Ways to Change the World

Elif Shafak is an award-winning Turkish-British novelist and political scientist. She talks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about whether you can truly be a citizen of the world, how novels can change us and why she can’t help but be political.

Baroness Helena Kennedy is one of Britain’s foremost human rights lawyers and a Labour peer. She’s played a key role in many prominent inquiries including the Brighton Bombing trial, the bombing of the Israeli Embassy and fought the world’s first case about transgender rights at the European Court of Justice. Her latest book is ‘Eve Was Shamed: How British…

Lord Michael Heseltine is a veteran of politics. He has served as Deputy Prime Minister and was crucial in Margaret Thatcher’s removal from power. He now sits on the Conservative benches of the House of Lords and has strongly argued against Brexit and to remain in the European Union. Listen and subscribe You can listen…

Damon Albarn had made his name as a political musician – as the frontman for Blur, Gorillaz and The Good, The Bad and The Queen – he was vocally opposed to the Iraq War and now, is entirely frustrated by Brexit. He talks to me backstage before his gig in Hackney about how politics and music…

David Lammy won his seat as the Labour MP for Tottenham in 2000 and since then, has become famous for his moving political speeches surrounding the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Windrush scandal and London’s growing knife crime problem. He talks to me about what drives his passion for social justice, where he thinks Brexit will take the nation and how…

Lea DeLaria broke new ground when she became one of the first openly queer stand-up comedians to grace the US stage. She now plays ‘Big Boo’ in Netflix hit Orange is the New Black and tours the world singing jazz. She talks to me about why she thinks Donald Trump is a fascist, how the…

From Sense and Sensibility to The Crown, actor Greg Wise has made regular appearances on our screens. He’s also well-known as the husband of Dame Emma Thompson. Recently he put work on hold to be the primary carer for his sister Clare who was dying of cancer. He talks to me about loss, love and why we should be talking…

Imogen Heap is a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter, who has now turned her energies to blockchain technology. She talks to Krishnan about her big ideas to change the way musicians get paid, and what Taylor Swift is really like. Listen and subscribe You can listen to and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts here. Or on Spotify, Acast, CastBox and…

Laura Bates founded the Everyday Sexism project in 2012, long before the Me Too movement gained traction. It was a space where women could share their stories of sexual assault and highlight how normalised it had become. She talks to me about where the feminist movement is post-Me Too, why she reluctantly thinks gender quotas…

David Baddiel is one of the great comedians and satirists of a generation. From writing children’s books to unofficial national anthems, he says he’s compelled by an urge for honesty. He talks to me about how truth should change the world, antisemitism within the left and the ubiquitous popularity of Three Lions. Listen and subscribe…

Oscar-winning documentary maker Michael Moore has made his name, and won his awards, by offering searing critiques of American society. Famed for Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, a left-wing, globalist outlook drives him and his films. He chats to me about his latest offering – Fahrenheit 11/9, why America ended up with Trump as President, and where Brexit…

My latest guest on the Ways to Change the World podcast is actor, campaigner and former presenter Jameela Jamil.

Our guest this week is Jacqueline Gold, the CEO of Ann Summers – and one of the richest woman in the UK. She talks about what impact she thinks Ann Summers has had on sexual culture, and what the government needs to change to get retail booming again.

Screenwriter of Love Actually, Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral, Richard Curtis’ influence on romantic comedies and the nation’s Christmas viewing schedules is immense. But, he’s also just as world-changing for his charity work. As the founder of Comic Relief, Make Poverty History and now, an advocate for the UN Sustainable Development Goals,…

Our guest this week is Gina Miller, the lead claimant in a successful legal battle ensuring that parliament had the final say over triggering Article 50. She’s seen as a defender of the constitution by some, and an “enemy of the people” by others.