Victoria Derbyshire's Unbelievable Britain

Derrick Evans, otherwise known as Mr Motivator, joins Victoria Derbyshire to reveal the extraordinary story behind one of British TV’s most recognisable personalities. From homelessness and life as a single dad to facing racism and being told a Black man doing fitness on television “wouldn’t work”, Derrick shares how he fought his way onto GMTV and became a 90s TV icon.

He also reveals what happened when he was finally given his chance on live TV, and the phone lines were suddenly jammed with viewers asking for more.

Watch next: Pastor Mick Fleming’s incredible story

Watch on Youtube → https://youtu.be/rnBfQjkbCFQ

Listen on Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/1RWmP0PjlZGgzHWekbD0JQ?si=dfa40215eac04ad8

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The Debbie Bright you know from TOWIE is only half the story. Away from the limelight, Debbie was quietly changing hundreds of lives.

Debbie shares her incredible 35-year journey from a career in fashion to fostering over 200 children and adopting two more. She opens up about the "fix-it" attitude that drives her, the heartbreak of saying goodbye to the babies she’s nurtured, and the "sliding doors" moment in a Pizza Hut that changed her life forever.

We also go behind the scenes of her time on The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE). Debbie reflects on what it was like raising her children in the public eye, her "side-of-the-road" proposal from her husband Dave, and why she has no regrets about her family’s time on reality TV.

This is a powerful conversation about the "village" it takes to raise a child, the resilience of the human spirit, and why Debbie is still smiling after a lifetime of giving.
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In this moving interview, Victoria Derbyshire sits down with Team GB athlete, adventurer, and filmmaker Luke Grenfell-Shaw to discuss his extraordinary journey of resilience and hope. Diagnosed at just 24 years old with a rare, aggressive, and incurable stage 4 cancer that had spread to his lungs, Luke was told he may only have months to live. Just days after starting his first cycle of chemotherapy, his family faced further tragedy when his older brother John died in a tragic accident.

Luke shares how a conversation with his father shifted his mindset toward survival and taking control of his time. He discusses his unprecedented treatment success, cycling in his hospital room, and the research supporting exercise during chemo. We also hear about his Bristol-to-Beijing expedition, the human kindness he witnessed, and his transition to a Team GB endurance runner. Finally, Luke explains the meaning behind his bagpipes and shares why we shouldn't wait for a crisis to pursue our dreams.

Watch Luke's documentary, "A Life In Tandem", here: https://youtu.be/WLsCanknLjI?si=u9aekeTo2KpmcRQL

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#UnbelievableBritain #LukeGrenfellShaw #VictoriaDerbyshire #CancerSurvivor #Stage4Cancer #UltraRunning

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Poet, playwright and broadcaster Lemn Sissay grew up in the care system. Raised as Norman by foster parents who told him he had been abandoned; at 12, without warning, he was sent away from the family home. He then grew up in children's homes, separated from the only family he knew.

It wasn't until adulthood he learnt the truth, discovered his real name and that his Ethiopian mother had repeatedly tried to get him back. He traced his birth family and fought Wigan Council in a landmark legal case that exposed failures in the care system.

In this week's Unbelievable Britain, he joins Victoria Derbyshire to explore identity, belonging and the extraordinary journey that shaped his life. Lemn reflects on growing up feeling unwanted, discovering poetry, finding his voice and the lessons he's learned about forgiveness, family and what it truly means to belong.

Lemn's project Tell Me Something About Family is here.

https://tellmesomething.family/

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#VictoriaDerbyshire #LemnSissay #UnbelievableBritain #Podcast #Poetry #CareSystem #Identity #Belonging
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Born in Vienna in 1929, Hedi Argent’s childhood was shattered by rising antisemitism and the Nazi annexation of Austria. She remembers with heartbreaking clarity the cruelty at the hands of her teachers, the desperate attempts to flee and the eventual safety offered by Britain.

But alongside the trauma, she also remembers moments of extraordinary kindness including the gift from a Railway Porter that still inspires her today.

Now nearly 97, Hedi reflects on what she’s learned about resilience, ageing, and why she helped create the North London co-housing community New Ground for older women built on dignity, independence, and mutual support.

Our Later Years: Shared wisdom on ageing powerfully together, by the Women of New Ground is out now, published by Bloomsbury in hardback, ebook and audio

https://amzn.eu/d/01BGz0mH

https://www.waterstones.com/book/our-later-years/new-ground/9781526692283

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