Best Leeds Alumni Podcasts (2024)

1
Sir Keir Starmer: Leeds's first Prime Minister 24:20

1M ago24:20

24:20

On 5 July 2024 Sir Keir Starmer (Law 1985, Hon LLD 2012) - one of the University's most prominent alumnus - became the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Sir Keir is the first Leeds graduate to become UK Prime Minister, and one of only a few University-educated PMs to not study his bachelors at Oxford or Cambridge. His journey to…

1
Northern Ballet's Romeo & Juliet: Preserving the passion 35:04

6M ago35:04

35:04

Northern Ballet’s Romeo & Juliet has survived fire, flood and the changing fashions of more than three decades. Ahead of the 2024 revival of this classic production, we discover the turbulent tale behind it. Director of the University’s Cultural Institute Wieke Eringa hears from Daniel de Andrade and Pippa Moore MBE, who danced the title roles and …

1
Make a Difference: One Path to the Third Sector 26:13

6M ago26:13

26:13

The Careers Service is excited to present this special podcast episode all about the connections you can build with charitable clubs and societies through a career in student unions. Listen along to hear all about different pathways into this line of work as well as top tips to help start your career journey before and after graduation. Hosted by o…

1
Episode 14: Setting the standard for vegan ice cream with Dirk Mischendahl 20:42

10M ago20:42

20:42

Founder and director of Northern Bloc Dirk Mischendahl (Psychology 1995) is doing ice cream differently. He started out by making ice cream through the night and selling it from a van during the day. Now, Dirk and co-founder Josh Lee supply hundreds of theatres, arts venues and tourist attractions across the UK. Northern Bloc can be found in the Co…

1
Episode 13: Honorary graduates Anita Rani and Ondrej Krivanek 19:52

1y ago19:52

19:52

In this episode we’re joined by broadcaster Anita Rani (Broadcasting 2000) and physicist Ondrej Krivanek (Physics 1971), as they return to the University to receive honorary doctorates. Ondrej is a leading developer of electron-optical instruments. He talks about how the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 led to him enrolling in physics at …

1
Episode 12: Naga Munchetty 22:53

1y ago22:53

22:53

Naga Munchetty is one of the most recognisable faces in the UK. Since 2014 she's been a regular presenter on BBC Breakfast, she's a presenter on 5 Live, but did you know the spark to embarking on her career as a journalist involved a trumpet and the Leeds Student? After being a musician in her teens, she had to give back her trumpet to the Inner Lo…

1
Episode 11: Cystic Fibrosis Trust's Dr Keith Brownlee 21:16

1y ago21:16

21:16

This week we speak to Dr Keith Brownlee, Director of Medical Affairs at the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Since graduating with a medical degree from Leeds in 1984, Dr Brownlee gained over 30 years’ experience caring for children and families with Cystic Fibrosis. In the podcast he speaks about the disease, the development of life-changing treatments, the…

1
Episode 10: The World Health Organization's Dr Ian Smith 22:01

1y ago22:01

22:01

This week marks the 75th anniversary of the NHS, and another health organisation that’s celebrating 75 years in 2023 is the World Health Organization. The international body’s renowned for its work in eradicating smallpox, polio, and most recently its efforts during the Covid pandemic. Leeds has a long history of its alumni working for the organisa…

1
Episode 9: Pride Scholarships at Leeds 15:45

1y ago15:45

15:45

This week we're coming to the end of Pride Month. The month of June is a time when we celebrate and commemorate the LGBT community. We celebrate how far we’ve come from the time of the Stonewall riots of 1969, but we also reflect on the issues that continue to face LGBT people globally. And that’s something that we want to address at the University…

1
Episode 8: Professor Sir Steve Jackson 14:39

1y ago14:39

14:39

This week the University is celebrating its staff and alumni who have been named in the King’s Birthday Honours, and Biomedical scientist and Leeds alum Professor Steve Jackson is among them. He received a knighthood as part of the King's Birthday Honours List. Steve is both a researcher and entrepreneur, and heads up the Cancer Research UK Cambrid…

1
Episode 7: Fix Your Fatigue with nutritionist Karina Antram 20:54

1y ago20:54

20:54

After struggling with a debilitating combination of fatigue and burnout during her career as an HR leader, Karina decided to take matters into her own hands. She retrained as a nutritionist, and now runs her own clinic, providing support to people with fatigue, stress and burnout. This year, she released her bestselling book, Fix Your Fatigue. Kari…

1
Episode 6: Remembering crime writer Peter Robinson 18:46

1y ago18:46

18:46

Crime writer and Leeds alumnus Peter Robinson is one of the University's most well-known former students. The Leeds-born novelist's DCI Banks series has sold nine million copies worldwide, and been translated into multiple languages. Peter died last year after a short illness, but his legacy at the University continues in the literary archive he gi…

1
Episode 5: Reporting from inside an armed bank raid 14:48

1y ago14:48

14:48

This week on Leeds Voices we're talking to Hind Hassan (Medicinal Chemisty 2007). She broadcasts from the most hostile environments in the world – but last year Hind found herself at the centre of an armed bank raid. She spent 16 hours reporting the siege in Lebanon to thousands of followers online, filming the antagonists with guns, Molotov cockta…

1
Episode 4: Olympic triathlete Jonny Brownlee MBE 13:28

1+ y ago13:28

13:28

This week we’re joined by Leeds alum and triathlete Jonny Brownlee MBE. Jonny has completed the set – he’s won Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals. He’s been world champion, and he’s won countless European and Commonwealth medals over a 14-year career. In 2012, as well as winning Olympic bronze at the London Olympics, he also graduated from Leed…

1
Episode 3: Too Good To Go co-founder Jamie Crummie 14:34

1+ y ago14:34

14:34

At a time of escalating food prices and a deepening climate crisis, Jamie Crummie has created a global phenomenon that protects bank balances and the planet. The Too Good To Go app helps customers rescue unsold food from shops and restaurants, saving it from going to waste. With the help of Spark funding from the University of Leeds, he co-founded …

1
Episode 2: Eurovision superfan Steve Rosenberg and producer Joe Mason 11:38

1+ y ago11:38

11:38

Eurovision fever has gripped the globe and for the first time since 1997 the UK is hosting the contest, on behalf of Ukraine. Weirdly these two worlds collide for BBC Russia Editor, and song contest superfan Steve Rosenberg. The Leeds alum is known for his love of the contest and away from reporting on the war in Ukraine, he escapes from the world …

1
Episode 1: The Telegraph's Camilla Tominey on the King's Coronation 21:36

1+ y ago21:36

21:36

Camilla Tominey's journey to becoming a royal journalist started at Tetley Hall, studying Law at the University of Leeds. In this candid interview she discusses preparing for the King's Coronation, reporting on the Queen's death, and reporting on royal births outside hospital while she was also heavily pregnant. Leeds Voices is brought to by the Un…

1
Jay Rayner, SIX Musical Supervisor Katy Richardson, healthier chocolate and Holi celebrations 31:27

1+ y ago31:27

31:27

Food broadcaster Jay Rayner tells us about how his path to becoming the UK’s most famous restaurant critic started with the Leeds Student newspaper. 2:15 Professor Anwesha Sakar explains how her research in oral tribology can make chocolate healthier without losing its taste. 11:59 Katy Richardson, Musical Supervisor of the stage phenomenon SIX, di…

1
Student newspaper reunion and liquid crystal contact lenses 30:04

1+ y ago30:04

30:04

Here’s a treat for everyone who read the student newspaper. Was it Union News, Leeds Student or The Gryphon when you were at Leeds? On this episode, you'll hear about the integral role our student newspaper has played on campus through the decades. 2 minutes 45 and 21 minutes 45 You’ll get the inside scoop from those who held the editor’s seat as t…

1
You're making me go back and relive these really, really, really good memories 26:21

1+ y ago26:21

26:21

Henry Gee used to ask a Hell's Angel called Big Paul for the Prog Rock Society's cheque book. You won't want to miss a rambling tale of dinosaurs, University Challenge and a benevolent Leeds professor told by the winner of the Royal Society Science Book Prize. 02:30 How do you count fish, and why would you do it? Based in our Aquatic Interactions L…

1
Life wouldn't be the same. Life couldn't be the same 29:38

1+ y ago29:38

29:38

This bumper episode features contents from the Leeds alumni digital magazine as well as a few highlights from last year's episodes. Steve Rosenberg (Russian 1991) describes momentous events during his time as the BBC's Moscow correspondent and how his life at Leeds shaped his career. 1:27 After treating casualties in Libya and Iraq, Moez Zeiton (Me…

1
We were seated three rows in front of Tom Cruise at the World premiere. 30:20

1+ y ago30:20

30:20

Did you know that the founder of IMDb went to Leeds? With a passion for film and some computing savvy, Col Needham tells us how he built the world's largest entertainment website. 02:15 Academic Dr Tom Bennett astounds us with news that plants detect signals from each other in a variety of ways, even by touch. 12:00 From Botswana, Rebecca Klein dis…

1
Moez Zeiton: Caring on the front line 18:28

1+ y ago18:28

18:28

Trauma surgeon Dr Moez Zeiton (Medicine 2009) travels to war zones to use his skills where they are needed most. But he never expected to treat similar injuries back home in Manchester. In the latest episode of My Leeds Story, he reflects on his experiences as a doctor on the front line.By Advancement at Leeds

1
Steve Rosenberg: Moscow calling 32:45

1+ y ago32:45

32:45

BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg (Russian 1991) has had quite a year. In this candid interview he speaks about living under threat from the Russian regime, preparing to interview Europe's last dictator, how Leeds shaped his career, and the year that changed Russia for ever.By Advancement at Leeds

1
Aya Al-Sharqawy: Fighting Egypt's plastic waste 15:07

2y ago15:07

15:07

When growing up in Cairo, plastic pollutants had a devastating impact upon Aya Al-Sharqawy and her family. It was the motivation she needed to tackle the crisis head on after Leeds. In this episode of My Climate Story, the inspirational Aya explains how the recent death of her father made those impacts even more stark. We learn about her start-up, …

1
Pandora Sykes, drummer Bill Bruford, and the science of clouds 30:54

2y ago30:54

30:54

Hear from celebrity podcaster, writer and 2009 graduate Pandora Sykes. She speaks about her career and waking up early to buy the second iPhone in Leeds (2:58). Long before being rated one of the best rock drummers ever, Bill Bruford was a student at Leeds. Bill discusses life as a musician on our new podcast episode — and how he chose to leave Lee…

1
The sound of Leeds still resonates 33:28

2y ago33:28

33:28

The creative powerhouse behind Idris Elba’s TV detective Luther, tells us about what drew him to Leeds and the genesis of his compelling detective. Early in life Neil learned that people you admire can have a terrible dark side (5:14). We drop by the old Bodington Hall playing fields, which have now transformed into our state of the art football fa…

1
Eurovision: One Leeds graduate’s road to success in the song contest 16:33

2y ago16:33

16:33

TV and digital broadcast producer Joe Mason discusses his part in turning around the UK’s fortunes in EurovisionBy Advancement at Leeds

1
Sam Dickinson: The race to Commonwealth gold 14:21

2y ago14:21

14:21

Sam Dickinson (Sports Science and Physiology 2019) returns from the Commonwealth Games 2022 with a gold medal from the triathlon mixed relay. We hear Sam’s reaction in our latest episode of My Leeds Story, as he talks us through the race for gold.By Advancement at Leeds

1
Working for a Smart Trading Tech Business | A chat with Kaamil from Arctic Lake 14:14

2y ago14:14

14:14

Have you ever wondered what it is like to work for a start-up and experiencing fast expansion? What are the benefits of working for an SME vs a large organisation? Is it true that your career progression may be super fast if you work for a smaller business? Our guest, Kaamil, a senior software developer at Arctic Lake will talk about how he got to …

1
Get inspired by the founder of IMDb | A chat with Col Needham 31:37

2y ago31:37

31:37

Have you ever wondered how IMDb, the movie website that we keep checking for fascinating information about our favourite actresses and actors was founded? Are you interested in where the original idea came from and who is behind this extremely popular website? Hear the story from the founder himself! Col Needham, founder and CEO of IMDb, a Universi…

1
Wrap up 25:27

2y ago25:27

25:27

Welcome to the 10th and final episode in our podcast series! Here will cover some of the key takeaways we have explored throughout the series. For more information, read our blog here!By Leeds University Business School

1
Academic Perspectives 32:14

2y ago32:14

32:14

Welcome to episode 9 in our ‘The Future at Work’ podcast! In this episode, we welcome back Prof. Chris Forde to discuss the key debates of hybrid working. For more information, read our blog here!By Leeds University Business School

1
Hybrid working 26:26

2y ago26:26

26:26

Welcome to episode 7 in our ‘The Future at Work’ podcast! Today we move onto the final theme in our podcast, hybrid working. Join us to explore how hybrid working might affect the future ways of working. For more information, read our blog here!By Leeds University Business School

1
Forever Leeds summer special, 2022 29:00

2y ago29:00

29:00

What's it like to stand on top of Mount Everest? Find out from a Leeds graduate who is just back from his record breaking 16th summit. Kenton Cool talks about life as a mountain climber and how it all stems from being a Leeds student (3:30). Also taking time to speak to us is CEO of Aviva Amanda Blanc, who shares her insight as one of only nine fem…

1
Academic Perspectives with Chris Forde 33:32

2y ago33:32

33:32

Welcome to episode 6 in our ‘The Future at Work’ podcast! Here we listen to Professor Chris Forde, Deputy Director of the Digital Futures at Work Research Centre to explore academic perspectives surrounding skills you need for the future! For more information, read our blog here!By Leeds University Business School

1
Skills for the Future 29:19

2y ago29:19

29:19

Welcome to episode 4 in our ‘The Future at Work’ podcast! Today we begin looking at a new topic in the theme of work: What skills will you need for the future? Join Ellen Wang and Marc Steward as they discuss how you can improve your CV by enhancing your skills. For more information, read our blog here!…

1
Organisational Design with Nicole Luk 28:52

2y ago28:52

28:52

Welcome to episode 5 in our ‘The Future at Work’ podcast! Following on from the discussion on ‘skills for the future’ we invited former LUBS student, Nicole Luk, to explore organizational design and the changes that she predicts in the future working environment. For more information, read our blog here!…

1
Academic Perspectives with Chris Forde 27:13

2y ago27:13

27:13

Welcome to episode 3 in our ‘The Future at Work’ podcast! Here we listen to Prof. Chris Forde, Co-Director of the Digital Futures at Work Research Centre to discuss key debates in the use of AI in the recruitment process. For more information, read our blog here!By Leeds University Business School

1
Industry Insights with Lara Senhen 38:35

2y ago38:35

38:35

Welcome to episode 2 in our ‘The Future at Work’ podcast! Continuing our discussion of AI in the recruitment process, we invited Lara Sehen, graduate of the MSc International Business Programme and Global Project Lead at FDM recruitment to discuss how AI functions in her role. For more information, read our blog here!…

1
AI selection in recruitment 29:53

2y ago29:53

29:53

Welcome to episode 1 in our ‘The Future of Work’ podcast! Here we discuss the important theme of AI in the selection and recruitment process, and how you can use it to your advantage in your job searching! For more information, read our blog here!By Leeds University Business School

1
Hollywood A-lister Chris Pine says why he loved Leeds 46:47

2y ago46:47

46:47

What did Captain Kirk love about being a University of Leeds student? Listen to Chris Pine (3:35) recall his life in Leeds, including how a barbecue at his Brudenell Road home was the “glorious cap to a great year”. You'll also hear: elite rugby player Jodie Cunningham (Medical Sciences 2013), who introduced her England teammates to the Otley Run (…

1
John Lewis Partnership 24:04

2+ y ago24:04

24:04

What is a day in the life of a Resourcing Manager like? What are the best and not so great parts of this job? What are the benefits of working for John Lewis Partnership? In this short but insightful conversation we will discuss these exciting questions with Vicki Horne who is the Resourcing Manager at John Lewis Partnership. Together, we uncover t…

1
FDM 25:18

2+ y ago25:18

25:18

In this episode, we hear from Isel, the University Partnerships Team Lead for the Northern Region at FDM. Not only is Isel a Leeds alumna, she actually worked with us in the Careers Centre, so it was great catching up! Listen to find out how Isel used her English degree and varied job experience to bag a role at FDM.…

1
What was under the hatch in the floor? 42:23

2+ y ago42:23

42:23

This episode features Martine Croxall (Geography 1990), who as a BBC news presenter has broken major stories to the world. She recalls her student life of home perms and nights out, saying “they would lift a hatch up out of the floor and you would walk down these steps” to a club under the Merrion Centre (28:50). We check in with a Leeds doctoral f…

1
Leeds Hospitals Charity 22:33

2+ y ago22:33

22:33

This week’s episode is all about volunteering! Leane is a current second-year student at The University of Leeds, who spent 5 months volunteering with Leeds Hospitals Charity before being offered a paid role. We discover why Leane decided to get involved and how this experience had such a positive impact. We also hear from the LHC Volunteer manager…

1
Civil Service Fast Stream 27:09

2+ y ago27:09

27:09

In this episode of 'A Day In The Life', we're joined by Civil Service Fast Streamer, and University of Leeds alum Ellie Chambers. Ellie tells us what the application process for the fast stream was like, how she found working from home and reveals what the culture is really like at The Civil Service. "I really like being in the heart of government.…

1
N Brown Group 34:20

2+ y ago34:20

34:20

This week, we welcome Leeds Alum Chloe Greaves who, after graduating with a degree in Economics, decided to take on the fast-paced world of digital retail! In this episode, we hear about Chloe’s time in upstate New York, her love for the North and what fashion buying actually entails!By Leanne Balderson

1
The one with the megastars 48:18

3y ago48:18

48:18

The latest episode of our Forever Leeds podcast charts the journey of Ben Winston (Broadcasting Studies 2004) from Brudenell Road to Beverly Hills, becoming executive producer of one of the biggest TV events of the decade – Friends: The Reunion. We explore how two Yorkshire schoolgirls created the first fake news controversy with the infamous Cotti…

1
Money matters: Combatting the climate crisis 41:11

3y ago41:11

41:11

In episode three, host Simon Moore is in conversation with Leeds alumni Jennifer Bell (Economics 2015), Senior Climate Risk Policy Advisor at the Bank of England, and Professor Iain Clacher (PhD Accounting and Finance 2008), Professor of Pensions & Finance at Leeds, and Pro Dean for International at Leeds University Business School. We hear about t…

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