Centre Stage

About Centre Stage

Centre Stage is an interview podcast where influential thought leaders share their perspectives on pressing world issues.

Publisher

Al Jazeera Media Network

Category

news · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Jun 2023

Latest episode

19 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

54 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Apr 2026

   Ons Jabeur on Gaza, gender and speaking up in sport

   Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur opens up about challenges on the court, athletes speaking out and having her first child. Ons Jabeur is the Qatar Foundation international ambassador of its Creating Pathways program. The five-sport program that aims to expand opportunities for women and girls, develop local athletic talent, and create sustainable pathways from grassroots participation to high-performance sport.

2. 

   22 Feb 2026

   The war on UNRWA: Gaza and the erosion of intl law

   Since October 2023, UNRWA has faced attacks by Israel’s government, funding cuts from the US, and legal cases questioning the organisation's neutrality. During that time, Israeli forces have killed more than 380 UNRWA staff in Gaza. In this episode of Centre Stage, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Hassan speaks with UNRWA’s commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini, about Israel’s ban on the agency and what he calls a turning point for international law and the global order.

3. 

   19 Jan 2026

   Foreign influence & Somalia’s fight for unity

   In this episode of Centre Stage, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Hassan speaks with Ali Omar, Somalia’s minister of state for foreign affairs, about Somaliland’s secession bid backed by Israel, the fight against al-Shabab and Somalia’s break with the UAE.

Who has been a guest on Centre Stage

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Gabor Mate
• Norman Finkelstein
• Jeremy Corbyn
• Andrew Manuel Crespo

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

5,896,096,174

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 65 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

36

Social presence

97

YouTube

93

Engagement

95

Contact Centre Stage

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.