The Interview

Nhial Deng Nhial: ‘South Sudan is being run down’

‘There's basically a total failure of governance. Nothing is working. There is very serious political instability that has actually manifested itself in violence all across the country.’ James Copnall speaks to senior South Sudanese politician Nhial Deng Nhial, about the political instability that’s threatening the future of the world’s youngest country. Nhial, who has served in numerous important roles in, including as South Sudan’s Foreign Minister, made headlines last month when he openly criticised the country’s president, Salva Kiir, going from former ally to a voice of opposition. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of struggle led by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, or SPLM. But just two years into independence, a power struggle between President Salva Kiir and his vice-president Riek Machar led to a civil war in which 400,000 lost their lives. The civil war was brought to an end in 2018 through a peace deal that saw the creation of a unity government that was meant to pave the way for elections in 2022. However, these never happened, and following renewed clashes between the army and opposition forces earlier this year. The United Nations is deeply concerned about a possible return to outright war. Amid these growing tensions in the country, even once-staunch allies of the President are now speaking out - including Nhial Deng Nhial who suspended his membership of the ruling SPLM, and accused the government of corruption, fuelling insecurity and refusing to hold long-delayed elections. President Salva is no stranger to public criticism - but there was a sense of shock that the latest to take aim at South Sudan’s leader was Nhial Deng Nhial, a prominent figure in the country, and the party, for decades. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: James Copnall Producer: Ben Cooper Editor: Justine Lang Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Nhial Deng Nhial Credit: HANNAH MCNEISH/AFP/GettyImages)

Sir Bradley Wiggins: I couldn’t see hope or joy

''There were periods when I couldn’t see any hope or joy,'' says British cycling champion Sir Bradley Wiggins in a deeply personal interview with Anna Foster The first Briton to win the Tour de France, he collected five Olympic gold medals throughout his career. But his stellar reputation came under attack as he faced allegations of doping. What followed was a descent into drug addiction that was fueled, he says, by the pain of an absent father and the abuse he suffered at the hands of a coach, all while growing up in the public eye. Today he is a “better version of himself”, supported by close family, clean of drugs for a year and in therapy. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Anna Foster Producers: Jade Lauriston and Lucy Sheppard Editor: Justine Lang Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Sir Bradley Wiggins Credit: Nordin Catic/Getty Images)

Edward Enninful, former editor of British Vogue: fashion has to be more inclusive

‘Fashion has to be more inclusive, it has to speak to people outside the normal demographic’ BBC presenter Amol Rajan speaks to Ghanaian-born Edward Enninful, who rose to the pinnacle of fashion in Britain as the editor-in-chief of British Vogue. Enninful has dedicated his career to making fashion representative and relevant to all, ignoring the accepted conventions on which type of models will make magazines and clothes sell. Even before I knew what inclusivity was, he says, I knew something wasn’t right. But now Enninful warns fashion is at risk of returning to a narrow definition of beauty, where being thin, European and young is the ideal. In this interview, he sets out an alternative vision of fashion where diversity is welcomed, and the beauty of older women is recognised - inspired by the ‘bodacious’ African women dressed by his seamstress mother throughout his childhood. Enninful arrived in London from Ghana as a boy, and was fashion director of the influential i-D magazine by the age of 18. After being appointed editor of British Vogue in 2017, he spent six years at the helm before stepping down. He is now launching a new fashion and media platform EE72. Thank you to the Radical podcast team for their help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Amol Rajan Producers: Lucy Sheppard and Grace Reeve Editor: Justine Lang Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Photo: Edward Enninful. Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Sir Philip Pullman: fantasy can be unsatisfactory

‘A lot of the fantasy that I have read is unsatisfactory for me because it's not interested in psychology, it's not interested how people think or feel’ Katie Razzall speaks to renowned British author Sir Philip Pullman as he publishes his latest, and final book in the series, The Rose Field. He’s best-known for writing the award-winning ‘His Dark Materials’ - a series of novels beloved by children and adults alike all over the world. The books follow the adventures of the two main characters - Lyra and Will - across a series of parallel universes, where Pullman blends magical storytelling with physics, philosophy and theology. Pullman was a part-time English lecturer when the first instalment in the series was published thirty years ago. Tens of millions of copies have been sold across multiple continents, and the stories have been translated into 40 languages. The commercial and critical success spawned a follow-up series, The Book of Dust, which came out nearly a decade ago. The 79-year-old has now picked up his pen to publish this latest and final instalment. Although loved all over the world, the stories have also attracted controversy for their criticism of religion. Pullman, who once described himself as a ‘Church of England atheist’, is outspoken on a number of modern-day issues - such as politics, free speech, and indeed faith - with his views regularly influencing his writing. Thank you to the Culture team for their help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Katie Razzall Producers: Ben Cooper and Roxanne Panthaki Editor: Justine Lang Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Sir Philip Pullman. Credit: Massimiliano Donati/Awakening/Getty Images)

Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia co-founder: We’re living in an era of a massive lowering of trust

‘We’re living in an era of a massive lowering of trust’ Shaun Ley speaks to Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, one of the most visited websites in the world. He talks about how to trust in a digital age, the pressures facing open‑knowledge platforms and his new book The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things That Last, where he shares the lessons that transformed Wikipedia and could transform our relationship with information too. Jimmy Wales co founded Wikipedia in 2001, it was built on the principle that knowledge should be free and created collectively. With over 300 language editions, it’s the largest free knowledge resource, relying on donations by online readers. He reflects on how Wikipedia is navigating an era of misinformation, political pressure, and declining public trust in institutions. From accusations of left-leaning bias by conservative voices and scrutiny from authoritarian governments, to the challenge of keeping a global, multilingual platform accurate and inclusive, he explains how Wikipedia’s unique open-source model, powered by thousands of volunteer editors, continues to hold the line on transparency and truth. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Shaun Ley Producer: Farhana Haider Researcher: Meaghaen Reid Editor: Justine Lang Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Photo: Jimmy Wales. Credit: Daniel Leal/AFP)