“One thing I have learned from my childhood til now is that when you fall, you get up, dust yourself off, and do it over and over again. I’ve had a lot of up and downs in my business life in America. I’ve had many failures and people only talk about successes, but failures in my mind are the foundation of success.”

Rahul Tandon speaks to Iranian-American entrepreneur Isaac Larian.

The 72-year-old billionaire is the founder and chief executive of US-based MGA Entertainment, one of the world’s largest toy companies. Over the years, he’s been involved in several high-profile toy launches, including the ‘Bratz’ range of dolls back in 2001.

But his success today, regularly appearing on rich lists compiled by the likes of Forbes, is a far cry from his early years growing up Tehran, where his family often struggled to put food on the table in a home without electricity or running water.

His father ran a small textile shop that a young Larian would work in, buying and selling stock. And at the age of just 17, Larian took this business experience with him when he bought a one-way ticket to America to seek his fortune.

Thank you to the Business Daily team for their help in making this programme.

Presenter: Rahul Tandon

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(Image: Isaac Larian Credit: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for The Toy Foundation)

“We were able to improve the health of the gorillas and people together. What we do is we improve the health and the livelihoods of the local communities. Because as long as people are poor, they're going to keep entering the forest to poach and collect firewood and they're going to end up making the gorillas sick, or picking up diseases from wildlife in the forest.”

When she began her work in 1994, their numbers had fallen to just a few hundred. Not just because of habitat loss and poaching, but because of human diseases.

Rather than focusing only on treating the animals, she realised the solution lay with the people living alongside them. Better health and livelihood opportunities meant less poaching and less need to rely on the forest, reducing the risk of disease and protecting the gorillas.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, and Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the UN. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

(Image: Dr Gladys Kalema Zikusoka Credit Kibuuka Mukisa)

“I don't necessarily want it to be the most giant album of all time and be selling out stadiums. I want something that lasts and that feels timeless and thoughtful.”

Mark Savage speaks to Mercury Prize-winning singer-songwriter Arlo Parks about her life and music career.

Born in London, the half Nigerian, quarter Chadian and quarter French artist, real name Anaïs Marinho, has enjoyed great success in her music career since her debut album was released in 2021.

Having broken onto the music scene two years prior, Parks has performed twice at the Glastonbury music festival in England, supported the likes of Harry Styles and Billie Eilish on tour, and even written for Beyoncé.

It’s been something of a whirlwind journey for the 25-year-old, who has returned with a new album after taking some time out of the spotlight in order to reclaim some normality in her life.

Presenter: Mark Savage

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(Image: Arlo Parks Credit: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)

Victoria Derbyshire speaks to survivors of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting a trial for sex trafficking.

The interview took place in Washington DC, two weeks before Melania Trump, US First Lady, gave an unexpected press conference at the White House where she called for congressional hearings for the Epstein survivors.

Millions of documents, emails and photographs are now in the public domain and show Epstein’s connections to high profile figures from politics, business and royalty.

In this interview, which some listeners may find upsetting, Chauntae Davies, Joanna Harrison, Jena-Lisa Jones, Wendy Pesante and Lisa Phillips share their experiences, and discuss the impact that the abuse has had on their lives.

Thank you to the Newsnight team for their help in making this programme.

If you’ve been affected by this programme, you can reach out to Befrienders Worldwide for help by visiting befrienders.org

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Victoria Derbyshire

Get in touch with us on email [email protected] and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

“It was three submarines. We tracked them 24/7 for over a month to make sure that we are able to say to Putin, we see what you’re doing, we’re watching you. It means that if there is ever any damage to our cables or our pipelines, we know we can hold Putin to account. We know he can’t deny it.”

(Image: John Healey Credit: Thomas Traasdahl / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images)

“The fact that we are now the world's largest funder of the World Health Organisation should be a major embarrassment to every country on this planet.”

Sam Fenwick speaks to Mark Suzman, CEO of Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropic organisation, about why he thinks cuts to global aid spending is costing lives.

He says the Foundation has overtaken world governments to become the largest financial backer of the WHO. Last year, the United States scaled back parts of its overseas aid budget. It wasn’t the only county to do so, with many governments including the UK, Germany, France and Japan all spending less.

For an institution with little democratic accountability, Mark Suzman is asked whether there is too much reliance on the Gates Foundation globally and whether its priorities are the right ones.

Thank you to the Business Daily team for its help in making this programme.

This interview was recorded on 29 January 2026. This is not mentioned in the episode. Since the interview was recorded, the BBC has reported on Bill Gates and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Articles include:

Presenter: Sam Fenwick

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(Image: Mark Suzman Credit: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Amol Rajan speaks to Simukai Chigudu, associate professor of African Politics at Oxford University about the legacy of empire and how to reckon with the past.

A member of the first generation born after the end of colonial rule in Zimbabwe, Simukai Chigudu came to the UK as a teenager and later became one of the founding members of a campaign to try to get the statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes moved from Oriel College in Oxford.

Now an associate professor of African politics at the University of Oxford, he has written a memoir called Chasing Freedom: Coming of Age at the End of Empire.

He discusses the legacy of the Rhodes Must Fall campaign, why he thinks we should be decolonising the curriculum and whether countries like Britain should pay reparations for slavery.

Thank you to the Radical with Amol Rajan team for its help in making this programme.

Presenter: Amol Rajan

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(Image: Simukai Chigudu)

“These companies don't really care what governments do. Their priority is their shareholders, their own existence and the next quarter of growth. There is the possibility that governments can regulate them, but they just don't. They don't regulate them properly. The most they get are multi-billion dollar fines, which sounds like a lot, but actually in the grand scheme of things it's pocket change. It is a parking ticket for these companies.”

As AI rapidly reshapes economies and societies, Parmy has been tracking the growing power of the companies driving this technological revolution.

With tech giants now valued in the trillions, she also questions whether governments are equipped to regulate them effectively, or if their influence has already outpaced political control.

Presenter: Misha Glenny

(Image: Parmy Olson Credit: Kim Farinha)

“I think there's nothing off limits [with comedy] because it's subconscious, it's examining things. I find it quite interesting. And Monty Python was particularly good at not allowing ourselves to be censored, although people tried with ‘The Life Of Brian’... But that’s what made it a hit.”

John Wilson speaks to English comedian, writer, musician and actor Eric Idle about his life and career.

He’s best-known for being a founding member of the comedy troupe Monty Python, writing and performing across their four television series and their films, including ‘The Life Of Brian’ and ‘The Meaning Of Life’.

Idle is also behind the Tony Award-winning musical ‘Spamalot’, based on the film ‘Monty Python and The Holy Grail’. It ran twice in London’s West End and on Broadway, and has also been staged in 14 countries around the world.

Thank you to the This Cultural Life team for their help in making this programme.

Presenter: John Wilson

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(Image: Eric Idle Credit: Sarah Jeynes/BBC)

“I hope humanity will stop for a moment when four humans are on the far side of the moon and be reminded that we can do a better job as humans of just lifting each other up. Not destroying, but creating together.”

Rebecca Morelle and Tim Peake speak to Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen ahead of the launch of Artemis II.

Hansen is one of four crew members of NASA’s latest mission into Space. Launching from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, Artemis II will be heading to the Moon and will circle it before returning home. Although they won’t be landing, it’s the first time in over half a century that humans have ventured to the Moon.

If the mission is successful, it’ll result in some historic firsts: Hansen will become the first non-American to leave low-Earth orbit with crewmates Christina Koch the first woman and Victor Glover the first person of colour to do so too.

Thank you to the 13 Minutes team for their help in making this programme.

Presenters: Rebecca Morelle and Tim Peake

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(Image: Jeremy Hansen Credit: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP via Getty Images)