The Courage to Speak

Stephen Akinsanya OBE is Leonie Mellinger’s guest in this episode of The Courage To Speak, which is also now available to watch on YouTube, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

Stephen is a highly respected and experienced barrister, and one of the UK’s leading campaigners against youth knife crime.

Despite more than 34 years practising at the bar, Stephen was recently told by a security guard that he couldn’t use the car park of a London court as it was ‘not for defendants'. Because he is black, the automatic assumption was that he must be a criminal and not a member of the legal profession.

Stephen was so shocked that he decided to speak publicly about the incident as he'd had a very similar experience at the same court when he began his career in the early 1990's.

In this fascinating and thoughtful episode, Stephen discuses the ongoing issues around racism and representation that many still experience in the British legal system and uses his long experience to suggest some potential solutions.

He shares his own background and route into the law and how that was influenced by the iconic ITV series Crown Court in the 1970's and 80's.



Stephen also discusses his incredible work to help tackle the appalling problem of youth knife crime and his powerful views make for compelling listening.

He explains why he created www.lifeoffocus.co.uk and why he recently became an ambassador for the charity www.spark2life.co.uk



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The Courage to Speak is produced by Leonie Mellinger Ltd.

It is recorded and edited by Brazen Studios

Theme music composed by Guy Pearson.

Danielle de Niese is Leonie Mellinger’s guest in this episode of The Courage To Speak, which is also now available to watch on YouTube, Apple, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

One of the world’s greatest sopranos, she is a truly international singer, performer and broadcaster of astonishing versatility and is currently starring in the West End in Hadestown at The Lyric Theatre.

In a warm, candid, funny and at times deeply moving conversation, Danni speaks frankly about a number of issues including her experiences of misogyny and the fears shared by many women in the arts that motherhood will see them written off at a young age.

She gives her views on the great ‘Timothy Chalamet Debate’ and speaks with extraordinary honesty about performing at Covent Garden just a few hours after suffering a miscarriage, and the immense support she was given by everyone at the Royal Opera House.

Born in Australia to Sri Lankan parents with Dutch and Scottish heritage, Danni became the youngest winner of the Australian television competition Young Talent Time aged nine, moved to Los Angeles at the age of 11, made her debut with the Los Angeles Opera at 15, won an Emmy at 16 and by the age of 20 had already performed on Broadway and at the Metropolitan Opera House.

Since then, she has become a global superstar and as well as her numerous performances in Opera and theatre, she has many television credits, recorded multiple albums and this year made her debut as a director.

All this while also being the mother of two children and supporting numerous charities and increasingly speaking out about being a woman and mother in the arts.

New York Times Magazine described her as ‘opera’s coolest soprano’.

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The Courage to Speak is produced by Leonie Mellinger Ltd.

Recorded and edited by Brazen Studios

Theme music composed by Guy Pearson.

Jonathan Caplan KC is Leonie Mellinger's guest in the opening episode of series 4 of her podcast The Courage To Speak, which is also now available to watch on YouTube, Apple, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

One of the UK's leading barristers, Jonathan tells Leonie about his new book, Not For Disclosure: UFOs - The World's Best Kept Secret.

In a fascinating, shocking and life-changing conversation, Jonathan discusses the vast body of evidence he's found that he believes proves the existence of UFOs, programmes of government secrecy, alien encounters and an alleged cover-up that could fundamentally change our understanding of the world.

The product of 50 years of research, and drawing on declassified documents, eyewitness accounts, exclusive interviews and insider testimony, Jonathan examines reports of sightings, encounters and abductions stretching back centuries.

He explores claims ranging from covert Cold War programmes and alleged meetings with extra-terrestrial representatives to secret technological breakthroughs, assassinations and the recovery and examination of alien craft and bodies.

His central contention is startling: that governments have known far more about UFOs than they have ever admitted to the public.

Waterstones has called Not For Disclosure "the most serious and rigorously sourced book ever published on UFOs by a credible, world expert", while The Spectator described it as "the most persuasive defence yet of the cover-up theory".

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If you would like to discuss sponsorship or advertising on The Courage to Speak, please email the podcast team: info@thecouragetospeak.com

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British-Colombian dancer and artist Fernando Montaño is Leonie Mellinger’s guest in the final episode of the series. In Christmas week, Fernando talks about what it is like to perform in The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House.
Born and brought up in very difficult financial circumstances in Colombia, Fernando began his ballet journey in Cali before earning scholarships to the Cuban National Ballet School and at La Scala in Milan.
Despite having to audition in complete silence, he was next invited to join the Royal Ballet, making his Covent Garden debut in 2006.
Fernando became the first Colombian - and one of the few black dancers at the time - to join the company. He performed with them for 15 years, rising to soloist and then principal.
He has subsequently danced as a guest principal with leading companies across the world, including major performances in France, USA, Cuba, Italy, Peru and Colombia. And he has expanded his artistic passions with his own fashion and jewellery collections.
In this fascinating and thoughtful interview, Fernando tells Leonie about his background and career and why dance and art are so important to his life. He now creates artwork through dance and has become a self-taught sculptor.
He speaks about suffering from anxiety about his colour while at the Royal Ballet and how, for several years, even tried to lighten his skin. Fernando reflects on how he’s been able to use his profile to champion causes he’s passionate about, including the work of the Marine Conservation Society.
Fernando discusses becoming friends with Vivienne Westwood and making global headlines when flown to Bogota by President Santos to perform an extraordinary private dance for the then Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in the Colombian presidential palace!
If you would like to discuss sponsorship or advertising on The Courage to Speak, please email the podcast team: info@thecouragetospeak.com⁠.
Follow us: on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@the_couragetospeak⁠⁠ ⁠and ⁠⁠⁠@leoniemellinger⁠⁠⁠⁠ or Leonie’s X and LinkedIn accounts.
The Courage to Speak is from Leonie Mellinger Ltd.
It is produced by Square Elephant Productions with Danny Garlick.
Theme music composed by Guy Pearson.

David Byrne, the Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre in London is Leonie Mellinger’s guest in this episode.
In a fascinating conversation, that must surely be essential listening for anyone writing plays in the UK today, David details the process of getting new work commissioned at the theatre.
He tells Leonie about his cultural philosophy and why it is important for challenging pieces to be staged at the Royal Court, including plays that no other theatre would consider.
An award-winning playwright, in 2010 he was part of the founding team at the New Diorama Theatre in Camden. He spent 13 years there as Artistic Director before moving on to Sloane Square in 2024.
The Royal Court celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2026, having built its reputation on new writing and often provocative work. From Joe Orton and John Osborne to Jez Butterworth and Caryl Churchill, many highly-rated post-war writers have been given opportunities at the theatre.
David shares what it is like to run the Royal Court in an age of social media, financial pressure, cancel culture and polarisation and discusses why he believes passionately in completely backing writers whose work he programmes, as well supporting the next generation of British talent.
If you would like to discuss sponsorship or advertising on The Courage to Speak, please email the podcast team: info@thecouragetospeak.com⁠.
Follow us: on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@the_couragetospeak⁠⁠ ⁠and ⁠⁠⁠@leoniemellinger⁠⁠⁠⁠ or Leonie’s X and LinkedIn accounts.
The Courage to Speak is from Leonie Mellinger Ltd.
It is produced by Square Elephant Productions with Danny Garlick.
Theme music composed by Guy Pearson.