On September 11, 2001, Nik Gowing was called in to the BBC studios to present the unthinkable. Without a script, he reported live as hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the world watched in shock.

Reflecting on that day, Nik recalls being called into the newsroom urgently and going live with only the raw images to guide him. “I had to say on several occasions, what you’re watching is not a movie. This is actually happening in New York City at this very moment.”

For Nik, it was a moment that highlighted how leaders, journalists, and institutions are tested when the unthinkable becomes reality.