20 Questions With

Hosted by Matt Stadlen

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181

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Nov 2026

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About the show

I’m Matt Stadlen and for 20 years I’ve been talking to and interviewing public figures from around the world. In this series I’ll be interviewing famous names from every walk of life and with a broad range of views, politics and perspectives. Every guest will get 20 questions, and the plan is for you to have a better sense of each of them by the end of their interview.

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60 recent

November 3, 2026Episode 1811 hr 2 min

20 Questions With George Osborne

George Osborne was the Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 until 2016. Most famous for implementing austerity and for his opposition to Brexit, Osborne has been out of front line politics for a decade. Now Head of OpenAI for Countries, and Chair of the British Museum, he looks back at his time running the country’s economy, reflects on what he got right and where he feels he could have done better. How does he justify austerity? Were the Tories cruel? Did he overdo “Project Fear”? Did he feel the responsibility of being the second most influential person in the UK? What did he feel when he was sacked by Theresa May following the Brexit referendum? In this candid interview, Osborne offers highly personal insights into his mindset when he was at the top of politics. But he also reflects on last week’s Labour Budget, shares his diagnosis of British politics today and identifies challenges facing the country and its politicians, and offers positivity about what Britain has to offer. As for AI, he gives his verdict on whether it represents an existential threat to humanity, and shares his views on the role it could play in human development.

October 22, 2026Episode 18038 min

20 Questions With Heather Morris

International best-selling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris, reflects on her new novel, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, tells the story of how she became a story-teller, discusses the challenge of writing about the Holocaust, responds to criticism, explains how her life changed in her sixties when she became a global literary star, looks back at her childhood in New Zealand, and reveals what she's learned through travelling the world to promote her books.

September 28, 2026Episode 17956 min

20 Questions With Professor Alex Edmans

Professor Alex Edmans offers insights into his books, The Madness of Markets, May Contain Lies, and Growing The Pie. How might the colour of the sky impact investment decisions? How do we make sense of a world in which mis and disinformation are rife? What should we make of the rise of AI? And what was it like being one of the two brightest boys at a top London private school? In this fast-flowing exploration of how to interpret data and question assumptions, Alex Edmans dazzles with his engaging style and lively mind.

September 10, 2026Episode 17841 min

20 Questions With Poppy Cooks

Social media sensation Poppy O'Toole charts her rise to cooking stardom, delights in the joys of potatoes, and explains her brand new book, The Actually Delicious Batch Cook Book.

September 7, 2026Episode 1771 hr 14 min

20 Questions With Raymond Blanc

The man who helped teach Britain to cook! Of the thousands of people I've had the good fortune to interview, no one has seemed more passionate about what they do than Raymond Blanc. Here he takes us on the almost magical journey of his career: from having his jaw broken by his boss in France after daring to give him advice on his cooking, via winning two Michelin stars at his restaurant in Oxford, to setting up Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in the Oxfordshire countryside in 1984. Having just handed over the reins as Culinary Director to Arnaud Donckele, Raymond reflects on this massive moment in his life, and looks ahead to a future filled with promise and possibility. Along the way he has some advice for Andy Burnham and reveals what he believes to be the challenges facing Britain, his adopted home. This is a rare chance to glimpse into the soul of one of the greatest chefs in Franco-British history.

August 20, 2026Episode 17643 min

20 Questions With Daisy Cooper MP

The Liberal Democrats have 71 MPs, but we hear much more about Reform UK, a party with just eight MPs. So what does it mean to be a Lib Dem in 2026? I talked to Deputy Leader and Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper to find out. Along the way I wanted to know whether the Lib Dems would countenance entering a coalition with Labour; what does Cooper make of Andy Burnham; how determined is she to keep Nigel Farage out of Number 10; what sort of job as leader does she think Ed Davey is doing; and why did she go into politics in the first place?

July 24, 2026Episode 17559 min

20 Questions With Sir Anthony Seldon

One of Britain's best known educators, a prolific contemporary historian and biographer of Prime Ministers from Major and Blair to Sunak (out soon!) and Starmer (upcoming!), Sir Anthony Seldon offers his insights on the qualities needed for running Britain, looks back at leaders of the past and looks ahead to the challenges facing Andy Burnham. Sir Anthony also reflects on a career in education, spells out what good teaching involves, emphasises the need for joy in learning, and throws forward to a world dominated by AI.

July 8, 2026Episode 17456 min

20 Questions With Rory Underwood

England men's all-time record try scorer, Rory Underwood, gives a rare interview, offering insights into his extraordinary career. He tells the story of how, as the son of a Malaysian Chinese mother and English father, he grew up in both Malaysia and England, and how he managed to combine a job flying jets for the Royal Airforce with scoring 49 tries for his country. He reflects on the impact his mother had on the sport when she was filmed celebrating in the stands as he and his brother Tony triumphed on the field, and gives details of just how different life was during the amateur era. Just five foot nine, Underwood explains how he didn't allow his stature to hold him back and reveals that he didn't feel fear - either on the wing or flying hawks close to the ground for the RAF. Underwood relives what it was like helping England win Grand Slams and provides a theory as to why English rugby struggles today compared to the golden era he played through and helped shape.

June 18, 2026Episode 1731 hr 1 min

20 Questions With Tim Montgomerie

The co-founder of the Centre for Social Justice and establisher of Conservative Home, Tim Montgomerie, explains why he left the Tory Party and joined Reform.

June 7, 2026Episode 17252 min

20 Questions With Barry Gardiner MP

Barry Gardiner, a Labour MP for almost 30 years and counting, explains why he thinks Keir Starmer should be replaced as Labour leader and Prime Minister, and why he has faith in the British public that they won't vote in a Reform government.

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