Episodes
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On this weekâs episode of Ways to Change the World, Blur bassist Alex James speaks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about Jeremy Clarkson, Oasis, band break ups, diets, and how he went from a rock and roll star âswinging from chandeliersâ to a farmer with five kids.
Alex Jamesâ new book Over The Rainbow tells the story of Blurâs reunion tour last year and the struggles of a middle aged man to fit in the jeans he last wore as a young rock star.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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Comedian Omid Djalili talks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about Syria, Israel, Gaza and the Iranian regime, and why the West should care about the Middle East.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Djalili says a combination of his Bahaâi faith, his heritage and the encouragement of friends is what has kept him resilient in the face of setbacks, including being âcancelledâ after the 9/11 attacks.
Produced by Silvia Maresca
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Episodes manquant?
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Tim Minchin has never been one for following the rulesâor even having a dream. âI ran towards unpigeonholeability,â he tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy, reflecting on his career as a comedian, musician, and writer who refuses to fit into a single box.
Best known for his sharp wit, powerful lyrics, and smash-hit musical Matilda, Minchin explains why he doesnât see comedy as a vehicle for his worldview and how the messiness of life fuels his creativity.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, he opens up about stepping away from social media, the rise of polemicists in public discourse, and why kindness and generosity are central to the stories he wants to tell, and the kind of person he wants to be.
Produced by Shaheen Sattar, Silvia Maresca and Ka Yee Mak.
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Esther Ghey is the mother of Brianna Ghey, the 16-year-old transgender girl who was stabbed to death in a park in Cheshire, England in 2023.
In the wake of her daughterâs brutal murder, Esther has been campaigning to ensure that Briannaâs legacy is an improvement in the mental health of children and teenagers, something she believes can be achieved by limiting their access to harmful online content from an early age, as well as with teaching mindfulness in schools.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, she tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy why protecting young people online is not only the parentsâ responsibility, but that of governments and social media companies. She also talks about the importance of teaching empathy and compassion to children, and why she supports Labour MP Josh MacAlisterâs proposal of banning social media apps for under-16s in the UK.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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Economist-turned-Labour MP Torsten Bell knows all too well that things have not been going great for Britain - but is optimistic that a different future is possible.
The UKâs economy has been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons in the last few years: wages are flatlining, taxes are on the rise, and public services are on the brink of collapse. The younger generation canât afford to buy a home, the old arenât receiving the social care they need and an increasing number of people are reliant on food banks. So whatâs at the root of all these problems - and crucially, how do you fix it?
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Torsten Bell, the Labour politician and former Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, talks to Krishnan Guru Murthy about Britainâs âcatch up potentialâ to turn things around and build a more equal and better off country.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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American political forecaster Nate Silver explains who will win the US election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, why he thinks Elon Muskâs comments during the riots in the UK were acceptable, and how AI will change the world.
Silver is the founder of the influential polling and politics website FiveThirtyEight, but now writes on his website Silver Bulletin. Heâs just published a new book called âOn the Edge: The Art of Risking Everythingâ where he argues that âprofessional risk takersâ such as low-stakes poker players, crypto kings, venture-capital billionaires and hedge fund managers are âwinningâ in American society, and what they can teach us about handling the uncertainties of the 21st century.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, American election forecaster, Nate Silver, tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy the chances of Kamala Harris or Donald Trump winning the US election, why he thinks Elon Muskâs tweets on X during the 2024 UK summer riots were part and parcel of having freedom of speech, and the transformative impact of AI on the world.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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US Presidential candidate Dr Cornel West is a philosopher and prominent advocate for social and racial justice. Heâs taught at some of the top universities in the US including Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, but has one major plan if he becomes President: to âdismantle the American empireâ.
The 71-year-old activist, who campaigned for Biden in 2020, has recently been vocal against both the Democratic and Republicanâs partyâs stance on Gaza, which he calls âmorally bankruptâ. Though he faces very long odds in winning the race, he says he wants to appeal to a group of disillusioned voters who have given up on the American two-party system.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Dr Cornel West tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy why he thinks US foreign policy on Israel is enabling destruction in Gaza, how both Biden and Trump are problematic for oppressed groups, and why itâs difficult to have hope to change the world without also being in despair at the suffering we see.
Produced by Silvia Maresca
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Nobel Prize Laureate Joseph Stiglitz is one of the most influential economists in the world, having advised multiple Democratic Presidents of the US and the World Bank, where he worked as Chief Economist and senior Vice President.
His latest book, called âThe Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society,â argues that the economic rightâs concept of âfreedomâ doesnât take into account the necessary trade-offs, that one personâs freedom often comes at the expense of anotherâs. And that âfreeâ - unregulated - markets, far from promoting growth and enterprise, in fact lessen economic opportunities for majorities and syphon wealth from the many to the few.
Stiglitz, now 81, is a Professor at Columbia University in New York, where freedom of speech and the right to protest have been making headlines in recent weeks, with hundreds of pro-Palestinian student protesters occupying the campus and clashing with police. The movement has now spread from the US, and encampments around the world are being launched, where the common demand is asking universities to divest and disclose their financial support of the war in Gaza.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, economist Joseph Stiglitz tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy why more government intervention is desirable, whether campus protests in the US are going âover the lineâ and why stalling living standards âcreate a fertile fieldâ for demagogues like Donald Trump.
Produced by Shaheen Sattar and Silvia Maresca -
Bassem Youssef thinks that heâs come on the wrong podcast. âPeople in power don't really care about any of our suggestions to change the worldâ, he tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy, âbecause if our ways to change the world affect their interests, they will stop you.â
And he knows what heâs talking about, having fled his home country of Egypt after his TV comedy became no longer acceptable to the authorities there.
Bassem started his career as a heart surgeon, then moved to political comedy in response to the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, taking on the ruling elite in his country. His political satire show, âAl-Bernamegâ was the most watched show in Egyptian TV history, but soon became a thorn in the side of the authorities there, forcing him into exile.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Bassem Youssef talks about his view that Israel should be held accountable for the war in Gaza, how the Egyptian revolution was a turning point in his life, and why he feels disillusioned with the West's "lecturing" on human rights and international law.
Produced by Shaheen Sattar, Silvia Maresca and Hila May.
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When lawyer turned playwright Suzie Miller created a one-woman show starring Jodie Comer for the West End and Broadway called âPrima Facieâ, she wouldnât have dreamt that her play would fuel real change in the legal systemâs approach to sexual assault cases.
The play has won multiple awards, has inspired efforts to change UK laws, and has also been turned into a book of the same title.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Suzie Miller tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy why rape victims are failed by the legal system, how trauma is misunderstood in the court room, and why a patriarchical system forces female barristers to become part of the problem.
Produced by Silvia Maresca and Shaheen Sattar.
WARNING: Contains references of sexual assault
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Nikki Giovanni has spent more than five decades in the public eye, as an activist, poet and innovator.
Born on the "wrong side of the tracks" in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the era of segregation, Giovanni came of age during the Black power and civil rights movements in 1960s in America. She came under the spotlight again in 2007, when the university she had been teaching at, Virginia Tech, was the victim of a mass shooting, carried out by one of her former students. The poem she wrote to commemorate the 32 victims, âWe are Virginia Techâ, touched many people across the world.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Nikki Giovanni joins Krishnan Guru-Murthy to to talk about her life and work, how anger has fuelled her poetry at different stages of her life - touching on topics such as domestic abuse, segregation, Black Lives Matter and Donald Trump - and recounts her experience of the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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Author Armistead Maupin is a pioneer - writing about AIDS and HIV for a mass audience and daring to include gay, lesbian, trans and queer lives when few others were.
His âTales of the Cityâ series, which started as a newspaper column in 1974, became worldwide best-selling novels and a Netflix series. It chronicles the lives of queer people in San Francisco and pokes fun at morality and social norms, touching millions of readers and viewers over 50 years. The beloved saga is now back for its 10th and final instalment, Mona of the Manor.
Now in his late 70s and living in London, the American writer opens up to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about growing up in the South in a âsexist, homophobicâ conservative family, how he came to embrace the LGBTQ community, what life was like at the peak of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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âI donât write fiction to preach my politics,â says Kiley Reid - an American author whose debut novel âSuch a Fun Ageâ was longlisted for the 2020 Booker prize. The book gained recognition for its themes on race, privilege, and social dynamics in modern America.
Fast forward to 2024, and Reidâs second novel, âCome and Get Itâ delves even further into the heart of societal complexities. Itâs based in a US campus and centred around money and wealth - who has it and who wants it - and the impact it has, on even the most personal of relationships.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to Kiley Reid about the importance of finding stability whilst being a writer, the impact of having a theatre background on her writing, and her thoughts on being social media savvy as an author.
Produced by Silvia Maresca and Shaheen Sattar.
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How do you measure a businessâs success? For James Timpson, CEO of the Timpsonâs Group, it comes down to two things: the satisfaction of its staff, and what it gives back to society.
His employees only have to âput money in the till and look the partâ; for the rest, they have complete authority to do whatever they think is right to offer a quality service to customers. This âupside-downâ style of management doesnât mean the business is not profitable - quite the opposite, in fact.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, the boss of the shoe-repair, key-cutting and dry-cleaning group tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy the secrets behind his unconventional leadership style and why fostering a culture of kindness, giving ex-prisoners a second chance and cultivating a happy workforce are key to Timpsonâs ethos.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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Bernie Sanders is the longest-serving independent senator in US congressional history and has brought income inequality, poverty and the âuber-capitalistâ status quo into focus throughout his decades-long career. He nearly became the Democratsâ candidate for president, twice, and has recently been backing Joe Biden against Donald Trump, warning that Trumpâs re-election could be the end of American democracy.
In his latest book, âItâs Okay To Be Angry About Capitalismâ, he presents his vision of what would be possible through a progressive agenda - one that would challenge the âcorruptâ economic order that allows just 1% of super-rich to control more wealth than the rest of society, and where a decent standard of living for all is not an impossible dream.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, the US Senator tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy why the US should stop its funding for Netanyahuâs âhorrific war against the Palestinian peopleâ, why a second Trump victory could foment right-wing movements across the world with disastrous consequences, and why taking on the ruling class is a necessary but âlong, long processâ.
Produced by Silvia Maresca, Shaheen Sattar and Alice Wagstaffe.
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Crystal Hefner was 21 when she first entered the infamous Playboy Mansion in October 2008. Within months, she ascended its hierarchy to become the top girlfriend of Hugh Hefner, who was 60 years her senior, and went on to marry him in 2012.
But she quickly discovered the house was not the glittering sanctuary she had believed, nor Mr Hefnerâs Playboy was the place of freedom, expression and empowerment it professed itself to be. Crystal only left the mansion when Hefner died, aged 91, in 2017.
Having made a promise to the Playboy tycoon to âonly say good thingsâ about him, for years Crystal suppressed the truth of what really happened behind closed doors at the Mansion, and the lasting trauma it caused her. Now she's written a book, "Only Say Good Things", about her experiences.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, she tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy about life at the Playboy Mansion as one of Hughâs three live-in girlfriends, how he made her âfeel small and afraid for so longâ, and why sheâs finally decided to speak out.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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The past year has been a time of climate firsts, mainly for the wrong reasons. 2023 was the hottest year on record - with devastating wildfires, catastrophic flooding, ongoing loss of biodiversity and carbon emissions continuing to rise. But is there any hope for the possibility for a better future?
Well, there is in fact room for âcautious optimismâ says environmental scientist, Dr Hannah Ritchie, whose book Not the End of the World offers a data-based analysis of environmental problems and their solutions. Her view stems from the significant strides made in human progress across the world, and the advancements of technology, especially within renewable energies.
Today on Ways to Change the World, she tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy how her work taught her that there are more reasons for hope than despair about the climate and the planet we live on - and why a truly sustainable world can still be within reach.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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Ella Mills is the best-selling food writer and founder of Deliciously Ella, the food blog-turned-brand which she created in 2012 after a sudden debilitating illness led her to overhaul her diet and turn to plant-based foods as a way to get better.
Since then, Mills has become a key player in bringing healthy food to the mainstream, with a brand whose 100 plant-based, additive-free products are now sold in all major UK supermarkets, and whose revenue is estimated to be ÂŁ20 million. But this huge success has come with vicious trolling and personal attacks online - and itâs only now that Mills has finally come to terms with it.
Today on Ways to Change the World, she tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy about the story behind Deliciously Ella, why a change in our diets towards more fresh, plant-based foods cannot happen unless the government steps in, and acknowledging the difference between her privilege and her business success.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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Despite being 76 years old, Arnold Schwarzenegger shows no signs of stopping.
The bodybuilding champion turned Hollywood star turned US politician, now in the âfourth actâ of his life, has reinvented himself into a motivator, and written a book, âBe Useful: Seven Tools for Lifeâ, about guiding people to achieve a âhappy, successful, useful lifeâ, inspired by his singular American experience.
Today on Ways to Change the World, Arnold Schwarzenegger tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy how he can âbe usefulâ, why world leaders are failing to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict and why America needs a new candidate to enter the presidential race.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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From 2019 to 2021, Samuel Kasumu was the most senior Black advisor in Downing Street, and was widely referred to as Boris Johnsonâs racism advisor, working alongside the former Prime Minister during the first half of the Covid pandemic.
Kasumu left Downing Street in April 2021, amid the fallout from a UK government report that dismissed institutional racism. It wasnât until after leaving his position, he says, that he realised how much of an âoutsiderâ he was, as a Black, working-class man who did not go to Oxbridge.
In this weekâs episode of Ways To Change the World, he talks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about the reasons why he first joined the Tory party aged 19, the role of special advisors in No 10 and why culture wars inside Downing Street made the downfall of Boris Johnson âinevitableâ.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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