Profile

Some on the left of his party think he’s too establishment and Washington thinks he’s a rebel out to do his own thing, but Andrew Cuomo has gained widespread support for his handling of the coronavirus crisis. Mark Coles looks at the life of the New York Governor, a son of one of America’s most respected politicians.Producer: Sandra Kanthal Researcher: May Cameron Editor: Ravin Sampat

Supreme Leader of North Korea had not been seen in public for a number of weeks, setting off a global frenzy regarding his whereabouts and health. Speculation was rife as to who would succeed him.The most likely candidate is his closest confidant. A young woman whose always by his side.Becky Milligan pieces together the mystery of Kim Yo-jong. Politician and sister of Kim Jong-un.Producer Smita Patel Researcher Darin Graham Editor Ravin Sampat

A look at the life of Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health & Social Care for England. He has been criticised for promises he's made about testing and supply of personal protective equipment for health workers. According to newspaper reports, unnamed Downing Street sources have been suggesting the targets are "arbitrary" and "irrational". Mark Coles talks to friends, family and his mentor - the former Chancellor George Osborne - to find out more about Matt Hancock. An expedtion to the North Pole, a game of cricket on the Arctic ice, a stint as a sports broadcaster - it's not what you might expect.Producer Smita Patel Editor Ravin Sampat Researcher Bethan Head

Dame Vera Lynn's story is well known. She's regarded by many as one of Britain's national treasures. Dubbed 'the forces sweetheart' during the Second World War, her songs like 'We'll Meet Again' and 'There'll Always Be An England' became synonymous with hope and survival during dark times. It's rare for us to profile someone so iconic. But courtesy of a mention by the Queen in her recent address to the nation, at 103 years old Vera Lynn is trending again. She even has a number one single on the UK iTunes chart. Mark Coles talks to her family and close friends to find out what she makes of all the attention. And, perhaps more importantly, why - 80 years on - her best known song 'We'll Meet Again' is striking a chord during the coronavirus crisis.Producer Smita Patel Researcher Bethan Head

On Profile this week, we look at the man who has effectively become Britain’s acting Prime Minister.The 46-year-old Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, asked to deputise “where necessary” for Boris Johnson while he recovers from coronavirus.A staunch Brexiteer and a karate black belt, he’s perhaps not the best-known member of the Cabinet.So, who is he and – more importantly - is he up to the job?A former lawyer, Raab has experience in international justice – but his hard-line on Brexit as well as past comments about feminism, welfare and Britain’s work ethic have angered his critics.Mark Coles hears from political colleagues, Westminster journalists – even Dominic Raab’s boxing coach.Producer Smita Patel Editor Ravin Sampat Researcher Bethan Head

Anthony Fauci Is a doctor, immunologist and director of the USA’s National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases. He’s also a lead member of the White House coronavirus task force. Mark Coles talks to those who know him well. First broadcast on Saturday 4th April 2020.Producer: Ben Crighton Researcher: Bethan Head

On Profile this week - it’s a personal one.In lockdown at home because of the coronavirus, presenter Mark Coles has turned to music to help get him through the past few days…captivated by an album he bought by chance in a London record store a couple of weeks ago. It’s called‘Esja’- the debut album from a little-known 29 year old Polish pianist, Hania Rani.The music is sublime and minimalist…solo acoustic piano inspired in part by the mountains and countryside of Iceland where some of it was recorded.For Mark, it’s become his sanctuary….his headspace - a much needed nightly respite from the cacophony of coronavirus news bulletins and press conferences. But who is the mystery woman behind the music? Producer: Smita Patel Photo of Hania Rani by Kinga Karpati

The Bank of England's new governor started work on Monday amid global turmoil. The world economy is in chaos as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. How will he handle the difficult decisions to come? Edward Stourton profiles Andrew Bailey, from his childhood in Leicester all the way to Threadneedle Street. This is not the first crisis in his long banking career, but it may well be the toughest. Producers: Eleanor Biggs and Rosamund Jones

The coronavirus epidemic is a growing crisis for England's chief medical officer. He has faced criticism from journalists, politicians and public health specialists. Mark Coles finds out about the life and career of Professor Chris Whitty. He is a physician, a plague expert and an epidemiologist. But that's just for starters. He has also studied law, economics and business. But how will he cope with a role in the bright political spotlight? First broadcast on Saturday 14th March 2020. Producers: Ruth Alexander and Eleanor Biggs.

The Home Secretary Priti Patel has been accused of bullying civil servants.The Cabinet Office is investigating several allegations about Ms Patel's behaviour, all of which she denies.Sir Philip Rutnam, the Home Office's most senior official, resigned on 29 February, alleging Ms Patel's conduct towards staff included "swearing, belittling people, making unreasonable and repeated demands". Since then, similar allegations have emerged from the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for International Development.Mark Coles delves into the life and times of the ambitious daughter of Indian newsagents, who wants to follow in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher.Producer: Ruth Alexander

The UK’s chief Brexit negotiator is hardly a household name and until very recently this former diplomat had no public profile at all. Now David Frost has arguably one of the most challenging jobs in British politics. How has he made it to the top?Presenter: Edward Stourton Producers: Eleanor Biggs, Kate Lamble, Olga Smirnova, and Phoebe Keane

The manager who's put Liverpool Football Club on the path to winning the treble and has lead them to so many victories, their lead at the top of the table is the biggest in premier league history. But he wasn't always this successful. When he was a young footballer at Mainz 05 in Germany, his former team mate Guido Shafer says he 'had no talent'. So what can we learn from his childhood in Germany's Black Forest? How did he become the manager he is today? Presenter: Becky Milligan Producers: Phoebe Keane and Eleanor BiggsThanks to BBC 5 Live podcast: At Home With Colin Murray and SWR.

Appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer within just five years of becoming an MP, Rishi Sunak's rise has been rapid. He was parachuted into a safe seat for the Conservative party during the 2015 election and his trajectory has been skywards ever since. However, he takes office under difficult circumstances, the post only became vacant as former Chancellor Sajid Javid rejected the prime minister's order to fire his team of aides, saying "no self-respecting minister" could accept such a condition. So can Rishi Sunak take the helm and will he stand up to the Prime Minister?

The citizen journalist behind the highly acclaimed film 'For Sama', which tells the story of life, love and motherhood in war-torn Aleppo.Already the winner of 25 awards, including a BAFTA, the documentary is now in the running for an Oscar. Mark Coles reveals the extraordinary life of the Syrian student compelled to capture the daily lives of citizens trapped in the terror of civil war. Producers: Phoebe Keane & Diane Richardson

The US Secretary of State caught up in the Ukraine impeachment scandal.Mike Pompeo has a lot on his plate. He’s at the centre of the impeachment investigation into US President Donald Trump, who’s accused of breaking the law by pressuring Ukraine's president to dig up damaging information on a political rival. He’s pressuring the UK government to look again at its decision to give Chinese company Huawei a role in its 5G mobile phone network. And he’s facing criticism for refusing an extradition request relating to the death of British teenager Harry Dunn. In the week Mike Pompeo visits both the UK and Ukraine, Edward Stourton investigates the life and record of America’s top diplomat.Producers: Simon Maybin & Diane Richardson Editor: Penny Murphy

The young, black cellist from Nottingham making chart history.Sheku Kanneh-Mason was the first ever black winner of the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year. He performed with the eyes of the world looking on at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. And now he's become the first ever cellist to reach the UK’s top 10 album chart. Who is the 20-year-old making classical accessible? Mark Coles finds out from those who know him best.Producers: Simon Maybin & Diane Richardson Editor: Penny Murphy

The judge taking up the presidency of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom as tensions with the government simmer.British judges have been under attack like never before in recent years, described as “enemies of the people” by one newspaper. The Supreme Court was accused by Downing Street of making “a serious mistake” in its ruling on the prorogation of Parliament. The Conservative Party’s election manifesto promised ominously to look at “the relationship between the Government, Parliament and the courts”. The role of the country’s most senior judge has arguably never been more important. So who is Lord Reed? Mark Coles investigates.Producers: Simon Maybin & Diane Richardson

The Australian prime minister feeling the heat over his response to his country’s bushfire crisis.Pilloried for holidaying in Hawaii while his homeland burned, then heckled on camera by angry victims, Scott Morrison has been making international headlines for all the wrong reasons. It’s not been good PR for someone with a background in marketing and tourism. Mark Coles unpicks the character of Australia’s man of the moment.Producers: Simon Maybin & Diane Richardson Editor: Hugh Levinson

Becky Milligan looks at the life of Dina Asher-Smith, the fastest woman in British history. An athlete who's also a keen historian, role model and lover of the glitz. For years she's been winning championships and breaking records. But will the great British hope win gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?Producer: Smita Patel

On ‘Profile’ this week - one of Britain’s most celebrated storytellers. Michael Morpurgo has written 180 books over the past half century.Over Christmas, he narrated a new BBC TV film adaptation of his 2014 children’s story ‘Mimi And The Mountain Dragon’. Morpurgo is best known for ‘War Horse’ - a book about a horse bought by the British army to serve in the First World War and its young owner’s attempts to bring it home to safety. Turned into a National Theatre play, then a Hollywood movie – it’s made him a household name. Mark Coles hears from Morpurgo’s wife, brother, biographer and close friends talk about what inspired his writing - the profound impact war had on him as a child and the father he didn’t know for years. We hear about his time in the army, the charity he set up to give city children experience of the countryside – and why now in his mid 70s, he’s taken up his love of singing again. Producer Smita Patel Editor Penny MurphyThe programme contains music from the BBC TV Film, "Mimi & the Mountain Dragon", composed by Rachel Portman

Leopards, aliens and Songs of Praise. Mark Coles explores the life of actor John Boyega, whose talent and dedication brought him to the attention of Hollywood.Producers: Linda Pressly and Di Richardson

Pink trams, flying squirrels and a taste for rock music. Mark Coles finds out about the life and character of Finland's new Prime Minister, Sanna Marin. The first to graduate in her family, Sanna Marin entered politics at the age of 20 and rose quickly through the ranks of the Social Democratic (SDP) party becoming an MP in 2015. She now leads a five-party governing coalition.Mark Coles asks colleagues and friends what drives the world's youngest Prime Minister.

We’re profiling the relatively little known RMT union leader Mick Cash this week.Train guards have begun what they say will be 27 days of strike action across the entire South Western Railway region in December.More than 600,000 journeys a day are being affected. The aim, says 59 year old Mick Cash, is to prevent SWR introducing new driver-only controlled trains next year. Mark Coles tries to find out more about the man.

In the headlines this week was Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, Ephraim Mirvis. Just weeks before the general election he made it clear that he believed Jeremy Corbyn was unfit to become PM because of his record on dealing with anti-Semitism within the Labour party - though Mr Corbyn said the party had taken "rapid and effective" action.Edward Stourton traces the Chief Rabbi's story, which begins with a childhood in apartheid South Africa. His tenure as Chief Rabbi has been marked by a few liberalising initiatives, which have ruffled feathers and caused some disquiet within the wider Jewish community. But observers might wonder if the initiatives have gone far enough. He is used to controversy within his own community, but unused to being in the wider public's gaze. So what persuaded Ephraim Mirvis to enter the political fray and what does his intervention tell us about the man?Producer: Rosamund Jones

The American rapper and singer nominated for eight Grammy Awards - more than any other artist this year. A global chart-topping success, Lizzo has captivated audiences across the world this year from the Glastonbury festival to America’s Video and Music Awards. A classically trained flautist, her flute even has 250,000 Instagram followers. But she isn’t just celebrated for her music, she’s known for inspiring self-love and acceptance too, earning her icon status in the body positivity movement. Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Phoebe Keane and May Cameron

Did Donald Trump ‘bribe’ a foreign power – Ukraine - to try to discredit a political rival ahead of next year’s US Presidential race ?On Profile this week, we’re looking at Adam Schiff - the man tasked with finding out. A leading Democrat Congressman and former lawyer, Schiff chairs the House Intelligence Committee and is leading the impeachment investigation. President Trump calls him biased…a “pencil neck, low life” who’s conducting a “hoax witch-hunt”.Mark Coles talks to Schiff’s close friends, critics and former colleagues to find out what he’s really like…and why – before getting into politics - he wanted to be a Hollywood movie writer. Producer: Smita Patel Researcher: May Cameron

Mark Coles profiles the new Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, meeting - among others - his pet parrot, Boris.

Becky Milligan explores how a teacher from the Sydney suburbs came to lead England into the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Producer Smita Patel Researcher May Cameron.

We explore the life and career of British artist Bridget Riley as a new retrospective of her work opens at London's Hayward Gallery. She found fame in the sixties with a series of challenging black and white abstract works. Now in her eighties, she's still producing new work - perhaps even her best, according to some critics. Producer: Smita Patel Researcher: May Cameron

Bernardine Evaristo is the first black British woman to win the Booker Prize. Her novel Girl, Woman, Other shared the 2019 award with Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments. Mark Coles has been finding out about Evaristo's life as an activist, actor and writer.Producer: Smita Patel Researcher: May Cameron

The president of Turkey has controversially sent troops into northern Syria. The decision has been widely condemned by foreign leaders and at home there are signs that his popularity could be fading. But how did Recep Tayyip Erdogan rise to power? How did the son of a sea captain end up in a palace of a thousand rooms?

This week's Profile is the tale of two Rudys: a divisive figure fighting for his - and Donald Trump’s - political life. And a man who united his nation in its darkest hours. Presenter: Becky Milligan Producer: Neal Razzell

Baroness Hale, President of the Supreme Court, was wearing a giant spider brooch as she delivered this week’s bombshell ruling that Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful. "Spiderwoman takes down the Hulk" was the headline in one newspaper. Mark Coles looks at the life of the first woman to lead the UK's highest court.Producers: Smita Patel and Jordan Dundar Researcher: Darin Graham

The former Wales and British Lions captain, Gareth Thomas, has been headline news this week after announcing he’s living with HIV. In Wales, Thomas is a legend. In 2005, he led the national team to its first Six Nations grand slam title for 27 years…became the first Welsh player to be capped 100 times for his country. Mark Coles talks his friends and former colleagues. We hear about his early days as a postman, his success on the field and how he became one of the first sporting superstars to come out as gay. Producer Smita Patel Researcher Darin Graham Editor Penny Murphy

The life story of Commons Speaker John Bercow. He has announced he will stand down at the end of October after ten highly controversial years in the job. In turbulent political times, he’s proved to be a polarizing figure. For some, he is the backbencher’s champion - the most modernising Speaker in parliament’s history. Others accuse him of bias, and deliberately trying to stop Brexit. Mark Coles talks to friends, colleagues and critics of Speaker Bercow - hearing about his long political journey which started on the far right - and how he wooed his now wife with feats of rhetoric. And with his thunderous shouts of ‘Order Order’ now mimicked and memed around the world, we hear how for some, he has become an unlikely social media superstar.Producer Smita Patel Researcher Darin Graham

This week David Gauke - MP for South West Hertfordshire - shook the government he served as a cabinet minister only a few weeks ago, voting to stop Boris Johnson taking the UK out of the EU without a deal. He's given the Tory rebels their label: the "Gaukeward Squad." Edward Stourton looks at the life of this unlikely rebel.Producers: Darin Graham and Smita Patel

Peter Navarro is the economist and key White House advisor who’s egged President Trump on in his bitter trade war with China. It’s a conflict some fear threatens the stability of the global economy. Producer Smita Patel Researcher Darin Graham

Arguably the most controversial appointment of new Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s reshuffle was that of 47-year-old Dominic Cummings as his head of Brexit strategy. After serving as Michael Gove’s special adviser in the Department for Education, his role as the mastermind behind Vote Leave changed the course of British history – and now he is back to finish what he started. How did a swotty schoolboy from Durham come to be hailed as a political genius, and the most feared – and revered – man in Whitehall?Presented by Becky Milligan Produced by Jordan Dunbar Researched by Kirsteen Knight and Eleanor Biggs

Ihlan Omar is the 37-year-old Somali-born US congresswoman - one of only two Muslim women ever elected to Congress - who's become a thorn in President Trump’s side and on the receiving end of his temper. Omar was one of four congresswomen Trump told to “go back” to where they came from. So who is Ilhan Omar, why has she got the President’s back up - and what's he really up to in targeting her? Mark Coles has been finding out.Thank you to Norah Shapiro for use of clips from her documentary 'Time for Ilhan'. Researchers: Khadidja Ndiaye and Kirsteen Knight Producer: Phoebe Keane

German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen is likely to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as President of the European Commission in November. Mark Coles tells her story so far.Producer Smita Patel

The US women’s football team has made it to the World Cup final. One American newspaper has described the team's iconic player - Megan Rapinoe - as the most important athlete on the planet right now. But she isn't only a sensation on the pitch. She's a controversial figure off it. Presenter: Becky Milligan Producer: Viv Jones

It's Britain's top civil servant this week: Sir Mark Sedwill, Cabinet Secretary and the UK’s National Security Adviser. He's the first person to juggle both roles at the same time. And - what with Brexit, a new PM, perhaps even a looming constitutional crisis - he's doing it at a time of serious uncertainty. So: who is he?Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Ben Crighton

Joshua Wong has gone from schoolboy protester to the face of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong - a passionate defender of the territory’s right to self determination. He’s been repeatedly arrested and jailed. Now this week - fresh out of prison - the 22-year-old Wong is back in the limelight, putting himself on a collision course with the authorities in mainland China.

Jo Swinson is the bookies favourite to win the Liberal Democrat leadership race and take over from Vince Cable. But can this 'millennial' politician from a suburb of Glasgow, be the woman who takes the Liberal Democrats to election victory?

This week Sadiq Khan was called a "stone cold loser" and mocked for his compact stature by the President of the United States. But London's mayor hit back. He described the President's behaviour as that of an 11 year old. Becky Milligan profiles the first Muslim to become mayor of a European capital.Producer: Ben Carter

Sonita Alleyne is the jazz-loving businesswoman who's just been appointed Master of a Cambridge College - the first black woman to take on such a role. Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Ben Carter

John Bolton is the hawkish and famously moustachioed US national security adviser using the ear of the President to push a hard line on Iran.Producer: Ben Carter

He's the post-punk storyteller with a taste for panto and The Smiths. Becky Milligan profiles the new poet laureate, Simon Armitage.Producer: Ben Carter

Penny Mordaunt has just been handed her dream job. This daughter of a former paratrooper has been appointed Britain’s new Defence Secretary following Gavin Williamson’s sacking. She’s the first woman ever to hold the role. A Brexiter, Royal Navy reservist, reality TV contestant and one-time magician’s assistant, some Conservatives apparently see Penny Mordaunt as a potential future leader.Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Ben Carter

Andy Evans has been at the forefront of the campaign to secure justice for himself and thousands of others - many who have not survived - affected by what’s been called the worst scandal in NHS history. Next week he’ll give evidence at the Infected Blood Inquiry. He's waited a long time. The group he co-founded, Tainted Blood, takes as its motto words from the philosopher Voltaire: “to the living we owe respect, to the dead we owe only the truth”. Producer: Smita Patel Researcher: Tural Ahmedzade Editor: Richard Knight