Last Word
461 episodes - English - Latest episode: 26 days ago -Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently
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Episodes
Newton Minow, Vicky Neale, Lois Keith, Gerald Rose
May 19, 2023 15:25 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBMatthew Bannister on Newton Minow, who was just 35 when he was appointed chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission by President John F. Kennedy. He gave a famous speech describing TV as a “vast wasteland” and helped to set up the Public Broadcasting Service. Vicky Neale, the mathematician who responded to her diagnosis with cancer by launching a podcast discussing the role of maths in cancer research. Lois Keith, who campaigned for equal rights for disabled people. Gerald Ros...
19/05/2023
May 19, 2023 15:25 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBMatthew Bannister on Newton Minow, who was just 35 when he was appointed chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission by President John F. Kennedy. He gave a famous speech describing TV as a “vast wasteland” and helped to set up the Public Broadcasting Service. Vicky Neale, the mathematician who responded to her diagnosis with cancer by launching a podcast discussing the role of maths in cancer research. Lois Keith, who campaigned for equal rights for disabled people. Gerald Rose...
Grace Bumbry, Don Short, Dame Rosemary Cramp, Wee Willie Harris
May 12, 2023 15:25 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBMatthew Bannister on The opera singer Grace Bumbry who broke down barriers by becoming the first black performer at the Bayreuth Festival. Don Short, the showbusiness journalist who coined the term “Beatlemania” and became good friends with the Fab Four. Dame Rosemary Cramp, the archaeologist who deepened our understanding of the Anglo Saxon period. And Wee Willie Harris, the flamboyant rock’n’roller name checked in Ian Dury’s song “Reasons To Be Cheerful” Interviewee: David Brewer Inte...
Harry Belafonte, Jerry Springer, Valerie Winn, Kate Saunders
May 05, 2023 15:25 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBMatthew Bannister on Harry Belafonte, the singer and actor who was also a leading civil rights campaigner. Jerry Springer, whose TV talk show was once voted the worst in history – but was watched by millions around the world. Valerie Winn, the runner who became the face of a campaign to allow women to compete in top level middle distance races. Kate Saunders, the novelist, journalist and critic who won the Costa Prize for Children’s Literature for her book Five Children on the Western F...
Barry Humphries, Len Goodman, Professor Elizabeth Murray, Jah Shaka
April 28, 2023 15:25 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBMatthew Bannister on Barry Humphries, best known for his comic creations Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. We have tributes from Rob Brydon and John Humphrys. Len Goodman, who went from working as a welder to international fame as head judge of Strictly Come Dancing. Professor Elizabeth Murray, a pioneer in the use of digital technology in health care. And Jah Shaka, dub reggae star, producer and sound system king. Interviewee: Rob Brydon Interviewee: John Humphrys Interviewee: M...
Anne Perry, Dame Mary Quant, Jean Argles, Ahmad Jamal
April 26, 2023 08:10 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBMatthew Bannister on Anne Perry, the best-selling crime novelist who committed a murder when she was a teenager. Dame Mary Quant, the influential fashion designer at the heart of the swinging 60s. Pattie Boyd recalls the coat Mary designed for her wedding to George Harrison. Jean Argles, who – with her sister - served as a codebreaker during the second world war. Ahmad Jamal, the jazz pianist and composer whose restrained but intense style inspired Miles Davis. Joe Stilgoe pays tribute. ...
Ben Ferencz, Seymour Fortescue, Valerie Elliott, Rachel Pollack
April 25, 2023 10:02 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBMatthew Bannister on Ben Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. He devoted his life to campaigning for an international system of justice for the victims of such crimes. Seymour Fortescue, the banker who pioneered the credit and debit card revolution. Valerie Elliott, the respected journalist who reported on politics and then rural affairs. Rachel Pollack, the author and trans activist best known for her award-winning novel Unquenchable Fire and for cr...
Nigel Lawson, Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, Ken Buchanan, Mary Rayner
April 07, 2023 15:20 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBMatthew Bannister on Nigel Lawson – Baron Lawson of Blaby, the reforming Chancellor of the Exchequer under Margaret Thatcher. He cut income tax, led the campaign of privatisation and paved the way for the Big Bang in the City of London. Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, the Ethiopian-born nun acclaimed for her unique musical compositions. Ken Buchanan, the Scottish boxer who became World Lightweight Champion. Mary Rayner, the children’s author and illustrator best known for her books about M...
Paul O'Grady, Gordon Moore, Vera Selby, Simon Emmerson
March 31, 2023 15:20 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBMatthew Bannister on Paul O’Grady, who made his name as the drag queen Lily Savage, and went on to become a much-loved TV and radio star. Gordon Moore, the tech entrepreneur who founded the chip maker Intel and came up with Moore’s law which says that computer processing power doubles every two years. Vera Selby who challenged sexist prejudice to become the women’s world snooker champion – twice. And Simon Emmerson who put together two hugely influential bands – the Afro Celt Sound Sy...
Jacqueline Gold CBE, Lance Reddick, Traute Lafrenz, Lynn Seymour
March 24, 2023 16:20 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBMatthew Bannister on Jacqueline Gold CBE – the businesswoman who turned Ann Summers from a couple of seedy sex shops into a multi-million pound high street success. Lance Reddick, the American actor best known for playing Cedric Daniels in The Wire. Traute Lafrenz, the last known survivor of the White Rose Group that actively resisted the Nazis in Germany during the second world war. Lynn Seymour, one of the greatest dramatic ballerinas of the twentieth century. Producer: Gareth Nelson...
Chaim Topol, Zandra Flemister, Bill Tidy MBE, Avis Fawcitt
March 17, 2023 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on The actor and singer Chaim Topol (pictured), best known for his performances in the musical Fiddler on the Roof. Zandra Flemister, the first African American woman to work as a Secret Service special agent. The prolific cartoonist Bill Tidy MBE who created the Cloggies and The Fosdyke Saga. Avis Fawcitt, the Leicestershire music teacher who devoted her life to the Orphean Youth and Concert Orchestra. Producer: Neil George Interviewed guest: John Collinge Interviewe...
Judith Heumann, Brian Tufano, Sir David Elliott KCMG, Elizabeth Foulkes
March 10, 2023 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Judith Heumann (pictured), the American disability rights campaigner who led the longest non-violent occupation of a Federal building in US history. Brian Tufano, the cinematographer who shot films like Quadrophenia, Trainspotting and Billy Elliot. Sir David Elliott, a key figure in the negotiations that created the European single market. Elizabeth Foulkes, who helped to define common standards for architects in the UK. Producer: Neil George Interviewed guest: Tho...
Lady Betty Boothroyd, Marianne Mantell, John Motson OBE, Sulamita Aronovsky
March 03, 2023 16:25 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBKirsty Lang on The extraordinary Lady Betty Boothroyd (pictured) who went from humble beginnings in a Yorkshire mill town to becoming Westminster’s first female Speaker. John Motson OBE - the BBC’s voice of football for half a century, The pioneering New York publisher Marianne Mantell who paved the way for audio books... And Lithuanian pianist Sulamita Aronovsky who founded London’s International Piano competition. Producer: Neil George Interviewed guest: Julia Langdon Interviewed g...
Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Ralph Hooper OBE, Raquel Welch, Dickie Davies
February 24, 2023 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBKirsty Lang on Dorothy Pitman Hughes who brought black women into the 70s Feminist movement and inspired Gloria Steinem. Raquel Welch (pictured), the Hollywood actor who became a Sixties sex symbol after playing a cavewoman in the film 'One Million Years BC'. The aeronautical engineer Ralph Hooper OBE who designed the revolutionary Harrier jump jet. And Dickie Davies, the sports presenter best known for anchoring ITV Saturday afternoons in the 70s and 80s. Producer: Neil George Inter...
David Vaughan OBE, Burt Bacharach, Janet Anderson, Eileen Sheridan
February 17, 2023 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Professor David Vaughan OBE, who was a leading expert on the effects of climate change on glaciers in the Antarctic. Burt Bacharach (pictured), who wrote scores of hit songs including 'I Say A Little Prayer', 'Do You Know The Way To San José' and 'Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head'. Janet Anderson, the Labour MP who wrote entertaining reports of proceedings in parliament for Queen Elizabeth. Eileen Sheridan – one of Britain’s greatest cyclists, she held the speed rec...
Frene Ginwala, Lady Martha Bruce OBE, Pervez Musharraf, Paco Rabanne
February 10, 2023 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMatthew Bannister on Frene Ginwala (pictured), one of the leading figures in the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, who became Speaker of the country’s first democratically elected parliament. Lady Martha Bruce OBE, governor of Scotland’s first purpose built prison for women. General Pervez Musharraf, who took power as President of Pakistan in a military coup and supported George Bush’s War on Terror. Paco Rabanne, the designer who created clothes from metal, plastics and wood. P...
Ralph Ehrmann, Sylvia Syms, Rabbi Dr Abraham Levy, Jo Sandilands
February 06, 2023 12:13 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBMatthew Bannister on Ralph Ehrmann, the German-born businessman behind the success of the Airfix model kits that delighted a generation of young boys in the 1960s and 70s. Sylvia Syms (pictured), the actor whose roles ranged from beautiful heroines in the 1950s and 60s to Margaret Thatcher and The Queen Mother later in life. Rabbi Dr Abraham Levy, the leader of the UK’s oldest Jewish community who was awarded the OBE for services to interfaith relations. Jo Sandilands, who edited t...
Howard Baderman, David Crosby, Milly Thompson, Brenda Heywood
January 27, 2023 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMatthew Bannister on Howard Baderman, the hospital consultant who transformed the discipline of emergency medicine and treated casualties from high profile events like the Kings Cross Tube Fire and the sinking of the Thames river boat The Marchioness. David Crosby (pictured), the singer and songwriter with the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young whose life went through periods of chaos through drug addiction. Milly Thompson, the artist who, as a member of the BANK collective, satirise...
Jeff Beck, Alice Mahon, Tom Karen OBE, Gina Lollobrigida
January 20, 2023 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Jeff Beck (pictured), who was acclaimed as one of the most influential and innovative rock guitarists of all time. Alice Mahon, the left wing Labour MP who often rebelled against her own party. Tom Karen OBE, the designer who came up with the Raleigh Chopper Bike, the Bond Bug, the Reliant Robin and the Popemobile. Gina Lollobrigida, the first post war Italian actress to gain an international reputation as a sex symbol. She was known for her rivalry with Sophia Loren...
Gianluca Vialli, Fay Weldon, Michael Dower, Anita Pointer
January 13, 2023 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMatthew Bannister on Gianluca Vialli (pictured), the Italian footballer who won many major trophies with Sampdoria and Juventus before moving to Chelsea as a player and then manager. Fay Weldon, the author who told stories of women taking control of their own destinies, including ‘The Life and Loves of A She Devil’. Michael Dower, the former Director General of the Countryside Commission who devoted his life to conserving and developing the British countryside. Anita Pointer, one of thre...
Pope Benedict XVI, Dame Vivienne Westwood, James Caan, Georgia Holt
January 06, 2023 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBMatthew Bannister on Pope Benedict XVI, the religious conservative who was the first Pontiff to resign from the job in almost 600 years. Dame Vivienne Westwood (pictured), punk pioneer, high fashion designer and eco warrior. James Caan, the American actor best known for playing Sonny Corleone in The Godfather. Georgia Holt, the singer who enjoyed success late in life thanks to her daughter Cher. Producer: Tim Bano Interviewed guest: Catherine Pepinster Interviewed guest: Ian Kelly Int...
Terry Hall, Dame Beryl Grey, Heather Iandolo, Eric Allison
December 30, 2022 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBMatthew Bannister on Terry Hall (pictured), the singer who captured the disillusionment of a generation with The Specials’ biggest hit “Ghost Town”. Heather Iandolo, the daughter of the notorious Nazi propaganda broadcaster known as Lord Haw Haw. Eric Allison, who turned his back on a life of crime to become the Guardian’s prisons correspondent. Dame Beryl Grey, the acclaimed ballerina who went on to run the London Festival Ballet. Producer: Tim Bano Interviewed Guests: Professor Col...
Victor Lewis-Smith, Maureen Doherty, Pablo Milanés, Ailsa Irving
December 23, 2022 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on The columnist, broadcaster, producer, musician and outrageous hoaxer Victor Lewis-Smith (pictured). Maureen Doherty, the designer who worked with Issey Miyake and founded the influential fashion brand Egg. Edmund de Waal pays tribute. Pablo Milanés, the Cuban musician who was one of the founders of the nueva trova singer/songwriter movement. Ailsa Irving, who started and ran the UK Endometriosis Society after a long battle to get her own symptoms diagnosed. Produce...
Joyce Bryant, George 'Johnny' Johnson MBE, Dame Clare Marx, Joseph Kittinger
December 16, 2022 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMatthew Bannister on Joyce Bryant (pictured), the American singer who was named by Ebony magazine as one of the five most beautiful black women in the world. Squadron Leader George 'Johnny' Johnson MBE, the last surviving airman who took part in the Dambuster raids. Dame Clare Marx, the first woman to be elected President of the Royal College of Surgeons. Joseph Kittinger, who held the record for the world’s highest skydive for over 50 years. He jumped from 19.5 miles above sea level. P...
Christine McVie, Jiang Zemin, Derek Granger
December 09, 2022 16:02 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Christine McVie who wrote some of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits and was a key player in the turbulent history of the band. Jiang Zemin, who became Chinese President after the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square and presided over the opening up of the country’s economy. Derek Granger, the TV and film producer best known for the acclaimed adaptation of Brideshead Revisited. Producer: Neil George Interviewed guest: Tim Sullivan Interviewed guest: Isabel Hilton Interviewed...
Doddie Weir, Hebe de Bonafini, Irene Cara, Cornelia Schroeder
December 02, 2022 16:23 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBMatthew Bannister on Doddie Weir (pictured), the leading Scottish rugby player who spent the last few years of his life raising funds for research into the causes of Motor Neurone Disease. Hebe de Bonafini, the human rights activist from Argentina who led the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo in campaigning to trace victims of the country’s so-called “Dirty War”. Irene Cara, the singer and actor best known for her role in the film “Fame” and for co-writing the hit song “Flashdance”. Cornelia Sc...
Mehran Karimi Nasseri, Ann Savours, Sue Baker, Wilko Johnson
November 25, 2022 16:02 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Mehran Karimi Nasseri – otherwise known as Sir Alfred (pictured). He was the Iranian migrant who lived for eighteen years in terminal one of the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Sue Baker, the motoring journalist who presented Top Gear. Ann Savours, the archivist and polar historian who wrote books on the search for the Northwest Passage and Captain Scott’s ship the Discovery. Wilko Johnson, the former guitarist with Dr Feelgood who was diagnosed with terminal can...
Peter de Savary, Bob Le Sueur MBE, Ela Bhatt, Hannah Pick-Goslar
November 18, 2022 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMatthew Bannister on Peter de Savary, the serial entrepreneur who ran private members’ clubs, once owned both Land’s End and John O’Groats and spent a fortune trying to win the America’s Cup for the UK. Bob Le Sueur MBE, who risked his life during the German occupation of Jersey by helping Russian slave workers to escape. Ela Bhatt (pictured), the Indian trade unionist who campaigned for the rights of street vendors and other self-employed women. Hannah Pick-Goslar, the German-born Isra...
Leslie Phillips CBE, Dame Valerie Beral, Avtar Singh Jouhl, Atarah Ben-Tovim MBE
November 11, 2022 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Leslie Phillips CBE (pictured), the actor who made his name in the Navy Lark and the Carry On Films, then became a respected character actor. Dame Valerie Beral, the epidemiologist who created the million women study and investigated the safety of the contraceptive pill and HRT. Avtar Singh Jouhl, the trade unionist and activist who campaigned for racial equality. Atarah Ben-Tovim MBE, the flautist who inspired generations of children to take up music. Producer: Ne...
Baroness Blood, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ian Jack, Hilaree Nelson
November 04, 2022 16:25 - 28 minutes - 25.6 MBMatthew Bannister on Baroness Blood (pictured), the trade unionist, community worker and peace campaigner who became the first woman from Northern Ireland to be given a life peerage. Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock 'n' roll pioneer whose turbulent private life included bigamy, violence and drug addiction. Ian Jack, the journalist known for his long form articles and for editing the Independent on Sunday and the literary magazine Granta. Hilaree Nelson, the intrepid ski mountaineer who comple...
Dame Carmen Callil, Ivy Jo Hunter, Kathleen Booth, Dietrich Mateschitz
October 28, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Dame Carmen Callil (pictured), the Australian-born publisher who founded the feminist Virago Books. Ivy Jo Hunter, known as the 'forgotten man of Motown', he co-wrote Dancing In The Street for Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. Kathleen Booth the mathematician and pioneering computer designer. Dietrich Mateschitz, the billionaire who turned the Red Bull energy drink into a global success by sponsoring sports clubs and daring stunts, including backing two Formula One mo...
Ian Hamilton KC, Audrey Evans, Parvatiben Solanki, Robbie Coltrane OBE
October 21, 2022 16:59 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBMatthew Bannister on Ian Hamilton KC, the Scottish lawyer who, as a student, took part in removing the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey and returning it to Scotland. Professor Audrey Evans, the paediatric oncologist who founded a global network of homes where the families of her young patients could stay during their treatment. Parvatiben Solanki, who teamed up with her husband to launch Garavi Gujarat, one of the biggest selling Asian news magazines outside India. Robbie Coltran...
Dame Angela Lansbury, Lady Keswick, Sacheen Littlefeather, Franca Fendi
October 14, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Dame Angela Lansbury (pictured), the stage and screen actor best known in recent years for her role in the TV series Murder She Wrote. Lady Keswick who was Director of the Conservative think tank the Centre for Policy Studies after being a special adviser to Kenneth Clarke at Education and the Treasury. He pays tribute. Sacheen Littlefeather, who staged a high profile protest about the representation of Native Americans in Hollywood when she declined an Oscar on behal...
Yusuf al-Qaradawi, 'Ma' Smith MBE, Mike Burrows, Loretta Lynn
October 07, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Yusuf al-Qaradawi, one of the most influential Muslim scholars of his generation. He reached a vast audience through his show on the TV channel Al Jazeera. 'Ma' Smith MBE, who ran a celebrated soup kitchen in Oxford for thirty years. Mike Burrows, the pioneering cycle designer who came up with the Lotus 108 bike ridden by Chris Boardman when he won Olympic Gold in Barcelona. Loretta Lynn (pictured), the American country singer whose songs told the stories of working ...
Dame Hilary Mantel, John McVicar, Joyce Reynolds, Paul Sartin
September 30, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Dame Hilary Mantel (pictured), the Booker prize winning novelist best known for the Wolf Hall trilogy. John McVicar, the former armed robber who studied sociology in prison and became a writer and broadcaster. Joyce Reynolds, the eminent Cambridge classicist who specialised in the study of epigraphs and taught Dame Mary Beard who joins us to remember her. The multi-instrumentalist and singer Paul Sartin, a key figure on the English folk scene and member of the band ...
Jean-Luc Godard, Barbara Ehrenreich, Dennis Wilson, Mavis Nicholson
September 23, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBKirsty Lang on Jean-Luc Godard (pictured), the critic and filmmaker who revolutionised French cinema. The writer and journalist Barbara Ehrenreich, whose bestseller 'Nickel and Dimed', is considered a classic in social justice literature. Captain Dennis Wilson, the Normandy veteran whose war poems were ranked alongside Wilfred Owen’s... And Mavis Nicholson, the Welsh broadcaster with a knack for making her subjects talk about matters that they had never previously confronted in public. P...
Bill Turnbull, Anne Sutton, Norah Vincent, Drummie Zeb
September 16, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMatthew Bannister on Bill Turnbull (pictured), the journalist and BBC Breakfast presenter who was also a beekeeper and committed fan of Wycombe Wanderers. Anne Sutton, whose detailed studies of the life and times of King Richard III transformed his reputation. Norah Vincent, who wrote a best-selling book about her experience of living as a man for eighteen months and then suffered a mental breakdown. Drummie Zeb, the drummer and vocalist with the British reggae band Aswad. Producer:...
Mikhail Gorbachev, Stella 'Jaye' Edwards, Jerry Allison
September 02, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMatthew Bannister on The last President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev (pictured), who was feted in the West but often derided in his own country. We follow his journey from a collective farm in Stavropol to momentous times in the Kremlin, including the introduction of Perestroika and Glasnost, the end of the Cold War and the coup that toppled him from power. Stella 'Jaye' Edwards, who was the last surviving British woman pilot who delivered planes from factories to front line base...
Margaret Keane, Keith Smith, Mario Fiorentini, Brenda Fisher
August 26, 2022 15:25 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBMatthew Bannister on Margaret Keane (pictured), the American artist whose paintings of children with 'Big Eyes' became hugely popular in the 1960s. Her identity as the painter was kept secret by her husband who claimed the works as his own. Keith Smith, the market trader who co-founded the Poundland chain of shops. Mario Fiorentini, Italy’s most decorated partisan, who risked torture and death to fight the German occupation of his country. Brenda Fisher, the long distance swimmer from G...
Lamont Dozier, Joan Lingard, Issey Miyake, Edana Minghella
August 19, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBJohn Wilson on Lamont Dozier (pictured), who wrote dozens of hits for Motown Records. Joan Lingard, the author of the popular Kevin and Sadie books set during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Issey Miyake, the Japanese fashion designer who survived the atomic bomb. Edana Minghella, the mental health researcher and jazz singer. Producer: Emily Finch Interviewed guest: Eddie Holland Interviewed guest: Adam White Interviewed guest: Shelly Clark Interviewed guest: Lindsey Fraser Interview...
James Lovelock, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Roy Hackett MBE, Dame Olivia Newton-John
August 12, 2022 16:24 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBKirsty Lang on James Lovelock (pictured), the scientist and inventor who came up with the Gaia theory. Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda. Roy Hackett MBE, who led the Bristol bus boycott in 1963. Dame Olivia Newton-John, the singer and actor who starred in Grease. Producer: Emily Finch Interviewed guest: Bryan Appleyard CBE Interviewed guest: Paul Martin Interviewed guest: Lynn Mareno Interviewed guest: Professor Kehinde Andrews Interviewed guest: Holly Thom...
Bernard Cribbins OBE (pictured), Diana Kennedy MBE, Sir Colin Blakemore, Nichelle Nichols
August 05, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Bernard Cribbins OBE, the much-loved actor known for appearances in The Railway Children and Doctor Who as well as reading countless stories on Jackanory. Diana Kennedy MBE, the British-born food writer who dedicated her life to promoting the diversity of Mexican cuisine. Sir Colin Blakemore, the neuroscientist who received death threats after speaking out in defence of experiments on animals. Nichelle Nichols, the trailblazing African American actor who played Lieut...
Lord David Trimble (pictured), Susie Steiner, Uwe Seeler
July 29, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBJohn Wilson on Lord David Trimble, Northern Irish politician who was an architect of the Good Friday Agreement and won a Nobel Peace Prize. Susie Steiner, a British crime author who shared her experience of living with a brain tumour. Uwe Seeler, captain of the West German football team in 1966 and a hero for his home team of Hamburg. Producer: Sofie Vilcins Interviewed guest: Lord Dean Godson Interviewed guest: Val McDermid Interviewed guest: Alan Mullery MBE Interviewed guest: Derek ...
Tony Sirico (pictured), José Eduardo dos Santos, Ann Shulgin, Ivana Trump
July 22, 2022 15:25 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBJohn Wilson on Tony Sirico, the former armed robber turned actor who found fame playing the role of mobster Paulie Walnuts in ground-breaking television series The Sopranos. José Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Angola as president for 37 years, steering the country through a bloody civil war, and reaping the benefits of an oil boom while being accused of huge levels of corruption. Ann Shulgin, a therapist who pioneered the use of psychedelics and MDMA in therapy together with her chemist hu...
Shinzo Abe (pictured), Mona Hammond OBE, Lorna de Smidt, Monty Norman
July 15, 2022 15:25 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBKirsty Lang on Shinzo Abe - Japan’s longest-serving prime minister who sought to end a wartime legacy of defeat and occupation and to tackle the economy through ‘Abenomics’. Actor Mona Hammond is best known for her TV role in Eastenders. Lorna de Smidt, the anti-apartheid and anti-racist activist who cut her political teeth in the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa in the late 1960s. And Monty Norman - Composer and singer who wrote the James Bond main theme and a string of succ...
Baroness Greengross OBE (pictured), Sonny Barger, Technoblade, Qin Yi
July 08, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Baroness Greengross, who championed the rights of older people as Director General of the charity Age Concern. Sonny Barger, the leading American Hell’s Angel who was arrested 21 times and spent 13 years in prison. Technoblade, the young Youtuber who amassed millions of followers for his commentaries on the video game Minecraft. Qin Yi, the leading Chinese film star whose career spanned eight decades. Producer: Neil George Interviewed guest: Gail Perry Interviewed ...
Dame Deborah James (pictured), Yves Coppens, Revel Guest OBE, Samuel Bhima
July 01, 2022 15:25 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBMatthew Bannister on Dame Deborah James who raised millions of pounds for cancer research by talking openly about living with - and dying from - bowel cancer. Yves Coppens, the charismatic French palaeontologist who led the team that discovered hominid remains estimated to be 3.2 million years old. Revel Guest OBE, the documentary film producer who became chair of the Hay Literary Festival. Samuel Bhima, the first Malawian to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gyn...
Dom Phillips (pictured), Stephen S. Thompson, Caroline Drummond, Maureen Hiron
June 24, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMatthew Bannister on Dom Phillips, the freelance journalist who was ambushed and shot dead on a trip into the Amazon rain forest. Stephen S. Thompson, the novelist and screenwriter who won a BAFTA for his TV drama telling the story of his brother’s experiences during the Windrush scandal. Caroline Drummond, who campaigned for greater links between farming and environmental protection – and oversaw the launch of Open Farm Sunday. Maureen Hiron, the top-class bridge player who invented ma...
Dame Paula Rego (pictured), Bruce Kent, Hilary Devey CBE
June 17, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Dame Paula Rego, the acclaimed Portuguese-born artist who later made her home in the UK and was renowned for making vivid and disturbing work focussing on the subjugation of women. We talk to her son Nick Willing. Bruce Kent, the Catholic priest who became a leader of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Hilary Devey CBE, who founded a multi-million pound freight distribution business and was one of the Dragons on the TV show Dragons Den. Producer: Neil George ...
Amanda Claridge, Sidhu Moose Wala (pictured), Mark Sykes, Paul Vance
June 10, 2022 15:25 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Amanda Claridge, the archaeologist who was a leading expert on ancient Rome. Sidhu Moose Wala, the acclaimed Indian rapper who was shot dead at the age of 28. Mark Sykes, the upper-class gambler, con man, gun smuggler and playboy. Paul Vance, who wrote the song 'Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini' and whose death was announced prematurely in 2006. Producer: Neil George Interviewed guest: Richard Hodges Interviewed guest: Professor Richard Alston Inte...