Profile
BBC Radio 4
An insight into the character of an influential figure making news headlines
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Top 10 Profile Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Profile episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Profile for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Profile episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Gina Haspel
Profile
05/12/18 • 13 min
Donald Trump's choice for CIA director, Gina Haspel. Mark Coles profiles the controversial figure whose nomination has forced her out of the shadows to face difficult questions.
Gina Haspel describes herself as a typical middle-class American but the testimony of former colleagues reveals a skilled intelligence operative with an empirical mind, a taste for adventure and a talent for infiltrating terrorist cells.
At her confirmation hearing this week she was commended as an intelligence professional with unwavering honesty but was also grilled about the use of "enhanced interrogation" techniques, the waterboarding of terrorist suspects at a CIA base she ran and the subsequent destruction of evidence. The interrogation issue could block her confirmation by the Senate.
Mark Coles talks to former colleagues and security experts about the agent who's spent 30 years trying not to be noticed but who now needs to convince US Senators that she's right for the top job.
Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Estelle Doyle and Diane Richardson Editor: Helen Grady.
Eddie Jones
Profile
11/02/19 • 14 min
Becky Milligan explores how a teacher from the Sydney suburbs came to lead England into the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Producer Smita Patel Researcher May Cameron.
Jenny Beavan
Profile
03/05/16 • 14 min
For more than 30 years Jenny Beavan has been designing beautiful and historically accurate costumes, for film and stage. But though she cares intensely how the costumes look on the actors and on screen, she has little interest in fashion or dressing up herself. So despite being called a bag lady at the Baftas she went along to collect her second Oscar in comfortable clothes.
Presenter - Becky Milligan Producer- Shabnam Grewal and Elizabeth Cassin.
Maggie Smith
Profile
12/26/15 • 14 min
Millions will miss Lady Violet's withering one-liners now that Downton Abbey is over. Chris Bowlby profiles one of Britain's most successful actors: Maggie Smith. Her extraordinary career has spanned Shakespeare on stage, Hollywood films and, of course, popular televison drama.
Producer: Smita Patel
Photo credit: "Downton Abbey" / Carnival Films.
Justin Trudeau
Profile
10/24/15 • 13 min
He's been a boxer, a bouncer and a bungee jumping coach. Now he's the Prime Minister of Canada. Justin Trudeau is going back to his childhood home, 24 Sussex Drive, the PM's residence in Ottawa. His father, Pierre Trudeau, was a previous resident. Justin Trudeau is young and charismatic. He might even be the world's first tattooed national leader. But who is he? What does he stand for? And can he live up to his famous name?
Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Charlotte Pritchard and David Rhodes.
Morgan McSweeney
Profile
10/19/24 • 14 min
He's the man who masterminded Labour's general election campaign, and now holds one of the most important positions in Downing Street.
Morgan McSweeney was recently appointed the prime minister's chief of staff, after Sue Gray quit the role. But what do we know about him?
Born in Macroom, County Cork, he moved to London aged 17. He soon joined the Labour party under Tony Blair, working in a junior role at their headquarters.
He rose through the ranks, forging a reputation as a skilled campaign strategist, and has been credited with being the brains behind this year's landslide victory.
Mark Coles speaks to the people who know him - from school friends back home in Ireland, to others who've worked with him.
Production team Producers: Bob Howard, Caroline Bayley, Ellie House, Natasha Fernandes Editor: Ben Mundy Sound: Neil Churchill Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele
Kamala Harris
Profile
09/19/20 • 13 min
The woman who could soon be "a heartbeat away" from the presidency. This week voters in some states started sending in their ballot papers for the US presidential election. If the Democrats win when results are announced in November, it's vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris who'll be second in line to the Oval Office. She would be the first black person, the first woman and the first person of Indian descent to become VP. But what is Kamala Harris really like? Why has she attracted criticism in some circles for her record as a prosecutor and a legislator, while being hailed a hero by others? And is she likely to attract voters to Joe Biden's presidential campaign, or drive them away?
Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Ben Crighton Researcher: Beth Sagar-Fenton
Sir Ian McKellen
Profile
07/04/20 • 14 min
As theatre bosses across the country warn they face devastation amid the coronavirus pandemic, actor Sir Ian McKellen is preparing to tread the boards in an age-blind interpretation of Hamlet. It will be one of the first major new theatre productions to start rehearsals in the UK since auditoriums went dark in March. The renowned theatre and film actor said he was happy to be working again in the role of the young prince he first played nearly 50 years ago. Becky Milligan speaks to close friends and colleagues, including Dame Judi Dench and Armistead Maupin, to find out what still drives him.
Producer: Viv Jones
Suella Braverman
Profile
05/30/20 • 13 min
Suella Braverman is a barrister, MP and Brexiteer. In February 2020 she was appointed to the role of Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland. This week she found herself in the headlines after sending a tweet in support of Dominic Cummings, a senior government adviser caught travelling across the country during lock down. Edward Stourton profiles the minister for Fareham and government's chief legal adviser.
Producer: Sandra Kanthal, Vivien Jones Editor: Penny Murphy
Sir Paul Marshall
Profile
03/09/24 • 14 min
The millionaire hedge fund manager Sir Paul Marshall has recently hit the headlines, both for his growing media portfolio and controversy over his social media activity.
After an eclectic career spent mostly in the background, from philanthropic work to high-powered finance, Sir Paul seems to be increasingly exerting his influence on the media and politics. He already backs GB News and UnHerd and is reported to be preparing a bid for the Telegraph and Spectator.
Stephen Smith asks what shaped and drives Paul Marshall, by talking to those who know him best.
Presenter: Stephen Smith Producer: Nathan Gower Assistant Producer: Debbie Richford Editor: Matt Willis Programme Coordinator: Sabine Schereck Sound Engineer: James Beard
Archive:
Speech by Paul Marshall to the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship Conference 2023 Citizen Kane, RKO Radio Pictures
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FAQ
How many episodes does Profile have?
Profile currently has 609 episodes available.
What topics does Profile cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture, Personal Journals and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on Profile?
The episode title 'Munira Mirza' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Profile?
The average episode length on Profile is 14 minutes.
How often are episodes of Profile released?
Episodes of Profile are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Profile?
The first episode of Profile was released on Sep 4, 2010.
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