Travel writer Catherine Fairweather talks about her new podcast series, Voices from the Frontline, exploring lives shaped by war. In the first episode she interviews her husband, revered photo-journalist Sir Don McCullin, and recalls how she first heard about Don from foreign correspondent Jon Swain when she was 11, living in Laos during the Indochina Wars. Catherine’s father was a diplomat and her mother Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher’s translator. Their exciting life living all over the world experiencing different cultures gave her a thirst for adventure which led to a career as a travel editor for magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Porter. Catherine reveals the places she’s left her heart, including Bhutan in the Himalayas.   Photograph by Max McCullin Photograph by Sir Don McCullin

Prince William is building 24 sustainable homes on his Duchy of Cornwall land at Nansledan to provide temporary accommodation and support for some of the many people sleeping rough in the county, in partnership with homelessness charity St Petrocs.  Jon Sparkes OBE is a trustee of St Petrocs; ran Crisis; Scope; is currently CEO of UNICEK UK and is about to move to Mencap, where he’ll be pushing for change for the 1.5 million people in Britain with learning disabilities.   Jon shares his very personal story of why he ended up in the charity sector, reveals the frustrations and rewards it comes with, and discusses the depths we’ve fallen to in terms of social care policy, including the £7 billion pound reduction in spending on it over the last decade.

Deep in the sub-basement of the Natural History Museum in London, surrounded by a vast collection of dinosaur bones, world-leading palaeontologist Prof Paul Barrett gives an insight into how prehistoric times can inform current issues like climate change.  In this golden age for prehistoric reptiles, where on average one new dinosaur is discovered every week, innovative digital tests and detailed online archives mean we can find out more about their life on Earth, our planet & evolution.  Paul has an armoured dinosaur named after him - Vectipelta Barretti - and describes finding a new fossil, and being the first human to see it, as a moment of pure discovery.

An insider’s view from former cabinet minister Rory Stewart OBE on the upcoming UK election and the difficulties a new Government will face taking over a country that he believes is bust, with public services we can't afford.  Rory is already selling out venues like the O2 in the autumn with his The Rest is Politics podcast co-host Alastair Campbell when they'll be debating the issues before the nation votes.  He shares candid stories from his eye-opening decade at the heart of Government, detailed in his memoir Politics On The Edge, saying there are elements of privilege in elected politics but it’s “bruising beyond imagination and only very unusual personalities usually survive in it.” Rory reveals he’d like to work on public policy for a Labour government, perhaps chairing a commission on Ai in the NHS.

Major General Alastair Bruce OBE is known for his engaging live TV commentary, here and in America, on royal weddings, jubilees, and the King's Coronation, giving viewers an accurate insight into ceremonial life and history. Alastair - a direct descendant of the revered warrior king Robert the Bruce - is the current Governor of Edinburgh Castle, a role which dates back to 1107.  He reveals his love of the realm goes back to childhood when he made a detailed replica of the crown jewels from clay and a ballcock! Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 11, was intrigued by his long-held fascination when he filmed a documentary featuring an intimate conversation with the Monarch about her coronation of 1953.  Alastair has served 45 years in the Army, advised on set throughout the making of Downton Abbey and puts his extraordinary historical and royal knowledge to use on major films, including The King’s Speech.

Former Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter gives his assessment on the current conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as reflects on his 45 years serving in the military.  Sir Nick says the world looks a lot more like it did in the 1910s and 1930s and explains the geopolitics behind why he believes conflict is now possible at a scale and intensity he hoped we’d never see again after 1945 came to an end.  Britain’s longest serving military chief since Lord Mountbatten shares fascinating stories from the start of his career as an 18-year-old soldier in the Northern Ireland Troubles to advising Prime Ministers and securing billions for defence.  General Carter is now lecturing at Stanford University in California, advising leading businesses and working for the Tony Blair Institute as well as with the charity Supporting Wounded Veterans.  ​

As NASA prepares to land people on the Moon for the first time since 1972, aerospace physiologist Dr Tess Morris-Paterson talks about her work selecting astronauts for missions like Artemis and what it takes to become an astronaut.  Tess explains the lunar orbit of the Moon's South Pole, discusses plans for astronauts to live and work under the Moon's surface, and how these missions will pave the way to travel to Mars using hydrogen from the lunar ice caps.  Tess went through the gruelling selection process herself with the European Space Agency. Combining her aerospace knowledge with a decade working in Formula One and Premier League football, she founded Astro Perform to design selection programmes and prepare candidates for the challenges of space flight.

Bonita Norris became the youngest British woman to summit Everest in 2010, aged just 22. What was even more remarkable about her feat, was that she only started mountaineering at university. Inspired and driven by the thought of seeing the curvature of the Earth from the world’s highest peak, Bonita explains how she conquered tough mental, physical and practical challenges to achieve her dream. She recounts the moment she fell on the way down, landing on the treacherous Hillary Step – a near vertical rock face where many have perished. Find out how she survived.

Eminent scientist Russell Foster, Professor of Circadian Neuroscience at Oxford University, shares some of his extraordinary life’s work, taking us on a fascinating journey through the science of our body clocks. As work and recreation time has become increasingly blurred, we’ve neglected our 24-hour biological clock which guides us towards the best time to sleep, eat and think. Using his own studies and those of other international sleep scientists, Russell explains how new science has proved that living out of synch with our clock not only disrupts sleep, but leaves us more vulnerable to infection, cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and mental illness. However, with the right knowledge, we can get back into our rhythm and live healthier, sharper lives.

Historian Alice Loxton is on a mission to bring history to a wider, younger audience using the power of her 2 million followers on socials.   The 28-year-old presenter and author travels up and down the UK, filming intriguing bite-sized historical facts and little-known stories from various periods in authentic settings.   Alice has packed a lot in – working with The National Trust, Downing Street, Sky Arts, Christies, Sotheby’s, and more – and hosts documentaries on History Hit TV with Dan Snow who calls his co-presenter ‘the star of her generation - the next big thing in history’.   Her debut book Outrage is released in paperback this month and her new book, 18, is available to pre-order.

When a 26-year-old American astrophysics major arrived in the Old City of Kabul in Afghanistan to volunteer, she had no idea the work would become a major part of her life, helping tens of thousands of people survive and thrive in unstable, war-torn countries.  Shoshana Stewart, President of Turquoise Mountain, explains how the international NGO started with a chance conversation between the then Prince of Wales and former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, followed by an extraordinary mission for her now husband Rory Stewart.  Eighteen years on, Shoshana shares the compelling story of how the charity supports artisans like rug makers, carvers, and jewellery designers whose lives and ancient traditions in Afghanistan, Myanmar and the Middle East are under threat, giving them a livelihood and restoring their pride in their cultural heritage.    The King's Lodge at The Connaught designed by Guy Oliver with support from Turquoise Mountain artisans The King's Lodge at The Connaught designed by Guy Oliver with support from Turquoise Mountain artisans

Investigative journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown reveals the remarkable story behind her exposing the 1MDB fraud in which billions of dollars were embezzled from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund.  From her kitchen table in London, Clare worked doggedly with the FBI and US Department of Justice on her one-woman investigation which toppled a government, implicated top politicians, leading institutions and involved Hollywood names, diamonds & a $250 million super yacht. The complex story – which began for Clare as an environmental expose into the destruction of Borneo’s tropical rainforest - is the subject of a new Netflix documentary, Man on the Run.  Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is serving 12 years in jail for his part in the fraud, and his alleged mastermind, Jho Low, remains on the run, wanted for money laundering.

Six years ago, the British Army tasked Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick OBE with forming a unit to defend and preserve some of the world’s greatest cultural treasures, at risk of theft or destruction in conflict. The former tank commander explains how the lessons learned by the real-life ‘Monuments Men’ in World War 2 - documented by Sir Leonard Woolley and whose story formed the basis of George Clooney’s film - were invaluable when he set up the British Cultural Property Protection Unit. Tim designed a course for UNESCO to train Ukrainian armed forces in how to address these issues in the current conflict, and he’s just returned from Estonia where he’s been working with Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian forces.

Hello! Magazine’s former Editor in Chief Rosie Nixon talks openly about how she unexpectedly found herself on the brink of burnout after 16 years at Britain’s favourite celebrity magazine.   Despite incredible career success, Rosie was running on empty and didn’t feel the same joy from the adrenalin-fuelled, glamorous publishing world she had once thrived in.   She spent hours walking in the Surrey hills, digging deep into how she felt and what she wanted, and has now trained as a life coach, helping other exhausted mid-lifers reinvent themselves. Rosie remains at Hello! one day a week as Editor at Large.   Photographs by David Venni

Grange Hill star Linda Magistris founded The Good Grief Trust after she lost her partner – BAFTA-winning director Graham Theakston - to a rare cancer and found little support to help her cope with his early death.   Linda has grown it into the UK’s leading bereavement network, bringing more than 900 specialist charities & services together under one umbrella for individuals and health care professionals.  Actors Greg Wise, Afterlife and Downton Abbey star Dame Penelope Wilton and Todd Carty are among its dedicated ambassadors.  The Trust is run for the bereaved, by the bereaved – people who understand different kinds of loss and who can offer some hope, gentle guidance, and expert direction to ensure the right, tailored help is found.

Operation Ringtail culminated in convictions following the smashing of a drugs ring who smuggled more than £1.5 billion worth of cocaine into the UK, hidden in boxes of frozen chicken.  Leading the investigation was this week’s guest, Detective Chief Superintendent Carl Galvin - Head of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit. Carl talks about his 25 years as a covert operative, the ever-changing face of organised crime & how his expert teams work to stay ahead of the criminals. New crimes are constantly emerging, like the 3D printing of automatic weapons destined for terrorists which led to the first UK conviction for privately manufactured firearms.  Serious and organised crime is estimated to cost the UK taxpayer a staggering £47 billion a year, making it the most significant national security threat to our economy.

Dr Chloe Buiting, known as The Jungle Doctor, is an Australian wildlife vet & conservationist whose love for nature & animals started as a teenager on the remote Lord Howe Island, described by Lord Attenborough as “so extraordinary it’s almost unbelievable.” Chloe’s work includes fitting prosthetics on elephants in Chiang Mai who have lost limbs through treading on landmines; dehorning rhino in Africa to prevent poachers killing or maiming them & treating koalas burned in the Australian bush fires.  She’s an official Advocate for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize; on the board of Zoos Victoria – the first carbon neutral zoological facility in the world – and a consultant for Fauna & Flora.

2024 is an exciting year for women’s sport, not least with the Olympics in Paris on the horizon - the first Games in history to offer gender parity. Sue Anstiss MBE has been involved in women’s sport for more than three decades - dedicating much of her working life to fighting for equality and driving change.  We explore the impact of teams like the Lionesses, some fascinating history, the challenges which still lie ahead and what equality in sport can do more broadly within society.   Sue directed the recent Netflix documentary ‘Game On – The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport’ featuring trailblazers like Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, broadcaster Clare Balding and Olympic gold heptathlete Dame Denise Lewis.

As our climate emergency deepens, the CEO of Triodos Bank UK – one of the world’s most sustainable banks – explains how the current global banking system needs strong mandatory regulations to become a catalyst for a more sustainable future and fairer economy.  Dr Bevis Watts is the first, and perhaps only, environmentalist to lead a UK bank and has spoken at key conferences like Blue Earth Summit and COP26. We explore how our financial world can use nature-based investments to tackle issues which threaten our way of life as well as the planet, providing more help for those in society who need it.  Bevis - former CEO of a wildlife trust and passionate scuba diver - also chats about his Swallows and Amazons-style adventure in a kayak which led to the discovery that wild beavers are back on the River Avon for the first time since Tudor days.  Beaver photographs by Dr. Bevis Watts

When Vogue Philippines asked Artu Nepomuceno to trek to the remote mountain village of Buscalan to photograph 106-year-old tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od, he said yes immediately! Apo Whang-Od is the last 'mambabatok' of her generation, keeping the thousand-year-old practice of 'batok' alive by training and inspiring her grandnieces in the ancient art of inking. Artu's intimate portraits of Apo Whang-Od - a cultural icon in the Philippines and beyond - graced the cover of Vogue worldwide, re-defining beauty. He shares the stories and emotions behind what was a very personal journey, humbly insisting he was “just the photographer”. Artu says the spotlight belongs to 106 years of Apo Whang-Od’s pure beauty.