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The multi-talented performer has just made BAFTA history, after taking top honours for ‘I May Destroy You’, her drama about sexual consent. The TV show – which she created, wrote, directed and starred in - also won best mini-series. It was inspired by Michaela Coel’s own experience of sexual assault after her drink was spiked.

Born in London to Ghanaian parents, 33 year-old Michaela Coel grew up with her single mum and older sister on a council estate in London’s East End. At eighteen, she became a Christian. Her conversion kick-started her writing career as she began penning and performing poems praising Jesus.

After winning a scholarship to the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama, her graduation piece - unusually- featured her own work, a play called ‘Chewing Gum Dreams'. It was about life on her estate and a girl desperate to lose her virginity. She later developed that into the award-winning Channel 4 comedy, Chewing Gum.

Now Michaela Coel has been dubbed 'Queen of British TV' after her latest BAFTA success for her drama, 'I May Destroy You'. Mark Coles tells the story of her life, by talking to those who spotted her talents from a very young age, including friends from school, the church and the world of theatre.

Presenter: Mark Coles

Joanne Anderson has just taken on what many might call one of the toughest jobs in local government - leading the Labour council at the centre of corruption allegations.

Liverpool-born and bred, the 50 year-old single mum only became a Labour councillor in 2019. But she was encouraged to stand as mayor when her predecessor, Joe Anderson (no relation) stood down after being arrested over claims relating to bribery, which he strongly denies.

Growing up on a council estate east of the city centre, community activism is in Joanne Anderson's blood. She was barely out of nappies when her mum took her along to protest against poor housing conditions. She's spent most of her career helping companies, charities and councils improve diversity and promote equal opportunities.

Now she’s got the top job at Liverpool city council and is promising a fresh start. So who is Joanne Anderson? And how did a woman who until recently, was outside the city’s political inner circle, come to be its Mayor? Talking to close friends, family and colleagues, Adrian Goldberg charts Joanne Anderson’s rise from council flat to council leader.

Presenter: Adrian Goldberg

Kate Bingham took on one of the hardest jobs in the Covid pandemic - finding and procuring the necessary vaccines to stop people dying. A venture capitalist who invests in new drugs, she got the call from the Prime Minister who asked her to chair the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce. Once she had worked out which vaccines to back and order in advance, she and her team had to get the systems in place to roll them out in record time. Before this she had spent 30 years in private equity in the city, which she has now returned to.

Described by many as "a force of nature" she defied critics and sceptics and successfully secured 350 million doses of six different vaccines which started going into people's arms at the end of last year. The number of doses administered in the UK has now past 60 million and everyone over the age of 30 is being offered the jab.

Via in depth interviews with close friends and colleagues from throughout her life and commentators, Mark Coles reveals the character behind the woman responsible for securing a pipe-line of Covid vaccines for the UK population.

Presenter: Mark Coles

Photo Credit: Tom Kates

Edwin Poots has been named as the new leader of the Democratic Unionist Party.

A farmer from the outskirts of Lisburn, not far from Belfast. Mr Poots entered political life in 1997 - and, since then, he's slowly but steadily risen to the top. He's held four Ministeries including health and agriculture and is viewed across the sectarian divide as a shrewd political strategist.

A devoutly religious and committed member of the Free Presbyterian church, Mr Poots's ultra-conservative views on issues such as abortion and gay marriage have attracted heavy criticism over the years, as has his strongly held belief that the earth is approx. 6,000 years old.

His supporters, however, insist that his personal beliefs have no bearing on his ability to do his job - and to lead the DUP into a new era.

Via in-depth interviews with family, close personal friends and political commentators, Becky Milligan reveals the character behind the caricature sketched by media, the real person behind the public persona of Edwin Poots.

Presenter: Becky Milligan

It's been an eventful few weeks for the Labour Party - especially for its deputy leader, Angela Rayner MP. Over the course of a topsy-turvy weekend, leaked plans to sack her from her role as party chair and national campaigns coordinator triggered an outcry, which, in turn, led Keir Starmer to instead offer a major promotion.

Her back-story is, however, unusual for one who has risen so high, so quickly in British politics. Coming from an impoverished background, and leaving school at 16 with no qualifications and a baby on the way, she soon blazed a trail as a formidable union rep with Unison in the North West before being elected as an MP in 2015.

By speaking to close personal friends, well-known public figures and commons commentators, Mark Coles reveals the character, underlying motivations - and even the unexpected musical tastes - of the woman who many believe could be the first ever female leader of the Labour Party.

Presenter: Mark Coles

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hugely popular, credited with bringing stability and modernisation to his country in his 8 years of leadership. But his critics say lately he has been too absorbed with his political ambitions and not focused enough on protecting the country from the pandemic. Could the disastrous second wave of coronavirus that has engulfed India dent the unassailable rise of Narendra Modi?

Presenter: Mark Coles

Brexit, Coronavirus and now ‘Sofagate’. It's been a challenging year for the first female President of the European Commission, who’s been criticised for the EU’s response to Covid-19 and blamed for a delay in getting people jabbed. Now, the organisation she heads is suing vaccine manufacturer, AstraZeneca, over delays in supplying doses. This week, she told the European parliament how she'd been left standing during a recent meeting in Turkey, because she is a woman. Her male counterparts took the only chairs available. Mark Coles profiles the Brussels-born German politician whose passion for the job means she lives, works and sleeps in the office.

Presenter: Mark Coles

The rags to riches story of the billionaire brothers from Blackburn, Lancashire who have grown their business from a single petrol station in 2001 to a global empire of six thousand garage forecourts in less than twenty years.

Notoriously private, the brothers became national news last year after buying the supermarket giant, Asda. Last week they added the fast-food chain, Leon, to their portfolio. And now they’re rumoured to have their eye on Caffé Nero.

Talking to family, friends and business associates, Mark Coles discovers how different the brothers are, what fuels their passion for petrol stations and how they cope with media attention.

Presenter: Mark Coles

Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland - who's facing calls to resign over the policing of a republican funeral during the pandemic, sparking violent disorder and protests.

Simon Byrne, who's 57, is a policeman through and through. He joined the Metropolitan police as a teenager, straight out of school. Rising through the ranks, he took on senior roles in Merseyside, Manchester, London and Cheshire. He's now head of police in Northern Ireland, a post which many regard as the most difficult policing job in the UK, if not the world. Less than two years in post, and with the added challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit, Simon Byrne finds himself in a situation where policing and politics have collided.

Becky Milligan talks to friends and colleagues about the man with a reputation for getting things done, a love of steam trains and a commitment to public service.

Researcher: Stefania Okereke

The billionaire banker whose finance firm has collapsed and who is now at the centre of a lobbying scandal involving ex-Prime Minister, David Cameron.

Alexander "Lex" Greensill, grew up on his family’s sugar cane and melon farm in Queensland, Australia. After moving to the UK, he went into investment banking, founded a supply chain finance empire - complete with private jets - and, under David Cameron, secured a role in Britain’s Conservative-led Coalition government. After leaving office, the ex-PM became an adviser to the firm – Greensill Capital - which went bust last month, putting at risk 50,000 jobs worldwide.

Mark Coles charts the rise and fall of the farmer’s son who, so the story goes, began his finance company to help small firms get paid more quickly by big businesses.

Researchers: Matt Murphy and Stefania Okereke