Full Disclosure with James O'Brien

Alexei Sayle has spent a lifetime finding humour in anger, absurdity and the systems that shape us. Raised in Liverpool by fiercely committed communist parents, his childhood was filled with politics, protest marches and unusual cultural influences - from Soviet cinema to family trips behind the Iron Curtain.
In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with the comedian, writer and actor to trace the path from a rebellious schoolboy and struggling art student to the incendiary force at the heart of alternative comedy. Alexei recalls discovering his voice at the Comedy Store, forging lifelong friendships with Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer and the Comic Strip generation, and becoming known for a furious on-stage persona that often bore little resemblance to the man offstage.
He reflects on success, creative reinvention and the strange experience of falling out of fashion before returning to stand-up with a more personal, contemplative voice. Alexei also discusses his lifelong political activism, the ideals he inherited from his parents, and the tension between wanting to change the world and recognising the limits of protest.
It’s a funny, candid and deeply thoughtful conversation about comedy, conviction, reinvention and the complicated business of staying true to yourself.
Find out more about How I've Tried to Change the World: By Walking Down the Middle of the Street Shouting by Alexei Sayle here
Full Disclosure is a Global Production
Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Before she became the creator behind Chicken Shop Date, Amelia Dimoldenberg was a relentlessly ambitious child from Marylebone, dreaming of editing Vogue, joining S Club Juniors and taking to the stage in Cats.
In this episode of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien sits down with Amelia to trace the unlikely journey from a youth magazine in North West London to one of the most distinctive interview formats of a generation.
Amelia reflects on growing up with a voraciously reading, politically engaged family; the confidence she found through school performances and extracurricular activities; and the teenage reinvention that left her temporarily without friends. She explains how The Cut magazine club introduced her to a new creative world, and how a throwaway conversation about the worst possible date location became the starting point for Chicken Shop Date.
They discuss the painstaking preparation, performance and editing behind the show’s deliberately awkward charm; the instinct that stopped Amelia signing away her intellectual property; and the turning points that took her from student project to interviewing stars including Andrew Garfield, Jennifer Lawrence and Cher.
Amelia also talks about Dimz Inc Academy, the initiative she created with Spiral Skills to help young people from underrepresented backgrounds access careers in digital media and production. Drawing on the opportunities she received as a teenager, she explains why practical experience, creative confidence and professional networks can make such a difference - particularly for young people facing barriers to work.
Funny, candid and full of creative insight, this is a conversation about ambition, originality and the hard work behind appearing effortlessly cool.
Find out more about Dimz Inc Academy here
Full Disclosure is a Global Production
Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Beloved TV doctor, children’s author and NHS paediatrician Dr Ranj Singh tells James O’Brien the extraordinary story behind the smile - from the collapse of the life he thought he was supposed to want, to the painful process of working out who he really was.
He speaks candidly about growing up in a traditional Indian family, the pressure to follow a respectable path, and the emotional cost of spending years trying to fit expectations. He recalls his sexuality being “outed” to his parents before he was ready, the heartbreak and confusion that followed, and the therapy that helped him understand his identity and start living more truthfully.
They also explore his career in medicine, his decision to step back after decades in the NHS, and the creative life he has built beyond the hospital ward. From children’s television to musical theatre, Dr Ranj reflects on chasing joy, embracing vulnerability, and why his real job - in whatever form it takes - is simply to make people feel better.
Find out more about Dr Ranj’s Human Body Encyclopedia here
Full Disclosure is a Global Production
Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
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As the magnetic frontman of James, Tim Booth has spent more than four decades turning raw emotion into some of Britain’s most loved music - from Sit Down and Laid to a run of acclaimed new records.
Tim joins James O’Brien to trace the unlikely journey that led him to the band: a difficult childhood, the brutality of boarding school, a life-changing Patti Smith album and a chance encounter with three teenage musicians in a Manchester bar. Within days, he was on stage; before long, James were building a devoted following through their fiercely independent, improvisational live shows.
He reflects on the extraordinary communal power of Sit Down, the band’s relationship with The Smiths and Factory Records, and the pressures that eventually drove him to leave. Tim also discusses James’s reunion, their distinctive songwriting process and the creative restlessness that continues to push the band into new territory.
Along the way, he speaks candidly about illness, dance, meditation and altered states - and the belief that a great gig can become a shared act of transcendence. With a new album in progress and documentary ‘James: Getting Away With It’ charting James’s four-decade story, this is an intimate, funny and deeply moving conversation about survival, creativity and staying open to the unknown.
Find out more about James’ tour dates and ‘James: Getting Away With It’ documentary here
Full Disclosure is a Global Production
Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

From growing up on a Gloucester council estate to becoming one of Britain’s best-known culinary success stories, Tom Kerridge has built a career defined by resilience, risk and an enduring belief in people.
Tom joins James O’Brien to discuss his unlikely path into hospitality, from washing up in country house hotels to the intensity of London’s leading kitchens and the creation of The Hand and Flowers - the UK’s first pub to hold two Michelin stars. He reflects on the energy of professional kitchens, the mentors who shaped him, and why he believes being a chef is “nothing to do with food”.
They also explore his growing role as an advocate for hospitality, the pressure of running businesses and supporting hundreds of staff, and his engagement with politics and VAT reform. Tom discusses his television career, his latest series Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy, and why success means seeing the people around him thrive.
Tom first appeared on Full Disclosure remotely in 2020, during the Covid period. Returning to the studio, he and James pick up the conversation for a candid, funny and deeply personal look at family, ambition, food and finding purpose through connection.
Watch Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy here
Full Disclosure is a Global Production
Listen or watch every Friday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.