Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

Episodes

• Welcome to James O'Brien PlusJames O’Brien Plus is your one-stop shop for everything James O’Brien. For £4.99 a month, enjoy all four of James’s podcasts ad-free, plus exclusive bonus episodes and a bi-weekly newsletter. Every Wednesday, get a new episode of Ask James Anything, where you can put your questions directly to James. Politics, films, music, food, video games, Halloween parties - nothing is off limits. Then, on the last Monday of every month, catch James Reacts, as James revisits some of the funniest, most viral and most outrageous moments from his years on LBC, alongside stories from the month’s news cycle that he didn’t get to discuss on air. Plus, every other Friday, receive The Life O’Brien - James’s bespoke newsletter, delivered to your inbox for your weekend reading. That’s a lot of James for £4.99. To submit a question, email jamesobrienplus@global.com or send a message or voice note to 07879 809 731. Start your seven-day free trial now on Global Player by selecting any of James’s podcasts. James O’Brien Plus is a Global production.

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• Marina Litvinenko: The truth about Alexander Litvinenko's murderMarina Litvinenko never wanted to be a public figure. Raised as an only child in an ordinary Soviet family, she dreamed of dancing professionally and found freedom, colour and possibility on the ballroom floor. But her life changed irrevocably when she met Alexander “Sasha” Litvinenko, a security officer whose growing alarm at corruption inside Russia’s intelligence services would eventually force them into exile. In this special episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien speaks to Marina about her new memoir ‘A Life in Fragments: Our Love, His Murder, My Resistance’. She recalls growing up amid the shortages and double standards of the Soviet Union, meeting Sasha for the first time, and watching him become increasingly determined to expose the criminality and corruption he encountered within the state. Marina describes the fear that followed Sasha’s public accusations against senior FSB figures, his imprisonment and their decision to seek safety in London with their son, Anatoly. Six years later, Sasha was poisoned with polonium-210 after a meeting in central London, dying on 23 November 2006. What followed was Marina’s long, painful pursuit of the truth, with a nearly decade-long fight for a public inquiry into her husband’s death. Twenty years on from his poisoning, Marina reflects on the early failures to understand the threat Putin posed, the cost of complacency and why she has continued to speak out. It is an extraordinary, intimate conversation about love, courage and resistance - and a widow’s determination to ensure that her husband’s name, and the truth of what happened to him, are never forgotten. Find out more about ‘A Life in Fragments: Our Love, His Murder, My Resistance’ by Marina Litvinenko here. Full Disclosure is a Global Production. Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

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• Ronni Ancona: Sexism, Stolen Ideas and The Big ImpressionRonni Ancona grew up in Troon as the daughter of a Royal Navy officer and a theatre designer, surrounded by golf courses, pantomimes and the smell of paint in her mother’s scenery workshops. Shy, awkward and often teased at school, she discovered early that making people laugh could be both a defence and a way of finding her place. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien meets the comedian, actor and impressionist to trace her unlikely journey from a Scottish school classroom to the forefront of British comedy. Ronni recalls finding her first acting role by accidentally walking into the wrong room, training as an art teacher, and nervously stepping onto the stand-up circuit at a time when female comedians were still a rarity. She discusses winning the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year award, working alongside comics including Jo Brand, Jack Dee and Lee Evans, and the cultural moment that made The Big Impression such a phenomenon. Along the way, she talks about acting in Last Tango in Halifax, EastEnders and the new film Think of England, as well as the comic chaos of meeting Nigella Lawson while impersonating her on live television. It’s a funny, frank and affectionate conversation about confidence, class, comedy and creativity — and about learning to inhabit other people when you are still working out who you are yourself. Find out more about Think of England here. Full Disclosure is a Global Production. Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

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• Lisa Faulkner: The mammogram that saved my lifeWhen Lisa Faulkner received an invitation for a routine mammogram, she nearly put it off. A further scan and biopsy revealed early-stage breast cancer - a diagnosis that brought back painful memories of losing her mother to cancer when Lisa was just 16. Treatment was successful, but the experience changed how she sees the future. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Lisa to trace the extraordinary path from a childhood shaped by family parties, home cooking and long summers with her grandparents, to becoming an international model, actor and, eventually, one of the country’s best-loved food writers and television cooks. Lisa reflects movingly on losing her mother, the quiet resilience of her father and sister, and the complex grief of being a teenager when the person you most need is suddenly gone. She remembers being scouted at a Tube station, travelling the world as a young model and landing her first major film role in The Lover before building an acting career in dramas including Dangerfield, Holby City and Spooks. She also talks about winning Celebrity MasterChef, choosing to learn in professional kitchens, and writing the cookbook that connected her mother’s recipes with her daughter, Billie. Along the way, Lisa discusses adoption, overcoming her fear of the stage and why, after cancer, she is more determined than ever to make the most of what comes next. It’s a warm, candid and life-affirming conversation about grief, reinvention, family and food - and about learning that it is possible to begin again, more than once. Find out more about John and Lisa’s Weeknight Dinners by John Torode and Lisa Faulkner here. Full Disclosure is a Global Production. Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

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• Gary Kemp: The working-class kid who made it bigGary Kemp grew up in working-class Islington, in a home where little was owned outright but love, curiosity and ambition were abundant. Encouraged by a father who took him to libraries, London landmarks and the local baths, Gary found a guitar under the Christmas tree and soon discovered that writing songs gave him a way to imagine a life beyond the one he knew. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Gary to trace the journey from an outside loo in north London to Spandau Ballet, global success and a parallel career in film, theatre and writing. He recalls the mentors who saw something in him early on and the formative experiences that helped turn a shy, bookish boy into a songwriter with enormous ambition. Gary reflects on the thrill of discovering Bowie, punk and the Blitz Club scene, forming a band with his brother Martin and school friends, and finding themselves at the heart of the New Romantic movement. He tells James about the intense rivalry, pressure and possibility of the 1980s, the making of True, and what it felt like to see Spandau Ballet become one of the biggest bands in the world. He also discusses his return to acting, from The Krays to The Bodyguard, and his enduring fascination with the cultural history of pop music. That fascination led to his latest book, 1967 - The World of Brian Epstein and the Beatles, which began with an extraordinary auction purchase - Brian Epstein’s personal address book from the final year of his life. It’s a warm, funny and moving conversation about class, family, creative hunger and the people who give us permission to believe in ourselves. Find out more about 1967 - The World of Brian Epstein and The Beatles by Gary Kemp here. Full Disclosure is a Global Production. Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

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• Charlie Higson: Before The Fast Show, I was someone else entirelyWhen Charlie Higson was 18, his mother died, his father moved to Hawaii and he decided to become someone else entirely. He dyed his hair, renamed himself Switch and threw himself into the punk scene in Norwich, where a chance friendship with Paul Whitehouse would eventually help change the face of British comedy. None of it was planned. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Charlie to trace the remarkable journey from a shy, bookish childhood to punk rock, The Fast Show and, eventually, James Bond. Charlie recalls the devastating loss of his mother, the freedom and uncertainty of leaving home, and the unlikely beginnings of a career that would take him from touring America with his band to creating some of the most recognisable characters in British television. He reflects on his lifelong friendship with Paul Whitehouse, the influence of Monty Python and the extraordinary chain of events that brought him into the orbit of Harry Enfield and Vic Reeves. Along the way, he reveals how The Fast Show came together, why its success was less obvious at the time than it seems today, and what made his creative partnership with Paul so enduring. Charlie also talks about his lifelong love of writing, from inventing fantasy worlds as a schoolboy to becoming the author of the bestselling Young Bond series. He explains how fatherhood helped draw him away from television and back towards books, and what it's like to take on one of fiction's most famous characters while trying to remain faithful to Ian Fleming's original creation. It's a funny, warm and surprisingly moving conversation about loss, reinvention, friendship and the strange accidents that shape a life - and about how sometimes the most extraordinary things happen when you have absolutely no idea where you're going. Find out more about King Zero by Charlie Higson here Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

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• John Robins: Why Alcohol Was Never the Real ProblemThis episode includes discussion of sensitive topics, including addiction and alcoholism, that some listeners may find distressing. Please take care while listening, and feel free to pause or step away if you need to. John Robins has spent much of his life making people laugh. But behind the award-winning stand-up, broadcasting and podcasts was a relationship with alcohol that he spent years trying to understand, manage and ultimately escape. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with John to trace the experiences that shaped him, from a childhood marked by anxiety and an intensely religious father to Oxford, gambling and the discovery of stand-up. John reflects on growing up with a sense that something wasn’t quite right, learning to use humour as both attack and defence, and becoming fascinated by alcohol long before he understood what it offered him. He talks candidly about the progression of his drinking and the years he spent trying to control it: counting drinks, crossing days off calendars and comparing himself with people who seemed to drink more. Looking back, John describes alcohol not as the problem but as his solution to something deeper - a way to quieten his mind, relieve discomfort and, at times, disappear completely. John also recalls the night in 2022 when, exhausted by years of fighting his drinking, he searched the word “sober” in a podcast app. Hearing two recovering alcoholics speak with calmness, warmth and humour gave him a glimpse of another way to live. He went to his first AA meeting the following day and hasn’t had a drink since. Now, John reflects on the strange and painful process of learning how to live without alcohol, from relationships and work to simply being alone with his own thoughts. He talks about therapy, recovery, meditation and spirituality, and why accepting the things he cannot control has begun to make life feel a little less complicated. It’s a funny, thoughtful and strikingly open conversation about addiction, anxiety, childhood, shame and recovery - and about what happens when the thing you’ve relied on to escape yourself is no longer there. Find out more about Thirst by John Robins 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: We Are With You, Change Grow Live, Turning Point Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

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• Eric Idle: “Cheer up. You’re gonna die”Eric Idle has spent a lifetime finding the funny side of almost everything. Long before he became one of the defining voices of British comedy, he was a boy shaped by loss, separation and a brutal education. His father died when Eric was just two years old, and at seven he was sent to boarding school in Wolverhampton, where discipline could be violent and laughter became something more than entertainment - it was a way of surviving. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Eric to trace the remarkable journey from a post-war childhood to Cambridge, the Footlights and, eventually, Monty Python. Eric recalls discovering the liberating power of rock ’n’ roll and Beyond the Fringe, learning the mechanics of comedy alongside some of the brightest talents of his generation, and the unlikely chain of events that brought Python together. He reflects on the extraordinary people who have passed through his life, from John Cleese, Michael Palin and the rest of the Pythons to George Harrison, whose friendship changed the way Eric thought about life and death. Along the way, he talks about fame, friendship, family, creativity and the instinct that has repeatedly led him towards the places where the best times were being had. Now in his eighties, Eric also considers ageing, the friends he has lost and the life he has built away from the noise, including the home in Provence at the heart of his latest book. It’s a funny, warm and unexpectedly moving conversation about loss, escape, friendship and the strange turns that can transform a life - and about why, after everything, it still helps to find something to laugh at. Find out more about Idle In Provence by Eric Idle here Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

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• Tony Hadley: “I Didn’t Think True Was a Single”Tony Hadley went from borrowing £20 in the pub while appearing on Top of the Pops to fronting one of the biggest bands in the world. Then came the fallings-out, a bruising court battle and a journey from packed arenas back to playing small clubs. Through it all, one thing never changed: he refused to give up. Tony joins James O’Brien to tell the extraordinary story of Spandau Ballet - from a working-class childhood in Islington and the school band that started it all, to the flamboyant world of the Blitz Club and the birth of the New Romantic movement. He remembers the anxiety of watching early success begin to slip away, and the song that changed everything, True - a record he never even thought should be a single, which went on to reach number one around the world. He reflects on the phenomenal success that followed with Gold, the reality behind the glamour of 1980s pop stardom and what happened when one of Britain’s biggest bands began to fracture. Tony speaks candidly about the legal battle that put homes on the line, the humiliation of going from Wembley Arena to club PAs, and why, even at his lowest point, he was determined to get back up and carry on. There are extraordinary stories along the way - including blagging his way backstage to meet Frank Sinatra at 17 - as well as reflections on family, ambition, ageing and the sheer euphoria of walking onto a stage. Nearly 50 years after first declaring himself the man to front the band, Tony is still touring, still making new music and still trying to become a better singer. This is a funny, revealing and unexpectedly moving conversation about what happens after the fame - and the stubbornness it takes to start again. Find out more about Tony Hadley’s tour dates here Tony Hadley Official Website | Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

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• Francis Fukuyama: The End of History author on democracy under threatHe famously argued that liberal democracy marked the end of history. Now, with war, populism and authoritarianism reshaping the world, Francis Fukuyama asks whether liberal democracy can still win. In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien speaks to the political scientist and author about the ideas, accidents and encounters that shaped his life. Fukuyama reflects on growing up in a highly intellectual family, his early immersion in philosophy, and why a formative period in Paris led him away from literary theory and towards the realities of international politics. They discuss the collapse of the Soviet Union, the enduring misreading of The End of History, and why he believes the idea of equal human dignity remains powerful despite democratic backsliding around the world. Fukuyama also looks back on his time in US government, his break with neoconservatism over Iraq, and the danger of letting pessimism about democracy become self-fulfilling. Thoughtful, wide-ranging and urgent, this conversation is about big ideas, political mistakes and the case for defending liberal societies without pretending they are perfect. Find out more about In the Realm of the Last Man by Francis Fukuyama here Full Disclosure is a Global Production Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

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