Profile

Olena Zelenska delivered a moving speech to MPs and peers recently, describing the terror of air raids, evoking memories of World War II and calling for further military support for her country.

The Ukrainian first lady has also addressed the US Congress and appeared on the cover of Vogue but stepping into the limelight has not been easy for the comedy writer, who is more comfortable behind the camera.

Adrian Goldberg profiles Olena Zelenska, speaking to some of the friends and colleagues who know her best.

Contributors

Presenter: Adrian Goldberg

Stand-up comic, broadcaster and LGBT rights activist, Joe Lycett, appeared to shred £10,000 of his own hard-earned comedy cash in protest at footballer David Beckham’s refusal to step down as an ambassador for the Qatar World Cup - a country where homosexuality is banned.

He didn't really do it - but it's the latest in a series of stunts that have become the comedian's calling card.

Friends, relatives and colleagues reveal how Joe Lycett went from drama-loving schoolboy to 'Esther Rantzen in a sparkly jumpsuit'.

Presenter: Mark Coles

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

This week the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announced its first ever nationwide strike. Pat Cullen, the RCN's General Secretary and Chief Executive, will lead them into industrial action which is expected to start in December.

Born in Northern Ireland, Pat Cullen was inspired by her older sisters to train as a nurse during the Troubles. After roles at Northern Ireland's Department of Health, and Public Health Agency, Cullen joined the RCN's Northern Ireland branch in 2016. Three years later, she led the union's first-ever strike, seeking pay parity for Northern Irish nurses with those working elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Since 2021, Pat Cullen has been the interim leader of the RCN at national level. Drawing on her experiences in Northern Ireland, she's now campaigning for better wages and conditions for nurses across the UK.

Timandra Harkness takes a look at Pat Cullen's life and career.

Producer: Ben Cooper

Since entering Parliament in 2017, the MP for Saffron Walden has rapidly risen through the ranks to a seat at the Cabinet table as Trade Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities.

Kemi Badenoch surprised some in Westminster when she reached the fourth round of the Conservative leadership election this summer. Her forthright views on British colonialism and trans issues have won her admirers on the political right, but also been heavily criticised by LGBTQ campaigners.

So who is Kemi Badenoch? How has her childhood in Nigeria influenced her political outlook? And how does she like to unwind? Mark Coles investigates.

Researcher: Alice Struthers

This month, the multi-award-winning violinist has started work as the first Scottish and first female director of the Edinburgh Festival since it began in 1947. Nicola Benedetti's passion for culture also extends well beyond performing; she's used her high profile to advocate for the importance of the arts in education. Mark Coles charts Nicola Benedetti's journey from first picking up the violin at age four to overseeing one of the world’s biggest annual cultural events.

Researchers: Matt Toulson and Alice Struthers

The chancellor, Surrey-based entrepreneur and protege of David Cameron. He served as Foreign and Health Secretary while twice challenging - unsuccessfully - for the Conservative Party leadership. In just a few days he tore up most of the prime minister's economic policy. Now he has to try and restore the government's credibility with the markets while attempting to deal with the impact of the cost of living crisis. With Timandra Harkness. Produced by Bob Howard

Researchers: Alice Struthers, Ellie House, Matt Toulson

Erling Haaland is a phenomenon. Since arriving in the summer, Manchester City's Norwegian star striker has lit up the Premier League after scoring 20 goals in 13 games. Born in Leeds to a footballing father and an athlete mother, he grew up in a small Norwegian town before moving to Austria and then Germany to further his career. While some foreign footballers have struggled to adapt to English football, Haaland has taken to it like a duck to water. With Mark Coles. Produced by Bob Howard.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula, was born into poverty in Brazil in 1945. Coming to prominence as a union leader, he failed to become president on three previous occasions before finally succeeding in 2002. He helped reduce social inequality in the country over two terms but after leaving office he became mired in a corruption scandal and was jailed for 18 months. Now he is facing a run off vote for the Brazilian presidency against incumbent Jair Bolsonaro later this month. How did Lula rise to become such a significant politician and can he repeat his electoral success of 20 years ago? With Mark Coles. Produced by Bob Howard.

Researchers: Octavia Woodward & Matt Toulson

Downing Street's new Chief of Staff, Mark Fullbrook, is not a stranger to politics. He's been the "backroom boy" behind many political campaigns around the world, including Boris Johnson's successful Mayor of London campaigns and President George Bush’s unsuccessful re-election bid in 1992. But, until now, Mark Fullbrook has kept his names out of the headlines.

That changed when it was reported that Fullbrook had been questioned as a witness in an FBI inquiry into alleged electoral bribery in Puerto Rico. Then, this week, he became headline news when it was revealed his Downing Street salary was being paid through his own lobbying firm. The publicity comes at a bad time for Prime Minister Liz Truss who is facing economic turmoil following the Chancellor's mini-budget.

So, who is Mark Fullbrook and why do we know so little about him? Mark Coles looks at the life of an influential, yet unheard-of, political figure.

Presenter: Mark Coles