Profile

Mark Coles profiles the controversial Conservative MP Nadine Dorries, who has been suspended from her party for taking part in the reality TV show "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here".Dorries - a self-proclaimed council estate Scouser not afraid of speaking her mind - left school with few qualifications but went on to become a hospital nurse before setting up a successful company providing childcare services to working parents. Then she astonished her mother by entering politics.In the House of Commons Dorries has clashed with the Opposition and many within her own party over the issues of abortion and sex education. She has sparred with David Cameron, who she regards as a "posh boy", and been criticised - even by those who like her - of being too outspoken. According to Ian Birrell, a former Cameron speechwriter, the celebrity jungle will make or break Dorries. "She'll either do very very well at getting across the fact she is unusual for a politician," he says, "or she will rub everyone up the wrong way an

In a few days a 59-year-old man will almost certainly ascend to one of the most powerful positions in the world. His name is Xi Jinping and the signs are he's about to become the President of China. There have been no debates, no campaign ads, and no forensic interviews. Getting a measure of the man is not easy. But in the course of this edition of Profile Tim Franks talk to some of those who have been closest to him.Producer: Kai Wang.

Lucy Ash profiles the Russian lawyer and anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny, who this week topped a ballot to elect leaders of the opposition to President Putin. He came to prominence as a leader during the anti-Putin demonstrations in Moscow last December, the biggest such rallies since the end of the Soviet Union. He has also been fighting against corruption through a website that invites the public to report suspected cases to the police or prosecutors. One of his tactics, was to become a minority shareholder in major Russian oil companies, banks, and ministries to ask awkward questions about holes in state finances. Those holes are huge. Last year Dmitri Medvedev - then President now PM - said that a trillion roubles-thirty-three billion dollars- disappears annually on government contracts. Aleksey Navalny's anti graft campaign has won him popularity across a wide spectrum of Russian society, including nationalists with far right connections. This has unsettled many of more liberal supporters. A

As the new James Bond film "Skyfall" opens next week, Mary Ann Sieghart profiles its director Sam Mendes, a man who wanted to play cricket for England but went on to become a theatre supremo before winning critical acclaim in Hollywood.Born in Reading and brought up by a single mother, Sam Mendes was educated at Magdalen College School in Oxford, where he demonstrated a competitive streak as captain on the cricket pitch, and Cambridge University where he won critical acclaim for a production of "Cyrano de Bergerac". At just twenty four, he directed Judi Dench in Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" and as she tells Profile " one day when we were rehearsing, I said Sam, I would like to try this another way, can I show you? And he said to me, well you can but it won't work and so during the filming of Skyfall, he asked me to do something and so, I thought I'd complete the circle and I said, well I'll do it but it won't work and he roared with laughter. So we have closed the circle on it."Later he joined the Royal Sha

Claire Bolderson profiles US Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan. Producers: Smita Patel and Chris Bowlby.

Chris Bowlby profiles the South Korean pop star Psy, sudden global star whose Gangnam Style has topped the UK singles charts, and whose video is the most popular video ever on Youtube. How has a Korean star swept the world, what lies behind his success, and why is he now selling fridges? And how has the world's most closed society, North Korea, responded to the global Gangnam craze? Producer: Smita Patel.

Edward Stourton profiles Justin Welby, former oil executive and now Bishop of Durham, emerging as one of the most striking candidates for the post of Archbishop of Canterbury. He became a priest after a long business career, and has chaired an NHS trust along the way. When he was Dean of Liverpool he allowed bellringers to play John Lennon's 'Imagine' from the cathedral bells. He has visited Africa regularly, and played a key role in attempts to resolve disputes between parts of the Anglican Communion. So how has someone who has been a bishop for less than a year become a candidate for the top Anglican job? Those who know him, and have followed his career from inside and outside the Church, offer their insights. Producers:Smita Patel and Chris Bowlby.

It is Andy Murray's year: he missed out in the men's singles at Wimbledon but made up for it by winning an Olympic Gold by defeating Roger Federer in straight sets in the men's singles. Now the Scotsman has won his first grand slam in the US Open against Novak Djokovic. It has taken Murray grit and determination to get where he is. He has struggled with a fiery temper and his own demons as well as a problem with his knee which forced him to stop playing tennis for at least six months. He has also faced difficulties in his personal life. When he was eight, he attended Dunblane Primary School where lone gunman Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and their teacher. His parents separated when he was around ten and his promise as a young tennis player took him to a tennis academy in Spain far away from home.Producers: Mark Savage and Arlene Gregorius.

Edward Stourton profiles Pete Cashmore, one of the world's most popular bloggers and tweeters, who founded the successful social media news website Mashable.He started it as a teenager in his bedroom in Scotland seven years ago and hired his first writer two years later. His company is now based in the US and employs 80 staff. His website attract millions of readers, and three million follow him on Twitter. The 27 year old has been described as "the Brad Pitt of the blogosphere".Cashmore is also one of the founders of the Social Good Summit, which takes place in New York this weekend to coincide with UN Week. The conference aims to connect people from all over the globe via social media. So will Pete Cashmore become a billionaire web entrepreneur and philanthropist? And what does he mean when he says he has been a "lifelong fan of unicorns"? Producers: Arlene Gregorius and Hannah Barnes.

The new Conservative party co-chairman Grant Shapps is a man with a colourful past. The former grammar schoolboy is a pilot, rapper and successful businessman - but he's also battled cancer and survived a near fatal car crash. Geeta Guru-Murthy profiles the pugnacious and sometimes controversial politician tasked with bringing home the Tory vote.Producer: Chris Bowlby.

Claire Bolderson profiles Frances O'Grady, soon to become the first woman to lead the Trades Union Congress. She hears from colleagues and close observers of the trade union scene about how she has risen so far, how she has dealt with the macho traditions of union leadership, and what kind of challenge she may mount to the government as austerity bites.Producers: Chris Bowlby and Anna Meisel.

If nine-times gold medal winner Lee Pearson adds a further three golds to his collection at the London 2012 Paralympics, he could surpass the modern era record haul of 11.Dressage champion Pearson was born with a condition called arthrogryposis which twisted his limbs.He won a Children of Courage medal in 1980 aged six, with Margaret Thatcher insisting on carrying him up the stairs of number 10.An outspoken character on various issues, including the levels of funding in disabled sport and the recognition that goes with it, Pearson has a 100% record in his field, having won gold in every event at every Games he has ever competed in.So what drives him? And how will he cope with the pressure knowing that if he continues his winning streak in London in the coming weeks, he will be one of the most successful Paralympians in history?Presenter: Gerry Northam Producer: Kate O'Hara.

The most senior official at the Home Office is resigning after a 33-year civil service career. Dame Helen Ghosh - who has led the department since January 2011 - will take up the role of director general of the National Trust. She is one of a number of permanent secretaries who have left the civil service this year. She said she was "torn about leaving" but the chance to work for the National Trust was "a rare opportunity". Dame Helen Ghosh has worked in Government since 1979 for both Conservative and Labour Ministers. Her tenure included controversy at Defra over the Rural Payments Agency and more recently at the Home Office with concerns over the Border Agency. Chris Bowlby assesses her career and the qualities that propelled her to the senior ranks in Whitehall and asks what they tell us about the approach she is likely to bring to her new role. Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

British cycling is enjoying unprecedented success and cyclists are now household names. Dave Brailsford, the performance director of the British cycling team, has been widely credited with Britain's rise to the top. His winning methods include combining an encyclopaedic knowledge of the sport with an obsessive work ethic, relentlessly crunching numbers and other data in a constant quest for any competitive advantage, however small. But he's not just a numbers man. Ruth Alexander talks to those who know Brailsford, and finds out what motivates the quiet cycling supremo.Presenter Ruth Alexander Producer Ben Crighton.

With his trademark blonde hair and a reputation for colourful antics, Boris Johnson has had a seemingly unstoppable rise through the ranks of UK politics. After seizing a second term as London mayor earlier this year and thanks to the Olympic games coming to London, he's become firmly associated with the city on the world stage. But alongside his various careers as mayor, journalist, author and quiz show panellist, it seems his political prospects within the ranks of the Tory party also remain strong. Recent polls suggest a groundswell of support for him as a potential future leader of the party. James Silver charts the rise and rise of a unique politician.Producer - Gail Champion.

Pascale Harter looks at the life and career of the singer Engelbert Humperdinck. Producers: Arlene Gregorius Smita Patel.

With mixed news about audiences and losses in its Annual Report, the creative controller of Channel 4, Jay Hunt, is in the spotlight. Andy Denwood profiles one of the most powerful women in broadcasting.Since arriving at the publicly owned broadcaster last year, Hunt has promised to take creative risks and bring a sense of mischief. There have been new commissions - The Undateables and Make Bradford British - but changes to the flagship Channel 4 News programme with additional presenters and new reporters has ruffled feathers in the newsroom. The younger audience is falling and Ofcom have asked for its strategy of how to re-engage viewers. Jay Hunt - who began life in Australia as Jacquiline - had a meteoric rise from a young researcher at the BBC. Despite ructions over her changes to the Six O'Clock News and accusations of dumming down, by the age of 40 she was controller of BBC1 steering the Corporation's premier channel through controversies: the Jonathan Ross affair, the sacking of Carol Thatcher and the

Greece's far left-wing bloc, Syriza, made dramatic gains in last weekend's election to become the country's second largest party. The vote has split the country politically and the party's charismatic young leader Alexis Tsipras is credited with its success based on a populist anti-austerity message. After three failed attempts to form a government the country now faces another election - and the far left coalition could well make further gains.Tsipras has been described as a cool, mild-mannered politician who shuns neckties and likes to get around on his motorcycle. Born four days after the fall of Greece's military dictatorship in July 1974, his first political experiences were as part of Greece's school occupations in 1991. Mr Tsipras became leader of Syriza in 2008 and was elected to parliament in 2009. He first emerged on the political scene when he came third in the Athens mayoral race. The former communist youth activist has been accused by some of inciting violent protests and failing to condemn their

Multi-lingual, a good listener and a surprise choice for arguably the biggest job in British sport - manager of the England football team.Hodgson has coached football teams in eight different countries during a career which has lasted 36 years. He is said to have revolutionised the techniques of some players - he took Switzerland to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup. He's much better known in Italy than the UK after his time at Internationale Milan.At Fulham he was regarded as an eccentric but clever choice as they avoided relegation before reaching the 2010 Europa League Final. Hodgson is not into mind games and isn't known for saying things for impact - like some other Premier League managers. Some say he is bereft of ego and a gentleman, others that he can be as passionate and defensive as the rest. He has a rigorous approach to preparation - players at Liverpool complained about the complexity of his training schedules. A great lover of literature he is said to have read the works of nearly every Nobel pr

Mary Ann Sieghart profiles Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, who has come under pressure to resign following the release of emails to the Leveson Inquiry. The compromising emails suggest that he or his office was providing inside information to the Murdoch family over the BSkyB takeover bid. He, however, insists that he behaved with complete integrity during the process.Producers: John Murphy Anna Meisel.