Desert Island Discs

Angela Harding is an artist, printmaker and illustrator. Based in Rutland, Angela's work is inspired by the countryside of the British Isles, and in particular British birds. Alongside her many prints and artistic creations, her award-willing illustrations can be found adorning many a book cover.Angela was born in Stoke-on-Trent in June 1960, the middle of three daughters to Stephen and Joan Harding. It was an artistic household: her father, a headteacher, passed on his love of poetry to Angela, her mother taught pottery, and all three sisters would end up going to art college. She left school at sixteen and, at her mother's behest, did a pre-nursing course before pursuing her passion for art. She studied Fine Art at Leicester Polytechnic from where she graduated with a first in 1982. After indulging her love of travel – both on her bike around Britain as well as on a Magic Bus across Europe – Angela spent twenty years working in the art world, from teaching to consultancy. During these years, she married and raised two children, then divorced and married her second husband, Mark.In 2008, she made the life changing decision to pursue a career as a professional artist: she abandoned the media she had previously worked in and concentrated on linocuts and silkscreen printing. She has worked as a magazine illustrator and today her prints can be found on everything from book covers to tea towels and greeting cards. Her advent calendars – first produced in 2015 – have become a collector's item. She has also published several books of her own.When she's not on her boat sailing around the British Isles, Angela lives in Rutland, with her husband Mark and her whippet, Oaty. DISC ONE: I Wanna Thank Ya (featuring Snoop Dogg) - Angie Stone DISC TWO: The Thought Fox. Written and read by Ted Hughes DISC THREE: Britten: Songs from "Friday Afternoons", Op. 7: Songs From Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: "Cuckoo!". Performed by Choir of Downside School, Purley, Viola Tunnard (piano), Benjamin Britten (conductor) DISC FOUR: Rise - Public Image Ltd. DISC FIVE: My Lady Story - Anohni and the Johnsons DISC SIX: La conga blicoti - Joséphine Baker DISC SEVEN: Skeleton Tree - LYR DISC EIGHT: Marie douceur - Marie colère - Marie Laforêt BOOK CHOICE: Complete Poetical Works and Letters of Edward Thomas LUXURY ITEM: A lino printing set with champagne CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: I Wanna Thank Ya (featuring Snoop Dogg) - Angie Stone Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah TaylorThere are more than 2000 programmes in our archive available for you to listen to. We have cast away other notable artists including Helen Oxenbury, Maggie Hambling and Quentin Blake. You'll also find the Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage in our archive too. You can find their episodes on BBC Sounds or on our Desert Island Discs website.

Michael Sheen is an award-winning actor.After finding his love for the stage with the West Glamorgan Youth theatre as a teenager, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He spent the 1990s making a name for himself as a stage actor, shining in the classics from Romeo and Juliet to Peer Gynt as well as in 20th century masterpieces such as Look Back in Anger and Amadeus, receiving several Olivier Award nominations along the way.A relocation to the US in the early 2000s with his then partner, the actress Kate Beckinsale, and their young daughter Lily prompted a move into films. His breakthrough came in 2003 when he portrayed Tony Blair in a Stephen Frears film called The Deal. It was the beginning of what became an unlikely specialism: morphing into real people from recent history: Kenneth Williams, David Frost, Brian Clough, Chris Tarrant, and Prince Andrew – with two more outings as Tony Blair thrown in for good measure.Michael was born in Newport, South Wales, in February 1969, the eldest of two children to Meyrick and Irene. He grew up in Port Talbot from the age of eight and considers it his hometown. His first love was football, and he was spotted as youngster by an Arsenal talent scout to play for their youth team. His parents decided against moving the family to London and he turned to acting instead and graduated from RADA in 1991.Alongside the classic dramas, his range extends to appearing in fantasy and science fiction films such as The Twilight Saga and Tron: Legacy. Michael has said that the most meaningful project to him was a modern restaging of the passion play in Port Talbot in 2011, which involved the participation of a thousand local people, because it opened his eyes to the difficulties many of them were experiencing. He has since used his own money to fund the 2019 Homeless World Cup in Cardiff and set up an organisation which supports community groups. Michael lives in Wales with his partner, the actress Anna Lundberg, and their two young daughters. DISC ONE: Vienna - Ultravox DISC TWO: The Ecstasy Of Gold - Ennio Morricone DISC THREE: Desire - Talk Talk DISC FOUR: Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones DISC FIVE: Ready for Drowning - Manic Street Preachers DISC SIX: Passion - Peter Gabriel DISC SEVEN: Dark Secret - Lau DISC EIGHT: Oh Yeah - Yello BOOK CHOICE: The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell LUXURY ITEM: A football CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Vienna - Ultravox Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Sarah TaylorThere are more than 2000 programmes in our archive available for you to listen to. We have cast away other notable actors including Sir Anthony Hopkins and some of the people Michael has played including Kenneth Williams, Chris Tarrant and Tony Blair. You can find all those episodes and more by searching BBC Sounds.

The rock legend Bruce Springsteen was cast away by Kirsty Young back in 2016.Bruce has won 20 Grammys, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and his albums sell in their millions around the world. He grew up in New Jersey in a family that teetered on the brink of poverty. His first guitar was rented rather than bought, and he spent his apprentice years as a musician and singer with local bands before landing a record deal in 1972.He spoke to Kirsty about his love of dancing and his first live performances.You can find the full episode on BBC Sounds.

In 2024, the athlete Dame Sarah Storey was cast away by Lauren Laverne.Sarah Storey is Great Britain's most successful Paralympian. She was just 14 when she took two weeks off school to compete as a swimmer in the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics where she won her first two gold medals.She spoke to Lauren about the first time she watched the Olympics on TV.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

In 2015, the American lawyer Bryan Stevenson was cast away by Kirsty Young.Bryan is the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a private, not-for-profit organisation in the US working on death penalty cases, prison and sentencing reform, and issues of race and poverty.He spoke to Kirsty about racism in the American criminal justice system.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The broadcasting legend Sir David Attenborough was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2012 for the 70th anniversary of Desert Island Discs.Sir David told Kirsty about his passion for fossils, which began as a child and inspired his love of the natural world.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The actor Dustin Hoffman was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2012.He has been a leading man in Hollywood for over fifty years. His career includes movies such as The Graduate, All The President's Men, Kramer v Kramer, Tootsie and Rain Man.He spoke to Kirsty about his relationship with his father.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The writer Marian Keyes was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2017.It's thirty years since she published her first novel, Watermelon. Her books have sold in their millions, and many of her bestsellers have been adapted for the screen.She spoke to Kirsty about how she feels when she's finished writing a book.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The footballer David Beckham was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2017.Born and raised in East London, he spent hours as a child kicking a ball around at the local park with his father. At the age of seven, he played for his first team, Ridgeway Rovers, before coming to the attention of Manchester United.He spoke to Kirsty about how his love of football – and fashion – started at an early age.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The great American writer Maya Angelou was cast away back in 1987.She told Michael Parkinson about the disturbing reason she became temporarily mute during her childhood, which in turn led to her love of poetry. Some listeners may find her description of events upsetting.You can find the full episode on BBC Sounds.Details of organisations offering information and support with child sexual abuse are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

The surgeon David Nott was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2016 shortly after returning from war-torn Syria.He spoke to Kirsty about his experiences of working in a warzone for the first time back in the early 90s.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The actor Dame Judi Dench has been cast away to the desert island three times, most recently in 2015.She spoke to Kirsty Young about her first performances in an amateur dramatic group which included her parents as members.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The singer Adele was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2022.In 2008, she released her debut album, 19, and the following year she won the first of many Grammys. Her next three albums, 21, 25 and 30, consolidated her superstar status.She told Lauren about the day she signed her first record deal.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

In 2015, the forensic anthropologist, Professor Dame Sue Black, was cast away by Kirsty Young.Brought up on the west coast of Scotland and in Inverness, she fell in love with biology at secondary school and read Human Anatomy at the University of Aberdeen. After graduation, she worked at London's St Thomas' Hospital as an anatomist, and police began to call on her to help identify bones.She spoke to Kirsty about the mysteries of the human body.You can find the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The poet Lemm Sissay was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2015.As a poet, writer and playwright, much of his work tells the story of his search for his birth parents. Born to a young Ethiopian woman who wanted him temporarily looked after while she completed her studies, he was with a foster family until he was 12.Lemn told Kirsty how he felt after his foster family broke ties with him.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The former footballer Jill Scott was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2023.Jill was part of the Lionesses' winning team at the Euros 2022.When Jill was starting out in her career, the women players had to settle for second-hand kit and miserly wages.She spoke to Lauren about the challenges she faced when she started her senior career at Sunderland aged 17.You can find the full episode on BBC Sounds.

In 2023, the comedian and writer Adrian Edmondson was cast away by Lauren Laverne.Adrian met his comedy partner, the late Rik Mayall, at university. They bonded over their shared interests in double acts, violent slapstick and the plays of Samuel Beckett. It was the start of a long performing partnership and friendship.Adrian spoke to Lauren about the creative process behind the anarchic TV comedy and long-running touring show Bottom.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

After completing her PhD, Dr Fox took up a post-doctoral fellowship at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland. In 2010, she became the project scientist for the Parker Solar Probe, humanity's first mission to a star.Shortly after she began working on the Parker Solar Probe project, she was away on work business when her husband died suddenly, leaving their very young children home alone. She told Lauren about that fateful day.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

As a singer and songwriter, George sold more than 100 million records, won two Grammy awards and notched up countless number one hits.He told Kirsty about how an accident played a pivotal role in his love for music.You can listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds.

Davina is best known as the host of popular TV shows such as Big Brother, Long Lost Family and Streetmate.She spoke to Kirsty about how she struggled with drugs in her teenage years.You can find the full episode on BBC Sounds.

Before his career in broadcasting, Ade was an international wheelchair basketball player who won a gold medal at the 2005 Paralympic World Cup.He spoke to Kirsty about a fashion faux pas he made on his first day at school.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

Ruth is perhaps best known as Nessa from Gavin and Stacey, the show she co-created with James Corden.She told Lauren about her early career struggles and how she got her foot on the acting ladder.You can listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds.

The Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2016.Tom's parents split up when he was five, and he went to live with his father. By the age of 10 he'd lived in 10 different houses in five different cities.Tom spoke to Kirsty about his complicated childhood, his parents' divorce and how he managed his overwhelming feelings of loneliness.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

In 2013 the Scottish writer Val McDermid was cast away by Kirsty Young.Crime fiction is Val's chosen genre, and the millions of novels she sells examine and dissect the darkest recesses of human behaviour. Val spoke to Kirsty about her childhood love of libraries.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The activist Malala Yousafzai was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2021.Malala was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize when she was 17, becoming the youngest winner in its history. She spoke to Lauren about why equal access to education for girls matters so much to her and her family.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

In 2016 the novelist Jilly Cooper was cast away by Kirsty Young.Jilly is perhaps best known as the author of Rivals but her writing career also spans newspaper columns, non-fiction books on class, marriage and animals in war, and novels that sell in their millions. Jilly told Kirsty Young about her theory on what makes a successful marriage.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The former footballer and pundit Ian Wright was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2020.Born to Jamaican parents in south-east London, Ian grew up with his mother and stepfather. His biological father had left the family before Ian was two years old. Things at home were difficult, and Ian spent as much time as possible outside playing football. Ian spoke to Lauren about his childhood love of football and how one inspirational teacher, Mr. Pigden, changed everything.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

Maggie Alphonsi is a broadcaster and former rugby player. She was part of the England team which took home the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup and by the time she retired she'd won 74 caps for her country.Maggie was brought up in north London and when she was 14 her PE teacher suggested she give the sport of rugby union a try. Maggie joined her local amateur club Saracens and relished the freedom she felt at being able to capitalise on her power and strength on the pitch.Her first chance to play for England came when she was 19. Maggie started out as a number 12 and then later changed position to become a number seven or openside flanker. This role allowed her to showcase her tackling skills. She was part of the England team which won seven consecutive Six Nations tournaments and retired shortly after winning the Women's Rugby World Cup.She became the first female former player to commentate on the men's game and to join the Rugby Football Union's Council. In 2012 she was appointed an MBE for services to rugby. She is part of the BBC's commentating team for this year's Women's Rugby World Cup.Maggie lives in High Wycombe with her wife Marcella and their two children. DISC ONE: Fast Car - Tracy Chapman DISC TWO: They Live in You - Samuel E. Wright (Mufasa) Ensemble - The Lion King, conducted by Joseph Church DISC THREE: Stand by Me - Ben E. King DISC FOUR: Woman - Andreya Triana DISC FIVE: Wake Me Up - Avicii DISC SIX: You Gotta Be – Des'ree DISC SEVEN: World in Union - Kiri Te Kanawa DISC EIGHT: I'm Coming Out - Diana Ross BOOK CHOICE: The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on life's journey by Hana Yasmeen Ali and Muhammad Ali LUXURY ITEM: A family photo CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Fast Car - Tracy Chapman Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley

Professor Dame Carol Robinson is a scientist who was the first female professor of Chemistry at both Cambridge and Oxford Universities. She has been awarded scientific prizes from all over the world for her pioneering work studying complex macromolecules using an instrument called the mass spectrometer.Carol was drawn to science as a child growing up in Folkstone where she started collecting flowers and shells before moving on to breeding mice because she was fascinated by their genetic makeup. She grew to love chemistry in particular and pored over the periodic table in her bedroom.She left school at 16 and joined Pfizer, the pharmaceutical and biomedical company, as a laboratory technician. At Pfizer she began working with the mass spectrometer which measures the mass of all the atoms in a particular sample. She studied for an ONC and HNC in Chemistry in the evenings and at weekends and later gained a PHD in Chemistry from Cambridge University.She was appointed DBE in 2013 for services to science and industry. In 2021 she founded the Kavli Institute for NanoScience Discovery, an interdisciplinary science institute dedicated to studying structures and materials at an ultra-small scale.Carol has three children from her first marriage and lives in Oxfordshire with her second husband David. DISC ONE: Girl on Fire - Alicia Keys DISC TWO: She's Leaving Home - The Beatles DISC THREE: Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2, Op. 64b: I. Montagues and Capulets - Dance of the Knights. Performed by London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Claudio Abbado DISC FOUR: Sonnet - The Verve DISC FIVE: Wild Horses - The Rolling Stones DISC SIX: Golden Brown - The Stranglers DISC SEVEN: Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin DISC EIGHT: The Scientist - Coldplay BOOK CHOICE: The Herbal Apothecary: 100 Medicinal Herbs and How to Use Them by JJ Pursell LUXURY ITEM: A portable mass spectrometer CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Stairway to Heaven - Led ZeppelinPresenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley

Harry Hill is a comedian, writer and broadcaster best known for presenting popular television shows including You've Been Framed, Junior Bake Off and the multi award-winning TV Burp.He was born Matthew Hall in Surrey and brought up in Kent. He became a Cub Scout and got a taste for performing when he was nine after playing Widow Twankey in the Christmas pantomime.In 1983 he started studying medicine at St George's Medical School in London and began work as a trainee doctor in 1988. He wrote and performed in medical revues during this time and comedy became his true passion. In 1990 he made the decision to follow his heart and leave medicine to try his luck as a stand-up.In 1993 Harry got his first show on BBC Radio 4 – Harry Hill's Fruit Corner. Four years later he starred in his own television series on Channel 4 which allowed him to channel his off-the-wall humour in a series of wildly unpredictable comedy sketches.In 2001 he started writing and presenting Harry Hill's TV Burp on ITV which looked back at the week's television output in a series of comedy sketches and inventive parodies. The show won three BAFTAs, three Royal Television Society awards, a Rose d'Or and Seven British Comedy Awards.Harry lives in London with his wife Magda. They have three children. DISC ONE: Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) - Benny Hill DISC TWO: Have I The Right - The Honeycombs DISC THREE: Grandad's Flannelette Nightshirt - George Formby DISC FOUR: Gay Bar - Electric Six DISC FIVE: Life During Wartime - Talking Heads DISC SIX: Hey Bulldog - The Beatles DISC SEVEN: Never Give Up on Love - Steve Brown DISC EIGHT: Life Is The Name Of The Game - Bruce Forsyth BOOK CHOICE: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes LUXURY ITEM: A bucket and spade CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Never Give Up on Love - Steve Brown Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley

Monica Dolan is a BAFTA and Olivier award winning actor. She is equally at home playing a wrongfully accused postmistress in Mr Bates Vs the Post Office as she is playing the serial killer Rosemary West. Alongside her many roles in TV, stage and screen, Monica has also written and performed in her award winning one woman play B*easts.Born in 1969, Monica was the youngest of four children and was brought up in Woking. Her parents were Irish and had studied science and came to the UK in the early sixties. It was a very academic family and Monica found her passion for drama when she joined a teenage acting group. She went on to study drama at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since leaving drama school, she has had a very successful career and is known for her ability to master different accents and dialects. When she played the press officer, Tracy Pritchard in the comedyW1A, her Welsh accent was so convincing viewers thought she really was Welsh. Her critically acclaimed career on TV stage and screen has seen her portray the fictional evil Anne Branson in BBC 1's Sherwood, which earned her another BAFTA nomination. During the COVID pandemic, she gave a mesmeric performance as a grieving widow in The Shrine by Alan Bennett and because of restrictions at the time was her own makeup artist and costume designer. Monica lives in London with her beloved husky, Velma. DISC ONE: The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) - The Banana Splits DISC TWO: That's Entertainment - The Jam DISC THREE: Nothing - Priscilla Lopez (as Diana Morales), A Chorus Line Orchestra, conducted by Don Pippin DISC FOUR: Love and Affection - Joan Armatrading DISC FIVE: MacArthur Park - Richard Harris DISC SIX: The Night - Diane Chorley DISC SEVEN: Us Amazonians - Kirsty MacColl DISC EIGHT: South American Getaway (From "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid") - Burt Bacharach BOOK CHOICE: Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna LUXURY ITEM: A walk-in wardrobe CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Love and Affection - Joan Armatrading Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah Taylor

Gustavo Dudamel is a Venezuelan conductor, violinist and composer. He is known for bringing humour and joy to the podium. He is currently director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra and in 2026 will take up the post of music director of the New York Philharmonic, following in the footsteps of Gustav Mahler and Leonard Bernstein. Gustavo was born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela in 1981, the son of a trombonist who played in a salsa band, and his mother who was a singing teacher. Growing up in a musical household, young Gustavo used to gather his toys together and put them on the floor in the shape of an orchestra, put a record on and conduct.His parents enrolled five year old Gustavo in the El Sistema music programme and he learned the violin. After showing a flair for conducting he eventually became the conductor of the Venezuelan National Youth Orchestra. After winning the Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in Germany in 2004, his talent was spotted on a global stage. He was appointed the director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2008. Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah Taylor

Ash Atalla is a television producer whose first hit was the BBC sitcom The Office, starring Ricky Gervais. He followed it up with the IT Crowd, People Just Do Nothing, Big Boys and Stath Lets Flats. His haul of awards from these programmes include six BAFTAs, four Royal Television Society awards, a Golden Globe and an Emmy. Ash was born in Cairo and when he was six months old he contracted polio. He has been a wheelchair user all his life and believes the challenges he faced in his early life ignited his drive and ambition.Ash graduated from the University of Bath with a degree in Business Administration and became a stockbroker for an investment bank. It was a fleeting career as he soon realised he wasn't a natural when it came to numbers. His next stop was the BBC where he eventually joined the comedy department.Ash produced both series of The Office and, after leaving the BBC, moved on to the award-winning Channel 4 comedy series the IT Crowd and later the BBC's People Just Do Nothing, the sitcom about a London pirate radio station. He co-founded the production company Roughcut TV in 2007 and recently produced the six-part drama series Little Disasters, starring Jo Joyner and Diane Kruger.Ash lives in London.DISC ONE: Everything She Wants - Wham! DISC TWO: Enta Omri (“You Are My Life”) - Umm Kulthum DISC THREE: At Night - Shakedown DISC FOUR: Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) - Phil Collins DISC FIVE: My Ever Changing Moods - The Style Council DISC SIX: Handbags and Gladrags – Rod Stewart DISC SEVEN: The Universal - Blur DISC EIGHT: The Girl is Mine - Michael Jackson and Paul McCartneyBOOK CHOICE: Rewire Your Anxious Brain: Stop Overthinking, Find Calm, and Be Present by Nick Trenton LUXURY ITEM: An Indian restaurant CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: The Girl is Mine - Michael Jackson and Paul McCartneyPresenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley

Carol Klein is a gardener, broadcaster and longtime contributor to BBC Gardeners' World. She is a six time Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner, a certified RHS Horticultural Hero and was awarded the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour. Born in 1945 in Lancashire, Carol was the eldest of three children and her love of gardening was evident when she used to bring soil in from the outside as a toddler, and make a garden on the lino floor of her mum's kitchen. She began her career as an art teacher, working for many years in London schools. After meeting her husband, Neil, they eventually moved to Devon to buy a house and create a garden. They have lived in Glebe Cottage for forty seven years and it's been the base for Carol's former plant business as well as the location for some of her TV programmes. Carol never intended to be a professional gardener. She followed that path after becoming a parent and deciding not to return to her teaching career. After first growing plants successfully for local markets, she then started entering professional garden shows up and down the country winning six Chelsea gold medals in the process. Carol lives in Devon with her husband Neil.DISC ONE: Feeling Good - Nina Simone DISC TWO: Not Fade Away - Buddy Holly DISC THREE: Corrina, Corrina - Bob Dylan DISC FOUR: Let's Stay Together - Al Green DISC FIVE: Perfect Day - Lou Reed DISC SIX: Tutti Frutti - Little Richard DISC SEVEN: Skylark (Alauda Arvensis) DISC EIGHT: Radio, Radio - Elvis Costello & The AttractionsBOOK CHOICE: Flora Britannica by Richard Mabey LUXURY ITEM: A bottle of perfume CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Skylark (Alauda Arvensis) Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Sarah Taylor

Sir Gregory Doran is the former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He spent a total of thirty five years with the RSC directing fifty productions in the UK and abroad. He's been called “one of the great Shakespeareans of his age” and has won multiple awards for his work.Born in 1958, Greg was brought up near Preston and played a number of female Shakespeare roles when he was a young pupil attending an all-boys secondary school. He went on to study English and Drama at Bristol University followed by a stint studying classical acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. After a few bit parts in TV sitcoms and a spell at Nottingham Playhouse, Sir Greg decided that he would prefer to carve out a career as a director. He went on to stage some of the most critically acclaimed theatre productions – including an all-black cast of Julius Caesar and took Titus Andronicus to South Africa.More recently, he has been touring the globe on his Shakespeare's First Folio tour to look at as many different copies of the texts as possible. He survives his husband, the actor Sir Anthony Sher whom he met in 1987 whilst they were both part of a production of the Merchant of Venice at the RSC in Stratford. Sir Greg lives in London.DISC ONE: Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17, Act 1: Duetto. "Son nata a lagrimar" (Cornelia, Sesto) Composed by Georg Friedrich Händel and performed by Nathalie Stutzmann (contralto) Philippe Jaroussky (counter tenor) Oreo 55 (Orchestra) DISC TWO: Sicut cervus – The Choir of Preston Catholic College DISC THREE: Born Free - Matt Monro DISC FOUR: It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls DISC FIVE: Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes - Paul Simon DISC SIX: J.S. Bach: Cantata "Ich habe genug" BWV 82: I. "Ich habe genug, ich habe den Heiland". Performed by Thomas Quasthoff (bass-baritone), Berliner Barock Solisten, conducted by Rainer Kussmaul DISC SEVEN: Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, K.414: 2. Andante. Composed by Mozart and performed by Alfred Brendel (piano) and Academy of St Martin in the Fields, conducted by Sir Neville Marriner DISC EIGHT: Where the Bee Sucks - Paul Englishby, Royal Shakespeare Company BOOK CHOICE: A 1609 copy of Shakespeare's Sonnets LUXURY ITEM: A shelf of photo albums CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, K.414: 2. Andante. Composed by Mozart and performed by Alfred Brendel (piano) and Academy of St Martin in the Fields, conducted by Sir Neville MarrinerPresenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Sarah Taylor

Norma Percy is a documentary film-maker. She has been making programmes for over three decades and her productions have featured a range of political leaders from Tony Blair and Bill Clinton to Mikhail Gorbachev and Slobodan Milošević. Her film-making method, which she developed alongside her colleague Brian Lapping, tells the stories of our times by taking viewers into the room where the big decisions were made, with the people who made them.Norma was born in New York City and majored in Government at Oberlin College in Ohio. In 1963 she moved to London where she studied at the London School of Economics, before finding a job in the House of Commons as a researcher for the MP John Mackintosh.In 1972 she became a researcher for Brian Lapping, working on the Granada series State of the Nation. Later she produced The Second Russian Revolution and the award-winning Watergate – a five-part BBC series about the Watergate scandal.Her programmes have won an Emmy, two BAFTAs and four Royal Television Awards. Norma lives in London with her husband, the geneticist Professor Steve Jones. DISC ONE: Be Prepared - Tom Lehrer DISC TWO: Waltz in C sharp-minor, Op.64 No. 2. Composed by Frederic Chopin and performed by Khatia Buniatishvili DISC THREE: Well, Did You Evah? - Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra DISC FOUR: Hard Day's Night - The Beatles DISC FIVE: Never Say No - The Fantasticks New Off-Broadway Cast DISC SIX: Swan Lake, Op. 20, TH.12 / Act 3: The Black Swan. Composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and performed by Erich Gruenberg (violin), London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richard Bonynge DISC SEVEN: It Ain't Me Babe - Joan Baez DISC EIGHT: Political Science - Randy Newman BOOK CHOICE: In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust LUXURY ITEM: A hot shower CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: It Ain't Me Babe - Joan Baez Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley

Lord Alf Dubs is a Labour peer and former MP. He came to the UK from Prague in 1939 on one of the Kindertransport trains organised by Sir Nicholas Winton which rescued mostly Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia.Alf was born in Prague in 1932. His father was from a Jewish background and was brought up in what was then Northern Bohemia while his mother came from Austria. His father left Prague for London as soon as the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939. In June, when he was six-years-old, Alf was put on a Kindertransport train, arriving at Liverpool Street station two days later where he was met by his father. His mother eventually joined them in London the day before war broke out. Alf studied Politics and Economics at the London School of Economics and was elected as the Member of Parliament for Battersea South in May 1979. He lost his seat in 1987 and the following year he was appointed director of the Refugee Council, becoming the first refugee to head up the charity.In March 2016 Alf tabled an amendment to the 2016 Immigration Act (known as the Dubs Amendment) which asked the Government to accept 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children into the UK. The amendment passed but the Government closed the scheme the following year after accepting 480 children.In 2016 Alf received the Humanist of the Year award by Humanists UK of which he is also a patron. In 2021 his Czech citizenship was restored making him the first Czech-British member of the House of Lords.DISC ONE: It's Easy To Remember (Take 4) - John Coltrane Quartet DISC TWO: Smetana: Má Vlast, JB1:112: 2. Vltava. Performed by Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek DISC THREE: She's Leaving Home - The Beatles DISC FOUR: Bandiera Rossa - Canzoniere del Lame DISC FIVE: Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 1 in D Major, K. 412: I. Allegro. Performed by Barry Tuckwell (French horn), Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields, conducted by Neville Marriner DISC SIX: Danny Boy - Daniel O'Donnell DISC SEVEN: Take This Waltz - Leonard Cohen DISC EIGHT: Ode to Joy. Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven and performed by Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, conducted by Herbert BlomstedtBOOK CHOICE: Germinal by Émile Zola LUXURY ITEM: Walking boots CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: It's Easy To Remember (Take 4) - John Coltrane Quartet Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley

Professor Lucy Easthope is an adviser on disaster recovery and planning. She's an expert in planning for and reacting to major incidents: natural disaster, terrorist attacks, pandemics and fires, and is the visiting Professor of Mass Fatalities and Pandemics at the University of Bath.Born in Merseyside in 1978, Lucy cites the impact of watching the Hillsborough football disaster on TV as a child as one of the driving reasons of her decision to pursue a career in disaster management. Her work has involved working in mortuaries, attending fatal accidents and training teams to react to emergencies. Alongside her career, Lucy has written two books about emergency planning and disaster recovery. Lucy lives in Shropshire with her husband and two children.DISC ONE: Lose Yourself - Eminem DISC TWO: Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy. Performed by Matthew Steynor (organ) and The Choir of Queens' College Cambridge, conducted by James Weeks DISC THREE: Overture And A Prisoner Of The Crusades (From Chains To Freedom) Composed by Michael Kamen and performed by Greater Los Angeles Orchestra, conducted by Patti Fidelibus DISC FOUR: Tender - Blur DISC FIVE: Trustfall - Pink DISC SIX: Fast Car - Tracy Chapman DISC SEVEN: Something's Missing - Come From Away Company DISC EIGHT: Thunderstruck - AC/DC BOOK CHOICE: The Diddakoi by Rumer Godden LUXURY ITEM: A solar-powered torch CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Tender - Blur Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah Taylor

Romesh Ranganathan is a comedian and BAFTA-winning broadcaster who has been a fixture on British television screens for the past decade. In addition to his TV shows and stand-up tours he presents the Weakest Link on BBC One, Radio Two's Saturday morning show and another weekly Radio Two programme in which he shares his passion for hip hop music. Romesh was born in Crawley in West Sussex where he still lives. His parents came to the UK from Sri Lanka in 1975. His father Ranga was an accountant who spent time in prison for fraud during Romesh's teenage years. At that point Romesh and his brother were brought up by their mother Sivashanthini – known as Shanthi – who has appeared alongside Romesh on several of his television programmes.In 2001 Romesh became a maths teacher at the school where he'd previously been a pupil. A few years later he started taking part in open mic evenings where he developed his skills as a stand-up. In 2011 he quit his teaching job to pursue a career in comedy. He has spoken candidly about his own mental health and in 2023 he became a patron of the charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably). Romesh lives in Crawley with his wife Leesa and their three sons.DISC ONE: Lose Yourself - Eminem DISC TWO: Let's Hear it for the Boy - Deniece Williams DISC THREE: The Power of Love - Huey Lewis & The News DISC FOUR: Through the Wire - Kanye West DISC FIVE: Broken Clocks - SZA DISC SIX: Back at One - Brian McKnight DISC SEVEN: I Wish - Stevie Wonder DISC EIGHT: Bring the Noise - Public Enemy BOOK CHOICE: Life of Pi by Yann Martel LUXURY ITEM: An unlimited supply of aubergine curry CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Back at One - Brian McKnight If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley

Abdulrazak Gurnah is emeritus Professor of Post-Colonial Literatures at the University of Kent and the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in Literature. Born in Zanzibar in 1948, the second of six children, Abdulrazak grew up in the dying days of the island's status as a British protectorate before independence was declared in 1963. The revolution which followed made Zanzibar an undesirable and unsafe place to live in for young men of Arab heritage. In 1967, he left to seek opportunities in Britain.He subsidised his studies through a series of low paid jobs which included strawberry picking, factory work and time as a hospital porter. In the evenings he was studying at night school and after gaining a PhD in English, he joined the University of Kent, eventually becoming a Professor.Alongside his academic career, Abdulrazak was writing and it took him twelve years to find a publisher for his 1987 debut novel, Memory of Departure.He has published ten more novels since then, including 1994's Paradise and 2001's By the Sea (short and longlisted for the Booker Prize respectively) which explore themes of exile, displacement, belonging and colonialism. He was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature for his body of work and “for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fates of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents”. He lives in Kent, with his wife, the Guyanese-born scholar, Denise de Caires Narain. DISC ONE: Hit the Road Jack - Ray Charles DISC TWO: Petite Fleur - Sidney Bechet DISC THREE: Nipepee - Seif Salim DISC FOUR: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 7 - 1. Allegro maestoso. Composed by Clara Schumann. Performed by Isata Kanneh-Mason (piano) and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Holly Mathieson DISC FIVE: A Day in the Life - The Beatles DISC SIX: Kaira - Toumani Diabaté DISC SEVEN: So What - Miles Davis DISC EIGHT: Folon - Salif Keita BOOK CHOICE: That Glimpse of Truth: The 100 Finest Short Stories Ever Written selected by David Miller LUXURY ITEM: A nail clipper CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Petite Fleur - Sidney Bechet Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah Taylor

Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu is Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience at University College London and President of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge. She has devoted her career to harnessing the potential of nanoparticles – which are less than a thousandth of the width of a human hair - to take medicines to hard-to-reach areas of the body such as the back of the eye and the brain. Using nanoparticles in this way is said to increase the efficacy of medicines and reduce side effects. Ijeoma was born in London where her parents had settled from Nigeria. At 13 she moved with her family to Nigeria where she developed an enduring love of chemistry.In 2010 she co-founded a pharmaceutical company Nanomerics with her husband. The company is currently developing eyedrops to treat blindness and a nasal spray to target pain which she hopes will go some way to addressing the opioid crisis. Earlier this year Ijeoma was appointed a DBE in the King's New Years Honours List.Ijeoma lives in Cambridge with her husband Andreas. Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinleyDISC ONE: Chop My Money (I Don't Care) - P-Square DISC TWO: Joromi - Sir Victor Uwaifo DISC THREE: Love to Love You Baby - Donna Summer DISC FOUR: Zombie - Fela Kuti DISC FIVE: Coat of Many Colours - Dolly Parton DISC SIX: I Have Nothing - Whitney Houston DISC SEVEN: Touch Me in The Morning - Diana Ross DISC EIGHT: I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today - The Crusaders with Joe CockerBOOK CHOICE: Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt LUXURY ITEM: A variety of seeds CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today - The Crusaders with Joe Cocker

Actor Danny Dyer became a household name when he joined the cast of EastEnders as Mick Carter, landlord of the Queen Victoria pub. He recently stole the show from some stiff competition playing Freddie Jones in the television adaptation of Jilly Cooper's novel Rivals which won him a Royal Television Society Award for Best Supporting Actor.Danny was born in Custom House, East London in 1977. He loved drama at school and, with his teacher's encouragement, he signed up for after-school classes in north London which were run by a charity called Wac Arts. When he was 14 he was cast in the television drama Prime Suspect 3 alongside Helen Mirren and David Thewlis. He went on to star in a series of films including Human Traffic and Football Factory. In 2000 he played the waiter in Harold Pinter's new play Celebration and went on to appear in two other productions by the playwright - No Man's Land and The Homecoming.In 2013 he took over the Queen Vic and his performances earned him three National Television Awards. He appeared on the BBC genealogy programme Who Do you think you Are? in 2016 and discovered he was descended from King Edward III and related to Thomas Cromwell. Danny lives in Essex with his wife Jo. They have three children and three grandchildren.DISC ONE: Slave to Love - Bryan Ferry DISC TWO: Rebel Yell - Billy Idol DISC THREE: Move Closer - Phyllis Nelson DISC FOUR: Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd DISC FIVE: Playing with Knives - Bizarre Inc DISC SIX: Columbia - Oasis DISC SEVEN: Nebraska - Lucy Rose DISC EIGHT: Wicked Game - Chris Isaak BOOK CHOICE: Ray Mears Essential Bushcraft: A Handbook of Survival LUXURY ITEM: A Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Playing with Knives - Bizarre Inc Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley