20 Questions With Louis de Bernières

First Minister of Scotland until May of this year, Humza Yousaf is a major figure in Scottish and British politics. Here he makes the case for Scottish independence, argues in favour of wealth taxes, makes the case for immigration, champions multiculturalism and has some tough words for Elon Musk. 

A pioneer of arts broadcasting and an icon of Britain's cultural scene for decades, Dame Joan Bakewell here reflects on her career so far. At 91 she looks back on her work in television, shares her passion for art and music and literature, and explains her affair with Harold Pinter. This is a rare insight into the winner of a BAFTA Fellowship who helped transform the way the arts were covered on TV. 

The longest serving of the current crop of Today Programme presenters on Radio 4, Justin Webb gives rare insights into life behind the scenes at the BBC's flagship news show, discusses how the corporation covers politics, addresses allegations of liberal bias levelled against the national broadcaster, explains the challenges of reporting on Donald Trump for his podcast, Americast, and describes the childhood he chronicles in his memoir, The Gift Of A Radio.

Test Match Special commentator Daniel Norcross sheds a tear as he describes his elevation from founder of internet cricket commentary provider, Test Match Sofa, to one of the BBC's best loved and most enduring products. He explains the joy of cricket, reveals the secrets of his trade, and makes the case for the longest form of the game. Whether or not you like the sport, Norcross shows that in the case of TMS's coverage, it's as much about the commentary as it is about the cricket. 

Multi award-winning comedian Omid Djalili on comedy, causing offence, making a difference, his solidarity with Iranian women, expressing himself on social media, his upcoming tour and the meaning of life.  (In this episode, Djalili mentions comedian Louis CK, who expressed remorse for masturbating in front of women, but said that he had never revealed himself without first asking permission). 

Louis de Bernières, author of novels including Captain Corelli's Mandolin, on the meaning of life. 

One of football's best loved pundits, Guillem Balagué is the author of 10 books, including on Messi, Ronaldo, Maradona and Guardiola. Here he gives his verdict on the the greatest player of all time, how he fell out with Ronaldo, what he thinks of the foreign ownership of clubs, highlights the scourge of racism in the game, explains the difference between football in England and Spain, predicts who will win the Euros, offers support to Gareth Southgate, and reveals that his real passion is story-telling, not football. A rare insight into the man behind the headlines. 

One of the very top names in British food, Tom Kerridge is the only chef in the country with a two Michelin star pub. He runs multiple establishments, writes cook books and fronts TV series. Here he reveals the secrets to his stardom, describes his journey from a working class, single-parent childhood, talks about his triumph over alcoholism and losing 12 stone in weight, recounts his experience of cooking for Liam Gallagher, and outlines why a happy work force is essential to a successful business. 

World Champion and Olympic silver medallist Kriss Akabusi reveals the trauma he experienced as a child and the impact that had on his rise to international stardom. Known for his infectious enthusiasm, he tells the story of the sadness he felt when his Nigerian parents left him behind in London as a boy so that he could experience a British education. He learned to play the clown to fit in and then the army and sport brought structure. The rest is athletics history, and Akabusi describes in charismatic detail the experience of anchoring the GB 4x400m men's relay team to gold in 1991. 

A legend of stage and screen, Steven Berkoff is an actor, director and playwright, known for his roles in Bond, Beverley Hills Cop and Rambo as well as for having given his name to Berkovian theatre. Here he discusses his techniques, why theatre matters and why he's so passionate about his work.