Wales are heading to their first football World Cup since 1958. Their captain is Gareth Bale, who was once the most expensive footballer in the world.  Born in Cardiff in 1989, Gareth was first spotted at the age of nine by Southampton. He become their second-youngest player of all time when he broke into the first-team aged 16, and enjoyed two seasons with the south coast club before moving to the Premier League with Tottenham. It was in North London that Bale announced himself on the European stage, eventually securing a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid for a then world record fee. After nearly a decade in Spain, where he won some of football's biggest prizes, he surprised many by moving to the MLS to play for Los Angeles FC earlier this year. Gareth Bale's meteoric rise also coincided with a renaissance of the Welsh national team's fortunes - they'd regularly struggled to qualify for major tournaments in the decades before he broke onto the scene. With their World Cup campaign kicking off against the USA on Monday, Mark Coles looks at the life and career of the man who'll be leading Wales out. Producers: Ben Cooper and Matt Toulson
Researcher: Kirsteen Knight
Production Co-ordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Maria Ogundele
Editor: Simon Watts
Studio Engineer: Graham Puddifoot

Gareth Bale

An insight into the character of an influential figure making news headlines

Personal Journals

Society & Culture

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

After over four decades in the SNP and nearly two in government, John Swinney is finally stepping up to the top job for the first time, becoming Scotland’s new First Minister. He’s no stranger to big jobs - it’s actually his second stint as SNP leader - but leading his country and his party is looking tougher than ever, as the SNP finds itself facing formidable challenges. Who is this stalwart of the SNP, and do his life and experiences equip him for the task ahead? Mark Coles talks to friends, colleagues, and those who’ve watched this political operator up close for years. Presenter: Mark Coles
Producer: Nathan Gower
Assistant Producer: Diane Richardson and Marianna Brain
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Programme Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Sabine Schereck	
Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill Music: ‘John Swinney (We Salute You)' by Nocturnal Vermin (Isaac Brutal, James ‘Slippyunderfoot‘ McCready, Arnold Bastard)

John Swinney

Isaac Levido has established a formidable reputation as a election strategist, helping to craft wins both in the UK and Australia. Thought of as a protege of the quasi-legendary election guru Sir Lynton Crosby in his early years, he’s rapidly racked up achievements of his own, propelling both Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson back into office with his brand of data-driven analysis. Stephen Smith opens the black box that is electoral strategising and sets out to understand the mind of the man who is set to shape the Conservatives’ impending general election campaign. Guests:
Katy Balls, Political Editor of The Spectator
Alexander Downer, former leader of the Australian Liberal Party
Paul Stephenson, Vote Leave Campaign Director
Lord Andrew Feldman, former chair of the Conservative Party
David Bold, friend and Australian political advisor Presenter: Stephen Smith
Producer: Nathan Gower
Assistant Producers: Julie Ball, Diane Richardson
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Programme Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Sabine Schereck	
Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill Archive:
The Thick of It, BBC
Scott Morrison election night speech, ABC News
Boris Johnson election victory speech

Isaac Levido

Paul Sinton-Hewitt, the founder of parkrun, was born in Zimbabwe and moved to South Africa at the age of five, where he was brought up in care with his two siblings.  Always a keen middle distance runner, he was a second for a friend in one of South Africa's most gruelling road races. Eventually he moved to the UK to work in IT and raise a family.  After a perfect storm of redundancy, marriage breakdown and an injury which prevented him from running with his own club, he decided he'd start a time trial in a local park, for his running club pals.  The only proviso that they had to have coffee and cake with him afterwards.    Twenty years later, that timed run that he started has outpaced anything he could have envisaged and turned into parkrun.  The 5k run around local parks on a Saturday morning, has gone global and the parkrun community has hundreds of thousands of people running or volunteering as stewards every week.  Stephen Smith finds out what makes Paul Sinton-Hewitt run.  PRESENTER:  Stephen Smith PRODUCTION TEAM Producers:   Julie Ball, Natasha Fernandes, Farhana Haider
Editor:         Tom Bigwood
Production Co-ordinators:  Maria Ogundele and Sabine Schereck
Sound:   Neil Churchill CONTRIBUTORS Roun Barry, School friend
Hugh Brasher, Director, London Marathon
Bruce Fordyce, Marathon runner
Duncan Gaskell, parkrunner and friend
Russ Jeffereys - CEO, parkrun
Eileen Jones, Author and parkrunner
Joanne Sinton-Hewitt, Wife

Paul Sinton-Hewitt

Although Simon Harris reportedly describes himself as an 'accidental politician', he has managed to make a career out of it. His interest in politics was sparked at the age of 15 when he set up a support group in his local town to campaign for better secondary education for autistic people after he saw his parents struggle to get help for his younger brother. From then on his path was set. After a brief dalliance with Fianna Fail he joined the youth wing of the Fine Gael party at 17. He gave up his degree studies in year three of a four year course to work as an assistant to the then leader of the opposition in the Irish Parliament. By the age of 24 he was elected to parliament with the nickname 'Baby of the Dail' and was a junior minister by the age of 27. Since then he's held two further ministerial posts.   Now, after the shock resignation of former Taioseach, Leo Varadkar in late March, he was elected unopposed as leader of the Fine Gael party and now is expected to be confirmed as the new Taoiseach when the parliament returns after the Easter break. With a new nickname, 'The Tik Tok Taoiseach' because of his use of social media he's on track to break another record, set by his predecessor as the youngest Taoiseach in history to date.   Kate Lamble finds out what makes him tick outside of Tik Tok and his rapid rise to the top job in Irish politics.  PRESENTER: Kate Lamble CONTRIBUTORS Frances Fitzgerald, MEP, Dublin, Ireland Councillor Ray McAdam, Fine Gael Alice O'Donnell, Triple A Alliance  Jennifer O'Leary, BBC Ireland Correspondent  Fionnan Sheahan, Ireland Editor, The Irish Independent  PRODUCTION TEAM Producers: Julie Ball & Madeleine Drury
Researcher: Jay Gardner 
Editor: Tom Bigwood 
Production Co-ordinators: Katie Morrison & Sabine Schereck 
Sound: Nigel Appleton

Simon Harris

Rosemarie Mallett’s star has risen quickly in the Church of England. After a career in academia and a period of disenchantment with the institution, she became a priest in 2005, attracting the attention of senior members of the clergy for her engagement with communities and issues of social justice alike. Bishop Rosemarie was herself born into a situation shaped by slavery, in the then colony Barbados, before coming to the UK as a child. Now a senior cleric, she has co-authored a report on how the Church of England should make amends for its historic financial involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, which has attracted praise from some and criticism from others. Stephen Smith talks to those who know Mallett best, exploring how her life has shaped her approach to music, ministry, and racial justice. Presenter: Stephen Smith
Producer: Nathan Gower
Production team: Debbie Richford, Drew Hyndman
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Programme Coordinators: Sabine Schereck, Maria Ogundele        
Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar

Gareth Bale

Download our free app to listen on your phone