Desert Island Discs

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Peter Ackroyd May 20, 2012

Show notes

Kirsty Young's castaway is the novelist, historian and biographer, Peter Ackroyd.

As a child he used to walk the streets of London with his grandmother - an experience that, he believes, fostered his own love for the city. He was appointed literary editor of The Spectator when he was just 23 and has gone on to write dozens of books since. He has written a biography of London, as well as books about people he calls 'cockney visionaries' such as Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins and, now, Charlie Chaplin. Yet, of the work he's produced so far, he says: "Every book for me is a chapter in the long book which will finally be closed on the day of my death. So that final book is the one which gives me a sense of achievement."

Producer: Christine Pawlowsky.

Baroness Hollins May 13, 2012

Show notes

Kirsty Young's castaway is Baroness Sheila Hollins.

An Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, she has specialised in the health and welfare of people with learning disabilities; advising on policy and influencing attitudes. She started off as a GP, turning to psychiatry after finding a huge proportion of her patients were suffering from emotional and social problems. One of her four children has a learning disability and that has brought a focus to her professional ambitions. She says: "In many ways, I've always thought that our children are going to be different to any expectation we had of them and really the joy of parenthood is discovering who your children really are."

Producer: Leanne Buckle.

Tim Minchin May 06, 2012

Show notes

Kirsty Young's castaway is the composer and performer Tim Minchin.

As a comic and musician he has sold out London's O2 Arena and won legions of fans. He wrote the songs for the Royal Shakespeare Company's musical Matilda - the production of Roald Dahl's children's story has been a smash hit on the West End, won seven Olivier awards and is due to transfer to Broadway next year.

He says: "I'm not a magical thinker - I don't think I need my special undies on or my special pencil - I'm not superstitious about the process. I just took my childhood of reading Dahl and said, 'I know what this is' and wrote some songs."

Producer: Isabel Sargent.

Jamie Cullum Mar 25, 2012

Show notes

Kirsty Young's castaway is the jazz pianist and singer Jamie Cullum.

His interview was recorded in front of an audience at St George's in Bristol and launched Radio 4's More Than Words Festival. Despite failing his grade four piano exam and, by his own admission, barely being able to read music, Jamie Cullum has become hugely popular. He is particularly celebrated for his live shows and in this very special recording, he performed three of his musical choices.

Producer: Leanne Buckle.

Anna Ford Mar 18, 2012

Show notes

Kirsty Young's castaway is the broadcaster Anna Ford.

One of the first high profile women in news, she worked for Granada, ITV and the BBC before retiring after more than thirty years on our screens. One of her professional pairings was presenting the News at 10 with Reginald Bosanquet, she remembers how he would try to unsettle her during broadcasts: "I adored Reggie, he would land either obscene poems or love poems on my script just before I was to about to read it to camera and I would catch just a sight of this and it was almost impossible not to laugh."

Producer: Leanne Buckle.

Jackie Mason Mar 11, 2012

Show notes

Kirsty Young's castaway is the American comedian Jackie Mason.

His one-man shows have been pulling in audiences for more than fifty years. Like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather before him, he trained initially as a rabbi - and quickly acquired a reputation for being very funny.

"The people who heard my sermons kept saying to me; 'Rabbi, why aren't you a comedian?' I said to myself, maybe I should take the hint."

Producer: Leanne Buckle.

Patsy Rodenburg Mar 04, 2012

Show notes

Kirsty Young's castaway is the renowned voice coach Patsy Rodenburg.

Her work at the National Theatre and the RSC has spanned decades and her students include Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Maggie Smith and Daniel Day Lewis. But her work takes her away from the stage too - she has coached politicians and helped offenders in prison. She says: "I did some work on Hamlet in a top security prison and the guy playing Claudius was a murderer and he spoke, 'Oh my offence is rank, it smells to heaven', and he just broke."

Producer: Leanne Buckle.

Brian Moore Feb 26, 2012

Show notes

Kirsty Young's castaway is the former rugby player and commentator Brian Moore.

As a player he was ferociously competitive, he says his approach to the game was almost pathological and it earned him the nickname 'the pitbull'.

By the time he retired, he'd earned dozens of England caps and played in three grand slams. But he discovered the obsessive determination he'd shown as a player was not so useful off the pitch.

"In sport, the 'I won't give up', 'carry on training' and 'going again and again and again', that's rewarded because people say isn't that fantastic - but when it comes to normal life, you can't solve everything like that."

Producer: Leanne Buckle.

Lord Prescott Feb 19, 2012

Show notes

Kirsty Young's castaway is the former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

In this frank interview, he describes life in the highly political home where he grew up, the impact that failing the school 11+ exam had on him and the gradual kindling of his own ambitions. He speaks of his debt to his wife Pauline and how for many years of their marriage he underestimated her. He describes, too, the inferiority complex which dogged him for much of his adult life:

"All the attacks on me because of my grammar and kind of background, aggressive style - it used to ruff up a few feathers and whilst I would never let it show, certainly deep inside me I felt a bit inferior."

Producer: Leanne Buckle.

James Corden Feb 12, 2012

Show notes

James Corden, actor and writer of Gavin & Stacey, is Kirsty Young's castaway is the actor and writer .

As a child he longed to act - he found early success in Alan Bennett's play The History Boys and became a household name for the TV show he devised and co-wrote, Gavin and Stacey. These days he's starring in the West End in the comedy One Man, Two Guvnors. It is due to transfer to Broadway in the spring and he says: "I'm well aware that this could well be the best part that I ever play on stage - it's a gift for any actor who has any interest in comedy. It feels like all my dreams come true."

Record: Days Like this - Van Morrison Book: A book to learn the piano Luxury: A piano

Producer: Leanne Buckle.

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