The Third Act

English society and celebrity photographer Richard Young is self-taught and started experimenting with a gifted Nikon camera on the streets of London in the seventies. Now with a career spanning almost 5 decades, Young has photographed the likes of Kate Moss, Tracey Emin and Sir Elton John as well as publishing four books. With Catherine Fairweather, he discusses his first big break photographing a recently released Paul Getty III and reflects on the immense scope of his career.

John Kasmin, or 'Kas' as he's better known, is one of the most well-known art dealers and collectors. He is perhaps best known for representing David Hockney who was one of Kas's first artists when he set up his own gallery in 1963. Whereas most galleries at the time were domestic in scale, Kas was the first to open his gallery in a large white space to better focus on the work itself. With Catherine Fairweather, he talks about hitchhiking around the world in his teenage years, saving Hockney from poverty, giving up alcohol, his "good eye" for art and his trademark glasses.

Julia Samuel MBE is one of the UK's foremost pyschotherapists and grief counsellors. Author of three books and a regular columnist for The Times, she has been described as the person the nation turns to in times of tragedy and despair. Over a cup of tea at Auriens with Catherine Fairweather, Julia talks about her childhood and the loss and grief suffered by own family. She shares her thoughts on the archetypal British stiff upper lip as a way of coping and love being the strongest medication.

Sir Tom Stoppard is one of the most widely acclaimed playwrights and screenwriters of his generation. His award-winning body of work includes the screenplay for Shakespeare In Love and the plays Arcadia and The Real Thing. His latest work, Leopoldstadt (which has been described as perhaps his most personal play) is set in the Jewish community of early 20th-century Vienna. It won the Olivier Award for Best New Play after its successful run in the West End and is currently playing on Broadway. Tom Stoppard talks with Catherine Fairweather about his childhood, his writing process, the benefits of getting older and the tick tock of the universe.

Michael Heseltine is perhaps best known as a politician and former Secretary of State for the Environment. But he is also a successful entrepreneur, publisher and property developer. In addition, he also has a keen interest in nature and, with his wife, has created one of the UK's most beautiful arboretums. Presenter Catherine Fairweather talks to Lord Heseltine about his time in politics but also about Brexit, dyslexia, risk and his long-standing love of trees.

The Third Act is back by popular demand for a second season of sparkling conversations with vintage minds. Brought to you by Auriens, new episodes will drop weekly from 15th February. Across the series, journalist Catherine Fairweather will be breaking bread with twelve national treasures, and asking them to share their secrets of a life well lived. Guests include playwright Tom Stoppard, journalist Rosie Boycott, politician Michael Heseltine, actor Simon Callow, photographer Steve McCurry and psychotherapist Julia Samuel.

For the final episode of this series, Catherine Fairweather talks to renowned photographer, Sir Don McCullin CBE. For the past 50 years he has proved himself a photojournalist without equal, whether documenting the poverty of London’s East End, or the horrors of wars in Africa, Asia or the Middle East. Simultaneously he has proved an adroit artist capable of beautifully arranged still lifes, soulful portraits and moving landscapes. He also happens to be Catherine's husband which allows her to ask questions she has never yet asked him - about his reputation as a hard-bitten war photographer, his thirst to learn about new cultures and their very first meeting.

While she may be best known for the popular TV series Hart to Hart, Stefanie Powers has made over 30 films as well as 25 mini-series and numerous plays. Alongside her acting career, she is a passionate conservationist having established the William Holden Wildlife Foundation to further her long time partner's work in East Africa. In this penultimate episode of the first series of The Third Act she talks with Catherine Fairweather about her career, her charity work and the challenges of show business.

Colonel John Blashford-Snell CBE is one of the world's most respected and renowned explorers. The founder of the Scientific Exploration Society and Operation Raleigh, his many expeditions include a complete navigation of the Congo River and the first vehicular journey from Alaska to Cape Horn. He also 'invented' white-water rafting during a particularly perilous descent of the Blue Nile in Ethiopia. At the age of 85 he is already planning his next trip to Bolivia. But he takes time out of his preparations to talk with Catherine Fairweather about how he first discovered his love of exploring, the importance of continually challenging yourself and his brush with the Loch Ness monster.

Brigid Keenan was the youngest ever fashion editor at The Sunday Times when she joined the paper in the 1960's. However she gave up her career when she married a diplomat and, in her own words, became 'a trailing spouse'. During her time living in seven different countries, she has written seven books. Her most successful, 'Diplomatic Baggage', was written while in her 60's and is about to republished this summer. Over lunch with Catherine Fairweather, she talks about choosing between marriage and career, her amazing recovery from a stroke 5 years ago and her thoughts on getting older.