20 Questions With

Hosted by Matt Stadlen

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175

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Jul 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

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.

June 1, 2026Episode 17143 min

20 Questions With Danielle de Niese

Opera sensation Danielle de Niese charts her rise to worldwide fame as the daughter of Sri Lankan Burgher immigrants to first Australia and then America. Debuting at the Met as a 19 year-old Barbarina in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, she has gone to star in opera houses around the world, including at Glyndebourne, where she now lives with her husband. Hailed as "Opera's Coolest Soprano" by the New York Times in 2009, de Niese takes us behind the scenes of her success and offers insights into her art, as she embarks on her first directorial role.

May 20, 2026Episode 17044 min

20 Questions With Mike Tapp MP

Immigration Minister Mike Tapp explains the government's immigration and asylum policy, outlines his "firm but fair" approach, defends Prime Minister Keir Starmer and calls for stability - "Look, I don't give a sh*t - can I swear on here? - I don't give a sh*t if people think that Keir Starmer's boring. We need boring, because that goes hand in hand with stability" - celebrates the Union Jack, describes British culture, calls out antisemitism and Islamophobia, advocates for the Labour government's record, reveals his interests outside of politics, and shares his love of his dog, Scooby.

May 14, 2026Episode 16941 min

20 Questions With Kwasi Kwarteng

What was it like being Chancellor of the Exchequer during the mini budget crisis under Liz Truss's brief Prime Ministership? Kwasi Kwarteng takes us back to the fateful days in the autumn of 2022 with his insider's view. He explains why he was filmed smiling during the Queen's funeral and offers a human perspective on politics. Taking partial responsibility for the economic turbulence during the second shortest Chancellorship in British history, he reflects on the impact of his and Truss's choices. He also looks ahead to the next election and offers his prescription for a Tory recovery and his verdict so far on Kemi Badenoch. And he gives his view of Nigel Farage, who has invested in a bitcoin company Kwarteng is involved with. This is a rare chance to go behind the scenes of power and to better understand one of the most dramatic periods of British political history. * Reform’s predicted national share of the vote from the local elections is 27%

May 13, 2026Episode 16853 min

20 Questions With David Gauke

Former Conservative Justice Secretary David Gauke outlines his vision of a route back to power for the Tories amid the headwinds from Reform.

May 2, 2026Episode 1671 hr 23 min

20 Questions With Clive Tyldesley

Clive Tyldesley's voice is one of the most iconic in sport. The soundtrack to some of the most dramatic moments in football history, it is recognised up and down the country and beyond. Here Tyldesley takes us behind the scenes of the commentary box and lifts the lid on an art form that has helped shape tens of millions of memories. From Rooney to Gerrard, Hakimi to Kane, from the old Goodison Park to the revamped Camp Nou, from United's heroics in '99 to the current Champions League semi-finals via Liverpool in Istanbul in 2005, Tyldesley takes us on a glittering journey of modern football history.

April 25, 2026Episode 16642 min

20 Questions With Wisden Editor Lawrence Booth

The youngest editor of Wisden for 72 years when he was appointed in 2012, Lawrence Booth gets under the skin of the game and its challenges and thrills in this conversation at the Oval on the cusp of the Test summer. The Bazball verdict, Brendon McCullum, Ben Stokes, white ball v red ball, Virat Kohli, Kevin Pietersen, the state of women's cricket, Ashes success and failure, the power of India, The Hundred, the English summer, journalism, making headlines, and a passion for the sport - this is the perfect episode to whet the appetite ahead of a vital few months for the English game.

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