Under The Skin with Russell Brand

This week philosopher Simon Critchley enlightens us to the roots of philosophy, as well as topics including football as ‘working class ballet’, what constitutes a 'good death’, and the relevance and importance of philosophy in these times.

In a fascinating interview I discuss with Yanis what happens when you take on the political, financial and media elite, and how radical reform can occur. Through accounts of his confrontations with the IMF, European institutions and the German government we examine where true power lies and how it is wielded.

On the eve of the UK General Election I talk with Stop The War’s Lindsey German and Dr Brad Evans about how violence has been normalised to the point where as voters we’ve not only become desensitised to it, but have been taught to desire it from our leaders.

This week’s show asks: What kind of freedom do we have? Are we responsible for our actions? Do we create our own identity and if not, should we question it?

Dr Brad Evans, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain and I reflect on the tragic events in Manchester and ask how we can break the cycle of violence.

George Monbiot and I discuss the dark money capturing our politics for the billionaires and corporations; the terrifying power of Big Data; and the opportunity for a new democracy.

Comedian Simon Amstell and I discuss his film 'Carnage', how veganism began a journey of personal enlightenment and how taking Ayahuasca changed his life.

Neuroscientist and laughter expert Sophie Scott and I discuss the use of comedy within politics, how the left and the right use language differently, and what communication techniques to look out for in the run up to the UK election.

Does politics matter? Dr Brad Evans and I discuss the snap UK election, how to reimagine a better future and what real radical politics looks like.

I’m joined by writer Matthew Todd to discuss the crisis of shame facing the LGBT community, the disproportionate link to mental health problems and how taking a lead on trauma recovery could change the world.

Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick and I discuss the difficulty in overcoming boundaries between human and animal science, Noel’s own groundbreaking work, and the need to understand and harness the love between humans and animals.

This week I’m joined by Yuval Noah Harari, author of bestseller ‘Sapiens: A Brief History Of Humankind’. We discuss how homo sapiens came to dominate the world, how our society is built on fiction, the creation of a class of useless people, and the future for our species.

In this week’s show I talk to Professor Anne Phillips about feminism, its perception within society and the cultural shift necessary to create real change and greater equality.

This week I speak with filmmaker Adam Curtis about the rise of individualism, where real power lies, and whether we really want change.

In this week’s show I talk to Professor Paul Gilroy about the re-emergence of open racism within political rhetoric, the relationship between race and religion, and why we still divide humanity into different identity groups based on skin colour.