PODCAST · society
Desert Island Discs
by BBC Radio 4
Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.
Episodes
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How Nick Cave's songs reveal themselves painfully to him
The singer songwriter Nick Cave was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2025. He has written huge hits such as "Into My Arms" and "Where the Wild Roses Grow", but songwriting doesn't come easily to him. His notebooks are full of what he describes as "bad stuff", and he'd like them to be burned after…
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Meera Syal on holding up a mirror to British society in Goodness Gracious Me
The actor and writer Meera Syal was cast away by Sue Lawley in 2003. She was awarded a Damehood earlier this year, but Meera Syal rose to prominence as one of the writers of the TV series Goodness Gracious Me. It came at a time in the 1990s when the perception of the British Asian experience was...
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Why Lyse Doucet doesn't want to be called a war reporter
The BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2022. She has reported from many war-torn countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, but says she doesn't want to be defined by war. Instead, she is interested in the human cost of conflict. When she...
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Gareth Southgate on putting on the England shirt for the first time
The former England manager Gareth Southgate was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2024. He was 25 when he made his debut for the England team. By the time he retired from international football, he had been capped 57 times. As England manager, he led the team to two finals in the European...
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Michael Sheen on his father's time as a Jack Nicholson impersonator
The actor Michael Sheen was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2025. He has portrayed many real people on stage including Tony Blair, Brian Clough and David Frost, though never Jack Nicholson. That was his father's department, who had a second career impersonating the actor, which started around the...
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Rick Rubin on finding the magic in music
Record producer Rick Rubin was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2022. He is responsible for shaping the sound of artists such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beastie Boys and is credited with reinvigorating the career of Johnny Cash in the 1990s, but you're more likely to see him reclining on…
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Caitlin Moran on the smells that defined her childhood
The writer and journalist Caitlin Moran was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2017. Her journey took her from a three-bedroom council house in Wolverhampton, where she lived with her parents and seven siblings, to becoming a columnist for The Times newspaper and writing her own sitcom. She explains…
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Romesh Ranganathan on finding his comedy sweet spot
The comedian Romesh Ranganathan was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2025. He’s a BAFTA-winning broadcaster, standup, actor and writer who has been a fixture on British TV screens for the past decade. He talks about finding the sweet spot in his comedy and how discussing the perils of parenting on...
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Tanni Grey-Thompson on winning four Olympic golds in Sydney
The wheelchair athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson was cast away by Sue Lawley in 2001. She recalls the pressure to do well at the Sydney Olympics and the relief when she managed to clinch four gold medals, but the long-distance phone call home to live-stream the medal ceremony nearly broke the bank. You...
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Greta Gerwig on her childhood enthusiasm for putting on plays
The film director Greta Gerwig was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2023. Growing up in what she calls a "culturally ravenous" family, the young Greta was inspired by her parents' record collection as much as trips to concert halls and theatres, but although she was always putting on shows to...
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James Graham on his "stripping vicar" ice-dancing routine
The playwright James Graham was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2024. He was a shy and quiet child who enjoyed nothing more than watching soap operas on TV. So what was he doing taking his "stripping vicar" ice-dancing routine on tour? You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.
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Jessica Ennis-Hill on the moment she won Olympic gold
The Olympic heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2021. She recalls pushing herself in her final event at the London 2012 Olympics, the 800-metre race, and how throwing her hands up in the air as she crossed the finish line had not been part of the plan. You can listen...
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Warwick Davis on his first role as an Ewok in Star Wars
The actor Warwick Davis was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2016. When his grandmother heard an advertisement on the radio looking for short people to play Ewoks in the next Star Wars film, she immediately thought of Warwick, but by the time his mother phoned the film studio, all the roles had been...
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How Lily Allen brought the house down with a Disney song aged 11
The singer-songwriter Lily Allen was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2014. Although her school reports painted a mixed picture of Lily's academic achievements, a singing teacher spotted her vocal talent and encouraged her to perform. She brought the house down with a song from the Disney film Dumbo....
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How hiding in a toilet helped Steven Spielberg get into the movie business
The film director Steven Spielberg was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2022. He gave the world Jaws, ET and Jurassic Park, but Steven Spielberg got his start in the film business when he went on a bus tour of Universal Studios. He also explains why the frequently malfunctioning mechanical shark in...
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Malorie Blackman on receiving 82 rejection letters from publishers
The writer Malorie Blackman was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2013. Although she has published more than 70 books for children and young adults - among them her hugely popular Noughts and Crosses series - getting her start as a published author was hard - 82 rejection letters had thudded onto her...
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How snooker halls became Ronnie O'Sullivan's "creche" from a young age
The World Snooker Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2023. He remembers being dropped off unaccompanied at snooker halls across East London by his father as a young boy and learning to play grown men at adult tables - and beating them. You can listen to the full episode...
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Delia Smith on her catchphrase - "Let's be havin' you!"
The cookery writer Delia Smith was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2023. She fell in love with her husband, the editor Michael Wynn-Jones, over a shared love of food and football and recalls how she came to be known for her catchphrase, "Let's be havin' you!" You can listen to the full episode on...
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How Kate Moss's modelling break came at an unexpected moment
The model Kate Moss was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2022. Her career began after a chance encounter with a model agent on a flight. She describes attending castings on her own as a teenager, which led to some inappropriate requests. Although unpleasant at the time, she says that they have...
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Keith Richards on writing "Satisfaction" in his sleep
The Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2015. He recalls the moment he bumped into his primary school friend Mick Jagger at Dartford train station in 1961, years after losing touch with him. They bonded over a shared love of American blues, which came to…
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Chaka Khan, singer and songwriter
Chaka Khan’s unmistakeable voice and musical versatility have made her one of the most influential musicians of the past six decades, with an estimated 70 million records sold. Whether fronting the band Rufus or performing as a solo artist, she's moved effortlessly between funk, soul, jazz, and...
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Professor Dame Pamela Shaw
Professor Dame Pamela Shaw is a pioneering Neurologists and a leading figure in tackling motor neurone disease or MND. She is the founder and Director of SITran – the World leading Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, which is slowly but surely unlocking the secrets of MND and…
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Emma Grede, businesswoman
Emma Grede is the businesswoman behind major fashion brands including Skims and Good American, which she co-founded with Kim Kardashian and Khloé Kardashian, respectively. Last year Forbes included her on their list of America's Richest Self-Made Women, with an estimated net worth of $405…
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Sir Roger Deakins, cinematographer
Sir Roger Deakins is an acclaimed cinematographer who is known for his visual artistry on films including The Shawshank Redemption, 1917, Fargo, Skyfall and Blade Runner 2049. His talents have been acknowledged with a knighthood, five BAFTAs and two Oscars. Roger was born in Torquay, Devon in…
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Shania Twain, musician
Shania Twain is a singer and songwriter and one of only two artists in history to have three consecutive diamond albums. By the time she was eight years old, she had a repertoire of one hundred songs which she would sing in bars. She began to write her own songs at the age of ten. Her mother was...
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Paul Farmer, charity leader
Paul Farmer is a charity leader who has spent his life campaigning, fundraising and changing the national conversation around some of the most challenging issues in our society. Currently at the helm of Age UK, he previously spent 16 years as the CEO of Mind, the UK’s largest mental health…
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Professor Liz Morris, glaciologist
Professor Liz Morris is a glaciologist whose work in some of the earth’s most inhospitable environments has broadened humanity’s understanding of climate change and polar science. Her accolades include the prestigious Polar Medal and an OBE for services to Polar Science. Liz was born in London in...
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Norman Cook, DJ and musician
Norman Cook is a musician and DJ also widely known as Fatboy Slim. As a DJ, he has played everywhere from Bondi Beach and the Great Wall of China to the House of Commons and a fish and chip shop. His many accolades include a world record for the most number one singles by one musician in…
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Jo Nesbø, writer
Jo Nesbø is a writer, known as the king of 'Nordic Noir'. His internationally bestselling crime thrillers following the exploits of detective Harry Hole have been translated into fifty languages, sold over sixty million copies and have been adapted for film and TV. Being a bestselling author was...
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Anna Maxwell Martin, actor
Anna Maxwell Martin is an award-winning actor whose versatility is evident from the breadth of parts she has played in popular television programmes including Motherland, Ludwig and Line of Duty. Anna was born and brought up in Yorkshire and loved acting and performing from a young age putting on...
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Peter Layton, artist
Peter Layton is a pioneering British glass artist and the founder of London Glassblowing, one of the most influential glass studios and galleries in the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the development of the studio glass movement, helping to establish glass as an artistic medium. Born...
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Guy Martin, presenter and former motorcycle racer
Guy Martin is a television presenter, mechanic and former motorcycle racer. During his career he achieved 17 podium finishes at the Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) Races – one of the most prestigious and dangerous motorcycling events in the world. His television programmes often focus on his...
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Emily Watson, actor
Emily Watson is an award-winning actor, widely regarded as one of the finest character actors of her generation. She began her career on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company before rising to prominence in 1996, when she was cast as Bess McNeill in Lars von Trier’s Breaking the Waves. The role...
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Gary O'Donoghue, journalist
Journalist Gary O’Donoghue is the Chief North America Correspondent for BBC News. Last year his coverage of the 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump won the Royal Television Society Breaking News Award. He made the news himself in 2025 when he secured a 20-minute exclusive phone interview...
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David Morrissey, actor
David Morrissey is an actor who grew up in Liverpool. His screen work ranges from playing a ruthless survivor of the zombie apocalypse in The Walking Dead to a troubled police officer in James Graham’s Sherwood. His television debut performance came playing a teenager in the Channel 4 series One...
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Classic Desert Island Discs - Whoopi Goldberg
Kirsty Young talks to the actor and comedian Whoopi Goldberg in a programme first broadcast in 2009.
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Classic Desert Island Discs - Arsène Wenger
Laurene Laverne talks to the former football manager Arsène Wenger in a programme first broadcast in 2020.
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Classic Desert Island Discs - Dame Donna Langley
Lauren Laverne talks to the film studio executive Dame Donna Langley in a programme first broadcast in 2023. Dame Donna was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship this year.
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Classic Desert Island Discs - Thom Yorke
Lauren Laverne talks to the musician Thom Yorke in a programme first broadcast in 2019.
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Classic Desert Island Discs - Dr Jane Goodall
Sue Lawley talks to the primatologist Dr Jane Goodall in a programme first broadcast in 2000. Jane Goodall died in October 2025, at the age of 91.
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Raymond Briggs
Raymond Briggs began his career as an illustrator after studying art at the Slade School. He first achieved fame through his picture books for children, Father Christmas and Fungus the Bogeyman, but has since moved into the adult world with When the Wind Blows, in which an elderly couple struggle...
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Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Sir Ranulph Fiennes has had many adventures since he was removed from the SAS for the illegal use of explosives, but without a doubt his greatest exploit was the Transglobe Expedition. Swamps, deserts and arctic ice fields were just some of the many hazards he encountered on the first...
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Si King, cook
Si King is a broadcaster and cook, best known as one half of the duo The Hairy Bikers. Together with his onscreen cooking partner and real-life best friend Dave Myers, the pair travelled over 650,000 miles around the world on motor bikes filming their cooking exploits and they also wrote a number...
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Joan Fontaine
Roy Plomley's castaway is actress Joan Fontaine. Favourite track: Piano Concerto in A Minor by Edvard Grieg Book: Single-volume encyclopaedia Luxury: The Taj Mahal
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David Bellamy
Roy Plomley's castaway is botanist David Bellamy. Favourite track: The Better Land by Clara Butt Book: The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien Luxury: Linen sheets
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Sir Arthur Bryant
Roy Plomley's castaway is historian Sir Arthur Bryant. Favourite track: The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell Luxury: Painting of a little princess, by Velazquez
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Norris McWhirter
Roy Plomley's castaway is Editor of the Guinness Book of Records Norris McWhirter. Favourite track: Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D Major by Edward Elgar Book: The National Dictionary of Biography Luxury: Roll of cloth
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Robert Stephens
Roy Plomley's castaway is actor Robert Stephens. Favourite track: Speak The Speech, I Pray You (from Hamlet) by William Shakespeare Book: The collected works by Raymond Chandler Luxury: Tobacco plant
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Benjamin Luxon
Roy Plomley's castaway is baritone Benjamin Luxon. Favourite track: Spem In Alium by Tallis Book: Collected stories by Idris Shah Luxury: A piano and music
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Elia Kazan
Roy Plomley's castaway is director Elia Kazan. Favourite track: String Quartet in A Minor by Ludwig van Beethoven Book: The Iliad by Homer Luxury: 20 tons of pine needles
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Desert Island Discs have?
Desert Island Discs currently has 1000 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Desert Island Discs about?
Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.
How often does Desert Island Discs release new episodes?
Desert Island Discs releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 1000 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to Desert Island Discs?
You can listen to Desert Island Discs on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Desert Island Discs?
Desert Island Discs is created and hosted by BBC Radio 4.
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