Mo Gilligan: Beginning, Middle & End

Homeland changed his career. But David Harewood says it took 40 years to become a leading actor on British television. Why did he have to leave the UK to get his shot?
David joins Mo Gilligan for a funny, frank and deeply personal conversation about the roles he was denied, the racism he faced playing Shakespeare, and the move to America that changed everything.

He opens up about his mental health breakdown, recovery and why speaking publicly about psychosis became one of his proudest achievements. Plus, the meeting where Idris Elba announced he was heading to America, seeing Daniel Kaluuya go from schoolboy to Oscar winner, and David’s honest take on the debate over British actors playing American roles.

Mo also shares the criticism that pushed him towards stand-up and why making his Netflix chicken documentary became the hardest thing he’s ever done.
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Eric Shango had given up on acting. His agent convinced him to do one more audition. Seventy-two hours later, the phone rang.

The Trigger Point actor joins Mo Gilligan on Beginning, Middle & End to reveal the story behind his breakthrough, from grief and money worries to landing a role alongside Vicky McClure—and asking her name because he had no idea who she was.

Eric shares the advice Vicky gave him that stayed with him, why he stopped waiting for auditions to arrive, and the reality of going from life on set to wondering when the next job will come. He also opens up about therapy, his Congolese roots, and a letter he wrote as a teenager asking for a chance to change his family’s future.

There’s laughter, Arsenal debate, and an honest conversation about keeping faith when the dream feels out of reach.

Watch or listen to the full episode, and subscribe to Beginning, Middle & End with Mo Gilligan for more stories behind the people you know.
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Chase & Status join Mo Gilligan on Beginning, Middle & End to share the stories behind the music — from bedroom decks and Manchester raves to arena shows.

They reveal how “Duppy Man” changed everything, why some of their biggest tracks didn’t land on the first play, and how they bring out the best in collaborators including IRAH, Little Simz and Stormzy. Plus: working with Rihanna, the inspiration behind Generic Everything, and their thoughts on AI, club culture and staying hungry for more.
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From a chance appearance on Blind Date to becoming a familiar face on British television, Ortis Deley joins Mo Gilligan to talk about the opportunities, setbacks and unforgettable moments behind his career.

Ortis reveals how a pharmacy student ended up presenting on Trouble and Live & Kicking, revisits his memorable Rihanna interview, and shares what happened when his 2011 live athletics coverage went wrong — a setback he says stalled his career for two years.

There are stories from The Gadget Show, high-speed chases on Police Interceptors, and plenty of laughs about why jungle life isn’t for him. Plus, Ortis reflects on Black representation on screen and why hearing “you were my childhood” means more to him than an award.
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Before influencers, daily vlogs and creators turning their lives into TV, Stevo The Madman was already doing it.

Stevo joins Mo Gilligan for a hilarious and surprisingly revealing conversation about the journey from professional football and producing grime records to becoming one of the most recognisable personalities of the early UK social media era.

Stevo takes us back to producing music around Skepta, Dexplicit and the grime scene, playing professional football, working as a van driver and accidentally finding an audience by simply filming the madness happening around him.

He also tells the incredible story of filming a comedy sketch with a realistic BB gun that ended with ARMED POLICE surrounding him, spending eight hours in a cell and having to convince officers that he was actually making comedy.

They get into the rise of Snapchat, Filthy Fellas, building an audience of more than a million followers, pulling huge viewing numbers before the platform was properly monetised, turning his family life into must-watch entertainment and why translating that raw energy to traditional TV proved much harder than expected.
Stevo also opens up about watching his daughters grow up, his relationship with his audience, why he nearly tried stand-up, and his plans to reinvent the original Stevo format through live streaming and The Mad House.

A proper look back at one of the pioneers of UK creator culture — and a reminder of just how far ahead of the game Stevo really was.

👇 What was the FIRST Stevo The Madman video or Snapchat story you remember watching?
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