20 Questions With

George Osborne was the Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 until 2016. Most famous for implementing austerity and for his opposition to Brexit, Osborne has been out of front line politics for a decade. Now Head of OpenAI for Countries, and Chair of the British Museum, he looks back at his time running the country’s economy, reflects on what he got right and where he feels he could have done better. How does he justify austerity? Were the Tories cruel? Did he overdo “Project Fear”? Did he feel the responsibility of being the second most influential person in the UK? What did he feel when he was sacked by Theresa May following the Brexit referendum?

In this candid interview, Osborne offers highly personal insights into his mindset when he was at the top of politics. But he also reflects on last week’s Labour Budget, shares his diagnosis of British politics today and identifies challenges facing the country and its politicians, and offers positivity about what Britain has to offer. As for AI, he gives his verdict on whether it represents an existential threat to humanity, and shares his views on the role it could play in human development.

International best-selling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris, reflects on her new novel, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, tells the story of how she became a story-teller, discusses the challenge of writing about the Holocaust, responds to criticism, explains how her life changed in her sixties when she became a global literary star, looks back at her childhood in New Zealand, and reveals what she's learned through travelling the world to promote her books.

Professor Alex Edmans offers insights into his books, The Madness of Markets, May Contain Lies, and Growing The Pie. How might the colour of the sky impact investment decisions? How do we make sense of a world in which mis and disinformation are rife? What should we make of the rise of AI? And what was it like being one of the two brightest boys at a top London private school? In this fast-flowing exploration of how to interpret data and question assumptions, Alex Edmans dazzles with his engaging style and lively mind.

Social media sensation Poppy O'Toole charts her rise to cooking stardom, delights in the joys of potatoes, and explains her brand new book, The Actually Delicious Batch Cook Book.

The man who helped teach Britain to cook! Of the thousands of people I've had the good fortune to interview, no one has seemed more passionate about what they do than Raymond Blanc. Here he takes us on the almost magical journey of his career: from having his jaw broken by his boss in France after daring to give him advice on his cooking, via winning two Michelin stars at his restaurant in Oxford, to setting up Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in the Oxfordshire countryside in 1984. Having just handed over the reins as Culinary Director to Arnaud Donckele, Raymond reflects on this massive moment in his life, and looks ahead to a future filled with promise and possibility. Along the way he has some advice for Andy Burnham and reveals what he believes to be the challenges facing Britain, his adopted home. This is a rare chance to glimpse into the soul of one of the greatest chefs in Franco-British history.