Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy
Dragons' Den star Sara Davies on the mindset of success
Entrepreneur, investor, and former Dragon’s Den star Sara Davies has spent 20 years building businesses and helping others do the same. She started her company, Crafter’s Companion, while still at university and turned it into a global brand. But as she tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy, success isn’t just about strategy - it’s about mindset. It’s a theme she explores in her latest book, The Six-Minute Entrepreneur, which distills the lessons of her own journey into advice for anyone looking to succeed. In this episode of Ways to Change the World, she reflects on the challenges facing small businesses, what she’s learned from Dragon’s Den, and why the UK needs to celebrate its entrepreneurs more. As she steps away from the Den, she also shares what’s next for her and why she remains deeply passionate about backing businesses that make a difference. Produced by Silvia Maresca and Ka Yee Mak.
27 Mar 2025 - 29 min 42 seg
Christo Grozev: the Russian spy catcher Putin wants dead
Christo Grozev is a Bulgarian investigative journalist who has spent years tracking down Russian spies and is on Vladimir Putin’s wanted list. Grozev’s open-source journalism exposed spies linked to the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in 2018 and Alexei Navalny in 2020. Now he is at the centre of his own sinister Kremlin plot, as a Bulgarian spy-ring was sent by Moscow to target him and planned to kidnap and kill him, before they were arrested and convicted in the UK. He speaks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy in this episode of Ways to Change the World ahead of the streaming release of his new documentary ‘Kill List: Hunted by Putin’s Spies’ - which is available on Channel 4. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Ka Yee Mak.
21 Mar 2025 - 39 min 03 seg
Misan Harriman on Meghan Markle, Gaza and shooting for Vogue
Misan Harriman went from picking up a camera for the first time aged 40, to becoming one of the most influential photographers of his generation. In 2020, his images of the Black Lives Matter protests went viral, capturing a historic moment of resistance and solidarity. He was also commissioned by Meghan Markle to take her second pregnancy announcement portrait and made history as the first Black photographer to shoot the cover for British Vogue's acclaimed September issue For Harriman, photography is more than an art form - it’s activism. In this episode of Ways to Change the World, he talks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about using his platform to challenge injustice, why he believes media coverage of major global issues - including the Israel-Palestine conflict - can fuel division rather than understanding, and why he wants to inspire the next generation to make a difference.. Produced by Silvia Maresca.
20 Mar 2025 - 48 min 54 seg
Jude Kelly: what feminism looks like in the age of 'strong men' politics
Krishnan Guru-Murthy sits down with Jude Kelly, founder of the Women of the World (WOW) Foundation, to talk about the rise of traditional values in global politics, equitable education and the arts and whether the divine really is 'a bloke'. Kelly, a theatre director and former artistic director of the Southbank centre in London, reflects on her experiences challenging entrenched patriarchal values while growing up as an Irish immigrant in England; how she feels our financial, legal and religious norms have placed men in charge of society and what to do about it; the recent resurgence of traditional values and strongman politics; and why community-driven change is the real key to creating a more just and equitable society. Produced by Silvia Maresca.
13 Mar 2025 - 37 min 08 seg
Gary Stevenson on taxing the rich and why you're getting poorer
Why are the rich getting even wealthier while the middle and working classes continue to struggle? Former top trader Gary Stevenson - the star behind popular YouTube channel Gary’s Economics - breaks down how wealth inequality is driving down living standards for the middle and working classes on this episode of Ways to Change the World. He tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy how the rich grow their wealth through passive income and investments, while ordinary people fall into debt, and argues that low interest rates, tax policies, and government responses to crises like 2008 and COVID-19 have mainly benefited the wealthy, deepening the financial divide. And finally, he urges people to educate themselves and push for change before inequality spirals further out of control. Produced by Silvia Maresca.
6 Mar 2025 - 49 min 34 seg
Brian Cox on Donald Trump, Keir Starmer and greed in politics
Actor Brian Cox, famed for his role as the media magnate Logan Roy in the HBO series Succession, speaks about his fears for America with Donald Trump as president again, how greed has infected politics, and whether he thinks Keir Starmer could be a great leader. In this latest episode of Ways to Change the World, Cox also tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy about growing up in Scotland, his love of British theatre, and his latest West End play “The Score” about the German classical composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Produced by Silvia Maresca and Freya Pickford.
27 Feb 2025 - 39 min
Omar El Akkad: Gaza war made me 'deeply cynical' about the West
It appears the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has been brought back from the brink as Hamas now says they will now release Israeli hostages as planned on Saturday after Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump threatened the militant group. But for award-winning author Omar El Akkad, the war in Gaza has already been a turning point for his relationship with the West - the part of the world that took him in as a child refugee. He says the faith he had in the cultural and political values he believed underpinned the West has been totally shattered by its response to the Israel-Gaza war. In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to him about his new book ‘One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This’ and asks if he has any hope for the future. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Max Velody.
17 Feb 2025 - 58 min 09 seg
Blur's Alex James: Rock stars either die or end up on a farm
On this week’s episode of Ways to Change the World, Blur bassist Alex James speaks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about Jeremy Clarkson, Oasis, band break ups, diets, and how he went from a rock and roll star “swinging from chandeliers” to a farmer with five kids. Alex James’ new book Over The Rainbow tells the story of Blur’s reunion tour last year and the struggles of a middle aged man to fit in the jeans he last wore as a young rock star. Produced by Silvia Maresca.
18 Dec 2024 - 35 min 26 seg
Omid Djalili: Finding humanity through comedy, from 9/11 to the Middle East wars
Comedian Omid Djalili talks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about Syria, Israel, Gaza and the Iranian regime, and why the West should care about the Middle East. In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Djalili says a combination of his Baha’i faith, his heritage and the encouragement of friends is what has kept him resilient in the face of setbacks, including being “cancelled” after the 9/11 attacks. Produced by Silvia Maresca
11 Dec 2024 - 37 min 35 seg
Tim Minchin on his viral speech, quitting social media and being kind
Tim Minchin has never been one for following the rules—or even having a dream. “I ran towards unpigeonholeability,” he tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy, reflecting on his career as a comedian, musician, and writer who refuses to fit into a single box. Best known for his sharp wit, powerful lyrics, and smash-hit musical Matilda, Minchin explains why he doesn’t see comedy as a vehicle for his worldview and how the messiness of life fuels his creativity. In this episode of Ways to Change the World, he opens up about stepping away from social media, the rise of polemicists in public discourse, and why kindness and generosity are central to the stories he wants to tell, and the kind of person he wants to be. Produced by Shaheen Sattar, Silvia Maresca and Ka Yee Mak.
4 Dec 2024 - 43 min 40 seg