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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

BBC Radio 4


Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.


Desert Island Discs

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.

Professor Sue Black on the mysteries of the human body

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.

Lemn Sissay on his foster family

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.

Jill Scott on her start in football

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.

Adrian Edmondson on working with Rik Mayall

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.

Dr Nicola Fox on the tragedy that changed her life

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.

George Michael on his accidental start in music

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.

Davina McCall on addiction

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.

Ade Adepitan on his first day at school

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.

Ruth Jones on her start in acting

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.

Tom Hanks on loneliness

Roy Plomley's castaway is critic Geoffrey Grigson.

Favourite track: She Never Told Her Love by Franz Joseph Haydn
Book: The Oxford English Dictionary
Luxury: Pate de foie gras

Geoffrey Grigson

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

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