The Arts Hour

Nikki Bedi speaks to German director Joscha Bongard about his film, Babystar and discusses this week’s cultural highlights with critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh:
Australian movie star Hugh Jackman on starring in his latest film, The Death of Robin Hood, a gritty incarnation of the well-known folklore hero
Japanese British Nobel Prize winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro on what makes a good train film
New Zealand Meg Mason on exploring obsession in her novel, Sophie Standing There
American actor Emmy Rossum on her role in the TV series, Furious
And we hear music from Bangladeshi singer Xefer Rahman who is known for her viral song, Jhumka
Photo Credit: Stephanie Augello/Getty Images

Nikki Bedi and Rhianna Dhillon chat about the week’s big film release, Practical Magic 2 – is it bewitching or cursed?
Plus, Indian dancer Radhe Jaggi joins to discuss the enchanting art of Bharatanatyam.
We also hear from Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman about turning her hugely popular comics into a smash Netflix series.
Actor Dominic Sessa talks about playing a young Anthony Bourdain in the movie Tony.
And Colson Whitehead, the double-Pulitzer Prize winning novelist behind The Nickel Boys and Underground Railroad, talks about the final book in his Harlem trilogy, Cool Machine.
(Photo: Nicole Kidman (L) and Sandra Bullock (R) stand side by side as they pose for a photo. Nicole has long blonde hair and wears a low cut black lace dress with matching lace choker. Sandra has long brown hair and wears a white shirt with oversized pointed collars under a black blazer. Credit: Getty Images)

Nikki Bedi’s interview guest, Kanan Gill, is one of the biggest comedians to come out of India. He talks about his global tour with the show, Not This Again, and critic Bidisha joins them in conversation about other cultural highlights of the week
Director Ridley Scott on his dystopian western film, The Dog Stars
French pianist sisters, Katia and Marielle Labèque, on 55 years of performing together
TS Eliot prize winning poet, Anthony Joseph, shares his memories of growing up in Trinidad
Guyanese-British actor Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri in the Marvel Universe movies, discusses returning to the stage
And the American opera star Angel Blue talks about preparing to perform in the Proms, at London’s Royal Albert Hall
(Image: Kanan Gill on stage in Edinburgh 2026. Credit Jenny Forward-Hayter.)

Nikki Bedi speaks to the Oscar winning documentary maker Orlando von Einsiedel about his latest film, The Cycle of Love and discusses this week's cultural highlights with critic Arifa Akbar:
Australian star of the excellent medical drama The Pitt, Shabana Azeez on the importance of lunch
American author Ruth Ozeki on her early career as a filmmaker
Tony and Emmy award winning actor Stockard Channing on choosing a Samuel Beckett play for her directorial theatre debut
And we hear from the legendary South African singers Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Photo Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

British actor James Norton, on joining the cast of the hugely popular Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon
Global girl group KATSEYE, born from the TV reality show Dream Academy on the pressure of coping with judgement on social media
Afrobeat legend Dele Sosimi on unearthing rare African recordings for a new compilation
Grammy-award winning singer and actor Charli XCX on her new album
Nikki Bedi meets Booker Prize longlisted Mexican American author Chloe Aridjis to discuss her latest novel, The Shadow of the Object
American star of stage and screen Neil Patrick Harris on his latest film role in Sunny Dancer ... set in a summer camp for teenagers with cancer
Swedish pop royalty Robyn on Sexistential, her new album
Nikki is joined by cultural critic, cineaste and opinion maker Hanna Flint to reflect on this week's cultural highlights
Photo Credit: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage