermondsey and winds its way through the birth of alternative comedy, and the strange alchemy that turned a literature graduate into one of Britain’s most distinctive comic voices. Arthur reflects on discovering the thrill of laughter as a child playing Captain Hook, on being elected head boy, and on why poetry and stand up share more in common than most people realise.They revisit the early days of the Comedy Store, the emergence of a new kind of comedy in the 1980s, and the moment television fame arrived via Grumpy Old Men. Arthur speaks candidly about the seductions of drink, the shock of acute pancreatitis, and how a brush with mortality reshaped his relationship with success. For Arthur, comedy has never been about domination or design, but about delight: finding the precise word, the perfect pause, the unexpected turn.Find out more about Arthur Smith’s upcoming gigs hereEXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/fulldisclosure Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

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 parents’ migration from Pakistan, the racism he experienced growing up, and the teachers who helped him see that the rooms of power were not off limits. He describes the leap from human rights lawyer to MP, the gamble of running for mayor, and the reality of governing a city through terror attacks, Brexit, a pandemic and deep political division.They discuss the resurgence of overt racism, the personal cost of public life, and why Khan refuses to let abuse dictate his politics. He speaks candidly about the backlash he faced over equal marriage, the solidarity he believes minorities must show one another, and the responsibility he feels to prove that London remains a city where progress is possible.Attention also turns to the future of the Labour Party. As calls emerge for Keir Starmer to stand down, Khan addresses the speculation directly. He reflects on party unity, leadership under pressure and the dangers of allowing internal divisions to overshadow the broader task facing Labour. For Khan, the question is not about personalities but about purpose: what Labour is for, who it represents, and how it responds at moments when confidence wavers.At its heart, this is a conversation about resilience, representation and the fragile idea of social progress. Can a city that once displayed signs reading “No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs” continue to move forward.EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/fulldisclosure Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

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 abandonment, creativity and the long shadow of early experiences. Constantine traces his story from a family marked by absence and instability, through periods of homelessness and self doubt, to an unconventional career that fused science, intuition and care.He reflects on grief, panic and the “entrepreneur’s wound”, and explains how synaesthesia shapes the way he understands people, memory and emotion. Smell, he suggests, can communicate what words cannot, reaching places in the brain where language falls short. Along the way, he speaks candidly about failure, fear of pride, and the mentors and partners whose kindness helped steady him.They explore the unlikely origins of LUSH, the principles that guided its growth, and the tension between success and insecurity that has never fully gone away. Thoughtful, intimate and unexpectedly tender, this is a conversation about resilience, care and finding meaning through sensation rather than certainty.EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/fulldisclosure Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

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 late discovery of confidence in his own abilities.Pryce reflects on failure at school, the teachers who held him back and the mentors who quietly opened doors, as well as the personal loss that shaped his most searching work on stage. He talks candidly about imposter syndrome, the slow realisation that he might actually be good at his job, and why acting only began to make sense to him later in life.They discuss the freedom and chaos of seventies theatre, the strange mechanics of success, and the moments that changed everything, from Comedians and Hamlet to Brazil, Miss Saigon and beyond. Along the way, Pryce shares stories that are funny, bruising and deeply human.Warm, reflective and quietly profound, this is a conversation about craft, luck and resilience, and about learning, eventually, to trust your own voice.Under Salt Marsh will launch with two episodes on Sky and streaming service NOW on January 30th, followed by one episode weekly for 4 weeksEXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/fulldisclosure Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

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 upbringing, his loss of religious faith, and how that search for meaning became a drive to make ideas matter in the real world.They discuss why small groups of people have always been the engine of change, how ego and idealism often overlap, and why so many smart, capable people feel stuck doing work that doesn’t align with their values. From abolitionists and resistance movements to modern politics, media cowardice and the rise of authoritarianism, Bregman argues that change usually starts when someone simply asks others to step up.Thoughtful, accessible and quietly challenging, this conversation is about agency, responsibility and the uncomfortable idea that waiting for someone else to act is itself a choice.Find out more about Moral Ambition: How to Find Your Purpose by Rutger Bregman hereEXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/fulldisclosure Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

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 on the unusual contours of a childhood spent on film sets, the luck and judgement that helped him grow up with his feet on the ground, and the agency he has learned to exercise over what he shares with the world.He speaks candidly about the gap between how fascinating others find his life and how ordinary it feels to him, the early lessons in saying no, and the responsibility he carries toward those who met him first as Harry Potter. He reflects on guidance from older actors, the grounding influence of his parents, and the strangeness of growing up inside a global phenomenon, tracing his love of film sets, the friendships that endured, and the ways fame has shaped him. He also discusses loneliness, the shock and freedom of life after Potter, and the delight he takes in unpredictable roles, inventive collaborators and the intellectual challenge of Beckett.Wry, thoughtful and self aware, this conversation offers a rare, unvarnished portrait of an actor who has grown up in public yet remains grounded, curious and determined to follow his own creative path.

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 early years, the confidence gifted to her by loving parents, and the shock of losing her father just as adulthood was beginning. She recalls her time at boarding school in Plymouth, the drama teacher who changed her life, and the year she spent in New York after winning a fiercely competitive debating scholarship.Dawn speaks openly about stumbling into comedy by accident, her early days at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and the moment living with Jennifer Saunders set the course for their four-decade partnership. She revisits the wild beginnings of The Comic Strip, moonlighting as a teacher by day and performing in a smoky Soho club by night.Along the way, she discusses the unusual pressures of fame, the introversion that sits behind the jazz hands, and the fierce, uncomplicated love that shaped her as both daughter and mother. Warm, candid and often very funny, this episode offers an intimate portrait of a national treasure who remains thoughtful, grounded and endlessly generous in spirit.

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 stayed curious, your company makes these conversations possible. We’ll be back in the new year with even bigger guests and more in depth discussions.

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 to trace the journey behind the performances. Shaw reflects on growing up with parents marked by war and frustration, discovering storytelling at school, and the teachers who unlocked a sense of freedom, confidence and purpose. He talks about leaving security behind for drama school, confronting imposter syndrome, and the moment he realised that great acting is not about showing off but about listening.The conversation moves through a remarkable career. From early theatre work and transformative mentors, to working with Roman Polanski on Macbeth, sharing kitchens with Anthony Hopkins, and navigating the highs and costs of fame after The Professionals. Shaw speaks candidly about alcohol, masculinity, spiritual searching and the quiet anger that can linger beneath success. He also explains why kindness on set matters to him, how one encounter with a fan reframed his view of his own work, and why the stage has always remained his creative home.

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 down with Gareth to trace the long road that shaped him. From being an introverted, late-developing youngster released by Southampton, to captaining Crystal Palace, enduring searing public failure, and eventually becoming England manager. They talk candidly about masculinity in football, learning to lead without bluster, and why authenticity matters more than authority.Southgate reflects on the moments that changed him most. The heartbreak of rejection, the pressure of managing people older and wealthier than him, the lessons drawn from defeat, and the responsibility of becoming a role model far beyond the pitch. He explains how England became a mirror for modern Britain, why he wrote Dear England, and what leadership really looks like when things go wrong.Thoughtful, honest and quietly powerful, this conversation goes well beyond football. It is about growth, failure, emotional courage and the belief that leadership is something you learn, not something you pretend to be.Find out more about Dear England: Lessons in Leadership by Gareth Southgate here

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 those early pressures sharpened the instincts that later defined her career.She traces the journey from school impressions to Cambridge Footlights, becoming the first woman to direct its revue, and the leap from Carrott’s Lib to Spitting Image and beyond. Jan talks candidly about ambition, class, resilience and the unexpected power of comedy to steady you when life feels uncertain. It is an honest, warm and often very funny look at how she found her place in British satire.Find out more about Dead Ringers 25th Anniversary tour here

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 life was not quite aligned. It took heartbreak, therapy, and a very honest look at himself to turn that tension into the comedy voice audiences now know so well.In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the stand up to trace the path from drama school hopeful to seasoned touring comic finding unexpected clarity in midlife. They talk about navigating divorce in the public eye, the strange elasticity of masculinity, and the way comedy can both hide and reveal the truth about who we are. Hal reflects on family, fear, and the moments when laughter becomes a lifeline rather than a performance.It is a conversation about reinvention, vulnerability and starting again. And at its heart is Hal’s realisation that the most powerful thing he has ever done on stage is simply tell the truth- however messy, painful or absurd it happens to be.Find out more about Hal Cruttenden: Can Dish It Out But Can’t Take It here

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 the West End, his path looks polished. But behind it lies grief, grit, and a fierce curiosity about the world that’s shaped every creative choice he’s made.In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the actor, writer and presenter to trace Stephen’s journey from a bullied schoolboy to star of Green Wing, Episodes and The Split. They talk about losing both parents young, finding refuge in acting, and why he now writes children’s books with his sister, Anita- stories that rekindle the magic of reading he discovered as a boy with a book wedged between him and his dad at the dinner table.It’s a conversation about loss, love, and laughter- and how Stephen’s career, from Cambridge plays to Hollywood sitcoms, has been guided not by fame, but by joy, curiosity, and the determination to make work that he’d genuinely want to watch, read, or share with his own children.Find out more about Barrie Saves Christmas here

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. But behind that versatility lies a story of inheritance, self-doubt and quiet rebellion. The son of two actors, Toby grew up watching his father’s unpredictable career and vowing never to feel so exposed to fate. Yet the pull of performance, and the curiosity that drives it, proved impossible to ignore.In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the actor to trace the path from an Oxford childhood to radical student politics in 1980s Manchester and a life-changing spell at a Paris theatre school that taught him never to wait for permission to create. They talk about class, curiosity, and the discipline of transformation; about how he’s learned to find meaning rather than momentum in his work; and why humility, not ambition, has been his most enduring guide.It’s a conversation about vocation and value- how an artist keeps searching for truth in an industry built on illusion, and why, for Toby Jones, the work itself has always mattered more than where it leads.An explosive new production of Othello at the Theatre Royal Haymarket stars David Harewood as Othello, Toby Jones as Iago and Caitlin FitzGerald as Desdemona- a gripping retelling of Shakespeare’s epic story of manipulation, jealousy, power and desire. Find out more about the production here

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 forty years. In this episode of Full Disclosure, he sits down with James O’Brien to look back on the work that defined his career-and the questions that have driven him ever since.Lloyd reflects on his peripatetic naval childhood, his years at Cambridge and the realisation that comedy, not law, was his calling. He shares candid stories about discovering Rowan Atkinson, collaborating with Douglas Adams on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and co-creating The Meaning of Liff. Alongside the triumphs came struggle- including a midlife breakdown that forced him to re-examine success, purpose and the art of living.Blending humour, honesty and philosophy, Lloyd explores the connection between curiosity and creativity, why he believes comedy can change how we see the world, and how even life’s disasters can turn out to be gifts.Find out more about The 42nd anniversary edition of The Meaning of Liff here

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 by a father who managed a grocery store and a mother and grandmother who ran a tiny, Montessori-inspired school where “each one teach one” was the guiding principle, Wales grew up surrounded by early computers, space rockets and encyclopaedias bought from door-to-door salesmen. It was there he developed both a fascination with information and a belief that learning should be open to all.In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the founder of Wikipedia to trace the unlikely journey from small-town America to one of the most visited websites on the planet. Wales recalls the early days of the internet, the chaotic birth of Wikipedia, and how a community of volunteers built something that “became part of the world’s infrastructure.”It’s a conversation about trust, optimism and collaboration- from a man who still believes that most people, given the chance, will choose to build something good together.Find out more about The Seven Rules of Trust: Why It Is Today's Most Essential Superpower by Jimmy Wales here