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Sep 3, 2016 • 14min

Amber Rudd

Amber Rudd has risen rapidly through British politics, becoming Home Secretary only six years after being elected an MP in 2010. It's a rise unmatched by any other politician since World War Two. Becky Milligan profiles the woman who has made this leap and stepped into Theresa May's shoes. In an exclusive interview for Profile her sister, Melissa Dunford Wood talks candidly about their childhood, parents and friends, and how her sister was "on the floor" after the unexpected and painful divorce from her ex husband AA Gill.
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Aug 27, 2016 • 14min

Seumas Milne

Last October Seumas Milne, a Winchester- and Oxford-educated left-winger, was granted unpaid leave from his position at The Guardian to enter the world of political spin as executive director of strategy and communications in Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party.The appointment wasn't without controversy. Milne has been labelled a Stalinist by David Cameron and caused division at The Guardian for chairing an event with President Putin. Jeremy Corbyn has chosen a hard-left thinker as his right-hand man. As the Labour Party hustings come to a close this week, Adam Fleming speaks to friends and colleagues to find out about the man who's at the heart of the Corbyn project.Producer: Smita Patel.
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Aug 20, 2016 • 14min

Laura Trott

Mark Coles speaks to family, friends and colleagues of cyclist Laura Trott - the first British woman to win four Olympic golds - to find out how, after winning her first bike race at the age of eight, she has carried on winning ever since.Producer: Smita Patel.
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Aug 13, 2016 • 14min

Stephen Hough

Poet, painter and virtuoso pianist, Stephen Hough has been described as a polymath. He learned to play on a piano that cost £5 from a local antique shop and went on to become a virtuoso to astonish the world. Becky Milligan speaks to lifelong friends and some of the world's leading names in classical music to profile a man who plays like a dream.Producers Smita Patel & Ed Davey.
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Jul 30, 2016 • 14min

Sonia Friedman

You may not have heard of Sonia Friedman, but she's one of the most important people in British theatre. She's produced many of the biggest stage hits of the past 15 years - including Jerusalem and The Book of Mormon - and is a multiple award winner. This week, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opened in London. It was produced by Sonia Friedman. Her first job interview was with Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright in their kitchen. She got the job. She's a consummate deal-maker and is able to persuade writers and performers from JK Rowling to Mark Rylance and Benedict Cumberbatch to work with her. Mark Coles talks to family, friends and colleagues to discover more about her life and career.Producers: Charlotte Prichard and Sarah Shebbeare.
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Jul 24, 2016 • 14min

Owen Smith

Edward Stourton profiles the Labour leadership contender, Owen Smith. MP for Pontypridd since 2010, Mr Smith is challenging Jeremy Corbyn, saying that he's not up to the job. A former colleague at BBC Wales - where Mr Smith worked as a journalist - describes him as bright and ambitious, sometimes exasperating, and someone who 'didn't know their place'. And an old family friend tells us his character is firmly rooted in the culture of the South Wales valleys.Producers: Charlotte Pritchard and Laura Gray.
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Jul 16, 2016 • 14min

Theresa May

With no leadership campaign - during which the public might have got to know her better - Theresa May has entered Downing Street with a remarkably low profile. Mark Coles has been talking to people who know her well - including new Cabinet appointees Justine Greening and Chris Grayling - to try to find out who she really is, and what she believes in. Producer: Smita Patel and Laura Gray.
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Jul 9, 2016 • 14min

Andrea Leadsom

Andrea Leadsom and Theresa May are vying to be the next Conservative leader and Britain's second ever female prime minister. Mark Coles explores how a little-known junior energy minister was propelled into the limelight by the televised referendum debates and now stands a chance of leading not only her party but also her country. She is a relative newcomer to politics, having been elected to Parliament in 2010 when she won her seat in South Northamptonshire. She cooks an excellent roast dinner and has strong family values. Before becoming an MP she had a long career in the city but this has come under scrutiny this week with some claiming she has exaggerated past roles. We take a closer look at her CV and ask - does it stack up? Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Laura Gray and Sarah Shebbeare.
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Jul 2, 2016 • 14min

Stephen Crabb

Series of profiles of people who are currently making headlines.
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Jun 25, 2016 • 14min

Michael Eavis

Synonymous with Glastonbury Festival, Michael Eavis is the bearded impresario of one of the biggest parties on earth. But this is no hedonistic figure: in reality, Eavis is a near-teetotal Method-ist who happily admits that his beloved herd of cows comes before the celebrities, rock and roll... or even the show itself. As more than 100,000 revellers descend upon Worthy Farm in Somerset, Mark Coles profiles this complex individual. Through his early battles with authority, financial setbacks and personal tragedy, we learn what drove Eavis to turn the land his family have owned for 150 years into the home of an iconic music festival. We hear from his GP son, the best man at his wedding and a host of famous DJs and musicians who have known him. From naked morning swims on the farm - every day of the year - to a ferociously competitive table tennis tournaments, we get beneath this skin of this individual and learn what makes him tick. World famous bands have graced his property and David Bowie's stayed in his farmhouse; yet at home Eavis is more likely to listen to Methodist Hymns or Elvis Presley (the latter for his gospel songs) than the many household names to have played Glastonbury. We speak as well to one of Mr Eavis's opponents over the years. We hear how his politics and commitment to unilateral nuclear disarmament have shaped both his life and the festival itself. And at 81 years old - with Glastonbury Festival still going strong - we learn whether this driven workaholic is likely to retire any time soon.

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