Gareth Southgate hails ‘true privilege' of giving 2025 Richard Dimbleby Lecture
Former England football manager Sir Gareth Southgate has said being asked to present the BBC's 2025 Richard Dimbleby Lecture is a 'true privilege'.
In the 48th lecture, which will be broadcast on BBC One, the former Middlesborough defender will explore the concept of belief, examine the power of unity and highlight the importance of resilience, particularly for young people, in a fast-changing and challenging world.
Speaking about being asked to take the lecture, Sir Gareth said: 'After stepping down as England manager following eight very special years, I've been reflecting on what I have lived through and what I have learned.
'I was extremely humbled and honoured when the BBC asked me to deliver the Dimbleby Lecture, especially given the esteemed list of past speakers.
'I consider it a true privilege to be offered such a prestigious platform to talk about what I believe in and what I care about.'
The lecture, which began in 1972 and is named in honour of late broadcaster Richard Dimbleby, who died in 1965, features influential speakers from academia, the arts, business and the royal family.
Sir Gareth will join the likes of the Prince Of Wales, then-International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates and computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee in giving the speech.
The manager and former footballer led the England men's team to the 2018 Fifa World Cup semi-final and the Uefa Euro 2020 and 2024 finals, after playing for teams including Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
After leaving the England set-up, the 54-year-old became a visiting lecturer at Harvard Business School.
Catherine Catton, head of commissioning for factual entertainment and events at the BBC, said: 'We are delighted that Sir Gareth Southgate has agreed to deliver this year's Dimbleby Lecture.
'His extensive career in football, unwavering dedication and leadership have not only brought great achievements on the field, but they continue to inspire new generations.
'In an era of increasing division, it is more important than ever to address how resilience and unity can help us all navigate a challenging world.
'It's an honour to have him share his insights and experiences with our audience.'
David Dimbleby, the speech will be broadcast in March on BBC One and iPlayer, produced by BBC Studios.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
British teen Hannah Klugman stuns tennis at French Open with help from Jack Draper and Rafael Nadal
British teen Hannah Klugman stuns tennis at French Open with help from Jack Draper and Rafael Nadal Hannah Klugman has become the first British player to reach the French Open juniors final in almost 50 years. Hannah Klugman of Great Britain (Image: 2025 Tim Clayton ) Hannah Klugman has etched her name in British tennis history by reaching the French Open juniors final – the first UK player to do so in close to half a century. At 16, the Kingston-upon-Thames native carved out a hard-fought 1-6 6-3 6-3 victory over Bulgaria's Rositsa Dencheva to secure her spot in her first grand slam final. Klugman's achievement mirrors that of Michelle Tyler, the last British junior to lift the trophy back in 1976, coinciding with Sue Barker's success in the women's tournament. Reflecting on her win, Klugman shared with BBC: "I'm just a bit shocked to be honest," adding, "I wasn't playing my best and I found it tough to get myself into the match. I felt like as soon as I did that I was in a good space and I thought I could do well if I got into the match. "I think I've been mentally very good this week. I think I'm staying calm in big moments and also just trying to take it in. "These moments don't happen a lot, so trying to enjoy it is a big part. My coach and physio are basically saying 'go out there and enjoy it', because you never know if you'll be in the spot again." Looking ahead to Saturday's final against Austria's 17 year old Lilli Tagger, Klugman expressed appreciation for the guidance she's received along the way, notably from British tennis player Jack Draper and her idol, Rafael Nadal. Meeting Nadal at his academy proved inspirational, as she recounted: "It was amazing to go there and meet him. He's my idol - I love Rafa. He said some amazing things to me.", reports the Express. The wisdom imparted by the tennis legend undoubtedly played a role in her mindset for the tournament. Klugman quoted Nadal's advice: "I struggled a bit last year and he said 'as soon as you've got the level, everything will come. So just trust it and work hard every day'." Article continues below Hannah Klugman with Rafa Nadal (Image: Hannah Klugman/ Instagram ) She also voiced her gratitude towards Britain's No. 1 Draper for his advice and assistance, commenting: "I struggled a little bit [last season] results-wise. I was working so hard and I felt like I was getting better, but I wasn't seeing results. "My coach knows Jack quite well, so he set up a lunch for me, and I think he opened my perspective that everyone goes through these troubles, these issues. You don't realise it, but they are. "[We talked about] taking a step back and taking your time and realising it's OK. His big thing is consistency, every day working hard with the right mentality and things will come, it's just a matter of time. As soon as you get that level, everything comes." Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski have successfully booked their place in the men's doubles final. The dynamic British duo triumphed over Americans Christian Harrison and Evan King 10-7 in a nail-biting deciding-set tie-break. Prior to this achievement, neither Skupski nor Salisbury, who forged a partnership at the beginning of the year, had ever advanced past the men's quarter-finals. They are now slated to compete against Marcel Granollers from Spain and Argentine Horacio Zeballos for the championship title. Article continues below In the men's wheelchair singles, Alfie Hewett made a remarkable ascent to the final after securing a win over Argentinian fourth seed Gustavo Fernandez in an intense three-set match. Second-seeded Hewett, who has claimed victory three times previously, is poised for a showdown with Japanese top seed Tokito Oda in the grand finale. Hewett is also aiming for a spectacular seventh win in the doubles alongside compatriot Gordon Reid, facing off against Oda and the seasoned French player Stephane Houdet, aged 54.
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Trump takes big step to make flying cars a reality
"This year, flying cars are not just for the Jetsons. They are also for the American people in the near term," Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, told reporters. Trump in an executive order directed the Federal Aviation Administration to expedite approval for routine commercial drone operations that retailers such as Amazon have said are crucial to expanding airborne deliveries. Orders that Trump signed will also allow manufacturers to begin testing flying cars and removed regulatory barriers his administration says are preventing supersonic over land passenger flights from being introduced in the United States. The changes will also allow drones to be used to be used in emergency response situations, including responding to wildfires, and long-distance cargo and medical delivery, the administration says. Trump's order establishes a pilot program for electrical vertical take-off and landing aircraft, known as eVTOLs, a type of flying car, that his administration hopes will lead to public private partnerships across the country. It is based on a 2017 program from the first Trump administration and will apply to emergency medical services, air taxis and cargo deliveries among other areas. The administration says the program will allow companies that are already conducting this type of testing, such as Joby's air taxi service, to partner with state, local and tribal governments. The California-based company plans to begin flight testing in Dubai within months and aims to launch passenger services on the aircraft in late 2025 or early 2026. Flying cars are coming! Here's how they could change the way you travel. Another order instructs the FAA to establish a standard for noise certification and lift a ban on overland supersonic flight. Kratsios said that advances in aerospace engineering and noise reduction have made over land supersonic flight safe, sustainable and commercially viable but federal regulations have grounded the speedy passenger flights and weakened U.S. companies' competitiveness. "The reality is that Americans should be able to fly from New York to LA in under four hours," Kratsios said. Trump separately established a federal task force to review and propose solutions to threats to America's airspace from personal unmanned aircraft and directed his administration to step up enforcement of civil and criminal laws against drone operators who endanger the public or violate airspace restrictions. The directives were issued with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics on the horizon.
Time Out
8 hours ago
- Time Out
The LAX/Metro Transit Center is opening today—here's what you need to know
L.A. has never been exactly renowned for its public transit, but Metro is working overtime to change that—specifically in time for next year's FIFA World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl and, of course, the 2028 Olympics. One huge step in the right direction? Starting today, June 6, access to the Los Angeles International Airport —one of the busiest airports in the country—will become more streamlined, thanks to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, the ambitious new station Angelenos have long been asking for. In the words of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, today marks the 'beginning of a new era in our city.' And to celebrate the big opening, rides across the entire Metro system—rail lines, buses, Metro Bike Share and rideshare service Metro Micro—are free from Friday through Sunday. The LAX/Metro Transit Center officially opened to mariachi music and remarks from city leaders including Mayor Bass, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts, Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins and Metro Board Chair Janice Hahn, who joked that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'Hey, can you give me a ride to LAX?' Here's hoping the new station means fielding fewer of those dreaded requests from your friends. LAX/Metro Transit Center Station rail and bus connections The new station, located at 9225 Aviation Boulevard, closes the final gap in the K Line, which will now run directly from Expo/Crenshaw to Redondo Beach—the airport-adjacent center fills a gap in that line that used to require you to take a bus to continue south. And it's the new terminus of the C line, which starts in Norwalk (it also connects the C and K lines—an added benefit). If you live along the C or K lines, the station is a godsend for airport visits. But if you don't live in, say, Inglewood or Downey, will this benefit you? Well, as you can see in the map below, these lines also intersect with other lines, meaning that with just one transfer, you can find yourself on a train bound for the airport. The A line (Azusa to Long Beach) allows you to transfer to the C line, and the E line, which reaches all the way from Santa Monica through Downtown and into East L.A., meets up with the K line, meaning those riders can also map a car-free route to LAX. (Though from Santa Monica and Downtown, there are buses that can probably get you to the station more directly and quickly.) In addition to the two light rail lines stopping at the station, the LAX/Metro Transit Center will also serve 14 bus lines—including six Metro bus lines and partner lines including the Big Blue Bus, Culver CityBus, Torrance Transit, GTrans and Beach Cities—with 16 bays for bus transfers. The station will also offer a Metro Micro bay. What about the Automated People Mover? Now, once you've done all the mental navigation and actual navigation of getting to the LAX/Metro Transit Center with your luggage in tow, unfortunately you're not done yet. That's when you'll need to board a free Los Angeles World Airports shuttle to LAX, which will run every 10 minutes and deposit you at your terminal. That's not a bad solution, but it's a placeholder until the long-awaited Automated People Mover is ready—which is projected to finally open in early 2026 (though you can see it doing some test runs through the station now). When that glorious day arrives, the APM will allow travelers to step onto elevated, entirely electric train cars and bypass traffic on their way to the terminals. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (@metrolosangeles) And now for the station itself. While the idea has been decades in the making, actual construction on the nearly $900-million project began in 2021, and it's the eighth completed project in Metro's ambitious Twenty-Eight by '28 initiative—which is prioritizing projects that will provide more connectivity to major sports venues for the city's upcoming 'car-free' Olympics. The entire site of the station is approximately 500,000 square feet (the size of almost nine football fields). It boasts 11 elevators, 12 escalators and nine staircases where you can access the bus bays on the ground level or ascend and then descend to the concourse, where you'll find the light rail trains. The MTC will be able to accommodate up to 5,000 passengers an hour. While there aren't dining and shopping options like you'll find in some cities' major transit stations, there are public restrooms, a customer service center and automated storage for 50 bikes. The visual centerpiece is an origami-like spiral sculpture, 'The Distance of the Sun,' by L.A. native artist Glenn Kaino that hangs above the escalators. Elsewhere in the station, digital displays depict 18 poignant portraits of Metro riders created by local artists. There's still more work to be done, but the LAX/Metro Transit Center is an impressive achievement that the city and its residents can be proud of. Any step toward making the airport experience a bit easier and connecting the disparate parts of L.A. is a huge win.
