How I Found My Voice

Samira Ahmed is joined by Friends star David Schwimmer and comedy writer Nick Mohammed. David Schwimmer is one of the most recognisable faces on television. His iconic role as Ross Geller in all 236 episodes of Friends has made him TV royalty. And beyond the global cultural impact of Friends, Schwimmer is a seasoned stage actor and has gone on to direct the hit comedy Run Fatboy Run and gain critical acclaim as Robert Kardashian in American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. For his latest project, Schwimmer crossed the pond to collaborate with the British writer, comedian and actor Nick Mohammed. Together they star in the workplace comedy sitcom Intelligence, created by Mohammed, which chronicles a disastrously humorous partnership between a pompous NSA agent (Schwimmer) and an inept GCHQ computer analyst (Mohammed). In this conversation they join Samira Ahmed to talk about what shaped them and how they found their voices. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to award-winning comedian Russell Kane. They speak about his life and career, growing up in Essex, his break into comedy at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe, and his relationship with class and identity as a comedian. The recording for this episode took place in April 2021. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to best-selling author Kate Mosse. Together they discuss her life and career, the success of her historical fiction novels - including Labyrinth which won Best Read of the Year at the 2006 British Book Awards - and her contribution to the recognition of female writers. The recording for this episode took place in February 2021. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to model and actress Emily Ratajkowski. Together they discuss her rise to fame after appearing in the music video for the controversial song ‘Blurred Lines’, as well as the fraught relationship between feminism, capitalism, and exploitation. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to Academy Award-nominated actor Jude Law. They speak about his life and career, skipping school to go to the cinema in London as a teenager, his foray into acting, and the wide range of characters he’s covered in his career, from Dr. John Watson to the Pope. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to journalist, satirist, and editor of the magazine Private Eye, Ian Hislop. They speak about his life and career, from an upbringing in Nigeria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong before returning to Britain to attend boarding school where he began his satirical career. Ian Hislop became editor of the British satirical magazine Private Eye at just 25, in his 37 years as editor he has been reported as the most sued man in English legal history. This episode was recorded in April 2021 when Boris Johnson was still the prime minister of the UK. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed is joined by Friends star David Schwimmer and comedy writer Nick Mohammed in a special preview of an episode coming out in the autumn as part of Season 4 of How I Found My Voice. David Schwimmer is one of the most recognisable faces on television. His iconic role as Ross Geller in all 236 episodes of Friends has made him TV royalty. Fans around the world still gleefully recount some of his most famous lines including ‘Pivot!’, “Unagi” and ‘We were on a break!’ Beyond the global cultural impact of Friends, Schwimmer is a seasoned stage actor and has gone on to direct the hit comedy Run Fatboy Run and gain critical acclaim as Robert Kardashian in American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. For his latest project, Schwimmer crossed the pond to collaborate with the British writer, comedian and actor Nick Mohammed. Together they star in the workplace comedy sitcom Intelligence, created by Mohammed, which chronicles a disastrously humorous partnership between a pompous NSA agent (Schwimmer) and an inept GCHQ computer analyst (Mohammed). Season 2 of Intelligence will be available to watch on Sky One and Now TV from 8 June. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to the journalist and former chief speechwriter to Prime Minister Tony Blair, Philip Collins. They speak about his life and career, from growing up in a household that strongly supported Margaret Thatcher to becoming a supporter of the Labour party and speechwriter for the then Prime Minister. He is a former political columnist for The Times and author of When They Go Low, We Go High: Speeches that Changed the World and Why We Need Them. This is the last episode for this Season 3 of How I Found My Voice. We will be back later in the year with a new season. In the meantime, please spread the word to your friends and family. You can attend live recordings of the next season here: https://www.intelligencesquared.com/attend/ IF YOU ENJOY THIS PODCAST PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW US ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/how-i-found-my-voice/id1455089930 How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. The Executive Producer is Farah Jassat. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to the novelist and author of An American Marriage, Tayari Jones. They speak about her life and career from growing up in Atlanta and taking a stand on ethical issues as a child to developing her voice as a writer, the role that children's author Judy Blume played in her life, and being selected for President Barack Obama's summer reading list and Oprah's Book Club. _ We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Samira Ahmed as she speaks to the incredible Gloria Estefan - Grammy award-winning singer, international superstar, and survivor of both political and physical adversity. From fleeing Cuba as a young child to selling over 120 million records worldwide, Gloria's journey is truly awe-inspiring. Discover how she helped bring Latin-flavoured pop music to the world stage and hear her reflections on a career spanning four decades. This episode was recorded in 2020. The Producer was Head of Podcasts Farah Jassat and your host was Samira Ahmed -- We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us at @intelligence2. At Intelligence Squared we’ve got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go. It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video debates and conversations on the world’s most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to the acclaimed author of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments Margaret Atwood. They speak about her life and career, from her experiences as a young schoolgirl in Canada and her prolific writing career of novels and poetry to the impact of the Handmaid becoming a symbol of resistance against the disempowerment of women and her playful love for puppeteering. Margaret Atwood is the bestselling author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. Her 1985 classic, The Handmaid's Tale, went back into the bestseller charts with the election of Donald Trump and with the 2017 release of the award-winning Hulu TV series. Her novels include Cat's Eye, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin and the MaddAddam trilogy.Atwood has won numerous awards including the Booker Prize, the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade and the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2019 she was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to literature. She has also worked as a cartoonist, illustrator, librettist, playwright and puppeteer. IF YOU ENJOY THIS PODCAST PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW US ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/how-i-found-my-voice/id1455089930 How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. The Executive Producer is Farah Jassat. Follow us on Twitter for updates of upcoming episodes @intelligence2 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For International Women's Day we bring to you a special bonus episode of our award-winning podcast, How I Found My Voice presented by the BBC journalist Samira Ahmed. This episode features clips from some of our favourite female interviewees including novelists Margaret Atwood, Bernardine Evaristo and Elif Shafak, actors Kate Winslet, Rose McGowan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, singer Paloma Faith, Labour politician and Member of Parliament Jess Phillips, businesswoman Gina Miller, and comedian Katharine Ryan. PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW HOW I FOUND MY VOICE ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/how-i-found-my-voice/id1455089930 How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. The Executive Producer is Farah Jassat. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to the actor Priyanka Chopra. They speak about her life and career, from growing up in a military family and developing her love for performance to gaining fame through winning Miss World and her career in Bollywood and now Hollywood. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. BUY TICKETS TO ATTEND OUR EXCLUSIVE LIVE RECORDING OF HOW I FOUND MY VOICE WITH SATIRIST IAN HISLOP AT 6PM ON 14 APRIL 2021. Use the discount code HIFMV for 50% off the regular ticket price. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/ian-hislop-on-his-life-career-and-the-power-of-satire/ How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. The Executive Producer is Farah Jassat. Follow us on Twitter for updates of upcoming episodes @intelligence2 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to the writer Anthony Horowitz, known for his bestselling novels including Sherlock Holmes, James Bond and the young adult Alex Rider series, as well as his screenwriting contributions to hit TV shows such as Foyle's War, Agatha Christie's Poirot and Midsomer Murders. They speak about his life and career, from being sent to boarding school and finding his voice as a writer to his championing of young people having a voice in political conversations such as Brexit that impact their future the most. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. BUY TICKETS TO ATTEND OUR EXCLUSIVE LIVE RECORDING OF HOW I FOUND MY VOICE WITH SATIRIST IAN HISLOP AT 6PM ON 14 APRIL 2021: https://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/ian-hislop-on-his-life-career-and-the-power-of-satire/ How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. The Executive Producer is Farah Jassat. Follow us on Twitter for updates of upcoming episodes @intelligence2 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to the Oscar-winning actor and Hollywood star Kate Winslet. She speaks about her life and career, from discovering her love of acting in childhood and becoming a Hollywood sensation in Titanic to never-before-told stories of her and Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as her reflections on how the film industry deals with recording intimate scenes and her latest movie Ammonite, which looks at the Victorian fossil hunter Mary Anning. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. BUY TICKETS TO ATTEND OUR EXCLUSIVE LIVE RECORDING OF HOW I FOUND MY VOICE WITH SATIRIST IAN HISLOP AT 6PM ON 14 APRIL 2021: https://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/ian-hislop-on-his-life-career-and-the-power-of-satire/ How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. The Executive Producer is Farah Jassat. Follow us on Twitter for updates of upcoming episodes @intelligence2 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to the actor, comedian and writer Meera Syal. They speak about her life and career from growing up in a Punjabi household to pioneering comedy with Asian actors on the BBC through hit shows such as Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No.42. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. BUY TICKETS TO ATTEND OUR EXCLUSIVE LIVE RECORDING OF HOW I FOUND MY VOICE WITH SATIRIST IAN HISLOP AT 6PM ON 14 APRIL 2021: https://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/ian-hislop-on-his-life-career-and-the-power-of-satire/ How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. The Executive Producer is Farah Jassat. Follow us on Twitter for updates of upcoming episodes @intelligence2 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to the outspoken Labour politician and MP for Tottenham, David Lammy. He is currently the Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice. In this episode he reflects on his life and career, from winning a choral scholarship as a young boy and developing his interest in politics to becoming a barrister and one of Britain's most vocal politicians around issues of social justice. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. BUY TICKETS TO ATTEND OUR EXCLUSIVE LIVE RECORDING WITH KATE WINSLET NEXT WEEK AT 6PM ON FEB 10: https://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/kate-winslet-how-i-found-my-voice-with-samira-ahmed-online/ How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. The Executive Producer is Farah Jassat. Follow us on Twitter for updates of upcoming episodes @intelligence2 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to the one of the biggest names in British music, the BRIT Award-winning singer, songwriter and actor, Paloma Faith. They discuss her life and career, from how she found her unique voice as a performer to where her strong sense of social justice comes from and how she has had to navigate racist and sexist elements within the music industry. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. The Executive Producer is Farah Jassat. Follow us on Twitter for updates of upcoming episodes @intelligence2 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to the chef Yotam Ottolenghi, who has arguably done more than any other food writer in recent times to change the way we cook and eat. In 2014 the American food magazine Bon Appétit wrote that he had ‘made the world love vegetables’ – although he himself is not a vegetarian. They speak about his life and career, from discovering his love of food in Jerusalem and that his grandmother was a Mossad spy to his professional partnership with Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi and navigating what it means to be a gay man and parent. He is the author of numerous cookbooks including Simple and Flavour. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to the journalist and author Elizabeth Day, who she dubs the 'failure guru'. They speak about her life and career, from growing up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles to learning from failed dates and coming up with her chart-topping podcast, How To Fail, a celebration of things that haven't gone right. She has been a feature writer for publications including The Times, Vogue and Vanity Fair and her latest book is Failosophy: A Handbook for When Things Go Wrong. If you enjoy this podcast, we would love to know what you think. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices