Desert Island Discs

Afleveringen

1. T C Fairbairn

   2 november 2026 · 27 min

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   Plomley's castaway is impresario T C Fairbairn. Lees meer

   Favourite track: Prize Song by Richard Wagner
   Book: The complete works by John Milton
   Luxury: Tape recorder

2. Pam Ayres

   2 november 2026 · 29 min

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   Roy Plomley's castaway is poet and broadcaster Pam Ayres. Lees meer

   Favourite track: The New St George by John & Chris Leslie
   Book: The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
   Luxury: Large basket of sugared almonds

3. Jimmy Mulville

   2 november 2026 · 36 min

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   Kirsty Young's castaway is Jimmy Mulville. Lees meer

   He began his life in comedy as a performer and writer but success in front of the camera clearly wasn't enough - he set up the production company Hat Trick and has turned out a huge number of hits, including "Have I Got News for You", "Father Ted" "Room 101" and "Outnumbered".

   But he says that for many years he was a ticking time bomb - he became addicted to drugs and alcohol and, after triumphing over them, also fought cancer. These days, he is the father to four children and says he looks back with an overwhelming sense of gratitude at how his life has unfolded.

   Producer: Leanne Buckle

   Record: In My Life - The Beatles
   Book: The Complete works of P G Wodehouse
   Luxury: A solar powered espresso machine.

4. Professor Dame Parveen Kumar

   1 november 2026 · 52 min

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   Professor Dame Parveen Kumar is a gastroenterologist and co-author of one of the most influential medical textbooks in the world - Kumar & Clark’s Clinical Medicine. Lees meer

   She was born in Lahore (then still in British India) in June 1942, one of three children to Cyril and Grace Kumar. When Parveen was four and her hometown was gripped by violence ahead of the 1947 Partition of the country into India and Pakistan, her mother packed up the family and fled to Delhi, then on to Simla, and later still to China before returning to India.

   Parveen was educated at the Lawrence School in Sanawar and then, following her mother’s decision to move to England, at Paddington and Maida Vale High School before she began studying at Barts Medical School. She specialised in gastroenterology, with a particular interest in coeliac disease, and, in 1982, was appointed one of the first women consultants at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.

   In 1987, Parveen published Kumar & Clark’s Clinical Medicine, co-edited with her supervisor, Mike Clark. She is a former President of the British Medical Association and the Royal Society of Medicine, a founding non-executive director of NICE, former chair of the Medicines Commission UK, and the recipient of many honours including a Dame Grand Cross (GBE).

   Professor Dame Parveen Kumar lives in Epsom, Surrey, and has two daughters with her late husband, David Leaver.

   DISC ONE: Cavalleria rusticana: Intermezzo. Composed by Pietro Mascagni and performed by Wiener Philharmoniker, conducted by Herbert von Karajan
   DISC TWO: Abide with Me performed by Ian Wells (organist) Liverpool Cathedral Choir and Massed Choirs from Merseyside, conducted by Ian Tracey
   DISC THREE: Never Give In - The pupils of The Lawrence School, Sanawar
   DISC FOUR: Ce Monde - Richard Anthony
   DISC FIVE: Verdi: Un ballo in maschera / Act 2: \"Teco io sto...M'ami, m'ami\". Composed by Giuseppe Verdi and performed by Luciano Pavarotti (tenor), Margaret Price (soprano) National Philharmonic Orchestra…

5. Matt Haig, writer

   25 oktober 2026 · 51 min

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   Matt Haig is the bestselling writer, whose work ranges from magical realism to memoir. His novel The Midnight Library became a global phenomenon, selling 15 million copies, while his memoir Reasons to Stay Alive has provided comfort to millions around the world. Lees meer

   He grew up in Newark-on-Trent in a loving family, though his mother struggled with post-natal depression. Difficulties at school and the death of his grandmother led to a period of teenage rebellion. Matt met his future wife, Andrea, at university and credits her with helping him through the most dangerous period of his life. In their early twenties they spent summers in Ibiza, culminating in Matt’s mental breakdown, and an intense three-year recovery.

   In 2015 he published Reasons to Stay Alive, a memoir based on his breakdown. It became a bestseller and transformed his public profile, though the way he handled his newfound success has become one of his biggest regrets. Further literary success came in 2020 with his novel The Midnight Library, which has been published in 56 languages and is being adapted into a film starring Florence Pugh. His children’s book, A Boy Called Christmas, was also turned into a film starring Maggie Smith, Sally Hawkins, and Jim Broadbent.

   Matt Haig lives in Brighton with his wife, Andrea, and they have two children.

   DISC ONE: Here, There and Everywhere - The Beatles
   DISC TWO: The flying theme from E.T. - John Williams
   DISC THREE: A Forest – The Cure
   DISC FOUR: Adagio for Strings.(Ferry Corsten Mix) Composed by Samuel Barber and performed by William Orbit
   DISC FIVE: The Boys of Summer - Don Henley
   DISC SIX: O-o-h Child - The Five Stairsteps
   DISC SEVEN: The Mother We Share – CHVRCHES
   DISC EIGHT: You Make It Easy – Air

   BOOK CHOICE: The Diaries of Samuel Pepys
   LUXURY ITEM: An unlimited A4 refill pad and pens
   CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Here, There and Everywhere - The Beatles

   Presenter: Lauren Laverne
   Producer: Hannah Hufford

   Desert Island Discs has cast away other writers to the i…

6. Richard Osman on managing his eating disorder

   23 oktober 2026 · 3 min

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   The writer and broadcaster Richard Osman was cast away by Lauren Laverne. Lees meer

   He is the author of the Thursday Murder Club series and has presented popular BBC shows including Pointless and Richard Osman's House of Games. When he appeared on Desert Island Discs in 2021, he revealed that at a time when his career was going well, he was struggling with an eating disorder. It's something he continues to manage day by day, but says he no longer feels any shame about.

   You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

7. Penelope Keith on knowing her Shakespeare

   22 oktober 2026 · 3 min

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   The actress Penelope Keith, who died earlier this year, was cast away by Roy Plomley in 1976. Lees meer

   She became best known for her roles in the BBC sitcoms The Good Life and To the Manor Born, but Penelope Keith began her career in repertory theatre. In 1963, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, getting notices as a very enthusiastic 16th citizen in Julius Caesar.

   You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

8. Anthony Joshua on his love for his mother

   21 oktober 2026 · 4 min

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   The boxer Anthony Joshua was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2024. Lees meer

   He is a two-time heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medallist who was raised by his mother after his parents divorced when he was 12. He credits her with much of his success, but says that she can't watch his fights, staying in her hotel room to pray for him instead.

   You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

9. Kathy Burke on being saved by punk as a moody teenager

   20 oktober 2026 · 3 min

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   The actor and comedian Kathy Burke was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2010. Lees meer

   She came to prominence when she appeared in Kevin and Perry TV sketches opposite Harry Enfield. Perry, the prepubescent schoolboy, was a role she was able to draw on from her own years as a teenager. What saved her, she says, was the arrival of punk music.

   You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

10. Stephen Mangan on why he'll never be Bond

    19 oktober 2026 · 3 min

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    The actor Stephen Mangan was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2025. Lees meer

    He made his breakthrough on television playing Adrian Mole in The Cappuccino Years in 2001. Although he was glad to get the part, he describes being cast by Adrian Mole's creator, Sue Townsend, as a somewhat disconcerting experience.

    You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

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