The Mishal Husain Show
Make sense of the world with one essential conversation, every week. Mishal Husain, one of Britain's best interviewers, brings her signature blend of curiosity and tenacity to weekly conversations with world leaders, business titans, and cultural icons, revealing who they really are and how they see the world changing around them.
Episodes
Michael Palin on the Philippines, China and the Fish-Slapping Dance
Best known as a member of Monty Python, Michael Palin has been many things — sketch writer, comedian, actor, and for almost four decades, world traveler. In his latest series, “Michael Palin in the Philippines” - on UK channel 5 - Palin meets the nation’s president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., visits an overcrowded prison and witnesses firsthand rising tensions in the
Melania, Soft Power & the Iran War with Writer Azadeh Moaveni
As US journalist Azadeh Moaveni was writing her latest book, ‘The East Wing’, a history of America's first ladies and their staff, President Donald Trump’s demolition of that very part of the White House was underway. Moaveni presents her book as a “parallel women’s history,” tracing how the wives of US presidents, who traditionally had offices in the now-
Even a 0.1% AI Risk Matters: Google’s James Manyika
Amid the furious debate over the pace and potential risks of AI development, top tech executives have publicly united around a call for their industry to be regulated. As Google's senior vice president of technology and society, James Manyika says his role is to help ensure artificial intelligence turns out well for the company and the rest of us. But with US President Donald Trump rejecting new g
Caught in the Iran War: Qatar’s PM on the Middle East “Earthquake”
“Our region has experienced what I can only describe as an earthquake.” That was how Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister, began remarks at a special UN General Assembly edition of the Qatar Economic Forum. Seven months of the US-Israel war with Iran have ravaged Qatar’s gas exports, which rely on passage through the Strait of Hormuz. While the c
Trump's 'Unreality Bubble’ Meets the Midterms: Maggie Haberman
Few journalists have watched Donald Trump as closely or for as long as Maggie Haberman. The New York Times reporter first encountered him as a tabloid fixture in the 1990s and has since chronicled his ascent to the White House, the period between his presidencies and the transformation of the office itself. Her book, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, written
Forget the Manosphere: Jon Ronson on Why Men Feel Lost
Author Jon Ronson has spent years focusing on the unusual people and societal undercurrents of our changing world. He has written a series of bestselling books featuring extremists, conspiracy theorists and psychopaths. The Men Who Stare at Goats was made into a film starring George Clooney, and his popular culture war podcast, Things Fell Apart, is returning next year for its third seas
US Versus China, Cheap AI & Human Love: AI Pioneer Kai-Fu Lee
Chinese artificial intelligence companies are rapidly closing the gap with their American rivals despite years of US restrictions on advanced chips. But the race between the world’s two AI superpowers is part of a much bigger transformation, says China AI pioneer and investor Kai-Fu Lee: one that’s upending companies, jobs and even how people think about work. Few have watched this his
Colm Tóibín on 1970s Barcelona, Trump's America and Escaping into Art
The writer Colm Tóibín knows something about leaving home. As a young man living in Spain, he discovered a freedom he hadn’t known growing up in Ireland. Later, he would settle in America. Tóibín’s latest books revisit these journeys. The Bridge is set in the remote regions of Spain that first captivated him, while The News From Dublin includes a short story
Hamid Karzai on the Taliban, Pakistan and His Daughters’ Future
It's been 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the US-led invasion of Afghanistan that brought Hamid Karzai, then a little-known tribal leader, to power. Two decades later, Karzai witnessed the chaotic withdrawal of American forces as the Taliban swept back into Kabul in 2021. While many people left Afghanistan, he chose to stay. Today, Karzai lives under virtual house arrest and rarely
Why will.i.am Says Human Creativity Will Survive AI
The Grammy award winning musician, tech CEO and college professor will.i.am says he believes in the power of artificial intelligence to assist human creativity. He tells Mishal Husain why his attitude toward technology is different from that of many other creatives.The founding member of Black Eyed Peas also discusses why there should be different ways for platforms to recognize music created sole
Adjoa Andoh on Shonda Rhimes, ‘Bridgerton’ and Becoming Lady Danbury
“Bridgerton” has been a global television phenomenon for more than six years, thanks in part to British actor Adjoa Andoh. She has described her role playing Lady Danbury in the Shondaland creation as “life changing.” The character is best known for stealing scenes with her sharp wit and no-nonsense wisdom. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Andoh takes us behind the
History’s Not Just About Great Men: Peter Frankopan on Iran and Ukraine
Uncertainty about the US-Israel war with Iran and its endgame continues to cast a long shadow over global trade, while Ukraine’s increasingly sophisticated counterattacks are imposing mounting costs on Russia.What are the combined implications of these two wars? In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Oxford University historian Peter Frankopan argues we are entering an era of consolidation
Karen Hao on the Reckless Race for Global AI Power
Over the last few years, artificial intelligence tools have revolutionized the way many people work and learn. But industry critic Karen Hao, author of Empire of AI, argues the choices AI companies make about scale, power and profit deserve far more scrutiny. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Hao explains her “empire” analogy and why she hopes the industry adopts higher st
"He's Weak": Tucker Carlson on How Trump Failed America
Tucker Carlson was one of Donald Trump’s most prominent allies when he campaigned for re-election and through his first year back in the White House. The US-Israel war with Iran, however, marked a decisive split between the two men. Carlson, a right-wing media personality, now argues that Trump has abandoned his “America First” agenda and allowed Israel to drive US foreign policy
Taming Labour and Facing Down Farage: Steve Richards on Burnham's Plan
Andy Burnham appears set to walk into 10 Downing Street and take power as the UK’s latest prime minister. Behind the mid-term departure of Keir Starmer has been, at least in part, the rise of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Farage himself has dominated the headlines this week, amid an investigation and his decision to re-contest his parliamentary seat. In this conversation with Mishal Husain,
America in Free Fall? Historian Jill Lepore on the US at 250
For America’s 250th anniversary, the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jill Lepore joins Mishal Husain to take her through her book on the US Constitution. We The People explores how the Constitution came about and, crucially, how there was an expectation that it would likely change over time. This is not, however, an episode entirely set in the past, because Jill Lepore is acutely alive to t
Can Republicans Win California Again? Steve Hilton Thinks So
In November, California will choose a new governor to replace Gavin Newsom, pitting Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra, a former US Secretary of Health and Human Services, US Congressman and state attorney general, against an unlikely Republican rival: Steve Hilton.Hilton was born in the UK and became a US citizen only five years ago. He had a career in center-right British politics, working as a
Bonus: Alastair Campbell & Jacob Rees-Mogg Debate Brexit 10 Years On (Live)
It’s 10 years since the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. It was an enormous decision, one that has contributed to the churn of British prime ministers since, a phenomenon that has continued this week with the resignation of Keir Starmer.What effect has Brexit had on UK politics and the British economy over the last decade? This bonus episode of The Mishal Husain Show is an o
AI Wants Your Life: Tech Boss Meredith Whittaker Says No
Meredith Whittaker has spent years arguing that privacy is a prerequisite for a free society. As the president of the nonprofit foundation behind the encrypted messaging app Signal, she now finds herself defending that principle in the face of mounting pressure from governments and tech companies alike. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Whittaker says she believes business models that rely
Gary Lineker on the World Cup, Trump and the Fans Left Behind
For decades, Gary Lineker anchored live sporting events for the BBC. Now he’s a podcaster and media boss. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, he talks about his new Netflix show and hopes for an England World Cup win.Lineker co-founded Goalhanger Productions, the UK’s fastest growing private company. Throughout the World Cup, his podcast “The Rest Is Football” will be
Ebola Is Back: Virus Pioneer Peter Piot Explains the Threat
Peter Piot first encountered the Ebola virus in a laboratory in Antwerp in 1976. At the time, the pathogen was largely unknown. Now, almost 50 years later, a new outbreak is spreading through parts of Central Africa, triggering travel restrictions and quarantines across the globe. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Piot, one of the world's leading authorities on the disease, discusses why Eb
Cuba on the Brink: Ada Ferrer on Life Under US Pressure
Ada Ferrer won the Pulitzer Prize in 2022 for her acclaimed book, Cuba: An American History, which examined the island’s relationship with the US. Her latest work, Keeper of My Kin, tells her family story: a mother who fled the island nation carrying an infant daughter, while leaving a brother behind. Now, as Donald Trump increases pressure on Cubans and their leaders, cutting off oil while&
Can Britain’s Politics Cope: David Dimbleby Thinks Not
David Dimbleby was for decades the face of election programs on the BBC. He anchored coverage of 10 UK general elections, as well as the 1975 and 2016 referendums on European membership, the funeral of Princess Diana and a host of other royal and state occasions.He’s seen prime ministers come and go, from Margaret Thatcher to Tony Blair and many more since. With Prime Minister Keir Starmer f
China vs the US: Kishore Mahbubani on a Zero-Sum Rivalry
Beyond this week’s talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, there’s an epic tale that has been unfolding for decades. It’s a battle to be the world’s number one power and a much bigger story than the latest meeting of these two men. Kishore Mahbubani is a former Singaporean diplomat who served as president of the United Nations Securit
Anthony Scaramucci: Trump and the Humiliation That Made Him Famous
For a brief moment in 2017, Anthony Scaramucci became a unit of time. His 11-day stint as White House communications director was so short-lived that it entered the political lexicon.Almost a decade on, he has proven more durable than the joke. The Trump loyalist-turned-critic, Wall Street financier and podcast host remains a well-known figure in American political culture.Scaramucci is still hold
Why India Has Lost Its Way: Writer Amitav Ghosh on the New World Order, Politics and Past Lives
For more than 30 years, the Indian-born writer Amitav Ghosh has built a global following with novels that draw on deep historical research. But his latest offering, Ghost-Eye, is more esoteric. The plot moves back and forth between India and the US, using past lives to explore the ties between the personal and the political. The plot centers on a psychiatrist treating a 3-year-old who shocks
How to Get a Deal With Iran: Former US Negotiator Wendy Sherman on Power, Pressure and Reality
We’re now eight weeks on from the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, a conflict that’s been watched with increasing alarm by Wendy Sherman, architect of the 2015 nuclear deal between the US and Iran and a former deputy secretary of state. Having spent years across the table from Iranian officials, she sees a far more volatile landscape today. In this conversation with Mishal Husain,
Hamlet, James Bond and SNL UK: Riz Ahmed on Reinventing Cultural Icons
A new and radical take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet is out in US cinemas. The force behind it is actor, writer, producer and musician Riz Ahmed. He says the 400-year-old story has never felt more current.Ahmed, Oscar-nominated for Sound of Metal and star of the Oscar-winning live-action short The Long Goodbye, has a new series on Prime Video called Bait. It’s a black comedy about an actor o
America’s Limits, Iran’s Leverage, Pakistan’s Moment: Maleeha Lodhi on a Shifting Order
After almost six weeks of war, how did Pakistan manage to get the US and Iran to talk? Amid a still-fragile situation in the Middle East, that question sits at the heart of this conversation with Maleeha Lodhi. She has served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington, as well as to the UK and United Nations. For her, the Islamabad talks mark a moment of wider significance, as the middle powers
Lionel Shriver on Immigration, Identity and Why She Refuses to Stay Quiet
Lionel Shriver has often tackled complex or contentious issues in her fiction. From school shootings in We Need to Talk About Kevin to economic collapse in The Mandibles. Her new novel, A Better Life, is the story of a family home taken over by outsiders. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Shriver discusses the sociological concerns behind the story, which she says is a metaphor for th
Why Israel Could Be Forced to Stop: Shira Efron on War, Fatigue and Netanyahu's Strategy
With attention fixed on the potential developments between the US and Iran, could the Israeli government be forced to end the war earlier than it might like? The last few weeks have seen daily air strikes by Israel on Iran, and retaliatory attacks that have killed and injured Israelis. The wider picture is of two and a half years of constant conflict, particularly in Gaza. In this conversation, Mi
Ro Khanna on Stopping the Iran War, Taking on the ‘Epstein Class’ and Taxing Billionaires
US Representative Ro Khanna of California helped force Donald Trump to release the Epstein files. Now he wants to end the war with Iran. Earlier this month, the Democratic Congressman joined forces with Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Republican, on a War Powers resolution seeking to halt the military action, though it ultimately failed in the GOP-controlled House. Speaking to Mishal H
Why Iran Isn’t Breaking: Vali Nasr on Pain, Patience and the Uprising That Isn’t Coming
Despite the intensity of the US-Israel bombing campaign, Iran’s regime, now under a new supreme leader, hasn’t given President Donald Trump the “unconditional surrender” he’s seeking.Mishal Husain speaks with Vali Nasr, a professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and a preeminent scholar on the Islamic Republic. His life ha
Middle East Expert Bernard Haykel on the Three Futures for Iran After the Strikes
Within 24 hours of the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, a host of other countries were drawn into the latest conflict in the Middle East. Iran retaliated by targeting sites in Israel and across the Gulf, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as Iraq, Oman and Jordan. Israel, meanwhile, has carried out air strikes on Lebanon and sent in ground troops as it seeks to dism
WHO Chief Tedros on Covid, China and Texting RFK Jr
When President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year, one of his first acts was to sign an executive order withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization. The administration's rupture with the WHO began in Trump’s first term, when relations deteriorated as the Covid-19 pandemic set in. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Creator Maggie Kang on the Global Hit No One Saw Coming
“KPop Demon Hunters” is the brainchild of Korean-Canadian animator Maggie Kang. It’s Netflix’s biggest-ever film and follows Rumi, Mira and Zoey, members of the girl band Huntrix, as they battle to save the world from dark forces. As you’ll hear, Kang grew up loving Korean pop music long before it was globally cool and forged a Hollywood career on films includin
Bonus Episode: The Andrew Story
The Feb. 19 arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles, puts the British Royal Family into uncharted territory. The former Prince Andrew was detained on suspicion of misconduct in public office after further details emerged of his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. For this bonus episode, Mishal Husain speaks to Allegra Stratton, a contributing editor
Author Andrey Kurkov on Winter in Kyiv and Why Putin Won’t Stop
This winter has been exceptionally brutal in Ukraine. Already the coldest in more than a decade, it’s been made worse by Russian attacks on energy infrastructure that have left millions with no heating and intermittent power. As Russia’s war approaches its fourth anniversary, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is under intense pressure from Donald Trump to hold elections and accep
David Miliband on Global Disorder, Labour’s ‘Mistakes’ and Deploying $1 Billion on Crises
In 2007 when he was UK Foreign Secretary, David Miliband delivered an address to the Labour Party conference. He described a world with “fewer countries at war” and “more democracies than ever before.”Two decades later, with that vision further from view, Miliband is head of the New York-based International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s largest aid agencies. It
Netflix’s ‘Cover-Up’ Director Laura Poitras on ICE, ‘Domestic Terrorists’ and US Surveillance
The killing of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis has made January a dark month for many across America. Both Alex Pretti and Renee Good were quickly labeled “domestic terrorists" by the Trump administration, which accused them of endangering the lives of law enforcement. Video evidence soon appeared to contradict government claims, but it’s still a label that filmmaker L
Rutger Bregman Is Thinking About Billionaires, the US Versus Europe and Saving the World
Rutger Bregman knows what appearing at Davos can do for your profile. His reputation was made when he went there in 2019 and attacked the rich. The clip went viral. A historian and author originally from the Netherlands, Bregman has been focused on elites ever since, most recently in his book Moral Ambition, and in a series of lectures on the BBC, after which he accused the organization of c
Jeanne Shaheen Is Pressing For Answers on Venezuela, Greenland and Iran
What is Donald Trump’s plan for Venezuela? Does he have one? Will he go beyond threats in supporting the uprising in Iran or invading Greenland? Jeanne Shaheen has been in the US Senate since 2009 and is now the most senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee. Her position has given her access to information most lawmakers don’t have. She’s also known as someone prepared
Peter Navarro Is Doubling Down on Tariffs
US President Donald Trump’s tough talk about China and tariffs can be traced back in large part to economist Peter Navarro. A well-known China hawk, he has written books arguing Beijing poses a threat to the US economy and its national security.Navarro is a loyalist who has served as a key trade adviser in both Trump administrations. In between, he spent four months behind bars for refusing
Kara Swisher Is Thinking About Life After Trump
Kara Swisher has followed the story of Silicon Valley for three decades, having started work as a tech journalist at a time when few people were interested in the beat. But through relationships she built with the likes of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and many others, she became a formidable voice, and eventually more of a commentator and critic. Swisher now hosts the podcasts Pivot and
Elon Musk Wants Credit for Cutting Waste, Not Cutting Aid
As the year draws to a close, we are bringing you one of Mishal Husain’s biggest conversations of the year, in full. In May 2025, Elon Musk joined Bloomberg's Qatar Economic Forum, in a rare media appearance.He remains as consequential a global figure today, as he was then, even if he is no longer working with Donald Trump.Within 10 days of this conversation, he had left DOGE, the Department
Lynsey Addario Keeps Going Back to Photograph War
Lynsey Addario’s life work means taking great risks to tell other people’s stories. She is a Pulitzer Prize winning war photographer who has been abducted twice while documenting conflicts from Afghanistan to Ukraine and Sudan. There aren’t many women in her field. In a new National Geographic documentary called “Love+War,” currently streaming on Disney+, she le
Mustafa Suleyman Isn’t Like Everyone Else in Silicon Valley
Mustafa Suleyman co-founded AI lab DeepMind when he was just 26 years old. Four years later, it was acquired by Google for a reported $400 million. He is now head of Microsoft’s AI unit, where he just unveiled a new superintelligence team tasked with creating an AI that can outperform humans at all tasks.In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Suleyman talks about the decisions society
Salman Rushdie Isn’t Afraid of Free Speech
Salman Rushdie was nearly killed when he was stabbed 15 times on stage in upstate New York in 2022. His injuries were so severe that he lost an eye. It was an attack that came decades after he was first subjected to death threats over his novel, The Satanic Verses.Once he had recovered, he found he was unable to write fiction. However, after publishing an account of what happened to him, the stori
Ken Burns Says Gratitude Is the Missing Ingredient in Our Politics
Ken Burns has been telling stories about America for almost 50 years. The lauded documentary filmmaker has a new series on PBS, The American Revolution, which charts the period before and after 1776. It will air internationally ahead of the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence. Mishal Husain asked Burns to join the show to mark Thanksgiving, looking at today’s Americ
Fei-Fei Li Helped Create AI, Now She Feels the Responsibility
Stanford University Professor Fei-Fei Li has been at the forefront of artificial intelligence research for 25 years, which is why she’s been called the “godmother of AI.” In this conversation she tells Mishal Husain how she arrived in the US as a teenager after her parents decided to emigrate from China. She also talks about the high school teacher who inspired her and a deep lo
Richard Moore Was Paid to Steal Secrets, Not Solve Mysteries
For almost 40 years, Richard Moore was a career spy in Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service. Only his closest friends and family knew what he did for a living. When he was appointed chief of the agency in 2020, that changed: The name of the person in the top role is the only one made public. In his first broadcast interview since leaving his post in September 2025, Moore talks to Mishal Hus
Julia Ioffe Wants You to Know Russia Is Bigger Than Putin
How do you tell the history of a whole country through its women? And what can it tell us about the world today? These are the questions Russian-American journalist Julia Ioffe set out to answer in her new book, Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy. Having reported from, and on, Russia for publications including The New Yorker and Foreign Policy for more th
María Corina Machado Believes US Pressure on Maduro Is the Only Way
Three weeks after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado finds herself supporting US intervention in her native country. Mishal speaks to Maria Corina on recent US boat strikes, Nicolas Maduro’s fate and the need for strength to secure peace. 03:24 - "I had to go into hiding" 03:51 - Impact of the Nobel Peace Prize 05:38 - US Milit
Nigel Farage Thinks Britain Has Had Too Many Unifiers
After successfully pushing for Brexit, political disruptor Nigel Farage announced his retirement. Last year, he returned to frontline politics as the leader of Reform UK, an insurgent party that’s never held national power but is now polling ahead of Labour and the Conservatives. Mishal speaks with Farage about dismantling consensus politics, Britain’s future relationship with the Euro
Mark Carney Has Learned From Donald Trump
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney talks to Mishal Husain about trade battles, Vladimir Putin's miscalculations and what he's learned from Donald Trump.3:41 - Mark Carney's parents and his path to power4:58 - What does he miss about his old life?6:34 - Did President Trump help him get elected?14:05 - "I've learned lots of things from President Trump"16:42 - Ukraine and NATO22:18 - Putin's miscalc
Introducing: The Mishal Husain Show
Welcome to The Mishal Husain Show. In a world of confusion, let Mishal guide you through some of the most complex stories of our times, through questions, curiosity and decades of journalistic experience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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