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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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Jun 18, 2016 • 14min

Amanda Spielman

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has announced Amanda Spielman is set to take over as chief inspector of schools in England. But the decision has provoked some controversy. Teaching unions have pointed out that Amanda Spielman has never been a teacher herself. But others have defended her, saying her experience setting up a successful academies chain - and most recently at exams regulator Ofqual - mean she's well-placed to take on this important role. Mark Coles has been finding out what makes Amanda Spielman tick.
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Jun 11, 2016 • 14min

Mike Ashley

This week the Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley gave evidence to a Business Select Committee inquiry into working conditions at his firm. In a rare public appearance, he admitted that the company had been paying employees less than the minimum wage. But how much do we really know about this secretive billionaire? He is one of the most intriguing characters in British business but also one of the most elusive. He is the driving force behind the Sports Direct empire, entrepreneur, owner of Newcastle United and once a possible saviour of BHS. In this programme Edward Stourton searches for the secret behind Mike Ashley's huge retail success and asks how much control he really has over his business.This programme contains material from a previous episode of Profile about Mike Ashley first broadcast on Saturday 23 Feb 2013. Producer: Laura Gray.
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Jun 4, 2016 • 14min

Nicolas Maduro

The Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, has vowed to keep alive the defiant revolution begun by Hugo Chavez. And that revolution has global radical support. But with growing economic chaos and street protests, it's feared that Venezuela is descending into chaos. Maduro has maintained the cult of Chavez, blamed his problems on CIA plots, and told the women of Venezuela to stop using hair driers as the oil-rich country faces constant power cuts. So what has shaped Maduro in his defiance? Can he hold the country together? Chris Bowlby explores his life and career. Producer: Alex Burton.
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May 28, 2016 • 14min

Jose Mourinho

To many, including himself, Jose Mourinho is the most successful football manager in the world - the 'special one'.He has won league titles in all of the countries he's worked in. But he is also divisive; famous for igniting rows with opponents and provoking referees.Mourinho was born into football. His father was a goalkeeper who once played for Portugal. The young Jose wanted to be a player too but after short spells in minor clubs he realised coaching offered him a brighter future.Fast forward 25 years and this week Mourinho has been named Manchester United's new manager.Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Wesley Stephenson.
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May 21, 2016 • 13min

Ruth Davidson

Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, is credited with detoxifying the Tory brand in Scotland. A kick-boxing, Territorial Army-trained, gay Christian with working-class roots, she's not your typical Tory.This month she's led a Conservative resurgence in Scotland. The Scottish Conservatives are now the largest opposition party in Holyrood, kicking Labour into third place. David Cameron has tipped her as a potential successor.At just 37 her rise has been meteoric. She joined the Conservative Party only 7 years ago after a career in broadcasting. How has she done it? Mark Coles finds out.Producer: Ben Crighton.
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May 14, 2016 • 14min

Carolyn McCall

Chief executive of Easyjet, Dame Carolyn McCall, is one of the UK's most successful businesswomen. Initially seen as an outsider, she has won over staff and investors, piloting the airline into the FTSE 100.Over the past three decades, she's also run the Guardian Media Group, and brought her wisdom to the boardrooms of Lloyds TSB, Tesco, Burberry and New Look. Last year she was voted Britain's most admired business leader.An only child, Dame Carolyn was brought up in Bangalore and Singapore, before moving to boarding school in Derbyshire, and later meeting her husband at Kent University.Mark Coles finds out more about this high flyer from her school roommate, former colleagues Alan Rusbridger and Sir Michael Rake, and Easyjet pilot Captain Angus Hogg.Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Ruth Alexander and Sarah Shebbeare.
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May 7, 2016 • 14min

Lord Dubs

Mark Coles profiles the life of the Labour politician, Lord Dubs.Born in 1932, Alfred Dubs came to the UK as a 6 year old, from Czechoslovakia on the 'Kindertransport'. He studied at the London School of Economics and had a career in marketing, before working as a local councillor. He was elected as an MP in 1979. This spring he introduced an amendment, in the House of Lords, to the government's immigration bill. He called on David Cameron to allow 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children into the UK from Europe. This week, the Prime Minister agreed to allow some children to enter.Friends and political opponents describe Lord Dubs as persuasive and determined. The programme speaks to friends, tennis partners and those who've been dragged up mountains by him.Produced by Ruth Alexander and Sarah Shebbeare.

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