Rupert Lowe

Rupert Lowe

Author: BBC Radio 4 June 20, 2026 Duration: 14:27

Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe is the newest disruptor in right-wing politics but the path he has taken to get there is a familiar one.

Born in Oxford in 1957 Lowe attended an elite all boys boarding school before studying for a degree in Estate Management. After university he was a commodity broker in the City and went to Japan to work in securities but when British football clubs emerged as attractive financial assets in the 1990's he became chair of Southampton after a reverse takeover. Lowe resigned in 2006 after a decade in charge – having been blamed by many fans for relegation in 2005 after 27 years in the top flight. He made a return but resigned again in 2009 as the club’s holding company went into administration.

Next he decided to try his hand at politics. In 2019 Lowe became an MEP for the Brexit Party before switching to national politics after the UK left the EU in 2020, this time for Reform UK. In 2024 he became MP for Great Yarmouth but after falling out with Reform leader Nigel Farage he became an independent MP and launched his own party, Restore Britain.

Production: Presenter: Becky Milligan Producers: Annabel Deas and Mhairi Mackenzie Production Coordinator: Maria Ogondele Sound: James Beard Editor: Justine Lang

Credits: @bedbox via YouTube, Rock Against Rupert - Rupert Lowe Michael Wilde out protest (1 February 2009) Channel 4, Reform UK infighting escalates as Farage and Lowe trade blows (9 March 2025) Channel 5 Vanessa, Is it wrong to put your pet down yourself? (24 June 2025) GB News, Rupert Lowe - ‘I wouldn’t hire Boris Johnson for my organisation’ (5 December 2021) Restore Britain, Rupert Lowe - Restore Britain Launch Speech (14 February 2026) Sky News, Restore Britain leader: Farage 'tried to politically assassinate me' (18 June 2026) The News Agents, Rupert Lowe- In His Own Words (15 March 2025) The Spectator, Farage - Lowe is ‘a vengeful man’ (9 June 2026)


Each week, Profile from BBC Radio 4 takes a single name from the global conversation and builds a detailed portrait, moving far beyond the headlines. This isn't a simple biography or a news recap. Instead, through careful documentary storytelling and personal journal excerpts where available, the podcast constructs a nuanced examination of character and motive. You’ll hear from colleagues, critics, and sometimes the subjects themselves, piecing together what drives and defines the people shaping our world. The focus rests firmly on influence, whether in politics, the arts, science, or social movements, exploring how an individual's background and choices ripple through society and culture. Listening to this podcast feels like gaining a deeper, more textured understanding of the figures you think you know, revealing the contradictions and convictions behind the public image. It’s a thoughtful half-hour that challenges first impressions, asking what truly lies behind a name in the news.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Profile
Podcast Episodes
Mette Frederiksen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:15
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that US President Donald Trump’s threat to take Greenland would spell the end of Nato, the trans-Atlantic defence alliance. So who is the woman standing toe to toe with…
Sir Christian Turner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:08
The newly-appointed British ambassador to the United States, Sir Christian Turner, is a career diplomat whose experience spans almost three decades. He was about to take up the role of the UK's ambassador at the UN but a…
Zohran Mamdani [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:40
The new Mayor of New York and at just 34, the youngest since 1892, is sworn in. He is the first Muslim and Indian American to lead the nation's largest city. Zohran Mamdani was born in Uganda, Africa, to parents of India…
Karl Bushby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:14
Karl Bushby, the British man walking around the world, is almost home. The former paratrooper set off from Chile in 1998. He walked through the Americas, crossed the frozen ocean from Alaska to Russia, and last year beca…
Mary Berry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:05
Dame Mary Berry has been teaching Brits to cook for more than half a century. Aged 90, she remains a staple on our screens at Christmas. Born in Bath in 1935, Berry was the middle child of two brothers. She struggled in…
David Harewood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:03
David Harewood, who turned sixty this week, returns as Othello for the third time on stage. It’s a role he first took on in 1997, becoming the first black actor to play the part at London’s National Theatre. Growing up i…
Zak Brown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:54
Stephen Smith profiles the former racing driver and marketing guru who's turned around McLaren's fortunes and led them to Formula 1 glory. Born in California in 1971, friends and colleagues paint a picture of a fiercely…
Zarah Sultana [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:09
The Coventry MP who left the Labour party and joined Jeremy Corbyn's new left-wing ‘Your Party'. Zarah Sultana's husband and friends tell us how her upbringing shaped her politics and reveal her questionable taste in mus…
Marjorie Taylor Greene [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:00
Marjorie Taylor Greene is a darling of MAGA. But this week a disagreement with Trump over the Epstein files has seen him brand her as a traitor. Born in 1974 in the suburbs of Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene had a conven…
David Hockney [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:05
David Hockney has died aged 88. This programme was broadcast in 2025.David Hockney is arguably Britain’s most loved living artist. He's known as a colourful character, not only because of his vibrant, colour rich paintin…