Desert Island Discs

Ralph Kohn

21 Mar 2004

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue's castaway is a man who's made a success of two entirely different careers. Ralph Kohn is a Jewish businessman who has won the Queen's E...

Bill Nighy

14 Mar 2004

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue's castaway is the award winning actor Bill Nighy. Originally from Caterham in Surrey, he left school at 15 without any qualifications a...

Sir Gulam Noon

07 Mar 2004

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is a businessman who brought authentic Indian foods to our supermarkets - Sir Gulam Noon. An instinctive businessman, ...

Judith Kerr

29 Feb 2004

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue's castaway is Judith Kerr - a writer and illustrator known to generations of children both for her charming Mog picture-books and for he...

John Cale

22 Feb 2004

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is John Cale, a classically trained musician who went on to found one of the most influential bands of the 1960s, Velv...

Sacha Distel

15 Feb 2004

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is one of France's best known exports - the singer Sacha Distel. Born into a loving family in 1930s Paris, his father ...

Sister Frances Dominica

08 Feb 2004

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is a nun and a pioneer of the hospice movement. Sister Frances Dominica says she had always felt she was born to be a ...

Rt Hon Lord Sainsbury

01 Feb 2004

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is David Sainsbury, now Lord Sainsbury of Turville.David Sainsbury who is a grocer and a politician is also one of Bri...

Paul Dacre

25 Jan 2004

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is one of Britain's most powerful newspaper men - Paul Dacre, editor of the Daily Mail. He was brought up in a househo...

Stephen Frears

18 Jan 2004

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the film director Stephen Frears. His film credits include My Beautiful Launderette, When Sammy and Rosie Get Laid,...

Jimmy Tarbuck

11 Jan 2004

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the entertainer Jimmy Tarbuck. Originally from Liverpool, he began his career as a redcoat at Butlins holiday camp....

Martha Lane Fox

04 Jan 2004

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the dot-com millionaire and businesswoman Martha Lane Fox. She says that as a child she was confident and bossy - t...

Paul O'Grady

28 Dec 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway is the entertainer Paul O'Grady. Best known as the 'Blonde Bombshell', Lily Savage, he's one of the most popular figures on tele...

Emmylou Harris

21 Dec 2003

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the country rock singer Emmylou Harris. Born in Alabama in 1947, her musical influences were folk rather than count...

Nicholas Grimshaw

14 Dec 2003

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw. An interest in engineering runs in the Grimshaw genes - one great-grandfather ...

Pat Barker

07 Dec 2003

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the Booker prize-winning novelist Pat Barker. Pat Barker was 39 when she had the phone call every writer dreams abo...

Henry Blofeld

30 Nov 2003

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the cricket commentator Henry Blofeld. Blofeld's become known as much for his musings on pigeons, planes, double de...

Sir Christopher Meyer

23 Nov 2003

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the chairman of the Press Complaints Commission Sir Christopher Meyer. Sir Christopher joined the PCC earlier this ...

Jeremy Clarkson

16 Nov 2003

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the motoring journalist and motor-mouth Jeremy Clarkson. He came from a comfortable background - his mother was a t...

Christopher Frayling

02 Nov 2003

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is Professor Sir Christopher Frayling the Rector of the Royal College of Art and a champion of popular culture. He was...

Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP

26 Oct 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the leader of the Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy. Born in Inverness, Charles grew up on a croft near Fort Willia...

Bill Cullen

19 Oct 2003

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Sue Lawley's castaway is the Irish businessman and writer Bill Cullen. He was one of 14 children born to William Cullen and Mary Darcy. His...

Herbert Kretzmer

12 Oct 2003

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the journalist and songwriter Herbert Kretzmer. Born in South Africa in 1925, he came to Europe after World War II....

Nigella Lawson

05 Oct 2003

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the broadcaster, cook, mother and domestic goddess Nigella Lawson. She came from a privileged background - her fath...

Nick Hornby

28 Sep 2003

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the internationally successful author Nick Hornby. Originally from suburban Maidenhead, his obsession with football...

Bryn Terfel

21 Sep 2003

Contributed by Lukas

This week Sue Lawley's castaway is the Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel. Still only in his 30s, he's sung at the world's biggest opera houses and can p...

Barbara Taylor Bradford

06 Jul 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the popular novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford. Born in Upper Armley, Leeds, by the age of 16 Barbara had graduated f...

Daniel Libeskind

29 Jun 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the architect Daniel Libeskind. Daniel Libeskind's parents were Polish Jews. Daniel himself was a prodigiously tale...

Bishop John Sentamu

22 Jun 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is The Bishop of Birmingham, John Sentamu. When John Sentamu was born, the sixth of 13 children, near Kampala in Ugand...

Mark Tully

15 Jun 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the veteran broadcaster Mark Tully. Born in Calcutta and with ancestors who were involved in the Indian Mutiny, he ...

Vittorio Radice

08 Jun 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is Vittorio Radice. Born in 1957 and brought up near Lake Como, Radice is the son of a furniture retailer. He surprise...

Meera Syal

01 Jun 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the actor and writer Meera Syal. She was born in the sixties after her parents had immigrated here from the Punjab ...

Derek Brown

25 May 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is Derek Brown the Director of the Michelin Red Guides which are the French bible for restaurants. The original Guide ...

Franco Zeffirelli

18 May 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the director Franco Zeffirelli. He was born the illegitimate son of a philandering businessman and a successful fas...

George Fenton

11 May 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the composer George Fenton, whose work includes music for Groundhog Day, Shadowlands, Cry Freedom, The Company of W...

Professor A H Halsey

04 May 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the sociologist and Oxford Emeritus Professor A H Halsey. Prof Halsey played a key part in the switch to comprehens...

Rory Bremner

20 Apr 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the impressionist and satirist Rory Bremner. He was born in Edinburgh in 1961. A self-confessed show-off, he starte...

Margaret Atwood

13 Apr 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the writer Margaret Atwood. Born just after the outbreak of the Second World War, Margaret Atwood spent much of her...

David Gilmour

06 Apr 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Gilmour grew up in Cambridge, where his father was a senior lecturer in zoology and hi...

Kristin Scott Thomas

30 Mar 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the actress Kristin Scott Thomas. She was born in Redruth, Cornwall in 1960. Her father, a Naval pilot, was killed ...

Claude-Michel Schonberg

23 Mar 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the composer of the hit musicals Les Miserables and Miss Saigon, Claude-Michel Schönberg. Claude-Michel always kne...

Nick Danziger

16 Mar 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the photo journalist Nick Danziger. Nick was born in London but grew up in Monaco and Switzerland. He developed a t...

Vic Reeves

09 Mar 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the comedian Jim Moir, best known by the name of his alter ego Vic Reeves. Jim was born in Leeds but soon moved to ...

Gene Pitney

02 Mar 2003

Contributed by Lukas

"Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the singer-songwriter Gene Pitney. Gene grew up in Rockville, Connecticut, the middle child of a large family. His...

George Clooney

23 Feb 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the actor, George Clooney. George was born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1961, the son of Nick Clooney, a TV newscaster...

Cornelia Parker

16 Feb 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the artist Cornelia Parker. Cornelia grew up in the country where she lived on a small holding looked after by her ...

Sir Ian McKellen

09 Feb 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the actor Sir Ian McKellen. Ian grew up in Lancashire attending Wigan Grammar school and then Bolton School where h...

Paul Whitehouse

02 Feb 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the comedian and star of The Fast Show, Paul Whitehouse. Born in the Rhonda Valley in Wales, Paul and his family so...

Sir Trevor Nunn

26 Jan 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the theatre director Trevor Nunn. At the age of five Trevor had decided, to the great surprise of his parents, that...

Professor Baruch Blumberg

19 Jan 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Professor Baruch Blumberg. Barry Blumberg was born in Brooklyn, New York in the 1...

Gillian Anderson

12 Jan 2003

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is Gillian Anderson, best known for her role as Dana Scully in The X Files. Gillian was born in Chicago, Illinois. Whe...

George Foreman

05 Jan 2003

Contributed by Lukas

George Foreman was born in Texas into a large but poor family. His earliest memories are of being hungry. He found school difficult and felt he was wr...

Patricia Cornwell

29 Dec 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Patricia Daniels was born in 1956 in Miami, Florida. After her parents divorced she moved with her mother and two brothers to Montreat, North Carolina...

Rowan Williams

22 Dec 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Rowan Williams grew up in Swansea and Cardiff. He enjoyed reading, being outdoors and acting in school plays. He remembers attending church every day ...

Sinead Cusack

15 Dec 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Sinead Cusack was born in Ireland into a acting dynasty. Her first ambition, whilst at convent school, was to be a saint. But her behaviour didn't mat...

Linton Kwesi Johnson

08 Dec 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway is dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson. Linton Kwesi Johnson was born in 1950s rural Jamaica. He lived in a farming community and look...

John Malkovich

01 Dec 2002

Contributed by Lukas

John Malkovich makes his film directorial debut this year with The Dancer Upstairs. He's best known for his laconic sophistication in films such as Da...

Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP

24 Nov 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Described by Lord Tebbit as "a remarkably normal family man with children", Iain has just completed twelve months as Leader of the Conservative Party ...

Christopher Ondaatje

17 Nov 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Christopher Ondaatje was born in the British colony of Ceylon and educated at Blundell's School in Tiverton, Devon. He moved to Canada and in 1964 was...

Marguerite Wolff

15 Nov 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Marguerite Wolff has dedicated her life to performing all around the world. Sir Arthur Bliss composed for her and she studied under Louis Kentner. Mar...

Rt Hon Robin Cook MP

03 Nov 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Robin Cook was born in Larnarkshire, east of Glasgow; an only child whose father was a science teacher. In his teens the family moved to Edinburgh so ...

P D James

27 Oct 2002

Contributed by Lukas

P D James was born in Oxford, later moving to Ludlow on the Welsh Borders where she experienced a childhood which she says had more in common with a V...

Carl Djerassi

20 Oct 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Carl Djerassi was born in Vienna to an Austrian mother and Bulgarian father. Both parents were involved in the medical profession and, growing up surr...

Paul Gambaccini

13 Oct 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Gambaccini was born in New York City in 1949 and revelled growing up to the sounds of the 1960s. He loved listening to the radio and chose to go ...

Philip Pullman

06 Oct 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Philip Pullman is the author of the celebrated His Dark Materials trilogy: Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. He was born in No...

Dame Alicia Markova

29 Sep 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Dame Alicia Markova was born Lilian Alice Marks in December 1910, in a two-bedroom flat in Finsbury Park, London. She began ballet classes because she...

Timothy Spall

22 Sep 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Timothy Spall grew up in Battersea, South London. He found school pretty uninspiring and left with art as his only qualification. However, when he pla...

Brian May

15 Sep 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Brian May spent his childhood in Feltham near London and he learnt his first chords on his father's ukelele banjo. He soon progressed to the guitar, w...

Alan Titchmarsh

07 Jul 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Alan Titchmarsh was drawn to gardening from an early age in Ilkley, Yorkshire, making his first polythene greenhouse at the age of twelve and deciding...

Minette Walters

30 Jun 2002

Contributed by Lukas

After Minette Walters' father died of injuries sustained in World War II she won a scholarship to Godolphin School, and eventually became Head Girl. F...

Countess Elizabeth Longford

23 Jun 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Elizabeth Harman was born in London in 1906. Her parents were both doctors, her mother was the niece of Joseph Chamberlain and cousin of Neville Chamb...

Jan Morris

16 Jun 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway is writer Jan Morris.

Leonard Rosoman

09 Jun 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Leonard Rosoman's career saw him travel the world as an Official War Artist in the Second World War. He is also a member of the Royal Academy, an illu...

Sue Johnston

26 May 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Johnston has rarely been out of work since she made her name in Brookside. Her versatility is clear, with credits including such varied programmes...

Suggs

19 May 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Suggs made his name as front man of 80s pop phenomenon Madness and impressed a whole generation with his unique style of singing, silly dancing and fo...

Sir Aaron Klug

12 May 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Sir Aaron Klug grew up in Durban, South Africa on the edge of the Bush, which provided him with enough snakes and monkeys to satisfy his curiosity. A ...

Jude Kelly

05 May 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the theatre director Jude Kelly. Currently based at the West Yorkshire Playhouse - which under her cr...

Betty Jackson

28 Apr 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the fashion designer Betty Jackson. For three decades Betty Jackson has been at the cutting edge of t...

Wayne Marshall

21 Apr 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the organist Wayne Marshall. He describes himself as a virtuosic performer, preferring to play "loud ...

Sir Christopher Bland

14 Apr 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the Chairman of BT, Sir Christopher Bland. Passionately interested in business, Sir Christopher's bus...

Fiona Reynolds

07 Apr 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the Director General of the National Trust, Fiona Reynolds. Passionate about the countryside, the job...

Gordon Ramsay

31 Mar 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the chef Gordon Ramsay, the only British chef in the country to have three Michelin stars, at his epo...

Dorothy Rowe

24 Mar 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the psychologist Dorothy Rowe, author of groundbreaking books on depression such as Choosing not Losi...

Fay Godwin

17 Mar 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the landscape photographer Fay Godwin. Her evocative pictures brought Fay Godwin to the notice of the...

Dame Beryl Grey

10 Mar 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the ballerina, Dame Beryl Grey. When she joined Sadlers Wells at 14 she quickly took on leading roles...

Lord May

03 Mar 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week's Sue Lawley's castaway is the President of the Royal Society, Lord May. During his tenure as Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, ...

Sue MacGregor

24 Feb 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway is broadcaster Sue MacGregor.Favourite track: Adagio by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: History of the World by J M Roberts Luxury...

Kazuo Ishiguro

17 Feb 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the award-winning writer, Kazuo Ishiguro. Titles such as When We Were Orphans, An Artist of the Float...

Sir Paul Nurse

10 Feb 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is Sir Paul Nurse, the Director General of Science for the charity Cancer Research UK. Thanks to his wor...

David Linley

03 Feb 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is Viscount Linley. The son of Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon has always made a point of play...

Phyllis Sellick

27 Jan 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the pianist, Phyllis Sellick.Phyllis Sellick enjoyed a glittering career as a solo performer but was ...

Bob Worcester

20 Jan 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway is pollster Bob Worcester.Favourite track: Organ Symphony in C Minor: Finale by Camille Saint-Saëns Book: Globes at Greenwich b...

Susana Walton

13 Jan 2002

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is Lady Walton. Within two weeks of meeting the composer Sir William Walton, Susana Gil Passo had accept...

Sir Peter Morris

06 Jan 2002

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway is President of the Royal College of Surgeons Sir Peter Morris.Favourite track: Piano Concerto No 21 in C Major by Wolfgang Amad...

Ewan McGregor

30 Dec 2001

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the actor Ewan McGregor. In the last 10 years, Ewan McGregor has become a star on both sides of the A...

Jamie Oliver

23 Dec 2001

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Lawley's castaway is TV chef Jamie Oliver.Favourite track: Only To Be With You by Roachford Book: Doesn't read books - needs notepaper and pens to...

Anne Fine

16 Dec 2001

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the Children's Laureate Anne Fine. She wrote her first book because a blizzard prevented her going to...

Cameron Mackintosh

09 Dec 2001

Contributed by Lukas

When, at the tender age of eight, Sir Cameron Mackintosh went to see a production of Salad Days, he was so entranced that he introduced himself to the...

Rt Hon William Hague MP

02 Dec 2001

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the Rt Hon. William Hague, MP for Richmond. He talks about his childhood in Yorkshire, his rapid rise...

Ken Follett

25 Nov 2001

Contributed by Lukas

This week the castaway on Desert Island Discs is the writer Ken Follett. Novels such as Eye of the Needle, The Pillars of the Earth and The Third Twin...