Peter Mandelson has been sacked from his role as British Ambassador to the US over his association with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. It is the third time he has been forced to leave government. An instrumental part of Tony Blair’s landslide election victory in 1997, Mandelson was rewarded with a seat in the cabinet. But he was soon forced to resign as Business Secretary after failing to declare a six-figure loan from a fellow minister. His second resignation came in 2001 after making his way back into the cabinet as Northern Ireland Secretary. Mandelson was accused influencing the passport applications of the wealthy Hinduja brothers, although was later exonerated. Mark Coles examines how despite these controversies, the man once dubbed the "Prince of Darkness" was able to keep getting himself into powerful positions. Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Ben Crighton, Alex Loftus and Adriana Urbano
Editor: Justine Lang
Sound Editor: Gareth Jones
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Zack Polanski
Zack Polanski scored a resounding victory in The Green Party leadership election on a platform promising bold communication and "eco-populism". Polanski has had an unorthodox path into politics, previously working as an actor, hypnotherapist and mental health counsellor. But he’s been dogged by a 2013 article in The Sun involving a reporter who claimed he helped her try to boost her bust size through the power of thought.Born in 1982, Polanski is gay and Jewish, and changed his name at 18 to embrace the identity erased by his family's anglicised surname. His first foray into politics was joining The Liberal Democrats, and he stood unsuccessfully for Camden Council and The London Assembly. He joined the Greens in 2017, and was elected to City Hall in 2021, becoming the party's deputy leader the following year.In his pitch for the leadership, he linked the climate crisis to inequality and called for radical action to fix it. Now leader of The Green Party, Polanski has vowed to "take the fight to Labour", telling The Labour Party,"We are here to replace you."Stephen Smith talks to friends and colleagues tracing Polanski’s journey from actor to politician. Presenter: Stephen Smith
Producers: Lucy Proctor and Ben Crighton.
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Nick Holland
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Michele Dougherty
South African – born space physicist Michele Dougherty has been awarded the honorary title of Astronomer Royal. She becomes the first woman to hold the title in the 350 – year -old history of the role.
Although her all-girls school in Durban did not offer science as an option, her father sparked her love for planetary science when he built a telescope in the back garden of the family home. After qualifying as a mathematician and moving to Germany for a fellowship, Dougherty changed focus and joined teams working on two major space missions.
Dougherty played a big role in major discoveries in the solar system, including the revelation that jets of water vapour shoot out of one of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus, meaning it may be able to support life. She even managed to convince Nasa to turn a spacecraft around to take a closer look!
Mark Coles speaks to colleagues and friends who describe her as a supportive and strong team leader always happy to celebrate other people’s successes.Presenter: Mark Coles
Producers: Ivana Davidovic and Emma Gibson
Editor: Nick Holland
Sound Editor: James BeardPHOTO: Michele Dougherty/Imperial College London
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Cindy Rose
From Disney to Microsoft, via Vodafone and Virgin Media, Cindy Rose has been a top executive at some of the world’s best known companies. Born and raised in the US, one of her early passions was figure skating – a sport she confessed left her covered in bumps and bruises. After qualifying as a lawyer, she later switched to corporate roles, relocating to Europe then London. Her time at Disney included a shift dressed as Mickey Mouse’s loyal hound, Pluto, welcoming guests to the Californian theme park. Now she’s set to become the new CEO of the troubled FTSE ad giant, WPP – where her experience in tech and AI look set to be an asset.
Stephen Smith talks to friends and colleagues to find out how Cindy Rose made it from law to leadership – and the challenges she faces as head of one of the world’s biggest advertising groups. Presenter: Stephen Smith
Producers: Natasha Fernandes, Alex Loftus, Sally Abrahams
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound Engineer: James Beard
Editor: Bridget Harney Credits:
Cindy Rose at London Tech Week, 2018
Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, addressing Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing CBS Mornings (2014)
Claudia Winkleman, Liquid News, 24 July 2002
Greenpeace scale Disney offices in London, 2004. Source: Greenpeace.
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Piers Litherland
Piers Litherland has been called a modern-day Indiana Jones. He’s a former banker-turned-archaeologist who led the discovery of the lost tomb of Tutankhamun's relative, Thutmose II. As a child, Litherland was obsessed with Egypt. It was a passion that never left him, even as he pursued a career in finance. But it was only after a chance meeting with an eminent Egyptologist from Cambridge that he decided to ditch the office job and follow his heart. Since then, Litherland has headed a joint Anglo-Egyptian mission in Egypt’s Western Wadis - funding the project himself. Then, in February 2025, his team made what’s been called ‘the discovery of the century’ - the tomb of Thutmose II, an ancestor of Tutankhamun. Litherland said he cried when he realised what he'd found. Stephen Smith speaks to friends, family and colleagues of Piers Litherland, charting his life and passion that led to the discovery of the first tomb of an Egyptian King since Tutankhamun in 1922.Presenter: Stephen Smith
Producers: Ben Crighton and Natasha Fernandes
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound: James Beard
Editor: Nick Holland
Credits:
Archive recording and audio logs of archaeological dig, Rabee Eissa and Jenny Litherland
Netherlands