Welcome to
This podcast was unplanned…
Two friends of mine, veterans of the music industry, created the band Bagawire and wanted to talk about their debut album. I had access to the equipment and the desire to give it a go. They were kind enough to let me try. I was amazed to find that, having known them and performed with them for years, there was so much about their lives and careers I didn’t know. I interviewed two more friends and, again, learned so much more about them. I have always been fascinated by people’s stories and journeys and I so enjoyed the interviews I decided to keep going. Each person has led a fascinating life, has something important to say, lessons they have learned, great anecdotes to share. My focus is to talk to artists, performers and rock stars of life. I have been lucky enough to meet a few people in the first two categories and, regarding the latter, I am choosing those who have excelled at life sometimes against difficult odds.
My qualification? I was a maths teacher, a management consultant, worked for the World Health Organisation, am now a mother of three, a backing singer in a band, an aspiring writer, a mentor to a young offender, a governor at Sussex House School, a trustee for Key4Life charity. So no relevant qualification aside from the fact that I love doing this and my hope is that you enjoy the conversations too.
Some of my guests to date include Damian Lewis, Lior Raz, Chris Difford, Sir Christopher Hampton, Kate Mosse & Rageh Omaar. I’m amazed that in just a year and a half, the podcast is ranked in the top 10% of podcasts globally, with one quarter of a million connections through audio, video & social media & with our episodes reaching over 70 countries annually.
Thank you for taking the time to listen. - Katie Brewer, BWC Host.
listen. discover. enjoy. & learn
Gyles Brandreth
In no particular order, Gyles Brandreth was an MP in John Major’s government, is a writer of novels, biographies, autobiographies and stageplays, is a broadcaster, a podcaster, a television presenter and an accomplished speaker. He has set up a teddy bear museum, he started the UK Scrabble competition, he campaigns for public…
Ben Goldsmith
Ben Goldsmith has been dealt cards of both privilege and tragedy. In our conversation, Ben covers his upbringing, his time at Eton, his love of nature, the tragic loss of his daughter Iris and the organisation he has set up in her memory; ‘The Iris Project’. Ben is also a pioneer in the rewilding movement and has his…
Guy Fletcher
Guy Fletcher is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, engineer and producer. He has performed, recorded, toured and worked with artists including Dire Straits, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Roxy Music, Tina Turner and Mick Jagger. His longest standing collaboration is with Mark Knopfler not only with Dire Straits…
Bagawire
Bagawire is the new band to look out for. Its band members are Steve Overland and Tony Remy, both legends in the world of music. Steve Overland is a singer, songwriter & guitarist who has headlined all over Europe and America. He is best known as FM’s lead singer and for whom he’s written 20 albums. Steve’s been voted one of the top 10…
Prasanna Puwanarajah
Prasanna has appeared in multiple TV series, films and theatre productions; ‘The Crown’, ‘Patrick Melrose’, ‘Line Of Duty’, ‘Defending the Guilty’, ‘Ten Percent’ to name but a few. Onstage he has further acting credits with the RSC, the Donmar Warehouse and the Young Vic. He writes for the stage, for the screen and is a published author…
Bonnie Garmus
‘Lessons in Chemistry’ is a multi-million copy bestselling novel, it’s in over 40 countries and has won far too many awards to list here. Such is its success it has been made into a series on Apple Plus, starring Brie Larson. My aunt sent it to me to cheer me up after I had open heart surgery this Summer. It was one of the best presents….
David Yarrow
What do Cindy Crawford, Bill Nighy and a polar bear have in common? They have all been photographed by David Yarrow, one of the most celebrated photographers in the world. David Yarrow’s photographs are on the walls of celebrities, art collectors and no less than 3 ex-US presidents. He makes and takes photographs of…
Sir Ivor Roberts
Sir Ivor Roberts KCMG FCIL served in the British Diplomatic Service for nearly forty years. He served his country in Lebanon, France, Luxembourg, Australia, Vanuatu, Spain and served as British Ambassador to Yugoslavia during the Balkans war. He was posted as Ambassador to Ireland immediately following the signing of the Good Friday…
Jimmy Mulville
Jimmy Mulville is the co-founder and managing director of Hat Trick Productions, one of the country’s leading producers of comedy, drama and entertainment. He’s also a comedian, comedy writer, actor and television presenter. He has written, produced and acted in countless shows; Alas Smith and Jones, Chelmsford 123…
Jason Watkins
Jason Watkins is one of the leading actors of our generation. He won the BAFTA for best lead actor in The Lost Honour of Christopher Jeffries, he played Prime Minister Harold Wilson in The Crown. He played the biographer of a serial killer in Des. He’s in McDonald and Dodds, Line of Duty, Trollied, W1A, Are you being served, Taboo..
Lucy Walker
I had the most fascinating conversation with film director Lucy Walker. Lucy talks about how she became a multi-award-winning documentarian, about the craft of making documentaries, what it was like to climb a peak in the Himalayas with a group of blind Tibetan children, what it was like to create art out of waste in one of the largest landfill sites in the world, how the Amish youth….
Sally Phillips
Sally co-created, wrote and acted in Smack the Pony, a double Emmy Award- winning comedy show, for which she was nominated for best female newcomer at the 1999 British Comedy Awards. She has starred in countless films, television series, comedy shows and radio programmes such as the Bridget Jones films, Miranda, Green Wing, I am Alan Partridge, Rescue Me..
Loretta Ferrucci
What do you most want to be able to do in your life? What are you longing to achieve or create? Would you like to better understand your character and personality traits, your path in life and discover your true potential? Would you like to find peace within yourself? Would you like to have a healthier, less guilty relationship with food…
Tara Fitzgerald
Tara Fitzgerald is a star of both the stage and screen. Tara talks about everything from her experiences at drama school to her early roles co-starring with Peter O’Toole, Ewan MacGregor, Hugh Grant, Joseph Fiennes, Ralph Fiennes to name but a few and the heady time in her 20’s playing lead roles in plays, films and television series such as 'Hear My Song'…
Tony Klinger
Tony Klinger is an award-winning international maker of inspiring documentaries, rockumentaries and films. He has made over 100 films worldwide with stars from the film and music industries such as The Who, Michael Caine, Lee Marvin, Roger Moore, Deep Purple, Peter Ustinov, Jack Nicholson, Sir John Gielgud and many others…
Lior Raz
Creator, Screenplay Writer and Lead Actor in FAUDA, the award-winning Netflix Series. I have watched a couple of episodes of the long awaited fourth season and it is every bit as gritty, exciting & traumatic…
Damian Lewis
Damian Lewis is one of the most talented, sought after and highly acclaimed actors of all time, both in the UK and America. He is a multiple award winner and nominee….
Tony Remy
I’m very excited to be releasing my conversation with one of the world’s greatest and most versatile guitarists, Tony Remy. Annie Lennox, Simply Red, Gary Barlow, Jack Bruce, Craig David, Glenn Hughes; the leading artists from the rock and pop world all chose to play with him…
Richard Lissack
My guest today is Richard Lissack who is a nationally and internationally recognised barrister and is one of the handful of practitioners listed as a “Star of the Bar”. Richard talks about his highly unusual route to becoming one of the top barristers in the UK, his pro-bono work for Jack Alderman…
Chris Difford
I was unbelievably lucky to have the chance to talk to Chris Difford of Squeeze. Chris formed Squeeze in 1974 by putting an advert in a shop window and Glenn Tilbrook was the only person to answer the ad. The partnership of Chris and Glenn was a collaboration with Chris writing the lyrics and Glenn writing the music…
Kate Mosse
Kate Mosse is an international best-selling and multi-award-winning writer of fiction, non-fiction and short stories, playwright, broadcaster and champion for women’s creativity. She has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide in 38 languages and in over forty countries. Her new book, “Warrior Queens & Quiet Revolutionaries…
John Altman
John Altman has composed, arranged, conducted, produced and directed countless music for television and film including Titanic, Little Voice, Goldeneye, Leon, Peake Practice. As an arranger and conductor he’s worked on hit records for artists including Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Roy Orbison, Simple Minds…
Sir Christopher Hampton
Sir Christopher Hampton is a playwright, screenwriter, translator, adaptor, director and lyricist. He is an Oscar and Tony Award winner. His French teacher described him as “quite simply one of the most brilliant students I ever taught”. Among many things, Sir Christopher talks about his formative years in Alexandria…
Neil Laughton
Neil Laughton is an expeditioner extraordinaire. He has summited the highest mountains on each and every continent. He has skied his way to the North and South Poles, he piloted the first ever road-legal flying car from London to Timbuktu. In this conversation Neil talks about leading Bear Grylls up Everest…
Ingrid Oliver
Ingrid Oliver: One half of the comic double act Watson & Oliver; comedian, actor and writer. Ingrid talks about her journey from student to drama school to casting to having her own comedy show to acting in some of the most iconic shows and alongside some of the greatest actors of this…
Paul Booth
At the age of 16 he won a place at the Royal Academy of Music becoming their youngest student on a degree course. From busking at the age of 12 to performing at Wembley Stadium with The Eagles, Paul talks about how his love of jazz was born, his experiences touring the world as the featured saxophonist with The…
Patrick Gale
Patrick Gale is one of this country’s best loved novelists. He has written 20 sparkling books to date. His novels are achingly beautiful. They cover many aspects of life but their essence is about family, relationships, of being human, frail and vulnerable.
He is also a screen writer and his screenplay, Man…
Ian Haworth
Canada, 1978 and Ian Haworth goes on a stop smoking course. Within three days he has given the organisation all his money and has handed in his resignation at work.
This is a fascinating, shocking and salutary tale of how dangerous and prolific these cult organisations…
Danny Clifford
Danny Clifford is arguably the best Rock ‘n’ Roll photographer of ALL time.
He has led the most extraordinary life. From a tough childhood where he encountered extreme anti-semitism, he starts his career charming and hustling his way into concerts. He has a unique view of the music…
Kevin Richardson
Kevin Richardson is a world-renowned wildlife conservationist and self-taught animal behaviourist.
He provides a caring home to rescued lions, leopards, hyenas and other predators. When interacting with them he breaks every safety rule there is a…
Santa Montefiore
Santa Montefiore is a no 1 bestselling author on the Sunday Times Best Sellers list and each and every book she publishes immediately shoots into the top ten. She writes sweeping sagas of love, tragedy, trauma, heartbreak and hope. She has written 30 books and has sold over 6 million copies worldwide.
Patricia Chadwick
Patricia grew up in a Catholic Cult that separated young children from their parents then siblings then friends. At the age of seventeen she leaves and, with very little knowledge of the outside world, embarks on a career in finance that leads her to become one of the most well-known and sought-after investors on Wall Street.
Louis Prima Jr.
Louis Prima Jr. is an incredible singer, songwriter, trumpeter and bandleader. With his band “Louis Prima Jr. & The Witnesses,” Louis Prima Jr. continues his father’s legacy performing all the Prima hits plus new songs live across the world. Their third album comes out in 2022 and they just released a super-catchy Christmas single, “Hey, Skinny Santa!”
Madeline Bell
Madeline Bell is a world class jazz, pop and soul singer who has contributed to some of the greatest music of ALL time. She has released numerous solo albums revealing an array of styles and she was part of the pop combo Blue Mink with whom she had a string of top ten hits in the UK. Dusty Springfield did backing vocals for her and she has been a backing singer for Dusty, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, Elton John…
Rageh Omar
Rageh Omaar has covered and reported from some of the most hostile places on earth. His career has spanned the BBC, Al Jazeera and ITN. He is a reporter, a documentary maker, author, newscaster and is now International Affairs Editor at ITV. In this conversation Rageh talks about how he became a journalist, his…
Jeff Rawle
Actor, narrator, screenplay writer and author Jeff Rawle talks about how he fell into acting, his time at drama school, landing the lead in a new television comedy Billy Liar just two days out of drama school, working with Alan Bennett, his time as George Dent in Drop the Dead Donkey and what it was like to be Amos Diggory in Harry Potter. Having been in the industry for forty-eight years…
Sonia Jones
Sonia sang the title track to Monty Python’s Life of Brian when she was only sixteen years old, was the lead in the Broadway production Dreamtime and has performed in multiple other musicals plus the TV show Let’s Rock. She has toured with The Who, Spandau Ballet, Mike Oldfield and James Last…
Chris White
Saxophonist Chris White played with Dire Straits for 10 years. He has also recorded and played with many other top artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Aretha Franklin, Robbie Williams, Chris de Burgh, Aztec Camera, Haircut 100…
Eva Hamilton
Eva Hamilton has spent most of her life turning around the lives of some of the most marginalised members of society including inner city youth, the homeless, war veterans, young offenders and with those at risk of offending. In 2005 she was awarded an MBE by Prince Charles…
Bandwidth Conversations in sponsored by Hermit London
Hermit is built on the discovery that 10 million tonnes of bed linen is thrown away every year in Europe. They take high quality bed linen from hotels, destined for landfill, and transform it into individual, characterful and comfortable pyjamas for a good night’s sleep with one less environmental worry on your mind.
Did you know it takes 2,700 litres of water and approximately 900 days of drinking water to create 1 cotton t-shirt?
Learn more about Hermit London & it’s founder Ella Campion below.
“My focus is to talk to artists, performers and rock stars of life.”
— Katie Brewer, BWC Host