“Everyone can relate to love and the hope of love”: Glasgow-based film producer Claire Mundell shares how powerful TV adaptation of The Tattooist of Auschwitz came to life

When acclaimed film producer Claire Mundell first optioned the rights to Heather Morris’ bestselling book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, she felt a huge amount of responsibility. 

Not only was she tasked with adapting a much-loved novel, which has now sold more than 13 million copies worldwide, the harrowing yet ultimately hopeful story was inspired by real people, who Claire felt duty-bound to honour and respect in her retelling.  

Both the 2018 book and the new six-part TV series, which is...

Janet Ellis on love, loss and cancer as she urges families to seek support

Since Janet Ellis lost her husband, John Leach, time has stood still.

Married for more than 30 years, Leach, a television producer, died in July 2020 after a four-year battle with cancer, and author and broadcaster Ellis admits her grief, although changed, is still a part of everyday life. “It feels mostly like no time at all,” explained the 66-year-old broadcaster, a presenter on Blue Peter in the 1980s.

“Honestly, it could be yesterday. The clock, in a very significant way, stops and everyth

INTERVIEW: Dawn O’Porter on family life in LA and her driving forces

“Oh look who’s just popped up to say hello. She is gorgeous but she eats all my favourite shoes.”

Zooming in from her home office in Los Angeles, novelist Dawn O’Porter is cuddling the family’s new seven-month-old rescue puppy, Puffin, as we make introductions. It’s the kind of scene that’s become familiar over the past few years, as the pandemic moved press junkets and interviews from swanky hotels and restaurant to video calls from celebrity homes, but not one that feels staged or forced – at

Acclaimed writer Armando Iannucci on why unfolding horror in Kyiv is so chillingly familiar

Karl Marx may once have suggested history repeats first as tragedy then as farce but, like all of us, Armando Iannucci sees only tragedy in the awful events unfolding in Ukraine.

The writer and satirist explored the politics of Russia in movie The Death Of Stalin, an acclaimed comedy drama in 2016, and filmed scenes in Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi Station.

Today, he admits watching refugees in the same, familiar station now desperately trying to board trains to flee the shells and missiles ­raining on th

Interview: TV chef Julie Lin on why army-style kitchens are off the menu

Between the long hours, physical demands, mounting orders and stress of maintaining standards, working in a professional kitchen is something of a pressure cooker – and it’s not uncommon for the lid to blow off in a steam cloud of anger and aggression, shouting and swearing.

From Gordon Ramsay’s outbursts on Hell’s Kitchen to the anxiety-riddled service shown in FX’s The Bear, and Stephen Graham’s 2021 film Boiling Point, the angry, bullying head chef has become synonymous with high-quality din

INTERVIEW: Tennis star Jamie Murray on how he learned to relax and relish year of lockdown

For an international sports star like Jamie Murray, travelling, checking in and checking out, the airports, hotels, packing and unpacking is like breathing.

When it stops, shudderingly, shockingly, as the world locks down, it could be a bit of a shock and, he freely admits, it was.

“It was definitely a different mindset, for sure,” says the seven-time Grand Slam doubles winner. “Our mind is so consciously programmed into being on the move all the time. Even when I’m at tournaments, and I’ve be

The Bourne supremacy: Acclaimed director on how he took ballet and took steps to transform it

In the world of ballet, Matthew Bourne has always danced to his own tune and, for the past three decades, the prolific choreographer and director has shaped some of the world’s best-loved stories for the stage attracting a new generation of fans with innovative, bold and sometimes shocking productions.

So it is somewhat surprising, when asked about how the industry has changed, that he should point not to his own successes but to the importance of television shows such as Strictly Come Dancing.

Singer and podcaster Jessie Ware on Table Manners success, imposter syndrome, and being a working mum

Jessie Ware’s uniquely soulful voice was always going to make her a star.

Indeed, after starting out as a backing singer, her debut solo album, released in 2012, was quickly nominated for the coveted Mercury Prize, and the following couple of years were filled with sell-out live performances, critical acclaim, and a string of Top 10 hits.

But it was only after her musical career hit a wall that she found the project that would make her a household name, rubbing shoulders with everyone from San

The hits keep coming: DJ Annie Nightingale on why she has no time for golden oldies at the age of 81

She played their records, met them and, in many cases, helped propel them to the top but Annie Nightingale is not at all interested in wandering down memory lane with the biggest stars in music.

The broadcaster, now 81, whose 50-year career forged a path for women in the music industry, may have a new edition of her memoirs coming out but is far keener in talking about the stars of tomorrow than the hits of the past.

BBC Radio 1’s longest-serving presenter admits her passion for music has alwa

Gino D’Acampo on how wife’s secret recipe collection inspired new series

It is Gino D’Acampo’s name on the cover but the celebrity chef admits much of the credit for his new book goes to his wife, Jessica, for collecting his recipes for the past 10 years.

“My wife has a blue folder in the kitchen,” explained D’Acampo, who regularly cooks on ITV’s This Morning. “I’ve been looking at that folder for the last six, seven years and thinking, ‘Why is that ugly folder always in my kitchen?’

“I asked her and she said it was a collection of recipes that I had been cooking o

INTERVIEW: Bake Off winner Candice Brown on finding her happy place, running a pub during lockdown and avoiding stress in the kitchen

When asked for the secret to their success, most celebrities will say it’s all down to luck. Candice Brown is no different.

As we chat on the phone about everything from The Great British Bake Off to running a pub during the pandemic, the television personality and all-round foodie expert often describes herself as “lucky” and seems genuinely humbled by the success she has found since winning television’s most popular baking show.

She won the series in 2016 and since then has penned two cookbo

INTERVIEW: Radio 1 presenter and Love Island gossip queen Arielle Free on her long, hot and super-busy summer

Arielle Free is gearing up for a very busy summer of late nights and early mornings – but it will be all work and no play for the TV and radio broadcaster. Well, sort of.

As well as rising with the lark to host the early breakfast show on Radio 1, over the next eight weeks the 34-year-old will spend her evenings dissecting every kiss, argument and “coupling up” as television’s most popular dating series returns to our screens.

Arielle presents Love Island: The Morning After, the official podca

Broadcaster Kaye Adams on why women find it hard to talk about the impact of the menopause but why they really shouldn’t

Unlike her friends, who complained of hot flushes, insomnia and mood swings, the menopause took Kaye Adams almost by surprise.

There was a moment in her early 50s when the television and radio presenter just stopped “feeling like herself” – her usual outgoing chattiness replaced by anxiety and a heavy weight in her chest – but she didn’t even consider that the changes might have been brought on by, well, “the change”.

Looking back now, she says her reaction was in part a refusal to believe she

Comedian Ashley Storrie on why playing an autistic young woman in her first dramatic role has helped her open up about her own diagnosis

For actors, every role means diving into a new character, raking about in their psychological wardrobe and adopting a completely different personality.

When Ashley Storrie landed the lead in her first television series it was the opposite. She could at last be herself.

The 33-year-old stand-up comedian makes her acting debut in BBC Three’s new comedy drama series Dinosaur playing Nina, who is autistic but yet to be diagnosed.

Filming the pilot episode, which aired last week, was a liberating

INTERVIEW: Strictly dancer Dianne Buswell on how lockdown changed her love life, the thrill of returning to TV and going back to her roots

As one of the Strictly Come Dancing professionals, Dianne Buswell is used to being kept on her toes, expertly hopping between rehearsals and photo shoots, interviews and tours before, during and after filming television’s most popular reality series.

But, just like everyone else, the past 12 months have meant her schedule was suddenly free of the usual travel and trips, allowing her to spend more time at home – which the 32-year-old admits was the silver lining of such a difficult year.

“It’s

Elaine C. Smith on giving a new voice to The Gruffalo and her ire for the luvvies who once considered her own accent a little too beastly for the stage

With words such as dreich, beastie, glaikit and wheesht, the Scots language and all its multifarious regional dialects is, spoken or written, a carnival of communication.

But, according to actress and comedian Elaine C Smith, her accent, which won her fame on national television, was not always a professional boon.

“I was brought up with a mother who taught us to speak ‘properly’ but I’ve often heard over the years that because I have a heavy working-class accent I therefore can’t really be th

Monica Galetti: ‘Scottish seafood is the best. We need to shout about it’

Scottish produce is renowned the world over for its flavour and quality yet, according to leading chef Monica Galetti, too few Scots know the delights on their doorstep.

As the country’s primary food export, fish and seafood contribute an estimated £1 billion to Scotland’s economy and 80% of the more than 430,000 tonnes landed by Scottish vessels is sold abroad – resulting in about 60% of the fish eaten in Scotland being imported.

For Galetti, who has spent the past year serving as the inaugur

"I thought my wild ’90s life had finally caught up with me. Then I learned I wasn’t alone": Meg Mathews on the impact of menopause

To the outside world, Meg Mathews had built the perfect life since her heyday as Britpop royalty – with a beautiful daughter, a loving partner, and a successful career, she had gone from newspaper headline-grabber to mid-life entrepreneur who was now enjoying life outside the spotlight.

But, in reality, the once outgoing, fun-loving woman had all but disappeared, replaced by a 40-something stranger, who was too scared to even leave the house.

Crippled by anxiety and relying on anti-depressants

INTERVIEW: How style guru Trinny Woodall inspired a new generation of fashion followers

Trinny Woodall looks me straight in the eye with the knee-quivering stare of a military commander and says: “You know, only 25% of people can actually wear black.”

Stealing from her gaze, I allow my eyes to drift down to the outfit I picked out that morning, pre-dawn and very much pre-coffee, and realise I’m wearing every shade of black imaginable. I could almost pass for a Ringwraith.

Thankfully, her next sentence lifts me out of the pit of despair almost as quickly as I sank: “But you can, f

"One man said I was ‘difficult’. I gave him the death stare": Judy Murray on tackling sexism in sport

It’s often said that behind every great man there’s a great woman, and when you look at the legacy of someone like Judy Murray, it’s easy to see why.

When her sons, Jamie and Andy, were showing early potential as tennis players, Judy fought for her boys to have access to the coaching and facilities that would allow them to develop their game – and she didn’t stop at local or even national level.

Through sheer determination, hard work and sacrifices, she enabled the brothers to continue in the

Una Healy: I’d be getting into a car and the paparazzi would put a camera up my skirt. You had no control

Performing on stage to thousands of adoring fans, touring the world and attending glamorous celebrity parties is the kind of success most young singers can only dream of. But for the lucky few who reach those dizzying heights, pop stardom comes with a hefty trade-off.

The recent Framing Britney Spears documentary, which explores the feeding frenzy that has surrounded the singer since her stratospheric rise to fame aged just 16, has highlighted the darker side of female celebrity, while stars su

We’re just here to give a little bit of sunshine to people: Steps are back and getting us singing and dancing our way out of lockdown

In the 1990s there was a winning formula for every hit pop song – the lyrics had to be catchy, the tempo upbeat and, of course, there had to be an associated dance routine.

It was a clever, marketable trend that turned everyday tunes into the kind of timeless earworms that, even 25 years down the line, still have people singing along.

And, arguably, it’s the reason five-piece band Steps were, and still are, a household name.

Starting with their first single 5, 6, 7, 8 – a modern line-dancing

INTERVIEW: Angela Scanlon - Life is knackering. Live TV is terrifying. But I’m so lucky to do what I do

Like most women, Angela Scanlon is a great multi-tasker. Not only does the 36-year-old television presenter expertly hop between filming for the hugely popular BBC series, Your Home Made Perfect, and hosting duties on The One Show, she also has her own Sunday morning programme on Radio 2, and anchors a podcast filled with celebrity interviews.

And if her busy work schedule wasn’t enough, she also regularly travels back and forth between home in London and her native Ireland, all while running a

Superfan with a microphone: Strictly podcast host Kim Winston on how she waltzed into her dream job

For more than a decade, Kim Winston has watched backstage as countless celebrities have twirled, swayed and waltzed across the Strictly dance floor.

And while working for the BBC show’s production team has given the 36-year-old an enviably encyclopaedic knowledge of the most glamorous show on television, there’s still one thing she hasn’t quite managed to learn – how to dance.

“I can’t dance at all, I’m absolutely terrible,” laughed Kim, who joined the Strictly crew as a researcher for present