About this podcast
Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 2,000 episodes
- Ann Patchett, writer · 54 minAnn Patchett is an American writer. She is the author of ten novels, several works of non-fiction and three children’s books. Her breakout hit, Bel Canto, won the PEN/Faulkner…
- Professor Dame Parveen Kumar · 52 minProfessor 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. She was…
- Matt Haig, writer · 51 minMatt 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…
- Richard Osman on managing his eating disorder · 3 minThe writer and broadcaster Richard Osman was cast away by Lauren Laverne. He is the author of the Thursday Murder Club series and has presented popular BBC shows including…
- Penelope Keith on knowing her Shakespeare · 3 minThe actress Penelope Keith, who died earlier this year, was cast away by Roy Plomley in 1976. She became best known for her roles in the BBC sitcoms The Good Life and To the…
- Anthony Joshua on his love for his mother · 4 minThe boxer Anthony Joshua was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2024. He is a two-time heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medallist who was raised by his mother after his parents…
- Kathy Burke on being saved by punk as a moody teenager · 3 minThe actor and comedian Kathy Burke was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2010. She came to prominence when she appeared in Kevin and Perry TV sketches opposite Harry Enfield. Perry…
- Stephen Mangan on why he'll never be Bond · 3 minThe actor Stephen Mangan was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2025. He made his breakthrough on television playing Adrian Mole in The Cappuccino Years in 2001. Although he was glad…
- How Nick Cave's songs reveal themselves painfully to him · 4 minThe 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…
- Meera Syal on holding up a mirror to British society in Goodness Gracious Me · 3 minThe 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…
- Chaka Khan, singer and songwriter · 51 minChaka 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…
- Professor Dame Pamela Shaw · 52 minProfessor 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…
- Emma Grede, businesswoman · 52 minEmma 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…
- Sir Roger Deakins, cinematographer · 51 minSir 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…
- Shania Twain, musician · 50 minShania 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…
- Paul Farmer, charity leader · 50 minPaul 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…
- Professor Liz Morris, glaciologist · 51 minProfessor 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…
- Norman Cook, DJ and musician · 51 minNorman 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…
- Jo Nesbø, writer · 51 minJo 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…
- Anna Maxwell Martin, actor · 51 minAnna 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…
- Peter Layton, artist · 51 minPeter 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…
- Guy Martin, presenter and former motorcycle racer · 51 minGuy 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…
- Emily Watson, actor · 53 minEmily 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…
- Gary O'Donoghue, journalist · 51 minJournalist 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…
- David Morrissey, actor · 51 minDavid 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…
- Si King, cook · 50 minSi 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…
- Sara Pascoe, comedian and writer · 51 minSara Pascoe is a comedian and writer who has appeared on programmes including QI, Taskmaster and the Great British Sewing Bee. She is also a screenwriter and the author of three…
- Professor Stephen Westaby, surgeon and writer · 51 minProfessor Stephen Westaby is a former heart surgeon and writer. During his career he performed over 11,000 operations and pioneered the use of life long artificial hearts as an…
- Jessie Buckley, actor · 51 minJessie Buckley is an actor and singer. She recently won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe Award for her critically acclaimed role playing Shakespeare’s wife Agnes in Chloé Zhao’s film…
- Dwayne Fields, explorer · 51 minDwayne Fields is an explorer and broadcaster who was appointed the UK’s Chief Scout in 2024. He is the first black Briton to reach the Magnetic North Pole. His television work…
- Roula Khalaf, journalist · 51 minRoula Khalaf is a journalist and the first woman to serve as editor of the Financial Times in its 138‑year history. She joined the paper in 1995 as North Africa correspondent…
- Richard Young, photographer · 50 minRichard Young is a photographer who was once known as the “king of the paparazzi”. His portfolio is a who’s who of some of the biggest stars in film, music, stage and popular…
- Tahra Zafar, costume and effects designer · 51 minTahra Zafar is a costume and creature effects designer. She designed the Paddington Bear puppet featured in the hit West End production Paddington: The Musical. Born into a…
- Professor Michele Dougherty, scientist · 52 minProfessor Michele Dougherty is President of the Institute of Physics and Professor of Space Physics at Imperial College London. She was appointed Astronomer Royal last year – the…
- Kemi Badenoch MP, leader of the opposition · 51 minKemi Badenoch is the Conservative MP for North West Essex and the Leader of the Opposition. Since winning her seat in 2017, she has held cabinet positions as Minister of State…
- Adeel Akhtar, actor · 50 minAdeel Akhtar is an award-winning actor whose breakthrough role came in 2010 when he starred in Chris Morris’s black comedy Four Lions. He won his first BAFTA for Best Actor in…
- Jesse Armstrong, writer · 49 minJesse Armstrong is a British author, screenwriter, and producer. He has written several award-winning TV comedies and satirical dramas and won many accolades for his work…
- Jojo Moyes, writer · 51 minJojo Moyes is a British novelist and screenwriter. She began her writing career as a journalist and worked at the Egham and Staines News, Independent and South China Morning…
- Kate Winslet, actor · 52 minKate Winslet is an actor who achieved global fame playing Rose DeWitt Bukater, opposite Leonard DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, in the 1997 James Cameron epic Titanic. During her career…
- Lee Child, writer · 53 minLee Child is a writer who is best known for his series of bestselling novels featuring Jack Reacher. Reacher is an enigmatic 6ft 5in, 17-stone ex-military police major who rights…
- Margaret Atwood · 54 minWriter Margaret Atwood is castaway by Lauren Laverne. Margaret is a Canadian writer. She has published more than sixty books spanning novels, poetry, short stories, non-fiction…
- Gordon Buchanan, cameraman and presenter · 50 minGordon Buchanan is a wildlife cameraman and TV presenter. He is best known for the Animal Family & Me series of BBC documentaries in which he gets up close to wild bears, Arctic…
- Sir Salman Rushdie, writer · 50 minSir Salman Rushdie is a writer who has written over 20 books, seven of which have been nominated for the Booker Prize. In 1981 he won with his novel Midnight’s Children which…
- Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Computer Scientist · 51 minSir Tim Berners-Lee is a computer scientist and the inventor of the World Wide Web. He was born in 1955, a golden year for technology innovators. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were…
- Sally Mann, photographer and writer · 52 minSally Mann is a photographer and a New York Times bestselling writer. She is best known for making large-format black and white photographs of the people and places in her…
- Lorraine Kelly, broadcaster · 50 minLorraine Kelly is a journalist and broadcaster who has been a mainstay of daytime television for over 40 years. She has hosted her own show Lorraine since its launch in 2010 and…
- Lennie James, actor · 52 minLennie James is a British actor and writer. In 2025, he received the BAFTA for Leading Actor for his portrayal of Barrington Walker in the TV adaptation of Bernadine Evaristo’s…
- Mary Greenwell, makeup artist · 49 minMary Greenwell is a makeup artist who has worked with some of the most famous faces in the world including Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, David Bowie and Cate Blanchett…
- Ronnie Wood, musician · 51 minRonnie Wood is a musician and artist who has been a major player on the UK music scene for over 60 years. In 1975 Ronnie became a member of the Rolling Stones, one of the most…
- Angela Harding, artist · 52 minAngela 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…
